Wow... I'm 30!

I'm excited for my thirties! I really am. I've enjoyed my twenties... but 30 just sounds so grown up. I never imagined that I would be married to my best friend, living in Ohio, with five kids by the time I was 30. I can't wait to see where the next 30 years takes me.

This year is going to be all about me. I know, that sounds totally selfish... but it's not. I promise. I need to start putting myself first a little more often. I haven't been taking care of myself physically or spiritually. I got a membership for a new gym for my birthday and I am so excited to get back into shape. I know it will help me feel better about myself and will give me more energy. I have a new goal to do the Personal Progress program again this year. I am SO excited for that and how it will boost me spiritually. I know that if I take care of myself, I will be a better mother and a better wife. It makes me smile just thinking about it. I think it's going to be a really great year.
My plan didn't work very well and I didn't get my thirty questions... but I got a few. It was fun to think about them and give the best answers that I could. Hopefully they're interesting to you and you'll learn something new about me.

1. What is your favorite song or type of music right now? I like a lot of types of music. Right now my go-to songs are: Holding On-- by Colors, Breakeven-- by The Script, There's a Place for Us-- by Carrie Underwood, Eet-- by Regina Spektor, Whataya Want From Me-- Adam Lambert, and I Need You Now-- Lady Antebellum. Those are all songs that I belt out in my car when I'm taking the kids to school. You should hear Graham sing Whataya Want From Me. It's adorable.


2. What is your dream car? I'm going back and forth between a Honda Odyssey and a Honda Pilot for after we finish school next year. I think we'll go with a Honda Pilot but only if it is the kind with a dropped floor trunk. And we'll have to get a hard case to put on top when we go on trips. I love the trunk space in the Odyssey and the stow and go option... so we'll see. Pretty boring, huh?


3. What is your least favorite household chore? I want to say laundry... but I think it's actually deep cleaning the bathrooms. I hate doing that. I make Jeremy do it every week.


4. What is your dream vacation? With my husband... to some tropical location where we can stay in a little hut on the beach and just relax all day long. Or on a tour of Europe. We would have to go to Tuscany, London and somewhere in Ireland with lots and lots of castles to explore. With our family... to Disneyland, or Harry Potter world, or Legoland. With my best girl friends or sisters... to New York City. Lots of Broadway shows and yummy food.


5. If you could be on any reality television show... what would it be? Oh wow. I guess I would say, What Not to Wear. Does that count? Everytime I watch that show I wish that I could be on it. How would it be to have $5000 and two stylists to tell you what you should be wearing for your body type? Seriously. So awesome.


6. What are your repeat meals (ones that you make all the time that you and your family love) and can I have the recipe if it isn't already in the ward cookbook? Liz, you are too funny. Our go-to recipes that everyone will eat--- tacos, parmesan chicken, breakfast for dinner, fried rice and chicken, french dip sandwiches, cream cheese chicken with rice.... I'm sure there are more but I can't remember. Tell me which ones you want the recipes for and I'll get you the recipe.


7. I want a step by step day in the life of Chelle. I have a blog ready to go tomorrow.... it's not that exciting. I promise.


8. What is on your DVR that is just for you. Greys Anatomy, Oprah, The Bachelor, Biggest Loser, American Idol, Sister Wives, Secret Millionaire and Chopped: All Stars. That is a lot now that I type it all out!


9. If you could change one thing in your life, what would it be? This was hard... I'd have to say that I wish I would have put Jeremy first from day one in our marriage. When we started having kids, he kind of got put on the back burner even when he should have been at the front. Our marriage suffered a little because of it. We're more happily married than ever before because I think I've finally fixed that.
10. How many kids are you guys going to have? I knew that one was coming... We know that there is one more little girl waiting to join our family. If the next one is a girl, we will be done. If it's a boy, we know that is Heavenly Father's way of telling us that we can handle more than one more. And we'll trust in Him that we can do it.
11. If you could go back to the beginning, what one thing would you change as a parent? I wouldn't be so high-strung about certain things. It's okay if they get dirty.... it's okay if the house is dirty and I'm playing with them... it's okay if they spill the flour while we're making cookies... that sort of thing. I need to let them be kids more often and not expect so much from them.
12. Looking back 10 years ago, what had you hoped, planned and dreamed your life would be like when you turned 30? I imagined that I would be married with a few kids, and would have a pre-school in my home, or I would have a teaching degree. Oh, and we'd be living in Utah near family.
13. Are you there? I think I'm pretty close. I hope to someday go back and get a degree in something. Not sure I am up for teaching after I raise all of these kids... but I would love to expand my education. As far as living in Utah... I always thought we would stay there forever... but it looks like the Lord has a different plan for us.
14. Do you regret anything? I regret not giving Jeremy a chance in High School! I'm sure things worked out how they were supposed to though.
15. What is your dirty little secret? (for example... mine is my microwave) I wouldn't say that I have a real dirty little secret... but I am a self-proclaimed 'surface cleaner'. I hate deep cleaning my house. Hate it. Hate it. If you ever come to my house, don't look too closely at the walls or around the edges. Those are the things that tend to get ignored.

Feel free to keep them coming throughout the day, I'd be happy to answer more!