Tagged

TEN YEARS AGO, I was cramming for finals at the end of my freshman year at BYU and ecstatic about my upcoming trip to Kenya, East Africa that would have been only weeks away. I had always wanted to go to Africa. A friend I had met at Southern Virginia College in the fall of 1997 organized the group of students and three dads (mine included). We spent three days in the slums of Nairobi, a couple of days on safari on the Masai Mara, and five days climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest point on the continent of Africa. The climb was a spiritual turning point for me. I'll never forget being carried by angels to the top. The time we spent in the slums changed me and my father forever. When we returned from the trip, together with my mother, we decided to start a not-for-profit organization called "Help the Children," now "Reach the Children."

SNACKS: I'm a changed person. I munched on fresh spinach just the other day. I used to grab any old junk food for a snack and now I really don't snack that much. I graze, to be sure, but I have more frequent, small meals. I eat 90% less sugar (chocolate is still quite prevalent, due its health benefits for exercise... tastes ok, too). My new discovery snack of the week are Veggie Stix. They are like potato chips, but much less fatty and made from tomato and spinach puree, corn, and carrots. Still junk food, but creates less of a pit in my stomach. :)

IF I WERE GIVEN A BILLION DOLLARS: I would do much like Shannon. Pay off the house, invest enough to have a comfortable annual income, donate plenty to Reach the Children for-profit businesses so that the proceeds would support the humanitarian efforts, tear down several apartment complexes and multi-unit neglects in our neighborhood, and build great homes with large yards in their places. Each house would be historic in style, but with all kinds of well-thought out modern conveniences. Then, I would arrange a semi-annual trip to a country or region that my boys and I would have studied over the recent months. We would stay for about a month so that we could really see all the tourist stuff, but get to know some local people and hear the languages and experience a bit of the culture. I have yet to set foot in Asia or India or Indonesia or French Polynesia or Australia, so those are on the top of my list. Chris just wants to go some place warm and beach front. I would also fund the start of a French ecole primaire (elementary school) and lycee (high school) since I can't find one anywhere in the U.S. that I'd be willing to live. Since we're talking about a billion dollars, I would need to think about exactly which would be the best recipients. Today, with my limited research, I'd like to donate anonymously to the Huntsman Cancer Institute, Primary Children's Hospital, the miners' families in Southern Utah, market for Dave Ramsey, maybe build a metro throughout the Salt Lake and Utah counties, and a bunch of other things that would not foster dependency or feelings of entitlement, but would give back and/or generate further benefits.

I HAVE LIVED: Provo, UT (newborn, and most of last 7 yrs); Denver, CO (7 yrs); Fairport, NY (10 yrs); Buena Vista, VA (3 months); Paris, France (3 months); Jerusalem, Israel (6 weeks); Nairobi, Kenya (3 months); Antananarivo, Madagascar (1.5 yrs).

JOBS: Sandwich Artist at Subway, Instructor at Karate dojo, French & Malagasy Teacher at MTC, Director of Marketing/PR for Reach the Children, currently full-time inhabiter of Cloud 9 residing at home with my hubby and darling boys.

5 THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME:
1) When I was 5, I colored myself almost entirely blue with a permanent marker. The only picture from the event shows me crying because my "mean" (and probably laughing) parents wouldn't let me finish the rest of my arm.
2) I am going gray. I need to do something about that. Oh, maybe you did know that already.
3) I didn't learn how to swim until I was 8 years old. I've never been a great swimmer. Will work on that this summer.
4) I am a hypocrite. I am very critical of people who are mean to others, immature, inconsiderate, and insensitive, but then make excuses for others who are the exact same way. Is that charity and patience, or hypocritical?
5) I am quick to agree. I would rather have peace than be right... most of the time. ;) Then again, the real me is passionate in my opinions. I guess it depends on the circumstance.

MY WISH FOR HUMANITY (yes, I'm adding this one): I wish people would think of the consequences of the consequences of the consequences. If more people did this, there would be so much less impulse reacting, and "I just wasn't thinking..." and unplanned pregnancies, and impoverished people robbed of the little self-worth they had left, and drunk driving, and hurt feelings. Just think about it even for a minute... would you make the same choice?

Boy, if you did read all that, thanks. It was kinda fun to do. You're it!