Who Am I? (part 2)

To finally be back, and do something I needed to a few weeks ago, maybe just a couple weeks. Here I am. This is Sendy. A special friend made a request to hear more about who I am, and Jeff as well (I suppose). Hopefully I can get him to agree to get on this blog and do a little writing himself someday. But for now, to go into a deeper answer for my friend. A long time ago, my hearts desires were to just have fun and live a happy life! Those are still pretty much the same, but a few things have changed, well, sort of. Keep reading to hear about the interests and hobbies that have made Sendy who she is over the years. It ended up being a long entry, but each part is equally important.

Something that used to be HUGE in my life and still is in heart and in my thoughts, track. I ran track in middle and high school. Those years were disrupted by stress fractures my junior year. I finished running track shining, though, and always thought that one day I'd be back in the thick of it all. For now, that is not the case. As you all know, my life is majoring in family!
My interests were also in the culunary arts. I didn't know it then, but I loved and do love to cook and BAKE! Adding the kids, though, has made it tough sometimes. But I'm getting back into the hang of it! While I was in high school I remember enjoying the time that I got in the kitchen, not that it was a lot. But when I was there I loved it. My favorites have always been cookies. I found a way to make them really soft while in high school and I love to make different kinds! When I went to college, a dear friend and I would have several late nights in the dorm kitchen (remember, dear friend?), we would spend time cooking very simple noodle or rice dishes in our little rinky dink pots and pans. They were what we had and they worked perfectly! It was wonderful time that we had together and we would have lots of laughs together. Those were most likely the nights that we were staying up working on our papers for the English class we took together. Boy, that was a laugh! We pulled a couple all nighters together and those were so fun. One night, in that very kitchen, I made my very first cake that began my exploration into cake decorating. This particular cake was for Jeff. He was turning 20 and several of our friends and I planned a whole surprise party for him. I didn't have the money to buy a big cake for him and I wanted to MAKE it for him anyway - I guess a way of showing LOVE. It wasn't that pretty, but I made it and it was fun, everyone thought it tasted pretty good too. After Jeff and I got married, my cooking went into high gear and I discovered that I love the kitchen! A couple years later, I discovered a cake decorating class and realized potential in the confectionary arts! However, before getting any further down either of those roads, real quick, heading back before being a mommy or even a wife, I'll go into another interest - or I guess hobby that I was into.
Pictures and SCRAPBOOKING! I have always love photography and during my freshman year in college, I was introduced to the world of scrapbooking. Fell in love with it! For as much as I liked it, I only have one real scrapbook and I've yet to finish Jo's first year! I quickly discovered that it could be an expensive hobby and one that I ought to put off for a while. It is so fun and I truly enjoyed it. We have a very good size shoe box full of pictures that need to be organized and later on put into scrapbooks, but that is going to have to wait! But now, fortunately we were blessed with the gift of a digital camera shortly after Adie was born and my love for photography has exploded! One day I sat in the kitchen with Adie in her chair and I think I took nearly 50 pictures of her in 15 minutes! I was experimenting with the different ways the camera could be used and just capturing every smile or adorable look I could. Thank you Richard and Eva! Now, I've discovered the fastest way to get my scrapbooking done. Granted, it doesn't have all the cutsie little stickers and fun stuff, but for now, I'm keeping up with what's going on and we have books to go back and reminisce with. But I love going to imagestation and uploading our photos and then, in time I've been able to make two awesome books chronicling some great times in our life! Currently, Jo and I are working together to make Adie's first year book. He's loved looking at his (what I've got of it), but he wants to see his sister's! That's one thing I'd like to finish before baby boy is here! Let's see, photography and scrapbooking are done.
Ah, back to cooking - I've done a lot of experimenting in the last seven years and have found some great things to make. Jeff and I often find ourselves watching the Food Network, learning neat things. We both really want to start perfecting our grilling! I'd love to get back into making chili. During our first year being married, I entered a chili cook-off at the OC apts. It was really fun to get involved, but Oklahoma was not ready for the chili I made. See, where I come from, chili is not all about the meat and beans. It's about GREEN CHILIS and the red ones too! Mmmmm...Mmmmm...Mmmmm...Mmmmm...Mmmmm! Those are some good things and they are hot! So, I spent some time figuring out what I was going to put into my "chili". When I finally figured it all out, Jeff and a friend of ours told me that it was pretty good! I even thought it tasted okay. So, I was ready for the big day. It came, I cooked all afternoon and then we headed over to the Nowlen Center. I was so excited! I couldn't wait to see and hear what people thought! The way it all went down, everyone there to try, got in line and tried all the entries at first, then they took their tickets to what their favorite pick was to get a whole bowl. As the line went by, a few tried ours, and we got several interesting looks. Not even one person came back for the "Greenjeans Chili". I was pretty embarassed and a little sad, we packed up as soon as we could tell it was over and took it home. We did go back to hear who the winners were, but it hurt just a little. That's the sensitive side of me I guess. My first mistake - the name. I hadn't thought about it, but they asked the name of our "team." I thought, okay, well, this is Jeff and me, we are the Greens, why not go with Greenjeans! That was something Jeff had told me about. I think that kind of weirded people out and they just weren't sure of it. A bunch of people who know about Cowboy chili - seeing "Green" in a chili cook off! Hmm...interesting! My second mistake - not taking this chili to NM! After telling my mom about it, she said that NM would have eaten it up! Ha! Maybe, I don't know. After that day, I just forgot the whole idea of making chili and forgot the recipe. Now, I'd love to get back into it!
About a year and a half later, somehow, the idea of decorating cakes came to mind. Jeff let me take a class at the local hobby store and I knew right away that I found something that would stay with me for the rest of my life! Since then, I've made and experimented with several cakes. What makes it great is that I get to create something fun or beautiful and I get to watch people smile and enjoy it! I love the way my children squeal when they see their birthday cakes. I've also been priviledged to make cakes for a couple of friends. One asked me to make one for her friend's wedding shower. What an honor, I thought! I couldn't believe that someone thought my cakes were that nice. It was also a great challenge, building something that took more than just a pan and cake mix. Now, the greatest challenge came when another friend called me and told me that she wanted me to do her wedding cake! I was extremely honored, but at the same time I was so nervous! 100+ people would see this and possibly eat this thing! What a challenge and what an honor! I loved baking that cake for my friend and I would do it again! Definitely a learning experience too! After those two big events and a few other small things I've done personally, I know that one day, I'd love to be in the confectionary business! A friend of ours even helped me come up with a name and Jeff has helped me make a logo! Now, I just have to have everything else in order - years from now! Ha!
Now for TRACK. Just the word tugs on my heart. It brings back so many memories. I thought that I would run track forever. I had a huge plan of going to the olympics one day (that was a dream that I spoke of many times in 7th grade and thought about for many years). But perhaps there was a reason that those stress fractures entered my life. Without that day the doctor told me that running was out for a while, my life might be very different right now. And I love the life I have! My thoughts were also in having a great training program one day with my dad. Well, with the way my family moves around these days, there's no telling where we will end up and there's no way my parents are going to move around with us! So the dad and daughter idea kind of left the house a long time ago. I thought that track was out of my life forever. Until a year ago, I guess. One day, I got on-line and did some searching around. I discovered that, just a couple hours away, there is a place that I can go to and take some classes (I think in just a couple days time) and become certified to be a coach! There are quite a bit more details than just that, but it got my gears moving in that direction again! Then, several weeks ago, when our family started walking at the track just down the street from our house, all the emotions hit me again. Track is in my blood and I just don't know how to explain it. There is just a feeling that comes across my entire body when I think about it. When I walked up that hill for the first time, as the field became visible, all I could do was just look at it for a minute. As my feet touched the track, every emotion from my track days came rushing in. Everything I saw, felt, and heard at the track meets and during practice surrounded me. With every breath I took I could hear the running, the cheering, I could feel the air speeding by as I ran, I remembered the adrenalin rush and I even remembered what the track smelled like when I was in the blocks. Track was my life for so long and when I entered that field that evening, those days came back to me. I know that one day it will be part of my life again. It is who I am. I will never run like I did again, but it will never leave me. And now, an extra exciting thing for me, when we go, my little Jo loves to just run and run! He's been running two laps each time we've gone! Who knows, maybe I've got a little runner in the making! We'll see what he decides to do!

Well, as I sit down to write today, I am nearly in tears. I just finished reading an email from the school district. It was pretty much just a newsletter. I cannot believe that we are at this point in our life already! The thoughts filling my mind at the moment, for who I am is a mother, am I really ready for this? Are we going to be able to handle all that comes with school? My baby is not a baby anymore, where has the time gone? This week is enrollment, supposedly we've already filled out most of the paperwork, but I've got a few things to check on. My nerves are in high gear, almost as if I'm getting ready for my first day of school! I hope I get it all right. What is his teacher going to be like? What about the kids in his class? Are they nice? Will he be okay? He's going all day long, what will I do with him gone? Is he going to lean on what we've spent so much time teaching him? What if he gets scared? What if he gets lost? I won't be there, I have to let go. Oh, my, I just don't know if I can do this. Okay, the flood gates have opened, and the tears are rolling. MY BABY IS GROWING UP!

Who am I? It's actually quite simple! Sendy. A wife. A mother. I am a student of life. I am a teacher to my children and hopefully sometimes to those around me. I've got a past with many memories and I love to remember. I've made many mistakes, but I try to learn from each one! I have many, many, many interests and I've had a few hobbies. As I learn and grow each year new things enter my life and my experiences expand! I am stubborn, sometimes hard-headed, and extremely passionate about some things, but I always have love in my heart. I've got a few friends that I've been able to hold on to for many years and with each new place we move to, I gain more. All of the people in my life contribute to a piece of who I am and I'm forever thankful to you all! I hope that you have enjoyed this little peak into the bigger portrait of who God made me to be.