I'm back...

Sorry for such a long break from blogging! I could run down a list of excuses, like I got busier, I got sick, I was more interested in everyone else's blogs and lives than my own, etc., but I won't bore you with that! ;)

Jenn, thank you for holding me accountable to blogging and thus staying in touch with our world by tagging me with the task of coming up with 100 things about myself! Wow...

1. I'm from Birmingham, AL; still living here and loving it.
2. I'm a twin! Just the two of us girls, no other siblings.
3. My mom is from Blount County, AL; my dad is from Esfahan, Iran...I'm a mixed breed! :)
4. I grew up speaking Farsish...a good mix of Farsi and English. Ha!
5. I learned Spanish in school and speak it fairly fluently.
6. I've been able to use my Spanish on mission trips to Juarez, Mexico!
7. My family has owned an Oriental rug store all of my life.
8. I grew up in the business! I have a PhD in Oriental rugs! Hee hee!
9. To the best of my recollection, I sold my first rug at age 7.
10. I stayed in the family business until age 23.
11. I grew up in the Mountain Brook school system
12. I went on to UAB, where I graduated with a business management degree.
13. I was a major study bug growing up! Always straight A's! Always on the honor roll & dean's list!
14. I'm grateful to be finished with school and all that pressure, although I do still enjoy learning.
15. I developed arthritis at the young age of 16.
16. I became very depressed during that time, trying different medications and solutions, nothing seeming to work.
17. Thankfully, exercise seemed to help me stay limber and thus hurt less.
18. If you know me, you know I love to walk! In the beautiful outdoors, in the soothing sunshine!
19. Also, if you know me, I'm extremely cold natured...I actually become almost depressed in the winter months. :(
20. Come Spring, I'm itching to get outside again! Like right now!!
21. My ideal weather would be 70's during the day, 60's at night! Always sunny!! :) If it has to rain, let it come while we're sleeping at night.
22. I became a believer in Jesus Christ at age 23.
23. I praise the Lord for leading a bold gentleman into my life to share his testimony and the love of Christ through taking time to get to know me and inviting me to spend time with him and his family!
24. As many of you know, this man is Pete Wright. He and his wife, Virginia, quickly became guardians, much like spiritual parents to me. I love them, their children and their EIGHT grandchildren! :)
25. Pete prayed with me to receive Christ into my heart. "It took," praise the Lord!
26. I now seek to live my life for Christ alone.
27. My favorite verse: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17
28. I immediately started attending Mountain Brook Community Church (MBCC).
29. I was part of the first MBCC single's group...Acts 2:42 was our group name.
30. Acts 2:42 reads, "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."
31. Everyone in that original group got married :), except me, really putting me out of my comfort zone!
32. BUT a new group was formed, The GAP, which stands for Graduates And Professionals, and I remained there...praising the Lord for that season of life!
33. I worked at MBCC at the time, as the receptionist. Loved it! I may have met you there! :)
34. I lived with Ashley, still my best girlfriend & accountability partner, and Karen for about 2 years just after becoming a believer.
35. I miss Ashley's neighborhood, good ole Bluff Park! Great walking neighborhood!!
36. Ashley married Dan, and I got to be her maid of honor! Thanks, Ashley!! Love you!
37. I lived with two families and did a lot of house-/pet-sitting in a transitional time of life...just after living at Ashley's and before becoming the owner of my current townhouse!
38. During that transitional time (about 2 years), I lived over a year with the Melick's, a wonderful family who loves the Lord and just poured out their blessings of love and faithfulness on me for that season!
39. I then lived a spring season with the Wyatt's, another great family through whom God blessed my heart and life!
40. The following summer, I house-/pet-sat for maybe 5 different families, which was a crazy but fun several months!
41. At the end of that summer, August 2006, the Lord blessed me with a sweet, cozy townhouse! 42. I ENJOY house-keeping, cooking, being all domestic!
43. I am married to my very best friend, John Russell Wright.
44. I call him Russell or Honey or ... :)
45. Most of his family or friends call him Russ.
46. We met through Ryan & Jenn deVilleneuve in May 2004.
47. We had our first date in May 2006.
48. We were engaged in May 2007.
49. Married in August 2007.
50. Notice his last name...Wright...same as Pete & Virginia's last name.
51. They're not related.
52. We also share the same wedding/anniversary date as Pete & Virginia! Completely unplanned...again, the Lord! Oh, HIS sweet details!
53. God has a sweet sense of humor. :)
54. Russell was pleased to learn that I like meat, especially bar-b-q, when we started dating! :)
55. Our favorite restaurant is Jim 'N Nick's!
56. Other favorites...Brio's,
57. The Olive Garden,
58. Village Tavern's brunch menu! This is our favorite spot to meet friends right after church!
59. I LOVE to meet up with a girlfriend to catch up over a walk, coffee or a meal!
60. Favorite places to meet with my girlfriends include Panera - GREAT menu! VARIETY!!
61. Zoe's - grilled chicken salad! Great to split or save the 2nd half for my next meal! ;)
62. Cafe Iz - great chicken salad & fruit plates!
63. Nabeel's - also yummy chicken salad!
64. I obviously enjoy food! :)
65. My favorite dessert - anything with chocolate and/or ice cream!
66. I enjoy a good cup of coffee with flavored creamer.
67. Favorite flavored creamer: Coffeemate Creme Brulee!
68. Favorite color: turquoise.
69. Hobbies/things I enjoy: exercising,
70. reading edifying books,
71. spending quality time with the Lord in my journal,
72. spending quality time with Russell,
73. spending quality time with my girlfriends,
74. fellowshipping with couple friends,
75. praying,
76. cooking,
77. organizing,
78. planning.
79. I love being married!
80. Russell is incredibly selfless.
81. We are learning to sharpen our communication skills, by God's grace, more and more each day!
82. My love language is words of affirmation.
83. I am an encourager.
84. I am about half extrovert and half introvert.
85. I have to have my alone time! :)
86. I'm a morning person!!
87. Awaking at 5:00 each morning to spend the first of my day with the Lord.
88. My current Bible study is a Topical Scripture memory plan.
89. I've memorized 34 of 60 verses at a rate of 2 per week.
90. God promises that as we fill our hearts with His Word, it will overflow in our lives.
91. I want to please Him in all that I do.
92. I appreciate and even long for accountability!
93. I appreciate friends who will truly rebuke me in love as the Spirit leads them to do so, more so than those whose aim is to merely pacify or pat me on the back superficially.
94. Please hold me accountable - as you read this blog, as you see me, hear from me, check on me, etc.
95. I long for the fellowship of believers!
96. Speaking of which, I am thankful for each of you reading this post...blessings upon you for making it this far!
97. Almost there!!! Hmmm...I am not really a pet person.
98. My favorite movie is Gladiator!
99. A favorite quote: "He who knows me best loves me most." Applicable to our relationship with Christ and to one another!
100. I appreciate transparency! Hence, the 100 things about me!

Thank you for taking this time to learn more about me! Whew! <--That's for you! ;)

I'm tagging a young lady who I have met in the blogging world! I ran across her great blog by God's grace! I literally cannot remember how I found her, except that I was bored at home one night and just reading through friends' blogs and clicking on linking blogs, which led me to her. I admire her life and her love for the Lord. She's a wife and a mommy. We've started emailing each other, and I truly hope to meet her face-to-face soon! We're both twins, too! :)

SOooooooooo, Darby! ;) That's right! I hope you don't mind!! It's your turn!!

This has been fun!
Love you all!
Shireen