A few days ago I responded to a little meme floating around on some of my friends Livejournals and they asked me some questions. I thought I would share them here as well since it’s NaBloPoMo and all and I’m sure that somewhere down the road I am going to run out of topics of my own (one day left, score!). Thank you, ladies, for providing me with a little blog fodder.

From Lauren, lovely lady who moderates GodlyGals with me…
1. What was your favorite wedding present?
That’s a tough one. The ones that have seen the most use have been my Fiesta ware (six in Shamrock, six in White). I’m pretty utilitarian so the things that I have been able to use the most have been most appreciated. Oh, and I love the mattress that my grandparents bought us. We picked it out about a year ago. It was nice to finally get to use it once we got married (Kevin requested that I not sleep on it until we were married and he moved in). It’s the best.

2. Have you and Kevin thought about any potential baby names? You know, for way on down the road ;)
We do, but I’ll never tell until the babies come along. I will say that Kevin has given a firm “no” to one of my favorites — Clementine.

3. What is your surefire, go-to recipe for potlucks/covered dish events (idk what they call them out there)?
Potlucks ;) Well, I have got Kevin’s grandma’s recipe for chocolate pie down so I might need to stick with that. But my grandmother’s recipe for “Southwest Salad” is a hit (it’s not your average taco salad). I always like to bring that. I’m pretty famous for bringing weird stuff down home to my meat and potatoes family. “What’s that?”

4. Did you and your brothers get along while you were growing up, and did your relationship change (other than obviously you were all older and more mature) once you left home?
First off, “more mature” is a stretch. As kids, I hear that my middle brother and I got along until my baby brother was introduced into the mix and then it was all out bedlam. We fought. ALL THE TIME. Hitting and kicking and screaming. After a while I got tired of it, played the “you can’t hit a girl” card, and just let them go at it. Up until just a few years ago I’d still take part in the arguing, but even that has slowed down now. The boys still fight. And our relationships have changed pretty much only in that we don’t talk to each other as much anymore.

5. How do you feel about public speaking?
I kinda like it. The first time I had to speak in public was in high school and back then I broke out in a nervous sweat, got the cotton mouth, and my hands shook uncontrollably. It took a few years for that to change and I was able to calmly present a motion before our school board to have some grading standards changed (we won!).

On the surface my personality is not sanguine. If you break past my exterior though, that’s what you’ll find. In the past few years I have found that I really enjoy speaking in front of a group and am able to do it confidently. And strangely enough, on the Compare People application on Facebook, I’ve been ranked the best public speaker amongst all my friends. I find it interesting that this is something people would think about me. Even if I do enjoy it, I don’t do it that much.

And from Rose, another lady I met through GodlyGals (waaaay back in the day)…
1. Do you have kids’ names picked out? Care to share them?
See above.

2. Where’s your next vacation planned?
This spring break (which occurs in mid-March in Oklahoma) Kevin and I are taking our first long roadtrip east to visit some of his family in North Carolina. I’ll be documenting the whole trip as we try to hit as many hole-in-the-wall restaurants that we can find (with Guy Fieri as our guide). We’re going to visit Grandmother in Clinton, NC, Aunt Sue in Raleigh, NC, and Pop Pop and Miss Phyllis in Currituck, NC.

3. What’s your spiritual gift?
In one of those really extensive tests (that includes things that not all people consider a spiritual gifting) I had 5 at the top that I scored very highly in. Tied for 1st place were Pastoring, Faith, and Discernment and tied at 2nd were Hospitality and Leadership. I have never asked anyone else who is close to me and that I trust spiritually what they thought about those results, but I think it would be a good idea to do so. It seems that people who work with you in ministry or see how you work could give some good insight into what they see you presenting strongly.

I feel that discernment and hospitality are the two things that come the most naturally to me. Discernment is something that it’s been clear I was gifted with ever since I was very young. I believe that is one huge factor in why I turned out the way that I did. My parents and grandparents have always been quick to say that I needed very little correction and had a very strong sense of “right” and “wrong” from the time I was small.

I guess you can see how the Pastoring and Leadership have shown themselves in my life. Faith, yes, I can see this. It’s Kevin’s highest gift on the list and helps me to understand why we are so compatible. We both trust God and that He will always come through. Period. For me, that sometimes makes it difficult for me to relate to Christians who regularly doubt and question the will and work of God.

Also, I don’t believe that people necessarily only have one gift. I think sometimes people have one gift right then, right when God needs to use them in that way.

4. What’s your biggest regret?
The ways I treated some of my friends in high school. I threw away some friendships I wish I hadn’t.

5. What’s the most common way people find your blog?
Honestly? Searching for the RoutanBabymaker3000. Look it up :) It’s helped me build a huge following in eastern Europe.