Favorite Parts

What is your favorite part of your body and why?

Well, kid, this might not be the most interesting subject matter...to you or anyone else really! However, I spent a lot of time in front of the mirror as a teenager just telling myself, "This is it. Love it or spend your life hating your body." Yes, thanks for noticing that I WAS a wise teenager. =)

But the thing is, the body is constantly changing. We're growing up and then growing out (most of us) and then we start drooping on our way to our ultimate demise. (Sorry, but it's true!) Especially those of us who have given birth...we can attest to the body being a strange and wonderful thing. After having a baby you can probably find 9 out of 10 women have looked at themselves in the mirror and thought, "Who's body is that?"

I feel like this would be more important to you if you were my daughter, but I guess it is important for sons to hear a female who isn't constantly complaining about all the things she doesn't like about her body. OK, OK, so let's get to the question. What's my favorite? 

I want to say ALL OF IT!! Because it gets me around every day, it heals from sickness, it processes all the yummy food I love to eat, it housed and fed YOU, my dear one, and Daddy likes it all a lot too. But I guess "all of it" would be cheating. Not to mention a little disingenuous because there is always a little something every woman wishes she could change. 

So I guess I'll go with torso. And butt. I've got a good one. Hard to fit into jeans that also fit my waist, but I'm not going to complain too much about that. My torso is so long that it made it unfairly easier than some to bounce back to my pre-pregnancy abs. All the fat could get distributed into a longer area, see. So, those are the things I love! I hope I didn't gross you out too much. =)

Dream Job

What is your dream job, and why?

 

Argh, another hard one!! 

I think I find this difficult because my dream job would most honestly be "mother". And many times, no matter how much we say we value it, the western world at large doesn't truly uphold motherhood as it does other professions. But no matter.

Fortunately, the presence of you (my child) in this world means that I already have my dream job!! Raising you, loving you, teaching you what I know of the world, having your love in return...what could be better or more fulfilling than that?

I've never had any great and driving ambitions in the work force other than to be really, really excellent at whatever job I am doing at that moment. Motherhood (of both biological and adopted children) has long been my goal and life's ambition. I believe The Lord created me to be a mother and I pray that I can be the best mama I can be in His strength.

Happy, Happy, Happy (HappyHappy)

Day Five of the 30 Things Challenge is to describe the 5 things that make me most happy right now.

EASY.

#5 - CHEESE. If you don't know me very well, you might think I'm kidding, but I'm not. I'll not go into detail but just seeing cheese on this list should give you an idea of how much I love it.

#4 - Work. Being Office Admin of Dwell Christian Church is a pretty sweet gig, I must say. It has helped me love the church as a whole even more than I did before...which is saying something.

#3 - Creating. Whether it be dried fruit in my new dehydrator, dinner for my family, something sewn, knitted, crocheted, sung, played or written...I truly do love to create. Even if the product isn't entirely awesome every single time. It's the process. But who are we kidding, a great product is pretty amazing, too.

#2 - Being Mrs. Tenny. Which of course means being wife to my husband and mother to my son and pastor's wife at Dwell and daughter and niece and granddaughter... So basically I'm saying that my role as friend and family member brings me great joy.

#1 - Being a child of God. - Saved from the way I was and adopted as His daughter through Christ...pretty much nothing can touch that.

Sixteen Ain't the Top

I remember being 16. I remember thinking it was pretty darn awesome, and that I was pretty darn awesome, and that things were only going to get more awesome as time went on. These are all true. Sixteen was fun. But it wasn't the peak, thank God...

Here are ten things I would tell my sixteen year old self, if I could:

1. You will actually look forward to turning 30 and growing even older...don't listen to John Mellencamp when he tells you to "hold on to 16 as long as you can". Hold onto 16 for exactly one year, then move on!

2. You are a beautiful young girl. You don't need more makeup or less clothes to prove this. Relax and let your character be the attractive part of you (I see you rolling your eyes, young lady!! Don't worry, you will still struggle with this as you age.)

3. Stop scrubbing your face so hard and picking at it!! But continue to NOT wash your hair every day, even though it chagrins your mother. Everyone will find out you were right in a couple years. Also, enjoy your ridiculous metabolism, but start exercising as a good habit.

4. People-pleasing will only get more exhausting as you get older. Might as well break that habit now!

5. College is gonna be SO AWESOME! You have no idea.

6. Forgiveness that you have chosen is the right path. Keep on it. You are not what has happened to you. You are God's child and He is a God of forgiveness.

7. Just hush a little. I'm not saying don't assert yourself. I'm saying stop being such a wench...you're trying much too hard and people are afraid of you a little bit.

8. Go with your gut and don't look back. Mama taught you true.

9. Yes, you will fall in love with a lovely man, get married and have a kid. Be patient on that front.

10. God's way is the best way. Continue to go where you sense His leading and you will be just fine.

Godspeed, kid!

30 Things My Kids Need to Know About Me - Challenge for February

Here is the index to the 30 Things My Kids Should Know About Me challenge I'm trying to tackle through the month of February. 

1. List 20 random facts about yourself.
2. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears.
3. Describe your relationship with your spouse.
4. List 10 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could.
5. What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?
6. If you could have three wishes, what would you wish for?
7. What is your dream job, and why?
8. What are 5 passions you have? Tell me about the places you have lived. 
9. List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.
10. Describe your most embarrassing moment. 
11. Describe 10 pet peeves you have. Books that have my heart.
12. Describe a typical day in your current life.
13. What’s the hardest part of growing up?
14. Describe 5 weaknesses and strengths you have.
15. Describe when you knew your spouse was the one or how I fell in love.
16. What are your 5 greatest accomplishments?
17. What is the one thing you wish you were great at?
18. What do you think your spouse loves most about you?
19. How did you feel the moment you became a parent?
20. Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.
21. Describe your relationship with your siblings.
22. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?
23. What’s your favorite holiday and why?
24. What’s your favorite and least favorite thing about parenthood?
25. If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?
26. What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?
27. What is your favorite part of your body and why?
28. What’s your favorite quality in your spouse? 
29. What are your hopes and dreams for your future? 
30. List 10 things you hope to be remembered for.

MamaDada

Day three of the 30 day challenge asks me to describe my relationship with your dad.

This is interesting, and fairly personal, but I will give it a go. I guess the best word I could use for our relationship at the moment is "comfortable". 

There are good and bad sides to this assessment. Dad and I are pretty comfy together after marriage, moving across country, being "poor" together, having a kid, surviving cancer...and all in just five short years of marriage! We love each other and we enjoy our life together, being homebodies and hanging out with you.

I guess the flip side of this is that we don't get to do many fun and exciting new things together, and maybe there is such thing as "too comfortable", sometimes. It can get to the point where you just start to assume the other person knows that you love them and there's no reason to remind them! This is untrue, and I think can work on being more intentional in how we love each other in the day to day adventures of life.

I love your Dad for being a godly man who loves and provides for his family and loves Jesus and the church. He loves me in spite of my spitfire ways and because I'm a gorgeous redhead (ha! But true.) You can rest assured that we are committed to each other and to you for the very, very long haul!

3 Legitimate Fears

Explain 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears.

This is a tough one. I used to be afraid of a lot of things. But trying to come up with legitimate fears that remain...well, that's actually getting more and more difficult as time goes on. Which is a good thing!!

I think I have one fear that is absolutely legitimate, and that is having any real harm befall my family. So I guess I could list a few that are common for mamas and wives the world 'round.

1. Anything happening to my kiddos - this one started the moment I knew I was pregnant with you and I'm sure will continue all my natural life. I think this Elizabeth Stone quote sums it up perfectly: “Making the decision to have a child - it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ”

2. Cancer - Your daddy had a bout with thyroid cancer earlier this year, and your sweet great-grandpa was claimed by it just a few months ago. Needless to say, I try and feed my family right and pray for your health, but cancer seems to be one of those things that we have little control over. That scares me.

3. I'd be grasping at straws for this third one. I used to be afraid of the dark. Lots and lots of good reasons why, actually. I'll tell you about them one day, even though it is exactly the kind of thing I'd love to shield you from for the rest of your life. 

One thing is sure, our God is bigger than all these things. He told Israel, "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10) The fear of the Lord is the only fear you or I really need to worry about. 

Here's Lookin' at You, Kid!

My dear friend Holly Brown turned me onto this series of blog prompts that are meant to help your children to know you better.

I see the value in this because it is really easy for children to think of you only as their parent and not realize that you have any life (or HAD any life) that isn't completely consumed by them. I think coming to view people as holistic creatures is humanizing, and so I thought to myself, "Why not?"

I can't promise that all these posts will be interesting for everybody. Since they're all about "me" and they are for my kid, I don't blame you for starting to think I'm a narcissistic twit by the end! But blogging is a humbling experience in a lot of ways, so I'm willing to share a bit about myself even at the risk of sounding like an idiot!

So here goes Day 1 - List 20 Random Facts About Yourself

1. I love to play the piano but am equally terrified of the instrument itself because I know I will never be good enough to bring out all the awesomeness that the piano deserves. Sometimes this scares me into not learning more. 

2. I've been a redhead since birth, but my hair only started growing out of my head curly since I was about fourteen. I've been a bit confused how to deal with it ever since!

3. I was a huge tomboy well into middle school years. I was obsessed with football, dressed rather boyish and was constantly being asked if I was a lesbian. Even your Yaya assured me it would be okay with her if I were. Ha ha. 

4. I'm not a lesbian and I still love football.

5. I'm obsessed with lists: 1001 Books to Read Before You Die, AFI Top 100 Greatest Movies of All Time, even just making to-do lists and crossing things off it. It gives me a very satisfied feeling. 

6. I've dealt a fair bit with anxiety and depression in my short life and am pretty thankful that it hasn't ever gotten any worse or harder to manage. 

7. I became a follower of Christ in July of 1997 at Hume Lake Christian Camp. I didn't fully know what I was getting into but through every storm of life, I've never regretted my decision.

8. I'm still never sure whether I'm an introvert or extrovert and I feel like I've taken every test and evaluation known to man to try and discern it. I feel like it is a helpful thing to know!

9. Your dad is the first man I have ever been in love with and the first man I ever told "I love you" and meant it in a way like I want to marry you and have your babies. =)

10. I've been the oldest, middle, youngest, and only child, just depending on who my mom was married to at any given time in my life. 

11. We're not really related to your Aunties Rachel and Blair except through love. This follows #10 above, as my mom was married to their dad and we were small together and we grew up loving each other as sisters, and I saw no reason why that should stop when our parents divorced!

12. I never wanted a big wedding; I wanted to elope. Your dad talked me into it, though, and I'm glad he did (mostly). 

13. My maiden name is Bertolucci. I love it, and I loved being Cassandra Bertolucci. It was hard becoming "Cassie Tenny", although of course I'm happy about it now!

14. I desperately want to visit Italy and Ireland, two places our ancestors hail from. 

15. The three and a half years I spent getting my college degree in Sydney, Australia were some of the hardest and happiest of my life. Sometimes I miss Australia so much my chest actually hurts. 

16. I feel more confident and beautiful the older I grow. I hope I continue to feel this way as I age. 

17. I'm addicted to caffeine...you probably already knew that since you've seen mama without coffee. 

18. I absolutely love to alphabetize things but even more I like to put things in color order. You might have noticed this from looking at our bookshelves. It drives Daddy cuckoo. 

19. I used to be pretty alright at shooting pool, and I was even in a billiards league for awhile. 

20. I was the lead singer of a Colorado band called Spankin' Whitey for a few years. We played mainly biker bars and motorcycle events. I loved it. Sometimes I miss it, but would never want to sacrifice valuable time with you and Daddy to do it anymore. 

And there you go! I've started...let's see if I can actually go the 30 days and stick it out!