Getting to know me

I have been thinking a lot about friendship because, well, I would like to make some new friends. It took me a year to make friends in Jacksonville, NC and they all turned out to be amazing people who helped me through 2 deployments and the births of my 2nd and 3rd children. I miss them all, and try to stay in touch... But realistically, I will be living in Spain for the next 3 years, and need to make friends here.
As extroverted as I am, I have a hard time opening up to people and getting to know them. It's not that I have many deep dark secrets. It's just that I don't know what people will think of me, and I believe most people are much more interesting than I am... So I just wait to be invited to things, and wait for someone to discover that I can actually be a pretty good friend. Once someone reaches out and acknowledges me, we're friends. I just don't know how to make that first move.
So, to speed that process along, here are some essential facts that all my friends will learn about me sooner or later. These are the same discussion-starting questions that I have been answering ad nauseum since we got here. This is who I am, take it or leave it. If we have something in common, let me know! If you want to hang out and ask me about something, please invite me!
- I have been married for 5 years, and have 3 children
- are we done having children? I don't know about permanently, but I know that 3 is plenty for now, and I am enjoying having a 'break' from pregnancy for a few years
- we are a Marine Corps family, and since marriage we have lived in Quantico, Camp Lejeune, and now Rota. Most days, I like our military life.
- I have been a stay at home mom since we moved to North Carolina, when my oldest was 8 months old. Then we just kept having children. So I earned my Masters, and now I am 'done' with education and trying to enjoy the kids' early years. Eventually I plan to go back to work, but my family will always come first.
- what kind of mom am I? Well, pro breast feeding, but no co sleeping. Steady routines, but upbeat energy and fun. Organized, but not always a clean house. I expect obedience, but I'm not the disciplinarian. I see myself mostly as their teacher: I have been educating myself my whole life, and now have to teach them everything from manners, to faith, to science, to morals. I read to them every day, take them to church, try to answer their questions, and try to keep calm. It's not easy, and there is currently more yelling than I would like, but we also have a lot of fun.
- I grew up on an apple farm on the Pennsylvania/ Maryland border. No, not Amish, just apples.
- I am the 2nd oldest of 5 children, so I have 2 sisters and 2 brothers
- I am Catholic, born and raised. I went to Catholic school all my life (including college!), and still take my whole family to church each Sunday. My husband converted to Catholicism after dating me for 3 years. It's a central part of who I am, how I think, and how I see the world... But I like to think I am open minded and not judgmental of people practicing other faiths, or Catholics who choose not to practice their faith.
- I am an overachiever, a list-maker, a 5-year planner, and someone who is constantly trying to improve myself.
- my undergrad majors were in English and Theology, with minors in Philosophy and French. I love to read, but don't get to do that much these days, unless you count audiobooks.
- I have a Masters in Business Administration, but haven't used it professionally yet.
- my former jobs include life guard, waitress, secretary, and Youth Minister.
- I spent a semester living in Paris, and learned to speak French almost fluently. I travelled to Spain once in high school, and my family had some exchange students. (None of this makes learning Spanish any easier!)
- I like to cook, sometimes with my husband. We enjoy hosting dinner parties, making appetizers, trying new recipes. I also like to bake, especially with 'help' from my children. I just prefer sharing the goodies with someone else, since we are kind of health conscious.
- I also like to work out, although it has only been a hobby for the last 2 years. I run, with or without my kids in the stroller. I go for bike rides pulling all 3 kids. I go to the family room at the gym. And sometimes I do videos at home. I love the new strength and energy I have discovered, and the fact that it has become so peaceful I can pray, or think, or listen to a book, while running. It's my 'alone time,' but I wouldn't mind some occasional company.
- I am currently weaning myself from a Diet Coke addiction. I drank more with each kid, until it got to 3 cans a day. I gave it up for Lent, and it's going pretty well... But not sure if I will start again after Easter!
- I also gave up chocolate for Lent. I love chocolate. I have not been a very pleasant person lately.
- pets: I always had dogs growing up, but we haven't gotten one because we keep having babies instead. We won't get a pet while in Spain because it is too expensive to transport them back to the States, and we would not abandon it here.
- I don't consider myself very crafty. I don't use Pinterest, do much home decorating, or do clever things with my kids. That's just not me, and I find it frustrating when I make attempts. But I can rally myself to host craft events and play dates, as long as other moms are helping me out!
- I enjoy photography. I took a class in high school, and another in college, but don't have a fancy camera anymore. I would love to get one and take better pictures of my children and our travels. I keep pretty good photo albums for the children, because they look through them often and talk about the people and places pictured, so it's my way of preserving these young memories for them.
- I'm funny! Once I get comfortable, my sarcastic zingers start coming out. I like making people laugh, and don't mind making fun of myself.
- I actually like my in-laws. They welcomed me from the beginning, and I love being part of their family.
- I like action movies more than romantic comedies. My favorite actor is Jason Statham. :-)
- I have come to like almost all kinds of wine. I used to stick with sweet whites, but Spain has opened my eyes to sangria, dry reds, and even sherry, which I am still trying to acquire a taste for. I don't drink beer, just don't like the taste.
- my husband was my first and only boyfriend. Neither of us has ever slept with anyone else. We dated for 7 years, and didn't have sex until marriage. We have never used birth control. Since Alex, we have successfully used Natural fertility charting methods to prevent pregnancy. I realize this all puts us in a 'special' category, but it has worked out very well, and I am proud of our choices.
- while in Spain, we plan to do some day trips, and maybe 1 big trip per year. But it is exhausting with our children, so we are not trying to set any records or compete with other families on base. We just want to have fun and make some good memories together.

I hope that gives you all a pretty good taste of who I am! I want to meet other ladies, moms or not, who can tolerate my kids for play dates, take me shopping, show me around town, enjoy coffee together, etc. I can't wait to get to know you a little better, too!