09 September 2009

I Love America!

This video is one of the cutest and sweetest (not to mention amazing) renditions of our National Anthem that I have ever heard! I enjoy singing and find their vocal talents inspiring and lovely to listen to. These girls have incredible harmony, not to mention a lot of poise and overall talent.

Today has been a simple day (Hello, laundry!), but also one of reflections (Thanks, laundry!). This video speaks loudly about some of what I am grateful for in my life, and I find it inspiring as well, so I wanted to share with you today. I love America and all that she has stood for and through amidst some of the darkest times in the world's history, even as young as our nation really is. I pray that we will never forget what we have been blessed with, whether born an American or blessed to come into this nation and become an American.

May you have a blessed day, and enjoy being free on so many levels and in so many ways!

Our Flag

01 September 2009

Somehow I knew...

...some of the items on my 'Some Fun Facts' post would lead to some questions. Thanks, mom, for your comments & questions. I decided to respond in a post, since this was looking like a really long comment response to your comment!

#1: Are there stories to go with T-Bobb or Skittlebug?

These are two of my nicknames...


"Skittlebug" is the invention of my sister Jill, who called me this when we were younger because I loved (and still very much like) Skittles! Come to think of it, she still uses it every now and then, and even got one of our nieces calling me Skittlebug, too-oh, so cute!Align Center
(AVOIDED PICTURE...you'll understand why)

"Bobb" is a family nickname that has obscure origins as we don't all agree on how it started. As my memory serves, it started at a point in our lives when my oldest brother and his wife were living with us and they had a 'pet' daddy-long leg which they named Bob. I learned about this pet while helping my sister-in-law on a project of some kind. We took a short break and she laid on the bed and announced 'Bob's dead.' To which I inquired and found out that the rest of Bob's story, including that one day Mrs. Bob appeared...only to eat Bob shortly afterwards. Well, in our family of 11 or 12 at the time, "Bob" slowly became used in a wide variety of ways, including as a substitute for anything else (e.g., "Please pass the bob", meaning something like "Please pass the ketchup") until my brother Justin started calling us Bob. Then we had to distinguish which Bob he was talking to, hence the T-Bobb for me, and Mom-Bobb, etc. The second "B" got added at some point, I think to distinguish between anyone actually named Bob from our family nicknames. It continues to this day...beware The Bobb and the Bobbs!

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it! ;-)

#2: Why is 20 your favorite number?


It is the day of my birthday, which is where it started for me, but it also came in handy growing up in any situation where I needed to pick a number, and has even been 'lucky' at times...so it stuck, and still sticks today!

#3: Tell about being on TV.

I've had a few opportunities, none of which may amount to much excitement, but do allow me to say I've been on T.V.!

My family (mom and some of my siblings and I-at about 12 years old) did a commercial for a local grocery store at one point, so it was of course an international sensation...haven't you already seen this one? The store managers liked us, and thought it was a great publicity gig to have such a large family using their store...hence, we were picked. It was fun, even though I felt a little silly...hadn't I already put enough cereal boxes in a grocery cart previously to be able to waive the rehearsal? Well, if it looked professional then I am satisfied...

My family was also shot for a news blurb on a local milk bank (don't know if those still exist) who had helped my mom and oldest sister right after she was born, prematurely. They were doing a story on the milk bank itself and did a follow-up on my sister about 6 years later (so, I was about 2 years old), to show how the bank did help mothers and infants at crucial times. I love how the news reporter announced that my sister had grown from a tiny infant into a healthy little girl...like we should think she was expecting something else-another species, perhaps-by how she said it, though I may not be capturing the hilarity here. That experience was easy, I suppose...sit on the couch and smile at the camera guy...

I've also been in parades when I was younger (again local television of international acclaim), which were broadcast and always fun to see who got in the shot. I'm sure I got at least an elbow in, or something! Plus, David and I this past July 3rd were supposed to be on the 6 o'clock news as we attended a patriotic gathering to discuss the current state of our nation. We didn't rush home to see it, but rest assured that once again I have made the international stage of fame...