Five Facts About Me

Happy Friday, friends!  If you're on Instagram you've likely seen the five facts tag in instastories.  Earlier this week I was tagged by my sweet friend, Beth of Our Pretty Little Girls.  I thought this would make for a fun Friday five post, so rather than answering the tag in instagram stories, I'll share here today! 

One  //  Travel is one of my greatest passions.

If I had to, I'd give up internet and television (and maybe even chocolate!) to fund our adventures.  The memories created on our travels, whether near or far, are absolutely priceless to me!  Thankfully my husband shares this love.  Keeping in mind that our daughters may marry hubby who aren't adventurers at heart, we have the next few years of vacations planned out to hit all the "must visit" places on our travel wishlist before our oldest graduates high school.  Within the next two years we have plans to take them to ten states they've never visited.  We also have Disney magic on both coasts as the end destination for those vacations, naturally. ;) Adventure awaits!

Two  //  My life is a musical.

While I don't play a single instrument, music has been one of the joys of my life from the beginning.  As a child I ended each day one of two ways, either in my bedroom dancing to records with my mom and little sister or falling asleep in front of the television watching MTV (when they actually played music videos).

Once my parents used music as a creative form of punishment for me.  Instead of receiving a typical "grounding", they once sentenced me to a month of listening to only country, the one genre of music I hated.  Still to this day we'll be out shopping and a country song from that era will play.  My husband doesn't even have to ask how I know every word by heart.  It was clearly popular during my month of country.  Want in on a secret, I don't even mind it now.  Well played, parents! ;)  

As an adult, music has continued to play a huge role in my life.  It's actually what brought my husband and I together.  If my walls could talk they'd say that there's a real life musical taking place in our home.  All it takes is a single word to send me into a song.  It's been joked that I'm a human jukebox.  I may not always sing in key, but music is one of the biggest parts of me.

Three  //  I've had two favorite colors in my lifetime, each with incredibly sweet ties to my heart.

As a child I loved the color yellow!  My room was painted yellow, but that's not all.  My dad asked me, "What color should I paint the house?"  Sure enough, he painted it yellow.  He also built me a playhouse that looked like a smaller version of our home, painted yellow as well!  (No wonder I'm a daddy's girl.)  Since our youngest daughter was very small her favorite color has been yellow.  This cheery color has such a special spot in my heart.

I absolutely loathed the color pink until I had my first baby girl.  Shopping for and receiving gifts of all things pink, frilly, and feminine forever changed my view of this perfectly pretty color.  Our oldest was born just before December.  Jason decorated the front of our home in all pink lights, both in celebration and announcement of her arrival!  It's been my absolute favorite ever since.

Four  //  I've traced my family history back to the year 1066!

I'm fascinated by history, especially family history.  I've researched and traced my family history all the way back to my 31st great grandfather, Engelram De Alfreton, who lived in Derbyshire, England from in 1066 - 1090!  

Here are three relatives I've been especially intrigued by:

Nathan and Sarah Northrup

my 7th great grandparents

Revolutionary War Marker photo for Nathan Northrup courtesy Ancestry.com

My 7th great grandfather, Nathan Northrup, fought in the Revolutionary War.  I love that I can trace my heritage back to such historical events in my nation's history!  However, I find his wife, my 7th great grandmother, Sarah, to be even more fascinating!  I've come across multiple published documents that tell quite a tale about this great great great great great great great grandma of mine!  After she and Nathan raised five sons and a daughter, her husband died at the age of 77.  While most women would live out their remaining days quietly a widow, Sarah was unlike most.

The Most Aged Couple

(Retyped for easier viewing)

The following is recorded:  "In the year 1830, Alexander Howden, a Revolutionary solider, aged 83 years, and Mrs. Sarah Northrup, aged 98, residing in Athens above Sheshequin Narrows, became espoused and hoping for a quiet little wedding, took their bridal trip, staffs in hand, to Sheshequin.  But the magistrate, Samuel Gore, before whom they appeared, spoiled the anticipated plan by informing them that a few witnesses were necessary, whereupon he gathered enough neighbors to make a genuine surprise and the marriage ceremony was duly performed.  After the marriage, this unique bride and groom took their staves in hand again and started homeward.  Mrs. Northrup, who was known as "Mother Northrup" was the widow of Nathan Northrup.  She died in 1837 among her children in Monroe, aged 105 years.

One of the most fascinating things I read about her was, "When past 90 years, she would spin eighty knots of yarn in a day and when a century old she would take the floor and dance an old-fashioned step with the agility of a girl in her teens.  After becoming a centenarian, she would walk from her son's residence at Athens to the home of her children in Monroe, a distance of 22 miles."  Oh, to be as young at heart and energetic as my 7 times great grandma!

Joseph Northrup

my 10th great grandfather

Joseph Northrup's Founder Stone 

photo courtesy of Ancestry.com

From what I found on this side of my family, my 10th great grandfather Joseph Northrup was the first to come here from England, landing in Boston on July 26, 1637.  He was one of Eaton & Davenport's Company "of good character and fortune", who came over on the ship "Hector & Martha".  In 1646 he married my 10th great grandmother, Mary, who was born in Connecticut 19 years earlier.  I find it so fascinating how far back my roots go in both England and America!

Sir John Fortescue

my 17th great grandfather

{image source}

Sir John Fortescue became the chief justice for King Henry VI's bench in 1442.  He was knighted a year later.  When the King's army was defeated in Yorkshire in 1461 Fortescue fled with the king.  During this time he was appointed lord chancellor of the exiled government.  He wrote De Laudibus Legum Angliae (Commendation of the Laws of England) in 1470 for the crown prince's instruction.  This is said to be the first book about law written in a style simple enough to be understood by the layman.  

{image source}

In this book he wrote, "Indeed, one would much rather that twenty guilty persons should escape the punishment of death, than that one innocent person should be condemned, and suffer capitally."  Today that is simply put, "innocent until proven guilty".  

My sources of research for information on Sir John Fortescue beyond Ancestry.com have been Britannica.com, Wikipedia, Fact Monster, and Harvard Law Review.

Five  //  I believe that every day is a gift worth celebrating!

While birthdays and holidays are a big deal in our family, we also realize that our lives are made up of more days without big events upon their calendar squares.  Knowing that everyday moments make up the biggest part of our lives, we celebrate even the simplest of things!  For example, one tradition we have in our home is that whenever our family sees one of our birth dates on the clock (example my birthday is September 13th, so if the clock reads 9:13) we shout it out "9:13!  9:13!"  This sometimes leads to a one minute dance party!  We have several fun traditions unique to our family and we enjoy each of them thoroughly.

I believe that every day is "sprinkle-worthy", because when it comes down to it, we aren't promised tomorrow.  Today is a gift from God.  The breath in my lungs at this very moment isn't something I deserve or have earned in any way.  Thinking on this fills my heart with gratitude to God!  Whether I live to be 105 years old like my 7th Great Grandma Sarah or tomorrow is my last, the reality is this life is a vapor, here today and gone tomorrow.  For this reason I praise God not only for the gift of this day of life, but also for the assurance of where I will spend all the tomorrows beyond my final breath.  If you aren't certain where you'll spend eternity I can't think of anything more important to square away right now.  The same God who created you in His likeness and has given you this day of life you're living, also made a way for you to be sure that you are in right standing with Him before you stand before Him.  God is so good to have made it crystal clear why we need Him and how to obtain salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.  He provided us with His Law, the Ten Commandments, to show us our need.  Seeing that I have taken His name in vain (using it as a swear word, "Oh my ---"), have lied (countless times over the course of my lifetime), have dishonored my parents (there was a reason for that aforementioned creative punishment my parents gave me), and while I've never taken a life Jesus said, "You've heard it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment;  whoever insults his brother will be liable to council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to hell of fire." (Matthew 5:21-22).  God is so holy that He sees even anger as murder at heart.  While some may think, "The 10 Commandments are in the Old Testament, that's not applicable now after Jesus came."  In Matthew 5:17 Jesus said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."  He did exactly that in living the perfect life that He alone could, being fully God and fully man in the the person of Jesus Christ.  Then Christ willingly shed His spotless blood as the only acceptable payment for the full debt of our sins.  When we repent (ask for forgiveness and turn from our sins) and place our trust in Christ, we are forgiven and offered eternal life!  For someone as undeserving as I, this is reason to rejoice and celebrate each and every day I'm blessed with here on Earth and will spend throughout eternity to come, with a heart of gratitude and joy unspeakable!  Out of the sincerest care for you, sweet readers and cherished friends, I pray you'll know the hope that's offered to you through Christ alone!  

Thank you so much for allowing me to share five facts about myself!  This was a fun post to put together and I hope you got to know me a bit better through it.  I'd love to hear any commonalities we share, or a random fact (or five) about you in the comments section below!

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