twenty-five.

so i've actually been witnessing a lot of 25 random lists on both blogs and facebook. so i decided to follow the trend. here are 25 random facts about me.

1. i was born and raised in the inner city of pittsburgh. i will always be a city girl at heart, and pittsburgh will always hold a special place in my heart.

2. until i got married, i actually lived in the same house that my father grew up in, that his father grew up in, and so forth.

3. my favorite muppet is gonzo. i actually still own a stuffed version of him that i got as a kid and it sits on top of a speaker in our living room.

4. i would take one tulip over a dozen roses any day.

5. i love the caribbean and have been blessed with the opportunities to have traveled to the bahamas twice, aruba twice, and jamaica 3 times.

6. i absolutely adore the tv show: jon & kate plus 8. i love how real they are, i think there kids are adorable, and i tell debo that i'm sad are kids won't look asian.

7. i had a terrible skiing experience in high school. making me dread going back. however, my wonderful husband made me go (kicking & screaming as i went, lol) this past december and i truly enjoyed it.

8. i still sometimes have nightmares with dinosaurs in them because i went to see Jurassic Park in the movie theater when i was in the second grade. my mom immediately would regret letting me go when nightmares plagued me for weeks. i actually do love that movie though.

9. i love the colors green, gray, and brown.

10. when we finally live in a place that allows pets debo and i want a dog and a cat. we really like great danes. but i utlimately want to get both from animal shelters.

11. my parents were super open about their sex life. it ultimately made me super comfortable with talking about that oh-so-taboo subject. i'm honest and i don't think christians should be afraid to discuss it. it is something that all of us come into contact with (whether before or after marriage), and a lot of us struggle with (GIRLS, and guys) and i think struggles need to be discussed in order to encourage and support the body of Christ.

12. i never realized how selfish i was until i got married.

13. i love being married. i love how much debo and i are learning about each other. i love how much we laugh. i love working through things. and i love our ministry of working with college students.

14. i have always been into journaling and have journals far back as elementary school. it's hilarious reading them.

15. i took japanese in high school for two years. i had the best japanese teacher. we just called him sensei and he was my only teacher crush. ironically he was actually italian with bleached blonde hair and big blue eyes.

16. i have had various nicknames thru the years: laur, larenzo, leelu, la, lala-bean, lu-bean, and let's not forget LP.

17. i will always have a soft spot for the music of the early 90s. nirvana. gin blossoms. the verve pipe. collective soul. to name a few.

18. i love baking. cooking. spices. the food channel. cook books. eating out. ethnic food. tasting things. fresh bread. olive oil. hole in the wall places w/ amazing atmosphere & food. chocolate. eating healthy. eating w/ family & friends.

19. i love pomegranites. their color, taste, juice, everything.

20. i hate doing laundry, i hate folding and putting away clothes. however, i have no problem doing dishes and do them frequently.

21. i have 20 first cousins. most of us are close in age and close in general. my cousins sarah, jena, and clare were in my wedding. clare was my maid of honor. i love them dearly.

22. debo and i already have 5 weddings to go to this summer.

23. my best friend regina and i have our own language and voices. if you didn't know us any better you'd think we were crazy.

24. there is something about stationary that i just absolutely adore. i love getting and sending mail.

25. i am a summer girl. i was born in june. i love freckles and am sad that mine have faded through the years. i burn before i tan, and i don't really care about tanning that much. i love swimming and water. being outside. enjoying God's creation. flip-flops, sun dresses, and tank tops. *sigh* i can't wait for it to be summer again...or at least spring. :-D