- Where and when were you born?
Jerusalem, Israel. July 15, 1981.
- Describe your family - Childhood and current
I am the third of four children. Girl, boy, girl (that's me!), boy. I grew up in Israel while my dad worked with the BYU Jerusalem Center. He is still working as a BYU religion professor. My mom stays busy serving people all around her. My oldest sister is married and has three boys (you may have seen her husband, Jarem Frye, on Mormon.org; he has one leg and is unwittingly my claim to Mormon fame). My older brother is single and gallivanting all over the world doing top secret things for the government (or so we like to speculate, anyway). My younger brother is still at home . . . occasionally. I have been married to my awesome Chief for eight fun-filled years. We have three boys: Soren Erik (6), Anders Isak (4), and Karsten Henrik (11 months). The Chief's family is Norwegian, in case you were wondering about the names.
- How did you meet your husband?
At a BBQ at BYU. Because I spoke Spanish, I got invited. The Chief served his mission in Argentina. Hooray for foreign languages!
- How long have you been married?
Woops, I jumped the gun and already answered this one. Eight years. Eight blessed years behind with eternity ahead. I can't wait!
- How did you start dating/get engaged/how long were you dating before
engaged and engaged before married?
After a summer of "hanging out" and The Chief using me for my A/C (did I mention it was a REALLY HOT summer?), he left for home in between summer term and fall semester. I realized how much I missed him, so I called him up and told him I wanted to date him. We talked on the phone for many hours over the next couple of weeks until The Chief's dad finally got exasperated enough to just fly me down to Orange County to drive back up to school with his son (mwa ha ha, my plan worked). We dated for four months, got engaged at Christmas time, and got married in the spring . . . and lived happily ever after (or will, anyway).
- What is your favorite previous church calling?
The one I have right now! I teach the 17-18 year old Sunday School class and I LOVE it! They are so dang entertaining.
- Where did you go to school -High school or college? What did you
study and how far did you go in your schooling?
I went to Timpview High School in Provo, UT, my freshman and sophomore years then moved to Chile when my dad got called as a mission president and finished my high school education at The (American) International School Nido de Aguilas, class of '99. I studied Marriage, Family, and Human Development at BYU and received my Bachelor's Degree in 2002, the year before The Chief and I got married.
- What is your occupation/What was your occupation if you are now a
SAHM or not working?
I worked odd jobs before I had kids. I was an ad rep for The Daily Herald for a while and I worked at a home for troubled teen girls out in Spanish Fork for a while. To be honest, I hated working and was eager to become a mom after I got married. I feel much more fulfilled working inside the home than out.
- How long have you lived in the ward?
We have been here almost four years (in August)! Definitely a record for us.
- What is your favorite sport or activity?
I love to watch BYU football . . . and Jimmer Fredette, but I don't think he technically counts as a sport all by himself (or does he?). I also love watching the Olympics, winter or summer, but summer is definitely more exciting to me.
- What is your favorite color?
Green!
- What is your favorite book?
Oh geez. This is not easy. I recently finished The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, and thought it was fantastic. So different and creative and poignant. I definitely recommend it. I also LOVE anything written by Jane Austen. She has to be, by far, one of the wittiest authors EVER. Harry Potter is also a favorite.
- What is your favorite movie?
Pride and Prejudice. The A&E/BBC version. I can't stand the Hollywood version.
- What is your favorite food/restaurant?
I love sushi, Indian food, Thai, falafel, spaghetti, Mexican food, Jamba Juice. Huh. I guess you could just say I love food, period.
- What is your favorite season and why?
Spring, definitely, because it's not too hot, not too cold, and the foliage is absolutely vibrant green!
- What is your favorite song/group/type of music?
I enjoy listening to classical music, piano music, and the boys and I like to rock out to the awesome beats of Inside Out A' Capella while in the car. Also, if you've never heard of Geography Songs by Larry and Kathy Troxel, go look it up on iTunes or Amazon. They are FABULOUS! Thanks to Geography Songs, I now know all the different countries in the entire world. Yeah!! (It only took me ~30 years).
- What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas, of course!
- What are your hobbies?
Photography, reading, blogging, walking, homeschooling, hanging out with friends.
- If you could go anywhere, where would you go?
The French Polynesian island of Bora Bora. Here's a fun game: go type Bora Bora into a Google image search and commence drooling. Seriously. It looks so breathtakingly beautiful there with white sands, private bungalows over the water, crystal clear blue/green water, palm trees abounding. Serene, gorgeous, ahhhhh . . . .
- If you were on a deserted island, what are 3 things you would take?
My 17 bookshelves full of books (can that count as one item?), my food and water storage (that too, please?), and my camera (which will have been equipped with a secret chamber for carrying sunblock, too).
- If you were on a deserted island, what 3 people would you take?
Bear Grylls (I am stealing this answer from Cindy who included Mr. Grylls as part of her answer to this very same question I asked my class. It's perfect! You can survive anywhere forever if you just have Bear Grylls with you!), The Chief, and my munchkins (surely they can count as one person seeing as they are so very small, hm?).
- What is your greatest accomplishment?
In life: being a wife and mother.
Daily: brushing my teeth (can I get an AMEN, SISTA?!).
- What is the best lesson you've learned from your mom/parents?
To never stray from the little things: daily prayer, daily scripture study, FHE, temple, tithing. Those are the building blocks of my own personal road to the Celestial Kingdom and the harnesses that will secure my beloved little family together as we traverse that road.
I was also asked to include a picture of myself. I chose this one. Isn't Pip darling?!
