the one where i break down

i'm spent. completely and totally spent. fall down on my knees a mess. flat out ugly cry.

that's all.

the one with some random pictures from the last week or two

i figured i would do a little blogging but i need to do this with as little brain work as possible. 

i'm pooped. and crazy me agreed to work all night tonight. that means i go in at 6pm and get off at 6am. 

with very little sleep and the sickies still trapped inside me. 

i'm far too stubborn to go to the dr. 

anyhoo. i thought i would share some pictures of what we've been up to lately. 

isn't he just the cutest little thing?! he kept bringing me flowers to 'make you fee betta!' pretty sure that didn't help with this whole allergy/sinus crap but i had to smell them and keep them til they withered away. he worked hard to find those little flowers, no way could i just toss them aside. 

sweet relief. the seven page religion paper is done. i can't tell you how many rough drafts i did, now many times i cried over this stinking paper and so on. i despise book reports. it's all in my head but so hard to get out on paper. even harder to be sure that it makes sense. 

hello love. i picked this little baby up at Sam's Club not too long ago. now just to find the perfect k-cup flavor. i've been through a few that came with it as samples but i only really liked one. but i'm still looking. may just end up using the my k-cup and my own bag of coffee. 

how sweet is this guy. when i was feeling pretty yucky he wanted to sit right next to me and be sure i was okay. can you see his little arm wrapped around my head? he kept patting my head telling me, 'i hope you feel better soon mommy.' oh he melts my heart. we were watching an episode of Americas Funniest Videos in on iPad. i may have fallen asleep a few times! 

the one with a very long and loud sigh

oh sweet relief. today i took my last final for this semester. and last final for at 

least another year. ten classes later and i'm ready for a break. Riley enters kindergarten this fall, Sammy has one more year at home (well, really in his MDO/preschool program) and i have a years worth of 

a breather. i was starting to get burnt out and i'd hate for my gpa to suffer because of that. 

during this year off from school i'm hoping to get the house under control, spend some more time with God, the boys, my husband, family, and friends. i may not be able to last the whole year without taking classes, it's an odd addiction, but we'll just take it one day at a time. 

i do plan on going back, i've got plenty of time, i hope. and if not, that's okay too. i love my job and where i work but, hey, if i have to be honest, i'd rather be working in the emergency department and i can't really do that without getting my nursing degree. can't really buy or build a house without a second income either. 

but in the meantime i am going to enjoy my break from those pesky scantron tests!!! 

(source)

the one where God humbled me

i went to work yesterday with a sore throat. i honestly can't remember the last time my throat has hurt so bad. it really wasn't that bad, i just made it seem that way. after a cup of coffee, a few cough drops, and a cup of broth i went home feeling a littler better. 

here i was, at a hospital, complaining of how bad i felt. seriously? at least i was working there and not a patient. i think they have more to complain about than me, yet there i was, making a big deal out of something quite insignificant. in the midst of me being a baby God showed me who was really hurting.

my own friends. several of them. hurting. in a more painful way than my silly sore throat. i can't help but wonder if God is using this sore throat to show me something. i bet he is. he works like that, ya know. i've always been a listening ear for my friends, i try my best to encourage them along the way but sometimes i get wrapped up in my own 'pain.' selfish, i know. i'm human. we all are. 

several of my friends have lost loved ones, some are dealing with divorce, learning to cope with a traumatic childhood...and here i am whining over a sore throat. as i said my prayers this morning i asked God to take over and heal me, then i prayed specifically for each and every one of my hurting friends. i broke down. the pain my friends are feeling is far worse than the pain of my own sickness. 

i've been there...where my friends are now. it wasn't easy and i didn't get through it all alone. God was there, my friends and family were there. and now i need to be there for my friends. i need to encourage each of them. pray for them. hold their hands. hug them. love them. just as they all did for me. just as God does every day for me. 

let's make a deal. set aside your selfishness with me and pray for those you know who are hurting. pray for those all around the world who are hurting. pray for those who are too prideful, scared, unwilling to ask for help. pray that they find comfort in our God. our Savior. our Refuge. 

ask God to bring them peace in the midst of losing a loved one. 

ask God to protect them from those who are hurting them.

ask God to give them a forgiving heart.

ask God to take away their pain.

pray

1 Peter 3:8
Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and
humble.




^{James 5:13-16
13} Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. ¹⁶ Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

the one with 8 random thoughts

just some things....

1.

last week i turned in my book report. totally not proud of it. usually i think my papers are great and i work hard on them. this last one, not so much. i had great intentions but it just didn't work out. today is the day the teacher hands back our papers...graded. i'm so nervous. i've really enjoyed my religion class and my teacher is just awesome. he's a pastor at a local church and just so very sweet. very knowledgeable but not boastful. great guy.

2.

i think the kiddos are back on the mend. sammy had a blood test last week to determine if the amoxicillin was the cause of the crazy rash that i swore was chicken pox. i'm sure i drove my pedi and his office crazy with all the phone calls and questions. 

3. 

i am totally in love with my ipad. the hubster did a great job picking that gift out. he knew just what i wanted. sometimes i hate sharing it. right now the kindle app is my favorite. there are tons of free books out there. gospel ebooks is a great source for some FREE books. there's a free one just about every day.

(nope, they didn't pay me or compensate me in any way for saying that. well, maybe they did...with the free books i've gotten from them. i'll stop now!)

4.

i'm sending a very good friend of mine a special package today. i'm terrible at keeping surprises a surprise so she already knows it's headed her way. at least i haven't told her what it is...yet! 

5.

my brother-in-law and his wife are adopting from china! i am beyond excited for them and the whole family. nothing like another little one to love on. she is adorable. seriously adorable. y'all, this whole adoption process for them has God all over it. check out their story (so far) over here. my mind is going crazy with all kids of fundraising ideas. i just want to help any way i can to get this sweet baby home!

6.

for some reason i can't get the idea of a new tattoo off my mind. i can't help it. i'm addicted to ink. trying to think of a design that incorporates ryan, lela, riley, and sammy all in one without it being obnoxious. i have a few ideas, but i'm not set one just yet. 

7.

we have been visiting a new church lately and i think we might have found our home. it's so cozy there. the boys love it too. riley used to throw a fit each time we went to our other church. he even asks to go to church now. i love it. moving to a new church is quite an adjustment but the Lord has been right there with us the whole time and it just feels right. 

8.

i've found a new favorite verse. Isiah 41:13

For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

the one with 'the wall'

i'm supposed to be doing homework. but i've hit a wall. my brain isn't working 

and i just want to give up on writing this seven page paper. 

so while i was not doing my homework like i'm supposed to be doing i googled my old blog. 

the blog i had a tad bit over a year ago. apparently get the itch to blog at the same time every year. 

wonder how many other blogs i have out there in the land of www.com

speaking of walls, i found this post from january 2010. 

while my relationship with my husband is in no means strained like it appeared to be then, 

i thought would bring back this blog entry. if you take out the husband part i believe that 

many of us can relate in one way or another. 

'the wall' circa january 2010

Constructed carefully. Each brick hand picked and set myself. As tall and as wide as I want. As strong and durable as I feel necessary. This wall is my friend. Maybe my best friend. It also doubles as my counselor. I don't really talk to this wall, you see. I just throw my feelings in it's direction and I'm done.

My wall has this awesome quality of stopping whatever I throw at it from getting to the outside world. Great characteristic, I think. Though I've been told it's really not all that.

Apparently it's not so safe to make best friends with a wall. I say to those people-y'all don't know what you're missing! Really, you don't!

You see, this wall has worked great since childhood. Built by me several years ago...still standing after years of abuse. Many ugly words, physical abuse and loss upon loss. It takes it all. I really should have been a brick layer. Okay-maybe not.

After all, this wall of mine, that I built myself, isn't really there. It's just a figment of my imagination. And as I get older the game of pretend is starting to wear off. I've been fooled. By my own self. Odd.

It's taken some time to realize this. Some time that I would have rather spent building my wall much higher. Much stronger. But, I've run out of bricks. I've run out of mortar. And honestly, I don't want to go get more. It's quite expensive.

The cost of building materials have gone up. Pretty expensive now, if you ask me. This wall I talk so fondly of has become an enemy of sorts. The great job it was doing of keeping my feelings in and away from others has now started to hurt me. And those very close to me. Mainly my husband. That wall. That blasted wall.

It's time I take you down. Piece by piece. No more holding back how I feel. No more ignoring how my husband feels. No more. Wall, I love you, you've been great. But now it's time to be honest with myself. With my husband. With my family and friends.

No more relying on the wall to keep me safe.

It's God's turn.

the one full of testosterone

Riley- gentle and caring. reigning champion in the sport of throwing tantrums. best one in the house to snuggle with. high spirited yet quiet. hates to be dirty.

Samuel-afraid of nothing, me included. first to call me princess. loud and crazy. gentle in his own ways. rarely quiet. lover of dirt

i very rarely link up with other blogs, not because i don't want to but because i always 

forget and by the time i remember it's too late. 

but this time, folks, this time i remembered. 

today i am linking up over at Kelly's Korner with several other mommas out there 

who have ALL boys! this excites me. i love knowing other moms of just boys. 

there's just something special about being a mom of boys. 

(just as there is something special about having all girls. lol)

i can't tell you how much i love being the only girl in the house. they all call me princess, bring me weeds  flowers, and everything in between. they have the perfect mix of rough & tumble and sweet & gentle all at the same time. the list goes on and on. i can't tell you how many times we get asked if 

we are going to try for a girl (well, technically another girl. whole 'nother post for a whole 'nother day).

sure, we'd love to welcome a daughter into this house full of boys, dog included, but for now we totally loving a house full of testosterone....on most days! 

was trying for a cute photo shoot...this is what i got! BOYS! 

totally outnumbered and loving it! 

the one where we try to take cute easter pictures

i'm a little late in posting about Easter, i'm late about everything. 

that's just how i roll. every year i make a resolution to be on time 

more and to wake up before the kids and all that....i digress...

back to the Easter pictures.

we were all dressed up, i had a good hair day, the kids were being good (a little goofy but good!)

and we were at my in-laws so we had a great background with the pond. 

i had chad's niece, Atley, come outside and take a couple pictures for us. she did an amazing job and we 

were able to get some great pictures. some that i might actually frame and 

add to the living room! thanks Atley! 

picture #1 - the usual, Riley not wanting his picture taken and Sam sticking his tongue out

picture #2 - not there yet 

picture #3- Daddy and Sam being silly 

picture #4 - what a handsome five year old! 

picture #5 - our favorite! this couldn't describe our family any better. the boys were not going to give me a regular smile so i just rolled with it. pretty sure this is my favorite family picture!! 

picture #6 - just me!

the one where they surprised me!

this year i turned the big 3-0! 

i had hinted to my husband and a few friends that i'd love to have a surprise party but

didn't really think they would do it! 

chad is a great guy but planning parties is not something he likes to even think 

about. so glad he loves me enough to put this all together. 

i stayed home on saturday after an egg hunt with the kids to do some homework while he and the boys went to his parents. i thought they were just going out there to help his dad get some things done around the yard and let me have some quiet homework time. 

he said when they got done over there his parents would watch the kids and he and i would go on a date. about an hour after he left he called me and said that we might just do a little cookout with his parents and kids then go out. i was down with that! 

he picked me up and we drove to his parents. on the way there i was complaining that i hadn't talked to my friends much this past week. i was really bummed because i though they had all been ignoring me for some odd reason. 

we pulled into his parents driveway and as soon as we turned the corner around the garage i saw the people i thought were ignoring me. no wonder they didn't talk much that week. they all said they were afraid they would say something and let it slip. 

emily (the maker of my awesome shirt!) was out of town all week and the little goober sent me a text saying she was in town and wanted to stop by. i felt terrible for telling her i couldn't see her because chad was taking me out to dinner soon. the little goober was sitting in my in-laws backyard when she sent that. 

holly was at the store buying my gift the night i sent her a text asking her what she was up to. that turd lied to me and said she was on her way to work. 

y'all, my husband spoils me like none other but he's never gonna top this one! 

a surprise party, shrimp boil, and an ipad!

for once, i was completely and totally surprised.

lets see, in this picture you can see my in-laws at the top left, friend holly in the turquoise shirt, her daughter and hubby and son also in matching shirts! my other friend emily in the brown shirt next to me and my grandparents are on the other side of me.  love the face i'm making! so typical of me.

the totally awesome and fantastic cake my friend kara made  for me. she couldn't stay but stopped by to surprise me with. chad has a picture of the two of us together on his iphone. guess i need to add that sometime soon! 

holly checking out the moisturizer/cream my grandma made. this stuff is awesome. totally beats any $300 cream, hands down! also in this picture you see emily (with the flower in her hair!), her daughter and her husband. she made my super cool shirt. wish i had a picture of the back. it said 'spain 30' best shirt ever!! 

riley had a great time helping me open my gifts. i have no idea what we were talking about in this picture but i sure do think it's cute! 

i really try my hardest not to cry in front of people. i just don't like to. but i have to admit that i did shed some tears when i opened this one. my grandma passed on my great grandma's stethoscope that she used when she was an LPN in her early 30's. best gift ever. i love sentimental gifts and i love that she and i are both in the medical field. 

i had to add this one. i have no clue why i made this face but it's another typical tyra face...

like mother like son?

my sweet riley bear playing on a pile of firewood. 

please don't call cps on me! LOL this kid loves fire. in a dangers way. we could not keep him from playing in it. he said he was sad that the fire was out and he thought that the log was smothering it. obviously he still wanted to play in the flames.

the one where i introduce the newest spain baby

meet cooper.

aka super cooper

aka couch thief

aka stinky dog 

aka nimrod (what Riley thinks we should call him)

aka momma's boy

{sorry for the crummy cell phone pics)

{yes, i realize i look a tad freaky in this picture, but avert your eyes to those EARS!}

The one with a view

I'm typing this post from my phone.

I had to bring our little Riley to the ER this afternoon. Poor guy had been sick for three days. I wasn't tell concerned until he went a full 24 hours without eating or drinking.

We called the dr and she told us to go straight to the ER! So off we went and now here we are. Camping out in room 431. Pigging out on purple Popsicles and looking out the window at the pretty pond!

I'll try to update when we know more.

the one where the kiddos are sickly

it's MONDAY! why do my children get sick on mondays? i guess they don't like mondays just as much as the rest of us. technically Riley got sick yesterday morning but we thought he was 

fine since a few hours later he seemed much better and on the mend. 

this morning, not so much. i found poor Riley hiding behind the recliner 

with his puke bucket (yep, we sure do have a puke bucket!) crying. 

a few minutes later he was passed out on the floor. 

when Riley is sick he refuses to sit on any furniture. he says he is afraid he will 

get it dirty. kid does not like to get dirty. 

Sammy hasn't gotten sick yet but he is congested and sleepy. both boys are passed out as 

i type this up. we are usually outside playing by now. my poor boys. momma sure does hate it when they are sick. so far neither have a fever and Riley is the only one who has gotten sick. i don't think 

it's time for the dr just yet but i do have them on speed dial just in case! 

please pray for my babies, would you!?

look at them, aren't they pitiful? 

(puke bucket and all. just keeping it real, y'all) 

Lord, you love our child as You love all children,
Bring healing to our child who is not well.
Stay by his side and comfort him through this trying time.
Keep us ever mindful of Your loving presence
Bless us with Your powerful healing and comfort us also.
Thank You, Lord, for hearing our prayer!

the one where i tell y'all what i am not

y'all, i turn 30 this year. 

THIRTY! 

i'm kind of in denial about this whole turning 30 thing. not quite sure why, it's not that i feel old. 

i think it's just because there is so much emphasis put on the big 3-0 birthday. 

i may be in denial about turn 30 but i am NOT in denial about who i am. 

i used to be. and sometimes i still have some insecurities but for the most part i 

wouldn't change the me that i have become. 

this next year, the first year in my thirties, i am going to fully embrace 

who i am and not on what i'm not. 

so i did a little soul searching and have discovered a few things that i am not...

but that i am okay with not being. 

~i am not a good cook. by any means. i actually really dislike even thinking about cooking. it scares me. growing up i had zero interest in anything kitchen related. i used to wish to be the wife who loved to be in the kitchen but that's just not me. (that's why i married a man who can cook. baha!)

and i'm okay with that. 

~oh how i wish i was obsessed with keeping my house clean. but i'm not. again, this is one of those things i never had an interest in and was never made to do as a child so the cleaning bug just never attacked me. have y'all noticed a trend just within the fist two things...i am NOT a domestic goddess by any means. 

and i'm okay with that. 

~i wish a was one of those crazy-sports-fanatic-wives. the one who gets all decked out in team colors. one who knows all the rules to all the sports her husband loves. i've tried to get into it a few times but it just didn't work out. 

and i'm okay with that. 

~i really want to be a runner. so much so that sometimes i think i actually am. i look at running magazines, websites, blogs, shoes, running gear...everything. i did run a 5k so at one point i was. and one day i will be again. but right now a runner i am not. 

and i'm okay with that. 

~i've always dreamt of homeschooling our children. i still really want to. but right now they are both doing well in a public and private preschool setting. they love it.

and i'm okay with that. 

~as a child i just knew that i was going to be a teacher. as time went by i changed my mind and decided i wanted to be a nurse when i grew up. i am currently in school taking all my pre and co-reqs to get into the nursing program. but my husband and i (prayerfully) decided i would take a year off from school to focus more on our family and home. 

and i'm okay with that. 

~in school i had just a few close friends. in junior high and high school i used to pray that God would bless me with many more friends. as i grew older and wiser i realized that i didn't really want more friends at all. i'm a hermit, y'all. so the fewer friends the better. (baha!) i have a wonderful handful of friends that i couldn't be more thankful for.

and i'm okay with that. 

~i want so badly to be good with words. both spoken and written. i have a habit (sometimes good, sometimes bad) of just blurting things out before they go through any sort of filter. that's just who i am.

and i'm okay with that. 

the where i realize they actually DO like each other.....sometimes

a rare moment.

they had no idea i had my camera in hand or i'm sure this picture would not exist. 

sammy is actually giving riley a hug though it looks like he's 

choking him. but i promise, it's love. 

crazy, rough-not-so-gentle-brotherly-love.

what makes me laugh is if you ask either one of them if they love 

each other they will most likely say, one of the following...

no

not really

just a little bit

kinda 

 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Ephesians 4:32

the one in which i embarrass myself

i couldn't help it. after yesterdays post i HAD to get in a better mood.

i busted out the cleaning supplies, sent the kids outside (don't worry, it's a fenced in yard and they can't climb it...yet!), and got to work. 

but before i got to work i figured i would do a little multi-tasking...

so i did what any stay-at-home-mom would do

(someone out there tell me you've done this too!)

and i put on a facial mask. 

if y'all want to know the secret to cleaning like a pro

listen in...

slap on a facial mask and before you know it you will be transformed into the 

mean, green, cleaning machine.

(i'm gonna go hide now!)

side note: you should really avoid the eyebrows and try not to get so much in your hair. when this stuff dries it doesn't feel so great!!

side note #2: i may or may not have purposefully scared my children while my 'cleaning mask' was on! 

the one where i confess to complaining too much

the past few months {quite possibly a year!} i've been struggling with getting things done. i may get them done but it usually involves a good amount of complaining, trying to get out of it, a little bit of crying, and well you get the point. sometimes it takes all that's in me to slap a smile on my face and get the job done. 

cleaning the house, laundry, homework, work, activities with the children...i could go on and on but i will spare you the misery! pretty much i just hated doing much of anything. well, not really hated, but i struggled with finding the joy in doing the simple and mundane things of my daily life. 

things that i should really be thankful to do. not everyone is blessed with the task of taking care of children. i took for granted my ability to be healthy enough to work and have a great place of employment. went to class only looking forward to dismissal time. when i cleaned the house i forgot to think about those who don't have a house to clean.

i can't believe how much complaining i've been doing when in reality, i don't have much to complain about at all. i have a roof over my head, some pretty awesome kids, a great husband (who can cook!), amazing, Godly friends and the list goes on. 

i was reading my Bible one day and ran across this verse. one that i'm sure i've read a thousand times. one that i'm sure i've heard preached another thousand times. this time i didn't just glide right over it. i stopped there for a while. really taking in the words. reading them over and over again. after thinking good and hard i flipped the pages some more and imagine my surprise when i landed on this next verse. it's quite obvious the Lord was telling me something. can we say, 'there's your sign!'

it's in the Bible y'all...it's not just some silly Chinese proverb or golden rule. it's IN the Bible! of course i knew it was in there, but like i said before - i hadn't paid much attention to the value those words hold until now.

i wont lie. it's hard sometimes doing things without complaining, keeping a good attitude and a smile on my face. but i try, i try.

let me share with you just what verses opened my eyes.
(don't forget to watch the video at the bottom of this post!)

Philippians 2:14-16

King James Version (KJV)

 ¹⁴Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
 ¹⁵That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
 ¹⁶Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.


& 

1 Corinthians 10:31

King James Version (KJV)

 ³¹Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

see!!
and now i will leave you with this little video/song. a reminder in a song to do everything to the glory of God. it's what we're here for!! (and it's not really that bad, is it?!) 

Pencil to paper

Can it be? Is he really old enough to write his name already? Where has the time gone?

This picture sends a rush of emotions through me. 

To think he is no longer a baby,

but a big boy leaning and growing. 

I get tears because he is growing up right before my eyes 

and at the same time I get those crazy-happy-mommy tears

when I see just how much of a big boy he is becoming. 

He's been able to write his name for a while 

but just now is he getting really good 

at it. 

I feel so blessed to be able to be a (mostly) stay-at-home-mom

so I can stop by his school

and witness moments like this.

Moments of tender, innocent learning. 

He's just getting too big. 

Riley Bear,

can you please just say little a while longer?

Pretty please?

The post in which I talk about myself!

• Name: Tyra spain
• Birthday: April 3, 1982 (SO very close to the big 30!)
• Where were you born: Jacksonville, North Carolina
• Where did you grow up: Walled Lake, Michigan 
• Where do you live now: Mayfield, Kentucky. Guess I was just destined to be a southern gal!
• Height: According to my drivers license I am 5 ft 4 in. It sounded good.
• Hair Color: Dark Brown
• Eye Color: Dark Brown
• Tattoos: Two...for now!
• Piercings: Assuming we are talking about current piercings...just one in each ear.
• Color: I'm a sucker for the ugly greens, yellows and oranges!
• Food:  A love a good medium rare steak and baked tater covered in butter, bacon and sour cream.
• Candy: Reese's 
• Movie: Honestly, I'm not sure I have a favorite. 
• TV Show: Constantly changing. Right now I love Teen Mom (I know, I know! and Parenthood.
• Actor: Who doesn't love George Clooney. Salt and pepper hair...mmm!
• Actress: I'm a sucker for Reese Witherspoon's southern accent and innocent charm!
• Favorite Author: Anyone who can write one of the following and keep me entertained: Amish fiction, murder/romance, murder mystery and the occasional chick lit.
• Band or Singer: Just about anyone on Klove radio! 
• Song: Far too many to list!
• Holiday: Birthdays, does that count?! 
• Season: There's something special I love about them all! 
• Day of the week: Any day that keeps me home with my kids. Well, most of the time!
• Store: Whoever has the best deal! 
• Sport: Oh how I'd love to claim to be a sports fan...but I'm not. 
• Animal: Cats!! 
• Flower: Any kind of daisy
• Do you like to play in the rain: Play, yes. Get caught in the rain, not usually!
• Have you ever been in a car accident: Nope! 
• Do you ever laugh so hard you cry: Quite often
• What's the last thing you said: Get your underwear off my desk!! 
• Pepsi or Coke: Coke, hands down!
• Chocolate or vanilla: Vanilla
• Colored pencils or markers: Crayons. Crayola specifically. 
• Day or night: Night owl for sure 
• What other language(s) do you speak: Does toddler jibberish count?
• If you dyed your hair what color would you dye it: I'm way too much of a chicken, and tightwad, for that!
• If you could change your name what would you change it to: Something a little more tomboyish. Tyra just seems too girly.
• Do you talk to yourself a lot: All the time. I won't tell you if I answer or not...
• Married or single: Happily married for almost 8 years. Just don't ask me when our wedding anniversary is!
• Children: Many. Four to be exact!