Getting to know Rebecca

 This post was originally written for the IDD Blog but I thought there might be some readers over here that might enjoy it too!


"Life is a daring adventure... or nothing."

My adventure started February 27th, 1982 in southern Wisconsin.  I was born, which is an adventure in itself.  2 1/2 weeks premature I weighed 4lbs. 10 ozs.  My parents named me Rebecca Joy.  I was their first child.  And only child.  For 16 months.  I don't remember any of it.

Then I became a big sister.  And for the next 24 years of my life I kept becoming a big sister.  Over and over and over and over and....*counts on fingers*  8 times. :)  I have 6 sisters and 2 brothers.  Stephanie, Katie (yes, the Katie on the IDD blog, her picture is on the left of your screen), Susie, Debbie, Lydia, Joe, Luke, and Sarah Beth.  I love them all bunches.

So, we lived in southern Wisconsin until the fall of 1986 at which time we moved to the big city of Denver, Colorado.  Well, sort of.  We actually lived outside the city, but everything is so big out there you can't really tell.  Colorado is beautiful.  I still visit it through most of my childhood memories.

Favorite childhood pastimes? Playing "pioneers", dress up, reading, reading, reading... oops got stuck there :) playing the piano, making brownies with Joe standing next to me saying "yum, yum" :) singing, pretending I was an Olympic athlete, taking care of the babies... :)

1998 we moved back to the midwest  this time settling in Iowa in the same town where my dad was born and raised.  Moving back to the midwest was a huge adjustment for us.  Smaller town, friendlier people, more extended family, less shopping... we loved it.

Mom home-schooled me K-12.  I graduated top of my class :) in 1999 and worked for a little while at a gift shop and helped my mom home-school the youngest kids.  In April of 2000, my parents bought a Dairy Queen  in a little town in Southwest Wisconsin and I went to work there.  Fast food wasn't exactly my cup of tea, but I kept up with it for the next 7 years.  In September of 2001 we moved to Wisconsin again.

I discovered my love of design and flowers in the fall of 2003 when I accidentally wandered into a flower shop and asked for a job application.  (I say accidentally, because it just sort of happened, like destiny was walking instead of me).  I went to floral design school the following spring and have been working as a floral designer ever since.  I especially love creating wedding flowers.  Every wedding is so unique and individual that I rarely see the same bouquet twice.  I love that.

The past 3 summers I have been deeply involved in a children's Bible camp.  Writing curriculum, filming skits, counseling, singing, teaching...  whatever it takes.  Maybe it's the big sister in me.  I love children, and I love the Lord.  One of my goals in everyday life is to make Christ real to young people.

So, that brings me up to today.  Today, I am 26.  I live with my sisters Stephanie and Katie in a little bitty house half a mile from my parents and the rest of the sibs.  I live each day as it comes.  I don't know what tomorrow brings.  I don't know if I will marry and raise children as I've always wanted to do.  I don't know if I will go on being a floral designer or move on to another career.  I do know that I have new mercies every morning.  I know that every day is one more day to live for Christ. 

Passions:
Living
Cooking, baking, developing gourmet meals and eating them!
My slightly wacky fashion sense :)
Re-arranging my furniture
Sewing
Blogging
Reading
Writing
IDD :)
Movies
Chocolate :)
Vintage and retro styles, houseware, um... everything :)
Drama
Dressing up
Doing my hair, painting my nails and other girl-y stuff
Decorating
Flowers
My family