I am an Introvert. Kind of.

10 Myths About Introverts

So I read this on a blog that I frequent and it kind of reminded me of myself. I was always a shy person up until I was maybe 16. I hated being shy. Not that I was shy around people that I knew but I never talked a lot and I still don't. So reading this about Introverts kind of makes me feel like it's talking about me.

Myth #1 – Introverts don’t like to talk.
This is not true. Introverts just don’t talk unless they have something to say. They hate small talk. Get an introvert talking about something they are interested in, and they won’t shut up for days.
This completely describes me. I really do wish that I talked more but I just don't talk unless I have something to say. With my best friends I could talk forever but with people that I'm not super close to I don't like to just exchange meaningless conversation. People that just talk to hear themselves talk kind of drive me crazy but I guess it's just because that's not how I am.

Myth #2 – Introverts are shy.
Shyness has nothing to do with being an Introvert. Introverts are not necessarily afraid of people. What they need is a reason to interact. They don’t interact for the sake of interacting. If you want to talk to an Introvert, just start talking. Don’t worry about being polite.
I don't think I'm a shy person anymore now that I'm more confident in myself and don't care about what others think as much but I might come off as shy since I don't interact just for the sake of interacting just like it says.

Myth #3 – Introverts are rude.
Introverts often don’t see a reason for beating around the bush with social pleasantries. They want everyone to just be real and honest. Unfortunately, this is not acceptable in most settings, so Introverts can feel a lot of pressure to fit in, which they find exhausting.
I don't completely relate to this and the whole "social pleasantries" thing but I do wonder if people think I'm rude because I'm not as outgoing as extroverts.

Myth #4 – Introverts don’t like people.
On the contrary, Introverts intensely value the few friends they have. They can count their close friends on one hand. If you are lucky enough for an introvert to consider you a friend, you probably have a loyal ally for life. Once you have earned their respect as being a person of substance, you’re in.
This definitely describes me, I'm not someone that has to have a ton of friends to hang out with all of the time. I have my best friends who I know I can call if I need something. It's hard to find those really great people who you completely relate to so I'm not giving those people up!

Myth #5 – Introverts don’t like to go out in public.
Nonsense. Introverts just don’t like to go out in public FOR AS LONG. They also like to avoid the complications that are involved in public activities. They take in data and experiences very quickly, and as a result, don’t need to be there for long to “get it.” They’re ready to go home, recharge, and process it all. In fact, recharging is absolutely crucial for Introverts.
I don't really relate to this much except for the fact that I do enjoy being home. I also like to go places and being in public doesn't bother me at all.

Myth #6 – Introverts always want to be alone.
Introverts are perfectly comfortable with their own thoughts. They think a lot. They daydream. They like to have problems to work on, puzzles to solve. But they can also get incredibly lonely if they don’t have anyone to share their discoveries with. They crave an authentic and sincere connection with ONE PERSON at a time.
I really don't mind being alone, I like being able to do what I want to do when I want and I can just read, day dream whatever. But that definitely doesn't mean I always want to be alone. I definitely feel comfortable with smaller groups though. I like going out with just Gary and I or just one other couple.

Myth #7 – Introverts are weird.
Introverts are often individualists. They don’t follow the crowd. They’d prefer to be valued for their novel ways of living. They think for themselves and because of that, they often challenge the norm. They don’t make most decisions based on what is popular or trendy.
Hmm, not sure if this is me.

Myth #8 – Introverts are aloof nerds.
Introverts are people who primarily look inward, paying close attention to their thoughts and emotions. It’s not that they are incapable of paying attention to what is going on around them, it’s just that their inner world is much more stimulating and rewarding to them.
This totally reminds me of my brother.

Myth #9 – Introverts don’t know how to relax and have fun.
Introverts typically relax at home or in nature, not in busy public places. Introverts are not thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies. If there is too much talking and noise going on, they shut down. Their brains are too sensitive to the neurotransmitter called Dopamine. Introverts and Extroverts have different dominant neuro-pathways. Just look it up.
I don't think this relates to me at all other than the relaxing at home thing. I love doing crazy fun things and being in busy places and it doesn't bother me.

Myth #10 – Introverts can fix themselves and become Extroverts.
A world without Introverts would be a world with few scientists, musicians, artists, poets, filmmakers, doctors, mathematicians, writers, and philosophers. That being said, there are still plenty of techniques an Extrovert can learn in order to interact with Introverts. (Yes, I reversed these two terms on purpose to show you how biased our society is.) Introverts cannot “fix themselves” and deserve respect for their natural temperament and contributions to the human race. In fact, one study (Silverman, 1986) showed that the percentage of Introverts increases with IQ.

I really found this list interesting and it helps me to better understand myself and why I act the way I do. I think I sometimes wish I was an extrovert but I'm just not and I'm ok with that. So hopefully you can understand me, you or other people in your life better.

Cruise!

We had a really fun time on our cruise a couple of weeks ago. We went on a 4 day Carnival Cruise from Long Beach to Catalina to Ensenada. We drove out to California Sunday and stayed at my sisters in L.A. On the drive there we almost got run off the road, a guy came within inches of hitting us and we got our car keyed in the parking lot next door to Jessica's apartment, most likely because we were from Utah. Awesome.
Since we hadn't ever left Jake over night before we figured the shorter the better. I stressed about leaving Jake for weeks but in the end it wasn't as hard as I thought once we were actually on the ship. We went with Josh and Cassie, Gary's brother and his wife. It was fun going with them because we get along really well and we're all easy going. I hadn't ever been on a cruise so I wasn't sure what to expect. I think I would go on another cruise but probably a longer one on a bigger ship, that went to warmer places.
The first day, we were supposed to dock in Catalina Island but the weather was terrible so we couldn't so we we ended up staying on the ship all day. First of all there is only so much you can do on the ship and since it wasn't that warm we didn't really swim. Of course there's always food! Unlimited hot chocolate, yum. I'm pretty sure I had about 7 mugs of hot chocolate a day. We went to Ensenada the 3rd day and went kayaking to the Bufadora blow hole which was a lot of fun. I love the ocean so I had a blast but Josh ended up getting really sick so he didn't have such a great time. After kayaking we went to downtown Ensenada and went shopping and played in the chilly weather. One thing that was really fun about the cruise was all the different people! It seemed that we were a minority on the ship being Caucasian. Even the people working on the ship were from a lot of other countries which was cool. A lot from South Africa, South America, Asia, and India (which was where our awesome waiter was from. He was hilarious!) I'm pretty sure I've never seen so many ugly and badly done tattoos and of course some really clumsy drunk people. It made for a good laugh.
They did have some fun things to do on the boat such as karaoke, comedians, dancing and some shows. All in all it was worth it but I was so ready to get home by Friday morning and we had to wait 4 hours to get off the ship then drive another 6 hours home. I missed Jake so much! The day after we got home Jake was freaking out that we would leave him again and he pretty much cried and whined the whole day poor kid. We need take more short trips so he can get used to us not being with him 24/7.

My little toddler

Jake has been so funny lately and it's fun to watch him grow. He's 17 months old now and has gotten really good at throwing tantrums. He freaks out over random things and half the time I don't know what it's about! He gets very dramatic and has to put his head on the ground and stick his little bum in the air. Let's hope this phase doesn't last too long! He loves to say "uh oh" when anything falls on the floor, of if he throws something on the floor. He loves to wave bye bye to us even when we're not going anywhere and give hugs and kisses. He's not talking much but he's a smart little boy. We love this kid!

We broke out the little pool for Jake since it hit 90 the other day and he liked it for about 10 minutes. He then proceeded to stand outside of the pool and poke at the bouncy ball with his toy rake. Boy was that fun!

Playing in the town square.

Look mom it's just my size!

"I don't know who this baby is but get her off me!" Jake and cousin Aniston. She's such a cutie!

Jake actually really enjoyed hunting for easter eggs at Grandma and Grandpa Talbot's you just can't tell by this picture. He was a pro!
Checking on uncle Willy's lambs.

Kissing Cousins! Jake and cousin Paydon. He loves to give kisses even when you don't ask for them. He just needs to learn to keep his mouth closed, they're always open mouthed kisses :)
Just hanging out with Fatty my best friend! Fatty sure doesn't like Jake too much but he loves her!

Dinner with the Family/ Game Night with friends

Kristy and J.D., Trevor and Brooke, Nicole and Jaxon, Alex and Danielle and Me all by my lonesome :( poor Gary had to go back to work.

I was able to get together with some friends from high school on Monday night which is a rare occurrence! We had a great time laughing and playing games.

Jeff and Corbin cheesing it.

Gary and Jeff had to go home to go back to work earlier in the week but we had a great time at Olive Garden.

Melissa, Ryan and Mom

Christmas Day

Christmas Eve we spent driving to Utah County then having lunch with my dad and watching movies. Jake was NOT a happy camper after sitting in the car for 4 hours and not getting a nap, and it didn't help that he was sick. But we made it!

Gary and Jake with his awesome blanket that Grandpa Wayne made him.

Jake in his new Christmas Eve PJ's and his new book.

We spent Christmas morning opening presents at my moms house and had a great time. Jake wasn't really sure what was going on so we opened his presents for him and he played with (some) of them. He got lego's and a cool dump truck to pile the legos into among other things. I am getting a sewing machine (which I haven't bought yet because i'm not sure which one to get), so now I better learn how to sew, it's been since junior high TLC class but I loved it back then! Gary got a new hiking backpack and is getting a new sleeping bag.

After opening presents we went to my grandparents house and saw the family then had dinner at my mom's house.

Snow!

While we were in Utah County for Christmas it snowed about a foot so Jake got to play in the snow for the first time. He loved it! As soon as I set him down in it he started army crawling through it. He even helped me and my mom make a snowman. He loved the taste of it too :)

Happy First Birthday Jake!

On the way home from the hospital. I can't hardly remember him being so small!

Our baby is turning one year old today! It feels like he's been with us forever but it also feels like this year has gone by so fast. It's been an amazing year and I can't imagine not having Jake with us now! He is such a great little boy and we have so much fun with him. It's so fun to watch him grow and learn to do new things and explore. He is such a blessing in our lives and it's amazing how much you can love such a little person. We love you Jacob!