I sincerely appreciate being honored in the Spotlight of Friends! Thanks Lee Lu!

Jesse and I met playing racquetball, and married following a short 6 month courtship. We began our life together in Anaheim, and that’s where Janelle was born. After a year, we moved to Orange, CA, and had our second daughter, Sarah. We lived in Orange for about 5 years, and then bought our first house in Santa Ana, CA, where we spent the next 15 years raising our girls. We now live in Huntington Beach, CA, in the home we purchased from my Grandfather. Janelle married March 2005, after completing a degree in Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation Biology, with a specialty in Behavioral Ecology, at UC Davis. She went on to obtain teaching credentials and is now teaching 8th grade Math & Science. Sarah is currently attending Cal State University Long Beach. Her goal is to be a multiple subject teacher. She was just engaged in January, and will be getting married in July 2007. We are very proud parents.

Pets? Oh… we’ve got pets. We have 3 orange tabby polydactyl (6 toed) cats, Bonnie, Clyde, and Lucky. We have a female Shih-Tzu, Christi, who just turned 12. What a great dog! Lakota is our baby Chocolate Lab, although she is growing so fast. The 2 dogs are actually getting along great. Additionally, we have several cockatiels and a Koi & goldfish pond. We just noticed we have at least 3 babies, but can’t tell if they’re Koi or goldfish.

Jesse has worked for the US Postal Service for the past 23 years, and is currently an OIC. The next step is Postmaster. I am an Assistant Controller, and have worked for the same company for the past 16 years. I landed my first accounting job while in my senior year of high school, and have been in this career ever since. I enjoy my ‘day job’, and have found a creative outlet in my hobbies.

My Grandmother taught me to crochet when I was about 8, and I also learned to sew about the same time. I used to make many of my own clothes and some for family and friends too. I haven’t done that kind of sewing in a long time. I started beading a few years ago when my daughters and I decided to make beaded bobby pins for Christmas gifts. That was all it took for me to get hooked. I have had my website, Tanya’s Bead ‘n Craft, since about that time, and it continues to steadily grow. Another thing I enjoy doing is building websites. Most of what I’ve learned has been from Internet guides and tutorials. I write all of my own code instead of using WYSIWYG software, although, a program would probably save me some time these days. I really like to have control of my code. I recently got a new Canon Rebel digital camera, and have been learning how to use the macro setting. I have taken so many pictures of flowers and gardens, and am amazed at how good they have come out. You can see some of my photos here – Flower & Garden Photos.

A little more about me… I’m a detail oriented person. I’m not very talkative until I get to know a person a bit. I tend to sit back, listen, and observe. I can be excitable, and when that happens, I talk way too fast. Good thing my hubby is very witty, because I tend to be on the dry side. I am fair, patient, and compassionate. My family teases me because the sentimental commercials and movies make me cry. The tissue box is always handy. My favorite books usually have to do with science, law, crime, and are intellectually stimulating. For fun, we dance, camp, and spend lots of time with our family and friends.

I am enjoying being a part of this community, making new friends, and learning new things from the many educated and intelligent members of Adland.