Getting to Know Elise
A Brief Biography
Elise was born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin. She lived in the same house all through her life, was in the top of her class in high school, and participated in many extracurricular activities, including basketball, ultimate frisbee, and National Honors Society.
Elise attended the University of Wisconsin (go Badgers!) for a degree in neurobiology and psychology. She originally contemplated a career in medicine, but decided to pursue other interests. A year or so after marrying Brandon a week after college graduation, she moved to mountainous Idaho with him and decided to pursue a master's degree in business (MBA) from Idaho State University. After graduation, she decided to work as a finance analyst for North Wind, Inc., a government and environmental contracting firm. Now, Elise works with the Idaho National Lab in contracts management and teaches an online course through BYU-Idaho.
A little bit more...
I have a lot of passions. I love to travel and I want to see the whole world. I've been a few places, including Spain, Germany, England, and Turkey, and I hope to see many more with my family as life goes forward. I also love traveling around the states, and I've done a lot of that!
In addition to travel, I love sports. I'm a huge Badger fan (University of Wisconsin), and pay a ridiculous amount for satellite so I can watch the basketball and football games so far from home. Brandon and I like to travel to baseball stadiums, too, and we also love to play sports and work out. Other hobbies include reading (I can't seem to ever catch up on my reading list), baking (especially sweets), working out, hanging out, playing guitar hero or piano, being outdoors, and crafting (I like to sew).
In terms of my personality, I'm generally friendly and easy to get along with. I love people and making friends and I'm very ambitious. I do tend to stress out sometimes and I'm kind of a perfectionist, but I think I use these traits toward positive ends. I love to organize, to plan, and search for new opportunities. I love to learn and I want so much to teach all the things I have learned (and will still learn) to my kids.
In addition to everything else, I LOVE my family. Cadence is one of my favorite people on earth and I think she's just amazing. I love that we're best friends. I'm also married to my best friend, and Brandon's the best husband I can imagine (maybe he could do the laundry a little more...).
Fun Facts:
- A book I highly recommend is: All the Harry Potter books, among many others, such as Pride and Prejudice
- A movie I watch over and over is: Harry Potter, The Holiday, Moulin Rouge, How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days
- A TV show I watch regularly is: Amazing Race, How I Met Your Mother
- I love to collect: Books!
- My favorite thing to buy is: Baby/kid clothes
- My favorite sport to watch is: College basketball and college football
- My favorite restaurant is: I love lots. LOTS. Depends on the type. But a few include Rumbi, Cafe Rio, Chiptole, Noodles, Culver's... I like fancy ones, too, but those are fun to try new ones.
- A moment when I achieved absolute happiness was: When we met Cadence!
- The music I listen to most is: Alternative, country, and rock, but I like a huge variety (everything, actually)
- My earliest memory is: Learning songs in preschool!
- My favorite flower is: A Tiger Lily
- A game I like to play is: Guitar Hero and Taboo, or Pinochle
- My favorite hobby is: I have lots--I love to travel, to bake, to read, to play the piano...
- A singer or band I currently listen to the most is: I've been listening to the Band Perry a lot lately
- I drive a: 2009 Honda Civic (I love my little car!)
- If my house was burning down and I could only rescue three things, they would be: Cadence, Brandon, and the pugs. If I had to go with THINGS, I guess my iPod/iPad, the blanket Cadence's birth mom made her, and my giant hard drive (has everything on it).
- The city I would most like to visit is: Prague and/or Budapest, for now...
- My favorite meal is: Tacos--the kind I make at home (yum!)
- Someone or something that made me laugh this week was: My cute pugs and Cadence
- My first paying job was: As an assistant for my dad and his architecture firm
- The memory that still makes me laugh is: Funny things my mother in law has said and my brother and my husband's inside jokes
- My favorite candy bar is: I prefer real chocolate to candy bars, but I guess I'd say Reese's.
- Three adjectives that describe me are: Ambitious, happy, and organized.
- My favorite subject in high school was: Calculus
- When I have an hour of free time at home, I like to: Bake something nummy.
- My best birthday was: I don't know! They've all been great.
- A smell that reminds me of my childhood is: Chocolate chip cookies
- The story behind my name is: I was named after the song "Fur Elise" by Beethoven
- My favorite color to wear is: Brown or Green
- My strangest possession is: the pet rock I made when I was a kid
- My favorite dessert is: I love them all. No, seriously. I guess I would say chocolate anything, ice cream, and cheesecake, if I had to narrow it down.
- When I exercise, I like to: Play basketball or kickbox
- My favorite thing to do on a date is: Get dressed up for dinner and a movie
- The best thing about being married is: I have the best and most easy-going husband. I live with my best friend.
Some of My Favorite Things:
