10 Things You Didn't Know about Me

-1-

I don’t watch TV. I’d rather be sleeping, blogging, or reading, though not necessarily in that ranking order. My “off duty” hours each day are precious to me, and I just don’t relax by watching TV anymore. Much to my hubby’s disappointment sometimes.:) I do make time for a semi-regular movie night with Michael, which I admittedly enjoy. The only problem with movie night is that it takes us forever to agree on a movie. We usually end up compromising to the extreme, as in he agrees to watch “While You Were Sleeping” if the next time I agree to watch “World War Z.” So goes marriage.;)

-2-

I used to model. I spent some time after high school modeling in New York. Some opportunities to model kind of fell into my lap, and since I had college to pay for and an expensive horse habit at the time, my parents and I agreed to give it a try. (My aunt and uncle lived in the Bronx, so I’m sure that was helpful for my parents’ peace of mind.) The only designer I modeled for that anybody would probably recognize is Tommy Hilfiger. I went on lots of snooty casting calls all over the city. I learned how to navigate the subway system something of the hard way. I lived in a model’s apartment next to the Trump Tower. I met many strange people. I sat at a riverside park in Queens and looked at the gorgeous nighttime skyline of Manhattan. I did some crazy-cool photo shoots in places like Central Park and the famous restaurant from Seinfeld. The Lord pursued me relentlessly and protected me mightily while I was there.

-3-

I am an equestrian. Or I used to be. I started riding horses when I was around 10, and I rode until I was 19. I rode hunter-jumper, some cross-country, dressage, and was in Pony Club. My mom had a horse growing up, and I think her soft-spot for them was the reason my parents let me ride for so long. Over the years, we owned an Arabian, a Thoroughbred, two quarter horses, a pony, a Trakehner and an Oldenburg. My last horse, Orion, was my pride and joy. We actually imported him from Germany–no, really. He was a 1300lb gorgeous dappled grey gelding with a stubborn streak. The highest prize I won riding was on Orion, and I was the 2004 Southern United States Junior Regional High Point Champion.

-4-

I met my husband at summer camp. I met my husband, Michael, in May of 2006 on the first day of counselor training at Camps Kahdalea and Chosatonga. He always argues that he met me at the last Thursday Free Lunch at Christ the King at LSU, but I barely remember meeting him. Apparently I made an impression that day, though, because he pursued me adorably and persistently from the moment he met me (again) at camp. Our first date was dinner at the Jordan Street Cafe in Brevard, and then ice cream at Dolly’s. Then we decided to meet up with some friends camping out on Black Balsam for the night. I love our love story.:) Bonus for this one: My brother in law, Chris, met my sister in law, Jenay, that same summer while they both worked at camp. The oldest two Franco boys hit the love jackpot that summer!

Camp was so much fun. Probably the best two summers of both of our lives so far.
We weren’t even officially dating when this photo was taken.

-5-

My awesome parents are the reason you’re reading this. From encouraging me to write as I was growing up, to paying for a babysitter a few years ago so that I could host Faith and Good Counsel remotely from Houston, to babysitting frequently for me now so that I can go write or record, they are the reason I can do this. Their support is behind any word or post I have written that has blessed your life. Thanks Mom and Dad.

-6-

My Aunt Roberta is also part of the reason why you’re reading. She lives about 8 minutes away and stops by frequently to say hello. She walks in this house like a ray of sunshine, a big smile on her face and her chirpy, happy voice immediately asking me questions like, “Can I do the dishes or would you rather I help you bathe the kids?” I kid you not. She is wonderful. Coming from having no family close by in Houston, to having someone like Aunt Berta in my daily life was…so nice.:) Apart from her cheerful service, though, Aunt Berta has always been something of my biggest cheerleader. Ever since I was a kid, she has told me, “Erin, you’re going to be a writer one day.” Her generous, heartfelt words of affirmation still make me glow like a little kid inside sometimes, truth be told.

-7-

I’ve been on Japanese television. Singing Queen’s “We Will Rock You” no less. In high school I got to go on a school trip across the Pond to England, and one night when we were walking around Piccadilly Circus in London, a Japanese camera crew rushed up to me and a my classmate and asked us if we knew Queen’s “We Will Rock You” and if we would sing it on camera. It got really awkward once the crew realized we only knew that one line of the song.

-8-

I was proposed to in front of 75 people. Our friend Julie was the campus minister at the Catholic center at LSU, and Michael and Julie arranged an evening of praise and worship as a cover for his proposal to me. Michael also arranged for his parents and siblings and my parents and siblings to sneak in the back of the church and surprise me with roses after he led me (horribly confused and mortified) to the front of the church and proposed to me. Our dear friends (to this day) Lauren and Jason Romero played Matt Maher’s “Set Me As a Seal” (“our” song) as my family walked up. There was cake and punch and a party of our closest friends and family in the parish hall afterwards. It was one of the best nights of my life.

The night Michael proposed to me. I had NO clue beforehand.

-9-

I’ve stood inside Mission Control at NASA. Michael worked at NASA right out of college (which is why we moved to Houston after we got married). I got lots of really cool insider tours from Michael and from friends who worked there. One interesting thing about NASA is that they have a lovely inner quad with a couple of ponds and lots of ducks. I had my own spouse badge, so I used to take Gabriel to go feed the ducks and picnic with Michael for lunch at work.

-10-

God sent me a nun to call me home. I am a cradle Catholic, and I attended Catholic schools all the way until college. My freshman year of college, however, I had just returned home from my first modeling stint, and I was questioning a lot of things. At the time, I was trying to process my experiences in New York, which had really served to point me toward my faith, rather than the empty promises of fame and glamour that I had witnessed and been not-a-little tempted by. I wanted to get into my faith once I was back home for the school year, but I didn’t know exactly how to do that. Then I met Lacey. Lacey was beautiful, faithful, kind, and welcomed me in friendship with generosity and open arms. She literally saw me arrive to a social event alone and walked across the room to welcome me and introduce me to her friends. I saw the love this beautiful girl had for God, the kind of love that made her beautiful because God was shining through her. We ended up rooming together for our last two years of college, sharing a room in a tiny apartment. I watched as God worked on my friend’s heart over those two years to call her to Him, and all the while He was working on my heart through our friendship to call me to Him more fully and deeply. Lacey is now Sister Maria Goretti, a Carmelite nun with the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles. I am so thankful for this special friend that God sent me to call me home.