So…this is a strange interview for me. I haven’t actually “met” Jaime in real life yet. We became Facebook friends because we have a mutual friend in common Sarah. We were commenting on the same thread when we realized, “WE HAVE THE SAME NAME!!!” Our given names are nearly identical, middle name too; we just spell each name differently. We were born in the same city, in the same hospital, about two weeks apart. And it took us this long to find each other-crazy!

JM: Tell us a little about yourself.

JC: I am thirty two years old, which still somehow surprises me – it is hard to think of myself older than twenty six maybe, but at the same time I have really been enjoying my thirties! I am the oldest of four – two sisters and a brother. Actually, I have three more sisters, but I have not met them yet; we have been in contact the last almost ten years now. My mom and my biological father split before I was born and when my mom and my dad married, he adopted me – so I have always had a dad. I have not met my biological father yet either, but I think I am more interested in meeting my sisters, I don’t know what he would be to me exactly.

My brother was born with Cystic Fibrosis and died almost twelve years ago, he was fifteen and a half. Ian and I were pretty close so losing him was very difficult but the pain is less sharp with the passing of time. He was very funny and compassionate and a gross boy through and through – I miss him a lot! J

I went to college in Indiana, Anderson University for two years then transferred out to a school in California, Azusa Pacific. I have a year left of school, basically what the degree is in is what I need to finish. I do not know what I want the degree to be so I just stopped. I would like to finish but at the same time, I haven’t had a need for it and my free time is valuable!

My sister that is just younger than me, Alyssa, is married and has a two year old daughter. Natalia is the only grandbaby in the family, so she gets a lot of attention. She is just perfect, that is a fact and not a biased opinion either! J I love taking her for the weekend and just having some munchkin time but then am able to give her back! Being an aunt is the best!!

I bought a house a few years ago in central Phoenix. I am a native, which also surprises me that I still live here. I like Phoenix but never thought it would be where I ended up. I enjoy my life here though.

I do not have any children… exactly… I have a boxer named Shelby. She is my baby – she was actually the first grandbaby in the family. She is ten years old. She has more personality than most people I know.

I work in the construction industry – commercial mechanical contracting. I really like it. I have a fantastic boss and the company is brand new and I am in on the ground floor – good opportunity and I am learning a lot, even though it is overwhelming some days because much of it is brand new!

I go to church in Scottsdale, Grace Chapel. I have been there almost fifteen years. They have been with me through some very difficult times in my life, and I learn so much from the people there and have grown a lot as a person, as well as spiritually.

I like MOST kinds of music – pretty much everything except 80’s. I think that is a terrible era for music and fashion and avoid it like the plague that it is. I get a lot of flak for this too, but facts are facts! Ha! 🙂

JM: You don’t have to answer this question, but I would like to ask a little more about your brother Ian. Do you mind telling us more about his life? I don’t want to pry, but I want to give you an opportunity to say whatever you’d like.

JC: Of course! 🙂 My brother was born with Cystic Fibrosis (genetic illness – terminal). He was the only boy in the family but liked the attention and was just “one of the girls” on the occasions he chose to play with us growing up lol (oh, we dressed him up as often as he would let us!! My dad was NOT amused! lol). He was your typical boy: gross, silly, rough, gross… he was also very compassionate. He seemed to find all the kids that were the outcasts in school and church and was their friend. He also always had a bunch of girlfriends in grade school. He was the only boy allowed to go to the girls’ sleepovers… till they used him to learn how to French kiss.. then that stopped real quick! 🙂 Ian died when he was fifteen and a half, May 24 – it will be twelve years this year since he has been gone. It doesn’t seem like it could be anywhere near that long but a lifetime ago at the same time. It is hard to describe.

JM: Thanks for sharing that about your brother. Love the French kiss story! What were you studying in college? What made you move from California to Arizona?

JC: In college, I was studying Christian Ministries, but looking at the possibility of other majors as well – never was really sure what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I have never really had that “thing” I always wanted to do. I have a million things I am interested in and that I can do but nothing pointing one direction really. I transferred from Anderson University (IN) after my sophomore year to Azusa Pacific (CA). Actually, when I got home from school in Indiana, my brother died a couple weeks later. I took first semester off from school and went to California in the spring. There was a major mix up with the school and my financial aid for the following fall (and I didn’t have $18K) so I stayed home in Arizona and went to community college for a semester instead.

JM: How did you get into the construction industry?

JC: I started in the construction industry JUST before the big boom that happened here a handful of years ago. The guy I was dating at the time, I interviewed for a job with his cousin who was the manager at a grading company (residential construction in Maricopa and Queen Creek). I worked there for a while, then interviewed at a commercial mechanical company and got that job. The boss from that company started his own company last year and tracked me down and I work for him again. He is a really good boss and I am in on the ground floor now and can do anything/everything… I do a bit of everything right now, I am learning a lot!!

JM: So, we were born with the same name, but different spellings. My mom was watching television in the hospital and named me after Jaime the character in the Bionic Woman although I got a different spelling. My older sister gave me my middle name. How did your parents pick your name?

JC: Mom’s name is Jenny and my aunt’s is Amy. When they were younger, my grandfather would yell for them to come inside, and Jenny and Amy blended into Jaime. My mom used the French spelling for my first and middle names Jaime Michele. I like that my name was created from yelling ha! 🙂

JM: Okay, another interview question: what are your hobbies and interests?

JC: I don’t really have too many hobbies that I can think of. I think my interests surround people more than activities. I like spending time with people, family, my niece… I worked with my youth group at church for a while. I loved that!! My kids are amazing!! I bought my house and moved and I just wasn’t able to do that anymore… I still go to church there on Sunday’s but not midweek – just too far and I can’t get there on time lol.

JM: Would you like to share an internet link?

JC: One of my favorite sites is www.someecards.com – this site brings much joy – AND they have postcards you can put in the mail as well. I love these!

Thanks Jaime for participating in the interview series! Ask her your questions in the comments below!

It’s strange to find someone with the same name, yet a mix of similarities and differences. We share birth names, hospitals, and physical characteristics, but she’s a feeler; I’m a thinker. She’s an extrovert; I’m an introvert. And hey-neither one of us seems to really know what that one thing we want to do when we grow up is!