Back in March of this year I was blessed with the Liebster Blog Award from a friend, and now I'm honored to be given the accolade again from one of my best friends. Seriously. I love her dearly. From making Spice Girls music videos and giggling about boy bands as kids to now sharing coffee and conversation about real estate and home DIY, she's an inspiration to me and I am so blessed to call her friend! If you haven't ever read Kayla's blog two plus bink, or if you're not already following her on Pinterest, you need to. Like right now.
This go around I get to share some info with everyone! I like that. Probably because I'm kind of an oversharer anyway. Here we go!
11 factual truths about this gal:
1. I'm insecure about a lot of things, but one thing I know without a doubt, 100% is that I am a great teacher. God blessed me with a talent and I am very passionate about taking children others give up on and showing them they can succeed, whether they want to or not.
2. Every day I wake up it almost takes me by surprise to see the sweet man beside me. I never thought I would be blessed with such a supportive, encouraging, shmexy husband.
3. When I get stuck on something, it drives me nuts until I can either do or make or purchase whatever is on my mind. It's an OCD problem. I'll get out of bed at night and go arrange the pillows on the couch if they are messy and I let it get to me. Mind over matter.
4. Coffee is my life blood. Caffeine addiction, thy name is Dunkin Donuts. aand Starbucks. aaand Folgers. aaaand Keurig. aaaaand I'll even throw in the Nascar themed coffee maker in our teacher's lounge. I wish I was kidding.
5. I have a bleeding heart for animals. I have gone through quite a few pets in the past couple years trying to balance wanting animals to have loving homes with being able to financially support them and finding animals that fit our lifestyle and what we have to offer. Right now we are rehoming our cats because hubs has developed an allergy (sad. boo.), but the silver lining is we just rescued a sweet little Visla mix that we have fallen head over heels for. We've named her Autumn and Scooby is in love. Normally he dislikes our new arrivals for a while. Not with this girl- they've been buds since go. I think we have finally settled- we are a two dog family. With my classroom guinea pigs when I'm not in school.
6. DIY makes me incredibly happy. I love the pride and joy it brings me to know my home is the product of my and hubby's time and energy and hard work and the Lord's provision. Good feeling.
7. I'm super excited to become an aunt very soon!! My nephew William Lane will be here by the beginning of November and I can't wait to snuggle and spoil him rotten!
8. My favorite color is green; except for kelly green. blech. But any other shade of green- color me in love!
9. I'm looking forward to starting a family. We're not sure when God's timing will allow it to happen, but my husband is going to be an incredible father and I look forward to being a mommy and doing everything I can to make my baby's childhood as magical as my mom made mine. :)
10. 3 blogs I HAVE to read every day: Young House Love, Bower Power, and Enjoying the Small Things. Little slices of happy.
11. I LOVE my church- Newspring. I can't say enough about serving in a church that seeks to give people Jesus. I am so blessed.
Scwheet. Now to answer Sporty Spice's questions:
1. My favorite book of all time is Ella Enchanted. I can't count how many times I have read this book over and I was SO disappointed in the awful, cheesy movie version. Soooo disappointed. When I first read it in middle school it set my imagination on fire- it was magic to me. It sparked my love for reading and devouring words. I have read books that are more eloquent, more mature, that have moved me in different ways; but the magical Cinderella story in that book will be one I pass down to my kids.
2. My dream vacation/adventure would be starting in England and visiting every single country of every friend I've made working at Camp Chatuga. So that would include Ireland, Scotland, South Africa, Jamaica, Australia, Holland, and New Zealand in no particular order. :) The reunion would be sweet and there's no better tour guide than a native!
3. If I could get paid to do anything, it would be running an animal rescue. Every animal deserves a loving, understanding home.
4. Good one! How am I different now from what I dreamed I would be? I'm happier. I knew I would get married one day and I knew I would have my own home, but I never dreamed I would have such a loving husband and I never dreamed it would be such a beautiful home. I'm also sassier. I used to be very shy but since growing up I have gained the courage to go after happiness and stand up for justice. Sometimes a little too much. :)
5. When I get nostalgic I miss playing in the woods with Ashley when we were little. (Ashley's my twin sister for anyone out of the loop). We would play on this fallen tree that had lost all its branches and we called it "the log". The log was a stage, a see saw, an obstacle course, a tight rope; anything we wanted it to be. I also miss riding bikes to your house and knocking on your screen door asking your mama if you were home and could play. Then we'd get Ashley W and Laura and Kristy and we'd all ride up and down the road on bikes and skate boards, laughing and screaming and teasing Sean and Skeet, but not being too mean because after all Skeet had the trampoline and that thing was gold!
6. One way I'd be generous if I had the means would be to take in the kids I teach that are neglected. To give them a home, a mother, someone who's going to cook dinner and take them to football or soccer practice and fight over doing homework. The days I cry as a teacher are the days a kid leaves because he/she has been put in foster care or shipped off to a relative. It kills me to see that pleading face telling me 'All I want is a home'. I wish I could give that to every single one.
7. My three most favorite names? This is kind of a Friends moment- like when Rachel stole Monica's baby name. I'll share if there's no stealing, mmkay? And I have four, not three- Everett, Emmett, Evelyn, and Emmarie. I've got a thing for E names. And these are hubby approved. So maybe one day in the next year or two you'll meet someone (or two ;) ) with one of these names.
8. I am married, and there are two things I would do differently about my wedding- I would have chosen somewhere different for my reception. The fellowship hall at the church we got married at was lovely, but we had too many guests and not enough room for the fun and dancing that I had wanted to take place. #2 I would have gotten married in the evening with said bigger reception space so that we could have eaten and danced the night away!! I think being in the early afternoon people left before the send off because they had evening plans. Other than that it was perfect. :)
9. My best tidbit of life advice: Live simply, love deeply. ;) That phrase reminds me to slow down, take a deep breath, and remember less is often more. If I love deeply, I remember the love God had for me to create me and bless me with life and I try to give that love to others, perpetually pointing to Him.
10. A food I cannot live without- cheese. I sometimes wish I was a part of a "Cheese of the Month" club. Do they have those? Gah I love cheese. There's a cheese for everything! Yum.
11. My most embarrassing moment. Okay, I give. Cindy (mama in law)- If you're reading this you may want to stop right now. Please. When my mother in law got an invitation in the mail (because my friend had the wrong address some how) for me. She texted me and let me know I had mail so I told her to go ahead and open it since I didn't know what it could be. Well, it was for a party... that... well... was to come and learn about things you could buy to 'boost' your marriage in the bedroom. Cindy, I'm sorry if you read this and didn't know that's what it was. We don't ever have to speak of it. Ever. :)
So there you go!!
I wish I had a blogger to bestow this award upon, but as of late I haven't had time to connect with any new bloggers with 200 followers or less. If I do, I'll pass it on then.
I hope you guys enjoyed learning a bit about me and Kayla I hope you got a chuckle or two out of it. :)
Until next time, (when hopefully I'm not sick and busier than the paparrazi trying to get pictures of Prince William and -possibly pregnant- Kate)
