Liebster Award

Boom.  I just got an award.  My sweet friend Ashley, whom I know from Virginia Tech/the blogging world, awarded me!  We really know each other through our husbands (they were in the same fraternity) and we’ve come to know each other better after college/through blogging.  I have told Brandon several times that I kick myself because I didn’t know Ashley better in college.  We’re so similar and have many of the same viewpoints.  She’s so awesome- I mean she lent me ALL of her maternity clothes.  She even offered them to me, I didn’t ask… because I HATE asking for things/help.

{PS.  That’s the first gif file I’ve used on my blog.  I’m tellin ya… savvy.}

So, this Liebster award.  Basically it’s an award for small time bloggers with less than 200 followers.  Honestly, do I even have any followers?  I mean I know some people read my blog (Mom, Brandon and Ashley- ha!) but I don’t know if I have one definite follower.  So if I nominate you and you have more than 200 followers, don’t take offense.  :)  I just don’t know how to check how many followers you have.  Also, I don’t know if I know 11 people to nominate.

Which brings us to the rules.

1. I need to answer the 11 questions that were created by the blogger who nominated.  That would be Ashley.  :)

2. Give 11 random facts about myself.  Yikes.

3. Nominate 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers.

4. Create 11 questions for my nominees to answer.  I hope I can think of 11.

Alrighty…. Here are Ashley’s questions.

1. Why did you start blogging?

Hmm I think in the beginning I was going to document all of the house projects we did.  But I started the blog a little late- after all of the major renovations were done.  And now I’m just horrible about posting on those sorts of things.  I sort of changed my content to posting more about my life and what we do- ha like anyone really cares.

2. When and where do you normally blog?

I don’t blog that often anymore because I have a newborn and I’m still in the figuring-life-out-with-a-new-baby stage.  So I blog when I get a free stretch of time.  Right now, he’s nursing so I have a few minutes.  I blog wherever my laptop is, which is usually on the couch.

3. What scares you?

Trivial/unrealistic- finding a dead body in a bathroom stall  {it’s true.  I check every time I open the stall door}

Not so trivial- not seeing one of my family members again.

4. Tell me a little bit about your family (parents/siblings).

I grew up in a family of 7.  I am the third kid of five.  My siblings and I are all about 18 months apart, except for our older sister.  I love being that close in age to my siblings and I think we were all really close because of that.  We still are really close and try to see each other as much as possible.  My older sister is not technically my sister by blood but she is definitely my sister.  She pretty much grew up with us when we were little.

I had two awesome parents.  I was definitely a daddy’s girl- we had lots of inside jokes.  He loved to spoil us- in a good way.  We went on trips all of the time.  In 1995, we went on a 7 week cross country trip in our motorhome, including our beagle.

My mom stayed at home with us and was blessed with a heart of patience and love to care for us 4 kids that were so close in age.  Especially with three boys…I mean come on, I was an angel.  0;-)  But she handled us like a champ.  I think she was more excited for school to let out during the summer than we were.

Fast forward to college.  I had only been in college for 2 months when my dad passed away suddenly.  They said it was because of sleep apnea.  He wasn’t overweight, which is usually the leading cause of sleep apnea.  I’m so thankful for the time that we did have with my dad but so wish we could have had more.  What I wouldn’t do for him to have been at my wedding or meet Brandon, Caden and his future grandchildren.  I sure can’t wait to see him again!

5. How many children do you currently have/hope to have?

We just had our first baby boy, Caden, on December 27, 2012!  After a few years of discussion, I think I’ve finally convinced Brandon to have 4 kids.  I have always said that I can not have an odd number of kids because everyone needs a roller coaster buddy.  ;)  And we want them to be close in age as well.  I say, get the diaper stage over with!

6. If you had to name one thing as your “happy thing,” what would it be?

Diet Dr. Pepper.  It’s my crack.  The other day I was out and I was looking through the fridge, drawers (why would there be DDP in drawers?), shelves… you name it.  I was so desperate.  I literally looked like a crazy person.

7. What’s the one food you could eat everyday?

I could seriously eat Chick-fil-a’s chocolate chip cookies. every. single. day.  And maybe I have since I’ve given birth to Caden.  Maybe I haven’t.  But I probably have.  ;)  I’m breast feeding… they say you need to eat an extra 800 calories a day!  So I’m just trying to fulfill that quota.  HA!

8. Is there one food you will never eat?

Probably something with the eyes still in it.  I was going to say Rocky Mountain Oysters but I already did that.  On a pizza.  They tasted like mushrooms.  Not bad.

9. Tell my your favorite holiday & why.

Oh man, definitely Christmas.  I love EVERYTHING about it.  Except Santa Clause.  I mean I don’t mind the story of the saint but I don’t like people telling their kids about a guy who flies around in a sleigh in one night.  Seriously, one night?  That’s not possible.  Haha.  Just kidding.  We are definitely going to make Christmas Christ centered not about a man in a red suit.

10. What’s your ideal “date night?”

Hmm, gosh it’s so hard to think about date nights right now because of Caden.  We honestly don’t even want to leave him right now.  I’m sure we’ll get to the point where we need a break but we’re not there yet.  Right now we just enjoy hanging out at home watching TV shows. Lame I know, but it’s true.  We ain’t no party animals anymo.

11. If you had to do one in public, which would it be: picking your nose or passing gas?

Haha I guess I’d say picking my nose but if I had to pass gas, I’d hope it’d go like THIS or THIS.  If you’ve never seen The Magic of Rahat, you should watch ALL OF THEM.  They’re HILARIOUS.

And now 11 random facts about myself…

1. I (and my youngest brother) can quote the whole movie ‘The Grinch Who Stole Christmas’ starring Jim Carrey.   It’s one of our favorite pastimes.

2. I was born with an extra finger.  ‘Tis true.  On my right hand.  It wasn’t fully formed and it was removed at birth.  I’m sure that freaked my mom out.  It is a trait on my dad’s side of the family.  One of my aunts and one of my cousins had extra digits (ps. google ‘extra digits’… do it, it’s so weird) so I feel like we’re part of a cool club.  :)  I always used this for one of my Two Truths and a Lie.  So now I can’t play that game with you.

3. I got very sick when I was in Kindergarten (on my parent’s anniversary- May 21) and was in the hospital for 2 weeks.  The doctors thought I had spinal meningitis…  it ended up being a bacterial infection.  I had mannnnny shots during that stay including a spinal tap.  Needless to say, I got A LOT of candy and Barbies.  I still remember the Bathing suit Barbie that I got that had sponges that snapped to her bathing suit.  My kindergarten teacher brought me the barbie along with, I’m not kidding, a FULL plastic shopping bag full of candy.  I’m sure my parents were pleased.

4. Every time I go to Lake Gaston, I usually get an injury.  I think I’m the only one that’s been to the hospital down there- and I’ve been twice.  The other couple of times, I was taken care of by the doctor next door.  My injuries include:  back injury (Knee boarding – turned over in the water still strapped into the board coming back to the dock – lots of writhing, choking on water, screaming… My dad jumped in the water with his clothes on the save me.), back injury (my cousin and I were doing hand stands off of our floating dock, on opposite sides.  She went off a little before me, pushed the dock my way and my back hit the dock as I was going in), neck injury (tubing – whiplash like a head-on car collision), and concussion (tubing – my brother went airborne on the other tube and landed on my head).

5.  I was/am a horrible communicator.  I have definitely gotten better in the past few years but I still could use some work.

6. I read wayyyy too much into things that I probably shouldn’t which is why I didn’t have many friends in school (before college).

7.  I’m a rule follower.  I didn’t drink till I was 21.  No lie.  Actually, on my 21st bday I ordered a pina colada with rum.  I didn’t like it so I ordered a virgin.  Haha.  Oh me.

8. I have fears that, when I’m driving for instance, I will intentionally jerk my steering wheel and go off a bridge… totally out of my control.  Or if I’m carrying something expensive/breakable… I’ll just open my hands and drop it.  Random stuff like that.  My youngest brother does the same thing.

9.  I have been to every homecoming at Virginia Tech since I was born, except for maybe 2.  Both my parents went to Tech and my dad was in the Highty Tighties so he would march in the parade every year.  We’d go in our motorhome every year.  Virginia Tech was seriously so magical and exciting to me as a kid.  I LOVED riding in the motorhome, getting on 460, seeing the trees changing colors, crisp air, seeing the stadium/tailgaters/ people setting up camp for the weekend.  When we first started going, we stayed in what is now the Golden Hokie Lot.  Haha those days are long gone.  Even since my dad passed, my mom has brought the motorhome (I think) every homecoming.

10.  The majority of my family went to tech.  My dad, his brother and sister, my mom, my 3 brothers, their two wives, me and my husband.  I mean I think of the money we’ve thrown their way.  Equally as many of my family (extended) have gone to UVA.  You can imagine the family rivalry that goes on.  ;)

11. I had a learning disability when I was little- Auditory Processing problem.  I went through ‘therapy’ starting in 8th grade and I got my first ever straight A report card in 9th grade.  Up until then, I would spend from when I got home from school at 2:30PM till about 1AM doing my homework.  School was really hard for me.  It’s a miracle I got into Virginia Tech.

And here are my nominees!

1. Dorsa

2. Kathryn

3. Elizabeth

4. Molly

5. Samantha

6. Marcie

7. Jeanie/Margaret

8. Olivia

{I only know 8!}

And finally 11 questions for you guys…

1. If you could choose any actor/actress to play you in a movie, who would it be?

2.  If you could go back in time and change one event, would you?  What would it be?

3. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

4. #1 item on your bucket list

5. Beer, wine or liqour

6. What is your favorite word?

7.  Android or Iphone?

8. What is the worst/most interesting gift you’ve ever received?

9. Favorite vacation spot?

10. Where do you see yourselves in 5 years?

11. What is your greatest achievement?

Well I think this is the longest post ever… if you’re still reading, thanks.  You’re awesome.