Friday, April 5, 2013

MilSpouse First Friday Fill-In

1. What’s one thing in the past month you would have changed?
I would've forced myself to go to Seattle when it was nice out, even just to walk around downtown.

2. What was your favorite thing that happened in March?
The extra days off Josh got to have :) love spending time with him!

3. What are you looking forward to in April?
Nothing really.

4. What is your favorite thing about Spring?
Tulips! Baby animals! New life! It feels like a new beginning every time!

5. What is your ultimate guilty pleasure?
Music from when I grew up. I still love it! I love blasting it no matter where I am!


Thank you Wife of a Sailor for hosting!

Thursday, April 4, 2013

The Liebster Awards!

Hey y'all! Amanda over at My Very Own Modern Family nominated me for a Liebster Award!

I'm honored! Thank you Amanda!







Here are the rules!

~Each person must post 11 things about themselves.
~Answer the questions the nominator set for you plus create 11 questions for the people you've nominated to answer.
~Choose 11 blogs and link them in your post.
~Go to their page and tell them.
~No tags back!

11 Things About Me:

1. I am an animal lover! Don't care what kind of animal it is, I love it!

2. I am a list maker. I make tons of lists for everything! It's really not safe for the planet, but I can't do without my lists!

3. I love to cook! I haven't made my own recipes yet, but I love to try others' recipes! I can change them to my own liking fairly easily and do it often.

4. I still love to dance! I miss tap classes to death! I'm loving Zumba because of how closely related to dance it is. The only type of dance I don't really miss is pointe. I can do without the broken toes, blisters, ankle pain, etc. it brings, but I love to watch it still!

5. I have had 6 surgeries in my life. Only one I consider major surgery and that is only because it could've ended with me never being able to walk again. (which I walked less than a month later, into the office, in flip flops, with a thin layer of snow on the ground, and surprised my doctor in a huge way!)

6. I can connect better with adults (Not just 18+, but those that would be considered a true elder of mine) and males better than anyone else. I never really had too many female friends after about 4th/5th grade. Once the girls started liking the boys, they stopped liking me and the drama ensued! Even before that, I would rather be with the boys playing football, tag, etc. than being with the girls. Dance was horrible for me in the "friendship" aspect since I only ever had 1 true friend while dancing. She's still a friend, though not as close of a friend as we used to be. However, the people who got me through the toughest times of my life....teachers. I still talk to my Kindergarten teacher on a regular basis. I was able to babysit her kids a few times. My daughter is named after her daughter (She graduates college in a little over a month!). I also still rely on my 10-12 grade English teacher at times. She really helped me through the toughest time of my life. The only way I get along with females for the most part (though it's starting to slightly change as everyone is getting older) is if they are at least 10 years older than me, but usually 15-20 years older is more comfortable. I guess it's just whenever they're done with the drama, I'm good with them. I've been over drama for years.

7. I was raised Catholic, stopped practicing just two weeks after I was confirmed, was extremely mad at God for a few years, then started going back to the Catholic church when I was in my first year of college when my Mimi couldn't go anymore (I went to keep my Pipi company mostly). I only lasted about 3 weeks in the Catholic church again before I went to church with Josh and fell in love and felt at home in my faith. I went through their Bible Information Class and became a member of the WELS Lutheran church. Best decision of my life. I still have my own beliefs when it comes to some things, and I question my beliefs constantly...it's just a part of how I grew up and was taught religion (we based our beliefs on Catholicism, but we formed our own opinions and beliefs also).

8. I talk WAY too much! I blame my brothers! They didn't let me talk until I was about 4 years old. I also ramble quite a bit, either when I'm nervous or tired...though sometimes I don't need a reason at all!

9. I have this blessing/curse thing where I can see both sides very clearly and have to decide where I stand. I feel it's a blessing in most cases, but sometimes I see it as a curse (mostly when it comes to a religious standpoint) because what I feel is right, and what my religion feels is right doesn't always coincide. If anyone wants to hear about anything more on this, just ask, though I doubt anyone will...it's quite boring.

10. I hate people who bash other people, especially on our President. I was not a happy camper when GW Bush was in office. He was not my pick for President. I did NOT go around and bash on him every chance I got! I respected that he was our President and lived my life, not worried about every little thing he did that I didn't like. I DID vote for Obama and am happy with him as my President. I do not regret my choice of voting for him. I do not expect everyone to feel the same as me, especially those whom voted for someone else, however I do expect a certain human decency and maturity to take place when talking about him. I think I expect too much from my fellow humans because I was raised with respect and common decency...a lesson I wish many others would learn. I still *mostly* live by "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all." The only time I break that is when I'm talking to Josh about boat wives...I'm not even going to start on the experiences I've had with them....

11. I am absolutely, positively TERRIFIED of Josh getting out of the Navy. There is so much uncertainty in our country, especially with the economy, that I have no clue how we're going to manage to live in the civilian world. Yes, Josh is a Nuke and can get a job pretty much anywhere, in any part of the country, possibly the world, BUT we want to stay where we are. We were looking forward to trying to get a job at the shipyard, and now there are talks of them closing the shipyard. So not cool! Don't know what we're going to do. I'm trying to accept the very good possibility of us having to move again. I'm trying to be positive about it, but I love where we are. I love the people here, I love my house, I love our church....THIS IS HOME. I don't want to leave home.

The 11 Questions I was asked:

1.What is one thing you do when no one else is looking?
Pick my nose. I hate when there are crusty boogers in my nose...it irritates me to no end. No, I do not eat them.

2. Are you a books or movies type of person?
I love books, but I'm a slow reader. Lately I haven't been reading at all. I need to pick up a book again. I miss reading. It seems when I do, my kids suddenly need me for something, anything. It never fails. They could be sleeping and 5 minutes into my book, one of them is screaming for me. So, I've been enjoying movies much more as of late.


3. What is one characteristic about yourself that you love?
I am honest. Sometimes I keep things to myself, especially at church or around certain people, but all in all, I am an open book and I am honest about everything. If I'm specifically asked a question about something I know the person may not like the answer to, I'll still answer it honestly, what they do with that answer is completely up to them.

4. What is one characteristic about yourself that you hate?
My own body image. Since being married, I've gained almost a whole me. I know the reason and am working on it, but it's hard with my problems on top of it. I don't talk about my weight or my physical appearance much (as far as I'm remembering) but it sucks. I used to be a dancer. I weighed a perfect 120 all through high school. I never thought I was fat back then, I thought I had a rockin' body! When I was forced to quit dancing (thank you ankle injury!) I was good for a little while, but then I started gaining weight...and it never stopped. I never quit eating the junk I could eat while I was dancing 10 - 16 hours a week. It's still my weakness.

5. Most surprising thing about being a mom?
How much my own kids irritate the crap out of me. I love them, but man oh man! They are at the point where it's constant arguing, attitude, and fighting! I feel like I have two teenagers on my hands instead of preschoolers!

6. Do you have siblings? What is your birth order?
I have two amazing older brothers. Kacee is the oldest and Jon the middle child with me being the only girl and baby of the family :)

7. Do you like to read horoscopes or do you consider it all a bunch of bunk?
I enjoy reading them, but I don't put any stock into them...they are a bunch of bunk to me.

8. If you could live anywhere in the country (US) where would you choose?
I am exactly where I want to live! I love that the Navy put us here...now I just hope we don't have to move when he gets out next year!

9. Favorite restaurant?
BD's Mongolian BBQ I have to eat there at least once every time I go back to Michigan! Usually we get to twice or more since it is my favorite and we don't have anything that truly compares out here! Luckily we don't have to drive an hour and a half, or even 45 minutes, to get it anymore! They opened one up just 20 minutes from my mom's house! YAY!

10. Are you tech savvy?
Not savvy, but I'm not ignorant on tech stuff. My husband was a computer tech before he joined the Navy. If you put the pieces of a computer in front of me, I have a pretty good idea on how to put it together to make it work. Josh still builds his own computers. I can also set up and figure out my own iPad, iPod, camera, TV, DVD, PS3, etc. I'm just glad I don't HAVE to since Josh is usually around when we buy the new stuff and he does it for me.

11. What is your favorite outfit?
Comfortable clothes! I still wear my maternity lounge pants my Aunt Patty gave me when I was pregnant with Caralyn, just because they are SO comfortable! Baggy sweatshirts are a must in my wardrobe too! I love having lazy days where I don't really get dressed. I also love my athletic clothes. The tight stretchy pants, t-shrits, tank tops....so comfy! I just don't like them after they've been sweatified...though sometimes I'll change into new athletic clothes just so I can continue being comfortable after a workout.

Now for actual going out and doing anything kinds of clothes, I like my bigger (flowy, long) shirts and a comfortable pair of jeans. Or a long flowy dress. I'm not much into tight clothes at the moment since I don't look as good as I did back in the day.


My 11 Questions for my nominees:

1. Separation of Church and State...do you think there is such a thing anymore?
2. What is your stance on the gun "issue"?
3. What is your favorite color and why?
4. What TV shows do you watch? Any you would suggest?
5. What song can get you moving no matter what?
6. Are you religious? If so, what religion do you follow?
7. What is your favorite recipe? (Pictures welcome too!)
8. What is your favorite holiday?
9. What is your favorite form of exercise?
10. What do you like most about being a parent? Least?
11. What kinds of books do you like? What is your favorite book?

The 11 Bloggers I'm nominating:

1. Nicole at Thoughts Of A Mother
2. Angie at I Organize You
3. Jami at Little Moments Like This
4. Poe at Many Waters
5. Molly Danger at Married My Airman
6. JG at Me and My Soldierman
7. Allie at My Marine and Me
8. Momma at She Can't Shut Up
9. Julie at Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life
10. Pamela at Troop Petrie
11. Heather at Two Monkeys and a Ladybug