Liebster Award

Michelle from You Had Me From Hello nominated me for the Liebster Award.

It's an award for blogs that have 200 followers or less

(I definitely meet the criteria!)

and is a great opportunity to network with other bloggers.

So fun!  Thanks Michelle.

11 "Bet you didn't Know..." Facts about me

1) Although I personally love to write, I think it's the hardest thing to teach.

Looking back, there a lot of things I would have done differently in my classroom

that I think would have been beneficial to my students and their ability to write.

2) Although I don't want the time to get here any faster than it has to,

I can't wait for Emma to be three and four years old.

I absolutely love that stage in a child's life.

They are so curious and inquisitive.  It makes for great learning time.

They also say some of the cutest things at these ages.

I cannot wait to see where Emma's imagination takes her.

3) I wish that when I was younger I would have stuck with acrobats

instead of choosing to play basketball and volleyball.

I feel like I was actually good at acrobats and could have done something

with those skills.  I just chose volleyball and basketball because

they involved my friends from school.

4) I absolutely hating drying dishes.  I don't mind washing them,

but drying them is another story.  And because of this,

every afternoon you will find dishes spread out on the counter in my kitchen.

5) I wish I read more and read a variety of different things.

6) I miss hanging out with my best friend Tiffany

and I wish we lived close to each other 

so her son and my daughter could play together. 

7) I never liked cold weather or snow while growing up in Kansas City, 

but now, after living on an island for two years,

I can't wait to move back to the states and experience my first snowfall all over again.

8) I absolutely love being pregnant and I hate thinking about the fact

 that after this little angel is born in December that I will 

probably never experience all the incredible

feelings that come along with pregnancy again.

9) I have learned so much from my husband.  

Some things he has taught me intentionally while others have been unintentional.

10) I like to look at different teacher's blogs.

I guess it's my way of staying connected to the classroom 

since I'm not teaching right now.

11) My biggest fear was always that I would be told that I can't have children.

Since that is obviously not the case, I don't really know what I'm afraid of.

Michelle's Questions

1) Where do you wish you lived?

On the Byers down in Oklahoma.  It is so peaceful there.

2) Where is your favorite place to travel?

Since I've never really traveled, I don't know,

but I love going on road trips with my husband.

3) Do you have any big regrets?

Not staying in contact with one of my students like I had intended to.

Life got a little crazy after that year of teaching,

but that's no excuse.  It was something I truly wanted to do

and I shouldn't have let myself not do it.

4) Do you have any kids?

Yes, I have two beautiful step-daughters,

an incredible one-year-old daughter who amazes me everyday,

and a new little bundle of joy expected to arrive and complete our family in December.

Becoming a Momma is the best thing that has ever happened to me. 

5) What is the most common argument you and your significant other get in to?

Most people probably won't believe this, and it may sound corny,

but my husband and I honestly do not argue or fight.

In fact, we have been together for almost three years now, married for almost two,

and we have never once been in a fight.

I'm a pretty lucky gal.

6) Do you like tofu?  If so, what's your favorite way to use it?

No.  My husband has gotten me to try it a few different times, 

but I am not a fan.  I think it's mostly a texture thing.

7) Do you have any tattoos?

No.  I was very close to getting one once,

(a set of angel wings with three halos interlocked above them

representing my three brothers who I have always referred to as my guardian angels)

but my husband is not a big fan of tattoos on girls 

and he knows me well enough to know that if I actually saw someone

getting one then I wouldn't want to do it anymore.

So, he took me with him to get his most recent tattoo.

Needless to say, he was right and I am still tattoo free.

8) What's your decorating style?

I don't know if I actually have a style.

I like to keep things simple and meaningful.

Our house is full of family photographs and pieces of art that our kids created.

9) Are you crafty or would you rather just buy pre-made things?

I would say crafty, but I wish I was craftier.

It's hard to get a lot of materials here in Okinawa.

It's not like we have a JoAnns or a Michaels down the street that I can run to

and I hate ordering that kind of stuff online without actually being able to see it in person.

Hopefully once we get back to the states and get into our house

I will be able to do a lot more crafting.

10) Who is the neat freak, you or your significant other?

Definitely me.  I think I can count on one hand the amount of times

I have seen my husband do any type of cleaning.

His guns, golf clubs, and grill do not count.

11) Republican or Democrat?

Neither.  There are always going to be issues that I lean more to the Republican side on,

yet other issues may have me agreeing more on the Democratic side.

I think it's difficult to fully claim one or the other 

when our country is faced with so many different issues.

My Questions

1) If you could be any animal what would you be and why?

2) What is something you wish you did on a more regular basis?

3) What is one of your favorite childhood memories?

4) Is there something you have always wanted to do but have yet to find the time to do it?

5) Do you remember your dreams very often?  If so, do you usually like what they were about?

6) Who or what has been an inspiration in your life?

7) What is something you use on a daily basis?

8) If you're having a bad day, is there someone or something 

you always turn to to make you feel better?

9) Do you still live where you grew up?  If not, how far away did you relocate?

10) What is your favorite season of the year?

11) If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

My nominees:
Manda from The MiniVan Diaries
Jen from Day By Daily
Twisted Cinderella from Ever After...My Way

The rules, if you choose to participate:

Post 11 things about yourself.

Answer the 11 questions posted by the person who nominated you.

Create 11 questions you want your nominees to answer.

Pass this award on to a maximum of 11 blogs.