Hello from Nashville! I am just a single gal living my life, dreaming of NYC, smiling and blogging. Its just about Me and My Life and my love for Randomness!
I would call up the girls and of course I am going to give them a shout right now (Stephanie, Jayne, Jana, Christal, Crystal and Rachel) and would be off to the amazing Paris, France! We would go for 10 days and we would go with no agenda! I have always just wanted to go there and walk around and just take in all of the sights and just explore!! So when can we go?
This question is tough because there are so many great things that have happen in my life! So if I had to pick one it would be the moment that I got to my little nephew (Tristan)! He is the most precious little thing there ever was and I remember thinking when I first got to hold that this is what life is all about!
If you read my blog I am sure you think I am going to say my LV bag or iPhone but I think my answer is going to be my trusty ole' laptop! I hate to say it but I have everything in this thing! All my old journal entries have been scanned into here, ALL of my pictures are on here, letters that my Pap-Paw has given me are saved here... There are so many things that I cherish in my laptop so there you have it that's my one material thing I need!
A Mom of 4 and a Grammy of 1 (now TWO!!), trying to live life at a slightly slower pace here in the country. But there are always lots of things to talk about with this crazy life of mine! Whether it's being a PTO mom (21 years and coming to an end) or volunteering more than I should (however I AM learning to say NO! {yeahsureright....} ), I'm always into something. There may be recipe to share, a book to review, a great decorating idea that I simply MUST pass on, or a funny family moment that I think will make you smile. Whatever is going through my mind at the time, it's sure to spill out of my fingertips and onto my blog for your reading pleasure. : )
My passions are many. What can I say? I'm a passionate woman. ; ) Sometimes we catch ourselves strolling through this life with no passion at all and what fun is that? I woke up one morning and decided that there are just so many beautiful, wonderful things in this world and it would be an injustice to not be passionate about each and every single one of them. If I must name just one, I'd have to say my family. <3 They are my everything.
Now this one is super duper easy peasy. My best ever, most favorite in the whole wide world job I ever had is being MOM. : ) From the total dependence of a teensy-weensy newborn to the sweet sound of that first 'Mama' to that tiny hand reaching up to hold yours...it's one life-altering moment after another! I mean, what's not to love? : ) Well, aside from the sibling rivalry and teenage angst, anyway. Those parts weren't quite so much fun. But hey, you gotta take the bad with the good, ya know. ; ) And besides, once they're all grown, the relationship really does go full circle and you become their best friend again. : )
Me? In trouble? You gotta be kiddin' me.Okay, maybe I got into a little bit of trouble as a teen. But only a little. And you'll never believe what it was over.A GUY! Shocking, I know. I was head over heels and he was the bad boy your parents warn you about. My heart hurt so badly I thought I'd surely die if my parents didn't give in and let me date him. But alas, they chose to send me away for a few weeks that dreadful summer to keep us apart. Off to my Uncle George's house I went, where I spent a couple of weeks hanging out with my older, wiser cousin Caroline, who just happened to have a really cute male cousin (from her mom's side of the family...I'm from West Virginia but all those 'kissing cousins' tales aren't true!) visiting for a few days, too...and, well..can you say fickle? ; ) Hey, I was only 14. Cut me some slack.
I am a 22 year old recent college grad. I love to write, eat, shop, laugh, talk, and sing very loudly. Sometimes my family needs a break from those last three. Hence this blog.
I am passionate about writing. i was an English major in college, and I've always loved to write. I am always writing something, or thinking about how I would write about something.
The greatest moment of my life was graduating from Penn State University last May. Walking across that stage was the culmination of four fantastic years, and my family was so proud of me.
The material possession I could not live without would be my camera. It's nothing fancy but it is with me almost every minute of the day and I am constantly taking pictures.
I am an avid writer and a student of life. I currently live in Montreal where I am forced to work a day job (alas, one must make a living while working toward becoming famous!). I have a great big love of books, music, photography and of course, writing. Besides the aforementioned, some of my favorite things are (in no particular order) : my life, traveling, yoga, working out, living a healthy lifestyle, my family, my dog, my true friends, thunderstorms, great food, road trips, and discovering new variations of all of the above. I’m quirky, I fly-by-the-seat of my pants and I love change.
This may sound silly, but one of the greatest moments of my life has to be the very first time that I saw U2 live from the front row. I am a die-hard U2 fan and never miss a show - and I'll travel to see them! Back in 2001, I had General Admission tickets (GA) for the show, which meant that my friends and I were going to line up very, very early on the day of the show (think 5 a.m.). Why, you ask? Well, GA ticket holders had the chance at getting into the heart-shaped stage area if they were among the first 300 people to get onto the floor, and at the time, that's where everyone wanted to be. After about 13-14 hours in line. the venue people started letting people in - once my ticket was scanned, I ran like I'd never run before, straight through the arena and down onto the floor, briefly paused to see where the entrance to the Heart was and sprinted over there. Of course, security was at the entrance and I came to a very abrupt stop, internally praying "please let me in, please let me in!" And... I was in! After a few minutes, my friends came running in and we jumped up and down screaming like mental cases. I had a spot on the front rail, and ended up with Bono's guitar pick courtesy of the man himself. What a night!
I hate to say it, but it would have to be my Macbook. As much as I dislike being connected so much of the time, I don't think I could live without my 'portal' or 'hub.' Having a laptop means that I have access to pretty much anything, anywhere, anytime, including my iTunes - being a fan of music, this is of the utmost importance :-) And of course, I need my laptop if I'm going to write blog posts ;-)
When I was 17, I was hell-bent on getting hired on at a local photography shop; being an amateur photographer, I loved looking at, and taking photos, so what better place to learn more about photography? My goal was to go in as a clerk but sneak my way into the position of lab technician, which I did just a few months after landing the job. I eventually became lab manager and loved it. I'm visual and hands on, so overseeing the developing and printing process was awesome! I ended up staying there for seven years, and the job paid my way through CEGEP (your equivalent of college) and university! One of my favorite things about that job, was seeing peoples' photos - particularly their travel photos. Of course, I also got to see a lot of inappropriate pics too - for some reason, people assume no one sees their photos but them. I've got news them - if you're printing from 35mm, your photos pass through a few sets of hands (and eyeballs!), so those porn shots end up being the butt (no pun intended) of several jokes. Ever wonder why the store clerk was so very eager to show you your photos before leaving the store? (The look of sheer horror on a client's face, as you're about to pull their photos out of the envelope truly is priceless). OK, maybe I'm a little bit evil :-D
My blog is a diabetic COMA waiting to happen, or in other words, chocolate candy crafts, and humorous personal stories.
We are a family of 5, the kiddos being 21, 16 and 12. We also have two kitties-our third kitty, who was actually the first, has never been found, even tho she escaped a fire that claimed our house two years ago. SHE was MY baby!I am mainly a homemaker, but I sell on ebay and clean houses a few times a month. I also blog at www.achocolatebouquet.blogspot.com , and have my own website www.achocolatebouquet.com.My hubby is semi-employed since an accident that happened a month and four days after the house burned down. He's got one of the best personalities of anyone I've ever met! Very funny, very patient, and VERY handsome! =P He is also a helping preacher in our church.My 21 year old daughter just got herself a fantastic, high quality camera, and is a professional photographer in the makings! She has had a knack and an eye for good photos for years, but now is getting the equipment to turn it into a career! She won't be working at a fast food restaurant for too much longer, I don't think!My 16 year old is in cyber high school, and she shows interest in the missions field. She has a great desire to help those who cannot always help themselves. She's also my mega-talker. She started saying full sentences at two years old, and hasn't stopped talking since!My 12 year old is also in cyber school, and beside school, that young man is a worker! He has gone out and found his own work in the summer, mowing lawns, and has gone out to shovel snow as well. I think he's going to end up with his own lawn service in a few years. =)
Does it count if I never got caught?Actually, I was very afraid of getting in trouble growing up! Not that I was perfect, but I didn't do much!But one thing I did do was with my neighbor friend, Tim. We grew up together, one house in between us, and we were good friends-never boyfriend and girlfriend. One night, we were bored, and late in the night, when everyone was in bed, we snuck out of our houses and hung out. We decided to "borrow" his brother's car (I was about 15, and he was probably 17 or 18, so knew how to drive). He coasted the car until it got onto the road, and a little past his house, and then started it, and I then joined him. We drove around for a little bit, and returned the car, eventually with both of us going home before it got light out. What was comical to us about the whole thing was, when Tim returned the car, he didn't back it in like his brother had it-he just pulled it in forward. But his brother never noticed! We didn't do anything bad, but we also never got found out!
Nose spray! Oh, my computer was a very close second, but honestly, my allergies have gotten so bad, I get panicky if I can't find the nose spray! My doctor put me on two meds for the allergies, and my nose spray usage has gone down, but I have several bottles of the stuff all over the house. I know it's not good for you, and that you can get addicted. I've always responded that I'm not addicted to nose spray-I'm addicted to breathing!
I'm a newly-minted 30 something married to a doctor in the Army. I'm not always a willing and excited participant in this Army lifestyle, but neither is my husband. OccDoc, my husband, is in Afghanistan for his first deployment which will last for 6 - 12 months, we never know with the Army. I got my education (BS in Psych and Ed.M. in Adult Education) before I met OccDoc and most of my work experience is in corporate training, but I reinvented myself about a year ago by going to massage school and am now a practicing massage therapist. OccDoc and I are trying to conceive baby #1. We're finding out that it's much harder than the nuns in Catholic school/CCD class lead us to believe. And this deployment thing is forcing us to take a hiatus. This blog is just a collection of my thoughts, my own little cathartic dialogue that goes on incessantly.
Our bed. It's a Sleep Number with a memory foam topper. I love our bed. As long as I can sleep, I'm a happy person, so I would never think about giving up my bed.
Best job? How about a weird job? I worked as a manhole repairer in high school and through college. Yup, you read that right. Manhole repairer. My coworkers were great people, but that job really propelled me though college and prevented me from ever considering dropping out. I'm currently a massage therapist, it doesn't pay the bills (that's what my husband is for), but it's a no stress job with free massages as a benefit.
I was pretty good at covering my tracks, so I never really got into major trouble. My dad did, however, know all the police officers in town, so every time I got pulled over the police officer would address me by name before asking for my license and registration. That always freaked out my friends.
Sarah writes about her adventures and misadventures as a special education teacher! Join her in laughing and crying over her students, colleagues, and administrators!
Teaching. But it's more like "only" job I've ever had (I don't count tutoring or babysitting!). I may complain about the school administration every once in awhile, and I may be jealous of people who can go pee whenever they feel like it, but at the end of the day, I like to think that I'm being paid to make a difference. Oh, and you can't beat the summers off!
I have so many "greatest moments" in my 28 years! But here are some of the big ones:Kissing my husband for the first time (at our wedding!)Getting - and surviving- my first year as a teacherBuying our first houseBringing home our first puppy (I'd always wanted one!!)Making my first Etsy sale
My passion is creativity--both inside the classroom and out! I am most excited about teaching when I can be use my creativity to create fun lessons. And I love creating handmade paper goodies for my shop!!When I'm not exercising my creativity, I'm passionate about reading good books, seeing new sights, connecting with friends and family, and eating delicious food!!
I am a SAHM to 5 kids, homeschooling the whole way thru. I also help do bookkeeping for hubby's job, part time college student, serious hobbyist photographer, cake decorator, blogger, and crafter when I can find time. Whew. Just thinking about it all makes me tired :) I blog about life, and whatever hits my fancy at the time.
OH NO!!! Seriously? This is going to be confession time for me because although I never really did bad stuff as a teen, when I did, I just never got caught. So is it considered "trouble" if you're not caught doing it? The worse thing that I did (that I would flip if my kids ever did!!), was skip school. (Hmmmm, maybe that's why I homeschool?!) I didn't just skip class either. I'll tell you all about it. I was in ninth grade and it was the last day of school. As everyone knows, nothing is accomplished on the last day. Now, our school was not exactly in the best area of town and it was right on the bus line. And it just so happened that the bus went to the mall. Seriously? Who would even put a public bus in front of a high school that went to the mall?? They were just begging for it to happen. So..... a few friends and I decided we could get much more accomplished at the mall than we could at school. We jumped on a bus, went to the mall for a few hours, got back on and made it back in time for catching the school bus back home. Shhh....don't tell on me, my mom still doesn't know. And it's been years ago!!!
Definitely a glass half full kind of person. Don't sweat the small stuff. Pick your battles. I just think life is too short to be miserable. Besides, there are usually other people around that wouldn't mind trying to make you miserable, so why would you do that to yourself too?? Worrying about things does not change the situation. I believe you have to be proactive. Look at problems as a challenge and remember, you can't have a testimony, without a test. In the end, things will workout exactly how they should, so just sit back and enjoy the ride.
I got married when I was only 19 and had our first child when I was 20. (Don't really recommend that to anyone, but it worked out. Should've gone to college first, instead of going now.) We were best friends and had been dating for 3 years. I love that he can make me laugh to get my mind off things. Like when I am in labor. But then he can also read my expressions well enough to know when to stop cracking jokes and just hold my hand. Like when I am in labor.
Together, we have five kids. Yup. Five. I had always planned on three, three years apart but God had other plans for me. And turns out, I like His plan better.
Our oldest daughter is Megan, who is 21. She is an aspiring pastry chef. She has gone through some culinary training already and is currently in charge of all baking at a local college but she still wants to further her training. Meanwhile, she has been having alot of fun lately traveling. Last fall she went to Ireland and then just this month, she went on a Disney cruise to the Bahamas. She is very determined and opinionated. I always tease that I never want her to get into politics because if she liked it, there would be no stopping her in taking over the whole world.
Next daughter is Tara, 18. We have always called her our flower child. She is a little hippie at heart. Very artistic and dreamy without a care in the world. A friend of mine nicknamed her Oblivia. She has super long natural curly hair that went every which way when she was a toddler. She loves anything Japanese and draws constantly. If there is a blank white space, watch out. Just ask the toaster. Yep, she drew a mural on the side of it. When she was younger, she would draw with both hands at the same time, ambidextrous. Now she prints better with her left hand but cursive better with her right. I love that she could care less what people think of her and dresses to whatever is her whim at the time....even if it sometimes embarrasses me.
(Then there was a miscarriage that is a whole other story in itself but life changing. Also, the reason why I don't trust doctors. Ugh. And that's how my 3 kids 3 yrs apart plan changed.)
There were complications and I wasn't even supposed to be able to have anymore kids. Then a miracle happened. Literally. And I got pregnant with our first son who I refer to as my man-child. Connor is 14 going on 20. He just recently turned 14 and for his birthday I told him I would finally admit that he is now taller than me. And his voice is deeper than his dad's and he shoe size is already bigger too. His siblings call him the golden boy. Seems no matter what he tries to do, he can do, and do well. He loves to play football and hang out with his friends. He is wanting to take up electric guitar and don't tell him, but I am thinking of buying him one this month if he promises to keep up with his schoolwork/chores. He is a great big brother to Jeremiah...not so much to Jared. They are at that age right now where there is a huge difference between being 11 and being 14. Please pray for me. LOL.
Now if we thought Connor was a miracle, Jared really is. First, Jared did not talk until he was almost 4 yrs old. No one ever figured out why. (Had some breathing problems when he was a baby too, no diagnoses there either). But when he started talking, well, let's just say he has more than made up for any lost time. And then several months after finally start talking, he was diagnosed with lymphoma. I cannot tell you how scary that was. I remember it too clearly but it would take a book to go over it all. Long story short, God healed him miraculously and I thank God for it continually. Jared is the sweetest boy and very sensitive. He has a great imagination and wants to be a chef and a construction worker when he grows up because he wants to build me a big new house and fix me fancy meals. What a great kid! He is now 11.
Then there's the big surprise - Jeremiah. While we were all comfortable with our family size, and had been for 8 years, we hit a bump in the road. Yup. Surprise pregnancy. (FYI- as you get older, when you ovulate can change. Drastically. Like instead of the middle of the cycle, try immediately at the beginning!) I will tell you raising another baby after most of your other ones are older is totally different. You stop and enjoy everything. I suggest everyone do this. I am thoroughly savoring every aspect of his life. He is so funny too. He is all boy, loves trucks and dinosaurs. He plays video games with his older brothers (something btw, that I do not like!) and has beaten people online that are MUCH older and cannot believe that they just got beaten by a toddler. He also loves to dance. Always has. I keep trying to video him but when he says me with the camera, he stops. He will watch a video and mimic whatever they are doing. We recently watched Step Up 3 and so now he is doing the robot. Cool little kid. And he gives the best kisses in the world. And I know because he is still in that wonderful stage where the only girl he loves is mommy and he wants to marry me when he grows up. LOL.
Hi, I'm Tonia, and I am a not so crafty crafter. I take ideas from other craft blogs and tweak them to make them my own. Every once in a while I come up with my own ideas. Those usually come to me while I'm laying in bed or in the shower. Come take a look around, if you like what you see feel free to stay a while.
I would go to Hawaii and take my husband and the kids and a person to watch the kids when Mike and I need a little alone time :). We would stay a week maybe 2. I'm not a big fan of being away from home for too long. I kind of like my stuff.
The one I currently hold. Wife to my amazing husband and mommy to my 3 crazy kids. Although I did like the job I had before my youngest was born. I was an ad rep for our local newspaper and I was pretty darn good at it if I do say so myself. I didn't like missing out on my kids growing up though so when Kaia was born I quit and took them on full time. I'm probably not as good at this mom thing as I was the ad rep thing, but I'm doing the best I can with what I got :)
That's a tough one. The day I married my awesome hubby, the births of my children or the day we were sealed together for eternity. You see we're LDS and just recently went through the temple to be an Eternal Family. I'm gonna go with the last one.
