Jessie Lynn Smith

Happy New Year, everyone! I wish you all the very best in 2011...may your health be grand, your heart full, and may all your wildest dreams come true!

I would like to introduce our very first Date of the Week for 2011...Jessie Lynn Smith! Jessie's blog is found in the "Life" category and here is what she has to say about her blog...

My name is Jessie and I am a 24 year old girl just trying to live life to the fullest one day at a time. I got married to the love of my life on May 5, 2007. We haven't had children yet, but we have two awesome fur-babies: Sam, our pup, and Lexi, our ornery little cat. God and family are the two biggest things in my life and I hold onto them dearly. One thing is for sure: I love who I love. Everything else in between is pretty much here - LOL - so Welcome to my world :)

Here is my "interview" with Jamie:

1. What would you say your 'passion' is?

Wow it's actually hard to put a finger on one particular passion that I have. I would say that my passion is life in general. I love a lot of things: photography, love, my husband, my family, dogs, the way the air smells before the snow falls, fall, wrapping presents during Christmas. I mean hey, I'm a 25 year old girl and there is a really big world out there with tons of things to see - all of them just waiting for me to either capture their beauty in a photograph or enjoy them as they are.

2. How did you meet your spouse?

I met my husband while I was a sophomore in high school in our hometown, after his family returned from Saudi Arabia after living there for four years on an Air Force Base. It was love at first sight for me, but not so much for my husband. We remained friends and talked often after that. Then, when we were Seniors in high school he suddenly moved to Virginia, and I was broken hearted. We emailed a few times, but I moved on with my life realizing the possibility of us ever being more than friends was probably slim to none. After his family returned to our hometown for a visit with more of their family, my husband and I met up along with his brother and my brother, and went to go see some movies. My husband admitted that after that visit he started seeing me more than just a friend. However, after he returned back to Virginia we still emailed occasionally. Fast forward, after not talking to him for a couple of years, I find his phone number in my brother's cell phone, so I decide to give it a try. Sure enough it still worked. After text messaging wasn't enough, we soon began to chat on the phone daily on my breaks at work and on my way home. But there was a problem, I had a boyfriend at the time and he had a girlfriend. So I quickly broke off communication with my husband because I didn't feel right talking to him with a boyfriend. Come to find out I broke his heart, and he was actually going to send me a note that said "I love you" on Valentine's Day.

My boyfriend at the time started acting like a total douche, and suddenly disappeared. We hadn't officially broken up, but you might as well say we had considering I had no clue where he went. So I contacted my husband again. He actually had a similar situation with the girl he was seeing as well. The daily conversations resumed and since there was really nothing in our way this time, we decided to talk on an entirely new level and it felt awesome. And on one random night he drove up on a surprise trip to see me, and that was the beginning of it all. Things just felt right, and for the first time in my entire life I understood what people meant by "you just know". Three short months later he had an engagement ring for me, and in May of 2007 we were married.

He is the love of my life.

3. When you were a teenager, what was the worst trouble you got into?

Oh yikes, this is toughy. We all remember what it was like being a teenager - always trying to find our place in the world and trying to find people of like mind to hang out. As a preacher's daughter, it's actually pretty tough. You see, you want to fit in with people period, and there is this automatic idea with young people that as a preacher's daughter I would be a Hellian. Well to fit in, of course I attempted to fit that mold. To the adults, I was an angel, which pretty much worked to my benefit because I could get away with more stuff.

The worst trouble I got into was when I ran away from home and stayed gone for quite a while. I had intertwined myself with a 'lovely' (sarcasm) little group of friends and soon found myself in a heap of mess with all the wrong people, and seemingly no way out. When it got too rough to live my double life, I tucked tail and ran far far from home. I'm not proud of this fact. In fact it's something I'm ashamed of. The details will always stay wrapped up in my mind, and I've figured that this is best. However there is a good that comes from all things bad, even if the one good thing you receive is learning. And trust me, the learning I received from that time in my life, is something I will always carry with me, and has helped me become the person i am today.

And, Jessie's favorite "Jessie Lynn Smith" posts...

Once Upon a Time...a fable about joy, heartache, and back to joy!

What it's Like for Someone with PCOS...a very raw, emotional, transparent post on the reality of infertility.

Meet Samson...the (ohmigosh!!!) adorable addition to their family! Such a cute puppy!!

Okay friends...head on over to Jessie Lynn Smith...check out her 2nd Annual Blog Hop Extravaganza (with 2 weeks of prizes!!) that starts...MONDAY!! Oh, and tell her Mama sent you!