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 :)
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.
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.
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.
My name is Lindsey (aka Linds), and I love to blog about everyday life with my husband and 10 month old son, including photography, parenting & my thoughts on being a wife and mom. I try to add my dry sense of humor to the mix, and always try to be as honest as possible (you know, letting people know thatbeing married isn't all about running through a field of daisies smiling at each other, and sometimes mommy moments will push you to think about lining up 13 shot glasses of tequila and downing them all simultaneously. Have I mentioned I hate tequila? Alrighty then).
My name is Lindsey, known as Linds to my dearest friends (and the blogging world), and I've been married to Drew for 7 years. We have two sons. Brayden, our first born, is 20 months old. He is our social butterfly who has never met a stranger, our strong-willed child who doesn't know the meaning of "no" (despite our most valiant parenting efforts) and who loves all things sports. Our second born, Connor, is 1 month old. He woos the ladies with his charming double chin and spikey hair. In his spare time he likes to sleep and fill way too many Pampers. And last, but certainly not least, we have a 6 year old Cairn Terrier named Toby. He's a vivacious little dog, who has the heart of a lion. Toby is our compliant "child", and immediately obeys at our ever beckon order.
I actually haven't had many jobs, but I would have to say that what I do now is my most rewarding job. What I do now you ask? Well, I am a stay at home mom, but I like to call my occupation Domestic Engineering. It is my definitely the hardest job I've ever had, but I honestly wouldn't trade what I do for anything in the world, and am so thankful that I am blessed to be able to stay home with my kiddos.
Well, you see, I was what some consider a "goody-goody." However, I definitely did things some things that I could have gotten into A LOT of trouble for if I had been caught. Like the time I was with my senior class and we broke into our school and ransacked the entire place to show then that their world would be turned over without us. The cops showed up. Thankfully we ran away in time to not get caught. Some were not so lucky. Or the time when we went muddin' on private property. The cops showed up and we were chased down for a while. Never got caught though (and for the record, I cried as we were being chased, thinking my life was probably over if I had to call my dad from the police station).
My blog has changed a lot from its inception when I was a freewheeling single girl and high school English teacher with a burning desire to save the world. Now I’m married with a baby and a quiet little job in healthcare engineering. Come visit me to read about my (very honest, very humbling) experiences with my baby, Johnny, my non-romance with the love of my life, Mr. Meat and Potatoes, recipes, shopping tips, and dirty little secrets.
And, so we can get to know Megan a little more, here is my "interview" with her:
When you were a teenager, what was the worst trouble you got into?
Oh, man. I was kind of a bad girl as a teenager. Like, the bad girl that didn't sleep with boys like all my friends, but who drank too much Boone's farm at parties. So, on Halloween my senior year, my friends and I organized the senior scavenger hunt, as was the tradition in my town. The highlight of the evening was the huge sloshy cooler in the van we were driving, full of fruity alcoholic beverages we'd painstakingly procured.
One of the items on the list was a "dip" sign - there was only one in town. One of the guys on our team actually hopped out to get the thing, and BOOM. We all went downtown to the police station, where our parents had to come pick us up. Not my most shining moment.
What has been the greatest moment of your life so far?
No question - the moment my son was born. Is there a mother in the world who would answer that question differently?
What was the best job you’ve ever had?
That is hard - I've had a lot of jobs in my life. That were all great in some ways, and total crap in some ways. I suppose the seven years I spent teaching at a private high school would be the best. Not because of the teaching so much, or the hoity toity high school, but because the people I worked with there are some of the best people I've ever known, and I am still impressed with them to this day. And they like to drink beer on Fridays after work, which didn't hurt.
Here are Megan's three favorite posts:
Yellow Roses...a wonderful post on the changes a year can make and the beauty of friendship!
#1...a sweet letter to her first born.
Team Jackass...a hilarious (seriously, laugh out loud) story about what happens when you take your two best friends to birthing class with you! *giggle*
So, my lovlies...head on over to Megan, and see what she gives a "Flying Fork" about! ;) Tell her Mama sent you!
Mommy's Camera: Married mother of two girls and a 4-legged boy blogging about learning photography. Writes photography tutorials geared toward your average person with a point-and-shoot camera and photo editing tutorials using free photo editing software. On occasion writes a post about being a nurse. This blog is also the home of Blogger the frog. Follow him around the world!
I would take all my best girlfriends (5 of them) and their families to Europe for a month. I'd also bring along a few nannies for the kids. We'd travel around Europe by train for the month.
I have two greatest moments: the birth of each of my girls.
How I met hubby: I wanted to date his roommate! I had a bunch of classes in college with Roommate and so I hung out with him all the time. I wanted to date him but he hooked back up with his ex-girlfriend and broke my heart. Roommate felt bad so he started inviting Hubby where ever we went. Hubby and I ended up hooking up with a little push from Roommate. I ended up with the better of the two in the long run! Roommate, his wife, hubby, and I remain very good friends! We joke all the time about our "relationship".
We are the typical husband, wife, 2 kids & 2 dogs family. But we are not so typical in that we are a military family living overseas. Please feel free to check come read about "Our Imperfect Life." God Bless!
How did you meet your spouse?
We met February 7, 1997 at a mutual friend's bachelor party. No I was not entertainment! ha! But from that night on, we were inseparable. And the only thing that separates us now is the Navy.
What has been the greatest moment of your life so far?
Absolutely getting married and having our kids. But everyone says that. I will say that right now, being able to live in Japan. There are many things I do not like about living here but overall, it is an incredible experience!
What was the best job you’ve ever had?
I've only had 3 jobs (not including being a mom/housewife) life....Home Health Aide, Customer Service Rep for American Airlines and then a substitute teacher. Being a substitute teacher was by far my favorite!
Debra lists these links, as her favorite "Our Imperfect Life" posts:
Testimonial Tuesdays...a post in which Debra begins sharing her testimony.
That Dark Storm Cloud...a very transparent post about her struggles with depression.
Lately I Have Been Met With...a fun post filled with amazing photographs!
Well, friends...head on over to "Our Imperfect Life"...and tell Debra, Mama sent you! ;)
My name is Laura, I'm 24 and a single mom to one crazy energetic four year old little boy. I'm dating the most amazing guy B and we are making the long distance relationship thing work for us! I work in Marketing for a small financial company and in short, I HATE my job! I love margaritas, dancing, moonlight walks on the beach and even if its painful, being woken up by a 4 year old jumping on you way before the sun rises.
I would have to say my number one passion is my son, but thats pretty typical of most moms! Going outside of my family and friends - my passion would probably be event and party planning. I know it seems silly and more like a hobby, but I'm one of those girls that likes to PLAN. I've had my wedding planned since I was seven years old and not much has varried, well maybe the groom a few times ;)
I love to look at small details and have the big picture come to life when it is finally time for the event. I could make a living out of party planning if there was a calling for that sort of thing in my small hometown :)
I didn't get into a lot of trouble when I was a teenager. I was pretty quiet and had a good group of friends to keep me straight. I think the biggest thing I ever got in trouble for was- oh this is soo embarassing- in 8th grade art class. I had this assignment to turn in and I should say that I'm horrible at art. I can't draw a straight line with a ruler and I can't draw a stick figure to save my life, my teacher scared me to death. I had attempted the project but I knew it was horrible. Apparently I forgot to put my name on the painting and it ended up in the "noname" bin. My teacher held two of them up and asked me which was mine; in reality neither of them were mine; but I didn't want to admit that so I picked the nice one and claimed it as mine. That was all fine and dandy until the REAL person claimed the same picture as theirs--oops. I think I had to appologize to the girl whose picture I "stole" and I missed our 8th grade awards assembly. Looking back on all of it; its kind of funny but at the time I was mortified.
I had the best job ever!! I started working at a small store in our mall called Wild Card. We sold lots of little things like Precious Moments and Boyds Bears and plates with cute sayings on them. It was my first job and I'm positive I learned more at the job then any of my other jobs, including my real life 9-5 job now. Other then cleaning and doing small tasks for the store I learned the importance of working with others in a close environment. I learned that not everyone is going to get along but as long as we work together we have to make it work. I also learned that the customer is always right- even when they are the BIGGEST idiots. I learned how to deal with being yelled at and talked rudely too and I"m greatful for learning all of those things at a young age. Granted I worked with a great group of girls who were all in high school and middle school and had a great time everday I went into work- but I did learn a lot and the endless supply of junk food our manager supplied wasn't that bad either ;)
I'm a mom of three who loves to post about the passions that fuel and enrich my days -- family, crafting/creating, and cooking/baking. All set against the backdrop of beautiful Midcoast Maine. If you love a warm kitchen, a good craft tutorial, and a comfy, homey place ... grab a cup of tea or coffee and come on over!
1. Does your geographic region have any “quirks”? (You betcha mine does, dontchaknow!)
As a lifelong New Englander, I'd have to say that we do have our fair share of quirks here in the Northeast. Most of them relate to accents, figures of speech, and such. I grew up in Massachusetts where "car" was always "cah" and "party" was always "pahty." Here in Maine, it's similar ... but you'll also hear words like "ayuh" and "deah" sprinkled into everyday conversation. And wicked lives on ... as in "That was a wicked big storm." My favorite saying heard here is "from away." It's a term used to refer to anyone who was not born in Maine. Even if they've been here for 80 years. So my kids and husband are true Mainers while I will always be "from away." And, believe me, Yankee Ingenuity is not a myth. But we New Englanders are a warm and welcoming bunch ... despite the reputation we so often have as being cold and distant. I can't imagine living anywhere else! We have the ocean, mountains, farms, forests, and so much history. Not to mention so many kind-hearted people looking out for their friends and neighbors. Our state motto is "Maine: The Way Life Should Be." I couldn't agree more.2. What has been the greatest moment of your life so far?
Oh, that's a toughie! There have been so many greats along the way. But the "moment" that stands out for me the most, I think, is the first time our oldest two children held our youngest in the hospital. They were totally in love with him and I realized that I had everything I'd ever wanted ... right there in that little room. I try to remember that when the three of them start fighting like an old married couple or start tap dancing on my very last good nerve.
Hmmmm ... let's see. My husband and I are college sweethearts and we've been married for 12 years. We have three children (Connor, Michaela, and Brendan) ranging in age from three to nine and we live in Midcoast Maine. My husband is a high school math teacher and I am a former elementary and middle school Spanish teacher. We've been making one income work for us for eight years now and I feel so grateful to be home with my kids. It takes a lot of effort and sacrifice, but it's the arrangement that works best for us. As I like to say, we don't live big but we live well. And we thoroughly enjoy all that our state has to offer. My blog, I think, reflects that sentiment ... as it is the place where family, friends, kids, cooking, and crafting come together. Just like home. So stop on by sometime!
I am the one pink in a house of blue. A work-from-home Mom with three sons and a hubby, who blogs her heart out. I love my laptop and Tim Horton's coffee. I love white wine and roast beef dinners. My name is Dawn and this is my blog...enjoy your visit.
The best job I ever had was at a pet store called Aquarium Toronto. I was about 16 years old and it was before the days of Sunday shopping, so I used to volunteer to be the one to go in on Sundays to feed the animals. The big rule was that the animals were not allowed out of their cages except for necessities (like injuries or whatever) but I broke that rule every single Sunday. First, I would let all of the kittens out to play, then the puppies, then the rabbits. I was like Dr. Doolittle, DOING little while playing with the animals. I came to realize why the owner didn't want us to let the animals out of the cages about a month later, when two of the rabbits had litters. Ummm....Mr. Owner, I have NO idea how they got pregnant! HA!
Are you a glass half empty, or a glass half full kind of a person?
I would like to tell you that I am a half full girl, but alas, I am not. I am a miserable human being most of the time, so I am a half empty gal. :o(
Tell us about your family.
My hubby and I met on August 5th, 1989. I was just about to turn 20. He was turning 23. We married on April 9, 1994 and had our first son on June 28th, 1996. Our second son joined us on June 29th, 1999 (yes, 3 years and one day after his older brother) and then our littlest man arrived on April 18th, 2007. He was a surprise, not an oops and he makes our family complete. My MIL, who really is pretty good, lives with us (God help me) and we have a lovely 9.5 year old Bichon Frise named Rosie and a goldfish named Bubbles. We are a hockey and soccer family, with the winter being our busiest time...we are only home one night a week from now until March...Tuesdays.
"Mama to three little ones, deep in the trenches of motherhood. Random thoughts on day-to-day life, frugal living, $75 weekly grocery lists, homeschooling, breastfeeding, natural birthing, attachment parenting, and "granola" lifestyle. Something for everyone."I sent her some questions, so that we could get to know her a little more...
I haven't traveled much at all and travel is one of my big dreams so it would be quite difficult to decide where to go - there are so many places! I would take my immediate family with me (husband/kids). We all need a bit of time to reconnect and a family vacation may do the trick. Ireland or Australia are two places I would love to see. I think a month would be the right amount of time...enough time to relax but not enough that we would be longing for home.
My passions come and go and change with the seasons of my life. Right now I have two passions, one of which is to raise my children up to be good people. I'm pretty sure that is one passion of every parent though. :)
My second passion at the moment is to live simply, live green, and live beneath our means. These are all passions that sprouted from the waste and "me, me, me" mentality of our country. I've run a budget challenge on my blog several times (one is coming up too!) where we have lived off just $1,200 for a month (which includes housing, food, bills...everything!). I wanted to prove to myself that we could live on so much less. I've been using more natural homemade cleaning products, doing away with paper products, and trying to pair down our clutter to be in a simple place.
This *could* be an exciting answer...if it weren't me that you asked. No need to lie here...I was just a pretty straight forward teen that rarely went against my parents wishes. I never even stayed out past curfew!As part of the new routine for our "Date Night", I'm providing you with three of Elizabeth's favorite posts.
Maybe I could list getting married at age 18 as *trouble* :) but not really, since almost 10 years later we are still married.
I can't come up with one thing that I remember getting yelled at or in deep trouble for (except the normal "do your chores" routines). Sorry for such a boring answer!
