Random Taggin'

I've been tagged by Hannah in this game of random facts and questions. Check out her blog here. She is an amazing woman and I absolutely love her blog!

Here we go:

1) Post these rules.

2) You must post 11 random things about yourself.

3) Answer the 11 questions set for you in their post.

4) Create 11 new questions for the 11 people you tag to answer.

11 Random Facts about Moi

1)      I usually only drink water. No one can believe it. I go visit someone and they think they aren’t being hospitable because all I want it water. I promise if I ask for water than that is all I need. :) I will drink Lemonade in the summer, hot apple cider and hot chocolate in the winter, but am satisfied with water.

2)      I have weird hitchhiker thumbs. They can touch my wrist on the inside of my arm and my fingers cannot go completely flat.

3)      I love being organized, but it takes me forever to figure out how. I have recently organized the medicine cabinet. There are now four little storage boxes with meds for sickness or allergies, pain meds, cat meds, and cat toys. I also reorganized my kitchen towels: rags, drying/hand towels for the kitchen, wash clothes, and table cloth/napkins/place mats. (My teacher side) :)

4)      I hate technology when it does not involve my classroom (although that can be a pain when it doesn’t work). I do not have a fancy phone and don’t have plans to get one.

5)      I am and always will be a UK Wildcat fan! I love me some college basketball. I love the tourney music they play on the TV, it brings back happy memories of family screaming at refs and cheering on the CATS.

6)      I love Grey’s Anatomy. It’s my only flaw in TV shows. Ha ha I guess you could say my guilty pleasure.

7)      I love to travel! I have been to 10 other countries. I am also partial to Central America. Love it there! Also, the husband and I are planning on visiting some friends this summer in Okinawa, Japan! Hope it works out.

8)      I love to read, but don’t have much time. When I do find a book I love I lose sleep, but not too much because I love to sleep.

9)      I am addicted to sugar. In particular, homemade cookies and store bought ice cream! Have to have my sugar fix every day.

10)  My favorite places in the world are my family cabin in Ansonia, PA and my parent’s backyard in KY. The smells, the sights, the calm all make me feel like I have a piece of Heaven on Earth.

11) I love Jesus and am so thankful for my wonderful husband Steve. We could not be more perfect for each other.

11 Questions from Hannah:

1)      What is your "must have" beauty product?

Lotion/moisturizer. Without it my skin would be drier than dried fruit. I prefer for my hands Aquaphor at night and Beauti Control’s hand cream during the day. I love Curel that is fragrant free for the rest of my body or Aquaphor at night.. I used to be allergic to fragrances and now don’t like them much.

2)      Who do you most admire and why?

This is such a tough question. I think it would be my parents right now. They have been through so much and still love Jesus and showed me to turn to Jesus when things get tough and when things are great. 

3)      What is your favorite thing to do on the weekend?

In the spring and summer I love being outside running around or at the pool. In the winter, without snow, inside covered in blankets, by the fire, with hot chocolate, watching a movie with the husband or playing board games. In the winter with snow, playing in the snow, coming in to a warm fire and hot chocolate, blankets and a movie.

4)      What is your favorite childhood memory?

SEC and NCAA time. See number 5 in my random facts. My whole family would be together.

5)      Are you a winter or summer kind of gal?

Summer for sure. I love both, but I honestly love being outside in the warm sun.

6)      What is your favorite movie?

The Little Mermaid for animated, and unanimated changes often, but I always love Knotting Hill and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

7)      What is your favorite item in your closet?

Tough question…I’m thinking my dance pants. They are the ultimate comfort and can pass as leggings under a dress and boots. :)

8)      What is the best vacation that you've been on?

I am well-travelled for my age and have been to many countries. I have been so blessed with travel that I can’t decide which was the best. Any trip with my family and husband is awesome! I also loved going to Cocoa Beach with some girlfriends though.

9)      Favorite band/musician?

Um wow, too many to choose from: Michael Buble, Norah Jones, Joshua Radin, Ingrid Michaelson, All the old guys Frank, Tony, Nat, etc., Nickel Creek. Seriously, I don’t have a favorite, but I do always enjoy Michael and Joshua. 

10)  What's your favorite cocktail or mocktail

Whiskey sour with more sour than whiskey :)

11) Best gift you've ever received?

My husband coming home from deployment, anytime he went out to sea and came back was the best thing in the world to me. He is my best friend and I cannot imagine life without him nor do I want to. I am so thankful to be done with sea duty!

Who I Tagged and Their 11 Questions:

 Here's your questions...enjoy!

1) Cessily at http://cessilydiane.blogspot.com/?zx=7413a528a6eafd9a

2) Karen at http://karenmillerchina.blogspot.com/

3) Hannah at http://dash-of-sparkle.blogspot.com/

11 Questions for you to Answer!

1) What is your favorite dessert?

2) If you could live anywhere, with everyone you live in the same area, where would you live?

3) What is your favorite thing to do when it snows?

4) What is your favorite childhood memory?

5) What’s your favorite hot beverage?

6) What would your next big adventure be if you could do anything?

7) What is your favorite board game?

8) What’s the coolest place you’ve ever been?

9) What’s the best thing to happen to you?

10) What do you like to do on rainy days?

11) What does your life look like in 5 years?

Have fun ladies and have an awesome week!

xoxo

Gettin' Fit

For about 2 years I have used myfitnesspal.com on and off. Usually for about a week, then I get sick of inputting information. It is a great place to maintain, lose, or gain weight. It tracks your exercise and food. I decided to start it back up again because I’m doing a step program at the school I long-term subbed. We write down how many steps we take a day, add them up at the end of the week for 6 weeks. It is an initiative to get healthy. I decided that exercise wasn’t going to be enough for me and that I needed to keep track of what I’m eating. Sugar is my downfall.

My husband decided to join me in this health kick. He signed up on myfitnesspal.com as well. But being a man he gets to eat more. In fact, he gets to eat more than twice the amount of calories I do! I thought, no wonder I was gaining weight last year. No wonder wives gain weight their first year of marriage. Now we have been married for 3.5 years, but he was never home often until our 3^rd year of marriage because he was out to sea all the time. So I didn’t gain weight until this past year because he has finally been home for a year straight. I never believed the old wives tale of women gaining weight their first year because it didn’t happen. Well, let me tell you I was wrong. I eat whenever he does which is why I believe many women gain weight that first year. But as women we aren’t supposed to nor do we need to eat as much as our husbands.

I haven’t gained much, but enough to make me want to change it and to be healthy. I don’t have a place to dance here in CT yet so I haven’t been getting my dance exercise this semester. But I am excited that the school has started some “healthy” competition to get me back on my feet and moving. So far I have exercised 4 out of 6 days! 

If you decide to join myfitnesspal.com, let me know and we can share recipes and our food diaries. You can share what you want with who you want, including sharing your food diary, goal, and other information. If you haven’t signed in for a week, it lets your friends know you are having trouble and might need encouragement. I love it! I would love some extra encouragement from friends and would love to encourage friends.

Have a great day/night!

2011 in Pictures Part 1

Our 1st sailing trip in September. It was windy and choppy, but so fun!

Fun with the camera on our 3rd Anniversary. Also enjoyed a great picnic and yummy dinner at The Ancient Mariner in Mystic, CT.

Our 1st corn maze at Buttonwood Farm the day before Halloween. It snowed randomly and crushed all the stalks, but it was still fun! Friends with us: David, Sarah and Steve, and Abby.

We had a derby party and introduced the KY derby to many Connecticutters and others.

Derby Party trivial winner Sarah!

We went camping in the White Mountains of New Hampshire! Absolutely gorgeous trip in August!

My niece Danielle graduated from Transy in May! Woo hoo! What a great reason to come home. And she is engaged now!

Traveled to KY for my friend Ellen's wedding in October. Steve got to come to the wedding. One of our first since he got off the boat.

Our trip to NY with my wonderful parents was amazing! Central park in the fall is also beautiful. While there we ate at numerous restaurants that were so yummy and saw UK play at Madison Square Garden, and 2 musicals: Billy Elliot and Jersey Boys. Then went to CT to watch UK play 2 more games.

The Beginning

Connecticut. Moving in the middle of the winter in 2010 proved to not be too bad. A year later, we are settled in and wondering where is the snow? This time last year we had a LOT of snow, no friends, no home church, no job for me, and no classes started. Now a year later we have no snow, great friends, a home church, I'm subbing, and we are both about to start a new semester of classes. Steve is continuing his degree in engineering, while I'm getting my Master's in Teacher as Leader from Asbury Universities online program. Classes don't start until next week.

I will be posting some pictures from our first year in Connecticut! We have really enjoyed 2011 and look forward to our 2nd year in CT.