5 Questions.

it's me.

2010-08-25T10:52:00.002-06:00

the writer of this blog.

kennan.

and i am OH so TIRED. i thought this tiredness funk of mine would end in the first trimester but here i am at nearly 17 weeks pregnant and i can barely keep my eyes open enough to raise my children... much less keep this secondary blog afloat. have you noticed? i am not saying i am quitting this blog, i love it too much. what i am saying is that i am tired and when i usually update this blog is when my kiddies are tucked in bed and trevan is dozing off on the couch. these days i am asleep before everyone else in the house and cannot fathom staying up later just to update this blog. so until i can:

a. get my thyroid levels re-checked

b. change my anti-depressant

c. have a baby

d. wake up

e. become human again

i am putting this blog on hold, 2 weeks tops. i feel like if i take one thing off my list of to-do's for just a bit i may be able to feel less stressed/tired and maybe become a better mom. we'll see.

i am sorry for the 3 people waiting in line. i am a big jerk, i know. it's for my kids sake, i promise. i also promise you will get your turn to shine. in the mean time keep sending me your answers and keep asking to play. get reacquainted with blogger's i have already featured. oh, and you must promise to return when after my mental health break.

thanks for understanding.

meet Erica M.

2010-08-20T09:00:00.000-06:00

this is erica.

she my first international guest.... canadian.

Well hello there, I'm Erica. I'm 26 and I live in Ontario, Canada. I've spent the last 6 years of my life going to school, however that all changed last year when I graduated; move home and got my first official job in my related field. I'm an Early Childhood Educator and I am presently working in a day care with the hopes of moving into a school board next month. I still live at home with my parents in their dream home out in the country, however I typically spend my weeks at work and the gym and my weekends at my best friends place or my boyfriends place. I secretly want to move out; once my debt is paid off and have dreams of living in a townhouse.

I have my own personal domain which can be found at http://wastemytime.ca It's my little place on the internet where I write about my life. Hope you enjoy getting to know me.

what would you do with $500,000?

If I was just given $500,000 first and foremost I would pay off all my existing debt. Then I would plan a trip and take my mom with me. I would give some money to my father and brother and I'm sure they would use it to go on a trip. Depending on which job I have (current one) I would quit, or take a leave of absence. As weird as it sounds, I would put money into savings, as well as buy a townhouse and move out of my parents place.

where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In 10 years I hope to be married and to have 2 kids. I will be 36 (wow), so I would love to have a boy (who's around 7 years old) and a girl (around 5 years old) if possible. I would love to be living in a townhouse and working in a school board. I would also love to have all my debt (from school) paid off. I'm going to assume that I would have a mortgage and possibly a line of credit, which is good debt in my eyes.

what are you afraid to lose the most?

I am terrified of my mother passing away. Having recently lost my great grandmother I realized just how hard it is losing someone. I'm very close with my mom, so that fear is constantly there.

what is something (almost) no one knows about you?

That I am the eldest of 3 and I am a twin to the middle child. I was born 2 minutes before my identical twin sister and we absolutely can not stand each other. We bicker, we fight, we do not get along. To most people we look like we do, but that's all a show. In public or at family events we are civil to each other but at home we stay pretty clear of each other. We got along better when I lived 4 hrs away and we communicated over MSN.

what is your guilty pleasure?

My one guilty pleasure is spending money on books. I go through books pretty fast, so I'm constantly purchasing new ones however I tend to stick to certain authors or series.

My second guilty pleasure is my Nikon D3000. I purchased the camera on a credit card when I had no money, and then managed to save up the entire amount and pay it off before the bill was due.

erica... i like that you are honest about your twin, it made my day. thanks for playing.

visit erica's website

http://wastemytime.ca/

meet Suzie Robertson

2010-08-18T09:00:00.001-06:00

this is suzie.

suzie and i don't know each other. we do now.

I'm a 29 year old single girl living in Salt Lake (which isn't always the easiest) . I absolutely love my life. It may not be perfect and for sure not what I expected. But I make the best of it. I am surrounded by some of the most amazing people. My family and friends are very important to me. I am the second of four girls. I love having all sisters. I have 7 nieces and they mean so much to me. I love to make people laugh and I love having a good time. Some of my favorite things include: Running, Hiking, Watching Movies, Long walks, Beaches, Roller coasters, Snow boarding, Eating delicious treats, Laughing, Nail Polish, Colorful Pumps, Diet Coke, being with the people I love, Traveling, Music, Basketball and Watching Football.

I've worked at the same place as a dental assistant for the past 10 1/2 years and love it! I'm just a simple girl who tries to have a lot of fun! I'm a happy person and try and I try to make others happy too I'm always up for a challenge or an adventure. I like to keep life is the fast lane and keep it really busy.

what has been your biggest heart break?

Now this is a trick question. I have had a lot of boyfriends and a lot of past relationships. In fact I even had a fiance once. And as hard as that was to see those end and as much as my heart did break. My biggest heart break in life has been for a different reason.

It's kind of a selfish reason. I am one of 4 girls, me being the second oldest with an 8 1/2 year gap between me and the third. All my sisters are now married...and my older sister has 4 little girls. and as happy as I am for them and that they are truly happy. It's very heart breaking to not be able to experience all of that with them. I know my older sister and I will never have babies together {which we planned on our entire lives}.

I would never expect anyone to ever put things on hold for me but it still breaks my heart!

But with that said I KNOW and have faith that someday the right person will come along and it will be my turn too. And that I will be able to have all that they have and eventually be able to experience it with them.

what is the best advice you have been given?

Now this question I didn't even have to think twice about I have a best friend who I tell everything to. Whenever I need a good swift kick in the butt and whenever I am having a rough day... the best advise she gives me is... "Suzie, tighten up those laces and keep on running". I honestly can't even tell you how many times that quote has gone through my head. So many people have it so much harder than I do. And I just need to keep on going...there is no other choice. :)

what are you afraid of losing the most?

I have always been athletic. And have loved playing sports.It's a major part of who I am. In 2007 I tore my ACL and had surgery...It took a long time for me to be able to get back out there and play sports again... I realized then It would be so hard for me to go without that. Since that surgery I have ran a full marathon and 5 half marathons....

So the thing I'm most afraid of losing is my abilities. My physical abilities. I have a 5 year old niece named Grace. She was born with Spinabifida and uses a walker and a wheelchair. She is seriously the most amazing girl I have ever met. She is my hero! I can't imagine how hard life will be for her. It's amazing how much we take for granted, like all the little things.

what is your favorite thing about yourself?

It's not very often you think about the positive in yourself. Instead you think of the negative. So this is actually a really good question for me to answer.

I think I'm a very kind person. When other people hurt I hurt. I don't think I have any enemies, and I literally try to put others before me.. I was taught to always be nice to everyone, even if they are different or mean to you .I think I'm a good friend and If anyone needs anything I will usually be one of the first to help if I can. Helping others makes me happy. Probably the biggest compliment I get from people is how nice I am.

what day would you relive over and over again?

Now I think if we did the same thing and had the same thing happen every day....life would get a little bit boring. But when we have a bad day and just want it to be over. I would relive the first time I went to Hawaii. The first time I stepped out of that plane and walked into paradise. I remember being SO EXCITED and I couldn't wait to get off. I remember the smell, the humidity, seeing those beautiful beaches for the first time, It was so green and there were flowers everywhere. It felt like heaven and I knew I had to come back to that place as often as I could. It was my personal escape to total and complete enjoyment! I have been lucky enough to go 4 times, but can't wait until I can go back again.

suzie... you are fantastic. plus, i love people who love kids in walkers! thanks for playing.

suzie and her delightful blog can be found at

http://suzierobertson.blogspot.com/

* or not. see you friday.

meet Miranda Jane Williams

2010-08-16T09:00:00.002-06:00

this is miranda.

miranda is my neice. i could not be more proud to call her my own flesh and blood. i remember when she was born, the heavens opened up and angels sang, it was that amazing. miranda belongs to my oldest brother bryce and his wife lisa. she is the oldest grandchild on both sides and has the oldest soul i have ever met. really, when she was 1 she was brilliant, when she was 2 she was eloquent, and by the time she was 3 she understood life and cared about everything. not only is she beautiful, she is smart and charismatic too. miranda was born cool. she is the best oldest cousin to have too, she loves all of her little cousins (my kids included). i wish i was around miranda more, i wish i could continue to see grow and learn, i wish i could see the world through her sparkling eyes. i am glad however, that i get to know her. be glad you met miry today!

I'm Miranda. I'm 14 and I live in Santa Rosa,California with my two parents, Bryce and Lisa, and my little brother Asher. I have lived in California for 5 years now, and it's my favorite place on earth. My life is acting, I've dreamed of being on Broadway since I was 8. I just got accepted into a program called ArtQuest, which is a special program dedicated to the arts. I obviously got accepted into the performing arts area but there are many more areas one could be in. It looks wonderful on your resume and it's kind of amazing! I'm going to be a freshman in 3 weeks, attending Santa Rosa High School. I love to read, and write. I try to do my best in everything that comes my way, and I enjoy every moment in life. I'm slightly bossy (just ask my brother) but I love kids, so any babysitting is a treat. I hope to one day go to UCSF and perform in the Orpheum. Kennan is my aunty, and my dad is her brother. I love all of my aunts and uncles, and I adore my many cousins.

where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Well, frankly I see myself almost graduating college at UCSF, living in an apartment, going to play practice and visiting my parents and brother here in Santa Rosa. I see myself happy and content, and in the midst of learning who I am and what this world is all about.

what is one thing you wish everyone knew about you?

My hair is high-lighted blonde, so the inconsiderate youth of my age seems to think that just because I'm blonde i'm stupid as well. Well I'm not, I happen to be taking honors English next year for high school!

But seriously, I wish that there were no stupid stereo types that placed me into certain category. I'm blonde and smart, but there's not a category for that. So, I wish that people could know from the get-go that I'm not some dumb blonde.

if you had to come back as someone else, who would you be?

Well, I would be a couple people. Mostly I would want to be a Gypsy. I have wanted to be a Gypsy forever, seriously. Gypsies are tan, gorgeous and they can dance. My name would be Consuelo and I would live in Eastern Europe.

If I couldn't be a Gypsy I would be British. Most of my ancestors are British and I feel like I'm supposed to be there, in Europe. But, I would want to live in the 1800's so, I guess that wouldn't really work now would it?

what inspires you?

I had to answer this for my ArtQuest application. One thing (well person, really) that inspires me is my mom. She is the most amazing woman on the planet. I'm fairly sure that if I didn't have her to talk to my world would fall apart. She inspires me to be who I want to be, and make my own decisions. She inspires me to go out and try new things, to face the wide world with confidence.

Another thing that inspires me is reading. I read to much. But when I read, it gives me hope that somewhere out there, someone knew what they were talking about! With books, they don't have opinions or disagreements, they state plainly what they mean on the page of the book, and fill your world with sheer joy with the vivid pictures they paint in your mind

Mostly though, my family inspires me. I love them and look to them for help

what is the funniest thing that has ever happened to you?

Oh man... this is a good one. Well, in fourth grade I happened to be the most popular girl in school ;) and all of the boys had a crush on me. I had just bought a brand new long skirt, that was purple and had lace on it. It was sort of loose and stretchy, but I had to impress Michael Baker (one of my many boyfriends) so I wore it to school. There was a game called chicken where you had to swing off of a bar, while holding on to these silver rings, and touch feet with the person on the other side.

I went to swing out my feet (keep in mind this is on the playground, and Michael Baker is RIGHT in front of me, playing with his friends) and my shoe got stuck in my skirt, pulling it completely down revealing my polka-dot underpants. Everyone began laughing, and Michael Baker looked at me and said "What's with the Polka-Dots?". So I swore I would never wear that skirt again and ran into the bathroom with my friends, my face bright as a cherry.

I tell my friends about that now and they burst out laughing, because knowing me, that's totally something they could see happening.

miry jane... thanks for playing. you truly are one of a kind and i CANNOT wait to see you accomplish your dreams.

miranda is too young for a blog but add her as a friend on facebook and you won't be disappointed.

* a FULL week of 5 questions is coming your way..... hopefully. keep your fingers crossed.

meet Amanda McCleskey

2010-08-10T09:00:00.002-06:00

this is amanda.

and she has a story, and for me it hits close to home. i like amanda.

My name is Amanda. I'm going to be 30 this November. I am married to Matt and we live in sunny Florida. We have been married a little over 3 years, and we met on eHarmony!! We have a sweet little pup named Falcor, who doesn't ever get enough attention. We also have two sons, Rowan & Levi, but they live in Heaven with Jesus. We are learning how to live here, and be complete, without them.

what is your favorite thing about yourself?

I love my laugh. It is too loud, and very much ‘from my gut.’ Anyone who reads this, and knows me, will know that is true. In high school I was nicknamed (among other things) ‘laughs like a man.’ I think because it sort of had my name in it, but mostly because I have this big, ridiculous laugh. I also tend to snort when something is really funny. Reading this back…it just seems kind of sad. :0)

what has been your biggest heartbreak?

I have lost two children in the past 11 months, so I have two biggest heartbreaks. My son Rowan passed into Jesus' care on August 17, 2009. I was 13 weeks and 2 days pregnant. At the time I thought it was the saddest day of my life, and I was sure it would never get better. Then, in March of 2010, I found out I was pregnant again. This time would be different, this time we had proper care... However, I have an incompetent cervix, and on June 15, 2010, I was to have a cerclage to help keep the baby where he should be until closer to my due date. But instead, at 17 weeks pregnant, my water broke. I was on bed rest for two weeks and Levi Matthew was born on June 28, 2010, at 19 weeks. He passed away on June 29th. This was the saddest day of my life thus far. Levi reached out and grabbed my hand, took in a few tiny gulps of air and then left me for Heaven. Heartbreaking doesn't even begin to describe it.

what is the one thing you wish everyone knew about you?

I wish that everyone knew that my children were in Heaven. It would make meeting new people easier, there wouldn't be that awkward silence when they ask if we have kids... It's so terrible having to ruin someone's day because they ask me about our kids, or the necklace I wear with their names on it. I am not in the business of making others comfortable, and pretending that I'm 'doing okay.' Most days I don't even know what that feels like, but I am also not in the business of ruining days, or making women cry because they feel so sorry for me. So yeah, what I wish is that everyone just knew my story.

what would you change about yourself?

I had to think really hard about this...I really like myself. Of course there are physical things that I sometimes wish were different, but really for me I think I'd like to change my worrying habits. I can turn the tiniest bit of nothing into a mountain. I read a quote the other day that said something like, 'making molehills out of mountains.' I'd like to be more like that... I guess it is deeper than worrying, and really my faith that needs the attention. I believe in Jesus, and all that He says, but after the deaths of my babies it has been hard to reign in my worries and keep myself grounded.

what is your guilty pleasure?

I had to think about this for some time. I think I have a lot of guilty pleasures. But, I think the top spot would go to thrifting. I mean, digging around in dirty/dusty antique malls, thrift shops, garage sales. I love to get a really good deal on something amazing. I love the thrill of the hunt for a great antique piece of furniture or china set. Our house is nearly 100 years old, and I grew up in a house just as old. I truly admire and adore antique/vintage items, and I just love to get them for a great price. My girlfriends and I compete with each other when it comes to getting a deal, and at Christmas we love to brag about who got the most items for the least amount. I think it's why my husband never says anything about me spending too much when I shop...because I don't. :0)

amanda... my favorite thing about you? that you love yourself. that is, in my opinion, your greatest gift. keep calm and carry on.

amanda is amazing and so is her blog.

http://thisgirl-amanda.blogspot.com/

* listen... things have been a little crazy around these parts. i am too tired to update frequently. don't you judge me.

meet R.A. Williams

2010-08-06T09:00:00.003-06:00

this is R.A.

she has a real name but prefers to keep that to herself. which i totally get because bloggers can be so creppy, myself included :) !

R.A. Says: I’m a Michigan girl, born and raised, a late 20-something new mom who happened to meet my husband T while in school at Michigan State working at the Turfgrass Library. We used to joke about getting married and having babies before we even started dating and look what happened next - jokes lead to reality. T and I got married October 21, 2007 and welcomed our daughter in January of this year. Our little Bird is 6 months old and teaching us the ins and outs of this parenting thing, and she is a taskmaster.
T says: She knows what she wants and she doesn’t put up with any guff, she has a sensational smile, a great big heart, beautiful bright eyes, a mild obsession with babies (even though we have our own), she’s mortally afraid of spiders, captivated by simple fashion, has resisted getting a DSLR camera (so far), is a dedicated mama and a supportive wife.

if you had one "Do-Over", what would it be?

I wouldn’t have been so “in love” with silly boys in high school. I would have spent more time with my girl friends and just had fun and not worried about dating or any of the drama that came with it...and boy was there a lot of drama with me!

what is your favorite thing about yourself?

If I want something bad enough, I go after it with all my heart, nothing deters me. It was true for me with my education, with my husband, even with us getting out of debt. I love when I’m on fire for something.

what is the most dangerous thing you have done?

I moved across the country after college graduation, from Michigan to Los Angeles, CA, with no job, no friends in my new location, very little money and lots of ambition. I rented a room in a house, in a not so desirable neighborhood, sight unseen (Craigslist doesn’t count) and on my first night there encountered someone we nicknamed “No Pants” (I’m sure you can guess why!) Within 3 months I had a job in advertising, a few friends, and many great stories to tell the folks back home.

what is the one thing you wish everyone knew about you?

Even though we don’t talk every day like we used to and we’re all spread out over the country, I miss my close girlfriends from back in the day, every single day. Every. Single. Day. With a passion. I miss our antics, I miss just hanging out and being silly. I know we’ve all grown up and such and can’t get those times back but I really hold those memories dear to me. The great thing is that when we get together, it is just like old times.

if you could pick your death, what would you chose?

One of my biggest fears is to die in a catastrophic, painful manner. I would love to die “Notebook” style, asleep with my husband when we are old, minus the Alzheimer's.

R.A. .... you have a beautiful family and i think i want bird for my own. thanks for playing.

to find and follow R.A.'s beautiful blog go here

http://thewilliamsroost.blogspot.com/

happy weekend.

meet Terri Waters

2010-08-04T09:00:00.000-06:00

this is terri.

terri has been patient in waiting her turn. you see, i get answers in spurts and in order to keep this blog a float i have been trying to spread them apart more. also, it's good for the peeps too, they get to shine a bit longer. thanks for you patience terri!

I come from the great smurf turf land of Boise, Idaho where I was born and raised. I am the youngest of six kids; 4 brothers and 1 sister. On Cinco De Mayo 2006 I married my eternal companion Sam Waters. Currently I live in Provo, Utah where I received my Social Work Bachelor’s Degree from Brigham Young University. I also have my SSW license (Social Services Worker). However right now I stay at home with my 5 month-old daughter Chloe. We love to play together and think of new things to craft and sew. Life is the best it has ever been.

who was your first love?

My first real love was/is my husband. Although I didn’t know it as fast as he did! We met in high school when I was a sophomore and he was a senior. His best friend thought my best friend was cute so they decided to ask us on multiple double dates. I liked him and he liked me but somehow we were the only ones that didn’t realize that. He gave me his senior picture and wrote on the back, “I’m going to come back and marry you, so be ready.” At that I just snickered. We kept in contact and when he decided to go serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I gave him my address to write me. We wrote back and forth and well, within those two years we fell in love through letters. We said “I love you” through letters, and even in a roundabout way he asked me to marry him. When he came back we dated and got engaged. I did date other guys while he was away but in all honesty every guy I dated made Sam look a whole lot better! We’re still as happy as can be and hope to someday make a book of our letters we wrote to each other.

what inspires you?

Two things inspire me: music and the idea of reaching my true potential. Why music? It is simply because music can be so true and honest. I mostly enjoy listening to artists who portray raw emotion in their singing. And then of course there is the music of Glee the T.V. show! Let’s just say I join right in and maybe through in a dance move or two while I’m at it. Then there is the idea of reaching my true potential. This inspires me to try my best at all I do, and then go a little further. It kills me when I see others in my life who do not even try to look at what they could become. If we all worked on reaching our potential life as we know it would be a lot different.

if you had one “do-over”, what would it be?

Warning: this does not have a happy ending. However, there is a reason why I tell this story again and again. I want others to learn from my mistake. During the summer of my 9th grade year a guy friend of mine made me very upset. So upset, in fact, that I wouldn’t talk to him. I shut him out of my life and after awhile as he tried to apologize to me I rejected those pleas as well. When school started I thought maybe I could talk to him again and rekindle our friendship, but I was having a hard time still. Another friend of mine and his told me he thought I hated him. Hate can be a strong word and I knew in my heart I didn’t hate him. But he moved to a different school and so I let the issue go as he did. Near the end of the school year I heard the shocking news that he had shot himself. It was a traumatic time for everyone but we were fortunate enough to have him with us about five days before he actually passed away. I went to the hospital and when I was able to go into his ICU room, I looked at him as he lay in a coma, and told him I didn’t really hate him and that I was sorry to have never let him apologize to me. Everything from that experience changed my life. The lesson I learned from it was to not be stubborn! I could have let him apologize and we could have had an even closer friendship after making amends. If I could do it over again, I wouldn’t be so slow to forgive.

what is your guilty pleasure?

Ice cream and Friends episodes. I’m old-fashioned at heart when it comes to ice cream. I love plain vanilla topped with caramel and chocolate syrup. I envision my life in heaven eating ice cream with every meal and never having to worry about how totally unhealthy that is! I even like the cheapest brand of ice cream, which I guess is a good thing as it saves me money. Now, if you top ice cream with all the characters of Friends, you’ve got yourself pure bliss. I quote lines from the show, and then realize no one knows what I’m talking about. I did get lucky a couple of years ago when my boss liked the show just as much as me so we could throw out lines to one another

what is something (almost) no one knows about you?

This might sound morbid, but I’ll explain myself! Not many people know that I would love to be a sniper. Now for the explanation: I don’t want to be a sniper for the kill. I like the stealth factor, the targeting, and the beautiful gun. I love to go shooting and am best at target shooting. I’ve been told I have an amazing shot. Even my husband says he wouldn’t ever mess with me because of my great aim! This comes as a shock to anyone I’ve ever told because I’m 5’ 3”, 110 lbs, and all of my talents are pretty girly. I think being a sniper would be intense and prove most exhilarating.

terri... thanks for playing. i love you and your husbands story and that you want to be a sniper. that is so amazing.

terri's crafty blog can be found at

http://www.quicktipssewing.blogspot.com/

* coming up is a beautiful michigan mother to a darling little bird, her daughter.

meet Sara Preston

2010-08-02T09:00:00.000-06:00

this is sara.

i don't know sara but she is the 8th person in a row that i have had the privilege of questioning and now knowing. its real nice and so is she.

Hey all! I'm Sara.
I am a newlywed, though I don't feel like one with my husband we have been together for a little over 5 years, married for one of those years on August 13th and we have lived together for 4 1/2 of those years. So needless to say after you have seen someone pee and seen them get up in the morning in all their glory the honeymoon is definitely done. Though I still love every minute of married life! I am a new student to the Utah College of Massage Therapy and I am super excited about that. I think my husband and family are more excited than me cause they receive the free massages while I practice! :) My husband, John and I are both addicts to movies, of all kinds too. We are completely content with just sitting at home watching movies all weekend than going out and being busy bodies. I have the best family there is, and I adore each and everyone of them to the fullest! They are all amazing, they inspire me everyday to be the best that I can be. I wish one day to be this great MT who everyone just adores, and to be someone everyone looks up to for my accomplishments and for the person I am and was raised to be as I do to so many family and friends

who is your first love?

This question to me is super interesting and super important. As I look back and think all those boys that I dated I could have sworn I loved and one of them was my first love. But now that I am older I realize that those were just mere infatuations and so called "puppy love" but I know now that my first TRUE LOVE is absolutely my husband. When I met him, in 7th grade I might add though we didn't start dating till I was 17 he made me feel different. So different. I can't even explain it right. I just knew after our first date, he was the one for me. My friend Sarah and I used to joke that one day we would get married and have babies and so far we have accomplished one of the two things we swore I would.

what is your idea of the perfect romantic evening?

Hmm that is by far the easiest question. I love it when my husband and I just can stay in bed and cuddle and talk about our hopes and dreams. I mean yes, a romantic dinner and night under the stars are great but there is just something so intimate about lying in bed and just talking about everything under the sun and getting to know your spouse a little better even though you always think you know this person to the fullest and then you learn something new and amazing about him and it just is totally worth it to do nothing but be there in the moment with him or her.

what scares you the most?

Losing my family. New and old. I love them all unconditionally and would be lost with out each and everyone of them. They all, in one way or another, have shaped me into the person I am today and they all are amazing! I have got the CUTEST nieces and nephews you would ever see too! How could I stand to lose them?!! Uh I just couldn't bare it.

what is your favorite thing about yourself?

I love that I speak my mind. I would go crazy if I kept my thoughts to myself. This little quirk about me has totally gotten me in trouble a time or two but I would rather have an argument with someone than let them go on thinking they could walk all over me or think I think one thing about them or any given subject and I really think the total opposite. I do sometimes speak before I think and then I find myself retracing my steps a little bit but in the end 9 times out of 10 it all works out for the best.

what inspires you?

This is more of a Who inspires you question more than a what. My Grandma Porter. She just was amazing at everything. I have not talked to a single person who didn't have the up most respect and devotion for her. I truly admire that and that totally inspires me to try to be the best person I could be so one day I could get the same responses from people I love and have friendship with. She was so loving and nonjudgmental. She would listen and give advice with absolute truth as she saw it. Though she was a no BS kind of person she was just tactful and respectful at delivering her message. I was only 9 when she died but when I look back I can remember her demeanor and greatness as if she was here just yesterday.

sara... thanks for playing and you should know, i love people who speak their minds. it's the only way i speak!

sara and john's newlywed blog can be found at

http://johnandsarapreston.blogspot.com/

* coming up next a social worker who is also a new mother.

p.s. it's august?!?!

meet Shanna Hertz

2010-07-30T09:00:00.001-06:00

this is shanna.

shanna is another blogger i don't know. i love that, really i do.

My name is Shanna (Ford) Hertz. I am 26 years old, I grew up in Heber, Utah but moved to Idaho Falls when I was 19 to be closer to my only Sister and her family and start a job at a construction company where I would spend the next 5 1/2 years of my life. In February 2005 (after having my eye on him since I moved here) I met my husband Tyler at a Single's Branch. We dated for 2 months, got engaged in April and married October 29, 2005 in the Nauvoo Illinois Temple! Five day's short of our 3 year anniversary we welcomed our daughter, Rylee Kate into the world! I am a stay at home mom who chases around a VERY busy almost 2 year old and loves (almost) every second of it! :)

what scares you the most?

There are lots of things that scare me. Like spiders, snakes and all things crawly and slithery. But seriously... what scares me the most is someone breaking the window into Rylee's room and taking her during the night. I know that it's very unlikely that would happen. But, when we moved from our split level home where her bedroom was upstairs and the intruder would have to come in the house and through me first, to being in a ranch style home where her window is main level...... scared me to death! Also having to raise Rylee through her teenage years. I hope she is nothing like me between the ages 15 - 19!

who was your first love?

My High School boyfriend. His name was Tyler. (I guess I always knew I would marry someone named Tyler) We started dating the end of our Junior year and I had the time of my life with him. We were even voted one of the "cutest couples" in our year book Senior year. He was seriously the love of my life at the time. He was also one of the main reasons for moving to Idaho. I got tired of the games and felt like the only way to get over it was to move. I actually got the job while he was away at hunting camp for the fall. He happened to come back to town the weekend i was moving. We said our goodbyes, he didn't believe me that I was leaving, I left. I dated guys up here in Idaho, he would call and i would drive back down to see him. It didn't end like i would have liked. He is the only guy I dated that i haven't stayed friends with or in contact with. I seriously think it's dumb to have a relationship for years with someone then just totally throw it out the door and not remain civil.

** I also almost didn't date my husband just because his name WAS Tyler!

if you had one "do-over", what would it be?

HIGH SCHOOL! I was so caught up not only in the above mentioned boy, I sluffed like you wouldn't believe. Even though my GPA was decent at 3.0, I almost didn't graduate because of my attendance! I would apply myself where need be and seriously not date anyone. One of my friends used to say "When we have kids, we will tell them the best day's we had in life were sluffing high school!" Ha ha, I won't be caught dead telling Rylee that! :) Even though it may be true. Thank Heaven I had one awesome Ag. teacher who let me make up my unexcused absences by serving at her wedding reception and helping her after school! But, I hated High School. It's not easy growing up and going to school in a small town.

what is your guilty pleasure?

You know that dessert at the Olive Garden? The chocolate cake thing that oozes chocolate syrupy goodness served with fresh strawberries and vanilla cream sauce!? YUM! Seriously....So good. I can't help but say "MMMmmmm" with every bite!

what is the funniest thing that ever happened to you?

There are a few that come to mind. Like the night I met a boyfriends parents, turned to go out the door and smacked into the screen door. Smooth. But something that I laugh at every time I think of is I used to have a pair of Mary Jane Dr. Martens. One of my friends at work used to make fun of them saying they looked like little dutch girl shoes. So, one afternoon we were in need of a break and I was over at her desk, she started making fun so I rolled my pants up so you could see the shoes and my socks and started smacking my butt, galloping like a horse and pretending like I was roping something. (can you picture that?!) Mid galloping, my brother-in-law (who I worked with) walked in our office and stopped dead in his tracks then turned and walked out. The look on his face was priceless and my friend and I just burst out laughing. I'm glad it was him and not the owner of the company!

shanna... thanks for playing. good to know someone else out there is terrified of raising a teenager!

shanna has a private blog but she would love to have you join...

e-mail her.

shannaford@juno.com

* up next a pretty newlywed who is studying to be a massage therapist.

meet Rachel Johnson

2010-07-28T09:00:00.000-06:00

this is rachel.

isn't she beautiful? i didn't know rachel but had so much fun reading her answers and so will you.

Hey there - I’m Rachel, a 28 year old native of San Diego. I’m single, which is lucky for my nieces and nephew because I spoil them rotten! I was raised on sarcasm and casseroles. I’ve been in Utah for 3 years and am gearing up to move to the Washington, DC metro area. I am a sign language interpreter and I love it! I am privy to some of the best and worst moments of people’s lives and everything in between. It’s not something I take lightly and I thank my Heavenly Father everyday that I am able to be involved in such an amazing community.

If it were allowable, I would live in either Target or Costco. Preferably Target but it would have to be Super Target so that I would have an ice cream section available to me. I eat ice cream everyday even though I recently gave up dairy. Vanilla almond milk is one of the greatest things ever to happen to me - but I can’t give up on ice cream.

I am addicted to movies and my beloved Netflix only feeds that addiction. I am not a crafter, I don’t make headbands. I’m a shoe/shirt/purse kind of gal. I’m especially proud of my amazing high heel collection, I have 29 pairs and I absolutely love each and every one of them. That may seem high maintenance but I assure you, I’m anything but.

This feels like a bio for eHarmony. I apologize.

who was your first love?

I have never been in love - not even close, but my first crush was the stuff dreams are made of! His name was Forrest, mind you this was pre-Gump. I fell hard for him when he showed up to kindergarten one day with a row of staples in his head. He had cracked his skull and instead of getting stitches he got staples! And with that...I was a goner.

Or maybe it was Neal Patrick Harris. I won’t be answering “what was your biggest heartbreak” because NPH coming out as homosexual would be it. He was supposed to be the father of my children! Sigh.

what is the most dangerous thing you have done?

Hitchhiking in torrential rain in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. That qualifies as the scariest and most dangerous thing I’ve ever done. Think if the hardest downpour you’ve ever been in. Now make it 2 or 3 times harder. South East Asia has crazy rain! I truly thought that I was either going to be kidnapped or that the maniac dropping me and my friends off at our hostel was going to flip his car into a group of pedestrians and kill us all. He was driving insanely fast through the city, swerving, honking and cutting people off.

My mom still doesn’t know :)

what is the best advice you have ever been given?

*Warning! Looooong reply* I wish I had an awesome anecdote from my granny that I could share with all of you, but unfortunately, I don’t. I have had to learn everything the hard way and that’s the only way I can get it to stick. If you read my blog you will see that I often post quotes for inspiration and advice and I do that because I need it! I’m sick of learning the hard way so I figure that overexposure might work (so far - no luck). A few months ago I did a “what I have learned” post and something I learned from doing that was that I have incredibly intuitive and cool friends. Here’s the advice I can give myself (that I learned the hard way!):

Ex boyfriends should stay just that - they are rarely better the second time around
True and sincere change takes time
It's easier to keep a tidy room if you pick up a little everyday (I have learned this but I have yet to apply it)
Nothing is better than a mom at making you feel better when you're sick
People will judge you. It's how you react that is important
We should embrace and celebrate the uniqueness in ourselves and others
True friends will stay, no matter the time or distance between you
How you start your morning will effect the rest of your day - if you let it
Facebook, texting, email, etc will never replace the honesty and genuine nature of face-to-face communication
Brushing your teeth before drinking orange juice will only end in misery
You can't force love
When you find sunglasses that look good on you - buy in bulk
Knowing who you are is the greatest gift you can give yourself
Don't beat yourself up over a scoop of ice cream, it's all about self control (again, not one that I apply on a regular basis)
Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours. (quote by Mary Schmich)

what is your guilty pleasure?

I’m gonna go ahead and change this question a bit. Just minor tweaking. Pleasure? Nope, no singular happening here. Pleasures. Oh yeah.

-Drumstick Ice Cream cones. I eat one (or 2) everyday

-Go Fug Yourself (www.gofugyourself.com.....SO funny)

-Glee!

-Fish Tacos from Rubios

-Double Chocolate Chip Frappucinos from Starbucks

-Traveling (who wants to go to Spain this Thanksgiving?)

-Trashy MTV reality shows

-Really bad movies (think Glitter)

-The Soup on E!

what is your favorite thing about yourself?

I like that I am constantly learning and trying to improve myself. I am not content with a day when I have failed to learn something new about myself or this amazing world.

rachel... i kind of love you. oh, and i think i shall take some of your advice.

rachel's personal views on life can be found on her blog

http://fancyfingers-rachel.blogspot.com/

* next up an idahoan mother to one adorable 2 year old.

meet Natalie Gossett

2010-07-26T09:00:00.001-06:00

this is natalie.

and natalie is really cute.

Hi there, I’m Natalie Gossett. I was born and raised in Maui, Hawaii, but now enjoying the city life in Seattle, WA. Most people think I’m crazy to have traded Hawaiian beaches and balmy temperatures for the Northwest mountains and four seasons, but I’m as happy as can be! While I miss Hawaii very much, I have such a wonderful life in Seattle with my husband, Chris, and our 3-year-old Labrador, Maggie. We’ve been married for almost 6 years and work every day to keep the romance alive and the adventures abundant. At the start of 2010 we embarked on an ‘alphabet weekend’ challenge letting the alphabet inspire a date for us each week. We’ve had such a great time and are near the end, just “Z” left to go! You can check out our dating and other adventure at our blog: http://www.nataliegossett.blogspot.com

what would you do with $500,000?

They always say you either have time or money, but rarely both and I can’t help but agree. If I was given $500,000 I would take months (not weeks!) off my marketing job and travel the world with my husband. I love exploring new places and experiencing new cultures. While I’ve been lucky to travel to places like Cuba, Brazil, Africa, India, Vietnam, China, and Japan I have yet to go to Europe and I would like nothing more to travel through Italy, Greece, France, Spain, Portugal….and the list goes on.

what is your guilty pleasure?

I am a total sucker for romance -- trashy romance novels, romantic movies, reunited lovers in airports, love letters and bad reality TV shows like the Bachelor and the Bachelorette. There is something so sweet about people in love!

what scares you the most?

I’ve always wanted to be a mother. In fact, when I was a little girl and someone would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer was simple, “A mommy!” We’ve struggled with infertility for the past 2 ½ years and have gone through many treatments including IVF. It has been a very difficult road and we continue to face our struggles. I am most scared of the possibility that despite our efforts and our prayers, my dream of becoming a mother may not come true.

what inspires you?

The world of blogging has opened up such a wealth of inspiration for me. I am constantly inspired by others and their talents for things like photography, crafting, fashion, home decorating, cooking, etc. I only wish there was more time in the day to follow these passions.

what would you change about yourself?

I’d love to be a bit more spontaneous and carefree. I am a cookie cutter type A personality. I always like to be prepared and always love a good plan. This part of my personality makes me good at my marketing job, but can often put a damper on our personal life. I’d love to be able to let go of always wanting to be in control and be able to live in the moment a bit more. Let my mind full enjoy the “now” rather than always thinking about the “later.”

natalie... your idea of "alphabet weekends" is genius. i hope you get pregnant tomorrow, your dream will come true.

natalie's weekend adventures and daily musings can be found at

http://www.nataliegossett.blogspot.com/

sigh....

2010-07-15T10:17:00.001-06:00

my space did not show up in time for me to update this little blog before our vacation.

yes, folks... 5 questions even gets a vacation.

i'll be back, and so will my guests.

xo.

too much of a good thing?

2010-07-13T23:30:00.002-06:00

apparently i blog too much or maybe just upload too many pictures because today i was informed by google/blogger that i need to buy more space in order to post more pictures. so lame... but i bought it anyway. i am responsible like that. anyway, they told me 24 hours until my purchased space would appear and i could upload again. well, i am still waiting. so until then?

be patient.

p.s. i have sent out about 25 unresponded e-mails? what is up with that? so lame.

meet Bradley Kindall

2010-07-13T09:00:00.001-06:00

this is bradley.

and i could not be more thrilled to have another male guest.

I was born and raised in the small town of Kuna, Idaho. I am the 7th of 8 kids. I got married on 11/11/06 to the bestest lady on the planet, Kathryn. She's the love of my life and the best mother I could ask for my 2 year old boy and our daughter due in September. I'm a pretty easy going guy. I love the outdoors, camping, geocacheing, getting into trouble with my 4x4 and my friends. I am the Technical Support Training Manager for a local call center and love my job. I get to work with the greatest technology on the planet and the greatest people ever. I love my family and love my friends.

what would you do with $500,000?

First and most obvious I'd get my wife and myself out of debt. There's some things hanging over our heads from previous marriages that we'd love to really, really put behind us. After that I'd pay off our house. I'd be very happy to stay just where we are for a long, long time. Then I'd get me a new truck and let my wife pick out a perfect "mommy" car. She loves her Subaru mommy-wagon but I know she'd rather have something new. Next I'd do some home improvements/renovations that my sweetheart wants to do. When those are done, I'd do a family cruise. There might be some left, but then again, this is fantasy land, why have leftovers when you can dream about it? :)

if you had one "Do-Over", what would it be?

When I was 16 I went on a school trip with my little brother to Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, and France. I only took 6 rolls of film with me. (Back then digital cameras weren't nearly as prevalent). I also spent most of my time pining over this girl back home that I was so head-over-heels in love with. It was ridiculous. I should have spent more time taking my little brother out to sites instead of sitting in hotel rooms all night long. I should have taken more of a big brother role and made him take more pictures and spend more money on souvenirs. I should have sampled the glories of France rather than think about. . . her. She was literally a waste of my teenage years. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20. I learned, and someday I'll go back some time and be able to really experience the land as I should.

what inspires you?

Oh my, this one could get very long and rambling! I'm inspired by so very many things. First and foremost, Mom. I lost my mother to cancer when I was only 14 years old. She's pretty much the most amazing person to ever live. She was selfless as anyone could be. She cared about everyone and anyone but herself. She was such an awe-inspiring person that they actually named the school where she worked after her about a year after she passed away. Music inspires me on a daily basis. I listen to tunes and lyrics and take them to heart (probably too much if you ask my wife). I love to listen to huge choirs, symphony music, and I love my country music. I love the passion that is involved with a great song. I can feel it deep in my heart an soul when an artist really belts out a tune. I get tears in my eyes when someone really nails The Star Spangled Banner. Last, but definitely not least, I am inspired by my wife and kids. She is the light of my life and I live to make sure that she's happy. I have the most precious 2 year old little boy ever and a sweet little girl due in the second week of September. My family is the reason I do what I do every day. I know that I've got to keep them safe, happy, and taken care of. I simply love them and they give me a reason to live.

what is the most dangerous thing you have done?

About a week after I graduated from high school a buddy of mine asked me if I wanted to do something "nutty as all hell". . . Being an invincible eighteen year old boy from Kuna, Idaho I of course took him up on it. I didn't even know what we were doing the day he picked me up. We drove two hours east to Twin Falls and he stopped on the overlook at the Perrine Bridge. There was a group of people there already. It was then I realized I was going to bungee jump off a bridge that spanned the canyon that Evel Knievel failed to jump over. 486 feet above the river they strapped on the harness and I stood with my back to the open air. I looked at Forrest and said "you're gonna have to help convince----" and that's all I got out. He grinned and put his foot in my chest and pushed. I fell freely like a rock until the bungee pulled me back from the brink of death. It was amazing. Would I do it again? Heck no. Am I glad I did it? Absolutely.

what has been your biggest heartbreak?

When I was twelve years old my dad got a job offer that would move us from our pleasant little life in Kuna, Idaho to Wasilla, Alaska. On the day we took him and dropped him off at the airport is when my life changed forever, and I received the biggest heartbreak of my life. My brothers and sister and I left the airport to go to school while my mother took the other car to go to work. I asked my brother if he knew why mom had been going to the doctor so much lately. It was at that point he looked at my big sister, then looked at me, and stopped the truck. "Bradley, Mom has cancer, and they can't fix it." he told me. My twelve year old heart shattered. I totally lost it and bawled the entire day in the counselor's office at school. I was so upset that God had chosen the most perfect woman in the world to give cancer to, and let her die. Now 15 years after her death I understand more, and know that her sickness taught many things to many doctors and has saved many lives. Still though, I was hurt, and I'll never forget it.

what would you change about yourself?

Wow. A loaded question. Yet I chose it, therefore I think I must have some ideas about what I want to change. First off, I'd really like some new knees. Not that I'm complaining, mind you, but osteochondritis dissecans is a royal pain. I accept my fateful bone condition, but would really love to be able to run with my son someday. Between my knees and getting into shape (a different shape, not so much round), those are the physical things I'd change, other than that I'm happy with how I'm built.

When it comes to anything else I'd change about myself I think I'm going to start with having more patience. Too often I just plain expect people to know what to do without any instruction, or I expect them to be able to do anything I can do as soon as I tell them how to do it.

One more thing is that I wish I would not be such a distracted procrastinator. So many times I realize that while I'm working on a project for work or home that I quickly get off track, if I even get started at all. If I could learn to focus and just get up and do things I think I'd be a lot happier.

bradley... you are great. thanks for playing. oh, and only real men can handle 5 questions.

check out bradley's man blog (you won't be disappointed)

http://fourteetoo.blogspot.com/

*tomorrow meet a beautiful girl who is engaged to an air force man.

p.s. sorry about yesterday. sometimes i am lazy.

meet Brigette Rushworth

2010-07-09T09:00:00.002-06:00

this is brigette.

brigette is a brave girl, very brave.

My name is Brigette Rushworth. I have been married to my amazing husband for a little over 6 years. We have 4 amazing boys 3 here on earth with us Daxton (5), Stefon(4) and Landon (11 months). Our 3rd son Kael passed away when he was jst shy of 6 months old from a rare neuromuscular condition. He was simply amazing and I miss him so much!! He has taught me a lot and I strive more to be like him. I'm excited to be on this blog and to meet more amazing bloggers. I appreciate you taking the time to read and post my answers. I think this is so much fun!!

what is something (almost) no one knows about you?

I love to sing. When I was going through junior high and high school I was in a children's choir that traveled all over the world. We took 2 trips out of the country to Germany and Israel. It was such an amazing time in my life. I got to see so many sights and meet many people and make so many friends. It was a time in my life that I cherish and will never forget. I am grateful to my parents who made it possible for me to take these trips and be a part of this choir. What a great thing for a child me age to be able to do

what inspires you?

That's simple my family! Especially my sweet baby Kael. Because of him I don't take things for granted. I want to be more like him and give to others like he did. He was prompted me to be more forgiving and to never take 1 second of life for granted. Because of him I want to give back to the community and hang onto the kids I still have left a little bit longer each day. He taught me so much in his short 5 months and I can never give what he gave but he sure has given me the drive to do my best. Don't give up and don't give in. Life for what you believe in and NEVER TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED. I can never thank him enough or do enough to show him how much I love him.

where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Well as a mom my kids will almost be in high school what a scary thought!! Teaching them about dating and driving all those great things. As far as my personal life Id love to be about done with college and going into my psychology degree. That's always been my dream. Since the kids will be a lot bigger my hubby and I will be able to take vacations alone. I hope to have been on a few cruises by then and seen more of this amazing world. I see us being happy, healthy and a strong knit family.

what day would you re-live, over and over again?

This one is simple. I would relive the day before we lost my sweet baby Kael. Even though he had been sick he was starting to act better and was able to start doing things a normal baby would do so we were totally broadsided by his loss. The day before he passed away we went to a BYU football game up in Logan Utah. We went out to Cafe Rio, went to the game watched the cougars win, and then took family pictures with our family and the players. It was such an amazing night. We drove home that night and put the boys to bed. Tucked Kael in his crib and went to bed ourselves. It was such an amazing night. Nothing could have been better than having all 3 of our boys with us at one of the things we love the most. I only wish that I had taken time to appreciate it more as I was so unaware our lives were about to be turned upside down the next morning. What I wouldn't give to be able to see him again and give him a great big kiss and cheer for the cougars one more time together.

what is your guilty pleasure?

HMMMM now this one is very hard as I am working on being more physcially fit. I really really love warm gooey chocolate brownies especially with some ice cream on top. I also love Slurpee's. During the summer they are my saving grace and I am teaching my kids to love them as well. What a tasty refreshing treat!! Simply amazing.

brigette.... i bet you hear it all the time but you have not heard it from me. you amaze me. you are brave. you are beautiful. thank you for playing.

brigette's lovely little life can be found at

http://brigetterushworth.blogspot.com/

*weekends are good, enjoy yours.

meet Aubry Bennion

2010-07-08T09:00:00.008-06:00

this is aubry.

she is single, sassy, and amazing. i am so glad you get to meet her today.

first things first. i'm single. my parents have assigned a cash prize to the male suitors out there. i come equipped with a house, a real adult job, and a full set of skills in the kitchen. seriously - a cash prize to the one responsible for giving my mom eventual granddaughters.

the rest of me is a 28-year old, living in salt lake city. i accidentally landed here after college. you know when you're little and you and your best friend make a pact to "grow up and be best friends forever and live next door to each other"? that's what we did. i grew up in san diego with my mom, dad, brother, brother, brother, and brother. i think about going back to san diego every 15 minutes. so... this whole mountain, snow, winter recreation business does nothing for me. quaint houses on quaint streets and clever boutique shopping on the other hand... thrilling. that is why i love this place.

i do a really complicated, unexplainable form of public relations for a living and l.o.v.e. what i do. i'm far from family, so my world is made of really great friends. i wonder sometimes how i got lucky enough to be surrounded by so much goodness all the time. i speak before i think, but rarely regret it. i paint my nails on schedule every sunday night. and i'm a shameless lover of all foods cheesey, hot, and gooey.

what is the best advice you have ever been given?

not so much advice as a constant gentle reminder, my mom taught me the lesson in dr. suess' horton hatches the egg - "i meant what i said and i said what i meant, an elephant's faithful one hundred percent." the moral of the story? be good on your word, be loyal, be dependable, be committed.

if you remember the story, horton's tan elephant who's asked to sit on mazie bird's nest while she goes away on vacation. she'd rather do that than tend to her egg. mazie never comes back. horton is ridiculed by his friends, he toughs it out through the winter, is threatened by hunters... but, all the while he sits on that egg... because he said he would.

come bed time, i revert back to my 6-year-old self and read dr. suess in bed. everyone should read that book in bed. what a reliable bunch we'd be...

what is your favorite thing about yourself?

there's no way around this without self-loving here, so i'm going to indulge myself and self-love for a minute.

my parents brought me up right... you know, gave me a double dose of love every day, taught me lessons about how to be my best, and most long-lasting of all, they taught me how to be an upstanding, contributing member of society. common side effect: self confidence. but not the kind of confidence that makes for a self-righteous, entitled brat. the self confidence that pushes me to recognize {and dare i say, expect} quality and seek for goodness all around me. my mom taught me to stand tall for my convictions and to be cooooompletely unapologetic about myself.

if i can speak confidently here for a sec, it's those sweet lessons from my parents that made me a successful person - at work, most evidently. take my co-worker, for example. she gets all tizzied and loopy about impressing our clients... and her best solution comes in the form of a new three button, buy-one-get-one-99-cents, polyester blazer from the fashion bug... i, on the other hand, rely on the confidence that i know what i'm doing and that i do it well. crazy thing is, it works every time {and i'm pretty sure i look better doing it than she does!}.

what is the most dangerous thing you have done?

oh, you mean that one time i agreed to fly to the southern tip of mexico with my dad... and that one kid who didn't get his passport before we left... so we all took one for the team and lied to the federales every time they stopped our buses and tour vans? we told 'em our passports were tucked away in the cargo bins below... when really... some of us didn't have passports at all. that time? or the other time we were in mexico and our van driver spied some banditos on the highway up ahead and drove us in reverse at top speed to run from the bad guys who wanted to rape and pillage and steal from the americans? {that's also the time i thought it a good idea to whip out my camera and record the whole thing. for some people it's fight or flight? for me, it's film. youtube vid #1 and#2.}

what is something (almost) no one knows about you?

hmmph. i didn't think bloggers had secrets. i spill my guts twice a day on the world wide web. two years of this... and there's not much left to disclose. but how 'bout this: i'm a communicator by profession and hobby, but i would rather sit in the dentist chair without novocaine than be alone in a room full of strangers. despite the super-miss-independent complex i've got going on... social situations among strangers scares.me.to.death. i need a person. always.

... oh, and - i went to theater camp in high school. in pursuit of a boy.

what is your guilty pleasure?

saturdays in the shoe aisle at ross with my best friend. tj maxx doesn't even make the cut - too expensive. ross is where it's at. $16.99 can buy you the funkiest madden girl pumps... which really kicks off a great sunday outfit combo that makes all the girls ask, "how come she can pull it off, but i can't?" LOVE that. if i have anything to do with it, i wear something new once a week.

aubry... have i mentioned i love your answers? so great.

aubry's musings can be found here

http://www.justlikemarypoppins.blogspot.com/

*friday is are fabulous and so is it's guests.

tomorrow meet a mother to one angel boy and 3 living sons.

meet Jayni (melton) Brenchley

2010-07-07T09:00:00.001-06:00

this is jayni.

and jayni is adorable. she is the little sister of jobi, who was a previous guest. jayni and my little sister brooke were best friends in elementary. she has always been cute and now she is the mother to the CUTEST baby ever, t. ray.

my name is jayni brenchley. i am 24. i am married to benjamin. we have been married for 3 years and we just had our first baby 6 weeks ago. we had a boy. we named him thomas ray. but we call him t. ray. we think he is real cute but we are his parents. i am not working right now. i took 12 weeks off for my babes. i am hoping and praying i do not have to go back to work. makes me cry even thinking about it. my husband graduated from school in criminal justice and is now looking for a real job. i love the summer and everything about it. 4th of july is my favorite holiday. biggest loser is my favorite show. i am a sucker for games shows(family feud, newlywed game and the price is right). i love my family and the gospel very most in my life.

who was your first love?

my first love would be my husband (benjamin). i never told anyone i loved them before him...

we had been dating for a while and i told my mom if ben didn't tell me he loved me soon i was going to scream it at him. I FREAKING LOVE YOU BEN!! i went to hawaii with my family and i decided i wasn't going to talk to him much when i was there. hoping he would miss me lots and realize he loved me. well the day after i got back he told me he loved me and what did i do??? i didn't say a word. i got scared. wussed out. i just kissed him. i didn't know if he really said it or if it was just in my head. i have made up for it. i tell him i love him a trillion times a day now :) my family still makes fun of me for this.

if you had one "do-over", what would it be?

my do- over would be high school. not all of it. just one week of it. knowing what i know now and having cuter clothes. the week would have a football game, a basketball game a dance (my husband would be my date) and all the fun stuff in high school. i would save my cutest outfit for friday of course. haha.

what is the best advice you have ever been given?

when i was little and would complain about something not being fair my grandma would say: "if life were fair. we would all be fairies". that might not be the best advice but it is good advice. i am sure i will say it to my kids a lot in the future.

what is the one thing (almost) no one knows about you?

this is a little embarrassing... but i am not very confident. i don't have a very high self esteem. it is really hard to admit i look cute or accept compliments from people. i feel they are just saying it and don't really mean it. that is one thing i would change about myself.

what is your guilty pleasure?

my guilty pleasure is candy. i can't get enough of it. i make myself sick sometimes. but seriously how good are those sour watermelons from the bulk section at macey's or charleston chews?! i can't say no!!

jayni.... you are the greatest and i need to snuggle t.ray ASAP. oh, and thanks for playing!

to find more out about jayni's life follow her blog.

http://benandjayni.blogspot.com/

*next up a single lady with my favorite answers to date.

meet Sharlee Hatch

2010-07-06T09:00:00.000-06:00

this is sharlee.

and i think you will like her. here is what sharlee had to say about herself.

I'm Sharlee. I am 25. I am a 4th grade teacher and I love my job. This last year was incredible as I was blessed with an amazing class....I still miss my students and it's July. I am a newlywed (married a whopping 8 months as of July 6th). I met my husband, Zach, at a game night with mutual friends, our story is actually a great one. We hit it off immediately (he was the poker playing returned missionary I had been searching for :) and determined we were destined to be together-you know, soul mates:) We bought a home right before we were married and we live in Nampa, Idaho with our new puppy, 4 month old Malcolm Reynolds Hatch. Marriage has far exceeded my expectations, to say I love it doesn't do it justice. Zach turned my life upside down from the moment I met him and continues to do so...nothing is what I thought it was...in the very best way!

Along with being passionate about Zach, I am passionate about: high heels (love them, don't own a pair of flat shoes aside from my gym shoes), Burn Notice and Army Wives on TV, Beyonce, twangy country music, bubble baths, church, reading (Jodi Piccoult is my favorite author), Chinese food, chocolate, kids, getting dressed up, my best friend Misty (she's my other soul mate), and family...there is a lot more but we'll leave it at that. I don't like to use the word content unless I'm talking about the material things that I have, I never want to get too comfortable with who I am or where I'm at in life. I want to keep pushing to see what else life has in store. I have little to no tolerance for complainers/whiners, excuse makers, and laziness. I do love the blogging world and I am trying to make my blog worthy of more followers and I love making blogger friends...so join me if you wish!

what would you do with $500,000?

I would first pay off our home. Although, we don't plan to live here forever, it would be nice to have all of that debt paid off and put our monthly payments to good use elsewhere, even if it was just the bank! :) Then I would go to Georgia and buy a little mill house in LaGrange where half of my husband's family lives. I fell in love with Georgia and his family immediately and I would love to call that home as well as Idaho. (We may/may not move there someday but I'm not initiating a move just yet, I love my family and some of my husband's family here too much to leave.) I would pay off all of our additional debt and buy us each modest but new cars. All of the cars we currently own are over 15 yrs old and I've never driven a car with air conditioning (or at least one that doesn't overheat when you use it :) I wouldn't spend a lot on the cars. Before putting the rest in the bank (yes, there would be some left over...I know the amount I would need for each of these things) I would take a cruise with my husband, whereto? I don't know I would let him choose...with the stipulation that it needed to be somewhere warm so I could get a tan!

what inspires you?

People who truly live Christlike lives no matter what religious (if any) affiliation they have. My mom being at the top of the list, as she is probably the least selfish/least lazy person I know. I recognize that quality immediately in people--they're generous, giving, forgiving, etc... because I strive to be more like that. I find it so refreshing. I also am totally inspired by people who tackle the challenges of life with a great attitude. I am a big believer that a positive attitude can make all the difference but I do know that at times it is hard. If you've been laid off, lost a loved one, been diagnosed with a disease, have a child with special needs, or any number of difficulties life throws our way, and you can find a positive in it-- I will sing your praises constantly (ask my husband :) and I will strive to incorporate something you do into my daily life.

what day would you re-live, over and over again.

As a newlywed I think everyone will assume that I would choose my wedding day. Of course there are aspects of that day that I would love to re-live... our sealing being the number 1 on that list. However, the best day, a day that went by all too quickly also, was the day after we were married. We didn't spend the day after we were married spooning, cuddling, and well you know... like most would expect, but it was the BEST DAY. My husband and I have family that traveled from out of town to our wedding. We had just purchased a home and we knew that my husband's family would not be out here for quite some time and we wanted to spent time with them and show them our new home. We met them for lunch at Donnie Mac's Trailer Park Cuisine, (one of our favorites from dating days) we thought they would appreciate it. We had such a big group that we had to be placed in the back room on our own which I loved. His family is the way my family here used to be... LOUD and HILARIOUS! We talked and laughed and had a great time. After that we brought his family to our house so they could see it (and they loved it and were so supportive). My parents came and our families talked and ate left over wedding cake... which is pretty much the best dessert you will EVER EVER have, I promise! I remember walking outside with my husband for some reason while all of our family was in the house/kitchen and we could hear the laughter from outside of OUR house and Zach turned to me and said, "I really like the sound of that," and if I remember correctly, he may have been a little teary eyed. They left and we enjoyed some time to ourselves. Later that evening we met my out of town family for dinner and I got to visit with my boy cousins from Utah...I love those boys so very much. We then met my friend Sarah for hot chocolate and visited with her for a while as my wedding weekend was the first chance she had to meet my husband. We went home quite exhausted and we spent the NEXT day in true newlywed style. That day was pretty much perfect, though. We were blissfully happy, we were with family, we were laughing, it was just p.e.r.f.e.c.t!

what is the funniest thing that has ever happened to you?

I have a most embarrassing thing, I hope that counts. It happened when I went to Georgia with Zach last summer to meet his family. His parents couldn't take every day off so they were at work a few of those days. Zach took me around town and showed me some of his favorite spots and such. We came home and had an entire house to ourselves so, of course, we started making out. This make out turned into something much more than it ever should have been. (I cannot believe I'm sharing this--so I must tell you that my husband was my first kiss--I was a good girl). We were in full fledged make out mode (I don't know what else to call it but make out is probably an understatement) and his dad came home from work (earlier than usual). We, of course, were on the living room couch right as he walked in. I can laugh about it now but I was MORTIFIED totally and completely. Oh my gosh, I thought I would die. It still makes me blush thinking about it). He said hi and just kept walking--much more effective than a cold shower, I tell you :) We never discussed it at least he's respectful enough of that.

what would you change about yourself?

I wish that I could be happy with who I am 100% I am actually working on it but if anyone has suggestions, please send them my way. I am always wishing I was more. I wish I lookedmore like a Victoria's Secret model. I wish a was more like my mom. I wish that I could be one of the "cool" girls who is athletic, more of a camper, more outdoorsy, or even more of a geek who liked video games. Or more of a girly girl...I wish I was better at putting on makeup, I wish I had more decorating style, I wish I fit in with other girls. It sounds horrible but I do have days in fact where I realize that I may not be athletic but my body still actually craves exercise. I find passion in just about everything I do from cleaning my house, to grocery shopping, to attending church, to eating, and to my favorite..spending time with Zach. I love deeply and I am good at many things. It's just that I am very competitive and I compare myself with others quite frequently. Again, it is something that I CAN change and I am working on it.

sharlee... you are adorable. i love your embarrassing story, so funny. thanks for playing!

like sharlee? follow her blog.

http://believinginsomething.blogspot.com/

*wednesday meet the mother to the cutest baby boy alive.

meet Freedom.

2010-07-04T10:42:00.002-06:00

happy 4th of july.

meet Lynsay Gross

2010-07-02T09:00:00.002-06:00

this is lynsay.

lynsay is another guest i don't know. i love it. strangers make me happy.

i also like lynsay and her answers.

My name is Lynsay Gross and I have been happily, crazily married to my high school sweetheart for six years. We met in 1999 and have been smitten with each other ever since. We have two of the most beautiful little girls, and I am so bragging they are amazing. Chloe just turned four and Miss Lily is eight months old. I was a cubicle lovin' medical biller for five years before I left that to be a stay at home momma. I have quite the addictive personality which includes but is not limited to: Shoes, Purses, Reality tv (my dvr is 81% full), chocolate oatmeal no bake cookies, Dutch Brothers coffee (yummmmm Iced, Soy, Sugar free, Carmel Mocha pleaaasseeee), text messaging, shopping, and of course my family. We spend most of our time with our amazing family bbqing, trips to the cabin, and bonfires. Life is Good.

where do you see yourself in ten years?

In ten years I will be 36. Wow. That really just hit me. My kiddos will be in junior high, which makes me so nervous! So I will be driving them and all their crazy friends around, dealing with boys, and girl drama. I didn't have any sisters so I can only imagine how the girls will be getting along. I am sure there will be no more princess dress up clothes, and no cartoons to watch ( This breaks my heart). I may even have to wake them up in the mornings so by then we'll be back to sleeping in!!! yay!!! We will have renewed our vows and I am sure we will still be making each other laugh and he'll be making my heart smile. Living in Idaho because I could never leave my family and I will have that rockin body that I am working hard to get.

what day would you relive over and over again?

In 2005 Brandon and I flew to Mexico for a late honeymoon. We were there for seven days and I think I would relive any one of those days. We ate, we drank, we relaxed. We danced late at night, we had massages in a hut on an island, we swam, we were so sun kissed and we were just the two of us. I love having our girls, but there are times when I would give anything to not have a care in the world and just be alone. We went on a zipline tour through the jungle and I remember Brandon's face when we finished. I am usually so scared of heights and I am sure he was dreading this part of the trip because he assumed I wouldn't do it once we got there but I didn't have one moment of reluctance. I just lived in the moment and the way he looked at me when we repelled down to the ground was priceless. The best part of this trip was about 39 weeks and four days later we welcomed our Chloe into this world.

what scares you the most?

I am most scared of losing one of my children. When I was nineteen I went through one of the hardest times in my life. A very good friend of mine's 14 month old daughter passed away. I was engaged to be married and I remember laying on the floor in St Lukes vowing that I would never have children. That I would never put myself in a situation that I could have this happen to me. I prayed and I prayed about it, I prayed for my friend, and I prayed that I could learn to forgive the Lord for what happened. I was baptized two months later and I felt this renewal. We were blessed with two healthy beautiful girls, but I can't help but panic anytime something happens to them. We've had a few er visits and I know this is normal when you have children, but I can't help but falling to pieces when it does. My mind goes into overdrive and my poor husband has to talk me down from losing it. I am hoping that it will get easier and that I can learn to not freak out or at least hide it from the girls when I do.

what inspires you?

Hopefully I can name a few things on this one!! There is so much. My Mom inspires me. She is such an amazing women, she has always been the rock in our family and she can answer any question from medical, fashion and who's married to who. She has given me so much advice, hope and love to be the mom that I am. My children love her, Chloe cries when we leave her house and begs to live with her Nana. It should probably hurt my feelings, but it doesn't, because I don't blame her, I want to live with her again too. With my whole family of course.

My sister in laws. They are both amazing wives, daughters, and friends. They both have a love for the Lord that I inspire to have. They always have open ears and hearts for others and especially for me. They are my best friends and I am so glad that Brandon's brothers chose them because they have given me two amazing sisters.

what is the best advice you have ever been given?

At my first baby shower I left note cards on the tables for people to give me good advice. I got so many and I saved all of them in her baby book. One of them said "Love them, even when they cry" I read this and at the time thought it was pretty obvious that I would always love them. To this day, even when I am getting a door slammed in my face, or a temper tantrum in the middle of the grocery store I still think of that little pink note card and even the hand writing. It was such a perfect thing to tell a first time mom. Because times can get hard, and frustrating but no matter what if you show them love and not anger they will learn and grow into the person that you hope they will be. I make sure to use this little piece of advice at every shower I attend and I hope that it will help a momma get through tough time with their little ones.

lynsay... what a perfect way to start the weekend by having you on 5 questions. thanks!

lynsay and her 2 gorge girls can be found here

http://grossfamily3.blogspot.com/

*have a HAPPY 4th of july weekend and be safe.

meet Heather (matthews) Farnsworth

2010-07-01T09:00:00.002-06:00

this is heather.

heather and i have known each other since high school. we are friends. heather is gorgeous, really its not okay how gorgeous this girl is. she is a fashionista, home decorator, adoring wife, and hot mom. heather has great taste in all things, including baby names and i may or may not steal holland's name if my baby is girl. who know's.... one thing i do know? you are bound to love heather.

They call me Heather Lee, and by they I mean my Father-in-Law Dave.

My father called me Heathie.

I am the epitome of City High's song "Caramel."

You can say I'm plain Jane, but it's not the same
I ain't in to big names, but I like nice things
I watch boxing matches and uh football games
I wouldn't mind being an actress, but I love to sing
I like going out, takin' walks and stuff
I don't run with many girls cause they talk too much
I enjoy quiet nights at home,I'll curl up next to ya
Though I ain't a virgin that don't mean I'm having sex with ya
'cause anywhere I go I'm spotted (don't really ask no question)
And anything I want I got it (no frontin or no guessin)
5'5 with brown eyes (caramel complected)
Smile like the sunrise (body like heaven)

I love music but I have to know the lyrics. I like to sing along and then I get sick of the song once I memorize it. I have been married for 3 1/2 years. I have a 2 1/2 year-old girl named Holland, and a 2 month-old little boy named Graham, or Grammy Bears, as Holland lovingly calls him. I married my 8Th grade crush (after I graduated college of course) Steve. He is my man. And I am his Little Dove. I graduated from BYU in 2006 with a degree in English, don't judge me for my many typos and grammatical mistakes...I follow the rules loosely. We recently moved to Indianapolis, Indiana and can't wait to paint our faces blue.

if you had one "do-over", what would it be?

My first kiss. I waited what I thought was forever (sophomore year in high school) to pucker up and lose my V.L. status that I was so, deservedly, proud of. The circumstances of this event were not ideal. I basically had a boyfriend but decided I should kiss this really "hot" senior that I "owed" a back-rub to. So unlike me, and so not worth it. I don't want to tell Little Miss Holland this story when she asks me what my first kiss was like...so maybe I'll skip to my second kiss. A week after my first...when my boyfriend forgave me and decided to make our relationship "official." Oh the rules of dating.

what are you afraid to lose the most?

I don't even like answering this question because I have this thought that if I voice it, it'll happen. But of course losing Steve or one of our kids.

where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Ten years, I already know how fast time flies. Ten years ago I had just received my first, and worst, kiss. Ten years from now Holland better not be doing ANY kissing. We'll be living in Ritz Cove in Southern California. I'll be over 10 pounds lighter, have an almost teenager and a 10-year-old. Hopefully more kids...maybe a 6-year-old and a 4-year-old. Wow. All this in 10 years? I like to live life one kid at a time. I do get excited about our future, but really...thinking about two more kids is insanity at this moment.

what inspires you?

Interior design. If I could pay for just one channel on TV it would definitely be HGTV, and maybe just Ask Genevieve or House Hunters. I love looking through home decor magazines. It helps me keep my house clean and my mind creating beauty wherever I go. I can't afford to do what I'd like to with my home, but I still try to work with what I've got and make it as beautiful as possible.

what is the most dangerous thing you have done?

Has anyone seen the movie "Taken"? I was pretty much just as dumb as those two girls, but I wasn't right out of high school, I was a junior in college. My mom took me on a trip with her to Paris, my favorite trip to date...I hate to say it, but it was better than my honeymoon=/ Of course it would be even better to go back now WITH Steve, but I definitely LOVE the Parisian way of life and think I belong there....anyway back to the story.

My mom let me hang out downstairs from our hotel room at this little corner cafe for a bit after she decided to go to bed (I was an adult after all). Now to my credit, this was at a time that Paris was campaigning for the Olympics so there were police men on every corner with machine guns.

So I was hanging out at this little cafe and a few Parisian boys started talking to me, in French. They didn't know English so they talked to me in our most common language, Spanish. I can kind of understand Spanish...but not totally. Anyway they convinced me to walk with them to this other cafe just "around the corner" to get some hot chocolate. They told me I had the most "American" name ever, because they could not for the life of them pronounce it. I guess my name just rings American tones. They just laughed at my accent the entire time. They'd randomly say "Tu Pac." Or sing some lyrics in English. I gave them my charming version of Moulin Rouge's Lady Marmalade, "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir", which I'm pretty sure means "Will you sleep with me tonight." They laughed at my quick wit, but really probably thought I was serious. And I had no idea what I was saying.

Anyway, this cafe around the corner was more like in another country and soon it was 3 in the morning, those trusty police men on every corner were no where to be seen, the Metro was closed and I had no idea how to get back. I started sprinting in the direction I thought would take me back to my mommy, seriously wondering if I'd ever see her again. So I'm running "back" in my black 4 inch BCBG stilettos. The boys are running after me, trying to keep up and probably wondering why I suddenly got freaked out...a conversation in 3 different languages takes a lot longer than you'd imagine so I opted to just high tail it outta there. One of the boys motioned for me to follow him to what I'm assuming was his apartment. I wouldn't go in (good time to start making smart decisions) I waited on the side walk and all of a sudden he pulled up in a car and told me to get in...AND I GOT IN. I was thinking this is it, my life is over. Once they transport you to a second location you are toast. I definitely knew better but I didn't know how in the world to get back to my hotel. Amazingly they took me back to the cafe they met me at and I ran home to mamma, heart pounding, and relieved out of my mind that it was still beating.

heather... i really wish we hung out. you are funny, no wonder i like you so much. thanks for playing.

heather's fabulous blog can be located here

http://farnzies.blogspot.com/

*friday meet a mother of 2 adorable girls.

meet Kendra Webster

2010-06-30T09:00:00.002-06:00

this is kendra.

i do not know kendra and she does not know me. we have mutual blogging friends. i really adore and admire kendra, and you will too.

Wife, mother, animal lover, picture taker, wannabe movie star, celebrity obsessed, goofy, shop’-o-holic, working, student.

My name is Kendra Webster.

I like sunny beaches, cherry limeades from sonic, weekends, vacations, new adventures, new shoes, getting pedicures, camping, 4wheeling, rolling in the mud, crafting, snowboarding, sledding, swimming, laughing and loving. I have been married almost 4 years to my amazing husband Ryan. We meet long ago when I was almost 14 and he was entering his senior year of high school. Our first few encounters included him making fun of my clothes. (isn’t he charming) _ _ _ well only a few emails, phone calls, dates and almost 6 years later we were married. I tell ya- love at first sight (NOT)… But we have since fallen deeply, romantically, love story, fairy tale, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes IN LOVE! We added 2 adorable furry animals to our family- Harley and Milo. Our crazy dogs keep us on our toes- from chewing up our entire house to the potty training puppy stages we are never bored with them.

In July 2009 we were blessed with one amazing, beautiful, inspiring baby girl- Makenzie Rye. Since the day all our dreams came true our life has been put on a bit of a roller coaster and we are just trying to hold on. It started out like any fairy tale- full of laughter, loves, smiles, endless kisses and mass amounts of pure joy. But our fairy tale didn't last as long as we wished. Our daughter Makenzie Rye passed away in December 2009 of a rare neuromuscular disease called SMARD. It’s a genetic disease that wasn’t detected until she was 4 months old. Makenzie is our world. She changed every way we look at life. She changed everything we are. She has taught us more about unconditional love than we could have ever imagined. Not only love for her but love for each other.

She was definitely a perfect baby. AND i'm not being biased- everyone told us! She had these amazing bright blue eyes, gorgeous face and this infectious smile. She would stop a crowd. Our life was heaven on earth for 4 months 3 weeks and 4 days. We adored every inch of our daughter and savored every second with her. Since our baby has returned to heaven we have been dedicating our lives to keeping our daughter’s legacy alive. We want to make a difference in this world like she already has.

what is your guilty pleasure?

Gelato! I don’t know what it is about this Italian frozen treat but I could eat it all day everyday.

Besides food, my guilty pleasure would have to be dumb TV shows. I’m addicted! All the Real Housewives, Secret Life of the American teenager, Drop Dead Diva, The Hills, Deadliest Catch, the Kardashians, Real World — and I could go on- I (heart) DVR!

where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I always have a plan. My whole life I have had a plan. I have yet to follow my plan… so where do I see myself in 10 years is different than what will happen-but-since I can’t predict the future, I'll guess!

I think in 10 years my husband and I will both have graduated college, have moved out of state and started our own business. We will have collected a few more dogs, live on a large land of property. Buy a few horses and maybe a pig or cow or goat. We will both be working long hours but enjoying every second of our nights with each other. We will have continued our tradition of taking at least 1 trip a year so we will hopefully have been to quite a few new places.

who was your first love?

The one and only- David Bowie. Hello love doctor. Isn’t he amazing! Okay well now that I have aged a bit more - I guess David Bowie isn’t on the tip top of my sexiest men alive charts BUT he was my first love. I would watch Labyrinth over and over and make out with the TV screen. Oh how I loved his super revealing tights and wild unmanageable hair. He was sure my dream come true!

what would you change about yourself?

If we are talking physical changes- this list could go on and on. If we are talking about something a bit less superficial, I would have to say I would like to change my ability to live. Yes it sounds weird but I have a very hard time living. I have my whole life. I think about yesterday and tomorrow and forget about today. Since I lost Makenzie it’s only become worse. I am only living for what used to be and what isn’t. I wish I could know how to think different. I work at it everyday and someday I hope to succeed in that area. I hope to look at myself and pat myself on the back and say- "hey kid, good job, you are actually living!"

what inspires you?

Without a doubt, my daughter. Everyday. She did so much in her short life and I will live the rest of my life striving to be as amazing as her. We all take so much for granted. The ability to move, breathe, run, live. She did everything she could to just live. Every time I feel life is hurting to much and I just don’t know if I can take another breath, I think of her. I think about how hard she worked to breathe. I think about all those times she was suffocating and would wiggled her little body around in order to gasp for air. Then I take a breathe and breath for her. I feel my lungs move, I imagine the air going in and out and I dream of her. I thank her for giving me her life. I thank her for letting me be her mom. My life isn’t about me, it’s not about a career, a job, school or making more money. My life is now about showing the world who Makenzie is. Giving to others like my daughter gave to me. My life is now about making a change.

kendra... amazing.

thank you.

i wish you joy.

love/admire/adore kendra? visit her blog.

http://kendraandryanwebster.blogspot.com/

* thursday meet an exotic beauty that i get to call my friend.

and seriously, i need more people and that's includes you blog stalker.

meet Stacey (holland) Sargent

2010-06-29T09:00:00.002-06:00

this is stacey.

i have known stacey since she was about 8.... she and my little sister brooke were/are best friends. stacey was not always the fashionista that she is now, i remember her spice girl days and her skater days. she and brooke had some rough style years that we all laugh at now. stacey's older sister julie is also one of my best friends and together we all had some amazing times. stacey is adorable and always has been. she had short-short curly hair and was the tiniest girl for the longest time. stacey is a dancer... did you know she was a jazz dancer for a time? well, she was. not only does stacey have the cutest nose known to man, she is beautiful, stylish, and innately cool, and to top it all off she is legitimacy sweet. i've said it before about her family, all holland women are beautiful and stacey is no exception, it was a really great gene pool. oh, and she makes a mean subway sandwich. i think that may be the best part about her. i will forever love stacey, she's like a little sister to me.

stacey and her husband chris recently moved to southern california and they are living the dream. i want their life and her wardrobe. i love stacey and if you don't know her already, consider yourself lucky you get to meet her today.

what day would you re-live, over and over again?

We just celebrated Chris's birthday in May, and it was literally an amazing day, and I would be happy to relive that day forever. We hung out on the beach with my sister and her family, and no one was there so we pretty much had it all to ourselves. We then went and picked up tons of presents for Chris that I had gotten him, and I loved seeing him get things I knew he wanted. I am spoiled and get pretty much everything I want, and so it was nice to switch that around. We then went to the most amazing Brazilian steakhouse for dinner, and I could repeat that dinner everyday and be a happy girl!

what is your guilty pleasure?

Sleeping for 12 hours straight, and then maybe taking a nap. Sleep really does come before anything! I love it more than food and shopping, and that is saying A LOT!!! Chris laughs at me every night, because I get so giddy jumping into to bed and curling up. Man I love my sleep!!!

what is something (almost) no one knows about you?

I am the worst person at remembering names, like it's really bad. There are people I should know their names, but I can't. If you aren't saved into my phone I won't remember your name. It gets pretty embarrassing cause there is only so many times you ask someone their name. I just wait for them to make eye contact with me before I talk to them. Or a "Heyyy... you!" like we are such good friends that we don't need names anymore. Pathetic I know! There are some people I have known for months, but might not see all the time, and I can not, for the life of me, tell you their name. The worst is when I see them and I am with Chris, and they have never met and I should introduce them, but instead I just sit there are look like an idiot. Chris now knows to just ask the person their name, to help us both out!

what are you afraid to lose the most?

Of course my husband and family...but since that is a given, I am going to share tangible things that I would die if I lost.

A picture my Nana painted for me (she painted one fore each of her granddaughters) and gave to us one Christmas just 2 years before she passed away. I would literally be crushed if that was lost. It is irreplaceable.

My journals. You can't re-write those amazing, cheesy, crazy thoughts that I had in Jr. High, and High School. Some are painful to read through, but they are priceless and hilarious! I never want to lose them!

what would you do with $500,000?

I would put a down payment on my dream 1920's home (cause in California $500,000 is only a down payment). It would have to have original hardwood floors, originally windows, at least a little yard (another California downfall), and lots of character!!

stace... thanks for playing. i so wish i had a scanner to document the good times we all had. i love me a little holland family time so lets make it happen next time you are here.

if you don't already follow stacey's blog (which who doesn't), give it a go.

http://chrisandstaceysargent.blogspot.com/

*next up... a heart wrenching 5 questions you don't want to miss.

meet Sara Fedderson

2010-06-28T09:00:00.000-06:00

this is sara.

sara is married to one of trevan's best friends dan. they live in hawaii... and its not fair. sara is a super-mom to their son dmitri and is always crafting up something amazing. she kind of makes me jealous. i like sara.

Heya, my name's Sara. I currently live in Hawaii with Daniel, my hubby of 3 years - and my soon to be 2 year old, Dmitri. I love the outdoors, crocheting, trying to sew and crafting. I love photographs - and am obsessed with documenting anything Dmitri does, with a photo. I'm a stay at home mom, which was an adjustment at first, but I wouldn't trade it for the world! I'm a self-confessed soda addict and am guilty of watching too much tv. I love music and road trips - and anything that goes along with the word 'vacation' I often get mistaken for being rude or snobbish... but really, I'm just shy. So yea... that is me!

what would you do with $500,000?

Oh my, the possibilities are endless! I wouldn't pay off the house we're currently in, since we don't plan on staying here long term. So I'd put some away until we're ready for our forever home. I'd also payoff debt, give some to my momma, give some to charity, and then book a fabulous trip through Europe with my hubby! Oh yea... and maybe a 'small' shopping spree :}

what scares you the most?

Ghosts... and my own shadow. I'm seriously the biggest scaredy cat. I didn't used to be this way, it's gotten worse as I get older. In junior high and high school, I'd totally watch scary movies all the time. Now, I can't even watch the commercials for them!

I don't know where my fear of ghosts came from. Maybe just their overall creepiness. Or that I used to watch 'Unsolved Mysterious' and they always made them look so creepy! I hate even seeing the title 'Ghost Hunters' or 'Ghost Whisperer' when I'm scanning channels.

I also have fears based on things I've been through. I grew up in the Bay Area, and can totally remember the '89 earthquake. So sometimes I'll almost anticipate a sudden giant earthquakes. Usually when Dan's working the night shift, and I'm home alone.

I used to work as a bank teller, and during that time, was robbed at gun point. The scariest part was when he first walked through the door, and how loud it was. So again, if Dan's working the night shift, I'll be sitting on the sofa watching tv and almost anticipate someone scary shoving the front door open and yelling. Lol basically Dan shouldn't work nights X}

who was your first love?

Is it weird to say my Cabbage Patch Odie? He was given to me as a baby, and he went everywhere with me! I used to put makeup on him, give him baths and brush his hair. I also loved his dreamy blue eyes. I still have him. He's on a shelf in Dmitri's room... because I don't think Daniel would be okay with Odie being on a shelf in our room.

If he doesn't count, then it was a boy from kindergarten named Christopher. I remember sitting behind him during reading time, and he had this rat tail/mullet thing going on {he sounds dreamy, doesn't he?}. Well I couldn't help but play with it... so I did. He didn't say anything at first, then all the sudden, he raises his hand and tells the teacher that I wont leave him alone. I got in trouble... and was totally mortified that I almost cried!!! I didn't like him after that....

what day would you re-live, over and over again.

I want to re-live the day Dmitri was born. I was in labor for 30 hours - but it was the fastest 30 hours of my life. I was passed out for a majority of it due to medication {I was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia at 37 weeks, and had to be induced} The medication they gave me made me drowsy, and I could barely keep my eyes open. Well I never dilated past a 5, so after the 30 hours, I ended up with a c-section.

I don't remember looking at him for the first time, but I'm sure I did. Luckily Dan took some good pics, so I have that to look back on. I also remember when they wheeled me back to my room. They brought Dmitri in and handed him to me. I remember being so tired, and feeling like I was going to drop him, but nothing would come out of my mouth. So I thought "I can't hold him anymore, I'm going to drop him...." then I fell asleep. I don't remember if I was holding him when I woke up either :\ It was all just really weird looking back. It's like a hazy dream.

I would also LOVE to re-live my wedding day over again. It went by so fast - and I was so stressed about being late and people not moving fast enough. LOL so it's somewhat of a blur. If I could re-live it, I'd hope that I would slow down a bit - and just enjoy it! I also remember focusing so hard on not crying, that I don't remember what anyone was saying to me :} I promise, I was not a Bridezilla! Though I did get a little annoyed with a temple worker... but I didn't yell or anything... just got short because she wouldn't go away and was bossy.

what is the best advice you have ever been given?

The best advice I have been given, was to always keep a journal. It wasn't until I was pregnant with Dmitri, that I took that advice. I consider my blog my journal. I try to update it as much as possible, with as much of the day/weeks info as I can remember. I'm working on making it into a book, separated by year, so hopefully soon I'll have a hard copy of it.

But I seriously have the worst memory. I've irritated a lot of people, because I just don't hold onto info or experiences very well. And because of that, I kick myself all the time for not keeping a better journal growing up. I'd say that's also my biggest regret. I used to try - and I have a couple journals, but the entries are so sporadic. I do remember trying to 'update' my journal because it had been 2 months between entries. I read it a couple years ago, and it went something like this; June 3rd 19... Today was fun, we played outside. It was great. June 4th 19... Today was fun. June 5th 19... It rained. June 6th 19... I don't remember.

But yea, keep a journal.

sara... you are a gem. thanks for playing. oh, and really the next time you guys are on the 'mainland' we need to all get together.

to find more about sara visit her very well documented blog.

http://danandsarafed.blogspot.com/

*tomorrow meet my "biggest" blogger to date.

she's real popular and real nice.