Favorite Posts

Day 21, Tuesday: A list of links to your favorite posts in your archives

I've been wanting to do this for a while, so I'm excited that the May blogging challenge finally made me buckle down and pick out some of my favorite posts.

The Married Love - how love evolves over time in a relationship to be something that's even more beautiful than the all encompassing love of a new relationship.

Wedding Wednesday - The First Dance - I loved a lot of the wedding Wednesday posts, but I really love the video of our fist dance.

2 years - On the 2 year anniversary of our meeting I shared the story of how we met.

Dane's Birthday - This post is a perfect example of why I love my brother in law's personality.

First Birth as a Doula - I loved posting this and seeing all of your responses of support. I have two more birth stories to write since this.

Where is your sense of adventure? - My frustration with America's lack of adventure seeking. There are so many things out there to see and do. Pick adventure over comfort.

Why Peace Corps Was The Best Decision I Ever Made - The title kind of explains it all.

When Bureaucracy Matters More - My politically correct version of my frustration with working with Cambodian government's bureaucracy. You don't always have wins as a Peace Corps Volunteer.

And lastly

China and Scotland - Two of my favorite trips we've taken.

When Your Husband is Gone

Day 20, Monday: Get real. Share something you're struggling with right now.

Do you guys remember when I mentioned that Hal is doing a short study abroad?

He's going to Europe to study International Accounting. Super exciting. Except that they also get to do other cool things that don't make my eyes unfocus when they're mentioned.

via

But I don't get to go.

Hal and I are adventurers at heart. So I knew he had to go and experience this, even though it's without me. One of the reasons I love adventure is because I get to experience it with other people and create those memories and bonds with others. But Hal will be going and adventuring and doing what I love best about adventuring without me.

And I have to be here, and work so that we can still pay the bills while he's gone.

But 3 weeks?

3 weeks of Hal having adventures without me? 3 weeks of my bed being too big with just me and kitty in it each night?

I know that doesn't seem like a big deal to some, but we've never ever been away from each other that long before. The longest was when I had Dengue Fever and was in Thailand, and Peace Corps made Hal go back to Cambodia after I got released from the hospital, but I had to stay until my liver started functioning semi normal again. 3 whole days without my husband. I thought that was rough as I was still sick and dead tired and in a city I didn't know well.

I'm not well versed in the ways of living life without my husband. I've got my kitty and a stack of the first 5 seasons of Friends for company.

Any other tips on how to survive while the husband is out of town?

Favorite Bloggers

Day 19, Sunday: Five of your favorite blogs and what you love about them

I love when people share blogs that they love. It doesn't matter if they're new blogs you've started loving, or old loves that you've been following for a while. It's always fun to be introduced to new blogs. Her are a few of my favorites, some are new loves, and some are old loves, but they're all loved by me.

1. Elizabeth from E Tells Tales

Elizabeth has been one of my favorite bloggers for quite some time. Her writing is so engaging that you can't help getting caught up in her story. I started reading her blog when she was a teacher in Boston, and read through as she eloped, had a baby and started a hugely successful Etsy business. She inspired me to not want to know the gender of our babies someday.

2. Ashley from Dancing with Ashley

I feel like Ashley is the blogging community's big sister. She's so encouraging from her e-mails, and when I read about her daily life with her two adorable boys, I feel like I'm apart of her family. Plus, she's a super talented dancer.

3. Kayla from My Kind of Yellow

Kayla is a new blog love of mine. She is getting married in a matter of days, and it has been so fun to read through all of her preparations for her wedding. She probably has the busiest weekends of anyone I've ever met, but they're so fun to read about. She is always positive in her blog which is so refreshing.

4. Lacie from Leather & Lace

This is one of the blogs that I totally creep. I don't always comment and we've never exchanged e-mails, but I had to include it on this list because it's one of the funniest blogs I read. When I first found it I literally spent hours just reading and laughing out loud at old posts. Girl knows how to tell it like it is.

Now go forth and spread the blog love.

Childhood Memory

Day 18, Saturday: Tell a story from your childhood. Dig deep and try to be descriptive about what you remember and how you felt.

When I was about seven my family was preparing to move from Oregon to Washington, but we had some time before we got out of our house and the move, so our family was kind of split up. I stayed with my best friend Danielle and her family.

Well I missed my mom a lot while I stayed there, so she took me and my brother to buy us a toy that would help us remember her and feel better. I bought the biggest teddy bear I could find. I still have her, but can't find any pictures, she looks something like this, except my cool bear has a red plaid bow tie.

via

I named her Carolyn Bear, after my mother. I pretty much showed her off to anyone who would take 5 second to look at me.

Well after I tore the tag off her, she still had a white plastic hook in her arm. I distinctly remember holding Carolyn Bear up by the hook and trying to convince my best friend Danielle that it was magic, and that she couldn't tell how I held the bear up. She could totally see the hook that I was holding onto though.

And thus ended my magic career.

And just for fun, here's some cuteness overload.

I'm in the pink sweatshirt

Favorite Photo

I know, I missed yesterday. I was on such a roll, blogging every single day. But I did something pretty awesome. I attended my third birth as a doula yesterday. It was wonderful, but long, as it is with most first babies, so I just didn't have time to blog.

So lucky you guys, you get two days worth today.

Day 16, Thursday: Something difficult about your "lot in life" and how you're working to overcome it:

This one goes along with my post on Mothers Day. When I was 19 I lost my mother. It has definitely been difficult to go through big life events without my mother by my side. She never met my husband, she missed my wedding, and won't be there to see my children grow up.

One of the best ways to overcome a loss of a parent is to turn towards your siblings. Since my mother's death my sibling and I have grown much closer. I have also grown a lot closer to my dad. I guess that's a blessing in disguise, family can help you heal It also helps I have an amazing mother in law (sorry if that just made you cry Judy).

And that goes along with today's writing prompt, as it is a photo from my wedding that my mother missed.

Day 17, Friday: A favorite photo of yourself and why

I love this photo. My sister took it as we came out of the temple, just brand newly married to greet all of our family and friends. Not too often do you get a glamorous laughing photo on your wedding day just spontaneously. I have a lot of amazing staged photos from my wedding that are all vintagey and special, but I love this one because it was a real moment captured.

Day in the Life

Day 15, Wednesday: A Day in the life (include photos from throughout your typical day)

Start off the day by hitting snooze and squeezing in an extra 10 minutes of sleep.

After I get out of the shower I can hear the cat on the other side of the door meowing for me to eat something so she can get the leftovers. I used to give her my milk from cereal, and even though it's been months, she still meows for it. Sometimes she consoles herself by drinking the water in the bathtub right after I've showered.

I gotta do a little hair scrunch for the curls to look their best.

Then this is pretty much how my day goes at work.

Lately I've been taking a picture every day and sending it to Hal, here's the one I took yesterday.

After I come home I go right into the 30 day shred before I lose all motivation and just sit on the couch.

via

Lately I've been busting through episodes of The Hills. It's interesting to watch it now as an adult, because I am a year younger than them and was totally into the show back then. As an adult, I'm like Get Over It.

And then I end the day with some snuggle time with my kindle.

10 Happy Things

Day 14, Tuesday: Ten things that make you really happy

via

1. A sweet e-mail from Mr. Hal every day.

2. That it takes kitty .02 seconds to lay in the sun after I open the curtains.

3. That this Grand Canyon trip might actually happen.

4. Going outside in 90+ degree weather and not instantly being covered in sweat.

5. My next doula client is already dilated to a 4 and could go any day.

6. Getting a call back for a second job.

7. Thunderstorms.
8. All of my sisters will be together this weekend.

9. Hal having an interview for a summer internship.

10. It's my birthday month!

What's been making you happy?