I'm a Winner!

I am now officially an award winning blogger, thanks to my good friend Sarah over at Life as Always who has nominated me for the Liebster Award!
 

Okay, I confess. Sarah actually nominated me for this prestigious award way back in June! I am so embarrassed to admit that it has taken me five months, five freaking months, to get my sh*t together and get this posted. It has been sitting in my drafts folder, haunting and jeering at me. But not anymore, this I'm posting this baby.

But seriously, a great big Thank You to Sarah for this nomination! I already get to spend at least forty hours a week with this wonderful lady. Yes, that is right, we are co-workers. Jealous much? 'cause you should be! I have really enjoyed getting to know her more through her blog. So be sure to check it out, you will be missing out if you don't!
 

The Ground Rules:

 

•Acknowledge the blog that nominated you in a post.

•Share 11 facts about yourself.
•Answer the 11 questions the nominating blogger created.
•Nominate 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers that you believe deserve some recognition.
•Post 11 questions for them to answer.
•Notify all the bloggers selected that they have been nominated.
•And finally, you can't nominate the blog who nominated you.

Me and my Mr. Wonderful Hubby, Joel

11 Facts About Me:

1. My hair changes color. In the summer time, it gets blonder the more time I spend in the sun. In the winter, it gets darker from the lack of sunshine. It has always done this.

2. I have one birth mark on the tip of my right ring finger that always gave me away when I put my hand in front of the camera to block photos my mom was trying to take. I couldn't deny it was me that was up to no good, when there is my birth mark, blocking her photos of my sisters.

3.  I have an older half sister, but she has decided she doesn't want to know her birth mom or her birth family. It hurts, but really, it is her loss. We are super cool. Her family did change her name from Carrie (my mom's name for her) to Jennifer, which fits with all the J names in my family (Janice, Jaisha, Jessica, Jacqueline, and Julie). Weird.

4. When I don't like something, when I don't agree with something, or when I just want to show my disgust, I grunt. It is a nice little grunt, like a hum or something, not anything cave-man like. I have been told this grunt sounds just like Marge Simpson when I do it. I swear I picked this habit up from Joel, since he does it all the freaking time, but I am the only one who gets called out on it. (insert Marge grunt here.)

5. I can't help it but I love to tickle Joel. When you tickle him really good, he laughs a special laugh that I just love to hear. Poor Joel gets tickled a lot. He hates it. I on the other hand, can turn off the ticklish feeling you get, so he can't tickle me back.

6. I have a lot of nicknames: Jess, Jessie, Bessie, Jessie-Bessie, Bessie-kins, Messie-Jessie, Jess-o Extrem-o, Odellson, Jodell, Amazon, Green Giant, Hot Pickle, etc. I like nicknames and plan to name my children names that have easy nicknames.

7. I am a major Baltimore Orioles fan (see picture above). They haven't won much since winning the World Series in 1983, but they are my number one favorite baseball team. Also, I genuinely enjoy baseball. Also the Seattle Mariners are my number two favorite baseball team.

8. I am a terrible speller. I rely way too much on spellcheck. My dad is the same way, so he says I come by it honestly. Once I misspelled my own last name on a high school final exam. Maybe it was nerves. Maybe I'm just that bad at spelling.

9. I usually fall asleep within ten minutes of getting into bed and I stay asleep the entire night. It drives Joel crazy, because it takes him a long time to fall asleep. And there I am, sleeping away the night like a real jerk. Poor Joel.

10. People always mistake me for my sister Julie and Julie gets mistaken for me. When they see us together, people assume we are twins. We are not twins; in fact we are three years apart. It is especially confusing to neighbors because Julie lived with Joel and I for nearly three years, so they always thought it is me they are talking to. Drives Julie crazy. Which makes me laugh.

11. I once had webbed fingers. I had burned my hand really badly when I was about ten years old. The nurse wrapped fingers together incorrectly and skin started to grow back between my fingers, so the doctor had to cut me fingers again.

I was a pretty awesome kid.

11 Questions for Me:

•If you were a super hero what powers would you have?  If I could have any super power, I would have the ability to fly, the power to stop people from talking (so when I was tired of listening, I could just silence them for a bit), and I would be able to eat anything I wanted, whenever I wanted and I would always have that superwoman-in-shape-rocking-it body! I think that would be really cool.

•If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature what new animal would you create? I really couldn't decide what I would create, so I asked Joel what he thought I would mix and he said, "You'd probably mix a duck with a rabbit, because you go crazy when you see both those animals. So I guess you would make a dubbit or a bunck." Can you imagine, a rabbit that waddles - so cute!

•What historical figure would you love to see in 21st century life? I would love to see Susan B. Anthony in the 21st Century. She was a leader in women's rights and I am a strong believer in education for girls and women; empower women and you change the world.

•What phrase do you say the most?  Joel says that I say "okie dokie" and "no worries" at least five times a day.

•If you could steal one thing without consequence what would it be? Is a trip-around-the-world a possible answer?

•What is your favorite thing about yourself (physical or otherwise?) I like my eyes. I receive a lot of compliments about my eyes and I like how they change color depending on what I'm wearing.

•If you could live anywhere, where would that be? It is not very creative, but right where I am. I love the Seattle area!

•If you were crowned ruler of the world, what's the first law you would make?  The first rule I would make would be no breaking the rules; I can't stand it when people don't follow the rules. That is why we have them, to create order and even the playing field.

•What's the most unusual conversation you've ever had?  Oh heavens, this one is just too hard to answer. I can have twenty strange questions pop into my head a day and if I am with Joel, I will bust it out and ask him. But oddly enough just the other day I was discussing how you can literally throw away a car in your regular trash can, as long as you cut it up into bits first. True story. Completely legal.

•What is the best present you've ever received?  Joel gave me an engagement ring on the day I graduated from college, that was a great graduation gift!

•Would you rather go back in time and meet your ancestors, or travel into the future and meet your great grandchildren?  Back in time! My middle name comes from my great-great Aunt Florence Sweetman who at the age of 13, sailed from Europe, around the bottom of South America, all the up to British Columbia to live with her dad, a British Navy solider who was stationed in BC for the British American Pig War. I would love hear her courageous story.

Drum Roll.... And the Nominations Are:

(in alphabetical particular order of course!)
 

1. Ashley @ Rainstorms and Love Notes
2. Brittin @ Olson's Travels
3. Courtney @ From Here to Eternity
4. Faye @ Faye's Book
5. Kathleen @ Somethin' Bout a Truck
6. Katie @ The Carb Monster
7. Kristine @ Living Barefoot and Crazy

8. Laura @ Oh Laura Darling 

9. Melissa @ Two Miracles

10. Taylor @ The Daily Tay

(I know I broke the less than 200 followers rule, and you now know how much I need to follow rules, but hey, some of these blogs are so good, I had to break a rule or two to share them with you!)



11 Questions for You:

1. If you could chose your own name, which name would you pick?
2. If you had to live a day in another person's shoes, who's shoes would you pick?
3. Would you rather have more siblings or fewer siblings?
4. If you could be boss for a day at your current job, what would you do (guaranteed no consequences)?
5. What is a goal you have for the future (short term or long term future)?
6. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
7. What is a secret guilty pleasure of yours?
8. Which do you prefer - heels or flats?
9. Have you ever broken a bone?
10. What outdated fad do you wish would come back in style?
11. What is something you would love to be good at?

Well, now that you know way too much about me, be sure to visit the blogs of my nominations and check them out! Who knows, maybe you will make a new friend and as always, don't forget to share the bloggin-love!

XOJO