10 Day Challenge: Day 6

Day 6: 5 foods I love

Number 5: Lasagna

Thanks to my Grandmothers amazing recipe, I won a cook-off at school. I love it because it combines some of my favorite foods all into one dish..sausage, tomato sauce, pasta and CHEESE!! YUM. 

Number 4: Mostly anything that can be cooked in a crockpot

So at my house we have "Crockpot Mondays" during the winter months. My dad and I created this last year when everyone would get home on a Monday and not want to cook anything. So we thought why not let the crockpot do the cooking for us. Every Monday we do something different from stews to pot roasts.  We try to do new different recipes and 95% of the time it comes out AMAZING! (not to mention we usually have a bottle of wine to go with it). There is nothing like coming home on a rough day to a delicious meal.  

Number 3: Cheese Grits!
One of my favorite restaurants in NC, called "The Flying Biscuit" sells the most amazing grits! I crave them every time I go south and beg Jman to let us stop there and get some. Jman and I were able to find the recipe online and make it on special sundays.

"Creamy Dreamy Grits"

Number 2: Tacos
Every time we have Tacos I sign the Taco song that goes like this "Taco Taco Taco night its going to be Taco night!!!" We used to have Taco night all the time in college. (Embarrassingly enough I used to be able to put down 6 or 7 tacos in one sitting!!). This is one of those things I could eat every week for the rest of my life and never get sick of. YUM!

Number 1: Tabbouleh
My father and his family are Lebanese and so we make a KILLER Tabbouleh. For those of you who don't know what that is, it is a salad made of wheat, tomato, cucumber, parsley and lemons. In the summer we will make triple batches of it that won't last 1 day in the fridge.

10 Day Challenge: Day 5

Day 5: 6 Places I want to go

I actually crawled out of my nice warm bed to blog this one.. so its going to be short! 

Number 6: Las Vegas! 

(I can't believe I still have not gone!)

Number 5: New Orleans

(It comes highly recommended by many of my friends)

Number 4: Grand Canyon 

(Because I am an Earth Science Geek!)

Number 3: Disney Land
(Just for fun!)

Number 2: New York on New Years Eve
(Everyone should experience this once in a life time!)

Number 1: Alaska

(Again because I am a science geek...I want to see the northern lights!!)

10 Day Challenge: Day 4

Day 4: Seven things I want

Number 7: A Beach House

This one is sort of ironic because I hate the beach..(Sand is annoying and I don't like swimming in the ocean). However, a place to be able to escape to for a weekend, week or summer would be amazing! I loved the place we stayed at in the Outer banks for my sisters wedding this past June!

Number 6: A wine cellar
I have to admit, I am a major Wineo. I would love to be able to walk down into my wine cellar and pick a bottle of wine from a selection of hundreds! (Hey! No where on this challenge did it say we had to have realistic wants!!). Plus, if a zombie apocalypse ever happens I want to be well stocked.

Picture from: Custom Residential Wine Cellar by Wine Cellar Innovations

Number 5: A Jet Bathtub
There is nothing more relaxing then sitting in a nice hot bath tub, with candles and a glass of wine.

Picture from: http://www.house-decorating-ideas.com

Number 4: A Home Theater
Since my parent's house has a home theater I have been spoiled with the thought of having one too. So many of our family nights have been spent watching movies together or playing rock band. I truly think that room has brought my family together.

Picture from: http://homeslayout.com/

Number 3: A Garden
I love going to the garden to get fresh picked veggies for dinner. Again something my parents do that I hope to continue when Jman and I finally get a house. 

Number 2: A Boston Terrier

I love these dogs but Jman and I agree that we need to wait to get a house with a yard.

Picture from: http://www.puppy-training-at-home.com/

Number 1: A House with a wrap around porch

I don't know what it is about the wrap around porch thing but I love it! Here is my dream house..

Picture from: amazingplans.com

10 Day Challenge: Day 3

Day 3: Eight things I fear

You will find a theme with many of the things that I "fear" which is that I have a very active imagination. Many times I find myself being scared because I come up with "What if" situations that only happen in the movies and once in a million years.

Number Eight: Traveling/Flying
Flying and Traveling are just NOT comfortable to me. I guess you can consider me a homebody. I would much rather be sitting feet up on my couch at home than sitting next to a strange person in an airplane. "What if there is a terrorist attack". "What if the engine fails". "What if I get kidnapped in a strange country and sold into prostitution" (see the movie taken). 

Number Seven: Being Stuck in Small Spaces
Especially an elevator or a car truck..   GET ME OUT OF HEEEERRRREEE!!!

Number Six: Haunted Rides/Scary Movies
Especially realistic scary movies like Saw, Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Human Centipede.. Hey! It could happen! 

Number Five: Breaking Roller coasters
More What ifs... "What if we got stuck at the top for hours". "What if we got stuck upside down". "what if it derailed" 

Number Four: The Ocean
I think this is more of Fear of the Unknown.. I don't like swimming near things that I can not see and I although I am a strong swimmer, rip tides and waves are scary! 

Number Three: Getting Lost in a Strange place
See Blair Witch Project.. Getting lost in the woods at night... AHH!!

Number Two: Being Murdered/Going missing
I have never really had a fear of dying. I know that God has a plan for us and death is just an ending to time on earth.. BUT with that being said.. after Jman and I were robbed at gun point I kind of developed this fear. I would never want my family to have to go through what many other families go through... searching for weeks or months for their missing daughter or finding their dead daughter.. it is terrible. When we were robbed thats all I could pray about. "Dear Lord please give my family strength and guidance". 

Number One: Premature Loss of Family

Losing one of my family members before they had a "full life" scares me on a more selfish level. "What would I do with out my dad to walk me down the isle", "I need my mom to help me through my first pregnancy/having kids", "How would it feel to be a widow at the age of 25". This fear has helped me to live life to the fullest. To appreciate every day I have with my family and to let go of the things that do not matter. Again I feel really blessed and thankful that I have a great family and I try to pray for those people who have lost family or loved ones "prematurely"

And for the record I hated Day 3 of this challenge.. I feel selfish, sheltered and a boring unadventurous loser.

10 Day Challenge: Day 2

Day 2: Nine things I LOVE! 

Number 9: Disney World!!

 As a family, we were truly blessed be able to go to Disney World about once every few years. For me, it is a reminder of all of the innocent, pure, fun and crazy things about being a kid. It is an escape from adult life and an adventure into the mind of a child. I can't wait to take my kids there one day. 

Where Dreams Come True

 

My family likes to look for "Hidden" mickeys while we are there. Can you see the one in this picture?

JMan's first visit to Disney World!

Number 8: Animals

When I was a little girl all my friends loved the Disney princesses. Even still today I some times am asked "Which Disney princess was your favorite" and I always say "I don't have a favorite, I loved the movies with the animals!" Lady and the tramp and Dumbo were my favorite movies. I believe from the moment I was born I was an Animal Lover. Elephants are my favorite but as I got older I fell in love with Horses. I took riding lessons and LOVED going to the barn at the crack of dawn on Saturdays and Sundays to feed the horses and clean the stalls. When I went to college, I became deathly allergic to Horses (I think it was from not being around them 24/7). So I have taken a liking to small animals like my Kitty!

Me with the Elephants at the Ren-Fest

Kitty!!

Number 7: Swimming

I love love love swimming for many reasons. First of all it reminds me of my childhood and growing up at ILBC, a local boat club. All summer long my brothers and sister would live "at the pool". We would be dropped off with a babysitter in the morning for swim team practice and we would stay there ALL day long. My parents would pack dinner that they would grill at the club and when the pool closed at 9, we would take showers, put our PJs on, drive home and do it all again the next day. For YEARS this is how I spent my summers. I hope this is how my kids grow up too. It was amazing because the whole day we were outside, making friends, playing in the woods, building forts, going canoeing, playing foxes under, playing ping pong..etc. I know so many other kids who spent their whole summer inside watching tv. Not my family. It was ingenious on my parent's part. I also love swimming because it is so relaxing. I am currently taking a Masters class and while it is a good workout, I mostly enjoy it because it calms me after a long day of work. 

Number 6: The Weather

I originally wanted to go to school to be a Meteorologist. There is something that has always excited me when looking at the radar and seeing a big storm headed our way (whether it was a snow or thunderstorm!) Who knew that the people on the weather channel are actually really really smart! (Don't get me wrong, I didn't think they were stupid..but..they actually took upper level physics, math and chemistry classes to get that position). And as much as I love science.. I couldn't pass the math courses in college. So I looked in other career directions. Still, to this day, I love the weather! 

Number 5: "Crabs and Football Baby thats what Maryland Does!" 

I love the state of Maryland (not the university). In my opinion, there is NO better place to live. We have great weather..not too hot, not to snowy. We are close to lots of places..baltimore, annapolis, DC. We can be at the beach in 2 hours or the mountains in 2 hours. We are not "Yankees" but we are not "Southern". MD summers are spent drinking beer and eating crabs. Words can't describe it. I just love my home state. 

Number 4: Technology

Where would we be without it? 

Number 3: Country Music

I love how every song tells a story. I seem to find connections to the songs and they always seem to touch me in a way that no other type of music gets to me. Some of my Favorite Country lines: 

   - "I'm Captivated by you baby, like a fireworks show"- Taylor Swift "Sparks Fly"

   - "She got whatever it is, I don't know what to do, Cause every time I try and tell her how I feel it comes out I love you"- Zac Brown Band "Whatever it is"

   - "I Thank God for my life, for the stars and strips, may freedom forever fly, let it ring"- Zac Brown Band "Chicken Fried"

   - "Remember when, we vowed the vows and walked the walk, Gave our hearts, made the start , it was hard, We lived and learned, life threw curves, There was joy and there was hurt" -Alan Jackson "Remember when" 

  - "Do you wish somebody had the nerve to tell that stupid boss of yours to shove it next time he yells at you? Well This is country music and we do" - Brad Paisley "This is Country Music"

Number 2: My Family

We don't aways get along. Yes Sometimes there is drama and Yes, Sometimes there are arguments but at the end of the day I love them. 

Number 1: My JMan

We are in NC visiting his family and at dinner his mom was telling us a few words of wisdom. She basically said "go into this wedding knowing divorce is not an option. You are going to have hard times. But remember why you fell in love with each other in the first place and don't ever stop being best friends. Listen to each other." So after that I got to thinking..Why DO I love my Jman? So here it is.. There are three main reasons why I know I want to be with this man for the rest of my life. 1. He is the best listener out of anyone I know. He listens to every word I say and remembers it. He remembers the smallest details about our relationship.  2. Jman gives great advice. He is not afraid to tell me when he thinks I am wrong (but has a perfect grace about saying so without hurting my feelings). He tells me his opinions and lets me know when he thinks I am being too emotional or irrational but he is always by my side no matter what decision I make. 3. He thinks I am beautiful (and makes me feel beautiful) even on my worse days. No make up, crying, allergies, sick. It doesn't matter. He loves me and lets me know it. So he made it to the top of the list. 

10 Day Challenge

Its been awhile..

Wedding planning is good. School is good. I am taking a swimming masters class which is fantastic. I am so so thankful for everything I have in my life! Recently I have been obsessed with Post Secret Blog's iPhone app. It truly has made me feel blessed and lucky. Anyway... While reading a friend's blog (Iridescentindigo) I decided this 10 day challenge thing would be a fun way to get back into the blogging thing. 

So here it goes: Day 10.

Secret 10: Unlike many girls.. I really do not care about the details of my Wedding day. From the beginning I have said.. I want all my family and friends to have fun. Which to me = good food, good drinks, good music and safe transportation... All the other details don't matter to me at the end of the day. 

Secret 9: I miss college. I miss the freedom to do what ever you want when ever you want to. Being in the real world is just not the same. I am excited for the future and what is coming ahead of me but I can't help but look back at all the fun times I had and miss it. 

My very first dorm room at school

Pi Phi Parties

Football Games

504 friends

My first apartment!

Graduation Day.. Bittersweet. 

Secret 8: I am a really bad speller. People think because I am a teacher I can spell.. Nope! I am also a terrible reader. I read very very slowly and it takes me a few times to go back and re-read something before I understand it. 

Secret 7: I do not see myself being a teacher forever. It is so emotionally and physically draining. It is some times scary to know that every day i go into work I could impact a teenagers life for the better or for the worse. I try to stay positive every day, to be happy and to show the students I care but It is really difficult to do sometimes when teachers get thrown 100 million other things to do besides teach. 

Secret 6: 90% of the time I HATE Cable TV. I would be happy getting rid of it (but Jman loves his sports). I can't believe all of the trash they play these days. 

Secret 5: I would be perfectly fine not telling my kids about santa clause. I feel it is really important to teach your kids the true meaning of Christmas (and receiving gifts is not what is important!).

Secret 4: The thought of traveling outside of the country scares me. One day I would love to go to Italy, France, Germany, Australia, Mexico, Canada...and many many others, but I don't know the first thing about traveling in those countries. I hope that one day I get over that fear. But for now I want to travel to every State and experience everything amazing this country has to offer

Secret 3: I keep up with people through Facebook. If you look up Facebook stalker in the dictionary my picture is what you will see.. 

Secret 2: Although I am allergic to them, I really REALLY want a dog!! Boston Terriers are amazing. 

Secret 1: It took me almost 2 hours to come up with 10 secrets.. 

Happy Thanksgiving All!