30 day challenge...Day 18.

Day 18-discuss your greatest fear and your greatest dream.

Greatest fear-I believe I have already discussed this one a few days back...not being happy, but as to not bore you with more of that mumbo jumbo, I came up with something else.  Settling for less.  Not feeling worthy enough to pursue, deserve, or ask for more or something else in my life.  Some call it "throwing in the towel" when they are done, but ultimately, you are settling for less. 

I have come to love and think of this quote often... "Life's only limitations are the ones you accept."

Some may argue that my "greatest fear" is not something to really be afraid of.  Well, here are some of my other fears...snakes, spiders, strange noises in the night, horror movies, death, the list can go on and on.  The difference is that I can avoid these things...and I do.  And sure I can avoid settling for less, but sometimes, life throws curve balls, and giving in just seems easier.  So "settling for less" is definitely something that I would be afraid of...something I would fear.  Why?  Because I know that if I ever have to settle for less, I am in trouble.  I am letting my good and better judgement of my own character slide downward.  I would be certainly letting myself down, slipping away from who I am. 

Greatest dream-Contentment, being happy, and living life to the fullest.  Having all the joy in the world, wherever I may be, in the palm of my hand. 

Day 18 quote-Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, their supposed to help you discover who you are.
-Anonymous

30 Day Challenge....Day 17.

Day 17-10 pictures of things that make you smile and a picture of you smiling.

Day 17 quote-quote your favorite lyrics.

Not talkin' 'bout a year

No not three or four
I don't want that kind of forever
In my life anymore
Forever always seems
to be around when it begins
but forever never seems
to be around when it ends
So give me your forever
Please your forever
Not a day less will do From you
-Ben Harper "Forever"

Listen to it here.  <----This was our first dance song at our wedding...I love it.

30 Day Challenge....Day 16.

Day 16-Your celebrity crush.

Josh Hartnett...

but

he is

NOTHING

compared

to

this

other

guy I

know.

Nope...

NOT

EVEN

CLOSE!

Yep...you may or may not know him... :-)



Day16 quote-a quote from a tv show.

"The Bird is the word!" -Family Guy

30 Day Challenge....Day 15.

Day 15-a picture of something you don't want to forget.

Graduation from High School...look at Andy's cheesy smile!

NYC

Our Honeymoon to Mexico

Our Wedding!

Day 15 quote-a quote from a movie.



30 Day Challenge....Day 14.

Day 14-something you are insecure about.

I worry a lot.  I don't know why.  I can't think of a certain thing I am entirely completely insecure about though.  I can work through a lot of things on my own, and learn. 

I get insecure about work.  I freak if something small goes wrong, or if I make a mistake, I tend to dwell and dwell and dwell on how dumb I was for making that mistake.  I think I expect A LOT more of myself than I should sometimes...especially if I am unfamiliar with a situation. 

I used to think I had to make everyone happy, satisfied.  That never worked.  And I learned that I can beat myself up about it all I want, but their will always be someone out there that will not agree with me or not be happy with me or my decisions. 

I learned to stop thinking like this. 

I started thinking about how I felt about a situation...not how it would effect others.

And then,

I realized how much I had been missing.

And I haven't looked back. 

Day 14 quote-a quote from a favorite author.

"If you're holding out for universal popularity, I'm afraid you will be in this cabin for a very long time."
-J. K. Rowling

30 Day Challenge...Day 13.

Day 13-discuss your first out of state travel experience.

My first travel endeavour out of state would have to be when I went to the National FFA Convention in Louisville, KY.  I was a freshman though, and I don't really remember what all happended and what I all did, so I am writing about my second travel experience....Mobile, Alabama.

I went to Mobile on a church mission trip with 1 other person that I knew from my church.  We boarded a charter bus filled with kids our age and younger/older who we didn't know from Northeast Iowa, and headed south!  I remember being so nervous to get on a bus where everyone knew each other, but us.  We started off and ended up halfway there and spent the night in a hotel.  I quickly made friends with the two girls sitting in front of us on the bus. 

When we arrived in Alabama, we met up with a huge group of other Catholic students who were on the same mission as we were.  We were split into groups and told what we would be doing for the rest of the time we were there.  I was a part of a group that was working on making a closet in the bathroom of a house that would be made available for low income families in the area. 

This trip literally changed me.  It was one of those things that makes you appreciate all you have and all you work for.  Not only did I get to help build something for someone else, but I also made some friends who I will never forget.  I got to see the ocean too, and that was amazing.  Nothing I could have ever imagined. 

I also got to see the ocean, the landscape, and the city of Mobile before hurricane Katrina hit the area the following fall.  It was hard to watch the things on TV knowing you had seen all of the area in such a much better time, and knowing it would probably never look the same. 

This trip was amazing; it made me step out of my comfort zone and let me experience life in a totally different area of the country.  I am so thankful I got to experience such a great trip.

Day 13 quote-a quote from a book.

"I do not like green eggs and ham, I do not like them Sam-I-Am!"-From I Do Not Like Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss.

See ya in a few!

I'm going down to State Wrestling for the next two days! Andy didn't make it to Wells Fargo this year, but he put up a good fight against some top ranked Seniors at his weight class. 

Catch up with my 30 day challenge on Friday! :)  Enjoy!

30 Day Challenge...Day 12.

Day 12-a picture of the place you were born.

Dubuque, IOWA

And if you are ever there...you should ride up the 4th street elevator!!

Day 12 quote-a quote about fashion/style.



30 Day challenge....Day 11

Day 11-Your biggest fear.

Not being happy. 

It is as simple as that. 

If you know me, this will make sense.

It HURTS me to see one of my friends/family sad.

I try to always see my glass half full.

And be thankful.

I think that is a key to staying happy. 

Day 11-a quote from a band member.

"The future is no place to place your better days."
-Dave Matthews

30 Day challenge....Day 10.

Day 10-a picture of a relative you are close with.

Meet my lovely cousin...Sabrina!

She is someone I have always looked up to.

I wish we lived a bit closer, but that's life.

She is going to have a BABY! :-)

I was in her wedding and she was in my wedding.

We both went to Upper Iowa.

I love spending time with her.

We always have a good time together...hahah!!

I love you so much Sabrina!!

Day 10 quote-a quote about blessings.



30 day challenge....Day 9.

Day 9-your favorite blog(s).

I am so glad I found this blog, Iowa Girl Eats, because she has some of the best recipes and she is from Iowa! 

I also have found this blog, Enjoying the Small Things, she writes so good, and always has a story about her family, or her insight on something.

Check them both out!! You won't be dissapointed!

Day 9 quote-a random quote.

30 Day challenge....Day 8.

Day 8--Five things you would like to say to five different people without saying names.

1.  Stop complaining, start living.
2.  Be a good person to others.

3.  Mind your own business.

4.  You are one of the strongest people I know. 

5.  I look up to you.

Day 8 quote--a quote from an actor.

30 Day challenge....Day 7.

Day 7--Talk about your idol and how they influence you.

My dad...

My mom...

They taught me wrong from right.

They waited for me.

They are two of the most kind-hearted people I know.

I am forever grateful for having them as my parents.

Day 7 quote--an inspirational quote.

30 day challenge....day 6.

Day 6--your favorite all time movie.

Prepared to be unsuprised....

This movie NEVER gets old!

And to make it better, I have a 2nd movie that I also enjoy...yes, I can break the rules, this is my blog! :-)

SHE. IS. AWESOME.

Day 6 quote--a quote about life.

30 day challenge....day 5.

Day 5--Discuss your feelings on the word "love" and the way it is used today.

The word "love," in my opinion, should be used often, but should also be meant in the most meaningful of ways.  I think people use the word love half hearted and it loses it's meaning.  Saying what you really mean and feel is different than saying what you are thinking at that very moment.

Love is, assuredly, the most powerful emotion you can convey to someone.  I remember back in my freshman or sophomore year of high school and a boyfriend told me he loved me after dating for 1 month...if that.  I flat out said "No, you don't."  I knew even back then that "love" was more than what you are thinking. 
Love is special.  Love is pure.  It is the one thing that brings all people together.  It is the one thing that can make you the happiest person or the saddest person.  Love is powerful.
Day 5 quote--a quote about the future.

30 day challenge....day 4.

Day 4--Your most significant childhood memory.--I have soooo many memories, but this one for some reason I have been thinking a lot about.

I remember on Christmas day 1993, my brothers, Kevin and Scott and I were playing with and putting together all of our new toys and looking at all of our new clothes we had gotten from Santa  My little brother Andy had been born in August and he was born early.  He hadn't developed his lungs fully and was struggling with RSV.  I remember seeing my mom getting ready and me asking why she was leaving.  I was so excited and wanted to show her all of my toys and stuff, but she said she had to leave to be with Andy.  I was upset, but knew Andy needed help to, so I said goodbye and she was on her way.  Andy nearly died from RSV.  My parents told me they would go and talk to him while he was in the incubator or oxygen thingy, and he would smile, but they knew his body was fighting, and it just wasn't winning.  This went on for awhile but Andy never gave up.  He miraculously got better little by little.  I don't know how long he was in the hospital.  But soon, Andy got to come home. 

He's a fighter, that's for sure!

But he's a good kid too.  :-)

Day 4 quote--a quote about family.



30 day challenge....day 3.

Day 3--your thoughts on religion.

Religion has ALWAYS been important in my home growing up.  We literally went to church every single Sunday.  Not until I was in high school did I really step back and look at the whole picture of religion.  I was born and raised Catholic, married Catholic, and still am.  I believe in God.  I also believed that it is important to worship God in your own way.  I wanted to do that, but my parents were pretty strict about stuff like that.  I wanted to see how other people worshipped, and it really didn't fly to well.  I learned though.  I realized it doesn't matter how many times you have went to church, or how many religion classes you have attended.  It matters how you live by God's word.  How you see yourself in the world he has created.  I am so thankful I have been given the life I have.  Religion is different for everyone and that's the way it should be. 

Day 3 quote--a quote about friendship.

Simple pleasures that money can't buy.

The little things...that make me smile.

• listening to an amazing singer hit the high note while singing the Star Spangled Banner.
• when you slip on a slick surface but regain you footing before you fall.
• the excited feeling you get when you step off the plane to a new city you have never been to before.
• driving through a highway patrol speedtrap when you aren't speeding.
• popping the cork on a bottle of champagne.
• pulling into your neighborhood after a long roadtrip.
• seeing somebody use and enjoy the gift you gave them.
• seeing rainbows through a yard sprinkler.
• having the exact change for something you are buying.
• the pure innocence of a newborn baby.
• when you finish a mountain of dishes and look around at a clean kitchen.
• the smell of freshly dried laundry.
• crossing things off your to do list.

30 day challenge...day 2.

Day 2--Your thoughts on death.

Well, personally, death has become a huge part of my life.  Yes, that sounds weird, but at my job I am literally surrounded by it.  I have realized how heavy grief is.  I have seen grown men get choked up about their wives who have passed away.  I have see anger in grief.  I have seen a lot it seems.  Yet still, I haven't lost anyone close to me.  And I hope it stays that way for a long time.


When I was in 4th grade my very best friend's dad passed away in a car accident.  I went to the wake.  I remember it so so vividly.  I hugged her mom, while she cried.  It was life changing not only for them, but also for me.  I wrote her a note telling her I would always be there for her.  She is quite possibly one of the most driven, and smartest woman I know.  I like to think her dad is looking down on her.

Death is hard.  Even thinking about death is hard.  All I can do is tell those who mean the most to me how much I love them.  Don't hold grudges, and always live in the moment.  Life is sooooo short when you really look at the big picture.  Why waste a single second of it?

Day 2 quote--a quote about love

A hundred hearts would be too few

To carry all my love for you.

~Author Unknown

30 days...30 things.

I found this online and thought I would try it...it's a challenge where you have to write about a topic and then also pick out a quote for a totally different topic...here we go!!

Day 1--Your favorite picture of yourself and one interesting fact for every year you have been alive.

I am so happy in this picture.  Words seriously can't describe it.

Ok, here's 23 facts!

• I drive a green bug...it was my dream car!
• I don't drink pop.
• I have two cats, Trixie and Talouse.
• My husband is my very best friend.
• I have my nose pierced!
• I have been to NYC.
• I bite my nails like it's my job.
• I like to shop.
• I love traveling!
• I enjoy coaching cheerleading.
• My husband and I work a block away from each other.
• I used to work at a locker.
• One of my most favorite jobs was being a camp counselor.
• I'm glad I started blogging.
• I wish jobs could have snow days.
• Math is something I DO NOT excel at.
• I have an urge to learn a different language.
• Someday I want a pond in my backyard.
• I have an obsession with purses.
• I love to get away for a weekend.
• My family is really important to me.
• I am rarely in a bad mood.
• I believe in God.

Day 1 quote--Your favorite quote.  I believe in it, and I use it...a lot.

Do unto others as you would have have them do unto you.

-Matthew 7:12

 

Introducing Winny Mae Herrick!

She. Is. A. Doll. 

All 7 lbs and 13oz of her is pure baby sweetness....

She fits right it!

Congrats to Holly, Andy, Titus and Cici!