Liebster Blog Award

08.16.12

I was given a Liebster Award today by Jasmyne @ A Fisher's Wife: A Journey of Expecting the Unexpected. Thank you, Jasmyne!

[crowd chants] Speech! Speech!

I would like to thank my parents, my cousin Sarah ... ok, ok, I'm kidding - a speech isn't necessary, but I'm a [goofy] daydreamer.



Liebster Award
LIEBSTER - The meaning:
A German word meaning sweet, kind, nice, dear, beloved, lovely, valued and welcome.


Here are the guidelines for the Liebster:

• Post 11 random facts about yourself.

Answer 11 questions the presenter has asked you, and give 11 questions to the people you’ve awarded. [Choose 11 deserving bloggers and share your post with them. REMEMBER! The people that you choose should have less than 200 followers]

Tell them you’ve chosen them for the award. [No tag backs]

Snag this button and proudly display it on your blog!

My 11 Random Facts:

• I have a fear of eating noodles
• Denise is actually my middle name [but I've always gone by it]
• I wish I owned a tree farm
• ... And a mini-horse [named Petunia]
• I love reality tv shows
• I always hit snooze at least once
• I'm having a hard time coming up with 11 of these
• I am envious of people with a "green thumb"
• I think I'm the world's best driver
• I work with people who land rovers on Mars
• I am obsessed with the flavor grape

And here are the questions that Jasmyne asked me:

1. Who is your biggest role model? Why?
Sally Ride, the first American woman in space. Prior to her first space flight, she was subject to media attention due to her gender. During a press conference, she was asked questions like "Will the flight affect your reproductive organs?" and "Do you weep when things go wrong on the job?" Despite this, and the historical significance of the mission, Ride insisted that she saw herself in only one way — as an astronaut. After she retired, she co-founded a company that inspires young women to work in science fields.

2. What is your dream car?
Definitely a Jaguar, I love the body shape and the emblem on the front hood

3. What is the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you?
I pee'd on myself in Kindergarten. To this day, I still remember sitting there in horror, hoping no one would notice [but they did & I was sent home in pink cuduroys from the nurses office]

4. What do you consider your greatest strength?
My ability to remain thankful through tough times

5. What are some of your pet peeves?
Politics on Facebook, spiders who weave their webs where I need to walk, constant complainers, sticky price tags directly on an item

6. Why did you start blogging?
When I was diagnosed with Avascular Necrosis, I knew that I had a wild ride ahead of me. And I didn't want to forget any of it. And because I love to write.

7. What is your favorite accessory?
Definitely earrings. Can't leave home without them.

8. Cat lover or dog lover?
Dog lover. Litter boxes gross me out.

9. Anything "quirky" about you (double jointed, can say ABCs backwards...?)
I'm quirky by nature, but I can touch my tongue to my nose, and I laugh almost silently, which sometimes results in a snort or dorky inhalation noise

10. Do you speak any other languages?
No, not fluently :(

11. What is considered a perfect day for you?
Sleep in and wake up to bacon and pancakes, followed by a sunny afternoon at the lake, beach or pool, and ending with a family movie or game night in my slippers with pizza and an ice-cold coca-cola

Here are the questions that I am asking you]:

Tracie @ Maybe I am ... "different"
Danielle @ The Bozungs
Angie @ Pretty Hippy Angie
Katie @ A Mother's Hip Story
Christine @ Thoughts and Ramblings on Life, Love & Health

1. Why did you start blogging?
2. What is your favorite season?
3. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
4. Who is your role model?
5. What is your favorite thing about yourself?
6. What was the first concert you ever went to?
7. What is your favorite book?
8. If you could create one law, what would it be?
9. What are three words that best describe you?
10. What is your favorite quote?
11. If you had to eat one food item for the rest of your life, what would it be?

You guys are awesome. No really, I mean it.

Me: From A to Z

08.11.12

I'm doing my first blog link-up, so if you are here from 2 3 Kids, a Minivan, & a Mortgage - Welcome and thanks so much for visiting. I thought this might be a good way to "introduce" myself.

A-Age: 33
B-Bed size: Queen, but I think it's almost time to for an upgrade!

C-Chore you hate: Putting away laundry. I don't mind washing it or folding it. For some reason, I just don't like to put it away.
D-Dogs: Snoopy (lab/german shepherd mix)
E-Essential to start your day: soda is my coffee
F-Favorite color: baby blue
G-Gold or silver: silver
H-Height: I am 5'2", when my left hip collapsed, I was 5'1" on my left side (thank God that's been fixed)
I-Instruments you play: Unfortunately, none. I love to sing, but every instrument I've tried (including the recorder) has been a flop.
J-Job title: Writer/editor
K-kids: three - 2 sons and a daughter
L-Live: In VA. And yes, it's for lovers.
M-Milk? mostly chocolate
N- Nicknames: D-nice
O-Overnight hospital stay: I've had 3 overnight hospital stays since February of this year
P-Pet peeves: The word "like" when used too often
Q-Quote from a movie: "Hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies." - Shawshank Redemption
R-Right/lefty: Righty
S- Siblings: I have an older brother
T-Time you wake up: usually 7ish
U-Umbrella: My mom-in-law gave me a beach-themed umbrella so that when it's rainy, I still feel like I'm at the beach
V-Veggies you dislike: too many to name
W-What makes you run late: too many snoozes
X-X-rays you've had: too many to count

Y-Yummy food you make: my husband likes my white chicken chili the most, and it's easy to make, which is great for me. I love making different types of breads!
Z-Zoo animal: Definitely tigers (I took the image to the right at the Bronx Zoo) Though, any baby animal will do!

Never Once

08.08.12

For the first Sunday in months, I walked into church without an aide. No wheelchair. No crutches. No walker. No cane.

I thought back to recent weeks when my husband rolled me into the building, usually with my 3-year-old on one side of my lap, and my 17-month-old on the other. My 11-year-old would walk close by, carrying the bags for the little ones.

I realized that this was the start of something great. A re-birth of sorts.

The band led worship and their final song was “Never Once,” by Matt Redman. I’ve sung it in church before. But this time, it really struck a chord. The lyrics were just right. It brought me to tears.


That morning, Pastor Stu Hodges started a new series called, “Bold.”

He defined bold as “an extraordinary behavior by an ordinary person, because of an extraordinary experience.”

Throughout this journey, I’ve been surrounded by bold people: A husband who solely embraced the role of two parents with three children; a son, who rather than being embarrassed by his mom in a wheelchair or on crutches, remained proud; Parents and in-laws who remained on-call for the duration; a community group who listened and prayed with us each week; an unlimited amount of prayers and support from friends, and even some strangers.

This post is a chance for me to be bold by giving all the glory to God.

If you’ve read my past posts, then you know that this journey of mine has been accompanied by disappointments. At times, it seemed liked they were too constant to bear.

Moments like Sunday, walking into church using only the strength of my own two legs and standing up for worship, seemed a distant hope.

But because a loving God never waned, no matter how distant that hope seemed, I knew that day was coming. And it did.

I’ve been walking aide-free, with only a slight limp. I’m not pain-free, and I don’t expect that I ever will be. But I can say with certainty, that I could not have made it this far without a healing God who carried me through it all.

At times, I’ve felt like David from the Bible, standing up to the mean giant, Goliath. I was just one person in a world of people who were trying to be bold, while overcoming an obstacle.

How could I, so small and insignificant, beat this horrible condition that quickly took away my previous life?

But stone by stone, I took down my giant down. The boldness to do so came from above. I’ve had to leave pieces of myself behind. In a way, I am still grieving the "old me." But spiritually, the "new me" is better off.

Never once did I ever walk alone.

[You can read my full testimony here]: http://learning2walkagain.blogspot.com/p/my-overly-lengthy-testimony.html

“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you." -- Deuteronomy 31:6

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