30-day photo challenge: Day 2

Day 2: A picture of someone you've been close with for a while.

My best friend of 18 years: Jennifer (Floyd) Nickerson... We were actually in the same 5th grade class, but were never really friends for some reason. Then, in 9th grade, we were in the same cheering squad class and became inseparable.

A typical weekend in high school for us usually consisted of sleeping over at one of our houses on a Friday night, stay up real late watching "Breakfast Club" or talking on the phone, waking up around noon, eating lunch at McDonald's or Chick-fil-a, then hitting the mall. Jen is a year older than me, so she had a car & license before I did. That was just an added bonus for me! We also went on family vacations with each other to the beach and had so much fun!

J
Destin, FL
Summer 1994 or 1995 (?)

On June 29, 2001, Payton was born and Jen became a mommy for the first time! And I became a godmother! I think I traveled from Houston to Dallas at least once every couple of months so I could spend time with that little guy. Jen is one of the best mommies I know, and I can only hope to be half the mother she is to her children.

With Baby Payton in July 2001
(only 1 week old)

Jennifer has been there for me through the years, whenever I have needed her... and even when I haven't needed her (haha!). She is the sister I never had. We now refer to each other as "sis". We are as opposite as two people can be. Jen is outgoing, very vocal, and has enough energy to power a small country. I, on the other hand, am a little more quiet and reserved... depending on the situation, of course. But I have never had to worry about my "sis" judging or criticizing me. She loves me as I am, and for that I am very blessed. I always wished we could live closer to each other. Maybe someday we will. Until then, she is always in my heart!

Summer 2002

May 17, 2008

Jen, thank you for being the best "sis" a girl could ever hope for! I love you!

30-day photo challenge: Day 1

So, it's been over a year and a half since I last blogged. And, even back then, I only posted twice... both times about our dogs... ha! I guess I feel like I never have anything interesting to blog about. I could probably blog at least several times per week about the funny things our dogs do, but that would get old really fast (for the readers, not for me).

So, my cousin (Abby Martin) inspired me to start blogging again by doing the 30-day photo challenge. And hopefully, at the end of 30 days, I will be motivated to share more of my photos and thoughts via blog on a regular basis. Hey, you gotta start somewhere, right? So, without further ado...

Day 1: A picture of yourself with 15 facts.

1. I was born on January 11, 1978 at 10:32 am in Tyler, TX during an ice storm. The cord was wrapped around my neck at birth, so there is an ongoing joke about how the oxygen was cut off for too long and that's why I am so "blond". Also, my dad still jokes about how pointy my head was after I was born and referred to me as a "conehead".

2. I have a brother (Eric), who is approximately 2 years and 11 months younger than I. We are as different as night and day and bickered constantly growing up. But we have always shared a strange mental connection. We often think or say the same things at the same time. And we share the same sense of humor. I could sit and joke with him for hours and hours on end. I love my brother!

3. I just became an aunt for the first time on January 4, 2011 to two beautiful little girls: Ruby Claire and Mable Rose. I was so happy and honored to be at the hospital on the day of their birth. It is by far one of the happiest days of my life, thus far. We are excited to visit them in Shreveport this weekend and introduce them to their Uncle Shawn!




4. I have a pretty big scar on my forehead from running into a doorway when I was five. Apparently it got infected, which made it a bigger scar than it would have been otherwise. My parents said they even considered getting me plastic surgery when I was young to correct it. Honestly, I don't even notice it when I look in the mirror. I guess it's always been a part of me.

5. I have a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Texas (hook 'em horns!). My dream is to work with children as a child psychologist someday. I'm not quite ready to go back to get my Master's degree yet, but hopefully one day I will. The early years of a child's life is shaped so much by his/her surroundings. Most children do not know how to emotionally process difficult situations -- then again, most adults don't either! I have always had a knack for working with kids, and I like the idea of using play and drawing therapy to help a child deal with challenging issues.

6. Fall is my favorite season. I love when the leaves start turning, the smell of a woodburning fire in the air, and knowing that all the fun holidays are just right around the corner: Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. I would definitely say I am happiest from September through December!

7. I met my husband (Shawn) at Wild West on February 23, 2007. Wild West is a country dancing club/bar in central Houston. The ironic thing is, neither of us really dance at all. However, we both like to watch others dance... AND they have really tasty long island ice teas. Shawn was living in North Houston at the time, and I was in South Houston -- that is a span of 40 miles! We were very blessed to bump into each other that night. And the rest, as they say, is history... :-)

8. I love dogs. I have three of my own (Natoma, Jax, and Sadie), and they are all very spoiled. If I see a dog wandering the streets and it will come to me, I make it a mission to find its owners. In December, I found a dog walking in the snow in PA and he did not have a collar on. But I knew he must belong to someone. So I took him to an after-hours vet and he had a microchip. I took the little guy home with me to stay overnight until the vet's office could locate his owners the next morning. We had a big slumber party, and our dogs were very courteous hosts. The next morning, I reunited "Buster" with his owners. The lady was so happy that she just cried and cried when she held him. She asked what they could do to re-pay us, but I told her just to pay it forward the next time they see a stray dog.

9. I love easy listening tunes from the mid-80's, specifically from Phil Collins, Lionel Richie, and the like. The songs remind me of my very happy childhood: good times spent with my family. Some songs take me back to a family vacation, others make me think of simpler times when my brother and I used to be silly together. If I want to be transported to a more relaxing state of mind, I just start listening to my Pandora Lionel Richie station. "Hello... is it me you're looking for?" Ha!

10. Some of my favorite smells: fresh baked cinnamon rolls, a woodburning fireplace, Thanksgiving meal being prepared, a real Christmas tree, my stinky ole dogs, rain, a new car, clean laundry, fresh flowers, and so many more. I think I might expand on this topic more in a separate blog one day because there are so many, and I love the psychology behind good smells.

11. My favorite "adult beverage" is Vino Dei Fratelli Moscato D'Asti. I have always loved sweet champagne (Ballatore and Martini & Rossi), but it's very hard to find that in restaurants by the glass. So we were celebrating our first wedding anniversary at a nice restaurant in Midland, Tx back in May 2009, and they did not have any sweet champagne by the glass, only brut. So the waitress recommended this moscato. I was hooked. It's a bubbly white wine that is even sweeter than champagne, and oh so very good!

12. I love ice hockey. I'll admit, I have been out of the loop for quite a few years. But I will never forget the first time I went to a Stars game in high school. The fast-paced back-&-forth action of the players on the ice, the sounds that their skates make, the sounds of players banging into the glass, the cool air inside the arena, the fun music in-between plays, and THE FIGHTS (my favorite!). In my opinion, hockey is the best sport because these guys are not only trying to get a tiny puck into a goal, but they are doing it all on ice skates! Someday I hope to get back into the hockey grove again. Watching, not playing... obviously (see # 13 below).

13. I believe in trying something at least once before deciding you don't like it. I learned this value from my parents -- mostly when it comes to food, but I try to apply it to everything. For instance, I never tried ice skating until I was 31 years old. I had always wanted to, but was always too embarrassed. So, one weekend, Shawn & I went to the skating rink at the Odessa mall so I could finally face my fear. It was hard! I'm guessing maybe my legs weren't strong enough, but it killed my ankles. However, I toughed it out for around 30-45 minutes before finally throwing in the towel. At least now I can proudly say I tried it and it was not for me! I'll just stick to watching hockey.

14. I am a stickler when it comes to spelling and basic grammar. No, I wouldn't say I am a spelling bee champ or anything. I don't know how to spell those really hard words that no one ever uses. But it drives me CRAZY when common words are misspelled or a sentence is grammatically incorrect. It takes everything I have not to try and correct a person. I think I get it from my mom -- and I don't consider it a bad thing either! ;-)

15. One day I hope to be a real mommy -- and not just to 3 furry babies. I have wanted to be a mommy since as long as I can remember. I know one day God will bless us with the opportunity to be parents, whether it is our own flesh and blood or through adoption. Over the last few years, I have had to learn how to be patient and to trust in God's timing for my life. It's not easy, to say the least. But I know, in the end, it will all be worth the wait and struggles. And I will be the best gosh-darn mommy in the world! :-)

Yes, that is just a balloon!