A day in history

Day 31: What one person from history would you want to spend the day with and why?

Today is the final day of the July Blog Challenge.  Some of them I have gotten up very late, but I did manage to do every day.  I can say the topics were a lot less heavy than the June Challenge.  I am looking forward to the August Challenge.  It's pretty straight forward.  Post everyday about something that makes you happy.  Sounds easy enough.  I think I can handle that.  I also plan on doing another photo challenge.  This one is of the food variety.  Now on to the last prompt in July.


This is a toughy for me because there are so many I want to spend the day with.  I think I will pick...Susan B. Anthony.  This woman did so much for women in the United States along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton.  I would like to just ask her who she liked being on the forefront of a major historical change for women.  She was a strong woman and I really do admire her.  It takes a lot to get change like that to happen.

Photo Day 31:  Summer is...
Getting to spend time with friends.  I have had a pretty busy but great summer.  I have enjoyed getting to know stuff about all of you as well as myself.  I have stepped out of my comfort zone this summer and I feel good about it.  Friends are always a blessing.

I have been going to the zoo and walking after I drop Elexis off for Orchestra Camp.  The past two days I have walked over 2 1/2 miles.  It's not too bad if you get there first thing in the morning, but around 10 the stroller mafia is in full force.  Yesterday I couldn't get through a 10 foot wide opening because of the strollers.  

Paula's July Blog Challenge

The staple of my kitchen

Day 30: What is the one thing you cannot do without in the kitchen?

This is an easy one: the microwave!  I use it all the time.  I recently put to the test on how well I would do without it when mine went out a month ago.  I was so sad.  I loved that microwave.   I replaced it that day with the newer version of mine.  I now have a button just to soften butter or cream cheese.  These are awesome for me because the urge to bake cookies sometimes comes fast and furious and I soften the butter in the micro.  It's pretty and stainless steel.

Excuse the mess in the background

Photo Day 30: Pretty

I went to the zoo today (surprised?).  I mainly went for the exercise.  I walked 2.57 miles.  I went as soon as they opened and temperature wise it wasn't too bad.  Best part, it wasn't crowded.  When I left though, the stroller brigades were in full force.  I love the PRETTY colors of the flamingo.  I love the expression I caught on the hippo's face!!  

Paula's July Blog Challenge

Just for me

Day 29: What is the last thing you bought yourself?

Last week I broke down and bought myself a new pair of capris from the resale shop.  The price?? A big $8.50.  I am a big spender when it comes to clothes...haha!  I would rather make sure my daughter has clothes before me though.  We are the same size so it makes it a little easier on buying clothes.  She is a bit more longer legged than I am though.  Other than the occasional drink at the convenience store, I don't buy myself a whole lot.  Now if I get gift cards for Christmas or birthdays...watch out!  Usually I wind up spending those on my family too.

Photo Day 29: Today I am...
Feeling loved.  This is how Cherrie expresses lots of love...lick, lick, lick, bite, lick, lick, lick....
This is not my hand, she was giving loves to my husband as he was reviewing resumes for work.

Paula's July Blog Challenge

Where has July gone

It seems this month has flown by.  It couldn't be because I was busy for most of it.  Looking at my goals I set at the beginning of the month:

Sleep In - I have slept in probably twice the entire month - must work on this more.
Swim - Yep at the Great Wolf Lodge pictures to prove it
Laugh - Did this a lot!!
Discover - Definitely did this (hello Ikea)
Nurture - I hope I did this...I should always work on this
Play - Yes!  A lot!  I fell in love with some lenses along the way
Connect - I had a missed opportunity to connect, but next time it will happen.  I have connected on deeper levels though.

Complex:
I have a tiny section of my table before it is finished.  It has eaten my lunch.  Not sure I will ever take on this type of project again (oh yes I will, who am I kidding...I like a challenge).

Didn't get around to painting my living room - oh well I was busy

I did follow along with the photo challenge.  It was fun.  I already have my next one lined up.

I also saw The Lion King this month and had to call 911 the same night
I had an awesome anniversary and we got a really great gift for each other.
Great Wolf Lodge (and Ikea) was awesome.  Had a lot of fun.
Shot my very first wedding and didn't throw up
Elexis got braces
I went to the zoo...a lot!

Here are some pictures to highlight my month:

without braces

with braces

July 4th with my family

Pig sat this guy - Freddie

Fed him!

Took pictures of him

Had a good time with her - looking my absolute best...haha

Rode with these guys - the boy is my nephew

Wanted to do more of what he is doing

Saw this - wonderful I cried - eventful night afterward

fed a few of these

These kids were so fun

symbolic Indian ritual - His father was Indian and had passed.  The empty chair is there to bless the couple.  It's a really cool story on how this picture came about.  I will definitely explain it after I get the final product.

With their respective father's 

The son that hit on me.

Love

Old School

I have been invited by the most fabulous Paula at Paula's Place.  Paula and I go all the way back to March (though I feel like I have known her longer).  I cannot wait to one day to meet her (soon!).

Here we go:

Five things I have a passion for: 

Photography 

My family

Learning

Life

Animals

Five things I'd like to learn before I die: 

How to be an architect

How to build a website from scratch

Everything Photoshop has to offer (I have only scratch the surface)

How to not feel guilty when I have to tell someone No

To be more content with myself and not bee to much of a perfectionist

Five things I say a lot

Dammit Delilah (my poor pug, she just wants to be loved on all.the.time)

I love you (that was Elexis' contribution)

When I am in the car: Get out of my way!!

Whaaaaat?  

No kidding! (this is one I have been working on breaking)

Five books and/or magazines you have read lately

People

HGTV

Cinderella Pact

Secrets of a Shoe Addict

I have started Harry Potter (no, I have not read them before...my daughter has read them all 3 or 4 times)

Five Favorite Movies

Beauty and the Beast

Breakfast Club

Grease

Fast Five

Journey 2

Five Places I would like to travel to:

Definitely to visit a few special bloggers in my life

Pretty much all of Europe

Definitely all 50 states (I would like to tour all the capitals)

Canada

Australia 

Five People I invite to do this meme: 

(please do not feel obligated)

(and, I invite anyone who wants to do it)

Lizzy @ Lizzy's Place

Jasmine @ The Happy Sloths

Flora @ A Work in Progress

Trinity @ The Ramsay Grace Blog

Jen @ Were Living a Full Life

There were other's but they were already tagged.  

Memories...of my vacation

Day 28: What has been your best vacation memory?

Ahh, I have so many....I will write about two of them.

October 2007 - Seeing the Magic Kingdom Cinderella Castle for the first time.  Yes, I burst into tears the moment I saw it.  I never dreamed that I would get to go to Disney World.  It was an awe moment for me.  Even thinking about it now, I get teary eyed.  We stayed at the Polynesian for 8 days and Magic Kingdom was one monorail stop over.  I went there every day while my husband and Elexis swam at the hotel pool.  Every day I would go to Main Street USA and just sit and admire that castle and soak it in.  I cried the day we left.  I didn't want to leave.  I visited the castle one last time before we had to board our shuttle.  When we went back again in 2011, I cried again the first time I saw it...again. I was so happy to be "home".

July 2007 - NYC - Beauty and the Beast
For our 10 year anniversary, hubby surprised me with a trip to NYC.  It had always been at the very tip top of my bucket list to see Beauty and the Beast on Broadway.  He gave me a card on July 1st that had Beauty and the Beast tickets in it.  There was also the traveling show playing in Tulsa around that same time.  I thought the tickets were for the Tulsa show.  He told me to look at the tickets closer.  When I saw that they said NYC, I burst out crying and jumped in his arms and hugged him tightly.  He was making my dream come true (I am crying just thinking about the overwhelming joy I had experienced). Even better for me, the BatB show was closing at the end of the month.  The show was amazing!  The costumes were fantabulous.  I cried when I walked into the theatre and I cried during the finale.  I am so very happy that I got to experience my dream.  We went to NYC the following year and I got to fulfill bucket list #2 item and see Grease.  It was excellent, but it will never beat Beauty and the Beast.  ANYTIME I can find Beauty and the Beast performed, I will go watch it.  Adults, kids, dogs...whatever I will go watch it.  Now I just need to go back to NYC and see Lion King and I will be complete on my Broadway Bucket List.

So both of my vacation memories revolve around Disney.  And, if you haven't noticed I cry very easily.    My husband says I am sensitive, I say I have a big heart full of love and it spills over a lot...lol.

Photo Day 28: Old
 Here is a picture of my old elementary school.  Besides the trashcans now being cemented into the ground, the school has not changed.  It has always been 4 doors down from my grandma's.  My walk to school was very short.  I remember staring out of those windows and daydreaming a lot.  I would love to visit the inside of the school one of these days.  I love the distinctive smell of elementary school.

Paula''s July Blog Challenge

Sunday Stealings

I have decided to participate in one of these.  This is totally cut and pasted from the page.

This week's questions come from a defunct blog called Tense Teacher. 


Massive Alphabet Meme, part one

The Letter A 
Are you agnostic? no
What is your age? 35...wah
What annoys you? most people...and some things...haha

The Letter B
Do you like bacon? no, my family thinks I am inhuman...they love bacon
When is your birthday?  Jan 8
Who is your best friend? I have a lot of them.  I would have to go with myself.  I am my own best friend and my own worst enemy.  I am the only one who truly knows me best.  

The Letter C 
What is your favorite candy? Pop Rocks and Reese's Pieces
Who is your crush? The Rock!   
When was the last time you cried? Yesterday while reading a blog (an every day occurrence for me...lol) and while watching Hotel for Dogs...again.

The Letter D
Do you daydream? all the time.  That's why I like to read.  It's daydreams written on paper.
What is your favorite kind of dog? Right now I am partial to pugs, but I really love all dogs.  I do not prefer Yorkies, or Pomeranians though.  
What day of the week is it? Sunday

The Letter E
How do you like your eggs? As far away from me as possible.  I don't like eggs, or breakfast foods for that matter.  I force myself to eat oatmeal.  
Have you ever been in the emergency room? yes, with my knee after the horse and straining every ligament in my wrist. 
What’s the easiest thing to ever do? breathe...it comes naturally

The Letter F
Have you ever flown in a plane? yes.  First time when I was 18, hubby and I flew to San Francisco for him a job interview.  
Do you use fly swatters? When I remember where they are.  I did just buy a cute one in the shape of a frog.
Have you ever used a foghorn? I live in Oklahoma, I wouldn't even know where to find one!

The Letter G
Do you chew gum? Yes, I pretty much like all the gum.  
Ever tried gazpacho? yes, I love it
Are you a giver or taker? I am a giver.  I would so much rather give than receive.

The Letter H
How are you? fine, thanks for asking...a little tired.
What’s your height? I am 5'5"  I appear taller because I wear shoes that usually have a 1" height to them (athletic shoes not heels...do you remember how graceful I am)
What color is your hair? brown.  I need to get it cut.

The Letter I
What is your favorite ice-cream? I don't have one.  I don't really like diary 
Have you ever ice-skated? yes, just this year.  Didn't fall.
Do you play an instrument? nope, my kid is making up for it though; she plays 2.

The Letter J 
What is your favorite jelly bean? Starburst tropical...yum
Do you wear jewelry? I wear a heart necklace my husband got me on our 10 year anniversary from Tiffany.
Have you heard a really hilarious joke? yes, I am horrible at remembering and retelling though.

The Letter K 
Whom do you want to kill?  It changes on a daily basis
Do you want kids? I have one.  She is my world.
Where did you go to kindergarten? Lexington Elementary School  Mrs. Meskimons, she still teaches there.

The Letter L
Are you laid-back? honestly...probably not.  I am kind of high maintenance in areas, laid back in others.  I am pretty intense though.
Do you lie? honestly...who doesn't...
Do you love anyone? yes, I love a lot of people.  

The Letter M
What is your favorite movie? Beauty and the Beast
Do you still watch Disney movies? haha, that's pretty much all I watch!!  I am a Disney freak!!
Do you like mangoes? Yes, I do.

This was pretty easy to play along with.  

My love for my phone...

Day 27: Do you have a smartphone? Tell us why you love it.

Yes, I have an iPhone 4S.  The only reason I don't have a 5 is because they changed to plug and it makes me mad to have to change all my chargers.  I have had an iphone since the very first one.  I love all the technology in it.  It is my calendar, my camera (at times), my address and phone book, my gps, my online price comparison tool, my media outlet, my portable radio with a ton of songs, my alarm clock, my face time with my nephew and sister who live far away from me, and so much more.  Now saying that, I am not a slave to my phone.  I have gone places without it.  I refuse to answer it during dinner or when I am talking with someone.  It irks me when I am trying to talk someone and they have their attention on their phone.  If the new iPhone is only minor tweaks when it comes out; I may jump ship and go to Samsung.  My husband has the two and my daughter has the three and I really like them.  I will more than likely stick with my iPhone.  I am not big on change.

Photo Day 27: Shadow
The shadow from a bench.  I loved the swirls.

Paula's July Blog Challenge

Yellow

Day 25: Post a picture of something yellow:

A pretty flower at the zoo!  

Day 26: Weather

Lots of rain and lost of clouds.  I am loving the rain and the weather.  I hope it keeps up.

Paula's July Blog Challenge

Just take look, it's in a book...

Day 25: What was your favorite childhood book?

From a very early age, I have loved reading.  Reading will take you anywhere, any time period, any type of character.  I think the first book I  learned to read by myself was the Poky Little Puppy (I will have to check with my mom on that).  I loved that book.  Pretty much any of the Little Golden Books were my favorite.

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My favorite chapter book when I was in second grade, was Kavik, the wolf dog.  I read this book several times.  In fact, the cover fell off I read it so much.

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The Indian in the Cupboard - If I can find my copy of this, I am so reading it again.  Man I love this series.  Checking the library now!

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Babysitter's Club - These girls were my best friends.  I owned a lot, but I read all of them.  By far my most favorite books ever!

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Really I could go on and on...like Sweet Valley High, Little House on the Prairie, Christopher Pike, The Boxcar Children, on and on and on....

I was a very passionate reader, still am when I have the time.  I would pretty much read anything.  I have passed this love on to my daughter.  The girl loves her some books.  :)

Photo Day 25: From an angle:

Here is another wedding picture, I am almost finished editing them all.  Now to make a DVD and a proof book.  There are of the arch of candles they were married in front of.  

Paula's July Blog Challenge

Be still my teenage heart

Day 24: Who was your childhood celebrity crush?

I have already mentioned how boy crazy I was (still am).  The celebs that made my heart flutter back in the day of adolescence are:

Luke Perry - Dylan McKay on Beverly Hills 90210.  Giant poster on the back of the door.  Never missed an episode.  Still love his hair!

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Joey McEntire - Oh my preteen/teen heart!!!  I still love him.  He has gotten better looking!  He would not have to sing "Please Don't Go Girl" to me, because I would never leave him.  Always my favorite New Kid.

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Kirk Cameron - Growing Pains.  My first real crush on a celeb.  Again, he has gotten better looking with time.  

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Fred Savage - Wonder Years.  I wanted him to be my boyfriend.  I loved watching Oswald with Elexis when she was younger because Fred Savage was the voice of Oswald.  

Fred Savage

Pat Sajak - Don't judge.  My grandma and I watched him every single night.  We both had a crush on him.  I wanted to be Vanna so I could just stand beside him.  

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Other favorites: Scott Baio -- Charles in Charge; Ricky Schroder -- Silver Spoons; Mario Lopez -- A.C. Slater Saved by the Bell

Photo Day 24: Play

Sometimes I like to play dress up with my dog, Delilah. haha  No, I do not do this often and I bought this last year on clearance (couldn't pass it up for $4).  She hates clothes.  I think it is quite funny to see my roly poly pug in a bikini.  

Paula's July Blog Challenge