Liebster Award

Celsey Bodily nominated me for a Liebster Award... Always nice to learn that people read the ole blog.
I should probably blog more often so as to keep my readers interested.
Here is how the Liebster Award works:
The real "gist" of the Liebster Award is that there is no real award. There are no judges, no special rules. No website with an official team to congratulate you and hold your hand. It's mostly what you want it to be. If you receive the award, you can 1) accept it and 2) pass it along. It's that easy."
I think it is just a great way to let people know that you love reading their blog and encourage them to keep up with their blog! So here are the rules:
Answer the 11 questions that you were asked.
Give 11 facts about yourself
Nominate 3-5 other bloggers with less than 200 followers
Create 11 questions for your nominees to answer.

My Questions from Cels:

1. What is your biggest Pet Peeve: I would have to say needing to wait on people. This is a tough one because nearly everyone I know consistently runs late. To make matters worse I am ALWAYS on time, if not early. So this means that I am always waiting on people. My thoughts on being late are this, it means that you view your time as more important than anyone else's. I think it's incredibly inconsiderate.
2. What song can ALWAYS put you in a good mood or make you smile? I would have to say Wouldn't It Be Nice by the beach boys. When I lived in Hawaii, Bree and I wrote down the lyrics to this song and sang it over and over until we had it memorized, and would sing it ALL THE TIME. Now whenever I hear that song, I think about that.
3. What is your favorite family tradition? Honestly, I just love my family. I love after dinner when we all just gather in the living room and just talk and tell stories and make each other laugh. I have been blessed with an amazing family that just loves the crap outta each other. I love sitting back and telling and retelling stories.
4. What was something that you absolutely had to have but then realized was dumb or a waste of money? I would have to say my first demo. I made a demo of all country songs. It cost me nearly $4000 and I never listen to those songs. I have them on my website, because I have them, but I don't love those songs. I don't feel like they are my style and I don't even like listening to them, or having anyone else listen to them. That being said, it gave me a good connection for a producer that went on to record every other song I have on that website, so pros and cons.
5. Have you ever been told you look like a celebrity? Which one? I have been given a few. Most common is Kate Bosworth, which I don't really get. I also get Jessica Simpson and I've gotten Kathryn Heigl but I'm pretty sure it's just because they are blonde with big boobs.
6. If you could meet 1 idol or hero (dead or alive) who would it be and why? Honestly (to get all cheesified) My dad's mom passed away when I was 20, and it wasn't until then that I realized how much she and I had in common. It broke my heart to then recognize that she had seen it all along and tried to share it with me, but I was just a dumb kid. I would love to sit with her and talk about art and music and her life.
7. What is your favorite go to recipe? Well I don't really cook, but the recipes I have are my two favorite things that my mom and dad make. My mom's chicken and rice, and my dad's enchiladas. Delish, and I am great at cooking them. I also make my mom's cucumber appetizers which always go over really well.
8. Who do you have in your final 4 for March Madness? Don't be silly, you should all be proud that I even know that is basketball.
9. Name 1 thing that you are high maintenance about. I would have to say eating. I am a picky eater and I don't like going out to eat. I know that may not sound high maintenence, but try being single and asked on dates and not liking going out to eat. I usually don't tell the guy that until we are more established because in the beginning I think it's a bit of a turn off to them, simply because they don't want to put in the effort to come up with a whole date. Going out to dinner is so easy and a good time killer. Plus I don't really eat bread, pasta, rice, red meat (or really any meat for that matter) so meals for me can be a challenge.
10. What is your favorite smell? I do love the smell of a good cologne, but it can't be too strong or I don't like it at all. I will say this though, now that I live in Arizona, every night I can smell the orange blossoms and I just LOVE IT! It reminds me of Lilac season at my parents house. I love the smell of blossoms.
11. What is your absolute favorite thing to do? This should come as no surprise to anyone, but my favorite thing to do is perform. Not just to sing, but to sing to an audience. There is no greater feeling for me than nailing a performance. Surprising people who may have had low expectations. Seeing someone crying in the audience because what I am singing moved them to tears. I just really really like to perform.

Now my 11 random facts:

1. I don't cry very often, especially don't cry in movies, HOWEVER I will cry every time there is a bonding moment between a parent and a child. Every time, and HARD.
2. I love scary movies, but I'm a total pansy. I am a screamer and a jumper and I totally embarrass myself in the movies. Not to mention I have my eyes covered in EVERY scary scene. I know, I don't get why I like them either.
3. I want to like fish. It's so good for you I want to like it and order it at restaurants. I keep trying it and I just am disappointed every time because I still don't like it. That goes for olives as well.
4. I have a thing for red heads. I'm pretty sure I was brainwashed by my mother, who desperately wants red headed grandbabies, but they just always seem to turn my head.
5. I have a sense of humor type. It annoys a lot of my family because it is the thing I am most picky about. Before I moved to AZ my sister's last advice to me was, "They don't have to be funny". The thing is, the kind of sense of humor I love is the kind that is so clever and witty. The dry sense of humor that catches you off guard. I don't HAVE to have that in my relationship, but I can promise you, regardless of the guy's looks, if he has it, he WILL turn my head.
6. Facebook drives me crazy. That may surprise you as I am on it a lot, but a big pet peeve of mine is people forcing their opinions down other people's throats. Facebook gives people that venue way too much for my liking.
7. Relating to #6 Facebook has ruined college football for me. I hate college football season because I hate hearing people battle about it in facebook all the time. The rest of the year everyone is friends and happy (for the most part) but college football season starts and if you are a U fan, anyone associated with BYU is the scum of the earth and deserves berating, and vice versa. I can't stand it. CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG!
8. I love a lot. Meaning I give love easily, which causes me to get hurt a lot. I am an innocent until proven guilty kinda girl and unfortunately people are "proven guilty" a lot and I end up hurt. I just want everyone to be what I see in them in the beginning, and more often than not, they don't live up to it. Maybe I expect too much outta people?
9. My favorite book is Dracula. That may seem strange, but it's SUCH a fascinating book. I think what I love most about it is the fact that it was written in the 19th century and EVERY myth we hear about vampires comes from that book. SO creative! It's a page turner. I recommend it.
10. I am NOT domestic. I don't cook, I'm not crafty, I don't like shopping (that's more of a girly thing than a domestic thing, I guess I just mean I'm not as girly as one would expect)
11. I am a hopeless, HOPELESS romantic. That's all I'm gonna say about that.

I am tagging. Jennie, Lexie Ward and Sayward.

Your Questions:
1. What is your favorite thing about being married?
2. What is your favorite thing about being a mom?
3. What is one thing you have to do every day?
4. What is your favorite thing to wear?
5. What is your favorite thing to do with your spouse? (keep it clean ladies!)
6. If you had a night to yourself how would you fill it?
7. What is your favorite thing to do?
8. If you could buy anything right now what would it be?
9. Would you rather craft or buy?
10. Do you have a favorite recipe?
11. Who is the bigger disciplinarian? Who do you think it will be as your kids get older?

This was fun! Thanks for the nomination Cels!

New Life

So, about a month and a half ago I decided to move to Arizona...
The whole decision process was a pretty easy one. It happened really fast and I never looked back on that decision. Once my mind was made up, I knew I was doing the right thing and was really excited to go. Things just kept happening to prove that Arizona was where I needed to be.
Last Monday I arrived in The Grand Canyon State with my poppa. We went shopping, built a desk, got my room organized saw the sights a bit, and the next day I took him to the airport and I was on my own.
This whole time, even now, it has been really surreal. It never really hit me that I was changing everything. I said goodbye to everyone and everything I know, to move to a state where nothing would be familiar and I would have to start from scratch.
The idea of that was very appealing. Totally clean slate, I could be whoever I wanted to be, completely independent. However, now that I'm living it, it's kind of a different story.
I told everyone before I moved that I knew the beginning would be hard. I knew that one day I would be grateful, I knew without doubt that I was doing the right thing, and I knew that "eventually" I would know why and be so happy I made this change, however, I knew in the beginning it would be really hard.
Well my friends, it's the beginning.
The first week here I just spent grocery shopping and buying decor and driving around getting acclimated. I signed up for a gym, I got my drivers license I visited a friend in a nearby city. Those things do NOT fill a week. I was bored, and I had no one to call. No one that I could just be like, "Hey let's go to a movie" I was really bored.
There were times when I would just sit in my room and think, "You know this was the right thing to do, you know you came here for a reason, you KNEW this would be hard, you just gotta bide your time."
I kept thinking back on when I first went away to college. It was the same thing, I didn't know anyone. I made friends relatively fast but it was like a good 4-5 months before I met the girls that I would become best friends with. The thought of having to wait 4-5 months for that here wasn't totally pleasant.
This past week I started work. This has made a huge difference.
I am working for my same company but doing a different job, so I have just been training all week. I can already tell I am going to like it here. The people are really cool, the office is really laid back and the jobs available here are ones I think I'd enjoy.
Every day I go to work, go to the gym and go home. Having a routine has already made a huge difference. I still don't really know anyone other than my roommates (which are great) but having something to fill the day is so much better than... not.
So the first two weeks have happened. It's still crazy to me that I made this huge change. I am anxious to see what this move has in store for me. I know it will be a while before I'm totally happy that I came here, but it's getting better each week. (Easy to say when you had one bad week and one alright one... hopefully they will continue to get better each week)_