It's a Sunshine-y Day

I've recently been nominated by two of my sweet blog friends, rainbeforerainbow and Donating Hope, for Sunshine Awards. This Award is given to bloggers whose posts brighten your day.

 

The rules are as follows:

1. Include the Sunshine Award icon in your post
2. Link to the person who nominated you.
3. Answer 10 questions about yourself
4. Nominate 10 bloggers to receive the award
5. Link your nominees and let them know they’ve been nominated.

So, without further adieu, here are my questions (and answers) from rainberforerainbow:

1) If you had to choose one person, other than your significant other, to live with for the rest of your life, who would you choose?
I would have to say, my sister.  She's my best friend (if you don't include Belle) second in line to Nick.

2) What is one skill/talent you’ve always wished you had?
I wish I could run.  I know that if I worked at it, I could do it, but I wish it came easy to me.  I wish I were one of those people who enjoyed it.  Who, when they have a bad day, they go for a run to clear their mind.  Ha!  If I were one of those people, I'd be a stick... Infertility causes you to need to clear your mind quite frequently.  And since I'm not a runner, I just let trashy TV do that for me :) 

3) What would you say is your signature recipe? If you don’t have one, what’s your favorite thing to cook/bake?
Anything sweet... cookies, cupcakes, brownies, cakes... Mmmmm!  I love to bake, but sadly haven't donned my apron in what feels like eons. Try to find a cookie/cupcake recipe sans chocolate!  I've scoured Pinterest and anything that looks remotely delicious is something that has some sort of chocolate in the list of ingredients (now, don't go thinking that this has caused me to eat any healthier... because, instead of eating the chocolate-y goodies that I normally bake, I literally just came home from the drug store (to buy baby aspirin for my FET prep) with three... yes three... bags of candy (swedish fish, sour watermelons and cherry twizzler bites).

4) What occupation seems like the last thing on Earth you’d want to do?
This is a great question... Normally people ask you what job you'd want to have if you could do anything at all, but something I would not want to do?  Hm, does insurance (my current job) count?  Just kidding... sort of.  I guess I'd have to say anything that's outside and in the cold.  So how about a ski instructor... I'd hate that.  I can't stand being outside when it's cold.  I love being INside when it's cold - where there's hot chocolate (see, there I go with chocolate again!) and a fire.  So basically, I could be someone that serves hot chocolate at the ski lodge, but I sure as heck could not be the ski instructor (plus, I don't know how to ski, so there's that, too!).

5) What was your best subject in high school?
Francais - hence, the reason I decided on that as my major in college.  My company is actually a Canadian company, so sometimes general e-mails are sent in both French and English... and I get giddy (because I can normally pick out at least one or two French words... yes, I have lost most, if not all, of my French speaking/reading skills).

6) If you could create a holiday, when would it be and what would it signify/celebrate?
My holiday would be a day to celebrate the fact that infertility no longer exists in this world (wouldn't that be nice?!).  It would specifically be for all of us, who have so unfairly had to deal with infertility's horribleness.  We wouldn't have to work, cook, do laundry or do much of anything on that day.  Basically it would be like Mother's Day, but for those of us who so sadly had to deal with all of the terrible side effects from dealing with infertility for so long.  Aubrey for President!

7) If you could, what one illness/disease would you cure?
Cancer. Definitely cancer. Every single kind of cancer. I've heard some really sad things lately and it makes my heart bleed for so many people out there whose lives have been affected by this horrible disease. Life can be so unfair.

Infertility, of course, and ALS would be close seconds.

8) What movie makes you cry?
Beaches. LOVE that movie.

 

But honestly, everything makes me cry. I cried just last week watching the 'Farewell to Finn' episode of Glee.

 

 

9) Other than your SO, who is the hottest person on the planet?
I totally have a thing for Jake Gyllenhaal.  LOVE him!  And I totally thought Reese Witherspoon was crazy for kicking him to the curb!

 

10) List one of your favorite quotes, and why it means something to you.
Jeremiah 29:11.  I've carried this verse around with me for years.  Reading it or hearing it just soothes my soul.  It helps me to believe that God will come through for me in my journey of infertility.  It helps me to have hope and faith in Him.  I pray that this verse will have even more meaning to me someday very soon.

 
 

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And now, here are my questions (and answers) from Donating Hope:

1) Sweet or savory?
Sweet, sweet, sweet. I'm currently unable to eat chocolate in preparation for my FET and I've never craved a single M&M more in my life. Not being able to eat chocolate during the Halloween season is so hard (and don't even get me started on not being able to drink coffee (not even decaf) during the pumpkin spice latte season... it's so sad)!

2) What is your favorite season and why?
I love them all, but my favorite would have to be winter.  It's just special.  Nick and I got married in February, so the winter reminds me of that extremely amazing day in our lives :)

 

3) Favorite Bible verse or inspirational quote?
Jeremiah 29:11 (see question 10 above)

4) Favorite outdoor activity?
I'm stumped. I'm not really an outdoors-y person.

5) Favorite indoor activity?
Does nothing count? Or, does snuggling with my little Linky Loo count? Because that's my most favorite thing to do. Snuggle with my pup.

6) Any book recommendations?
Nope. Sadly, I have no time to read. I barely have time to read all of your blogs these days. So sad. My job stinks. But, I want to read this.

7) Do you dye your hair?  If so, why and do you remember your natural hair color?
Ohhh yes - I've dyed my hair with blonde highlights since my Senior year of high school. I slowly but surely added more and more highlights that, over the years, became lighter and lighter. Recently, I dyed my hair back to my natural color, though, and I'm LOVING it. I've had to do one full-head dye since then because the color faded quite a bit half way down my head. I may do a full-head dye again, but before I have a bunch of chemicals painted on the top of my head, I'm waiting to see if CCRM will be able to work a miracle for me.  Hopefully I'll have really crappy hair color for the next year or so!

8) Any tattoos? If so, what is the significance behind them?
No tattoos... But if I were to get one I'd get a very simple, very plain and very small (like, the size of my pinky nail) cross on the front, fleshy part of my hand in between my thumb and pointer finger or right above my ankle.

9) What has been the most significant moment/realization of your journey to parenthood this year?
Two things: 1.) I'm strong. Stronger than I ever imagined possible (though, it's funny, because most days I don't feel strong.  I feel so much weakness on a daily basis as I battle infertility) and 2.) I will never, EVER, not think before I speak again. Truly. I've been so let down by so many people since learning of my inability to get pregnant.  Much of the reason I've been let down is simply because of others' words.  Words can be so hurtful, even when they're not intended to be... Hence, the reason for the good ole saying "think before you speak."

10) What are you hoping to find under the tree this Christmas?
Anything baby related, because I pray to God that Santa will actually have a reason to shove some onesies, binkies, blankies, etc. down my chimney this year.  But, if baby related items are the last thing I'll want to see come December, then I'll settle for a michele watch (I've been eyeing these for months!) or a right hand ring (I keep telling Nick I'll wait for this until I have a baby... but that's getting old...).  A girl can dream, right?!

 
 

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OK, here are the bloggers whom I've nominated for the Sunshine Award:

 

1) Our Journey to Baby R

2) Belle Haven Drive

3) The IF Journey

4) Little Mrs. Married

5) Our Journey to a Baby Bump

6) Hopefully Soon

7) Our Crazy Ever After

8) Who Shot Down My Stork

9) Genuine Greavu

10) Dreaming of Dimples

 

And here are my questions for YOU!

 

1) Why do you blog, and will you continue to blog when (I'm being positive for ALL of you!!) you get pregnant/have a baby(ies)?

 

2) What do you do for work (I'm always curious to know what everyone does all day long!)?

 

3) What would you say is the best piece of advice for someone who is just beginning their journey in the land of infertility?

 

4) What would you say is the best piece of advice for someone who is not going through infertility, but who doesn't know what to say to someone who is?

 

5) What is the item of clothing you want to buy most for this fall season?

 

6) What is your biggest pet peeve?

 

7) If you won the lottery, what would be the FIRST thing you'd do?

 

8) What is your middle name?

 

9) Where would you live if you could move to anywhere you wanted in the whole wide world?

 

10) How many siblings do you have - are you the youngest, middle child, oldest or an only child?

 

Ready... Set... Go!