An Award! A first for this little blogger

Thank you, Laura, for awarding me the "Stylish Blogger" award.  As I sit here in my sweatpants & fleece, I can't help but laugh at my lack of style.  (And someone else did my header for me on my blog so I can't take any credit for blog style either.)

Regardless, an award!  How fun & so surprising!

Thanks, Laura of the Krauss fam - former college roomate, friend for life, supporter and confidant and precious Dallas friend who often opens her home up to me on our many Dallas medical trips to feed us dinner or let us stay the night or even keep Will while I am at an appointment.

Thanks, pal!

Upon receiving this award, I am supposed to:

1) Thank, and link back to the person who awarded it.

2) Share 7 things about myself.

3) Award 10 great bloggers.

4) Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award.

7 things about me:

1.  I have travelled to every continent except Antarctica & Australia.  They're on my list.

2.  Though R recalls meeting me in a hamburger place, I have no recollection of that meeting.  Rather, I remember asking a girl, Morgan I think was her name, about him while we were touring a famous cemetary (where General Franco is buried) near Toledo, Spain.  I have a picture of our first meeting.  It's super cheesy.  I got to know him pretty well in Spain and introduced him to my mom at a Hard Rock Cafe in Madrid.  I fell in love with him a few months later.

3.  I love to read and it is often my favorite form of escape (aside from sleep which lately takes priority.)  I love fiction.  While there are some classics I love, I must confess that often I just want to escape into some mystery or historical fiction novel that is nothing at all like my real life and that I can't put down. My secret dream career is to be a librarian and I once ran a "library" in the 4th grade from my school desk in which I checked out books from my own private collection to my classmates.  I also gave them recommendations based on what I had read.  I recently found a book from my childhood with a yellow sticky note taped inside like a library card.  I showed it to R & he mocked me.

I am a nerd.

4.  I was a teacher for 5 years of high school students and loved it.  I taught Spanish, AP US history, philosphy, AP geography, AP government, world history, and a research class.  I loved teaching history and geography.  I have never taken a philosophy course in my life.  I took geography as a freshman in high school - not once in college.  (I majored in Education -history & minored in Spanish...)  Yet somehow, the state of Texas says I am certified to teach these things.  There are parts of teaching I miss - but I wouldn't trade my new job (full time mommy) for anything.  My whole life it is what I have dreamed of.  It's harder than I ever imagined but so much better too.
5.  Besides studying abroad in Spain, I also went to school (after college) in Mexico to freshen up my Spanish prior to teaching Spanish.  I didn't go to much class though as I ended up deathly sick thanks to some gross ice cream & a poor decision on my part and was put in a hospital.  My mom had to fly down and take care of me.  I never did go back to class but my mom  & I had a great time exploring and shopping after I was finally well again.  I also spent time in college with family friends in Guatemala working with them at an orphanage there.  I really really really really really love Latin America.  I have a dream of taking my family to Latin America and working with families who have children with disabilities/amputees - I would love to put my arms around those mamas.    Someday.
6.  I am a major people pleaser and very indecisive. I agonize over decisions - especially if I know someone won't like the decision I must make.  I am becoming less of a people pleaser as I must advocate for my children but it is often a struggle for me - I don't want anyone to not like me. 
7.  I began running while R was in law school as a way to keep myself busy after work.  I ran lots of half marathons and a full marathon pre-baby.  I've only run a few halves since Will was born.  Since Ellie was born, I have hardly run.  I miss running reguarly.  I don't know how to fit it into our life yet.  Maybe when she is out of spica.  I am not a competive runner - except with R.  We can't run together as we are too competivie.  He beats me everytime.  And then I get cranky.  It's just better if we don't run together.

And now...
I am passing the Stylish Blogger award onto blogging friends (some are real life friends, some I hope to meet in real life someday) who are writing their own stories about raising kids with some sort of difference or are writing their stories about living life and having a difference themselves or are telling their story of living life after & through the heartache of infant loss.  I had a hard time choosing between all my real life friends so I thought that maybe if I made up my own category (I'll call it the "stylish blogger for those living life to the fullest admist unique circumstances award" to award my friends then I wouldn't worry about excluding anyone. (there's that people pleaser in me again!)
1.  Julia
2.  Christy
3.  Kate
4.  Naomi  (help, Naomi Y.- if you're out there! I'm not on my regular computer & I can't find your blog suddenly!)
5.  Lisa
6.  Natalie
7.  Darby
8.  Crystal
9.  Erika
10.  Tracey
11.  Mama Bear

fyi-
Ellies surgery has ben rescheduled to Tuesday.