30 Day Blog Challenge - Day 6

Copied from my sister's blog. 30 days of blogging with assigned topics for each day.

Day 6...A picture of something that makes you happy.

2003 Air Show NAS Oceana - Va Beach, VA

I love jet noise.

The End.

30 Day Blog Challenge - Day 5

Copied from my sister's blog. 30 days of blogging with assigned topics for each day.

Day 5...Your siblings

Most people reading this already know I have two sisters. Tiffany (on the left) lives in Georgia. Jessica (on the right) lives about an hour from us in Iowa.

When we get together we usually laugh hysterically. We get stupid, we eat food that's entirely terrible for us, we sing LOUDLY to songs on the radio, and we basically act like fools.

It's absolute, total, and complete fun. The kind that makes your stomach hurt because you laugh so much, makes you run to the bathroom before you pee your pants, and makes you want to puke because you ate too much.

I wouldn't change it at all.

30 Day Blog Challenge - Day 4

Copied from my sister's blog. 30 days of blogging with assigned topics for each day.

Day 4...Your parents

Some facts and (mostly) childhood memories --

My Dad:

• Most people know he is a police officer and EMT
• I have always thought he has the most cool, most stressful job in the world
• I remember standing up to 3 or 4 bullies in high school because they gave me a hard time about my dad being a cop. I think I surprised them when I pushed one of them against a locker. I didn't often hear about it after that. :)
• I still love the fried potatoes he made us as a kid
• One of my favorite things about my dad is how even when he was working, he would make time to come to my sporting events, and music events. Even though sometimes he got called out and had to leave, the fact that he told work he had to take time out to come, meant the world. It was a super cool bonus that he worked within the county so he could attend events that were all over Grundy County
• I haven't thought about the worms we hunted in the yard until I read Jessica's blog. It makes me laugh -- I only kind of liked fishing (I loved just being outside) but I thought it was so cool how we used to go out and dig in the mud to get them so he could go fishing. I thought it was so amazing how dad knew the worms came out right after it rained. Actually, a few times when it rained and the worms were all over the sidewalk, I'd think about those nights in the yard with the flashlight.
• I've always admired how my dad stands up for himself and fights for what is right. Justice is important to him and I know that's where I got my passion for it.
• I've also always admired how he thinks of others. Many years, I have received funny birthday songs when he bounced me out of bed or funny messages on the morning of my birthday. We didn't have much money growing up, and I could always tell how proud he was after saving up money for months and months to get us nice things we wanted for Christmas.



• I am so proud of how he has been taking care of himself and got into running with me. It's always nice to have someone share the torture with you. :)

My Mom:

• My mom works as a trainer for a company I used to work for. Training people is her gift.
• She used to work at a convenient store when I was younger and I got to spend a few overnight shifts with her. It was so fun to do some of the store chores with her and see how many people actually come in to the store in the middle of the night!
• She makes the best mints, ever. She has made mints for weddings and graduations for as long as I can remember. She made them for my graduation and my wedding. They are the best. She recently made them for my sister's wedding and she had to make a triple batch to meet before and after wedding demand, in addition to the big day.
• My mom has had to overcome a lot of adversity in her life. She did not have an easy childhood but has been extremely successful in making her life better year after year.
• I couldn't not be a cop's wife like my mom. My poor heart could not take the stress and the unknown. She has been so supportive, even though she worries, too, but I admire what she can handle.
• My mom makes the best Italian chicken. For our birthdays my mom would ask what we wanted to eat, and usually the answer was her Italian chicken. Yum. She first introduced me to Zesty Italian dressing. It's one of my favorite foods.
• I'm grateful that my mom comes to me and Dad's 5k races so that we have photographic evidence of our insanity

My parents have always wanted me to have better than they had. As I've gotten older they have celebrated all of the great things that I have had in my life and I am grateful.

30 Day Blog Challenge - Day 3

Copied from my sister's blog. 30 days of blogging with assigned topics for each day.

Day 3...Your First Love

Well, if the title of this entry was love of your life, then it would be about Bradley. However, since it's first love, well, that's a whole different thing.

In 1986, this man came flying into my life in an F-14 fighter jet. I was only 8 or 9 but boy did I have a crush on this guy. Through the years, people have given me a very hard time for adoring this guy and this movie, especially recently. But I don't care. He was hot in Top Gun (which to this date is still my favorite movie) and he's still hot now. Seriously, how could you not love this guy in his flight gear?!

Ok, I know this entry was only titled 'first love', not plural, but I thought it would be fun to explore the other 2 men who had my heart before Bradley came along.

Jonathan Knight was the soft spoken New Kid, which intrigued me even more. The fact that he didn't talk much made me always wonder what he was thinking. I remember crying in my room because I would never get to see him in concert, and then my parents surprised me with a ticket for my birthday. I was beside myself. When the New Kids On The Block reunited and went on tour in 2010, I saw them with my girlfriend Steph, not once, but twice. Dreamy...

After the New Kids broke up in the 90s, I was watching the Dallas Cowboys...then they got this quarterback named Troy Aikman and I was sold, even though the team did terribly his first year. I watched him during his entire career and love that he's a FOX sports analyst now and is on TV every weekend.

30 Day Blog Challenge - Day 2

Copied from my sister's blog. 30 days of blogging with assigned topics for each day.

Day 2...Meaning behind your blog name.

This one is fairly simple. My blog has always been about life in our house, outside of our house, around our house, etc. After reviving this particular blog, I thought that changing the name to Dellitville was more appropriate -- It's not just about us, as the former name The Dellits might imply. It's always been and will continue to be about anything that going on around this house on Clover Lane or things going on in my head. Consider yourself warned. :)

30 Day Blog Challenge - Day 1

Copied from my sister's blog. 30 days of blogging with assigned topics for each day.

DAY 1... Introduce, recent picture and 15 interesting facts...

Introduce:
Everyone reading this should know me. If not, I guess you'll learn through this 30 days.
This picture is from my little sister's wedding in October. My sisters and I are not often together in the same place, but when we are it's like we pick up where we left off the last time. This time it included singing obnoxiously to favorite songs and drinking champagne to calm wedding jitters. It's never a dull moment with the three of us around. And in case you are wondering, we are singing the last notes of "More Than Words" by Extreme.

15 Facts: (I'm pretty sure most of these aren't news and there are certainly more)
#1 I'm a Scorpio. If you understand what that means, it usually explains most of me. :) I can be intense, I have passion for many things and people in my life, and I can have an unrelenting drive. I tend to dominate and control at times. I like things they way I want them, when I want them, and I want them now. I can be aggressive and unpredictable. My aggression can be channeled to fight for something I truly believe in. I can be my best friend and a lot of times my own worst enemy. I judge myself to harshly and hold others to the standards I have for myself. Most of these things sound negative, but when it comes to standing up for myself, others, or causes, they can come in quite handy.

#2 I love the Dallas Cowboys. If you hate them, I don't care. I have heard every joke about Tony Romo, our former jailbird players, T.O. the cryer, and how bad we are. But I don't care. It's like a marriage. For better or worse.

#3 I want to retire to a beach. There is nothing like the sound of the ocean. I miss living by the ocean and could lay around listening to the water and reading a book all day long.

#4 Someday I would love to have a motorcycle. I don't need or want anything fancy...A Ninja would do nicely. I just want to ride it around and feel the open road.

#5 I am fairly sure I have ADD. After reading a book about it, it pretty much explains my adult life. I have modified some things in my life to minimize the impact I have on others and I try not to get distracted too much, oh, look something shiny...

#6 I love celebrating my birthday. Not because I'm a narcissist, but because I think making it one year more through this crazy life is something to be proud of and celebrated. I don't look at is as I'm a year older, I look at is as celebrating the year that has passed.

#7 Music feeds my soul. I love being entertained. I love when songs apply to things in your life and car singing and dancing can be cathartic. One of my favorite sounds in the world is a rock guitar.

#8 I wish I made more time to be an "outdoorsy" person. I do love being outdoors, a passion that deepened when I worked for a landscape company one summer. It's so much easier to appreciate nature, the foliage, and the animals that roam around in the wild.

#9 I love traveling and exploring. It feeds my soul to be with Bradley in some new place we've never been, exploring the heritage, history, culture, and quirks of an area.

#10 I am terrified of child birth. I hate pain. Hate it, hate it. I am a total chicken. I have had visions of not being able to have drugs and what that would feel like. It makes me want to pass out before I even have a bun in the oven.

#11 There is a slight addiction to Guitar Hero in our house. Let's just say it's not Brad's addiction. I played it once and hated it. I don't really like many video games. I played it a second time, which was a Metallica song that I made it all the way through. We finally bought it and though I don't get to play it much, it makes me very happy when I do.

#12 I have a passion for Human Rights. I am an LGBT advocate and an anti-racism advocate. I recently joined a local coalition to help remove racism in our area.

#13 I'm a ditz. I'm clumsy, I forget things, I spill alot. And my husband smiles each time. He's never surprised when I do something stupid. And he's so nice for embracing my quirks and not making fun of me (usually).

#14 Counseling is a girl's best friend. After Brad's mom died, we went through quite the roller coaster. After 7 years of being able to get along fairly effortlessly with my best friend and husband, we found ourselves dealing with life situations we have never encountered and dialed up a counselor a friend used. I still go occasionally and it's the best way to navigate life. It's unbelievably invaluable to have someone who is outside the situation, yet gunning for your best interests. It saves marriages, people, and sanity.

#15 As much as I don't want to, I seriously love TV. My TiVo is like my 5th best friend. Law & Order, Real Housewives, House, all kinds of real life crime investigation shows, The Biggest Loser, Oprah, music shows, and many other things you will find on my TiVo at any given moment.

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Day 1-Introduce, recent picture, 15 interesting facts
Day 2-Meaning behind your blog name
Day 3-Your first love
Day 4-Your parents
Day 5-Your siblings
Day 6-A picture of something that makes you happy
Day 7-Favorite movies
Day 8-A place you’ve traveled to
Day 9-A picture of your friends
Day 10-Something you’re afraid of
Day 11-Favorite tv shows
Day 12-What you believe
Day 13-Goals
Day 14-A picture you love
Day 15-Bible verse
Day 16-Dream house
Day 17-Something you’re looking forward to
Day 18-Something you regret
Day 19-Something you miss
Day 20-Nicknames
Day 21-Picture of yourself
Day 22-Favorite city
Day 23-Favorite vacation
Day 24-Something you’ve learned
Day 25-Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs
Day 26-Picture of your family
Day 27-Pets
Day 28-Something that stresses you out
Day 29-3 Wishes
Day 30-a picture

Welcome back to The Dellits

So I promise I won't change blog locations again. Blogspot was a little less friendly for a while than wordpress. But they have since changed it and I thought, why not go back to the old one, with a slight address change Anyhoo, here's an update on a couple of things that have been going on.

Job: The biggest news as of late is a change of roles for me at work. I don't even want to get into what has been going on. The important thing is now I will work days on Sat, Sun, and Monday 5a-5p (really like 4:30-5:30) and I'll have to go in for meetings sometimes during the week. All in all this is a great gig for me. It's the department I wanted and I will be home every night, which Brad is really excited about.

Baby (attempts): We are still playing the infertility game...Next month I go in for an IUI, hopefully. (see here if you really want to know what that is) I say hopefully because we've had a hard time figuring out when I'm ovulating, even though I'm testing constantly and go in for lab work once a month. In order to do the IUI, you have to know when you are ovulating....If the IUI isn't successful, the doctor wants to do an HSG (see here for that one) to make sure everything is working correctly. So our journey continues. In talking to one of my friends while in Virginia, I expressed that I'm not loving the doctor I'm going to, partially because I have only actually seen her once. Usually I talk to nurse's and didn't even get to see her when I went in for an appointment in October. I'm not getting a whole lot of support or help with the fact that my tests keep coming back negative for ovulation, even though my labs come back ok and say that I did. So I'm going to probably go to another doctor to get a 2nd opinion when I get back.

Puppies: They are as good as ever - I need to take some new pictures of them to post

Brad: He's doing well and likes his job. The project he was hired for kept getting pushed back all summer and they are finally now getting to training and roll out, so he has been busy.

Since this blog went on hiatus: Jessica had a baby, she got married, Tiff came back to visit a few times, Grandpa is out of the nursing home, Brad ran his first 5k, I ran some more 5ks and I think that pretty much covers life around here for now.