30 Day Challenge 2 : Day 27

Art piece

I love art. My favorite piece is in my office at work. It's by Kandinsky. My sister has a bigger version of this, and one day, it will be missing from her wall.

30 Day Challenge 2 : Day 26

A photo from your childhood

I'm going early childhood here.

Yes, I am not afraid to share embarrassing photos of myself. 

Or to show that I had good oral hygiene skills even at an early age!



Grandma and Grandpa Knight with the cousins who were around in the early 80's (I'm in the red pj's next to Grandpa.)

This is Grandpa Cress. David has his middle name.

I was destined to be a server at a young age.

30 Day Photo Challenge : Day 25

Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs

1. As it is in Heaven by Matt Maher
2. Mama's song by Carrie Underwood
3. My Wish by Rascal Flatts
4. Born in the USA by Bruce Springstein
5. Gravity by John Mayer
6. Suddenly I See by KT Tunstall
7. Mighty to Save by Hillsong United
8. Courtsey of the Red, White, and Blue by Toby Keith
9. Lead Me by Sanctus Real
10. Breathe by Rebecca St.James

I love my iPod. This is from my playlist. David has his own so I don't end up listening to random kid songs at work. Before I seperated my playlists, people looked at me funny when I was singing to the Little People in my office. Talk about crazy school counselor!

30 Day Challenge 2 : Day 24

Favorite color

Teal. My favorite color is teal. As a child, I could never decide between blue and green. Imagine my delight when I learned that there was a color that mixed blue and green together. I love teal. It's such a peacful color. Reminds me of the ocean.

30 Day Challenge 2 : Day 23

Celebrity crush

There are certainly a lot of very attractive actors and musicians out there. That being said, I don't have anyone who I've currently got a crush one, I mean, I wouldn't kick any member of Rascal Flatts out if they showed up on my doorstep.

I used to have a huge crush on Jonathan Brandis. I was so upset when he committed suicide. I used to love watching Lady Bugs just so I could see him. My parents used to watch Sea Quest and I would tolerate it because he was on. Maybe it was the classic 90's hair...

30 Day Challenge 2 : Day 22

What's in your purse?

I hate carrying a purse. Until just a few years ago I didn't carry one. I used to have a small purse with just  a few things in it, but that has grown with a child. So, I upgraded.

Here is what is currently in my purse:
1. My wallet. My old purse matched the wallet. Love that pattern.
2. Make-up bag full of cars. David picked the bag out and he knows that they are in my purse all of the time.
3. Make-up bag with chapstick, lip gloss, floss (for Nate), hand sanitizer, lotion, and a hair tie.
4. A brush - I have a lot of hair.
5. My phone
6. Gum
Not pictured: my iPod (used to take the photo), diaper and wipes

Happy Easter!

David still doesn't get the full concept of the Easter Bunny, but a visit was made none the less. David scored some good loot (and mommy got some great deals - $20 for the whole basket). He got a broom, gardening tools, bath toys, doodle drawer, bubble blower, sidewalk chalk, a pail, sunglasses, and gloves. We also did an Easter Egg hunt in the house, since the weather is yucky. David didn't care - he loved finding the eggs. He also loves Peeps!



Where are the eggs?

I found my first egg!

This is so much fun!

Why would they put one in daddy's shoe?

Jelly beans!!

Going in for a bite.

Yummmmm

Don't mind if I do!

30 Day Challenge 2 : Day 21

Goals

For years, my goal was to graduate from college with a degree I could do something with. I'm not the Pharmacist that I started out to be, but School Counselors are cool, so I decided that I  reached that goal and needed  a new one.
My next goal was to find a good job that I loved. I cried when I got my first job in Batesville, IN. I did not want to go, but it was the only offer I had, and I needed a job, so I went. I knew that this was not the good job that I loved, so I started looking after my first year. After my second year, I landed a job for Hamilton Southeastern Schools. A year in, I knew that this was my good job that I loved. Time for a new goal.
Now I needed to find my soul mate. Thank God for the world wide web! I met some real, um..."winners" before I met Nate. One didn't socialize with people unless he was playing video games, one still lived with his mother at 33 and was shorter than me (I'm a whopping 5'3''). One just gave me the creeps. By the time I winked at Nate on Match (yes, I winked first), I wasn't sure this dating thing was for me. I didn't give him my number for 2 months, but when we met, I knew that I had found my soul mate. Goal accomplished on 3/8/2008 when we were married.
New goal, and my current goal - raise a happy family. That's it. I don't strive to be some big wig who will change the world. I don't need fame and money. I just need a happy family. It's not measurable, no one will be able to tell me when or if I meet my goal, but I will know. If I can see my two guys smile every day, I know that I am working towards my goal. Being a mom and a wife can be a thankless job, (For that matter, so can a School Counselor), but as long as I'm happy and I can see my happy family, that is all I need in life.

30 Day Challenge 2 : Day 20

Something you miss

I love being a mom. I love the kisses and hugs and smiles I get everyday. I tolerate the tantrums and hitting and when he is doing something he shouldn't, but when he flashes me those baby blues and that smile, it's hard to be mad.
That being said, I sometimes miss the freedom of the childless days. It was so easy to just get myself in the car and go to the store or go with Nate to grab some dinner, or take an evening walk. Now we have routines and schedules, we can't leave the house without a diaper, wipes, a cup, snacks, and cars (because the one time you don't if the one time you will need one of the above.)
David is my life now, and I know that one day we will get back some of that freedom. I love being a mom and wouldn't trade it for anything. I do wish that the cashier wouldn't always look at my funny if I pull a toy car or toy phone out of my purse before I get to my wallet.

30 Day Challenge 2 : Day 19

Something you're looking forward to

I try not to look forward to too many things. I feel like when I do, I miss all of the great things going on now, and I don't want to miss any of that. I love this stage of David's development. He is starting to be so independent and thanks to his speech therapy, we are hearing more and more words. He loves figuring things out on his own and the sound effects are so cute "whoa, wow, oooo, wow momma." He has learned to ask for help when he needs it and is very vocal on what he wants. He runs around, and gets so excited when he sees people he likes. He loves to look for things - cars, birds, people, and it never gets old. I don't want to miss a minute of this.

I have not been very vocal about our struggles trying to conceive again. Partly because I know others have struggled more and partly because I'm scared. It's hard for me to put all of my thoughts and feelings out there. I don't want people to feel sorry for me, but as a fellow blogger pointed out in one of her posts, how can I expect people to understand what I am going through if I don't tell them.

Nate and I got pregnant with David right away. We knew that we wanted to have 2 children, so in December 2009 we started trying again. On October 10, 2010, we got our positive pregnancy test (the day before my birthday), but we lost the baby on November 22, 2010, 5 months ago today. I was only 10 weeks, but it hit me hard. Having heard the heartbeat just a few days before made it even harder for me. We started trying again in Feb 2011. It's hard for this to have been so easy with David, and so hard now. I see people around me who get pregnant by looking at their husbands, and others who weren't trying or who don't even want to be pregnant, and then I get angry and bitter that I'm not the person who is pregnant. Don't get me wrong, I am so happy for my friends who are expecting, I really am. I'm just ready to be that person again. After our miscarriage, I just kept telling myself that it would all be okay. I would be pregnant again by my due date, which would make June 19th so much easier for me, but that day is getting closer and closer and I am starting to loose faith that this will even happen for us again.
All of this being said, the one thing that I do look forward to is being pregnant again. I loved being pregnant with David!  It was amazing and magical. I loved every day of it - even the heartburn and sleepless nights. I pray that God has this in his plan for us. I don't feel like I am done yet. David needs a little brother or sister. As much as I am looking forward to this, it does scare me at times though, but I know that God will keep watch over us.

30 Day Challenge 2 : Day 18

Favorite place to eat

Food. It is such a hige part of our lives. We need it to survive, so why not make it good food. My favorite food is Italian - I love pasta! This is by far my favorite place to eat:

 

Maggianos has amazing food! You can order for a single person, but the best value is the family style. You get so many options and if you walk away hungry, you did something wrong. If you have never been, and there is one near you, run, don't walk. Not one near you? Plan a trip to Indy and I will take you!

30 Day Challenge 2 : Day 17

Nicknames

I don't have many nicknames. Only two that I can think of.

Maddie gave me the nickname Angie'shell. It's a combination of my first and middle name, Angela Michelle. We have been friends forever. I call her Maddie Ann.

My Batesville Cheerleaders gave me the nickname La. Those girls were fun. This is the basketball sqaud, 2004-2005. We had a smaller squad for the 2005-2006 year.

30 Day Challenge 2 : Day 16

Dream house

This is something that Nate and I have spent a lot of time talking about. We put the house on the market last year, but took it off after the buyer backed out. We'll list again in the next couple of years.

Before Nate and David, the house that I have now was my dream house. When I looked at this house, it had everything on my want and need list - 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, open floor plan, fire place, 2 car garage, fenced in backyard...It was perfect for me. Then it was perfect for us, and now it's getting a little cramped for us, but we still love it.

Our dream house has two stories with a full basement. 4 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths. An open kitchen with lots of counter space. A big backyard with a fence and a walkout basement would be Nate preference. The house would be in a kid friendly neighboorhood in the district where I work. Maybe something that we could do some work on, as Nate loves that kind of stuff. I want a big deck and a nice front porch.  This will be the house that we grow old in, so it will have to be prefect. I don't have a picture of what it will look like, but I'll know it when I see it.

30 Day Challenge 2 : Day 15

Bible verse

This verse was shared with me by a friend I met at a church camp in Pittsburgh, PA during the summer of 1997. I was beyond homesick, and everyone knew it. I was misrable - didn't want to eat, cried every night - it was bad. I loved being at the camp, but it was the first time I had been away from home without my sisters with me. One of the girls knew how I felt and shared this verse with me. She said that it had gotten her through some tough times, and thought it might help me. It did, and it has helped ever since.

Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

30 Day Challenge 2 : Day 14

A picture from college

Ah, college. Another fun period of time that I would rather not repeat. Sure, I liked being free to do anything I wanted and not be accountable for anything, but I love being a mom so much more.
I spent 6 years at Purdue. I did my undergrad in Psychology with a minor in English. I did my masters in School Counseling. I enjoyed my time there, once I got over my homesickness. Here are a few pictures from my time there:

Sophomore year with Megan and Emily


Junior year PJ party



VA Beach with my sisters after senior year



Fountain run



A prank we pulled on another staff resident



Graduation Day with my Masters

30 Day Challenge 2 : Day 13

A picture from high school

I'm old. Digital cameras weren't around when I was in high school. I had to find a picture, then get Nate to hook up the scanner, just to get these pictures posted. (Sounds like a lot of work, and with a toddler, it was.)

I loved high school, but would never want to go back and repeat it again. I had some great times - marching band, school plays, a great job, and even better friends. I worked and studied hard. There were nights with friends after football and basketball friends and Baskin Robbin's nights. Heartbreak and lifelong friendships. Here are some select pictures from my time at Lawrence North High School...

Wizard Of Oz my freshman year



Cinderella my sophomore year



Senior Prom



AP Sociology Class



ACP Psychology partner, Rachael



Mother's Day present, '98



Graduation

30 Day Challenge 2 : Day 12

Something you don't leave the house without

My phone. I may not use it all that often, but I like having that security of knowing that if I needed to call for help, I could. I went for years without having  a cell phone, and I managed, so I'm not sure why I feel like I have to have one now. Maybe it's David, or because we all have this need to be connected to everyone we know at all times. I just feel safer if I have it with me.

Now, I don't have a smart phone - just a basic qwerty phone, but I love it. I love that it's a flip phone and I have zero chance of but dialing anyone. It's a Samsung Alias 2, and it's all I ever wanted in a phone. I have no desire to get a smart phone. With this and my iPod, I can do everything that I need to.

These are not the best photos, but you get the idea.



30 Day Challenge 2 : Day 11

Favorite tv shows

Here they are, in no particular order:

ER - it may no longer be on, but I loved this show! I watched every episode ever made at least once. It got weird there for a few seasons, but still, I was a die hard fan. I hated when it ended. I think I went through a whole box of klenex.



Parenthood - it's one of my new must watch TV shows. I love the family dynamics. I think I'm most like Christina.



Off the Map - as unrealistic as it may be, I became addicted to this show. Maybe it's because it fills my ER void.



House - It's starting to get a bit weird, but it's still a Monday favorite. We have watched them all. I really like Masters, so I will be sad when she leaves.



USA network was one of our favorite cable channels. We got rid of cable, so now we watch our shows on Hulu. I like our USA shows because they are all on at different times of the year with split seasons.

Covert Affairs
Burn Notice
Fairly Legal

Wow - it looks like I might watch too much TV...

30 Day Callenge 2 : Day 10

Something you're afraid of

I have fears. More than any one person should have. Some irrational, some normal.

I'm terrified of severe weather. Indiana probably isn't the state to live in for that. I am that person who has the weather radio and bags packed in our safe spot for the "just in case". I have dog food, water, tooth brushes, tooth paste, spare clothes, underwear, diapers, shoes...I don't want to be the family they interview on the news in their PJ's and stinky breath. I think the news crews would enjoy minty fresh breath. And who wants to wear dirty underwear? I have never needed my bags, so I figure as long as they are packed, I never will.
This storm was the day we brought David home from the hospital. It resulted in a tornado warning for our area.

Spiders are creepy little creatures that I wish were not around. I know that they eat bugs, blah, blah, but do they have to look so yucky? We had a couple wolfe spiders in our house last year. One was behind David's crib! I sat and watched another one that was in the sliding door track for well over an hour to make sure it didn't go anywhere until Nate got home to get it out. I don't have any pictures because I won't get close enough to take a picture of one.

Heights. I just don't understand why anyone needs to be up that high. I don't like them - I even dislike bridges that I have to cross. Nate likes to cross them. When we went to Canada, we had crossed the Mackinac Bridge. When we camped around MI the following summer he made me cross it, twice, just for fun.

This was in TN. Please note the not so sturdy bridge that had a weight limit on it and the rushing waters underneath. What you can't see is the waterfall that is just beyond the frame. In order to get to the side of the park we wanted to go to, we thought we had to cross the bridge. Nope, we could have driven around.  I had nightmares for weeks about this.

30 Day Challenge 2 : Day 9

A job you've had

I've had a lot of jobs - student, baby sitter, hostess, busser, server, RA, Counselor, cheer coach, wife and mom. The job that best prepared me for what I do now would be the jobs I had at Purdue. While there, I was an RA. Now, being an RA was no easy job. You were on duty 4 nights a week (7p-7a). While on duty, you had to do rounds. You also had to do programs for your floor on a variety of topics. You were compensated with room, board, and tuition (which they have since taken away the tuition) and you made $75 a month. It was a good job and the only reason I was at Purdue for as long as I was.
After a year of being an RA, I was promoted to Staff Resident. With this, you were still on duty 4 nights a week, but when you were on duty, you were in charge of the whole hall. So, 911 was called, so were you. I did this for 3 years.
Over the summers, I ran the summer camps for our hall. It gave me a job for the summer, decent money, and a chance to do something a little different.
I learned a lot from my time at Purdue, and got to wear many hats. I acted at the Residential Life Manager on a couple different occasions, which allowed me to see a different side of hall life. It was a great 4 years and I met some amazing amazing people.

Rock climbing with some of my residents



With Kelly, my fellow Staff Resident

Our 2nd year as staff residents RA staff

The bathroom flood of 04

My staff the last year I was there