Triple Liebster Love

In the past two weeks I've received 3 Liebster Nominations! How exciting is that?!I feel like baking a big chocolate cake and topping it with extra sprinkles! Wish you were all here to have a slice....but seriously this is a celebratory post. Please grab a sweet treat from the kitchen before preceding to read any further. Then, join me ... I'll be right here when you get back, accepting my major award...

THANK YOU, Wanda Ann of Memories by the Mile, Julie of I Create Purty Things, and Lizbeth of Just Dip it in Chocolate for passing along this award to me! It's even more beautiful than a leg lamp! ;)  I am so delighted and incredibly honored!
What is a Liebster? The Liebster award is given to "up and coming bloggers" who have less than 200 followers.   The meaning:  Liebster is a German word and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome. 

Here are the rules for receiving this award: 
 *Tell 11 random facts about yourself 
 *Answer the 11 questions the nominator has asked you. 
 *Choose 11 new bloggers (with less than 200 followers) to pass the award to & link them in your post. 
 *Create 11 new questions for the bloggers you pass the award to. 
 *Go back to their page and tell them about the award. 
 *No tag backs. 

As much as I'd love to share 33 random facts and then answer all 33 questions I've been asked, I'm afraid that'd be incredibly lengthy and may bore you, my lovely readers.  So, I've decided to simply share 11 random facts and answer the first set of questions I was given...

Random Facts: 

1.  When I am really enjoying a meal I (unknowingly) happily hum while I eat. My hubby points it out, not sure it's always his favorite choice of dinner music. 
2.  At the end of the day when I do my last walk through the kitchen (to say, "off, off, off, off, off" as I check to make sure my oven and each burner are indeed "OFF", yes I'm OCD), I find myself singing the theme song to Cheers...because "taking a break from all my dishes worries sure would help a lot." 
3. When I met my husband he was the singer and lead guitar in a band. One of the ways he wooed me was announcing to the crowd that he was dedicating my favorite song to his "favorite girl". *Swoon* Now he teaches our daughters guitar. I love that he's still filling my life with music...especially when he sings in the shower. 
4. I used to joke that you'll only see me running if I'm being chased. My husband has always wanted to run, and two years ago at the start of Spring he gave me a challenge with a reward I could not resist. He said if I turned us into "runners" he'd treat me to a "just the two of us" trip to Disney World that Fall.  As most of you know, I'd do almost anything for a trip to Disney! :) So, we began the Couch to 5K program. I'm not exaggerating a bit when I say that in the first few weeks I remember running just 90 seconds and saying, "How much time do we have left?! It has to be almost over!!" Shockingly, by the end of the program I loved running! Going for a run with my husband and talking about everything from what happened that day, to planning our next Disney trip, is now a highlight of any day we hit the pavement in our running shoes together!
5. I tend to get really nervous socially. I'm usually the one that dreads and worries about upcoming events, but by the end of the night somehow I've always had the most fun! I don't know why I over think things so much!
6. I love spicy food. I even put peppers on my popcorn.
7. I prefer blue pens.
8. I talk very fast and A LOT. Growing up I was compared to Vanessa's fast talking friend on the Cosby Show. I'm not that bad though. OK, sometimes when I get excited, my hubby will nudge me and say, "slow down". :)  
9. I watch Disney Channel shows even when my kids aren't around. My favorite is Good Luck Charlie. LOVE the hilarious mom on that show, and I cannot watch one episode without saying about Charlie "She's SO cute!!"
10. When I was in 5th grade I was in a bowling league. My team had pink t-shirts with our team name "Hot Shots" on the back, which clearly intimated our competition. We won 1st place and even received medals at a banquet.  I'm suddenly singing Bruce Springsteen's "Glory Days" in my head. moving on...
11. I cannot watch ANYthing that involves Walt Disney World without my eyes filling up with happy tears. I mean anything. My family looks at me and points it out every "Disney Friday". (Each Friday at our house is "Disney Friday"! We subscribe to Disney related YouTube channels and save up the vids all week to watch together each Friday night.) 

  Questions from Wanda Ann @Memories by the Mile:

1. What is your favorite vacation? 

2. Where would you most like to go on vacation?
Tokyo DisneySea


3. What is your goal for your blog in 2013? 
This year I'd like to set up a Facebook account for my blog, upgrade to Google+, start tweeting, begin taking sponsors, and most importantly create many more lovely and scrumptious things to share with my fabulous readers! So incredibly thankful for each of you, and hope to get to know you all better!

4. What are your favorite hobbies? 
Blogging, crafting with my girls, running with my husband, picnicking at the lake (during weather permitting months), planning our next Disney vacation, eating chocolate.

5. What's a fun family tradition you do? 
Each month on our daughters' birthday dates I celebrate them with a "mommy/daughter night"! They choose special snacks (which often include us baking together), and after the rest of the family is sound asleep we stay up late chatting, playing a game, watching a movie ... whatever they choose.

 6. What is your favorite way to travel?


If only I could travel by segway all the time! ;) My hubby surprised me with a Segway Tour at Epcot during our last "just the two of us" trip.  It was an 8:30am tour and Epcot's World Showcase doesn't open until 11am so we (along with 5 other guests and the tour guides) basically had the entire World Showcase to ourselves during our 2 hour tour. It was AMAZING!

7. What is your favorite season?

8. What is your favorite thing to cook?

Most-Requested Crockpot Macaroni & Cheese

 

9. What is your favorite food to eat?

10. What is one of your favorite memories (other than wedding and having your children)? 

September 11, 2001, one of the most heart-wrenching days for any American, I was in the third trimester of pregnancy with our first child.  I wanted to stop everything and mourn. I had a doctor's appointment which I considered canceling, but decided I should go as it wasn't easy to reschedule. I'll never forget that on the way to the doctor's office I saw a father and son walking through a gas station parking lot with ice cream cones in hand. I said to my husband, "How can anyone possibly eat ice cream on a day like this?" He gently changed the subject letting me know he'd made dinner plans for us with another couple, at a pizzeria we loved. I told him all the way to the doctor's office, and then all the way to dinner that I didn't feel up to it. Yet, he insisted. When we got there he led me to the large party room in the back of the restaurant. Not a chair was empty. A loud, "SURPRISE!" erupted before I could even figure out what was going on. My husband and one of my dearest friends had thrown me a surprise party two days before my 23rd Birthday.  At the end of one of the most emotional days, I was blessed to be surrounded by my dearest friends, eating dinner and talking our way through the shock. Then, each of the many cherished friends handed me with a card filled with birthday money. Everyone knew I had hoped to get a new camera before our baby came, but we couldn't afford it. They all gave incredibly generously allowing me to buy the gift that helped capture our sweet daughter's first precious year. Who would've guessed that one of the most beautiful memories of my lifetime would take place on such a heartbreaking day?  Terrorists couldn't take away our hope.  We eat ice cream cones together, on one of the darkest days in our nation's history.

11. What is your favorite post that is you've done on your blog? 

 OPERATION: CHEER

Now, the moment you've all been waiting for! If you'd please pat a drumroll on your knees before reading, that'd be fantastic!  ;)

My nominations go to: 

 (I based the "less than 200 followers" on the number of GFC followers)

1.   Lorraine @ Cookin' For the Seven Dwarfs 

2.   Chrissy @ Adventures in DIY 

3.   Jessica @ A Humble Creation 

4.   Sarah @ Sarah Lynn's Sweets 

5.   Rebecca @ Heron's Crafts 

6.   Jeni @ I Got This Martha 

7.   April @ House by Hoff 

8.   Lisa @ Dish on the Delish 

9.   Cathy @ Lemon Tree Dwelling 

10. Lori Ann @ Lori Ann's Food & Fam 

11. Debbie @ Life Is Sweets 

Questions for my nominees: 
1.   What has surprised you most during your blogging journey?

2.   If your life had a theme song, what would it be?
3.   If you were given free airfare, where would you travel?
4.   What is your biggest fear?
5.   Where would you be most excited to receive a $100 gift card from?
6.   What hobbies do you enjoy?
7.   Which movie could you quote nearly every line from?
8.   What does your ideal Friday night consist of?
9.   What was your favorite Halloween costume growing up?
10. What's one of your most cherished memories?
11. What have you always wanted to learn how to do?

CONGRATS  to each of the talented nominees and another big THANK YOU to Wanda Ann, Julie, & Lizbeth for the honor they passed along to me!