I've Been Tagged!

The fabulous (and gorgeous!) Christina from Randomness a la Mode tagged me in an "8 Questions" tag, and here are her questions, and my (really long) answers! 

1.  Describe your dream vacation. 

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Image found here.

I think my dream vacation would be a tour of Europe.  I love to travel, and the only time I've been out of the country is on a cruise (Mexico, Jamaica, Grand Cayman Islands), so I would absolutely love to be able to take a few months to see Paris, Venice, Rome, and London along with many other cities.  Of course my husband would come along.  The only problem is that I don't think I could stand to be separated from my animals for that long! 

2.  Do you collect anything?

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Image found here. 

Do shoes count?  Hahaha!

I don't really collect anything in the traditional sense, but if you've seen my "What's In My Bag" video you'll see I have quite the collection of lip products! 

3.  What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you?

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The blue arrow is pointed at 10-year old me.

This is really difficult to answer because I embarrass myself all the time.  Honestly.  I am always dropping stuff and being generally clumsy.  

I guess the one thing that stands out in my mind is when I was in drill team.  I was about ten-years old and we were doing a kickline in all our spangled-sequined glory, when I somehow tripped and took the whole line of girls down with me.  Of course, my mom caught the incident on video and played it for everyone I knew.  I'm sure that video is still around somewhere waiting for the perfect moment to surface and embarrass me all over again. 

4.  Who is your idol/role model?  Why?

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My mom and I in Tennessee.  I'm about a year and a half in this picture. 

 

Even after the above incident, I would have to say my mom is my role model.  My parents divorced when I was two-years old, after having been married for seven years.  They married when my mom was 19 and my dad was 23.  My mom raised me (with some backup from my grandma and great-grandma) as a single parent for quite a few years until she met my step-dad.  She put aside her dreams of finishing her degree because she felt that with working full time, the rest of her time was better spent with me.  Looking back I realize we didn't have much money, but I never felt like there was anything I wanted that I didn't have.  My mom always made sure Christmases and birthdays were full of friends, family, and presents. She is the most generous and kind person I  know, and she is my best friend.

5.  What is your favorite book?

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This is a really hard one, because I love to read and have so many favorites.  I tend to read books over and over again if I really enjoy them.  I honestly don't think I have a favorite book, but some of my favorite authors are Jennifer Weiner (I just stared reading Fly Away Home, and I already love it), Isabel Allende (her storytelling is incredible), and Gregory Maguire (the author of Wicked).  

6.  If you could take an all-expenses-paid trip anywhere in the world, where would you go?

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Well, I would love to travel Europe, as I said above, but I would also love to visit Ireland.  I am of Irish heritage, and I think it would be so cool to visit the place where my great-great grandparents were born, and grew up.  

7.  What is the one thing that can always make you smile?

My Trixie-girl.  I am so enamored of her, it's disgusting.

8.  What is the hardest thing you've ever had to do?

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My grandpa and grandma with me at a family wedding. Isn't she gorgeous?

Say "goodbye" to my grandma as she was dying.  I am the oldest grandchild on that side of the family by four years, and she helped my mom a lot with me when I was young.  I stayed the night at her house all the time as a kid and she once told me "Don't tell your sister this, but you know you're my favorite."  I totally told my sister.      

She had liver cancer and eventually went into kidney failure.  The ICU doctors told us that we should begin to say our goodbyes.  Even though she was ready to go, it was so hard to know that I would never get another hug from her again (she gave the best hugs).  

Whew!  Sorry for ending on such a downer.  I'm working on getting the Scavenger Hunt pictures situated so I can post them all at once (it's taking a little more time than I thought it would), so I appreciate your patience with me.  : )