I was nominated for an award!!!!

I love winning things!  It doesn't happen all that often, as I'm good at many things but not great at very all of them.  Recently I have been nominated for the Liebster award by three bloggers who I have gotten to know.  A huge and humble thank you to Collen from The Chocolate Mile, Abby from Back at Square Zero and Cristina from triathlonmami who all nominated me for this terrific award!

So know I know you are all wondering what this award I an yammering about is about...  Well let me tell you! 

The Liebster award is given to upcoming bloggers who have less than 200 followers.  (I’ll be honest, I didn’t look at how many followers any of these blogs have, but I think of them all as fabulous up and coming bloggers – next step world domination- so if they have over 200 whoops.)  The meaning: Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing and welcome.

Rules for receiving this award:

1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves.
2. Then answer the questions the tagger sent for them, plus create 11 questions for the people they’ve tagged to answer.

3. Choose 11 people and link them in your post.

4. Notify the people you have tagged.

5. No tag backs.

Since I was tagged by three amazing bloggers, I have decided that I will answer four questions from each of them so as not to bore you all to tears.  But first 11 things about me:

1.  I am a Boston Red Sox fan.  So much so that my dog's name is Fenway!  I've been to a lot of ballparks but Fenway is by far the greatest ever built.

Here Fenway is sporting his Red Sox raincoat!

2.  I have an only child.  We call him Danger... It's practically his middle name.  I hate when people ask when we are planning on having another child as if they have a say in it.  I am actually offended when they list off reasons that I should give Danger a brother or sister.  I like to think we did it right the first time...

***Disclaimer***  I am the second of 3 kids and do understand that some people like to multiply.  I'm just not that person but I respect your right to have a zillion kids and I expect that you will respect my right now to or at the very least pretend that you do and shut up.

His Dad thinks he looks like a baby here but to me he looks all grown up!

 3.  I've worked for the same company for almost 15 years.  I'm only 34 so that's pretty much forever.  The really crazy part is that after this long I am still one of those lunatics who LOVES my job.  Seriously, I enjoy my job even on those long crappy days that make you want to rip your hair out.

4.  Even though most people think I'm an extrovert, I am actually incredibly shy.  I only talk so much because I am nervous and awkward...

5.  I have been married for 12 years.  We met in the library while attending Johnson & Wales University my sophomore year and Rob's freshman year.  I am an older woman!! Corny as it is, our marriage is better and stronger every day and I'm truly glad I married my best friend. 

6.  Growing up I always thought I looked like my Dad but it turns out that the older I get the more I look like my Mom.What do you think?

7.  I HATE wearing shoes.  I LOVE owning shoes.  A constant dilemma in my life!

8.  I sweat a lot... like big giant hairy man sweat proportions.  It's gross...  I am aware!

9.  In the past 6 years I have lived in three states: Massachusetts, Illinois and now New York. Where we live now is my favorite location but Massachusetts will always have my love of their sports teams and my fondest memories of Illinois involve food and not people!

10.  I was a chubby kid.  I never liked running or sports growing up.  If I had my choice then I would rather read a good book instead of going outside or playing sports.  Anne of Green Gables was my favorite book back then.  I received it from a friend of my mother's who said I was definitely a 'Kindred Spirit"

11.  I am afraid of the dark.  When Rob travels, I sleep with my bedroom light on.  I'm also petrified of all basements.  When I was a teenager, I asked my parents to move my bedroom to one in our basement and even then I was scared to be down there by myself.  I have no reasonable explanation for either of these fears.

That was really hard.  It took me forever... Rob has played at least 8 games of Modern Warfare while I thought of all of that stuff.  Sidenote:  I also just realized I'm terribly boring :)

Okay, now on to the questions:

4 from Colleen:  

1.  What's your favorite food?  Hands Down it is ICE CREAM.  If I had to choose a back up it would be hot dogs (i know it's pathetic right)

2.  What was one huge moment in your fitness/weight loss  journey?  There was a moment about 2 years ago when Colin was almost 7 and I grabbed his t-shirt accidentally and it fit.  I was horrified at how small I had allowed myself to get and vowed to gain muscle and stay healthy rather than obsessing over being thin.

3.  Would you rather go to the theater or a sporting event? Though I enjoy both, I would rather be at a sporting event.  My reasoning is mostly because that is where my men would be happy and I love spending time with them more than anything else in the world!

4.  Morning or Night?  I am a night owl.  I function best. perform better later in the day and am in general a kinder person in the evening.

4 from Abby

5.  Why did you start blogging?  I tend to think better out loud.  I like looking back on what I was was thinking and feeling last week  or last month and reflecting on how far I have come or what challenges have been consistent.  Blogging is just like talking out loud to myself!

6.  What has been your favorite part of the experience so far?  Without a shadow of a doubt, my favorite part of blogging has been the incredible relationships that have formed with other people.  They laugh with me, encourage me and hold me accountable for the commitments I make and goals I set.

7.  What is your one goal you are currently working towards?  Right now I am very focused on my upcoming races.  I have not run a half marathon in two and a half years and I would really like to PR my next one On September 30.

8.  Where is my dream vacation?  I don't know if there is a dream destination but I have a vacation goal which is kind of awesome.  I would like to run a half marathon in all of the 50 United States.  After this fall I will have 4 states down and we hope to add 2 or 3 a year going forward!

Questions from Cristina

9.  If you were stuck on an Island with one book, what would it be?  I love books so this is a hard one.  I love 'Outlander' by Diana Gabaldon and I have read and reread it probably 20 times.  I might think the characters are real.

10.  What do you wish you could master?  My emotions more than anything else.  I wear my heart on my sleeve and my feelings are easily hurt by others.  I hope someday I will learn how to temper that part of me.

11.  What is your favorite part of the day?  I love walking in the door after work to be greeted by my son.  I feel a wave of unconditional, indescribable love wash  over me the second I see him.  

12.  If you were able to have a super power, what would it be?  I would choose the power to heal.  I have lost many important people in my life and the ability to heal what ailed them would be the one thing I would have liked to do for all of them more than anything.  

MY QUESTIONS FOR YOU:    
1.  WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM?  HOW DO YOU SHOW THE WORLD YOUR PRIDE?

2.  DO YOU WANT/HAVE A BIG OR A SMALL FAMILY?  

3.   WHAT IS THE LONGEST YOU HAVE BEEN AT ANY JOB?

4.  ARE YOU AN EXTROVERT OR AN INTROVERT?

5.  WHERE DID YOU MEET YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER?  HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN TOGETHER?

6.   WHO DO YOU LOOK LIKE, YOUR MOM OR YOUR DAD?

7.  DO YOU HAVE A CONTRADICTION IN YOUR PERSONALITY?

8.  TELL ME SOMETHING RANDOM... ANYTHING AT ALL!

9.  HAVE YOU LIVED IN A LOT OF PLACES?  WHERE WAS YOUR FAVORITE?

10.  WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK GROWING UP?  DO YOU REMEMBER WHO GAVE IT TO YOU?

11.  DO YOU HAVE AN IRRATIONAL FEAR OF SOMETHING?  WHAT IS IT??

WHO I AM NOMINATING:

Amanda @ Becoming A Healthier Mama 

Mindy @ Mindy's Fitness Journey 

Jamie @ From Couch to Ironwoman 

Sam @ Losing my Weight, Gaining my life 

Melissa @ The Melissa Chronicles 

Anne @ Found Myself Running 

Lena @ The Beginners Runner 

Stephanie @ Live Like a gRRL 

Kim @ Run Kimmie Run 

Christy @ Mom Runner 

Xaarlin @ Xaarlin's blogspot 


Now none of you should feel obligated to participate but I'd be honored if you did and I look forward to learning more about all of you!