Answers, Answers I Got' em!

Thank you for your questions. All four of you. Without further delay, I'll address your burning questions.


Tressa, whom I did not know until she de-lurked to pay me a sweet compliment, asked the following: where did I grow up and do I have any siblings?
A: I grew up in a small town called Atlanta, Texas (near Texarkana) so I guess you could consider me an East Texas gal. I have an amazing younger sister, Florence, who is my best friend. Unfortunately, I only discovered what a great friend she was in college. Before then, I thought she was pesky and annoying.

Tressa also asked: When you spray tanned, how long did it last? Have you gone back? I'm really wanting to do it.
A : I am now an official ooompa loompa....and I love it! Seriously, I have stuck with the spray tan regimen because I feel so much better when I'm tan. My makeup looks better, teeth whiter, and I'm actually wearing shorts three months sooner than last summer! I go every 6-7 days, and I really like that I'm not doing permanent damage to my skin, yet I have a healthy glow. You should do it, Tressa!

Another burning question from Tressa: When you see people like me (a fellow blogger) in the real world (Kids' Kingdom, HEB, etc.) do you feel weird having a conversation?
A: I don't feel weird because the only person I knew via blog before meeting them was YOU! It's cool....just another way to connect with people. I did see someone at Barnes and Nobles not too long ago that I recognized from her blog. She was a total stranger but somehow I blurted out, "I read your blog!" as she passed by me. Now that was a weird....almost as weird as the look she gave me.

Tressa's final question: Whats your favorite thing you like to do? With or without kids?
A: To be honest, there are many days that my favorite thing to do is anything without the kids! But in all seriousness, I'm a certified shop-a-holic. I shop. It's what I do. I'm good at it. I also like to pick up the house and restore its order, read, sleep, and waste lots of time on the computer searching for my dream house--which always happens to be somewhere like Madison, Wisconsin or Peoria, Illinois.


Emily is another gal I've never met but know from her blog. She asked: If you could travel anywhere where would it be? Why?
A: Anywhere with a white, sandy beach is my cup of tea. Why, you ask? Probably because I'm cold natured and I'm a terrible skier. I am, however, a FANTASTIC snow plower.

Juli, one of my bestest and dearest friends from high school asked: How can it have been 12 years since we've seen each other? (My best guess, I'm figuring my wedding as the last time! Crazy!)
A: Actually, Juli, the last time we saw each other was at my mom's funeral. You may not have remembered that visit because you were just doing what you've always done...being thoughtful. I will never forget you being there, though. It meant so much to me.

She asked another funny question: How in the WORLD do you have time to do all that you do with your crafts and your kids and your sweetie and still keep your house clean?!?!? David wants to know, LOL!!!!!!! (Make it something impossible for me, please! ;) )
A: I don't do it all...I have to pick and choose. Most of the time I sacrifice my crafty stuff for cleaning, but every once in a while I'll choose craft over clean. Then I spend the next four days roaming from room to room muttering to myself about the pigsty I call home, throwing all the laundry I can fit into one load, and ordering pizza. I then vow to never, ever under any condition attempt to be crafty.

Juli's final question was: Favorite meal to cook?
A: On average, I cook three to four times a week. It is really important to me to try and preserve our family meal time. It's almost uncommon these days for families to gather 'round the dinner table to eat and talk! Even though there's not a lot of talking, (but rather bribing kids to eat, stay seated, and stop touching each other) it's important to make dinnertime a valued and important thing now so that they'll get used to the tradition when they're older. My favorite meal to cook right now is medium-shelled pasta with zucchini and tomatoes in a white, cheesy cream sauce. It doesn't have a name.

My sweet friend, Adrielle, asked: What are some of you and Cody's favorite things to do/places to go on date nights?
A: Cody is a sweetheart and usually always arranges our dates, complete with getting the babysitter. Therefore, he also usually plans what we do. We're not that demanding....a night without kids is the biggest gift of all so what we do doesn't really matter. It's usually dinner and then coffee and dessert. Then I'm usually too pooped to do much else, so we'd rent a movie and go home.

Adrielle also wanted to know: If you could have a weekend getaway with no commitments, kids, etc., where would you go? Would you go alone or with people?
A: First of all, you all should know that I am no good at being alone. Think Jerry McGuire, when Renee says "you can't be alone....alone, alone, alone." That's me. I thrive on doing things with friends or my sister or husband. Even this weekend when Cody took Kellie-Laine to the Final Four game, I was really kind of pitiful the way I was moping around feeling sorry for myself. Oh, I enjoyed the evening to myself for a little bit, but then I started having these thoughts that everyone else on the planet was attending a party and I was the only one not invited. Then I just got sad. Isn't that pitiful? So if I'm going to do anything....it's going to include other people. I'd also choose to go here with Cody. This is our place. And it's a stones throw from College Station....even better.

Adrielle's final question was: What do you appreciate the most about your relationship with your sister?
A: I love that I can be completely honest about myself with Flo. No one else knows me the way she does. Probably not even Cody. I can share thoughts with her that have no business being voiced. I also love that she thinks I'm funny. She laughs at me. I like being funny.


Okay....so that's it. I hope you feel like you know me little better than before. If I get any other questions, I'll answer them in another post. I hope you won't remove me from your list of blogs to read. The end.

Wait, Wait.....Rose came in at the final hour with her burning desire to know who my favorite NKOTB is (if you don't know what NKOTB is....you don't need to know my answer!)
A: Okay, here's the truth. My friends Jennifer, Katherine and my sister, Flo, all liked the New Kids. So to keep the peace, we kind of all chose a different New Kid to love. I chose Jonathan. But I realize now he didn't have much depth and wasn't really that great of a singer. He also had no charisma....but Jordan, now that's another story. He's who I would choose today. His name will be on my poster board sign when I attend their reunion concert with Flo. I will also be wearing a side-ponytail, pinch-rolled jeans, and an over sized t-shirt gathered to the side with a hair bow.

TTFN!!