30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 8

Day 8: A place you've traveled to.

During the summer after my freshman year of college, I had the opportunity to spend 3.5 weeks in Europe. My brother was studying abroad at the University of Leicester in England, so we thought it would be fun to travel around and live like poor traveling students for a few weeks (and boy did we!)

We encountered some very interesting people, and had some innnnteresting experiences- from almost getting robbed on the Metro in Paris, to me having my first Guinness, to finding out the beach we were on in Nice was in fact a topless beach (AWKWARD). Some hostels were pretty nice, others were....questionable. But all in all, it was a blast, and we still have fun reminiscing about it.

I consider myself SO incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel overseas. It's an experience I will never forget, and given the chance I would go back in a heartbeat. If you haven't done it already, what are you waiting for?!?! And hey, if you really want me to, I can give you the name of that beach...

Eiffel Tower & Ice Cream

Notre Dame Cathedral

London. I was clearly going through my thrift store t-shirt phase.

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 7

Day 7: Your favorite movies

There are way too many to name! But maybe it would be best to put them into categories?

Favorite movie overall:

The Shawshank Redemption. Hands down. I could watch it over and over again on repeat and never get tired of it. The ending still gives me goosebumps and makes me cry every single time. Classic.

Other favorite tear-jerkers/goosebump-inducers: The Blind Side, Erin Brokovich, and Love Actually.

Top comedies that can ALWAYS make me laugh till I cry: The Hangover. Step-Brothers. Wedding Crashers. Anchorman. Baby Mama.

Jon says that I still have not seen all of the great "classic" movies out there, so this list may be short-sighted. I am always open to new suggestions, since my Netflix queue had only 2 movies on it before I canceled my account. What's your favorite movie??

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 6

Day 6: A picture of something that makes you happy.

This one is too easy! Lots of things make me happy. But for the purposes of this blog post, I'll say...

What about several somethings??

Sushi

Friends

                                      

Coffee.

                                                                                        

The Beach.

But most of all... this guy.

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 5

Day 5: Your siblings

You know how when you meet someone's brother or sister, you can usually tell a resemblance? Apparently not in my family. When people meet my brother or sister, it's usually followed by "Oh, you don't look like him/her at all." On the other hand, people are constantly asking my SIL Lindsay if we're sisters. It's funny how that works.

You be the judge! Who is a blood relative, and who is not? And who looks like a bigger stud?? :) 

  

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 4

Day 4: Your parents

My parents are one-of-a-kind. They are very different in their own ways, but then also very similar in others.

My mom has always made me feel special. Even if I wasn't the best at something, she always made me feel like I was. I think a large part of my confidence comes from the encouragement my mom has shown me all my life. She has also accepted me, mistakes and all, and has allowed me to grow into the woman I am today. She also taught me how to cook and do laundry, and has been known on MANY occasions to do the "dirty work" for me when I've been faced with jobs I just really didn't want to do (i.e. this poor woman scraped paint off woodwork in our garage for hours on a Saturday and then went inside and cleaned my kitchen sink). If that's not love, I don't know what is!

This lovely man, known affectionately to my friends as "Rex" is the world's greatest storyteller. At 77 years young, my dad has lived his life to the fullest. He always relates what is happening now to a story that has happened in the past. He is someone who truly enjoys life. It makes me smile every time we go out to dinner, because each meal he eats he claims to be the "best meal of his life." I hope someday I can find joy in all of the little things in this world at even a fraction of the way my dad feels. Dad has also continuously encouraged me to achieve things in life, be them small or big. And he always tells me how proud he is of me, even when it's something that I don't find to be particularly interesting or worthwhile. He tells me all the time that he will always be my friend, and I wholeheartedly believe that.

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 3

Day 3: Your first love

Well, that would be my husband of course! HA! But I'm going to take this as meaning my first case of puppy love, or my first "crush."

Well, that title belongs to this gentleman...

This little guy is Devon Sawa circa 1995 in the movie "Casper." When he came walking down the stairs, after being given 15 minutes by an angel so he could dance with his love, Christina Ricci, I would SWOON. Me and my friends would scream and run up and kiss the TV screen. Yes, we were cool. But I'm sorry, watch this scene and tell me how an 11-year old girl isn't supposed to drool at his adorableness?!?! Many elementary school crushes had come along before him, but this heartthrob made me realize that I needed to hold out for a prince charming. And I did :-)

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 2

Day 2: Meaning behind your blog name

Click here to read the whole story.

Rain in Ohio has turned into snow, but I still find myself thanking Jack for the occasional "signs" he sends to me, as a reminder to look at the sunny side of life. It's nice knowing someone up there is looking out for me.

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 1

Day 1-Introduce yourself and give 15 interesting facts

Hi, my name is Audra, and I am a blogger. (Hi Audra!)

1. I am a Taurus.
2. If I could survive on water, coffee, and sashimi, I would do it.
3. I sometimes forget that my sisters-in-law aren't my real sisters.
4. I sing so loudly in the car that you'd think I was practicing for American Idol tryouts.
5. I am double-jointed.
6. I am always the first person awake in our house. 
7. I have a staring problem. I will stare at people for just a second too long, trying to figure out who they look like, before realizing that I'm doing it.
8. I have been biting my nails since I was around 3 years old and I don't see this habit stopping any time soon.
9. Also when I was 3, a blood vessel burst in my eye and never went away. (Geez, that must have been a traumatic year for me!)
10. Speaking of eyes, I got LASIK eye surgery back in 2007 and it was the single greatest investment I have ever made.
11. My mind runs very quickly, and as such if I'm not multi-tasking I get bored easily.
12. I have recently discovered a game called DroidWords and am in the midst of an all-out "Scrabble" war with two friends and now all I can think about is how random combinations of letters can make high-scoring words.
13. I love puns. Love them.
14. I have been to Disney World 15 times (and Disneyland Paris once).
15. I am allergic to Neosporin and any other antibacterial ointment.

30 Day Blog Challenge

As some of my close friends know all too well, last week was one of my "tough" weeks. I was just in a funk, and it took a few days and a night of bowling to get me out of it.

So I am now recommitting to keeping a fresh and positive perspective on life. So in honor of my newfound determination, I decided to work on my first Blog Challenge. Called the "30 Day Challenge," this series of posts, once a day for the next 30 days, are designed to get me to reflect on my life and my past (ha, as if I don't do that enough!) Starting today, you can learn all you want to know about boring old me. Here's what you have to look forward to:

Day 1-Introduce yourself and give 15 interesting facts

Day 2-Meaning behind your blog name

Day 3-Your first love

Day 4-Your parents

Day 5-Your siblings

Day 6-A picture of something that makes you happy

Day 7-Favorite movies

Day 8-A place you've traveled to

Day 9-A picture of your friends

Day 10-Something you're afraid of

Day 11-Favorite TV shows

Day 12-What you believe

Day 13-Goals

Day 14-A picture you love

Day 15-Bible verse

Day 16-Dream house

Day 17-Something you're looking forward to

Day 18-Something you regret

Day 19-Something you miss

Day 20-Nicknames

Day 21-Picture of yourself

Day 22-Favorite city

Day 23-Favorite vacation

Day 24-Something you've learned

Day 25-Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs

Day 26-Picture of your family

Day 27-Pets

Day 28-Something that stresses you out

Day 29-3 Wishes

Day 30-A picture

And heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere we go!

Thank You

I got a sign from you last night, and it was exactly what I needed.

<3

Do you ever have days...

...when you feel like this??

Countdowns

Since I was a wee little girl, I have been counting down. I am THAT girl who always knows exactly how many days there are between today and my birthday, the end of the school year, and any other momentous occasions. I promise you there was not one day that you could have approached me between May 2008 and May 2009 when I didn't know exactly how many days until our wedding. Yep. I love countdowns.

The skeptics out there are wondering.... "What's so great about a countdown??? All it will do is remind you how far away something is." Yes!! Exactly. I truly believe that the anticipation of a big event is at least half of what makes it so exciting.

Think about it: How many times have you had a big event to look forward to? You meticulously prepare everything necessary for said event. You enthusiastically talk about it over and over again with your friends. You get goosebumps just thinking about how it's going to be.

Sure, occasionally the big event is a let-down (JM- you know exactly what college event I'm talking about). But goshdarnit, we had a BLAST getting ready for it and I will never forget the memories that were created in the process. And since I am trying to be positive and optimistic about life, I am holding on to my countdowns because they make me happy and they help me to look forward and realize how many joyous and exciting things lie ahead of me.

On this blustery cold January day, all I can think about is that there are exactly 155 days until I'll be here:

I. CAN'T. WAIT.

(P.S. Anybody else have "The Final Countdown" in their head now??? Whoops, sorry)

First post of 2011

And I would like to take this opportunity to thank the somebody that has made me happy every single morning of the year:

I don't have many vices. I swear, I don't. But anybody that knows me knows that LOVE a good cup 'o' joe. It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling, and seriously makes the outlook of my day better. And since I am trying to be nothing but positive this year, it's nice knowing I have something to keep me alive, alert, awake and enthusiastic every day.

Sip. Ahhhhhhhhhh.