Smiling Irish Eyes at 90

My incredibly amazing Grandma Sally is 90 years old! 

It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating her 80th birthday, and I honestly have no idea where the last decade went. She sure doesn't look even a day older, although I can't say the same for myself... 

To celebrate this important milestone, my mom and her siblings planned quite an elaborate party, and everything turned out fabulous! 

Most importantly, there were CUPCAKES, which of course was pretty much the only thing that mattered to Ryder.

Ryder and his second cousin, Lexie. (I had to use an online "relationship calculator" to figure out what they were to each other, ha ha). 

Grandma Sally and her fifth (I think) great-grandchild. 

Grandma Sally with just 10 of her 15 children!

I could go on and on about how amazing my grandma is. 

She has played a huge role in my life ever since the day I was born. She's watched me grow up, cared for me when my parents couldn't, and taken me on amazing adventures, including my first plane ride to San Francisco when I was just seven years old! She spoils all her grandchildren not only with thoughtful and personal gifts and cards, but most importantly, with time and love. Her energy, even at 90, is enviable. She is a great listener, and makes me feel special every time I see her. She's literally been through it all and always amazes me with her life stories and spot-on advice. She has fabulous style, and she makes the best deviled eggs in the world. She loves her family, and even the smallest things make her happy -- a visit, a lunch, a phone call, a card. She is proud of who she is and where she came from. She has love for everyone around her, and constantly puts others' happiness first. She always has a smile on her face. 

She inspires me, and is an example of who I want to be in the future.

She is seriously the smartest, sweetest, most thoughtful, generous, kind, selfless, happy human being I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. 

Happy birthday Grandma Sally!

I LOVE YOU!

A Celebration of Champions

How long, exactly, is it appropriate to celebrate your team being WORLD CHAMPIONS?

 

I've decided we definitely get a while longer...

 

SEAHAWKS!!

 

I wanted to do a recap of the Seahawks Victory Parade last week, because it was seriously one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. Just me and 700,000 of my closest friends, gathered to welcome the Hawks home from the Super Bowl.

 

Have I already mentioned that we won?!?!

 

We nearly froze to death, but it was worth it to be part of such a monumental day...

 

We arrived in the city at 6:45 a.m. the day of the parade so Stew and Brett could post up and get us front row seats on the parade route. It was COLD. My friend Jessica and I brought them hot drinks every hour or so...

As the streets started to fill up and the excitement began to built, you could literally feel the energy in the city rising...

With my co-workers, front and center waiting for the parade to start. We are lucky to work only a block away!

Stew and Brett getting the crowd riled up...

We hung out in the freezing cold for several hours waiting for the parade to start, but no one minded a bit.

It's starting! It's starting!!

Marshawn Lynch tossing Skittles out to the crowd. Stew even reached up and handed him a new bag! I decided it was weird to try and get him to sign my belly for Baby Marshawn... but I was tempted!

Sea Gals and Blue Thunder.

Richard Sherman and Russell Wilson showing off that beautiful, shiny Lombardi Trophy. Swoon!

BOOM.

I have never, ever in my life seen the streets of Seattle like this. It was such an unbelievable experience and I'm so glad we were able to be a part of it!

After the parade we headed down to the season ticket holder victory rally at CenturyLink Field. This is the last time you'll see me here until the fall!

 

Stew and I spent some of this weekend spending Baby Marshawn's college tuition on Super Bowl swag... we may have gone a little overboard. But Baby Boy will be so excited to have a commemorative football someday... and a hat and a t-shirt and a sweatshirt and a onesie and a beer mug and a photo collage and a pennant and... oh lord I don't even remember what all we ordered. It's all going to look great displayed in our media room, though.

 

It feels strange to have football season officially over with, even though we went out with the biggest bang in franchise history.

 

I'm so in love with this city, this game, this team... And I can't wait to do it all again!

 

Hawk Yeah!

 

Winning!

Life As Always has been pop-u-lar lately, y'all!

Thanks so much to both my new and loyal readers!

 

I was nominated for TWO more Liebster Awards this week by Lindi at Sweet Southern Sparkle and Kari at Life Lived by Kari.

Thank you so much ladies, I'm flattered!!

 

 

The Liebster Award was started to nominate new bloggers in order for them to gain recognition and inspire confidence to keep going. 

And mainly it's just an opportunity for a fun little Q&A...

 

Here are Lindi's questions for me:

 

1. Why did you start blogging?

I have a degree in journalism and I love writing, but since I wasn't really doing it professionally back in 2006 I decided to start My So-Called Life at the suggestion of my good friend Jeanna. That blog was pretty much about me being single and fabulous ridiculous, so shortly after I got engaged in 2011 I switched over to this blog, Life As Always, with the goal of chronicling my life with Stewart for our friends and family members. As an added bonus, in the past couple years I have also been warmly embraced by this whole crazy blogging community and I've made some really good friends!  

 

2. What is your favorite beauty product?

Mascara. I love this stuff so, so much. It's my favorite part of getting ready in the morning, because I feel like it just pulls together every other aspect of my makeup and overall look. Without it I just feel tired and blah. I also love the precision the application takes; it appeals to my meticulous nature. I actually probably wear too much sometimes, but it's like an addiction... just one more coat! I love it.

 

3. What was the name of your very first pet?

I don't know that she was my very first pet, but my main childhood pet was a tabby cat named Tigger. I got her in the fifth grade when she was just a kitten and had her all the way into college. I really miss that cuddly fur ball! 

 

4. What does your blog name mean to you?

Well, it's pretty simple, actually. I'm Sarah Alway and he's Stewart Alway, so... Life as "Always" -- get it?!
 

5. If you could pick one place to travel to where would it be?

A trip to Australia and New Zealand is the next thing up on our travel bucket list. We thought we might be able to make it happen before starting our family, but the news of Baby Boy has put that trip on hold for the time being... 

 

6. What are your hobbies besides blogging?

I guess reading would be the main thing I'd consider a "hobby." I am a huge book nerd. But I also love athletic outdoorsy stuff like hiking, snowboarding and water sports.

 

7. Who is the most influential person in your life?

My mother. She is the sweetest angel to ever walk the planet and if someday I grow up to be even half the person she is I will consider myself to be a successful human being. She inspires me on a daily basis to be better than I was the day before.

 

8. What is your dream job?

Besides being a TV news reporter like April O'Neil? I actually don't have many lofty career aspirations these days. I just want to work in a position where I am valued and respected, where I enjoy what I am doing and have a great team to interact with. And these days all those expectations are being met, so maybe I have my dream job after all...

 

9.What is your go to wardrobe item?

When I don't have to get dressed for work it's ALWAYS my Lululemon yoga pants and a zip up hoodie. I could seriously live the rest of my life in that outfit. And it's probably the only thing I will wear for the entire duration of my maternity leave. Gift certificates are currently being accepted if you want to send one my way...

 

10.What is your favorite kind of candy?

I'm actually more of a savory than a sweet person, but as a loyal Seahawks fan I'd have to say Skittles!!

 

11. What advice could you give to a new blogger?

Make sure you're aware of some basic blogging don'ts before you get too far into it. There's nothing worse than a fake, whiny blogger who becomes a link up whore with a blog drowning in giveaways. Unless of course that person is also a no-reply blogger.

 

 

And here are Kari's questions for me:

 

1.  What is the best vacation you have ever been on?

A whirlwind tour of Europe with Stewart in the fall of 2010. Stew is a British citizen and seasoned world traveler; the perfect tour guide for my first trip to the UK. We visited many cities in England, Ireland, Italy and France over about three and a half weeks, including Cinque Terre on the coast of the Italian Riviera, where we got engaged.

 

2.  What are some key items on your Bucket List?

Most of our bucket list items include traveling the world. I already mentioned the trip down under that we'd like to take, but we also really want to do a South African safari, snowboard in South America, see the pyramids of Egypt... oh, all sorts of things. And of course we'll want to take Baby Boy to England someday so he can see where some of his roots come from.

 

3.  What is the best gift you have ever been given?

Oh good grief, let me just go ahead and give the most cliché, sentimental answer ever... our son. He will be the light of my life and the center of my world for as long as I exist, and I suppose I have Stewart to thank for this incredible gift. Now was that a Hallmark moment, or what?

 

4.  What do you like more: clothes, shoes, purses, or gadgets?

I suppose if forced to choose I'd have to say shoes. Clothes would be a close second, but shoes are just so much FUN. They're generally not something I splurge on, but I adore shoes... a likely side effect of my addiction to Sex & the City in college. "Hello, lover..."

 

5.  If you could obtain any degree without ever having to take a class, which would you choose?

The thing is, I am a total school nerd. I loved each and every class starting with the first day of kindergarten, and if it didn't cost so dang much I'd probably still be pursuing one degree or another, just because I enjoy being a student so much. So to answer this question in a rambling way, I suppose I would choose a law degree. I was accepted into law school after completing my paralegal certification a couple years ago, but ultimately decided not to attend due to the crushing debt it would inflict on our family. And the fact that I really wanted to be a law student... but not necessarily a lawyer.

 

6.  How many hours of sleep do you get every night on average?

Since getting over my first trimester exhaustion (where I was sleeping about half my life away) I've been back to my usual, about seven hours a night. It's never enough, but it's all I've got time for these days...

 

7.  What is something you could never leave home without?

My iPhone. I am completely and utterly addicted. It's a problem. Have you seen that commercial which should put us all in our places? It might as well be my life. And I'm ashamed...

 

8.  If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Oh goodness. My basic instincts scream mac 'n' cheese, but I think I should probably choose something more nutritionally dense... any Mexican dish would probably do. How about fajitas? That'd work...

 

9.  What city would you most want to live in?

I have always wanted to live in San Francisco, and after visiting I am also now completely obsessed with London. That being said, I'm pretty happy with our move to the suburbs. Living in a small city like Snoqualmie has been a welcome change from the fabulous yet fast-paced Seattle lifestyle.

 

10.What is your dream job?

See above.

 

11. The beach or the mountains?

 Ouch... this is such a tough call, and ultimately a decision I cannot make. It's like being asked to choose between snowboarding and wake surfing, two of my absolute favorite activities! In any case, at least you know that I would always choose outside versus inside...

 

 

Thanks ladies, for your thought provoking questions!

 

Now I am supposed to nominate 11 other bloggers and provide them with 11 questions to answer, but I already did that back in June and also in January, and I've got a lot going on this weekend so I'm going to choose to cut this off here. That being said, if you are one of my new followers in the past week or so (and I've gotten so many!) please consider yourself nominated and visit one of my previous posts to answer some of my own silly little questions. And be sure to let me know  if you decide to join in on the fun!

 

Have a great weekend guys and dolls!

 

We are the champions, my friends -- Super Bowl XLVIII

It was way, way better than we ever could have dreamed it would be...

 

The Seattle Seahawks completely annihilated the Broncos with a 43-8 Super Bowl WIN last night.

 

We listened to the national media pick Denver as the favorite to win over and over last week, and we kept our mouths shut, knowing that the Seahawks -- the Super Bowl Champion Seahawks -- would show up on Sunday ready to play.

Boy, did they ever.

I almost felt sorry for Peyton Manning toward the end... Almost.

The Seahawk's performance in Super Bowl XLVIII will most definitely go down in the history books. And we've been with them every step of the way, ever since that day last summer when we attended Hawks Training Camp and started to think maybe... maybe this was our year.

Russell Wilson said it way back when: "Why not us?"

And now it's finally happened: For the first time in franchise history, the Seattle Seahawks are the football champions of the world, and my heart is swelling with pride for our team, our city, and the 12th Man. Oh, and especially my husband, who has been waiting his whole life for this...

Hawk Yeah!

We knew that if the Hawks won the Super Bowl we would want to be in the city to celebrate. So we asked our super duper fab friends Matt and Alissa if they would be willing to host a Super Bowl party at their amazing house on the top of Queen Anne Hill, and they were happy to oblige!

We're very superstitious about football. For yesterday's game, Matt happened to be standing when the Hawks first scored. Hence, he had to remain standing for the rest of the game. No-brainer there... Little Remi was also super excited by all the action, and whenever she started barking it was important that a human barked right back at her. Oh, and of course Jell-O shots had to be taken every single time the Hawks scored. Tara even made some virgin ones for baby Marshawn and me!

 

Erin and I were also convinced that Baby Jackson and Baby Marshawn were super good luck this season! I can't wait to tell Baby Boy all about it someday!

 

 

After the big win, we immediately headed out into the city to celebrate with the masses. I only made it as far as a bar in Lower Queen Anne until about ten o'clock, but Stew took advantage of his once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to celebrate the Hawks first Super Bowl win with the rest of the crazy fans in Pioneer Square, where they were climbing light poles, setting fires in the streets, and generally whooping it up as only crazy football fans can. It's probably better that I wasn't there...

And today we're just basking in the glory of it all. Sorry to everyone who was disappointed last night, but I've been telling you all along that the Hawks had the ability to take it all the way this year. And I do tend to be right once in a while.

To the Seahawks, the city of Seattle, and especially the 12th Man... we've put our hearts and souls into this season, and we've been rewarded tenfold.

The Seattle Seahawks -- Super Bowl XLVIII Champions!!

 

 

 

Award Winning Lazy Blogging

I don't know what has been wrong with me this week, but my blogging has been totally uninspired, hence my virtual silence around these parts. So I was almost embarrassed when Jenni nominated me for a Liebster Award... almost. Thanks Jenni!!

 

But I always love learning that someone reads and enjoys my ramblings here, and the purpose of the Liebster Award is to promote each other in order to make more friends in the blogging community and attract more attention to our blogs, so I still want to play along... sort of. 

 

Try not to judge, but I'm going to re-post some of my Liebster Award answers from when I was nominated back in June.

 

The Rules
 

Thank the person who nominated you and link them in your post. 

Tell 11 random facts about yourself.

Answer the 11 questions provided by the person who nominated you.

Choose 11 blogs you like and link them in your post. 

Write 11 questions for these bloggers, so they can answer them. 

Go to their page and let them know that you nominated them.

   

11 Random Facts

1. I love infomercials and I've ordered many, many things from TV. It's sort of a problem. 
 

2. I have an unexplainable phobia of the telephone. This can also be a problem.

 

3. Even though I know I shouldn't, I sleep in my makeup every single night.

 

4. I am obsessed with disaster preparedness / the end of the world / Armageddon / the Zombie Apocalypse. Seriously, ask me how many emergency kits I have... they're everywhere.

 

5. I love cilantro; I think it is cat nip for humans. But I hate bananas.

 

6. I have heterochromia, which means my eyes are different colors. I was born with it.

 

7. Try not to judge, but I am not an organ donor. I have weird human body issues, and the concept of my parts being inside someone else just really, really freaks me out.

 

8. I did not meet my older sister until I was 22 years old, because my parents gave her up for adoption when they were in high school. Now she is one of my very best friends.

 

9. I am completely tone deaf, like I don't even sing happy birthday out loud. Seriously, it's bad.

 

10. My two food weaknesses are macaroni and cheese and McDonald's. My mouth just filled with saliva thinking about them.

 

11. I dropped out of college spring quarter junior year and moved to Waikiki with a girlfriend. Eventually I came back and finished school. Yeah.

That's me! I'm kind of a nerd sometimes...
 

11 Questions for ME
 

1. What is your favorite joke? Since I can't think of a single one, I'm wondering if maybe I'm not all that into jokes? I'm actually not a huge fan of comedies, either. Perhaps I should work on my sense of humor.

 

2. Do you prefer sweet or savory? Definitely savory. Although during this pregnancy I have been craving sweets a lot more often than normal. But I pretty much crave everything these days...

 

3. What is the most expensive item you've ever bought? Our new house.

 

4. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? Oh my goodness, I can hardly remember! I definitely wanted to be an eyewitness TV news reporter just like April O'Neil when I was a little kid. But by high school I don't remember having any specific aspirations. That's probably why I have a degree in journalism and public relations, a certification in paralegal studies, but work in commercial real estate development... See, I'm still trying to figure it out!  

 

5. Are there any decisions you've made that, with hindsight, you wish you could change? Not really, because I think our past experiences make us who we are, and I'm pretty happy with myself these days! That being said, I always wished that I would have taken a few months during college to backpack around Europe and see a little more of the world.

 

6. What color is your bedroom? Right now it's basic beige from the paint package we picked out when we purchased options for the new house, but I have big plans to paint the walls grey with maybe a plum colored accent wall behind the bed... stay tuned!

 

7. Do you collect anything? If so, what? Books, books, and more books. I'm such a book nerd.

 

8. Do you have any favorite sports teams? Silly rabbit... the Seattle Seahawks, of course!

 

9. What is one city you've never visited but would like to, and why? I have always wanted to visit New York City, it's definitely on my bucket list. But somehow every time I try to start planning a trip there the expense overwhelms me and I give up. Someday...  

 

10. What song are you loving right now? I can tell you what song I'm hating: Let Her Go by Passenger. There is something about his voice that sounds whiny and squeaky to me, and the lyrics strike me as incredibly depressing and negative. And the freaking song is playing on every single station right now, I can't seem to escape it! 

 

11. Who did you look up to as a teenager? I actually had quite a few teachers that I looked up to in high school. I should really look them up and see what they're up to these days...

 

Here I am again (sometimes I have a bit of an attitude)... But let's talk about you!

11 Nominees

 

 Jessa @ Life of a Sports Wife

Ashley @ Have Chashley, Will Travel

Amanda @ Voyage of the MeeMee

Fran @ Freeborboleta

Cait @ A Day in the Life

Jocelyn @ The Life of a Pretty Lucky Mama

Ashley @ Afternoons with You

Ashley @ Life on the Parsons Farm

Carly @ Macaroons & Moccasins

Ali @ High Heels and Coffee

Chelsea @ Anchors Aweigh

 

11 Questions for YOU

1. If you were a super hero what powers would you have?

2. If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature what new animal would you create?

3. What historical figure would you love to see in 21st century life?

4. What phrase do you say the most?

5. If you could steal one thing without consequence what would it be?

6. What is your favorite thing about yourself (physical or otherwise?)

7. If you could live anywhere, where would that be?

8. If you were crowned ruler of the world, what's the first law you would make?

9. What's the most unusual conversation you've ever had?

10. What is the best present you've ever received?

11. Would you rather go back in time and meet your ancestors, or travel into the future and meet your great grandchildren? 

 

 

Congratulations to all the nominees! I really enjoy each of your blogs and hope you play along. And if you haven't checked out these fabulous bloggers yet, I encourage you to take the time to read their posts, get to know them, and show some blogger love! 

 

One Lovely Blog

A while back, the one lovely Michelle generously nominated me for the One Lovely Blog Award.

Thanks a million for this sweet and thoughtful nomination!
 

 

The Rules

Thank the one that nominated you. Thanks Michelle! {check}

Put up the picture for the One Lovely Blog Award. See above... {check}

Tell everyone seven things about yourself. See below... {check}
Nominate seven other people and tell them you have nominated them! See below... {check}

Seven Things About Me

{1} When Stewart and I were traveling in Europe in 2010 we randomly saw Lady Gaga outside Temple Bar one night in Dublin. We also saw Mike Tyson in the Iceland airport. It was a good trip for celebrity sightings!

{2} One of the reasons my mom chose the name "Sarah" is because it can't be easily shortened or "nicknamed." She hates nicknames but I love them and I've always wished I had more! Some people call me "Sarahbeth" for "Sarah Elizabeth" but that's not really the same...

{3} I can't whistle. Like, at all. I also can't really snap my fingers very well. Don't worry, I have other talents.

{4} Speaking of talents, I can pretty much recite verbatim every single animated Disney movie that was released between 1989 and 1994. Seriously, I did it along with The Little Mermaid the other night for Stew and he was seriously impressed! And of course I do the musical numbers, too. Duh.
 

{5} I am super OCD about answering blog comments. I have to answer them chronologically in the order they were received, and for each one I send a response plus a comment back on the sender's blog (wherever applicable). When I get behind on answering blog comments it gives me massive anxiety.

{6} I own three huge bins full of collector edition Barbie dolls in the original packaging. I started collecting them when I was in high school and I have no idea what I'm going to do with them now! Maybe if the next baby is a girl I'll give them to her and someone can finally play with them!

{7} After graduating from college I lost the 40 pounds I gained over those four years. I don't think anything has ever made me feel better about myself. Needless to say, I am now super conscious of my weight, nutrition, and exercise habits. Something I never had to do before my damn metabolism slowed down... ugh!!

I hope you enjoyed getting to know a little more about me! Sorry my answers are kind of lengthy, but being pithy has never been my strength. If you made it to the end, mad props.

Seven Amazing Nominees

{1} Jodi @ Love and Crayons

{2} Amanda @ Voyage of the MeeMee

{3} Susannah @ Simple Moments Stick

{4} Becky @ Rebeckann's Random Thoughts

{5} Jenni @ Flying on a Rainbow

{6} Lindsey @ The Crafty Practitioner

{7} Jamie @ You Gotta Have Hart

I totally understand if you'd prefer not to participate, but if you're interested, I'd love to learn a little more about you! One of my favorite things about blogging is making connections with all of YOU, and I appreciate you coming here to my little corner of the internet to get to know me as well. Thanks for stopping by!

You Are My Sunshine...

A while back, in the midst of all my puking and crying, Jamie at You Gotta Have Hart nominated me for the Sunshine Award! It totally brightened my day, but before I could do anything about it I either fell asleep or dissolved into tears or something. Anyway, if you haven't checked out Jamie's blog before, you should. She actually lives in the Sunshine State with her fiancé and fur baby, and her blog is funny, completely honest, and full of heart. Stop on by...

And now, on with the award!

The idea of the award is to nominate bloggers whose posts brighten your day.

The Rules

1. Include the award logo in your post.

2. Link to the person who nominated you - You Gotta Have Hart.

3. Answer 10 questions about yourself.

4. Nominate 10 bloggers to receive the award. Link the nominees to your post and notify them!

Jamie's Questions

1. Win the lotto or find your perfect job? And why?

Of course, win the lottery! Assuming I'd win enough to live off for the rest of my life, that is. Because let's face it; I really only work to support my "real" life. I do get some professional satisfaction out of my job, but it's nothing life-altering, and if it were up to me I'd spend the rest of my days with my family, traveling the world, without any cares or worries about my next paycheck.

2. Where do you see yourself in five years?

Actually, my company offers a three month paid sabbatical after ten years of employment, and five years from now will be just about that time for me! So if everything goes as planned, Stew and I will have had our second child by then, and both kiddos will be old enough to leave with my parents for a couple months while we knock off some of our bucket list items... hopefully that trip to Australia/New Zealand, and maybe South Africa, too. We also need to get back to Europe.

3. What's your idea of an awesome girl's name?

Well I can't really spill the beans about my favorite girl names here, because someone might steal what I want to name MY baby (if she turns out to be a girl)! However, have you guys heard of Malala Yousafzai? At 16 years old, she is the youngest woman ever to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Malala is an education activist from Pakistan who was shot by the Taliban at point-blank range for her beliefs. I am dying to read her book about her miraculous recovery and extraordinary journey. Talk about awesome.

4. Your favorite teenage memory?

This is so dumb, and kind of embarrassing to admit, making Varsity Cheerstaff in high school is probably one of my very favorite memories. When you make cheerleading at my high school (at least back in the late '90s) the current senior cheerleaders let you know by kidnapping you from your house in the middle of the night, sometime after tryouts have been held. Then, following a night of bonding/hazing at the coach's house, the new, mortified cheerleaders are forced to attend a day of high school in their pajamas, sans makeup, hair products, or dignity. But we still felt like we were pretty special, and let's face, it we loved the attention. Some of my favorite high school memories for the next few years involve that group of girls, and it's a time I'll never forget!

5. What's the one thing that made you laugh the hardest this month?

Oh jeez... probably this text message exchange on Halloween with my father-in-law. What a goofball!

6. Are you the kind of person who wants to be the big fish in a little pond or the little fish in the big pond? Why?

Honestly, I think I'd rather be a little fish in a big pond. I don't generally like a lot of attention or fanfare (in fact, it makes me super uncomfortable). Instead, I prefer to just keep my head down, do my job, and live my quiet little life. I like to blend in with the crowd, not stand out from it... surround myself with people who have intelligence, abilities, wisdom, and talents that can support and supplement my own. Plus, I'm claustrophobic, so the alternative just kind of gives me anxiety.

7. What bad habit would you be willing to give up if it guaranteed you would live to be 100?

I am a chronic snoozer. Honestly, my snooze alarm habits might have caused the worst fights Stew and I have ever had. I know it's a terrible habit to press the snooze button two five times every morning, but I just can't help it! Although I would, if it really guaranteed I would live to be 100. In that case, I'd jump up bright eyed and bushy tailed when the first alarm went off every morning. Maybe...

8. If you had to evacuate your house immediately, what is the one thing you would grab on the way out?

I know I talk a lot of smack about her, but let's be honest: the first thing I would grab is my cat, Jasmine. I do adore that annoying ball of fur, and we've really developed quite a bond over the past 10 years of living together. Even though she does love Stewart more than me.

9. What is your greatest strength?

Thinking about your own best qualities is hard, so I did what I usually do when I'm in a pickle... I asked my sister. Her answer came back almost immediately: LOYALTY. She's right. I am loyal to a fault. My people are MY PEOPLE, and I will bend over backward to support them, love them, make them smile, catch them when they fall, listen to them, laugh and cry with them. Honestly, if you become an important person in my life, I'll stick with you through thick and thin. Just don't stab me in the back, 'cause in that case you're dead to me.

10. What makes you unique?

I have genetic Heterochromia Iridium, which means that my eyes are totally different colors. One is blue, and the other is mostly green (but about a quarter of it’s brown). Having different colored eyes is classified as “very rare” by the National Institutes of Health; it affects only one in a million people, or less than 200,000 in the U.S. population. So I guess I'm truly "one in a million!"

MY Fabulous Nominees

I'm a cheater and did more than 10, but there were just too many to pick from!

Deidre @ Decoy Betty

Elizabeth @ E is Random

Meg @ Henning Love

Laura @ Oh Laura Darling

Kenzie @ Life and Lemons

Kristine @ Living Barefoot and Crazy

Betty @ Northwest Betty

Becky @ Rebeckann's Random Thoughts & Recipes

Susannah @ Simple Moments Stick

Sue @ As It Seems

Jenny @ Love Jenny xoxo

Rachel @ Trying for Sighs

 And My Questions

1. What's the nicest thing someone else has done for you?

2. What is one thing you always wanted as a kid, but never got?

3. What is your most impressive skill?

4. What would you refuse to do for one million dollars?

5. If you were home on a rainy Sunday afternoon, what movie would you like to watch on TV?

6. If fat, calories, cholesterol, etc. were not an issue, what two foods would you feast on?

7. Who is the most famous person you have ever met?

8. What is the greatest pain you have ever suffered?

9. If you could be a member of any TV-sitcom family, which would it be?

10. How do you like to relax?

I know that these posts can be involved and time-consuming, but I love reading them, so I hope everyone plays along. Either way, thanks for blogging, and for bringing a little sunshine into my day!