Day 9: A favorite picture of your best friend

My sister and my best friend.

It's strange how time can change relationships so much. The people you thought would be next to you forever are distant. The loves you thought you would never die out are gone. 

And then sometimes the people you never even considered are there for you and stronger than all the bonds you had put your confidence in.

This is one of my favorite pictures of me and my sister, Emilie. I love that crazy happy face of hers. =)

Day 8: A place you've traveled to

Well, I haven't traveled to all that many places of significant distance. I'd say probably just New York, Florida, and Omaha, Nebraska. I think I'll tell you a few tidbits about Omaha today, because it's the first place that I thought of when I read the topic for today.

It was a 2 week long mission's trip with the Calvary Youth Group in 2003. I remember being pretty excited and a lot of nervous. We had been planning, learning, rehearsing to go for weeks and it was finally time! I remember I packed a huge suitcase and also brought a carry-on bag for the bus. Thinking I would be one smart cookie, I thoughtfully packed one of those little fleece blankets in my bag because you know how those long, long car rides can get. It's warm outside, but with the A/C going and you getting sleepy, sometimes things get a little chilly in there!
Yeah, well, laugh it up. Because the air conditioning didn't work in the bus. It didn't work ever. Our entire trip. Needless to say I never used the blanket.

Here's a few of us sitting on the side of the road because the bus overheated. Again.

I remember when we got there they grilled us yet again not to stare at anyone, and to give them a once-over was pretty much a death wish. Also, we're staying in some kind of facility with criminals, and they're under you. Don't walk anywhere without a group of like, 20. Scaaarryyyy.
We also played an ice breaker where you stated your name, plus something about yourself using the first letter. I was "Nice Natalie"...how original, amiright?

This was the first church we hosted our Vacation Bible School at. That little girl up in the corner's name was Genesis. We were friends. :) This is all of them playing some relay game in the parking lot. Woohoo!

Skit.

This little dude LOVED Nic.

Kelsey, Nic and I doing the skit for all the chillins. I remember knowing all my lines perfectly plus everybody elses. I also feel like I may have rubbed that in to the point of annoyance. Sorry! In my defense, I was 13. Pretty much everybody was at least a little annoying at 13.

By the end of our time at this VBS, we had all made some pretty good friends with the kids and it was sad to leave. But they did send us off with a yummy feast of Mexican food...that left everyone constantly in the restroom for the remainder of the trip. Just sayin'.

PARKOUR!

 

Keeley wanted to run on the wall too.

A lot of our good times happened in these huge, empty common rooms. My brother Nate and our friend, Daniel, practiced this...fight routine a lot. Don't exactly remember what the point of it was, but it was very entertaining to watch. I'm sure they could tell you.
Also I watched a lot of Dutch Blitz being played, but at the time I had no idea what the game was or how to play it, so I could never join in.
Also...Wanda's Workout. :)
Now that I think of it, I did not join in any of the activities just mentioned. Kind of sad, but I'm shy. I still  have a lot of good memories from just people watching.

 I remember a few things about this 1-day basketball camp we hosted...
1. We had all lost about 10lbs at this point of the trip, because the cafeteria where we ate reeked to high Heaven of I don't even know what, and immediately destroyed your appetite. I'm thinking it was this time that after the kitchen people had packed us a lunch of bread, cheese and graham crackers (again) that our youth leaders went out and bought us all Bic Macs. :) Sadly, I hate Big Macs. But it was still exciting.
2. Nobody showed up.
3. Daniel isn't pictured above because he was being driven to the hospital to have the gash in his leg from a cinder block stitched up. (Gag.)

I'm not sure at what point of the trip this was, but we did all go to the zoo while we were there! That was fuuun. :)

Daniel, submitting to the torture of getting his hair braided.

Nathan & Daniel in our "Stuck in Sin" skit.

Nate, Allison & Faith.

We laughed, we cried (and all dressed in black and made everyone who wasn't part of our youth group feel really awkward) we shared the gospel with a bunch of children and adults, we got locked out of our building and feared for our lives, we sweated and sweated and sweated some more, we bonded, we sang, we ate frosted animal crackers (yum!), we shared treasure, we found treasure (Shoutout to Emily and the Barbie game!!), we prayed, we learned, we loved, we had fun.

It really wasn't about the destination at all. It was about all of us being friends and having an adventure together. If you're with people that you love then it doesn't matter where you go...awesome memories will be made.

Day 7: Favorite movies

I'm just gonna ignore the S on that title, just like I ignored the lack of the S on the previous post. Because my favorite movie encompasses ALL movies into one.

Is this a kissing movie?

This movie has everything. Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles! I always said, it was an amazing compilation of my favorite types of movies. Action, romance & comedy.

Friendless, brainless, helpless, HOPELESS!

I love all of the characters of this movie SO much, that I don't think it's possible for me to just pick 1. But I think my top 3 would be Westley, Inigo and Miracle Max. Okay, I guess Westley might be my favorite favorite. After all, he IS the brave and charming hero. How could you not love him? :)

I do not think it means what you think it means.

 I can preeetty much quote this entire movie. From the little bleep bloop sounds from the baseball game in the beginning to the As you wish at the end. Faaavorite movie of all time. We cannot be friends if you haven't seen and LOVE this movie. It's pretty much top priority on my list of friend requirements. Or at least it would be if such a list existed...

We'll never survive! Nonsense. You're only saying that because no one ever has.

*Sigh* I think may have to watch this after work today.

Wuv. Twu Wuv.

Day 6: A picture of something that makes you happy

Easy peasy. :)

Can you believe he was born mere hours before this photo? He is adorable.

This little guy...makes me happier than words can even express. He has changed my whole life for the better. I loved pregnancy (Up until 9 months and 1 day...then I started to get a little annoyed), and feeling his little flutters and kicks was just awesome. Before I'd ever felt him move around in there I used to Google it practically every day searching for information on what to look for so I would know when I felt it. I found a lot of people who said that they weren't sure whether they had just felt their baby move or they were a little gassy. This is totally TMI, but now that I know what it feels like, gas really does feel like a baby kick sometimes! Who ever knew that that could elicit such beautiful memories? ;)

Awe! I love you, too!

I want to go on and make this a birth story post, buuuut...I feel like that epic event needs its own blog title and post, not just a day in a 30 day challenge! Psh! He deserves better than that.
I know I was probably only supposed to choose 1 picture, but...how can I possibly resist? How can you? Look at this cuteness!!

Hewwo. :)

He's so independent. It makes me a little sad sometimes, but for the most part I love it. He lays down for naps if he's sleepy with no problem at all, he prefers to feed himself his own bottle and finger foods, he's generally in a constant good mood, he loves to meet people and smiles at strangers (Flirt!), he loves to play, loves to eat, loves me and his daddy.....he's such a good boy.

So there. A few pictures of something or someone I should say, that makes me SO happy!

Day 5: Siblings

I'm going to make this short and sweet.

I have (for what feels like the millionth time) 6 brothers and sisters.  4 brothers, 2 sisters. My oldest brothers are twins, Matt & Dave. I always say them in that order, too...Matt & Dave, even though technically, Dave came first. Everyone always asks me if they look alike, but they're fraternal. They have totally different personalities, too. Whenever I think of Dave, I think of cleaning...hehe! He's a neat freak. Plus hospitality. I loved going over to his and Laurie's (his wifey) house as a kid. And whenever I think of Matt I think of encouragement and inspiration to do what you love.
Next is my sister, Amy. The story I always remember when I think of her is one that Matt tells about asking her why she had so many pillows on her bed. And she had a purpose for all of them, including one to lay her hand on. Hehe! She's a great listener. I can always count on her for a fun chat, a rant, and some good feedback.
My next brother, Aaron, was the coolest brother. (No offense, you guys) I was always excited to see all of them, but Aaron especially. ...Probably because I knew I'd make an easy $5 for a back rub. ;) Whenever I think of Aaron I think easy-going and funny. Two of my favorite traits!
Nathan is brilliant. Brilliant to the point of overwhelming (me, anyway. Since I don't know much at all) He knows so much stuff about everything, and always has. My favorite memories of him are playing spies and Power Rangers, watching the Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles movies over and over and ooovveerrr, rewinding funny parts of cartoons 10x and laughing more hysterically every time and playing the egg scooping game on Diddy Kong Racing. He is awesomeness.
When I was a kid I used to be the closest to Nathan, and my little sister Emilie was kind of a drag. We fought a TON, she was a major copycat and always wanted to hang around when friends came over. Typical little sister annoyance stuff. About the time she got in to the teen group is when we finally started bonding the most. We did more activities together and leaned on each other more. Our groups of friends finally meshed so it wasn't her little friends and my friends, we were all together. She is now my closest sibling and my bestest friend. Emilie is spunky, hilarious, caring and also a great listener.

I love you guys! :)

My WHOLE family at my wedding in 2009.

Day 4: Your Parents

 *For family who may read this and see all of the facts I got horribly, horribly wrong...forgive my memory. I'm on a deadline.*

This is the 5th time I've tried to write the intro for this post. "Your parents" is just too vague for me, too broad a topic. They both just need to start their own blog! I guess I'll just haphazardly write bits and pieces of what comes to my mind.

My dad grew up in government housing. He told me it was actually bigger and nicer than the house they lived in before that, because you were only allowed to 2 kids per room. His dad wasn't much of a role model, but he liked to hug his mama as long as his other brothers weren't around to see.
My mom lived in a small house with all of her J-named brothers and sisters. Her dad was hardworking, and her mama made and sold drapes.

I don't know too much about their highschool experience. I feel like all the stories my dad has told about school was middleschool or younger. I know my mom was kind of popular and was really good at dance and tap. I don't know much about how they started dating or for how long either, but I know they got married when my mom had just turned 18, and my dad was 19. They fit all of their belongings into a car and drove on their wedding day to live in a pre-furnished house in Michigan, where my dad worked in his Uncle's grocery store.

Through the years, they moved back to live here again, and from all of my Great-Uncle's teachings, my dad went on to become a very successful business owner of a meat packing shop. Him and my mom lived in a nice house and my mom had a tubal ligation after their fourth child.

Obviously you know from my previous posts that there are 7 of us, not 4.

After listening to the teachings of (insert some dude's name I can't remember here), they pulled the 4 kids out of school to homeschool, cleared all their cabinets of any kind of junk food, went governmentally MIA, and had my mom's operation reversed. They moved out to the country and 10 years or so after their 4th child--5th, 6th (me) and 7th arrived.

I thank my parents for their strong relationship with God, or I wouldn't be here today. After growing up in the Methodist church and believing that Jesus was a miniature person that automatically lived inside of your heart, my mom ventured on her own to open up her Bible and find the real meaning of salvation. My dad was converted by a friend.

My dad is kind, opinionated, traditional, a provider and a leader.
My mom is sharing, loving, nurturing, strong and righteous.

There are things about my life and being raised by those two people that I could be unhappy about. But at the end of the day, I love them both very much, and I don't mind the way I turned out.

I liked the card that they gave me for my Birthday a week or so ago. It said, "To have a terrific daughter like you takes one of two things: 1. Perfect parents OR 2. Parents who really lucked out! -- Hey, you believe what you want, and we'll do the same!"

Day 3: Your first love

 After scanning through the list of topics for these 30 days, I sighed to see this one so close to the top. I've had a pretty weird so-called "love life" that included a 'boyfriend' at the age of 9, an online mess for about 2 years and then only 1 dating experience which led to my being married.

I can certainly remember feeling and acting in-love when I was 9. But obviously I had no idea what that really meant. I just knew that you hung out together and held hands and maybe -gasp- kissed them....(No, I never did). But that little fling didn't work out, and I would share an excerpt from a distraught 10 year-old perspective, but I threw that diary out a long time ago.

Next we have the messiest (probably most embarrassing) period of my life where I found myself, at the tender age of 13, completely wrapped in the grip of an online relationship. The relationship itself was already a thing to frown upon, and when it turned out to be nothing but a scam, the "I told you so's" were just added weight to my already crushed 15 year-old self. Would I consider that my first love? I really don't want to...but depending on what your idea of "love" is, it may or may not have been. If I was to go back and ask myself, I'm 100% sure that, caught up in my euphoric obsession my answer would be a firm I am in-love. But when your love was for someone who never existed...what then?

My next and final love experience was about a half a year or so after the disintegration of the former. Also formed mostly online (But definitely 100% sure he was real), I met Nick through an online Instant Messaging box. We talked for about 4-5 months before meeting each other "in real life" and was asked about a month later, on September 26th 2005, (Through said IM box) to be his girlfriend.

And here we are, six years later.

So, who, do you ask...was my first love?
Well, I think I actually left out the most important love experience of them all. Back in 1995, head bowed and eyes closed, I gave my heart and life to Jesus. And sadly, while I may have forgotten Him by the wayside a few times down the road, He is and always will be my first love.
And I never really loved anyone until I loved them second. Which I vowed, 4 years after meeting Nick...to do just that.

And now every day, through His grace I am able to show love to him and to our precious son. Though I still fail miserably at times, luckily Nick vowed to love me back second, too.

Day 2: Meaning behind your blog name.

Well, today's post is looking like it's going to be infinitely shorter than yesterday. Today's topic is, "The meaning behind your blog name."

Well, I already talk about it in my side description, cause I felt like it is something that would need a little explaining, but....I'll ramble a little on the subject to give it a little more length.
I have a pretty big family. Of my mom and dad, brothers and sisters and our kids, there are 22 of us (almost 23! Shoutout to my SIL Laurie and her baby bump at athomemama-livinthegoodlife.blogspot.com). Of all of my dad's brothers and sisters and their children, we just passed the 100 mark. Obviously we make up a pretty large portion of that figure!
My family is super important to me, and I'm always proud of how many of us there are. So my blog is simply just a statement of my position in that line-up. I am the "Next to Last" child in a family of 7 children. I was the "Next to Last" person when arranged in an alphabetical line-up (Young!). And I suppose I've always felt like I was the "Next to Last" person to get chosen for a sport, or something like that. Not the best, not the worst, just kind of...stuck in the middle. I suppose the majority of people feel that way, don't they?

30 day Copycat.

Well, I suppose I'm not exactly copycatting, since Emily did invite me to join her in this fun little blog challenge. I gotta say, I'm a little bit nervous about it. Blog EVERY day for a month? I suppose since the topic is already out there for you, then that makes it a little easier than just coming up with your own little diddle to talk about. Still....I'm already betting against my self that I miss a few days. But oh, well! As Nick would say...

Challenge ACCEPTED.

Day 1: A picture of yourself with 15 fun facts.

Fact One:
I pretty much only ever listen to music on the radio in the car. I used to try reeeeally hard to learn band people and the names of all the tracks on the album and be totally in love with "so-and-so" group. Nope. Couldn't do it. I could tell you some bands that I like, and a couple of their hit songs. And I have a lot of music that I like, but most of it I get tired of pretty fast. I haven't used it in awhile, but I have a Playlist called, "Catchy" and I'd add songs I particularly enjoyed onto there, and then when I got tired of them I'd delete them and it doesn't bother me one bit that I never listen to that song anymore.

Fact Two:
Keeping a little bit with the music subject (Sorry, I'm never going to come up with 15 facts if I don't use every little thing that comes to my mind) I apply music to people and situations. Here are a few examples:
My friend, Keeley, she and I used to listen to Avril Lavinge a LOT when she first came out. Now whenever I hear and Avril song, I think of her.
My friend, Josh, once told me on a car ride to take me home that he liked the song, "What hurts the most" by Rascal Flatts. ...Alwaaays think of him when I hear that song.
Whenever I hear oldies songs I think of #1...my dad and having mixed feelings of annoyance with childhood memories. Saying how much I hated it and begging him to change the station, but then being lulled to sleep on long car rides by them. And #2...feelings of being left out when all my friends went through a big oldies kick and they always knew all the songs and the words and I knew nothing.
Hoobastank reminds me of a book series I was reading, Linkin Park reminds me of my friend Anjie, Broken by Lifehouse reminds me of a friend I didn't talk to for a long time...I could go on forever.

Fact Three:
I have no talent that I am 100% confident in. Everything I can do...somebody else can do better. I can cook, scrapbook, take pictures, crochet, sing, decorate, web design, play piano, play guitar, whatever. I feel like I can do these things moderately well, but that I am not great or amazing at...anything.

Fact Four:
I spend way too much time on the computer. Even though what I'm doing online has majorly changed over the years, there is always something that I can and want to be doing on the computer.

Fact Five:
Again, on the computer note...I Google absolutely e v e r y t h i n g. Gone are the days where I've said, "Hm, I wonder why that is..." And totally forgotten about it. Now I make a mental note to go and check it out on my Google machine. The best part? There's pretty much always an answer. Because somebody else has totally already googled it before you.

Fact Six:
I have a husband. It's almost still a weird word to say. "My husband"....wow. It always gives me the chills when Nick is telling me a story from work where he's mentioned me, and he'll say, "I said to them, Yeah, my wife is like that." Totally weird!
We can definitely rub each other the wrong way sometimes. We have personalities that sometimes mesh perfectly, and sometimes clash super bad. I tend to get hurt and stay that way until somebody gives me a band-aid to make it all better. Like, totally unnecessary, I just wanted the attention. But Nick can fight and forget it in the next five minutes. So it's weird to him that I still remember X thing he said 3 days ago, and it's weird to me that he doesn't remember it! But at the end of it all, he's for me.

Fact Seven:
I hate to pray in a group. I've never had that amazing of a vocabulary, and I always get super nervous listening to everyone else come up with all of these eloquent ways to ask God to bless your Bible study time. "In your infinite wisdom, guide us in our lives as a beacon of light and hope bringing us into your abode of everlasting comfort..."
Wow, seriously...? SERIOUSLY? I mean, I probably would have just said, "Thanks for letting us all be here together," or something, so I'm glad you prayed because that beacon stuff sounded way cooler.  
"The fluffier the prayer, the faster it gets there!"

Fact Eight:
Bears. Beats. Battlestar Galactica.

Fact Nine:
I definitely have my days where I do NOT want to go to work. (Um, like 4 out of 5...) but after I haven't been for a super long time, I actually start getting antsy doing only home things. Even though the majority of the time I don't really like it, I do always feel a little more accomplished at the end of the day for it. Kind of like doing the dishes. I loathe the idea with a burning fiery passion until I finally break down and start doing the it. Then it's not so bad.

Fact Ten:
I have birthed and am responsible for the life of a child. It's an amazing feeling to be the one that this little person loves the most. He picks me, out of everyone...I'm his favorite. He's only been here with us for 8 super fast months, but it's already hard to imagine life without his little sunshine.
I could definitely have another baby. I wouldn't want to right now, because I can't even believe he's getting close to a year-old. He's still my little baby...but in the future, I'd say it's a pretty for sure thing. =)

Fact Eleven:
I am currently on Weight Watchers. Diets aren't usually something I like to share with the world, but...I'm running out of facts here. I'm not going to tell you the weight I started at until I'm some huge success story (Teehee) but I have lost 15lbs so far! I was about to go up another pant size, and now I fit comfortably back into what I was before. Hooray! Honestly I'm already getting a little slack in recording all my foods and everything. The scale has been almost too friendly to me these past few weeks! It's been a loss every weigh-in, even when I've gone off-plan a few times for events. But I have been adding in a lot of exercise, so my guess is that that is what is helping me so tremendously.

Fact Twelve:
I have to be one of the most ticklish people you will ever meet. You can just look at me with a tickle twinkle in your eye and I will seize up and start laughing. Obviously Nick loooves to, and it's so bad that now even when he just simply goes to hold my hand or give me a hug I flinch! Sad!

Fact Thirteen:
I love, love, love to read and I never have any books! I always say I need to go to the library or something I just never do...All the books I do have I've read multiple times, and anytime I get a new book I devour it within a day or two. The Harry Potter series are my absolute faaaavorite!

Fact Fourteen:
My dad's side of the family is very close, and even though we don't have nearly as many as we used to, they all get together for a family reunion at least twice a year still. That tradition has definitely been integrated into my immediate family. My mom's side is totally opposite. They almost never see each other and I barely know any of them but just in passing. Since my brothers and sisters and I get together so often I can't imagine there being a point where we hardly saw each other and our children didn't know that the other even...existed! I am so glad that staying closely connected is such an important part in our family.

Fact Fifteen:
This was so difficult coming up with all of these facts!! And it's 11:59 and I want this posted TODAY! So...that's my last fact. This was HARD! Goodbye!!!!