It's a Sunshine Day

Are you picturing The Brady Bunch right now?   I totally am. I can see the Brady kids lined up on that checkerboard floor, bopping along as they each take a turn with the solos.  Not their best moment.

I'm honored to have been given the Sunshine Award by Hidden Infertility, which basically means that sometimes this little old blog brightens her day.  So sweet.

So, as a recipient of this honor, my job is to answer the 10 questions that have been given to me, and then create some questions of my own for the bloggers that I'd like to nominate for the award because they brighten MY days.

1.  What are the top 3 things on your bucket list?
Top 3 is too much pressure! But three things that definitely make it somewhere on the list are: travel to as many of my 'wish list destinations' as possible, write a book, and build a custom home (or buy the house in our town that I call my 'dream house').

2.  Post 5 of your wedding pictures.  

We got married in Antigua, and this is one of my favorite pictures from trip.  Lush, relaxed, gorgeous, tropical...it just sums up the whole trip perfectly!

Getting ready to walk down the aisle with my dad.

We were married in a wedding gazebo overlooking the Caribbean Sea.  This shot was taken right after our ceremony, as we were walking down to the garden and the beach to have photographs taken.  This is one of my favorite pics, because it looks so relaxed and natural.

 We were fortunate enough to have our parents, brothers, and several other family members make the trip with us.  This is everyone who attended our wedding, and then we had a casual reception for everyone else back home.

How could I not include a shot of the gorgeous beach?  So beautiful.

3.  If you could change your name what would you change it to (first and/or last)?
I wouldn't change anything, but I would perhaps add my maiden name back in, as part of my middle name.  I contemplated keeping it as a second middle name after I got married, but having four names just seemed crazy.  So perhaps I would add it back in there, after my middle name.  But not as a hyphenated last name.....way too long for me!

4.  If you were stuck on a deserted island and could have 5 things, what would they be?
A functional bathroom (that's probably more than one thing, but I'm lumping it into one), a comfy bed with quality sheets, an Internet-connected laptop, a razor, and Mr. M.  Obviously, I'm not into roughing it.

5.  What is the happiest moment in your life so far?
Easy.  Wedding day.

6.  What are your pet peeves?  Something or things that really make you squirm?
I hate when people are late (like, more than a few minutes late) without calling ahead to let me know.  Sorry, but I don't want to sit around waiting for you. And I REALLY hate when people make me late.

7.  What is your biggest fear?
Tornadoes.  I have recurring dreams that a tornado comes and I have to hold on to objects rooted in the ground while the house tears away around me.  Pretty much anytime the topic of tornados comes up, I can be guaranteed that I'll have the tornado dream sometime in the next few nights.  I also get really worked up when we have severe weather warnings.  

8.  Did you ever have a nightmare date and/or break up with a non-serious boyfriend?  
Not really.  I met Mr. M. when I was pretty young, but I do remember having to break it off with a very nice guy with whom I went on a few dates, but just wasn't that into.  It was hard, because he was nice and I like to make people happy.  But I survived.

9.  What do you think is the biggest problem in the world today?
Ooh, tough one! I'm going to go with a pervasive failure to prioritize family over other things. And lack of personal responsibility for one's own actions. OK, so that was two.
10.  Describe your dream vacation.
Tahitian over-water bungalow.  Enough said.


So....on to my nominees! These bloggers truly do brighten my days...and keep me both inspired and entertained! If you've been nominated, and want to share a little more about your fabulous-selves, just write a post answering the 10 questions listed below, and then nominate some bloggers that bring sunshine into your blogosphere. And if you want to skip it....fine by me!

Megan @ Meg Go Run

Mrs. Crane @ (mis)adventures of the Cranes

Teresa @ Where the *bleep* is our stork?

Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof

Vel @ Life & Home at 2102

Here are your questions (I stole some):

1. How long have you been blogging?

2. What inspired you to start blogging?

3.  If you could travel to any three places in the world, where would they be?

4. What's the best concert you've even been to?

5.  Describe your dream house.

6. What are some things on your bucket list?

7.  You MUST change your first name.  What would you change it to?

8. Name five of your favorite blogs (other than House in the Heights, of course!), so that the rest of us can learn of their fabulous-ness.

9. Name a celebrity that you find oddly attractive, someone who wouldn't typically occupy one's 'hot celebs list'.

10. What is your favorite day of the entire year?  Why?