I've been nominated....

for the Liebster Award!!!

I bet you thought I was gonna say something you've actually heard of, didn't you?  :)  Well, this is even better in my opinion.  The Liebster Award is a way for bloggers to recognize fellow bloggers who don't have a large following, and help to get the word out about their blog.  I hope it helps draw more traffic to my blog so that people hear my story.  Maybe someone out there will read it and feel compelled to act...you just never know :)  My friend Sarah, who blogs at http://sarahandjohnadopt.blogspot.com, nominated me, and I would absolutely love it if you could go over there and check it out.  Sarah and I know each other because we share the same kidney disease.  She and her husband are going through the adoption process.  At times it's a blog full of light, and yet there are those times where it's gut wrenching to hear how hard it is for her.

As part of this nomination, I'm going to answer 11 questions about myself that were given to me by Sarah, so here goes!

1. Why did you start blogging? I started my blog on May 6, 2011 as a way for me to be "real" with myself.  I have a personal blog that I use to keep friends and family up to speed with our (as in my whole family) lives, but I didn't want my kidney disease to take over, so I started this one as a therapeutic outlet.

2. What is your favorite food? This is a tough one to pick, but if I must chose only ONE, then it would be fried chicken.  Hands down.

3. What was your first job? My first job was as a lifeguard at a small country club back in Indiana.  What a cake job!  I taught swimming lessons in the morning, then made the 40 minute drive to the country club to lifeguard.  It was a relatively small pool, and the same kids came pretty much every day so i knew what to expect.  There was also the added perk of unlimited Dr. Pepper (a true treat at that time) and 9 holes of golf after I closed the pool.

4. What are you having for dinner tonight? Leftover Super Bowl chili and a peanut butter sandwich on wheat bread.

5. Pick one word to describe your blog.  Raw

6. If you could go to any place in the world on a free vacation for a week, where would you go? I think, if money were no option, that I would choose Fiji.  And I'd want one of those secluded huts that sit atop that beautiful, blue water.  And I would do nothing but sit in the sun (with SPF 2450 :) and read, voraciously.  And drink a lot of drinks that require a cocktail umbrella.

7. Who was your favorite teacher? My favorite teacher was Mr. Hartke.  He taught me physics, trigonometry and diff eq in high school.  His crazy shock of curly white hair would shake furiously as he was explaining equations on the board.  I went to a REALLY small school (there were only 6 people in my physics class, if I recall correctly) and he never failed to give everyone enough attention to be successful.  He challenged my brain and helped mold me in to the great problem-solver that I believe I am today.  Mr. Hartke was an avid runner, and he'd often be seen running the country roads after school (hell, he was probably in better shape THEN than I've EVER been).  Sadly, Mr. Hartke passed away in 2007, but the impact he had on me continues today.

8. Where do you see yourself in five years? I have absolutely no idea.  This disease stripped me of a future vision...trying to just live life today.  Sad, maybe, but oh so true.

9. Who would you say has been the most influential person in your life? See #7.  When I look back at tough forks in the road during college, I distinctly remember the faith that Mr. Hartke had in me pushing me through.  I have to add my Grandma to this list as well.  She helped raise me, and made me feel safe, as though nothing in the world could be bad.  She's buried 2 husbands to cancer, and she remains one of the strongest people I know.  She just perseveres and I love her.

10. If you had to be any animal for the rest of your life, what would you pick? I'd be an eagle, for the simple reason of being able to slide high above and look down below.

11. What is your favorite color?  I'll go with orange

As the 2nd requirement of the nomination, I'm going to give 11 facts about myself:

1. My morning beverage of choice is a venti soy chai latte, no water, no foam, extra hot.
2. 2 biggest fears:  spiders and heights
3. I worked at a boat rental place on Lake Freeman in college and it was probably one of the most fun summer's I've ever had.
4. I wanted to be an astronaut when I grew up.  I went to Purdue University, initially majoring in Aerospace Engineering, but switched it promptly after a matlab class (google it).
5. I had never traveled outside of the country until my first trip to Sweden to see Joacim (spring break in Mazatlan doesn't count)
6. My favorite movie is White Christmas (holiday or not, it's my favorite).  I only allow myself to watch it once a year, on Christmas Eve, in order for it to remain said favorite.
7. I won't eat food that can look back at me on the plate (i.e., shrimp, lobster....basically anything with more than 4 legs).
8. I was in a county fair queen contest in high school.  I didn't win.
9. I've never had stiches (labor ones don't count! :)
10. The ladies in my FSGS and Pregnancy group on Facebook are some of my favorite people on earth, and I've only met 2 of them in person.  They lift me up, encourage me, support me, and truly care about me.  I can ask and say anything without judgement...just total acceptance and understanding.   And I wish desperately that they were all neighbors so I could walk on over to their house, share a beverage and have a chat on a daily basis.  Isn't that what friendship is all about?

And finally, the 3rd requirement is to nominate 11 other blogs for the Liebster Award.  I don't know if I'll be able to come up with 11, but here are some that I think are truly worth a visit:

1.  http://pregnantpinkwarrior.blogspot.com  This blog is written by my friend, Kristin.  We also share the same kidney disease, but that's not what this blog is about.  Kristin was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, and she started this blog to journal her battle.  We (my ladies in the Facebook group I mentioned earlier) and I were with her from day one, and she's been nothing short of inspiring every single day since.  She also has a distinct love of shoes (another trait we share), and I'm happy to report that she is cancer free!

Okay, so I don't have 11 blogs.  I used to follow a ton of kidney blogs, but they're pretty sporadic in regards to posts.  My guess is that, when they feel good, they don't post, so I'm hoping that everyone I used to follow is out there living life!