Thank you, Juno from http://wantababybelly.wordpress.com/ for nominating me for a Leibster Blog Award! This award is granted to up-and-coming bloggers with fewer than 200 followers who deserve some recognition and support to keep on blogging. Like my nominator, this is my first blog nomination. I hope everyone gets to know me a little better from this.

The instructions are:

1) to answer the 11 questions written by your nominator. 2) to nominate 11 other bloggers who have less than 200 followers. 3) to write 11 of your own questions for each nominee to answer.

1. If you could meet any person (real or fiction) who would it be and what question would you ask them?

I would love to meet, Mary, Jesus’s mother and just pick her brain on what she was feeling when she knew she was carrying the son of God. How did Joseph react when you told him? What was it like to raise a savior? Her story always amazes me and to think she was just a young girl chosen to change the world.

2. How did you meet your spouse/partner? Was it love at first sight?

I met my spouse at Vanston Middle School in eighth grade, but we did not get serious until college. It was not love at first sight, but I did love his blue eyes as a teenage girl and immediately refell in love with those blue eyes fifteen years later. Our story of how we met was featured in the Dallas Morning News since we are two kids from Mesquite that did not reconnect until we were in Austin. We now live and work in the community that started it all surrounded by family and friends.

3. What is the meaning behind your blog name?

In the process of infertility, I learned I have Lupus which is an autoimmune disease where healthy cells attack themselves. Lupus can affect all parts of the body, but mine has created antibodies that attack my hormones and his sperm. At 32, my hormone levels were that of a menopausal woman. I am now in tune with that disease and my blog is about all the ins and outs that have occured because of it.

4. Do people in real life know about your blog? Why or why not?

Yes and no. I have allowed about fifty prayer warriors to know about it, but not just anybody. The matter of the blog is highly personal and I don’t want it to be used as gossip or random chatter. I want my close friends and family to read it and pray for our situation while understanding that we are very private and still working though the emotions. Plus, my husband is way more private than I am and sees a lot of our process as no one else’s business. However, it feels theuraputic to let it out to strangers and maybe help someone along the way. We feel our testimony could bring someone closer the Lord or give them hope that God’s plans are still pretty great. Even though I don’t know who is reading it, I feel by writing that I am kinda sharing what is happening without having to call everybody daily.

5. What is your geatest fear in life?

I’ve faced it. Not being able to get pregnant.

6. Who has been the most positive role model in your life to date and why?

I have been blessed with many. My mom is amazingly generous, my dad is hopeful and friendly, my grandmother is honest and real and my grandfather is a strong man and mentor. I live daily to make my family proud and be leave a legacy of God’s love and his influence on our family.

7. What about your infertility journey is most difficult for you?

It is difficult that my husband is stuck with this disease and it causes him to not experience a biological child. Nathan has gorgeous eyes and a witty humor; any kid would be lucky to look like him. I hate that he could go procreate with any other girl and see a little of himself in a young person, but life gave him me and he won’t have that option. I wish this didn’t affect him in such a major way.

8. What is your most favorite comfort food?

I love cheese. Pizza, nachos, queso…all of it. I am a southern girl with a southern appetite and we love to eat fried foods and cheese! When I feel blue, I just pick out one of the many delicious foods that are high in fat but also high in taste and indulge.

9. What possession do you love and would be heartbroken to part with?

My wedding ring. I always am touching my finger to make sure it is there and it did not fall off. So many emotions and feelings go with the symbol of the ring. My husband and I almost divorced and I took it off for awhile, but it is now a symbol of that commitment and that determination. I know the love is in the heart and not the ring, but it holds a lot of memories and has been present for some very special moments in my life. I play soccer so I have to take it off often, but I take very good care of it to put it right back on after the game.

10. What do you do to he your spouse through the struggle of infertility?

He helps me. I often break down and cry, but he is the rock and the warrior. He has never blamed me or allowed me to blame myself publicly. He believes that our future is better than we could imagine and this is a part of it. He has held my hand through so much of this journey and picks up the slack when I am ready to give up.

11. If you were a billionare how would you choose to spend your time?

Traveling and serving others. I would scuba dive in all the best oceans and dive sites and use my knowledge to serve kids, couples and athletes in other countries. I love teaching so I would incorporate my passions with my talents. I don’t want to be a billionaire if it means I get arrogant and prideful and start only worrying about money. It’s not worth it if it consumes me. However, it would be nice to travel more without having to sacrifice.

Now the next step is to choose eleven blogs that have impacted me and ask them eleven questions. Please know that it won’t hurt my feelings if you don’t participate. I usually don’t, but I have been changed by the support of my blog and know sometimes all we need is others to know about it. I hope you will consider passing along the blogger love.

http://www.journeyforbabyray.blogspot.com/

http://mybumovaries.blogspot.com/

http://ourkangaroopouch.wordpress.com

http://aboutsproutblog.blogspot.com/

http://www.fromiftowhen.com/

http://teamholdbrook.blogspot.com/

http://www.alittlepregnant.com/alittlepregnant/

http://thisluminousroaditravel.wordpress.com

http://theelusivesecondline.wordpress.com

http://lovehopesandbaby.wordpress.com

http://therosettasadoption.wordpress.com/

Here are your eleven questions if you choose to participate:

1. What song has impacted you the most?

2. Describe your best friend.

3. How did you meet your spouse?

4. Where would you go if you could go anywhere?

5. How many times have you cried this past year and why?

6. What are you most thankful for this time year of year?

7. Why did you choose to blog and do you share your blog on Facebook?

8. How has blogging helped you?

9. If you could change it all, would you?

10. Do you watch reality television and what are your favorite shows?

11. If you could share one thing about infertlity, what would it be?

Again, I never pass these along, but today I went ahead and did it. I love learning about people and our journey is much more the same than it is different. As women, we must support each other and lean on one another we can all learn a lot from our experiences.  Writing is so powerful!