Interview

Today seems like a good day to answer these tag questions. I need a distraction! The super adorable always smiling Kristen Barnett sent me these questions to answer. If you want to play just leave me a comment and I will send you (via email) a one of a kind personalized by me interview.



1.) You have a fun, quirky, outgoing personality. What three things have helped you develop into the person you are today?
Funny I am always calling my daughter quirky but have never thought of myself that way. I guess she gets it from me! This is a hard question because there are so many things that have contributed to who I am. I guess I will focus on what helped me develop the fun quirky outgoing part of myself. There was a time in my life when I was very shy around people I didn't know but when I was with my parents they couldn't get me to shut-up. My dad even called me chatterbox when I was little. When I was in the 7th grade I started hanging around a few girls that were very LOUD and outgoing, they would talk to anyone, anytime. They totally helped me come out of my shell- probably a bit too much! Also when I was in Junior High I became friends with a teacher at the High School. He taught journalism classes and he encouraged me to get involved with the Yearbook. He along with a few other teachers along the way helped me realize that I had talents that I could share with others. I think joining the church is probably a given but it really helped me to figure out how to use my crazy outgoing side for good instead of evil LOL.

2.) If you could go back and give advice to your younger self, what would you tell her? And what do you think she would think of you today?
Wow my younger self needed soooooo much advice. The thing is if she had followed all the advice I would like to give her it would have totally changed the path her life took and so many good things have happened to her that it would be hard to imagine life any other way. That being said there are so many things she missed out on because of the choices she made so I would tell her to not waste her talents, to get an education, to wait until she was married to have sex, to party less, plan more and to treat others better. I think she would be totally shocked to see how "she" turned out. When I was younger I imagined myself well educated and doing things that would make an impact on the world. I wanted to go to Western University become a Speech Pathologist and work with the deaf. I wanted to join the Peace Corps and travel. I wanted to work with animals (gorillas especially). Because I was living in the moment I didn't see that my choices were pushing me further and further from those dreams. I don't think I could have told the younger me that I would never accomplish any of the things I had imagined for myself and still be living a satisfying life full of love and knowledge and hope. She wouldn't have believed it.

3.) You have three kids, a husband, pets, a job, church callings (do I need to keep going?) but don't seem to get overwhelmed by it all. What keeps you going with so many demands on your time and how do you "balance" it all?
For me sometimes it is just getting by minute by minute. I try to keep my focus where it should be and I always make it a point to set aside time for myself so I don't get burnt out. Honestly I do feel overwhelmed at times and when that happens I know I need to take a step back and just do absolutely nothing for an hour or two. Travis is a HUGE part of keeping me sane. He is always right there to do whatever it is that needs to be done to keep things running smoothly. I have also found that I need to keep a detailed schedule of events so I don't forget where everyone is supposed to be and when. The calendar on my cell phone has turned out to be a very valuable tool. I am sure there are sooooo many people out there that could give ME advise on balancing I wouldn't call it one of my strong points.

4.) You talk a lot about how much you love your sweet husband. How did you meet him and what was it about him that let you know he was "the one"?
Travis was "literally" put in my path. I was visiting an alternative high school one day and he walked by me. He had one of those wallets with a looong chain attached. I said "nice wallet" and he turned around and looked at me. I can remember thinking WOW he is soooooo good looking. There was an assembly that day and I pretty much stared at him the entire time. When I got home my foster sister asked me if I saw any cute boys and I was like yeah the guy with the shell necklace and the wallet with the chain. She said "oh that is Travis Nelson!!" The next day at school she wrote "for a good time call" and our phone number. I did end up going to that school but he got kicked out before I started. About a month later he called. I guess one of his friends needed a date or something. We ended up all going out to Denny's together. Travis had a girlfriend at the time and of course I couldn't stand her so I decided to try and break them up. We made plans to have Thanksgiving together but her parent's wouldn't let her go. I have to admit I was thrilled. We decided to go look for Jimi Hendrix's grave (he was born on November 27th and Thanksgiving fell on his b-day that year). It was soooo freezing cold that we didn't last long in the cemetery and we never did find his grave. We ended up a couple after that night and besides for a few minor break ups we have been together ever since. We got married exactly a year later. The moment I knew he was the one is very personal and I don't think I will share it here but the reasons behind it are two fold. First, Travis has always been so selfless in our relationship. He has always treated me like I was the most important person in the universe even when I didn't deserve it. I still get all tingly whenever he is around. Second; he is the most fantastic father. When I see him with his kids it makes me feel like everything is okay in my world.

5.) When you just want to relax, de-stress, and unwind what do you like to do?
Reading has always been a huge stress reliever for me. I can totally get lost in the pages of a book. I think my favorite place to read is by the pool on hot summer days. The combination of hot sun, cool water and a good book is the most relaxing thing in the universe.