Shout out five of your favorite bloggers. Who are your regular reads?
Before I get down to the real business, first I want to wish Kelly a happy birthday! May the cupcakes be plenty, the calories nonexistent, and the spoils from Kyle be just what you need! I am grateful to have you as a friend and I thank Jesus for you!
Secondly, I am sharing my answers from yesterday's post. Kelly knows me better than I know her, I think. I was impressed with so many of her answers!
How did we meet? Aubrey and I first met at an Intervarsity Christmas party back in 2009. I would’ve been in my second year of college and Aubrey would’ve been in her fourth? *feel free to add in your comments, Aubrey* This is true. I had just transferred back to UND after a semester-long mini crisis and wasn't really planning to make any new friends. How mistaken I was!
How old is Aubrey/Kelly? When is her birthday? Aubrey is in her 20s and she doesn’t like to tell her real age. But...she’s currently closer to 30 than she’d like. So she’s basically dead. One year I forgot if her birthday was on Valentine’s Day or not...so I sent her flowers...for both, just to make sure I covered my bases. But her birthday is February 15. But her sister ruined it by being born the day after and she’ll never forgive her for it. And last year I forgot if Brooke was born before or after Aubrey...so I wished Brooke a Happy Birthday two days early! Sorry, I forgot...this isn’t about Brooke. Aubrey...back to you! So I'm 27.5. I'm already worried about 28. It just seems so old to me! It's so close to 30 which is so close to 40 and things just get out of hand from there! And my sister does still owe me a 5th birthday party. Maybe someday. A girl can hope.
Where does she currently live? Aubrey is living in school apartments in BKK, but she is waiting on her keys for her new apartment downtown. And it looks super cute! I will be moving the first of the month!
What is her favorite shoe size? Aubrey wears a size 10. Sometimes 9 ½. Okay...I’m not 100% on this, but I think I’m close? You are too gracious. My feet are disproportionately large. Let's just go with the 10 and call it good.
What is her favorite color? My guess is purple, but that’s because I don’t know so I figured I’d just pick my favorite color as a shot in the dark. Yes.... Purple, purple, and more purple!
What is her favorite book? So I can’t pick one. Because ultimately Aubrey’s favorite is The Bible. But I know she loves Crazy Love by Francis Chan and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. What English teacher doesn’t like TKAM?? And are you a real English teacher if you don’t? All of this is true. Asking me to pick a favorite book is like asking a small child to pick a favorite toy. It just ain't gonna happen.
What is her favorite (non-alcoholic) drink? Aubrey will take a double iced Americano, straight up. Any day, any place.
What is her favorite cosmetic item? Her EOS chapstick. I think I bought her this one for her care package last spring. For cosmetics proper, I would say mascara. But the EOS is definitely in the top 3!
What is her favorite TV show? She’s a huge fan of Grey’s Anatomy and The Big Bang Theory. I know it’s weird, but those are two that I watch too. And NCIS. I love me a male protagonist, I guess.
What is her favorite dessert? Pie. If you’re helping her plan her future wedding, make sure to suggest pie instead of wedding cake...she’ll love you forever. If my groom ever shows up, he'll have to be okay with pie. Pie for days, as they say.
What was her high school mascot? The Tigers. Did the Christian school have a mascot? Idk. All I know about is Trenton. The Christian school was the Crusaders, but I am a Tiger forever.
What is her favorite restaurant? I’m going to go with Applebee’s or The Parrot’s Cay, because I don’t know the names of any restaurants she frequents in BKK. Any place with wings is a place dear to me. And in BKK, I am definitely a mood eater so it depends on the day and my current desires.
What is her favorite movie? Well, that depends on the movie of choice for any given day. I’d have to say She’s the Man or He’s Just Not That Into You or maybe even The Proposal. Those are close, but my two absolute favorites are The Little Mermaid and Sweet Home Alabama.
Who is her celebrity crush? Ryan Reynolds? Channing Tatum? Liam Hemsworth? Chris Hemsworth? Ohh...but I do know that she loves Jesse Williams’ eyes. So there’s that. Oi, I have commitment issues when it comes to a celebrity crush. But I will take Jackson Avery's eyes any day.
What was her first job? Aubrey’s first job was working for a conservation center? Yeah. I don’t know if that was her first job or if that’s even what it was called. All I know is that she has a fleece zip up from there and when she was in ND, she’d wear it often. I worked for the North Dakota State Historical Society at a local interpretive center. I enjoyed that job as long as I didn't have to go weed. And I did love that fleece. I still have it and whip it out in the coldest winter months.
What is her dream job? Aubrey’s dream job is to be a momma, a wife, and a teacher to teacher candidates. All at the same time. She’d even take being a professional student--without all of the debt associated with it. True and true. I enjoy my current role as a classroom teacher immensely but my current dream is to teach teachers. And totally true on the wife and children gig. My only requirements are Christian, tall enough that I can wear heels, and speaks English. (Clearly, moving to Buddhist Asia was not a good move in that direction.) Non-Duck Dynasty beards are not required, but encouraged.
What is her favorite season? What’s her favorite thing about that season? Aubrey’s favorite season has to be fall. Even though she lives in Thailand right now, she’ll always have a soft spot for jeans, a good flannel, a toasty bonfire, and watching a High School football game under those Friday Night Lights. I love fall and everything associated with it, minus the PSL. I do love me some pumpkin pie though!
What are Kelly & Aubrey most likely to do on a night together? We would probably start our night off with some HApps (aka, Half Apps at Applebee’s) because, why not? We both usually have an order of wings or a giant plate of nachos. Sometimes we share, but not frequently. We would drive to the Loaf ‘n’ Jug on University Ave to mix and buy the largest Icee we can get. The trip to Loaf ‘n’ Jug would be followed by an hour-ish in the car listening to worship music and sharing what’s on our hearts. We would drive through certain parts of the community and dream about living there with our families one day. Once we return to my residence, we would grab as many blankets as we have available, make some popcorn, and fall asleep to a movie (Pitch Perfect, She’s the Man, Dirty Dancing (Aubrey first exposed-poor word choice-me to the movie Dirty Dancing...can I put parenthesis within parenthesis? Well...I did.), The Proposal, or He’s Just Not That Into You, being at the top of our lists...although we wouldn’t normally turn down a Disney movie either). This is all so true. Every last bit of it.
What keeps us being friends? Aside from coffee and the same taste in movies, I’d have to say our consistent communication and our faith. We both love and serve the same God and He has placed us in the life of the other for a reason. In the years I’ve known Aubrey, she has become a dear person to me. We have laughed and cried together and we know what is on the other’s heart. I wouldn’t change that for anything. My husband even jokes that Aubrey must live at least a 15 minute’s drive away from us once she moves back to the states. I’m hoping for more of a 15 second commute. We’ll see. The 15 minute rule. Kyle swears it doesn't exist but I have my doubts...
What is your favorite memory with Aubrey/Kelly? Aubrey and I have so many memories together. It’s hard to choose a favorite. We had an fun interesting rollerblading excursion once. Key word: once. We’ve had some epic road trips. She used to play My Heart Will Go On on her recorder, lying on her stomach, in the middle of my living room….at 11:15 at night. But one memory that I will always treasure is the way she has invested in my life by being one of my best friends throughout the last *almost* six years. And for that very reason, I asked her to be my maid of honor in my wedding. *Don’t worry...my sister was my maid of honor too…* I’m so thankful that she agreed to stand up and support me in my marriage. I do have some sweet recorder skills. I rocked elementary music methods like nobody's business! My rollerblading skills leave much to be desired though.
And my top five reads are as follows...
Kelly at K&K Entzel because, well, my heart will always go on. Or something like that.
Kelly at Kelly's Korner. Hers was one of the first blogs I ever read consistently and I still read it today. She has faith, family, and a little bit of everything else.
Melanie at Big Mama. Again, more faith, more family, and I do enjoy her Fashion Friday posts.
I'm not thinking of two more right now, but I will add them when they come to mind. It's been a long day and I've already rewritten a grad school assignment so I think I am calling it a night!
