About Me

(Photo credit: Ariana Johnson Photography*)

I always click first on the About page when I go to blogs, so I am going to try to write first the information I am always most curious about. 😉  Also, the first thing I look for is a picture, so there you go.^^  SO.  I was born on October 23, 1990, so as of this moment, I am almost 25 years old.  Almost a quarter century.  Which I think is cool.  If our family did birthday parties, I wouldn’t have a 25th birthday party, I’d have a quarter-century birthday party.  And, yes, I do think it’s going to be pretty awesome when I can say I’m a half century old.  But I digress.

One thing I always wonder about other bloggers is their worldview.  So while I absolutely do not want to seem like I’m pushing mine on any of you ever, my faith and spiritual journey shapes the way I see the world and therefore influences the way I live and write.  Jesus saved me, I am a child of God, and I am always striving to live in a way to make my Heavenly Father proud.  My faith in Jesus is a part of who I am and how I live my life.

(Photo credit: Ariana Johnson Photography*)

I live in Maple Valley, Washington, about 45 minutes southeast of Seattle.  I am third oldest of six, but my two older brothers are both moved out, so there are only 4 of us kids still living at home.  All of us were homeschooled, and I count it as one of the best of the many good decisions my parents have made in life; I am eternally grateful to them for their sacrifice and willingness to go against the flow.  My favorite people in the world are my family, and just hanging out with them is my idea of a good time.  See more about my awesomely, terrific, best-ever family on my (soon-to-come) Frequent Faces page!

In 2012, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Hypothyroidism.  I would consider myself mostly recovered from the ramifications of going years without diagnosis, thanks to my awesome naturopath (I can’t say enough good things about her and the journey of healing she’s led me on).  Along the way, though, I went through a lot, including unexpected negative reactions to certain medicine causing a period of extreme depression, daily meltdowns and suicidal thoughts.  Also, I lost most of my friendships during that time through a series of very damaging circumstances and emotional betrayals.  This experience left me hurt deeper than even I realized, severely cynical, and with huge shame, vulnerability and trust issues.  Since then, I’ve been expanding my horizons a bit more online and in the blogging world, and I’m hoping that this blog will help me connect more with my blogging friends. 😉

And now, for the fun, weird, random facts!  I have a 11-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Bella.  We are eerily alike sometimes.  Except she acts SO much like a creaky old lady…hopefully, I do not. 😳

I’m pretty sure my hobbit name is Bilbo Baggins.  I don’t watch the movies, because I like to imagine it out myself, but I love the book.  And Winnie-the-Pooh and I are mind-twins.

Music is my life’s blood.  I use it as my blogging fuel, I play it in the shower, I sing along with it (at the top of my lungs when possible), even dance to it occasionally.

Reading is my relaxation activity of choice.  I love it and if I had the time, I could do it all day, devouring book after book.  What can I say, it’s in my genes. 😉  Also, I relax by writing…especially about my feelings and experiences.  I love trying to get my hands around describing my emotions.  It is ever-elusive and I usually can’t ever get it spot-on, but I like to try.  Feelings and the way different people perceive the world are some of my favorite topics. 😏

Spending time with my people is one of my favorite activities (💙 😍 ), though I do consider myself an introvert.   Many people I know/am related to are more introverted than I am, but more I read about introverts, the more it resonates with me.  Plus, every quiz/test/self-evaluation questionnaire I’ve taken points to me being an introvert or at least on the introverted side of ambiverted, so I guess that’s more or less official?

Babies and little kiddos melt my heart.  I love taking care of them, holding them…and I dream of having my own someday.  Sometimes the desire consumes and overwhelms me, but I am trying to be patient and enjoy the stage of life I’m in right now.  Meanwhile, if you have a baby, I want to hold it.  All. day. long. 😉

Food is one of my love languages. <-that is totally a thing!  I love cooking with it, baking with it, dreaming up flavor combos and new methods ways of serving up traditional flavor combos.  I’m still working on a healthier mindset/relationship to food and body image, but I’ve always enjoyed the experience of eating and the taste of food.  Unfortunately, some of the foods I like best are restricted to me because of food intolerances (currently, the list adds up to peanuts, almonds, soy, dairy, eggs and nutritional yeast).  Thankfully, I won’t die if I consume any of them, so I eat the less sensitive ones judiciously and the rest of the time, I make the decision whether or not the splurge is worth it.

And that’s some basic fundamentals about me!  I’m sure I’ll think of more, and I’ll be adding more tidbits and pictures along the way.  If you like more random fun and lists of favorites, check out my (soon-to-come) My Favorite Things page!

*Ariana is a truly fabulous photographer, and of all professional photos that I’ve seen or have had taken, hers are the absolute best in my opinion!  She helped me feel at ease and myself, and I would highly recommend her if you are in the area.