*News <3 Flash*

We interrupt this epic fail of a blog {ie: my months of non-posts} to bring you an EPIC news flash!

I’m ENGAGED!!

It happened one week ago today and we couldn’t be happier!  We were actually in Nashville, TN to celebrate his birthday by attending the Titans vs. Saints game {am I the best GF ever or what?} and I was the one who ended up with the best gift!

Everything is still very new but we DO have a date and a ceremony location picked out.  That being said there are several hundred other things we still need to work out!  The next 10 months or so promise to be ridiculously packed but I can’t wait to see everything fall into place!

Lucky Me

Lucky me!  I received a blogging award!  Now I really can say I don’t think this award is deserved as of late because… well because I haven’t been blogging… but I would like to send out a big Thank You to Jen over at Blenifer Uncorked for the award! She won the award and passed it along to 15 of her favorite blogs and as the rules of the award go…

The rules for accepting The Versatile Blogger award are:
1. Thank the person who gave the award and link back to them in your post.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pass this award along to 15 recently discovered/favorite blogs.

Here are your 7 fabulous Friday facts about yours truly…

1. I have been a very bad blogger as of late because of 3 reasons… the first being the NEW job!  I fly in or out every Wednesday and between flights I work 80 hours and go back to the terribly slow hotel internet and then have a glorious 6 days off between to fit in time for the other 2 things…

2. One of which is training for the Tampa 3-Day!  I am so far behind on training because of travel it’s futile at this point to try and make up all the miles BUT I will train all I can in the next 10 weeks and have a smile on my face through every blister because kicking cancer’s a$$ is so worth it! (fun little factoid of the day… the first 4 3-Day events in 2011 have raised over $15 Million towards finding a cure and there are still 10 events to go!)

3. Which leads me to the other fabulous thing that has been taking up my blogging time… a certain Southern Gentleman.  He’s sweet, caring, thoughtful, supportive, generous… and most importantly… he makes me happy. :) (yup, just went public with that one)

4. I am getting very close to having to purchase peanut butter and laundry detergent for the very fist time in my life.  Yes you read that right… I am used to a fully stocked shelf at the “Grandpa Store” that is open anytime I need to replenish my emotional or peanut butter needs!  Love you and miss you Grandpa!  I need to plan a trip home soon!

5. I have 2 “kiddens” named Gilbert Sullivan (aka:Goose the Moose, Gilly Goo) and Moses Jean (aka: Chloe, Mokes) 

6. I was raised in The Mitten but am now a transplant living down in the Appalachian mountains of The Volunteer State!

7. I am a cancer survivor of a little over 2 years now.  I’m doing everything I can to fight back and am just waiting for the magical 5 year mark where I can say I am 100% cancer free and cured!

So there you have it – my 7 fabulous facts!  And here are some of my favo

rite bloggers for you to check out…

Coconutter Strutters	Dr. Grumpy	Dream Big. Stamp Often
DUTCHbeingME	Filling Our Bucket	Following Him
iHeartOrganizing	Hines-Sight Blog	In This Wonderful Life
Meanderings of a 3-Day Mom	My Big Girl Pants	Not Quite Legally Blonde
On Joyful Wings	Starving, Insatiable	Soaring on Wings

Love Notes

I never thought I would see the day when I would say that I just didn’t want to be in a relationship... Apparently today is that fateful day.  Perhaps I should give you some background on that decision…

I’ve always been the relationship type.  A serial monogamist if you will.  I’m not good at dating multiple people at once and consider it to be a waste of time.  How can you make a deeper connection with one person when you can’t even remember who you told which story?  Maybe I should have looked at it as limiting my options instead? 

Whatever the rhyme or reason those relationships didn’t work out and here I am.  Alone.  But apparently not lonely… at least not today.

Today I was a little surprised when I realized it wasn’t even a thought in my mind.  That contact from a certain potential guy was actually a little bothersome.  Was it that I’m just not that into him or am I just not into being in a relationship right now?  I guess you could make a case for either or both.  In truth its probably both.

There are so many things I am focused on right now it it leaves no bit of energy, emotion or time for someone else.  Heck, I barely have time to really read my personal emails as they flash by on my phone.  I owe a million people messages or emails or calls but at the end of the day, my battery is exhausted and I’m just trying to find a few quiet moments to recharge. {hence the bloggy hiatus}

Some may call it selfish and I guess I am in a kind of “its all about me” phase right now.  I’m trying to sort things out and make changes in a few areas and I’m just content to just be without worrying about the expectations of someone else.

Of course that is today… there is always tomorrow.  And “After all… Tomorrow is another day!”

You Can’t Handle The Truth!

Kaffee: I want the truth!
Col. Jessep: [shouts] You can't handle the truth!
- A Few Good Men

What is the thing everyone says they want in a relationship?

Honesty.

What is the one thing that most people can’t handle?

The truth.

It’s hard enough dating and worrying about normal rejections: Will he think my hair is too short/blonde/long/flat? What if I something gets stuck in my teeth?  What if my outfit is just all wrong? What if he thinks I’m too thin/fat?  The list is endless and we all worry about them every time.

But…

What if you add the “cancer thing” in there? See you can hide that precious little gem from people for a while but when you literally bear your dirty little secret on your neck, it doesn’t stay hidden for long.  [I’m sure I’ve blogged about this topic before but for the life of me can’t find it on here!]  When should you tell that potential someone? If you tell them right away, it might be too much too soon.  But if you wait, will they think you were keeping this big huge secret behind their back?  Once you do tell them, whenever you choose to do so, will they bow out anyway because it’s just too much to handle.

I had cancer. I dealt with it, I accepted it, I conquered it. I have changed because of it. I know I am stronger because of it.

I had cancer but I am a lot more than cancer ever was. And you are the one who’s missing out.