I've been nominated for...

Happy Saturday my loveys!

This week, one of my best bloggy friends, Amanda, nominated me for my first...

The award is given to upcoming bloggers with less than 200 followers. "Liebster" is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome!

And this is how the Liebster Award works:

1. Each nominee must post 11 things about themselves.
2. Answer the questions that the tagger set for you and create 11 questions for bloggers you've tagged.
3. Choose up to 11 bloggers and link them in your post.
4. Go to their page and tell them.
5. No tag backs.

I must say... I am beyond honored and so excited to be writing this post! Amanda is the SWEETEST lady on the planet and she totally makes me want to break rule number 5 and tag her right back. ;) Seriously. I can't get enough of reading her blog posts.

So! Let's jump right into 11 things about me...

1. I want to be a Pediatric Surgeon or Occupational Therapist when I "grow up."

2. I'm almost positive I only want to adopt children... I feel like a set of twin boys would be perfect. {One day!}

3. White chocolate and caramel are my all time favorite treats.

4. I'm a nail polish hoarder. There, I said it.

5. I have this strange fetish for dresses with pockets.

6. I'm in love with the British/Irish boy band One Direction and have my heart set on marrying one of the members. Ladies and gents, meet Mr. Niall Horan!

7. I rarely sunburn! Just one of the many things I love about my skin!

8. I desperately want to learn how to play piano.

9. My family's house burnt down on my 10th birthday.

10. I absolutely positively know that I want to go to college out of state... {Two more years, Minnesota, two more years and I'm outta here!}

11. I'm "THAT GIRL" when it comes to dancing. Ya know, the one who likes to break it down like she owns the place but really has not the slightest clue in the world... Yep, that's me.

And now to answer the 11 questions Amanda created for me...

1. What are 3 words you can't stand?

I've always hated the word "leech." It just makes my skin crawl... Absolutely disgusting. "Regurgitate" is another nast-ay. And for a third... I'd have to say "ooze." I'm aware that those are all completely random, but hey, I'm just sayin'.

2. How many countries have you traveled to? What were they? Why?

Zip. Zero. Zilch! But, I want to visit Australia, London, Ireland and Canada terribly!

3. What's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you?

When I was younger, my sisters and I were coming home from shopping with my momma. My little sister thought it was funny to agitate me while my older sister was on my mom's cell phone. Of course, I was shouting at her to keep her hands to herself, but she wouldn't listen. My mom threatened to kick me out of the car if I wasn't quiet, and when I tried to explain what REALLY happened she pulled over and made me get out. We were nearly home, so it wasn't a big deal, but of course,  {being the most stubborn child to grace this planet...} I decided to sit down in the ditch instead of acting like I cared in the least. I expected my mom to just sit there and wait, but when she started driving off, I leapt off the ground and started chasing our mini van. My mom stopped the car and I got back in and much to my surprise, both my sister's were crying because they thought my mom was going to leave me. LOL. It's terribly embarassing for all of us because "that spot" is right on our road. My mom constantly brings it up and teases us. We laugh, but it's still pretty embarrassing! Three girls = nothing but trouble!

4. Do you have any odd habits? What are they?

I HAVE to brush my teeth right before I shower each morning. No other time will do. It's so weird. I also refuse to eat the second "butt" of the hot dog. I'll always eat the first but the second grosses me out. HA! I just realized how weird that sounds...

5. What's your favorite childhood food/recipe? (please share it if you can!)

My momma's homemade bread was always FABULOUS. I also adore her pasta salad, potato soup, ham/potato casserole, and cheesy chicken!

6. Do you have any siblings? If so how many and what are their names?

I have an older sister named Megan, a younger sister named Madison, and a younger brother named Mason.

7. What are 3 things that are ALWAYS inside your purse?

Lip gloss, my "on-the-go" meds, and lotion.

8. Who is your favorite comedian?

None other than Mrs. Amanda Anderson. {Don't say I didn't warn you, girlfriend...} Seriously. She is hilarious. She has all these little sayings and words that are unlike anyone else's. When we meet in real life one day I'm gonna just DIE. For real. Chick makes me laugh harder than anyone else!

9. What is your favorite smell?

HORSE GRAIN. :) I know that make me sound like a total hick... NO SHAME!

10. What are your nicknames and who calls you by those names?

A lot of people call me Kenz... Which I just love! My fave, though, is when my BFF Jaycee refers to me as "Mrs. Niall Horan," or  "Funk Soul Brotha." ;)

11. Who is your favorite band/singer?

One Direction. Hands down. Not only are they just super gorgeous, but they are hilarious, humble, talented, and their accents make me weak in the knees. {I know my constant obsessing over them makes me sound like a total freak... But, I'm oddly okay with it...}

The 11 questions I leave for the people I choose to tag...

1. Who is your style icon? Why?
2. Are you right or left handed?
3. If you had to choose, what song would you consider YOUR "anthem?"
4. How would you describe yourself in three words?
5. Have you ever been on a plane? If so, when was the last time and where did you go?
6. What is your favorite summer activity?
7. What is your biggest fear?
8. What is your favorite drink at Caribou Coffee/Starbucks?
9. What is your middle name? Are you named after somebody?
10. Have you ever been to the ocean? If so, which one(s)?
11. What is your beverage of choice?

And now for the big reveal! I tag...

Lindsey @ Love To The Moon And Back Again!
Adrienne @ La Vita e Bella!
Jenille @ Beyond The Yellow Brick Road!
Kristen @ Few Of My Favorite Things!

Hop to it ladies! Can't wait to read your posts! :)

Friday's Letters

Today is the first time I'm participating in...

With the lovely Ashley! It's about time I join in the fun because I've read so many of my bloggy friends' letters and have never gotten around to linking up myself. My friend Amanda always writes such sweet ones and I ADORE reading them. Are y'all ready?! Here we go...

Dear Izzie {the little girl I nanny for},

Thank you for being such an adorable little blessing in my life.  My weeks are so much brighter with you in them and you truly hold such a special place in my heart. Your momma and daddy are so lucky to have such a bright, energetic little girl and I am so grateful that they trust me with you! Please, please, please just stay little forever!

Dear Mason {my little brother},

It's been such an amazing week at VBS. Seeing you learn your memory verses and watching you enjoy listening and dancing to new worship songs has made my heart smile so big! I'm so proud of you. I'm proud to be your big sister. And, I'm proud of the sweet boy you're becoming!

Dear Striker {my horse},

Thank you so much for being so welcoming to your new friend Joe this week. I've never, ever had two horses and I'll admit that I had some SEVERE anxiety about the two of you meeting. I am so glad that you both get along so well and that you're enjoying time with your new buddy. I also absolutely adore that you still love your "momma and me" time. You know you have my heart and that we share a bond that will never be broken!

Dear Auntie M,

As the one year mark of you being gone approaches, I have an extremely heavy heart. I miss you more than words can express and just wish we could have one more conversation. I have so much to share with you and desperately wish we could spend another day together... You were such a wise woman and you've truly left your mark on this world. I truly hope Heaven is everything it's been said to be and I can't wait to see you again one day!

Dear Jen Davis,

WILL YOU REALLY PAY ME IN SCARVES?! Seriously. You are the sweetest dang lady on the planet, I swear. You make me giggle so stinkin' much and I will honestly consider going to college in Chicago if you promise me that I'll get to come love on your kids while I'm there. I'm not even kidding. I love those little stinkers so much and I've never even met them!

Dear Twitter friends,
Thank you for showing me SO much love and always supporting me throughout the struggles. Yesterday morning I was really negative. Scared, anxious, you name it! But the sweet comments y'all sent me truly turned my day around. I'm so grateful that we've gotten to know eachother! Technology can be so awesome!

Dear God,

Thank You so much for USING me this week. I love serving You and seeing how You work through me to touch others. I love working with the little kids of the church and getting compliments and nicknames from the parents like "baby whisperer." :) I couldn't be more excited for this coming week. The fact that YOU provided the funds for me to go to camp and just so happened to make everything work out perfectly... I know it's where You've called me. I can't wait to see what You have in store for me there. Thank you for blessing me with so much more than I deserve!

Thanks for reading loveys! Happy Friday!

Fashionista Friday

Hey y'all! So... Truth be told, as soon as Lindsey posted the info for her new link up...

  ... I took pictures of the outfit I was wearing and wrote this post.   You could say I'm just a bit excited for this new link up! Mainly because I love clothes. And Lindsey.   :)   So, without further adieu... I bring you a few snapshots of my outfit!
 

Cardigan: Target {Mossimo Supply}

Necklace: {Unknown, local boutique in Arkansas}

Bracelet: H & M

Skinny Jeans: Old Navy (But I found them at a consignment shop for $3!)

Sandals: Wal Mart {Route 66}

Keeping it short and sweet here! Can't wait to see the other outfits!

Thanks for hosting Lindsey! Be back next week!

Prayers, prayers, prayers

A typical week would have me SO excited that it's Thursday. Almost Friday, right?!

But, today is different.

 For those of you who are new around here, I'm a teenage girl who has been diagnosed with Juvenile Enthesitis Related Arthritis (ERA), which is also known as Spondyloarthritis. If you'd like a more in depth description of the disease you can read about it here.

A little over a week ago, I had a follow up appointment and med check with my rheumatologist. The appointment went pretty well overall; mainly because I've been feeling quite a bit better (minus some severe neck pain), but it ended with some not-so-exciting news...

"We should do an MRI just to be safe."

I'm not an emotional girl and I'm fairly decent about holding it together even when I have every reason in the world to break down. But, I'll admit, I busted out bawling in that hospital room as soon as my doctor spit out those 9 words. Thoughts started flooding my head...

It's not fair.

Why me?

I don't want to.

When will I be able to say these procedures are a thing of the past?

Why can't I just get better? For good.

I've been dealing with excrutiating, unrelenting neck pain for over 4 years. And thus far, no doctor has been able to find any answers as to why I continue to have it. It's something that over time, I've learned to deal with. However, lately, it's been really concerning as it has actually kept me from doing a lot of the things I love. (To name a few... Running, horseback riding, babysitting, etc.) It's caused me to slow down A LOT and to me...

That's. Just. Not. Acceptable.

So yes, part of me wants to do WHATEVER it takes to get to the bottom of this, but the other part of me is just flippin' done with getting poked and prodded. And there's yet ANOTHER part of me that's just plain scared.

I don't exactly know what the procedure is going to be like. I don't know what results are going to come back. I don't know if I want to know.

It's safe to say despite all the mayhem, though, that my hearts holds on ENTIRELY to two things:

Joshua 1:9~ Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with your wherever you go.

... And ...

Proverbs 31:25~ She is clothed with strength and dignity and she laughs without fear of the future.

My MRI is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. I wish I could say that I'm really optimistic and not too worried about the whole thing, but then I'd be lying.

And this little ol' blog is a place for me to be completely honest. So I have to ask you all...

PLEASE PRAY.

I would appreciate any and absolutely ALL prayers for peace, strength, courage, and most importantly... ANSWERS. You, my loveys, have always been so supportive and caring when it comes to me sharing my struggles. I adore every friendship I've made throughout this journey and I thank each one of you... Even if you just send the smallest prayer my way... It is appreciated beyond measure!

Update soon...

 

Stop and Smell the Roses {20}

  Hey, hey linky party people!   It's time for Stop and Smell the Roses with Mandy!   I'm finally BACK and truthfully couldn't be happier... I cannot wait to see everyone's smiling faces and I'm just so excited that I'm participating again!   I have SO much to share in this vlog! Watching it through, I even realized I forgot about some of the things I wanted to mention! But, what's done is done and I'm satisified with what made it on film.   * FAIR WARNING: I look like a complete WRECK in this vlog. Yesterday was a bad hair day... Yipes. *       So. Much. Excitement. I'm staying busy and loving it! Summer's been good to me and I just can't complain.   Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a fabulous week!   Keep smiling. :)  

 

My life in 8 pictures...

Last night it dawned on me...

"I've never actually done a post all about me."

Now, don't get me wrong. I don't want this little blog to be a place where I toot my own horn and type around like I own the place... But I DO want you, as readers, to have the opportunity to get to know me.

The real, complicated, slightly insane, girl behind these posts and vlogs.

Me.

So, I threw together a little collage and decided to kind of give you guys the low down on each image. This post will be beneficial to any of you, my loveys, because the things I'm sharing in this post are things I've NEVER shared on my blog before! Cool, huh? I know how special you all feel... ;)

We'll start with the picture of me in the upper left hand corner... I included this picture because when my best friend Jaycee took it, she immediately said... "Oh. My. Gosh. That picture is SO you!" And, I have to agree with her! It showcases my notorious ability to laugh when I'm supposed be quiet... Or in this case, when I'm simply supposed to be smiling nicely. It's also a great shot because I'm wearing my favorite cardigan! Eep! *cough* Cardigan junkie. *cough.*

The picture in the upper right corner is one of my cousin Tori and I this summer. For those who don't know, her family lives in Arkansas and I typically go to visit them twice a year. Tori means the absolute world to me. Seriously. She is like my long lost sister, best friend, and cousin all wrapped into one. I can't imagine my life without her sweet, caring personality, her amazing style and ability to give advice, and of course... I absolutely adore her kiddos!

The picture below and to the left of that one is my sister Madison and I. Get us two together and it's always a good time! Seriously. We have more inside jokes than anyone else in the world, I swear to you. We also share a bedroom and even though it gets a little crazy and quite messy at times... The truth is that I have a terrible time falling asleep when she's not sleeping in the next bed over. On top of all our crazyness, my little sis and I are also part of the same girl's small group in our hometown. It's incredible to work together and grow in our relationship with God. Madi, if you're reading this, I heart you and am so proud of the lady you're becoming!

The picture to the right of that one is my little brother Mason and I on a little ice cream date! There is a 9 year age gap between us, but surprisingly, that doesn't make our relationship "distant" at all. He is the funniest 8 year old I know and him and I ALWAYS have dance parties together. Ice cream and movie dates are our specialty and he also loves to help me with taking care of and riding Striker! He's a brave kiddo with a huge heart and I feel beyond blessed to be able to call him my little brother! He obviously holds a very special place in my heart.

Alright... Moving down to the second row, far left... This picture is of my sister Megan and I at prom this year! Megan is two years older than me and we've always had a really close bond. She's my go-to-gal and I honestly have no clue what I'm going to do without her after she moves out at the end of this summer! We go to youth group with eachother regularly and have gone pro at having heart to hearts into the wee hours of the morning. Her sense of humor and ability to be a "helper-chewer-outer" is INCREDIBLE. She is the best listener ever and I appreciate all the "looking out" she's done for me throughout my life. Meg... I love you SO much!

The picture to the right of that one is me, my best friend Amy, and my best friend Jaycee. Okay. It's gonna be really hard to stay reasonably short on this paragraph... They're THAT amazing. So if you guys want to hear more about my besties, you can read the post I wrote and watch the vlog I filmed about them on my old blog right here. Basically, these two know how to make me laugh, smile, and open up like nobody else. I'm SO lucky to have two incredible best friends by my side no matter what. Girls... I LOVE YOU!

From there, we'll move straight down to the other picture of me. Another great shot taken by my best friend Jaycee on a rainy May day this past spring. I love this picture so much because I think it captures my "classy, sassy, and a little bad assy" personality PERFECTLY. ;) That's all.

And last, but certainly not least... The large picture in the lower right hand corner is my "boy" Striker and I. I've owned Striker since 7th grade (and I'm going to be a Junior... AH! Time flies!) The thing that makes him so special to me is the fact that we literally have an indescribable connection. He's my boy and I'm his girl. I also LOVE having him as a "responsibility." I pay his vet bills, keep up with his food addiction, and of course, work hard to give him other things like pink saddle pads! (A neccesity, of course.) ;) I'm so lucky that my parents chose to have us live out in the country and have the space to keep him in my own backyard! He's a huge part of my life and seriously has a good portion of my heart.

So! That's that loveys! I hope you've learned something new about me and somewhat enjoyed getting an extra little insight into who I am and why I am that person. Obviously, I could add many, many, MANY, more pictures and type all day long, but I feel like this is a good ending point for now. :)

Happy Friday! Have a wonderful weekend!

Without further adieu...

It's official loveys...

This, right here, is my new blog home!

I had a difficult time keeping up with blogging at the beginning of the summer because I was really frustrated with my blog over at Blog.com... After messing around with Blogger for awhile, I knew it was time for the big switch. And so finally... Without further adieu...

WELCOME!

It feels so good to be back and for those who have missed me and have either e-mailed or tweeted to say, "Where have you been?" I truly, truly appreciate YOU! Thank you for making me realize that blogging is something that makes me who I am.

I've started writing multiple posts that I'm going to keep "drafting" throughout the next week so that I don't overload y'all with posts all at once. I look forward to making my comeback here in the blogging community and thank you all so much for following along throughout the crazyness!

Make sure to follow me here on blogger and get connected with me on Twitter if you haven't already! @xox_kenzie

:)

Lots of love!