30 Day Challenge- Days 22 through 30

Day 22-What makes you different from everyone else
I could go the easy route and say that I am from the Marshall Islands. That I rode a bike everywhere and only had fast food and went to malls when I went to the states once a year. But most of you already know that. That’s my go-to answer for those types of questions… so I will go the easy route and leave it at that. (I am not up for thinking of another for you- sorry!)

Day 23-Something you crave for a lot

I love sweets, especially lately. (See above post) When I was pregnant, I didn’t crave a thing and if I could have stopped eating altogether, I would have. Now that is over, and I get cravings for sweets again pretty regularly. It was the best feeling to be hungry again after I gave birth… that night I ordered dinner from the hospital café and I was so excited to want to eat it (chicken caesar salad, turkey sandwich, roll, and chocolate cake, in case you were wondering.) I went through a phase a few months ago when I was working a ton where I was craving anything sweet- brownies, cookies, candy, cake. Especially baked goods. One of the pharmacists I work with suggested that my body was trying to tell me that I was doing too much, I was on overdrive and it wanted all of those things to keep up with my pace. Once things calmed down and I stopped working so much, I started feeling normal again- those constant cravings did finally go away. I do love brownies and cookies, though.

Day 24-A letter to your parents

Dear Mom and Dad,
Hi there. Thanks for raising me and my siblings and for being such wonderful parents. I am grateful for everything you have done for me, in so many ways. Thank you for playing with us and loving us, for taking us on wonderful vacations and allowing us to grow up in a beautiful place and having family time with us (as painful as it was for us, I am glad we did it now.) You took wonderful care of us and continue to do so. Thank you for loving my husband. I know it was probably hard to experience your children growing up and getting married, but you were so supportive of me from the beginning, throughout my early relationship and with Spencer, and much later through our engagement. I am so glad to be able to speak with you frequently and I am so happy that we all have a good relationship. I could go on and on, but I think that might be sufficient enough for a public letter! I love you!
Day 25-What I would find in your bag

Wallet, planner, 2 little notebooks: one for keeping track of my work hours, and one for miscellaneous notes and lists, chapstick, one MAC lipgloss and one Stila lipgloss, extra pair of glasses, anti-bacterial gel, keys, nail clippers, a pen or two, occasionally a water bottle, and occasionally a toy of Abby’s.

Day 26-What do you think about your friends

What a weird question. I love my friends. In high school and college, I was very close to my friends. Then we all started getting engaged (Shannon and I actually got engaged on the same night- not planned) and moving away, and it became harder to be in touch in the same way that we used to be. There are some people that I have obviously lost touch with and only hear about what is going on with them through their blogs or through Facebook. I would love to have more friends where I am now!
Day 27-Why you are doing this 30 day challenge

Cause Ashley made me!


Day 28-A picture of you from last year and now-how have you changed?

 I was 35 weeks here

Physically, last year I had a baby in my belly and now I don’t. I am also some kind of freak of nature and lost weight after I gave birth, so that I was actually below my pre-pregnancy weight by about 20 lbs. I’ve since gained back a few pounds.
I have grown emotionally in ways that most people must do when they become parents. I honestly feel too drained to detail my emotions regarding Abby, so suffice to say she has not only brought Spencer and I even closer together than we already were (that surprised me how we had a new level added to our relationship that I didn’t even realize wasn’t there before…does that make sense?) but she has made him a father and me a mother. I still don’t really feel like a “real” mother, but the proof is sleeping in the next room. I have made some very hard decisions alongside my husband this year, and we have learned that we have to listen to the Spirit and pay attention to our instincts and trust that we can do hard things and that we will be okay if we support and love each other.

Day 29-In this past month, what have you learned?

In this past month, I’ve learned along with Abby what to expect from a baby her age- she is very nearly a toddler! I have learned how to choose a body shop- that one wasn’t fun. (I had a small car accident a few weeks ago, where I totally didn’t see a big maintenance truck as I was backing up and as I drove forward I swiped it, knocking off my driver’s side rear-view mirror. Yeah. Crazy stupid, I know.) I have learned that I should be more careful!

Day 30-Your favorite song

I don’t have one favorite, but lately I sing Disney songs to Abs. Specifically from The Little Mermaid.

And that’s it! I don’t think I am going to be in any hurry to do another one of these anytime soon- I’m not sure if anyone cared to read it.
But it’s done, and now we can focus on my little lady’s birthday coming up!

30 Day Challenge: Day 16,17,18,19,20, and 21

Day 16
Another picture of yourself

(It didn't say it was supposed to be recent.)

Day 17
Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why

I have a hard time choosing someone. That being said, I would love to be a kid again. I remember having fun a lot, and I loved to play outside and with my friends and siblings. I had a pretty wild imagination and I remember being sad when I went to college and realized that was the beginning of the end of my childhood. I think I’d like to be my younger self, running around on Kwajalein again.

Day 18
Plans/dreams/goals you have

I honestly don’t have very many goals that are set in stone… we kind of take things as they come, and our goal would be to do face those things together. We want to own a house and we want that to come as soon as possible. I have plans for my children. I want for them to have a happy childhood and I am hopeful that they do well in school. They have the advantage of having a crazy smart father, so I’m sure they will make us proud.

Day 19
Nicknames you have and why you have them

I have had a lot of nicknames in my life, but only a few have actually stuck. Spencer calls me Bon a lot and I have been called Bon Bon quite a bit. A girl at work calls me Boniqua (I’m not sure where that came from).

Day 20
Someone you see yourself marrying or being with in the future

My husband! We have been married for almost 7 years.

Day 21
A picture of something that makes you happy

I'm in a food mood.

Flashback: One Year Ago Today

I think this is one of my favorite games!

This is the result of a super long shopping spree Spencer and I went on last year today as a result of a gift card we received from the people at the court.
P.S. I think that baby on the changing pad is super creepy. I thought so then, too.

Here's what the belly looked like. I was dilated to a 2 and 90% effaced for 3 weeks. The following week, which I don't have a picture of, I was dilated to a 3 and still 90% effaced until my water broke. That story is forthcoming, if anyone is interested.

I thought about putting a picture up of my bare belly from this day, but then I remembered that I'm not brainless and you don't want to see that.

These pictures are the last of the belly before the babe is born.

Quite Right

Keena brought to my attention that my family picture that I posted isn't my only family. I've known these kids a lot longer than I've known Spencer and Abby. I think of them first whenever someone asks me about or refers to my family.

My siblings! You can, unfortunately, see that we are at a funeral service in this picture. We were all able to be together in California this past summer, attending my grandmother's funeral. I liked this picture because Robbie is crazy tall and I love how Keena is standing. I can't pose like that. I just wish I had gotten her red shoes in the picture. You can also see very well that I'm the shortest.



The Hamill family. I love you.

30 Day Challenge- Day 14 and 15

Skipping #13 momentarily...

Day 14

A picture of you and your family

Day 15

Put your ipod or shuffle on-first 10 songs that play

Goodnight LA- Counting Crows
Our Lawyer Made Us Change The Name Of This Song So We Wouldn’t Get Sued- Fall Out Boy
Even Now- Dashboard Confessional
This Is Such A Pity- Weezer
Esperando Na Janela- Cogumelo Plutao (Spencer served his mission in Brazil)
Panic- Name Taken
Lying In Your Letters- Dashboard Confessional
Speed of Sound- Coldplay
Mrs. Robinson- Simon and Garfunkel
What Goes Around Comes Around- Justin Timberlake

30 Day Challenge- Day 9, 10, 11, and 12

Day 9
Something you're proud of in the past few days

I'm proud of my beautiful daughter and how wonderful she is at everything. She is so easy going and she makes me proud to be her mama.
I have made several felt and cloth hair bows and flowers! I am proud because I always look at things like that and think, “oh, that’s cute, I could make that”… but I never do. I did! I like them.

I am proud of myself for using my sewing machine more. It was a surprise wedding gift from my dear mother and I have been so grateful over the years that I have it.

I made this for Abs for her 1st birthday. It's supposed to be a little distressed and frayed... does it look okay? Well, I'm keeping it no matter what you people say.

Quite honestly, I can’t think of much that I’ve done over the last few days that I am proud of, but those are a few.
Day 10


Songs you listen to when you're bored, happy, sad, mad, hyped

This is a loaded question, because it brings to light the fact that I used to listen to music all the time- and I don’t really anymore. I loved finding new music and especially loved introducing someone to the music that I liked. This was also in the days of Napster and Limewire, where I could download whatever I wanted for free. I think there was always music coming out of my room all throughout college.

So that being said, right now I like to listen to the stuff I used to listen to back in the day. I love Dashboard Confessional, Counting Crows, I like The All-American Rejects, Radiohead, The Ataris, Muse and Yellowcard and Live, and a few others that if I said, I’m sure it would date me as an old almost 30 year old who is not even a little bit cool, so I’ll just stop there. You’ll catch me listening to any of those for any of the moods listed above. Abby and I sing in the car to the radio too. I am only a little ashamed to admit that I totally sing and dance to Justin Bieber and Katy Perry when they come on.

Day 11

Another picture of you and your friends

I should have included this picture the first time around, but I forgot I had it! This is my fabulous friend Amy, whom I’ve known since freshman year of college. She was dating my good friend Don, and while they didn’t end up together, Amy and I sure did. Thanks, Don, for insisting that the two of us should meet!

Day 12

How you found out about blogger and why you have one

I can’t remember how I found out about Blogger. I must have found out about it when a few friends or family members got a blog. I have one because I wanted to let our family members know what’s going on with us and the babe. Spencer and I were thinking of starting one for a long time, but we never got around to it. Part of the reason we never started it: Spencer wanted a sweet name. (Like our friends over at Ice Crizzle. Sweet name.) We couldn’t ever agree on one, so it never happened. When Abby came, I just went for it and named it the completely obvious “Bonnie and Spencer and Abby.” I am not going to pretend that I have interesting things to say, but whatev.

Right Now

 We are playing with cups

We are reading books

In our hot cocoa PJs