I'm here to answer your second set of questions. Thank you for the awesome feedback off of the first set! I just truly love each of you!!
1. How is it when people recognize Sean in public and you're with your family?
My kids know that Uncle Seanie is the Bachelor and that he's on TV. They've been to Disney World and stood in line to meet Mickey Mouse...we equate it to that. They really don't seem phased about it. Sean gets recognized everywhere we go and he usually has one of my kids hanging off of him when he does...he's so gracious to everyone and such a good sport. Everyone is so nice to us...so far, no weirdos have approached us in person (as for emails, letters to my house and phone calls...a lot of weirdos do that!).
2. Tell us about your cancer scare?
I found a lump on my neck when I was 17 sitting in US History class...the doctors took me in for surgery and removed it along with all of my lymph nodes on my right side and a ton of tissue. It was a really scary time. They severed all of the nerves on the right side of my neck and thus, I have no feeling on the right side of my neck, cheek and jaw. It's been 13 years, so I hardly think about it any more but if you were to touch my right cheek, I wouldn't feel a thing. I was healed. The Lord blessed me and healed me...I don't know why. Some people are healed before the storm (like me), some people have to travel through the storm and come out on the other side, and some people, are called home to Heaven during the storm. I didn't have to undergo chemo or radiation and for that, I'm grateful. Five months after I was healed, my 65 year old grandfather died of the exact same kind of cancer, lymphoma.
3.Who is my oldest and dearest friend?
Kara. She submitted that question by the way :).
4. How do I approach menu planning?
I make food by season. My brain always thinks about whether it's winter, spring, summer or fall. I plan my menu (both entrees and desserts) according to the season.
5. How much different was it going from one kid to two?
Considering my kids are only 16 months and 3 days a part, you would think life was hard...but it wasn't. It was fabulous. Yes, I had two cribs, two kiddos wearing diapers...two babies. But I loved it! I loved it for two reasons: 1. it really made it feel like we were a family. With just one kid, it was me and Andrew and a baby...with two kids, it was a real family (in my mind). And 2. Smith was the easiest baby known to man. If I would have had him first and Kensington second, this post would be totally different. I would have been a hot mess! She was not an easy baby!
6. What photographer took the side bar pics?
The fabulous Narci D. Photography!
7. Do I get nervous being on TV?
That makes it sound like I'm on TV all the time! I've filmed with the Bachelor/Bachelorette 5 times. Believe it or not, by the 4th time I didn't even notice the 25 people staring at me and 4 camera guys. The weirdest part is that you forget that you have a microphone on, so even when you're not technically filming something, about 100 people can hear every word you say. If it were live, I would be really nervous...but knowing that it won't be aired for months and months later, I don't worry about it at all.
8. Who is my favorite Bachelor and Bachelorette?
Disregarding Sean's two seasons, my favorite Bachelor is Brad Womack and Bachelorette is Jillian Harris. I've never met either of them but I love, love, loved their seasons.
9. Do I use Vanilla Bean Noel year around?
Yes. Yes. Yes. That's why I buy cases of it :).
10. Where are my gloves from that I wore on my Belgium vacation?
Target
11. Why did Andrew stop playing football?
The first year we were married, Andrew played football for the Detroit Lions. His back was injured when he was drafted and stayed injured the entire time he was there. Thankfully, we visited with some physicians that specialize in professional sports injuries and they advised him to retire. He had the wonderful experience of playing and not being cut. He's one of the few that walked away. And he was thrilled...it's a lot of work playing a professional sport.
12. How did Andrew propose?
We had been dating 8 months...he took me out to dinner, he forgot his wallet (because he was so nervous), so I paid (I still have the receipt in my wallet). Then, we went to a Dallas landmark and he proposed. We were married 10 months later. So sweet!
13. Are my parents happy that Sean is the Bachelor?
My parents would be happy if Sean was a lawn guy. As long as we're happy and productive, my parents don't care what we do. They are so supportive of Sean, they missed him like crazy while he was away filming and they know he will represent himself well (again!).
14. Are all of my friends bloggers?
A lot of them are! I have a fabulous group of friends. I love, love, love them!
15. I think it's funny that you always give Sheaffer a hard time for being older than you.
Ha! I posted this comment just for Sheaffer's benefit! She is soooooooo much older than me. ;)
16. Do I plan to write a cookbook?
I would love to! Let me know if you want to publish it!! :)
17. Do Kensington and Smith understand why Uncle Sean went away (twice!)?
Yes. They see him all the time, so we had to explain to them why he was on such a long vacation. The first time around, for the Bachelorette, we explained that Sean was on a long vacation to get to know a girl named Emily. They were thrilled to finally get to meet Emily! The second time around, we said Uncle Seanie was on vacation to try and find a wife. Trust me...we understand this is not a normal conversation to have with small children but they seem to accept it, have fewer questions and it helps them understand all of the cameras and people watching us talk to Uncle Sean on location.
18. How did we pick our kids' names?
We love to travel, and back in 2006 we were in the Kensington district of London and just kind of said, "hey, wouldn't it be cool to name a daughter that?". Two years later, we had a girl and named her Kensington Kate, a British name. Well...16 months later, we had a boy and thought he needed a British name too...so Smith William was named. William is also the name of my grandfather who died (see question #2).
19. Have you ever done a Day in the Life of Shay post?
Yes! I've done several over the years. Click around and you're bound to find one.
20. How do I entertain the kids while I'm cooking?
They help most of the time. If they're not helping me, they're coloring, doing puzzles, watching a movie...normal stuff. Since they're older now, I don't have to worry about them burning down the joint while I'm busy cooking. When they were babies, I just always kept them in the kitchen with me (in their high chair or Bumbo). My kids can identify a variety of produce, meats and cheeses. It's a great learning experience! I also bake and stuff while they're napping sometimes or at school.
21. Tell me about Andrew's family.
They're crazy. Ha! They're super fun people who live in Missouri. They live on an actual farm which is funny because Andrew is a real-life farm kid (did chores, worked with the cows and hay, drove a tractor...the real deal) but if you met him today in his custom suit and Nordstrom shoes, you would never guess it. He can get down and dirty on the farm if he needs to but he spent 18 years doing that, now he walks around like a 6'5" Gucci model.
22. Favorite makeup?
I live for MAC and Laura Mercier. Nothing makes me happier then a new MAC lipstick. Nothing. My hubby chuckles at me because on the gloomiest of days, I can buy one thing of lipstick and instantly be happier. Off the top of my head, I would say I had 30 different lipsticks and another 30 glosses. Don't judge. It's cheaper than drinking after a hard day.
23. Favorite Christian author?
Beth Moore. Hands down. If I met her, I would squeeze the life out of her. Love her!
24. What is my biggest fear, worry or anxiety?
Oh gosh. That's heavy. I'm not a big worrier at all but I used to worry about me dying. As odd as it sounds, I don't sit around and worry about my husband or kids dying (not because that isn't horrible but I just don't)...instead I used to worry about me dying. Not because I'm scared to die (I'm going to Heaven to be with Jesus, I won't miss a thing)...but because I didn't want my kids to grow up without a mom. Moms are so important. I just didn't want them growing up with just a dad (Andrew is awesome but will he remember to schedule play dates for them? Sign K up for gymnastics? Leave notes in their lunch boxes? Buy Lucky Charms? Empty the vacuum cleaner? Put up the Christmas tree? Eeks! There is so much!). But then I realized, if my kids are suppose to grow up without me, then that's God's divine plan and he knows better than me. He knows how they need to grow and mature as adults, so hopefully, it's with me but if it's not, then that's the right plan for their lives. I don't worry about dying one bit now. God has it covered.
25. What is my favorite book?
Oh gosh. I obviously love the Bible the most...but other than that, it would have to be something trashy. Is it wrong that I am putting the Bible and trashy books in the same sentence? Probably...but I don't want to lie! I love reading but as you read from the Part 1 post, I don't have a lot of reading time...so, when I do, I like to read stuff by authors like Emily Giffin. Mindless, easy to read stuff.
Whew! Believe it or not, I'm going to do one more post about this. Do you feel like you know me yet???
3.Who is my oldest and dearest friend?
Kara. She submitted that question by the way :).
4. How do I approach menu planning?
I make food by season. My brain always thinks about whether it's winter, spring, summer or fall. I plan my menu (both entrees and desserts) according to the season.
5. How much different was it going from one kid to two?
Considering my kids are only 16 months and 3 days a part, you would think life was hard...but it wasn't. It was fabulous. Yes, I had two cribs, two kiddos wearing diapers...two babies. But I loved it! I loved it for two reasons: 1. it really made it feel like we were a family. With just one kid, it was me and Andrew and a baby...with two kids, it was a real family (in my mind). And 2. Smith was the easiest baby known to man. If I would have had him first and Kensington second, this post would be totally different. I would have been a hot mess! She was not an easy baby!
6. What photographer took the side bar pics?
The fabulous Narci D. Photography!
7. Do I get nervous being on TV?
That makes it sound like I'm on TV all the time! I've filmed with the Bachelor/Bachelorette 5 times. Believe it or not, by the 4th time I didn't even notice the 25 people staring at me and 4 camera guys. The weirdest part is that you forget that you have a microphone on, so even when you're not technically filming something, about 100 people can hear every word you say. If it were live, I would be really nervous...but knowing that it won't be aired for months and months later, I don't worry about it at all.
8. Who is my favorite Bachelor and Bachelorette?
Disregarding Sean's two seasons, my favorite Bachelor is Brad Womack and Bachelorette is Jillian Harris. I've never met either of them but I love, love, loved their seasons.
9. Do I use Vanilla Bean Noel year around?
Yes. Yes. Yes. That's why I buy cases of it :).
10. Where are my gloves from that I wore on my Belgium vacation?
Target
11. Why did Andrew stop playing football?
The first year we were married, Andrew played football for the Detroit Lions. His back was injured when he was drafted and stayed injured the entire time he was there. Thankfully, we visited with some physicians that specialize in professional sports injuries and they advised him to retire. He had the wonderful experience of playing and not being cut. He's one of the few that walked away. And he was thrilled...it's a lot of work playing a professional sport.
12. How did Andrew propose?
We had been dating 8 months...he took me out to dinner, he forgot his wallet (because he was so nervous), so I paid (I still have the receipt in my wallet). Then, we went to a Dallas landmark and he proposed. We were married 10 months later. So sweet!
13. Are my parents happy that Sean is the Bachelor?
My parents would be happy if Sean was a lawn guy. As long as we're happy and productive, my parents don't care what we do. They are so supportive of Sean, they missed him like crazy while he was away filming and they know he will represent himself well (again!).
14. Are all of my friends bloggers?
A lot of them are! I have a fabulous group of friends. I love, love, love them!
15. I think it's funny that you always give Sheaffer a hard time for being older than you.
Ha! I posted this comment just for Sheaffer's benefit! She is soooooooo much older than me. ;)
16. Do I plan to write a cookbook?
I would love to! Let me know if you want to publish it!! :)
17. Do Kensington and Smith understand why Uncle Sean went away (twice!)?
Yes. They see him all the time, so we had to explain to them why he was on such a long vacation. The first time around, for the Bachelorette, we explained that Sean was on a long vacation to get to know a girl named Emily. They were thrilled to finally get to meet Emily! The second time around, we said Uncle Seanie was on vacation to try and find a wife. Trust me...we understand this is not a normal conversation to have with small children but they seem to accept it, have fewer questions and it helps them understand all of the cameras and people watching us talk to Uncle Sean on location.
18. How did we pick our kids' names?
We love to travel, and back in 2006 we were in the Kensington district of London and just kind of said, "hey, wouldn't it be cool to name a daughter that?". Two years later, we had a girl and named her Kensington Kate, a British name. Well...16 months later, we had a boy and thought he needed a British name too...so Smith William was named. William is also the name of my grandfather who died (see question #2).
19. Have you ever done a Day in the Life of Shay post?
Yes! I've done several over the years. Click around and you're bound to find one.
20. How do I entertain the kids while I'm cooking?
They help most of the time. If they're not helping me, they're coloring, doing puzzles, watching a movie...normal stuff. Since they're older now, I don't have to worry about them burning down the joint while I'm busy cooking. When they were babies, I just always kept them in the kitchen with me (in their high chair or Bumbo). My kids can identify a variety of produce, meats and cheeses. It's a great learning experience! I also bake and stuff while they're napping sometimes or at school.
21. Tell me about Andrew's family.
They're crazy. Ha! They're super fun people who live in Missouri. They live on an actual farm which is funny because Andrew is a real-life farm kid (did chores, worked with the cows and hay, drove a tractor...the real deal) but if you met him today in his custom suit and Nordstrom shoes, you would never guess it. He can get down and dirty on the farm if he needs to but he spent 18 years doing that, now he walks around like a 6'5" Gucci model.
22. Favorite makeup?
I live for MAC and Laura Mercier. Nothing makes me happier then a new MAC lipstick. Nothing. My hubby chuckles at me because on the gloomiest of days, I can buy one thing of lipstick and instantly be happier. Off the top of my head, I would say I had 30 different lipsticks and another 30 glosses. Don't judge. It's cheaper than drinking after a hard day.
23. Favorite Christian author?
Beth Moore. Hands down. If I met her, I would squeeze the life out of her. Love her!
24. What is my biggest fear, worry or anxiety?
Oh gosh. That's heavy. I'm not a big worrier at all but I used to worry about me dying. As odd as it sounds, I don't sit around and worry about my husband or kids dying (not because that isn't horrible but I just don't)...instead I used to worry about me dying. Not because I'm scared to die (I'm going to Heaven to be with Jesus, I won't miss a thing)...but because I didn't want my kids to grow up without a mom. Moms are so important. I just didn't want them growing up with just a dad (Andrew is awesome but will he remember to schedule play dates for them? Sign K up for gymnastics? Leave notes in their lunch boxes? Buy Lucky Charms? Empty the vacuum cleaner? Put up the Christmas tree? Eeks! There is so much!). But then I realized, if my kids are suppose to grow up without me, then that's God's divine plan and he knows better than me. He knows how they need to grow and mature as adults, so hopefully, it's with me but if it's not, then that's the right plan for their lives. I don't worry about dying one bit now. God has it covered.
25. What is my favorite book?
Oh gosh. I obviously love the Bible the most...but other than that, it would have to be something trashy. Is it wrong that I am putting the Bible and trashy books in the same sentence? Probably...but I don't want to lie! I love reading but as you read from the Part 1 post, I don't have a lot of reading time...so, when I do, I like to read stuff by authors like Emily Giffin. Mindless, easy to read stuff.
Whew! Believe it or not, I'm going to do one more post about this. Do you feel like you know me yet???
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