11 randoms + 11 answers for Sayin' I Love You

Sayin' I Love You nominated me for a Liebster award, and I'm sorry I'm taking so long to respond to it! Sometimes it's hard to find time for blogging. But I think it's a neat idea and I'm honored to be asked, so without further ado, here are my answers:

Step 1: Post 11 random facts about yourself

1. It's my birthday today =)

2. I have time to blog because my generous husband is making me dinner! He made the dessert first, so I've been enjoying these Italian cookies called "couchidatas" or something - they're basically dough & nut balls covered with powdered sugar. Yum.

3. My mind went blank...it's hard to know what counts as "random". I guess something a lot of people don't know about you? Okay...my favorite movie growing up (school-age) was "A League of their own" (I played softball for years and loved it.)

4. I have 8 nieces and nephews, including a set of quadruplets. All on Mr. M's side.

5. I'm a convert to the Catholic faith. (Anabaptist --> Methodist --> Catholic)

6. Apparently my birthday is the day when Our Lady appeared to St. Catherine Labore and gave her the miraculous medal (a priest friend told me that - I never knew!)

7. I had a heart surgery right before my sophomore year of college, to correct atrioventricular tachycardia (basically my heart beat too fast). I'm fine now, thanks =)

8. Every summer growing up my family vacationed at Cape may, New Jersey.

9. Both sides of my family have been in the U.S. since before it was a country.

10. My husband proposed to me on a hike next to a waterfall. It was the same hike where we met (on a group outing).

11. The wierdest food combination I enjoy is pork rinds dipped in strawberry cream cheese.

Whew! That was actually kind of tough to think of interesting "random" facts!

Now I have to answer 11 questions from Sayin' I Love You. Here goes...

1.  Why did you start a blog?

As my sidebar said, I needed a place to think through this quite difficult experiencing of wanting to conceive and not being able to. I wanted to connect with other Catholic women who were going through the same thing.

2.  What is your favorite time of your day?

The morning! I'm definitely a morning person. I love the freshness of a new day with nothing gone wrong yet...my husband is a night person, so that's been interesting!

3.  When was the last time you cried and why?

Last night because I found out a classmate's wife is having her second baby.

4.  Do you like to leave comments on other people's blogs? Why or why not?

I do! I probably don't comment as much as I should. I like encouraging other people because I really appreciate when people encourage me in the comments.

5.  What is your favorite quote?

Oh wow. Hmm...how about "man cannot live without love" from Bl. John Paul II. (Redemptor Hominis)

6.  What is your guilty pleasure?

I honestly don't know if I have one...sometimes I like eating the ice cream start out of the carton.

7.  Do you have any talents?

I've been told I'm a good writer (I guess you all could judge that!) and I'm a decent singer.

8.  How old were you when you had your first kiss?

I was 16. The guy dumped me on my birthday several years later, so I try not to think about that relationship.

9.  How do you feel about plastic surgery?

I can see that it would be needed sometimes, like after a burn or to correct an abnormality. But I think it's sad when people change their healthy body because they don't think they're beautiful or worthy of love.

10.  What is your favorite childhood memory?

Thankfully, I have a lot! How about (seasonally appropriate)...playing in the snow until I was frozen through, then coming inside to a cup of hot chocolate and sitting at the kitchen table reading a book and feeling so warm and safe and happy.

11.  How did you come up with the name for your blog?

It just jumped into my mind. I read a book once ("On Being Catholic" by Thomas Howard) where he talked about "Ecce. Fiat" as the fundamental words of a Christian, and I thought that was beautiful.

Okay...I'm sorry, but I'm going to be lazy and not do the last part! I hope you don't mind, Sayin' I Love You! You asked almost all the people I know in blog land anyway =)

thanks again for "tagging" me - that was fun!

I hope you all have a blessed Thanksgiving! You're in my prayers

+EcceFiat+