With the move of Top Ten {Tuesday} to Many Little Blessings, Amanda had suggested that on this first week that it was hosted only here that I should consider taking that opportunity to tell you about myself. Since Amanda definitely knows what she’s talking about, I agreed that it might be nice for newer visitors to know more about me.
1. My name is Angie. I know, this was big news, right? My given name is actually Angela and nobody calls me that. Well, except, for some odd reason, my husband, my Dad, and one of my sisters. Weird, huh?
(In a funny Top Ten {Tuesday} note, I was almost named Amanda.)
2. I’m married to a fabulous guy named Eric. He was my high school sweetheart, and we’ve been married for almost 16 years (as of this summer). I was only his second girlfriend, which is how I met him, since his first girlfriend was my best friend, Tricia. Don’t worry – we stayed friends and she was even in our wedding. She ended up marrying an awesome guy who always makes me say the most disgusting and horrible thing when I’m around him. (He’s a hoot like that.)
In full disclosure, I will admit that prior to dating Eric (and even a couple of times in what was our early on-again-off-again relationship), I managed to have many boyfriends. I guess sometimes you have to kiss a lot of frogs, right? (Okay, hang on — as to not to offend a particular sometime reader that is still my friend: you were not a frog, you were just created by God to be someone else’s prince. That frog comment was just directed at all of those other guys.)
3. Eric and I have three children. Our boys are 12 and 10 years old, and our daughter is seven. They are fun, kooky, and lovely. I’m pretty crazy about those kids, even if they sometimes actually make me crazy. (On the medical front, our 12 year old has Asperger’s Syndrome and likely also ADHD. Our 10 year old was born with a congenital heart defect – Aortic Stenosis.)
4. I was baptized and raised for my whole life in the Episcopal Church. Eric joined (his family never attended a church) the Episcopal Church when he was around 17. (Hang on, keep reading. We’re not Episcopalian anymore…)
Fast forward to six years ago when I felt that I was being called to become Catholic, even though neither of us had ever been to a Catholic Mass (although we’d been to a couple of weddings). I did a lot of praying and reading, and finally decided to convert. Eric did the same, and decided to come along with me (especially after I proclaimed that he didn’t have to convert, but that it was my intention for the kids to convert too). We were officially received into the Catholic Church in April 2007. We still love it just as much now as we did then. Our Church and our parish are very special to us.
(Catholic factoid about me: I chose Martha for my confirmation name.)
5. I have a bachelors degree in elementary education and a masters degree in special education. I taught for a few years before feeling that I needed to be home with my kids (mainly because of those medical notes above.) Five years ago, we decided to homeschool, and this is our fourth year of doing so.
Recently, a couple of the kids indicated that they wanted to go back to public school (although one of those kids was our daughter who had never gone before). After taking a visit to see it and talking to the principal, they ultimately decided that they wanted to continue being homeschooled for now (or forever, as a couple said).
6. Many Little Blessings is the blog that I consider to be “my blog,” if I ever say that phrase to anyone. However, I also founded and edit (as well as write at) The Homeschool Classroom and Catholic Mothers Online. I also have a site for blog and ebook designs – Tiny Owl Designs.
I started Many Little Blessings in 2006. Catholic Mothers Online in 2007 (weeks before we actually became Catholic, officially). The Homeschool Classroom in the summer of 2008 (right before we started homeschooling). I suspect that those two “footnotes” (per se) say something about me. I’m not sure what, but let’s pretend that it means I’m a go-getter, okay?
I am also a regular contributing writer at The Happy Housewife (in Homeschool and Home Management) and About One’s blog — In a Nutshell. Oh, and if you’re headed to The 2:1 Conference in April, you can hear me speak. (You know, if you wanted to. There are also other options in which to avoid hearing me speak.)
7. I’m pretty inept when it comes to most things domestic. I’ve really been working on it, especially in the last few years. You’ll find that recipes that I share are often on the easy to make side, and my teeny tiny craft room is always messy. I’m a work in progress.
8. I love the color blue. Oh, sure, I love brown, pink, lime green, purple, and pumpkin, but I love blue the best. All kinds of blue. If you go to visit all of my sites, you may notice that all of them have blue in them. I can’t help it, it’s my favorite. As a trade off, pink is the favorite color of one of my sons.
9. I’m an artist. Or, at least that’s what I told some ladies on a shuttle to the airport last year when I went to Savvy Blogging Summit. I have to come to terms with this whole “writer and artist” thing. It seems like a lie, even when I think it in my head. However, my taxes would seem to say otherwise.
10. I’m the youngest of six kids. At least one of my sisters still refers to me as her “baby sister,” even though I’m 35. (Who am I kidding? I love that she says that, and it always makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.) Two of my sisters also blog – The VeganAsana and All That Scrap. I have probably convinced all of my sisters that we should have a blog together. (I told my Mom she should join in too.) If only I could come up with the focus of it, I think we’d be set.
I’m crazy about my family. I feel lucky that some of my very favorite people around are people that I’m also related to.
Whew! Okay, this was a super long Top Ten {Tuesday}. If you made it through this, then kudos to you! Hopefully those of you who are new (or newer) here will feel like you know me a little (or a lot) better. I can’t wait to get to know all of you too!
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Now, share your top ten list! I can’t wait to read it. (I can’t promise to do it every week, but last week, I read every single one of them.) You can use a new Top Ten {Tuesday} graphic if you want (coding for a large and small button are on the side bar), but at the very least, please make sure to include a link back here somewhere in your post.
I won’t have a top 10 Tuesday post this week, but I’m super excited that you’re going to be hosting, Angie! I’ll try to come up with something for next week
I’ll be excited to have you join in. You have such a wonderful writing style that I really enjoy reading.
Congratulations on your first solo hosting! Very exciting!!
Kelly
Hi Angie! Thanks so much for continuing the Tuesday Top Ten! I look forward to it every week. It’s nice getting to know you. Have a great Tuesday.
Oh, my goodness that’s a lot of different blogs to contribute to. I nearly go crazy just doing the few things I do! You’re a whirlwind!
My life feels like a whirlwind, that’s for sure. I have to figure out a way to get things in line a little better, I think.
Hi Angie,
I’ve visited many times since I began homeschooling two years ago, and love your writing style. I’m looking forward to participating in Top Ten Tuesday now that I *finally* have my blog up and running (have been reading it on Amanda’s site for a while)… Just have to get myself organized. Good luck, and thanks for taking over its hosting.
Blessings,
Colleen
Thank you for such a sweet compliment, Colleen.
I appreciate it.
How is the homeschooling going?
Thanks for asking, Angie, we’re finally getting into a routine that seems to fit us, and have found a bit of a(n) {ever-changing} groove. I think having been a classroom teacher actually got in my way for awhile. Now that I’ve let myself adapt to a homeschooling life, we’re swimming along well.
Looking forward to learning from you at the 2:1 conference next month.
Blessings,
Colleen
Raising Lifelong Learners
Congrats on hosting the big Tues linkup!! So very nice to meet you
I look forward to reading all your Top Ten posts 
So excited to be linking up with the new home of Top Ten Tuesday!
This is only my second link to your Tuesday list and I’ve enjoyed coming up with a post and reading the ones linked here. Thanks for sharing these things about yourself in the post and for hosting the linky. Best of luck with your businesses and blessings on your family. I saw your photo of the Holy Family and it reminded me of a statue at a church I went to in another state, I enjoyed that memory- thanks! Gloria
We saw the same Holy Family statue somewhere we were (I can’t remember where now), and my kids were all, “How do they have that statue?” LOL
I really love that statue. When my daughter was two, they had this inside at our parish while waiting to place it outside. She was just the perfect size that she would always want to walk up to it and hug Jesus. It was so sweet.
Great to read about your top 10 list and to know that you are a fellow catholic mum. Good luck with your business. I’m loving the new graphic.
Thanks for the graphic compliment. I made really a ridiculous number of graphics trying to decide on a new one. It was just silly.
It’s nice to know a little bit about ya!
I’m excited to be linking up with you for top ten tuesday!
And my head would be spinning if i contributed to that many blogs! lol
Hope you have a great day!
-Samantha
KreativeKaring.com
My head usually is spinning. I keep hoping that I’ll get organized and figure it all out, but I have yet to do it.
Hi Angie – I loved your list and am so glad to know you better now. Also, thanks for hosting and continuing the tradition of this linky. Looking forward to lots of fun times and good information here!
Great intro – and it looks like I’ll be seeing you at the 2to1 Conference
I’ll look forward to meeting you! I think that it’s going to be a fabulous chance to get to know people.
Thank you, Angie, for taking over the responsibilities for hosting. I’m a HUGE fan of Top Ten Tuesday and look forward to linking over here.
I knew you managed all those blogs since I’m subscribed to all of them.
Thanks for sharing about yourself. It’s fun to get to know the bloggers I read in a new way.
God bless!
I love blue too!! I have to remind myself NOT to put it everywhere!! I am impressed that you find time to do all that!! You go girl!!
I totally have to do that too, Kay. I just always want things to be blue. I especially have to make myself use other colors on paintings. Otherwise, they’d all be blue.
You are one busy lady! Good for you
AND can I just admit that I was stalking your blog last night waiting for the top 10 post to go up, because it has been my goal to be in the top line, and I made it!!! lol, anyways….It is nice getting to know you a little bit better. Congrats on your first hosting!
Well, you definitely did a great job getting in early! Kudos! I don’t necessarily know that all of the TTTs will be up as early as this week’s was. I accidentally published it about an hour earlier than I meant to. Oops!
Thanks for hosting, Angie! And since I’m new here to Many Little Blessings, it was really fun for me that you told about yourself in this post. Learning about the writer of a blog lends me, as a reader, a much greater sense of connection to it. So thanks! Now I’m off to check out more. Love your blog design, btw!
I love lists like these! I was my husband’s first girlfriend and he married me when I was 18 and he was 20. We have been married for 3 1/2 years now and have a 2 yr old.
I was 19 and my husband was 20 when we got married. Some people thought we were crazy, but I thought it was perfect.
Hi there Angie! So glad I happened upon your blog! I am also passionate about the Catholic faith and have been trying to blog more about that (although the main focus is health and fitness, coming from the perspective of someone who’s recovered from an eating disorder).
Everything here looks wonderful!
Whoops! I made a mistake when posting the name of my article, “Top Ten Positive Lent Activities”: http://lifewithcheeseburgers.com/2012/02/23/what-are-you-doing-for-lent-top-ten-ideas/
I’m glad you found your way here too! I can’t wait to learn more about you from your blog.
Thanks for sharing a little about yourself. I am excited to a be a part of Top Ten Tuesday!
Can’t say that any of this information is new to me… except when you actually get warm fuzzy’s… even though when I say you are my “little” sister, you always correct me. ;P
Love your list sister… and cannot wait to get all us gals together to write on ONE blog together!!
See, now there’s the difference — you say “little” sister. Erin’s the one that says “baby sister.”
I don’t really know if I could pull off organizing another blog, but I think it would be a fun project if I could make myself just look at it as exactly that — a fun project. I’m also just not exactly sure about what the focus would be. But, I think it could be really fabulous because of the great diversity that we have.
I loved your post today. I have always loved Top Ten Tuesday. I am thankful that is has a nice new home to go to. Congrats!
Hey – thanks, Honey.
I’m glad that it’s found it’s new home here too.
That was a fun read. LOL about the frogs. Good idea to take the kids to see the school and principal. I’m glad they decided to stick with homeschooling.
Thanks for the LOL on the frog thing. I read that part to Eric while I was writing it, and as soon as I said that I needed to make a clarification he started laughing because he knew that I had to say that Rob was not a frog. But, there most definitely were some frogs.
Just wanted to say thanks again for hosting. You were such a great hostess yesterday, popping around and commenting on so many blogs and sharing on Facebook. I know you made me feel very welcome and special, and I am sure everyone else felt the same way. Thanks for all your work.
Thank you so much, Jessica. I can’t believe it, but I actually read every single one of the submission (and commenting on most). I know I won’t be able to do that every week, but it was fun to do and I hope to do it as often as I can.
Your kind words really meant a lot. Really.
My brother is going to be 30 this fall and will be ordained (God-willing as seminarians say) a priest this summer. I still refer to him as my little brother. I’m not sure he loves it, but I can’t help it.
I had no idea you were the youngest of six! It makes me happy to hear/read about large families that are still close.
This was so much fun!! I hope to keep coming back week after week.
I was 19 and my hubby was 20 when we married. We will be married 21 years this May. With 3 children.