Hi guys! We hope your week is going well! If you’re stopping by from the blog hop, welcome! Winter has decided that it was time to finally make an appearance in Upstate NY. Yesterday we got 8 plus inches of snow over night followed by a downpour of freezing rain and more snow. It’s a mess! Thankfully it’s winter break for school so we haven’t had to venture out at all.
Today we’re sharing some things you might not know about us!
Jen:
- Before I left to stay home with our kids I was a Teaching Assistant for an Applied Behavioral Analysis program, working with kids that are on the Autism Spectrum. I am very thankful for the opportunity to stay at home while our kids are growing up but I do miss the kids I used to work with as well. If I were ever to go back to school I would go for a Behavioral Consulting. This is one more reason that I will be running with Team Up! with Autism Speaks for the Chicago Marathon in October.
- I’m directionally challenged. It’s horrible! We’ve lived here for over 6 years now (and it’s a pretty small area) and I still use my GPS to get around on a regular basis. I can’t read a map to save my life. I have nightmares about having to find my way around a city, or having to use public transportation on my own. Thankfully Travis is very good at getting us around! I once told someone when asked how long we still had to drive as I was looking at a map, that we had “about an inch to go!”Ok, that’s really embarrassing.
- We make our own wine. We got into this a couple of years ago. We use kits that come with juice concentrate but one time I’d love to try and press our own grapes. Each batch that we make yields about 30 bottles and takes about a month to complete.
- I love sewing- actually, crafts in general. I learned while making the nursery decor for Parker’s room and did the same for Peyton. I don’t get nearly enough time to sit down and work on projects and have several things started that I’ll get around to finishing someday. We’re working on getting enough shirts set aside from races to make a blanket out of them.
- I’m terrified of roller coasters. The only one I’ve ever been on is the Rockin’ Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios (Disney). Never again. I think I held my breath for the entire ride (that would be me on the bottom right)
Travis:
- I’m an adult who still loves to play video games. What can I say? I am part of the video game generation and I probably will continue to play for many years to come. I mainly play Call of Duty titles for two reasons. I love them and I can’t afford to go out and buy a bunch of games I may not have time to play. At most, I will buy two titles a year. I have gone about five months without even turning my console on, then I play everyday for a while and repeat this cycle based on the season.
- I was born in Italy. I am a Navy brat as they say. My mother was stationed in Naples, Italy when I was born so I lived the first part of my life oversees. While I don’t remember anything, I’ve been told that I actually spoke Italian before English because I would go to the local daycare instead of the one on the naval base. As a result, I needed years of speech therapy after returning to the states to catch up on my English. One other thing about being born oversees – I am never able to donate blood in the United States.
- I own my own business. In 2007, my OCD tendencies led me to start detailing vehicles. It started small, and still is, but I have grown my clientele over the years and now have a pretty good side business to supplement my expenses for running races – and purchasing running shoes.
- I love to hunt. Especially bow hunting for whitetails. I enjoy bow hunting for the challenge of the hunt and the skill required to be proficient. Some may not agree with hunting, but it is part of my upbringing and I use venison as our primary source of red-meat, so the years where I don’t get a deer, we go hungry.
- For the final thing you don’t know about me, I will give you a puzzle to solve. To solve this puzzle, think logically and understand that everything that follows is a fact and true.
- I was born in Naples, Italy.
- My Father is Italian.
- My last name is an Italian last name.
- So, why am I not Italian? Not even .001 of a percent! LEAVE YOUR GUESS IN THE COMMENT SECTION.
hehe, I have a handful of friends who are totally directionally challenged as well, so when we get together, we always make sure we have someone who actually knows where they’re going to go with them if we’re meeting up in a new place!
Yay for sewing! That’s something I wish I could be good at–I think it’d be so cool to be able to make my own clothes! :p
I love video games too! ❤
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I seriously don’t know what I would do without my GPS. I haven’t ventured into clothes yet- besides an apron!
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Omg directionally challenged to a fault! There is a town not too far from my own- most of my friends live there and I have been there hundreds of times but I always get lost there! And I still have to look up gps stuff for things in my own hometown.
I’m also not super logical so I’m totally stumped about your riddle…I get that you were born in Italy because your mom was stationed there…is it that you’re adopted and your father is really your adopted dad so even though you share a last name he’s not your biological father? That’s my best guess lol!
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First guess and you get it correct! I’m very impressed.
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My husband is so directionally challenged but would never admit it of course. It’s fun that you 2 write your blog together. Nice to meet you in the hop!
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That’s so cool that you make your own wine! I know people that brew beer at home but I’ve never heard of home wine making before. And I love that roller coaster photo. It’s funny that the one guy is totally calm while the rest of you are screaming or scared 🙂 Good luck with your full marathon training! I’ve only done halves so far. Hmm… as far as the puzzle, I’m going to go with adoption too.
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Haha the guy in the photo wasn’t with us at all, it still cracks me up when I look at that photo. The wine is fun! Very similar to the beer- it’s all step by step in a kit unless you do your own grapes.
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My husband is directionally challenged. Makes me crazy! I used to be a home health nurse, and I have to say that in 5 years (and this was before google maps) I never got lost!
I’ve run the Chicago Marathon 3 times, so I’m your gal if you need any info on the race. Excited to follow your journey!
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Thanks! I’m really excited/nervous about Chicago! I don’t think I could do a job like that without having a GPS. Our town isn’t even very big but it’s a lot of back roads.
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so cool that you make your own wine, im guessing since you keep making it that it tastes pretty good? i’ve always wanted to make my own, living in a city/apartment building doesnt make it too easy so i havent tired yet 😉
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I think it tastes great! We’ve made 6 or 7 batches total and haven’t found any we don’t like so far. The kit doesn’t take up a ton of room but it can get messy when things are getting mixed
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Hello from the blog hop! I definitely understand being directionally challenged. GPS’s are such a gift! Haha. That’s AWESOME that you make your own wine! What kind of wine do you make?
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Thanks for stopping by! We prefer semi-sweet wines. My favorite that we’ve done so far has been an Orange Sangria and Pineapple Pear. My in laws have done some dryer wines that I’ve tried and those turn out pretty good too!
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It’s great to get to know both of you a little better! I appreciate your support of the Weekly Wrap. I had no clue you couldn’t donate blood if you were born overseas. Jen, I’m chuckling about Rockin Roller Coaster. I ride it, but it’s not my favorite. My pics looks the same! How wonderful you will be running your first marathon and for such a great cause! Travis, I’m bad at puzzles. The first thing that popped in my mind was that you were adopted. But, I’m guessing that’s too easy of an answer. My husband still plays video games and he is over 50 — that first Atari must have really left an impression.
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You’re correct on the adoption!
There’s a ton of other rides at Disney that I love, I just can’t handle coasters. The last time we were there they tried to get me on Expedition Everest. No way!
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I have enjoyed seeing your posts in our Weekly Wrap, but I’m thrilled to get to know each you too better. We have friends that make homemade wine. I had no idea it took as long as it does to cure, I guess that’s the term. I forget what kind they made but it was stout, in a good way I normally like stiff drinks and like the taste of alcohol so I loved it. He hubs, not so much 🙂 We’re hunters too, it’s more of a sport now but we do use all the meat if we kill something. I’m actually with Travis hunting with a bow is so much more challenging. It’s harder here because bow season opens so early and the snake and wasps are still out.
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Nothing beats the rush when you hear the leaves cracking and branches rustling of a deer coming in. Thanks for joining us today!
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I got lost in the town I grew up in, back in high school. Most of the towns around Boston didn’t use street signs. When I was in a part of town for a team dinner that I didn’t know, I got lost and had to call my dad on my cell phone to direct me to the house I was going to.
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I’ve had to do that several times. I do much better when I’m given landmarks to go by rather than roads!
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So neat we both ran the Princess Half in the same year 🙂
I have a surprisingly good sense of direction – it really comes in handy in malls 🙂
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Haha malls are the one place I don’t get lost! 😂
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Answering the riddle 1st:
-both of your parents are American…your dad also Italy-born but American….
Jen:
-I am a special educator/administrator by training…..I have transitioned to a less stressful/more flexible job but miss the kiddies soooooo much!
-Yeah for Chicago….I am so excited for you!!!
-I am a visual driver so GPS and directions don’t work for me but tell me you are around the corner from the tall Dogwood tree and I will know exactly where you are-lol!!
Travis:
-Ok I will give my husband a break…he is sooo into video games and it drives me crazy!!!lol!!
-I so need to get the mommy mobile detailed…
-I went hunting once…..hated the actual killing but enjoyed the ‘hunt’
Nice to get to know you two a bit more!
Thanks for sharing!!
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Special Education is definitely a stressful field, but oh so rewarding! I’ve had to learn to appreciate the video games, haha! They may not seem relaxing to me but he definitely enjoys them.
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I love that you make your own wine! Maybe there will be a blog post about this, or is there already one?
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We haven’t written about it yet but that’s an idea for an upcoming post for sure!
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Ha ha ha…I’m horribly directionally-challenged,too. If it’s a cloudy day, I’m pretty much screwed (I’m also a technology-challenged, so unless I have a co-pilot operating a GPS of some sort…I’ll be looking for a friendly gas station attendent). I do love roller coasters, though. In fact the RNR coaster is one of my favorites LOL
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I don’t know what it is about roller coasters- I don’t get motion sick or anything, just not a fan at all.
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We have so much in common! I’m running my first marathon this year in May. I love to hunt turkeys (DH hunts deer; I grew up on venison). And my husband is a runner too. He’s doing an Ironman this year.
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How awesome! Which race are you doing?
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So great to virtually meet both of you through Kristy’s blog hop. I think its awesome that you make your own wine. I would love to learn how to do this!
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Thanks for stopping by! The wine kits are really simple to do! The waiting is the worst part!
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That is awesome you hunt to eat! When I was younger I grew up in a family that did a lot of hunting. We weren’t super rich, but that meat we would get whether deer, elk etc.. would definitely fill the fridge and be our meat for each year and I know my mom liked having one less expensive thing to have to buy on the grocery list!
Also, love that you enjoy sewing, I do too. It’s a hobby/talent that not a lot of people do as much and I enjoy finding others who do it and enjoy it!
But I’m opposite on roller coasters, bring em on,, LOL LOL
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It’s so nice having a freezer full of meat. I still get chicken and others but we’re set for steaks and ground meat!
I’m definitely not the best at seeing but I really enjoy it. I haven’t ventured too far outside of blankets and baby items though. Maybe it’s time for a new project!
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Hi! Nice to meet you both! I too am terrified of roller-coasters. My poor husband loves them and I refuse to go to amusement parks because I hate them so much! I’ve been looking into making our own wine too but I’m so impatient that it’s just easier for me to go to the package store and buy it! I think it’s so wonderful that you share a love for running and do it together. I am a personal trainer, but I joke that my husband gets hives just hearing the word “gym”! I look forward to getting to know you both more!
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It’s really fun, and the cost makes up for my impatience! After the first batch it works out to be roughly $3 a bottle! I don’t mind rides that aren’t roller coasters at all!
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I love roller coaster pics. They’re so hilarious. I make all kinds of crazy faces when riding them and I love them. lol
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Right?! I laugh at this one every time I see it.
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I think it’s so interesting that you make your own wine! I know so many people that make their own beer but don’t know anyone that makes wine. I bet it’s super delish 🙂
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It’s pretty tasty! We usually do fruit combination kits- our last batch was black raspberry merlot
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I’m not a fan of roller coasters either. I can’t stand hills in the car so I have no chance lol
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Love all the interesting things about you! I’m also directionally challenged. The creation of GPS has literally saved me hundreds of hours of being lost.
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Totally love that you guys share a blog!! I share a blog with my BFF. There aren’t many of us out there, so I love to come across one. You guys are an inspiration!! Can’t wait to follow along more now.
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Thank you so much! 😊 It’s just a fun thing for us to do together. It’s kind of different too since we have different perspectives- him being the speedy one and all. Thanks for stopping by!
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Hello from the blog hop! It was fun getting to know you both through this post, and I really liked the question at the end! I have no idea what the answer is, so I may be popping back over here in a few days to get the answer!
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Nice to meet you Travis and Jen! So awesome that you blog together! Love that!
Jen- I also HATE roller coasters! I would maybe ride one for like a million dollars, but that is probably about it.
I am pretty good with directions, but I am thankful for my GPS as I still need it from time to time getting around the Houston area!
Travis- I saw the answer to your question was adoption. That was my guess!
My husband was born in Germany (his dad was air force) and he never told me that he couldn’t give blood due to that. Good to know!
Glad to have found y’all’s blog and I can’t wait to read more about all your adventures and marathon training!
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The few times I’ve been convinced to try roller coasters I regret it before I even get on the ride. Thanks for stopping by! 😊
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I am with ya! No more for me!! 🙂
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I got to visit Upstate, NY last year for work. I was in Syracuse and it was beautiful! Jen – I agree with you I HATE roller coasters! They terrify me and I refuse to get on them. Good for you just getting on!
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It’s definitely a beautiful area! We’re about 3 hours north of Syracuse right outside the Adirondacks.
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nice to met you both in the hop! I think it is great you two share your passion for your family and running together! I am a little directionally challenged, in my family they say it isn’t a vacation day until mom does a U-turn! I love me some roller coasters though and living in Central Florida is a great place for that!
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Central Florida is definitely a great place for coasters! We’re making a trip down at the end of April! Looking forward to spending some time in the parks, just minus the roller coasters! We’re hoping to hit Harry Potter at Universal this time around.
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I still use my GPS to drive many places, and I’ve lived in the Denver area for almost 2 years. But that’s more for traffic purposes than to figure out where I’m going. 😉 You never know when you may run up on a jam!
And I think making your own wine is super cool. It’s something I’ve always wanted to try!
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Oh I love Denver! Our sons Godparents live in Lakewood. If I lived in a city I would be 100% dependent on GPS!
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