What is #AskAwayFriday? Well… #AskAwayFriday was created by the amazing Penny from Real Housewife of Caroline County who will again be joining us from time to time, as a way to connect with other bloggers with a great Q & A session of 10 questions and 10 answers, between two bloggers! This is a wonderful opportunity to get to know others while allowing others to get to know you and of course there is also the added bonus of making great friends along the way which is one of the best parts of this online world!
Now welcoming our wonderful #AskAwayFriday hosts…
This week I swapped with Jessica from The Pen and The Needle. She is a college student, blogger, and writer who is constantly striving to pursue my dream of having a successful writing career. If you enjoy inspirational posts, I highly recommend that you follow her blog.
- What inspired you to start blogging full time?
I ended up getting layoff from my job due to my back problems. My job was physically demanding and it was making things worse. I was upset that it ended that way but I did my best to try to find another job within my company. However, they didn’t have anything else. I had started a small niche site just to test the waters so I started writing articles and conversing with other people on social media. Then I had the idea to expand. So I moved all of my content into Uplifting Families and started writing other articles besides breast pumps and breastfeeding. I have been doing it for a little over 2.5 years and enjoy it. I am able to write from my living room couch and know that my articles are there to help others. 
- Have you ever wanted to live in any other state other than Texas?
I wouldn’t mind living in Florida but it is just so far away from family. I did live in North Carolina for 8 years before returning back to Texas, my home state. I am glad that I came back home because as a single mom at the time, I had family here to help me during the rough times.
- What challenges have you personally dealt with as a mother of three?
The hardest part for me was when I was a single parent. I was the sole provider and had to do everything myself to take care of my kids. At the time, I was living in NC and decided it was time to move home in 2005. I am thankful that I have met a loving, wonderful man in 2007 who has been there for the last several years to help me. He has been an amazing step-dad to my older kids and blessed me with our youngest son.
My chronic pain keeps me from being there for all of my daughter’s performances. I can’t sit in the bleachers for long periods of time because there usually isn’t support for my back, plus they are hard. I feel awful because I don’t go.
- Do any of your children remind you of yourself at their age?
This is a tough question because their generation is so much different than what I had growing up. My kids have access to technology. I have always tried to teach my kids to be thankful for the things they have and to help others. They have amazed me with some of the things that they have done on their own.
