Meet and Greet Tuesday

Happy Tuesday!  You know what today is?  It's Meet and Greet Tuesday!  Today I am introducing you all to Tanya!  Tanya blogs over at The Other Side of the Road.  I have followed her blog for quite some time now, and she is just amazing!  She and her family have been through quite a lot the last several months.  So let's Meet Tanya!

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hello friends!  I am Tanya, a 40-something stay-at-home mom in Texas, from the blog The Other Side of the Road.   I've been married to Michael for almost 17 years, and we have two terrific teens - Grace and Jack.  Grace is in 10th grade and loves art and theater.  Jack is in 8th grade and enjoys cooking, science, and guitar.  Before I settled down with Michael, I taught high school science for 10 years.  Now I like to say I took early retirement, and enjoy volunteering, reading, gardening, blogging, cooking and travel.  

How long have you been blogging and what inspired you to start blogging?

My blog goes back to 2004, but would you believe I had a teacher and travel website way back in 1999?  Does anyone else remember Geocities?  I started writing about the kids and posting pictures when they were babies on a Geocities website back in 2002.  Then I moved to Blogger.  Around 2008, some other friends started blogging and I started writing about more than just the cute things the kids said and did.  So what started as a way to share pictures of the family turned into a fun hobby for me.  I post about shopping finds, books, movies, travel, faith, and just life lately!

How did you come up with the name of your blog?

My blog was originally called Ladybug and Honeybear, nicknames I had for the kids.  When we moved to England in 2011, Grace came up with the name The Other Side of the Road to reflect our new home and our future travels.  

Of all your posts you have written, which is your favorite and why?

A few favorites come to mind right away.  I love talking about how Michael and I met, since it seems almost like a miracle to me.  I was 31 and really thought I would be a single teacher forever.  We met on the internet back when it was pretty unusual to do online dating.  

Another favorite is my post about picking a house in the UK.  I wrote about it like it was House Hunters International, and then posteda video with our choice.  Moving overseas was the biggest change in our family, and also the best thing to happen to us.  I wrote about things I missed from the USA, things I loved about the UK, and then things we all missed when we moved back.  And who can forget all my royal watching!

Another big event in our family was going through Hurricane Harvey.  This disaster hit Houston hard, and I really felt the love and support from the blog community during this tough time.  Thank you!

You need some encouragement.  Who is your go to person for a little pick me up?

I was blessed to marry my best friend, so I have to say that Michael is my biggest supporter.  He makes me laugh and lighten up when I can be way to serious and just loves me unconditionally.  My walking buddy Lisa is probably the most positive person I know, so I always leave our walks feeling so encouraged.  And every few weeks I get together with an "accountability" group of two friends who really help strengthen my walk with Christ...and make me laugh too!

You have friends coming over to dinner tomorrow night.  What are you going to make for a meal?

Here in Texas, we have about 9 months of outdoor living every year.  So my go to is usually grilling steaks, burgers, or fajitas when we have company.  And that means less actual cooking for me.  ;)  I like putting together fruit and veggie platters that are kid friendly when we have friends over, as well as a yummy desert.

You are planning an evening out.  What's your favorite go-to restaurant for a fun time?

I will pick Mexican food every single time!  And I almost always order chicken enchiladas.  We have several go-to Tex-mex restaurants right around the corner, and a few further in town that are more special events.

If you could have a weekend away, just you and your husband, where would you go?

I am totally a beach lover, so I would pick a relaxing beach weekend somewhere that's an easy flight from Texas.

What's your go to type of music?

I love listening to Pandora, with a shuffle mix of Christian, pop, country, and Broadway.  Back in the 80s, I had big hair and loved hard rock, but I've definitely mellowed with age.

What's your idea of the perfect family day?

A perfect family day for me would include going out for a casual lunch, then lounging by the pool all afternoon, and watching a movie outside in the evening.  We also love to travel as a family, so that is where I have a lot of special memories of our time together.

 Thank you SO much Tanya for allowing me to interview you!  Make sure you all go check out her blog!  Her posts are always so fun to read!!

Have a great day everyone!!