Her post about the contest here.
I hate posting with out a picture, so I took this off the contest website. Hope that is ok and not totally creepster.
If you've ever talked to me about blogging, crafts, cooking, mentors, admirable mothers or really anything about anything, I've probably brought up Brooke.
(that sounds a little stalkerish now that it is written out)
She is probably one of the most remarkable people I've ever known and continues to shock me with her good in the world. She also seems to be married and surrounded by amazing people, so I guess it's contagious.
I pretty much owe my entire blogging pursuit to her, my baking hobby which led to my crafting which led to me being a better person by discovering all these creative outlets. Yes, it kind of all leads back to her.
Yet we've never met.
In 2008 I was quickly getting into reading multiple blogs on a daily basis. I had just been introduced to the NieNie Dialogues and her terrible accident. As I was following her recovery day by day, family members were posting sweet messages from other bloggers asking to name their favorite post of Nienie's. One of the posts was touching, beautiful and encouraging. It was written by a twenty something newlywed named Brooke. Read it here.
I quickly went over to Brooke's blog and spent the rest of the day catching up on her life. She was celebrating her first year of marriage almost the exact same time as I was, born and raised in Texas (went to Baylor) and living far away from family and friends for her husband's school. She blogged about her interests in baking, crafting and photography. Oh, her photography!
I did what any normal twenty something reading about someone amazing that they never met, I emailed her. We were both Texans after all. She wrote me back and after a few comments and emails, we became "friends".
Over the years we have emailed back and forth, mostly me asking her questions or congratulating her on yet another adorable baby. She lets me make silly sewing projects for her kids. She has written me words of encouragement and sent sweet packages my way as well.
And the kicker, our best friends, are best friends. Isn't that crazy? It's not even a Texas connection. A friend of mine (originally from AZ) from New York grew up with her best friend that she met in college. Small world.
I immediately knew I needed to get involved with something creative. I really liked reading about her weekly baking recipes and wanted to learn more about cooking myself. I researched her online baking group, was accepted and started baking weekly with Tuesdays With Dorie. This group meant everything to me. While we weren't pregnant yet and I was still working in not a great environment, it was an outlet for creativity, new things and something to really look forward to each week.
In turn, this started my crafting and photography confidence and interest. See, it all leads back to one place.
So with all this hub bub about how much I adore her, she has once again done something amazing. Or is trying to. Please read about her past journeys to Africa, her amazing mothering of her own three children (all under 4) and her faith. When you think this can't all be possible, it is, and then you see that they are actually in the process of adopting! I know, good people in this world and I feel so fortunate to 'know' her.
And one day we will meet, I'll be super awkward, and I may actually believe she is real.
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