Ask Me Anything: THE ANSWERS

Well, the questions have been questioned, the answers have been considered and written and the blog post containing both has been written. Can we please have a drum roll... for.... my answers to your questions!! *cue drum roll*



You guys asked some good questions. I had heaps of fun answering them all. Yes, a lot of you didn't do your homework because there were several double-up questions from the last couple of times I've done Q+A posts, but that's all good. I answered them anyway. :D As I promised, I have chosen my favourite question which is down the bottom of the post. The best for last and all that.

As usual, I've broadly arranged the questions into sections. Now, on with the questions and answers!

Questions about blogging

What inspired you to blog? 

Some friends of mine (real life friends) had blogs and I used to read them. Then one day I was like, actually, I'm going to try this. This looks fun. So I started and have never stopped since. More on this here.

Who was your first blogger friend? 

I'm trying to remember! I knew the aforementioned friends who inspired me to blog before I started blogging so I don't think they count. 
Two friends I met through blogging pretty early on were Esther and Tiffany. I subsequently met both of them in person (they both live in the same part of the world as I do:)) and can say that they are lovely girls! I have ended up doing kid's camps with Tiffany. Funny how it works out.

What's your favourite blog?

I think mine is pretty cool if I'm being perfectly honest :P

Why do you have a blog?
Okay, so I have this really cool page up the top of my blog that is titled 'Why This Blog Exists'. I think it explains why I have a blog in adequate-enough detail. :) Feel free to check it out. I'll even put in the link to it. (Here)

What blogger inspires you the most?

Here are a few - they all inspire me for different reasons but I've listed the biggest reason, for me. The Boyer sisters inspire me through their constant ability to produce something read-worthy and encouraging;
Olivia inspires me through her beautiful blog design and awesome archive of posts; and
Abbie inspires me through her ability to blog even though her life is super busy.

How long have you been blogging?
Since January 2013, so over 3 1/2 years. Here's my {very} impressive first post. I love looking back at my old posts, it's fascinating!

Questions about my life

What's the best thing about 2016 for you so far?

2016 has been an interesting year. Probably the best thing would have to be our new baby brother. Nothing beats new life!

What time do you go to bed?

I try to go to bed around 9 however if it's not till heaps later I don't die.

How much free time do you have each day? 

Enough to fold washing, do the odd arty thing, practice my music, spend some time on the Internet and go walkabout.

How many hours of schoolwork do you do a day? 

I'm not actually at school or being homeschooled anymore. YAY!!

You get to add one zero to any number in your life. Where would it be and why? (e.g. have 100 siblings instead of 10)

I found this question somewhere else (not sure where) and one of the best answers I saw was to add a zero to investment return (e.g. interest). That would be pretty awesome! It would make my bank account stretch so much further.

Are there any really good family movies you'd recommend?

My family have really enjoyed some of the classics- The Sound of Music, Chariots of Fire, Mary Poppins. Also I'm sure you've heard of them but just in case you haven't, Sherwood Baptist's movies (Flywheel, Facing the Giants, Fireproof, Courageous and War Room) are amazing! And other ones... hmmm... Cool Runnings and Mr Bean are great for light entertainment! The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry, The Woman Who Willed a Miracle, Dam Busters and Soul Surfer are some other ones. Okay that's heaps of recommendations now.

Do you knit? If so do you like it?

I can knit. I'm not amazing at it but I've knitted things like baby booties and headbands in the past. I get frustrated when patterns take ages and are really intricate, but I do like it because it's quite relaxing.

Who cooks the meals in your family?

Mum, me and my sisters. 

Do you have a pen pal?

Yes, I have a few. One who lives near me, a couple from different places around New Zealand and one in America. I used to correspond with one in South Africa although we're just Facebook friends now.

Do you have Facebook?

Yes - I also have a Facebook page for my blog. Feel free to 'like' it! :) 

Questions about my favourite things / 'would you rather' questions / 'if you could' questions

What is your favorite food? (Also asked: What is you/your family's favourite food?)

Savoury: I LOVE meatballs. Meatballs are amazing. Also roast vegetables. 
Sweet: You just can't beat icecream on a hot day. Or chocolate on any day. Or apple shortcake. Mum makes an incredible apple shortcake.
My family really loves lasagna.

What is your favorite color? 

Sunshine yellow! The colour of daffodils.

Would you rather always have a shaved head or hair down to your ankles?
Ummmmmm..... hair down to my ankles.

If you could live in one place, where would it be? 

I quite like where I'm living right now so my answer is right here. :)

What is your favourite type of chocolate?

Tricky question. I love caramello, crunchie (hokey pokey!), all the nut chocolates (roast almond, macadamia... mmmmm)... I can't decide. I'm not too keen on turkish delight.

Favourite sport? 

Watching: gymnastics! Rythmic gymnastics are so awesome. Also diving and synchronized swimming.

Playing: netball. I quite enjoy table tennis too, does that count?

What is your favourite boardgame? 

Scrabble is always a lot of fun. I also quite like Trans Europa. 

Would you rather use vinegar as eyedrops or sandpaper as toilet paper?

Oh dear, what a dilemma. NEITHER, thank you very much! If I had to pick one it would probably be the sandpaper just because I value my eyesight more than I think I would hate discomfort 'downstairs'.

What is your favorite babies name?

This is a closely guarded secret. However, I do rather like the one my sister and I made up a VERY long time ago. It is definitely pronounceable and I can say it. Get me to say it next time you see me if you like.

Oprickasteinalatiousoidatitianieineedinanarettistewlarooferalldorellaninacakearettaflimsibob.

If you could meet one person (living or dead) for one hour, who would it be and why? Other than Jesus!

Enid Blyton would be a really cool person to meet. She was so creative and had such awesome ideas!

What is your favorite snack food?

Chocolate. Also almonds are amazing.

Who was your favourite NZ Olympian?

Eliza McCartney. I love her joy and enthusiasm! It made me want to try pole vault (which I think would be really cool). She is just so smiley and was so happy about her medal. Watching her was awesome.

What is your favourite YouTube channel?
Okay, I have two favourites. Katie Gregoire and Studio C. Honestly guys, both of these channels are THE BEST EVER.

If you could choose any language to speak fluently what language would you choose?

I feel like Chinese would be really cool to know. Not just so that I can go back to China but also to be able to reach out to and converse with Chinese people living in New Zealand. New Zealand is such a multicultural country with people from the world over living here. There is quite a large Asian community. Mandarin chinese is spoken all over the world, not just in China, and is one of the most widely spoken languages on the planet.

If you had one wish then what would it be? 

This is always so hard. If I was allowed to wish for endless wishes then I'd probably wish for those. I would solve all the problems in the world and give myself a limitless chocolate supply. However if I wasn't allowed to do that, I'd wish for something like all the unjustness in the world to cease.

What is your favorite time of day? 

I love the fading hours of the sun.

Do you prefer traditional buttercream frosting, cream cheese frosting or a whipping cream (like cool whip) frosting on your cake, or something else? 

I don't know what cool whip is! :) We don't have it over here. I love buttercream icing (we call it icing, not frosting, lol) but I'm going to have to pick cream cheese icing.

Do you prefer tea or coffee? 

Tea

If given the choice would you rather wear boots, flats or flip-flops? 

If the weather is nice and the flip-flops (we call them jandals here) are comfy, then jandals.

Favorite children's book? 

I love Dr Suess! 'I had trouble in getting to Solla Sollew' always tickled my fancy.

Pizza or Salad? 

Both please.

Favorite breed of dog?

Baxter (family's dog) is a border collie and he is amazing. I have always thought it would be really cool to have a cocker spaniel, however.

What is your favorite Bible verse? 

Psalm 16:11 - You will show me the path that leads to life, in your presence is fullness of joy.

What was your favourite moment of the Olympics?

All the Kiwi moments... I'm so proud to be a Kiwi when we have such awesome athletes! Nikki Hamblin is a great example - fantastic sportsmanship! That's what sports is (or should be) all about. Also Lisa Carrington - wow. She is amazing.

If you could only choose one kind of thing to write, what would you choose? (novels, short stories, poems, blogging)

Oooooh, this is a tough one! Either letters, poems or blogging I think. I couldn't decide so I got Caleb to decide for me. Poems it is.

What is your favourite movie? (also asked: What is your favourite childhood movie?)

The Sound of Music is such a classic. I also really like the Sherwood Baptist Church movies.

Questions about animals

You have five minutes to talk to your pets and they'll understand every word you say. What do you tell them?
I would tell Baxter how much I love him and how annoying it is when he chews up his bones and leaves them lying around on the doorstep. Seriously, bury them like a normal dog.

Have you ever jumped off a horse?
I've ridden horses but I don't recall jumping off one.

If you woke up tomorrow as an animal, which animal would it be?

I think it would be pretty cool to be an otter.

Questions about my faith , politics or what I believe

Can you speak in tongues?

The short answer: I'm not sure.

The long answer: Tongues is something that I'm still trying to figure out in my own mind. When I was younger I thought every Christian could speak in tongues so I got frustrated when I 'spoke in tongues' and it didn't seem to work. Now I'm realizing perhaps it's not for everyone. However, I'm still figuring it out because I can speak in a random way, it's definitely not English but I'm not sure whether it's actually a tongue or gobbledy gook. The whole thing confuses me a wee bit. This is a question and discussion for a whole post, I think! 

What is your view on the Creation/Evolution Young Earth/Old Earth debate?

Creation. God created the world in six literal days around 6000 years ago. I know opinion is widely spread concerning this.

Have you read every single book of the Bible?

I think I have.

Where did you get your worldview, do you just believe everything your parents believe? 

Growing up, we've been taught from a Biblical/Christian worldview. As I've grown older I can see the wisdom in that and have chosen to accept what I've been taught for myself. 

What means the most to you in a friendship? 

The awesome thing about a friendship is having another heart to share your heart with. So someone to talk to. It doesn't matter who it is with - guy or girl, but a good friendship, for me, is one where the people talk often. Friendships deepen when time is invested into them.

What is your #1 goal/purpose in life? In a temporal sense? In a spiritual sense? 

Spiritual - to glorify the Lord with my life.

Temporal - to bring joy to those around me.

Trump or Clinton? ;) (You don't have to answer this one if you don't want to!)

To be honest, neither of them are particularly desirable in my mind. However, since it's come to what it is, I'm going to say Trump just because he stands for Republican values and despite everything he is not for some of the things Hillary Clinton is for! I am glad I'm not an American voter, however.

Do you sponsor any missionaries?

My family sponsors quite a few, I don't sponsor any personally although my giving goes to a wide variety of things.

Do you have any really good Christian books for teenagers you'd recommend?
I've just been reading a fantastic book for girls - It's (Not That) Complicated by Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin. All about girl-guy relationships. Highly recommended.
Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris is a great book for teenagers.
If you're looking for biographies, Ben Carson's Gifted Hands is amazing and so is Don Piper's story 90 Minutes in Heaven. My family love If God Be For Us and Who Can Be Against Us (an original and a sequel) by Graeme and Pam Smith.
I've heard fantastic things about Jesus Calling by Sarah Young (although I haven't actually read it, it's on my wishlist :P). 
If you don't mind a little more mature reading, C.S Lewis's Screwtape Letters and Mere Christianity are great. Very faith-strengthening. Also written for adults but still amazing are Be Still My Soul and Keep A Quiet Heart by Elizabeth Elliot.

What is your view on the refugee situation?

I think it's terrible. I support aid for the refugees from people and governments around the world. I don't think turning a blind eye to it is a very good way to solve the problem at all.

Questions about my past/ 'have you ever' questions

Have you ever slept in a pool before?
I can't say I have! It strikes me that if the pool is full of water there's quite a high drowning risk if you decided to sleep in it. And if the pool is not full, it wouldn't make a very comfortable bed. 

What is one thing you did in the past you wish you could undo?

I wish I could undo some pretty embarrassing moments. Oh Bonnie of the past, how could you do this to me.

What is the happiest memory from your childhood? (also asked: 'What is your best memory?')

I have really fond memories of playing with Dad in the evenings. He'd give us 'horsey' rides on his back and we'd have pretend wrestling matches (especially after the boys came along). I also remember many happy hours spent with my sisters playing with our Sylvanian families in the afternoons. 

How old were you when you got baptised?

12 I  think.

Looking back, are you glad you were homeschooled or do you feel like you would have enjoyed school more?

I'm really glad I was homeschooled. I reckon it's given me some awesome opportunities. I'd also be quite keen to homeschool my own children someday, depending on the circumstances.

What is something you have tried, but will never do again?
Eat chicken feet. (Okay, this isn't quite true. If I was offered enough incentive, I'd definitely do it again.) I probably won't do it again just because I've done it now.

Have you ever been to the U.S. before?

Nope.

Have you ever read the whole Bible?

I have, although not all in one go.

Questions about my future

Do you think you'll get a job, in the future? If so, what do you think it'd most likely be?

I have had a part time job for the last three years working at a Subway restaurant and I'm currently looking at applying for legal secretary jobs in the near future.

If you had a free year to do anything, what would you do?

This is kind of a funny question. I view all of my future as an adventure and a yet-unexplored opportunity. Which means all of my future years are 'free'. I'm only 18, I've got lots of 'free' years ahead of me so I'm surprised to be asked what I'd do IF I had a free year!
In saying that, I do have a bunch of little dreams and plans which have all been filed under 'maybe someday' in my mind. I may or may not end up doing them (probably won't do them all :P). These include doing Capernway Bible School (year long program), doing YWAM's Discipleship Training School and Camp America.

What is the one thing you want to experience before you die?
Giving birth to a tiny human. I know it's incredibly painful but I think it would be amazing to experience.

Do you want to go to China again?

Yes. I loved it! It was such a neat experience. I loved going over with Danella (she speaks Chinese)- it was great to have an interpreter since I don't know much Chinese at all. We had some incredible opportunities. I'd definitely go again.

Would you consider a career of a Ambulance officer?

I think being an ambulance officer would be super cool and it would be awesome being able to help people. However, I don't think it's for me, at least, not at this stage.

Questions about me right now / my family right now

Do you like your name? (I do! )

Yes, I do like it. I got it for my birthday. *giggles* Why, thank you.

Do you wish you had even more siblings? 

I am content with the number the Lord has placed in my family and feel very blessed. :) 

How many words per minute can you read at? 

Not sure. Anyone know of a good way to accurately measure this that isn't "read for a minute then count the words"?

What is the one place in the world you feel safe?
My Dad's hug.

What is the best thing about having a large family? 

Having lots of people around all the time. This extrovert loves every minute of it.

How strong are you? 

Pathetically weak actually. No kidding.

What is one admired quality in each of your parents?

I really admire Dad's leadership and the way he responds to adverse circumstances. He's also so encouraging and has an amazing sense of humour.

I really admire Mum's heart for discipleship and her passion for training me and my sibings up in the way of the Lord. I love how she's got the parenting thing down pat and always seems to know what to do! Okay that was more than one thing for both... I guess I just love them and admire them a lot..

What kind of things really make you laugh?
People clowning around 
The antics of little kids (and some of the stuff they say)
Being tickled (I HATE being tickled though)

How fast are you? 

Reasonably fast. I can run faster than most members of my family (ignoring the fact that most of them are younger than me :P)

How tall are you? 

Around 165cm I believe (that's 5foot 5ish for you American folks)

When will your new sibling be born? Will you please post lots of pictures of them? :). 

We don't know! Any day. Of course I'll post photos. You know me. :P

How heavy are you?

Around 53 kg heavier than I was when I was born.

What would you change about your personality?
Hmmmm, after thinking hard about this, I wouldn't change anything. Yes I get frustrated with myself and annoyed at myself, but the Lord is showing me that He's made me the way I am for a reason! 

Do you snore?
I've been told that I don't.

What would you do if I gave you a block of chocolate and you hid it somewhere so your siblings didn't eat it and then when you came back to eat it, it had disappeared and in its place was a sticky note saying "I couldn't resist"?

I would hunt you down and tickle you.

My favourite question (I told you I'd pick my favourite :P)

If you could jump into a pool of something what would it be?
Not going to lie, a gigantic pool of jellybeans would be pretty awesome.

And those are all of my answers! Phew, that was a lot of questions. You guys are so curious. I did have fun answering them and want to thank you for asking. :)

Which was your favourite question / answer?

PS. The next post will hopefully be photos of my new wee sibling. Yes, he (and notice I said he!) arrived late last night (29th). Name etc are to be confirmed. We're so excited and thankful to the Lord!