Love/Hate Challenge

I was nominated by our dear Tonya of Fourth Generation Farmgirl to participate in the Love/Hate Challenge. Please visit her blog to see a slice of farm life, beautiful pictures, and wonderful insight into our world.

This challenge consists of listing 10 things I love and 10 things I hate, then nominating 10 bloggers to do the same.

Things I love:

Holding BrightSide’s hand. It comforts me when I’m sad, grounds me when I’m stressed, and makes me feel loved for who I am.
Watching my kids feel pure and utter joy, the kind that lights them up from the inside.
Very warm coffee with just the right amount of sweetener and hazelnut creamer.
Soft cotton pajama pants that feel like a hug.
My siblings, without whom I would struggle trying to navigate these growing pains. (I didn’t even realize adults had growing pains.)
A novel that pulls you in so completely that you forget everything else — showering, errands, even eating becomes less important than reading that next chapter.
Seeing someone perform a random act of kindness. Both the happiness on the giver’s face and the surprise on the recipient’s warm my heart.
Reading a blog that makes me laugh out loud and reassures me that my life isn’t the only crazy one in town.
The dogs flopped on their backs, blissed out by a good belly rub. (This is particularly amusing with Gracie’s fluffy coat.)
The satisfaction of finishing a piece of writing that has a solid voice, flows well, and speaks truth.

Things I hate:

Cold coffee. And cold eggs. And a cold dinner. Basically any food item not at its intended temperature.
Seeing pain flash in a child’s eyes before they quickly cover it up with sassiness or attitude.
Trying my very best to explain my beliefs but still feeling misunderstood in the end.
Terrible drivers, in all their forms: turtles, speed racers, tailgaters, lane drifters, and those who believe southern manners trump right of way. (Seriously, I don’t want you to smile and wave me on. It’s much less stressful to hit a four-way stop and know who’s supposed to go than to worry about gauging everyone’s friendliness factor for the day.)
All manner of conflict, but especially ones with complicating factors.
Misjudging the day’s weather, leaving the house in the wrong clothes, and shivering all day long.
That panicky moment in the middle of the night when I bolt upright, suddenly remembering the thing I forgot to do for the next morning.
Times when I should have stood up for myself but didn’t.
Snakes. Snakes. SNAKES.
Getting seasick. An embarrassing condition for a navy brat. An inconvenient one as a member of a family that loves the water.