Versatile? Me?

A BIG thanks to Mommy Mayhem for passing on this little award to me!  I'm not sure how versatile of a blogger I am.  Random?  Yes.  Versatile?  I don't know about that.  

The req's:

• Reveal 7 truths about yourself
• Pass it on to 7 blogging friends

Let me see if I can tell you guys some things you don't already know.

7 Truths

1. I LOVE green beans.  I mean, LOVE them.
2. I'm so impatient sometimes.  I really love instant gratification.
3. I've been evaluating friendships lately.  Not that I don't want to be friends with anyone.  I just think some "friends" are better kept at a distance.  Know what I mean?  I find it hard to make that separation, but I'm trying.
4. I can blush at the drop of a hat.  I'm sitting in the living room last night, watching DWTS, and Maks is on.  Y'all know Maks, right?!  All my husband does it look at me.  I mean just glanced my way and I turned all shades of red.  What is wrong with me?!
5. On that note, I DO NOT have a poker face.  Lady Gaga was not talking about me.  You can totally read me just by seeing my facial expressions.
6. I have a ridiculous fear of spiders.  Early Sunday morning as I was coming home from a Girl's Night Out, I was walking up to the front door, not really paying attention to anything, when all of a sudden I see a HUGE spider.  This is not one of my exaggerations, which I am known for.  It was real.  It was like a tarantula at my front door.  FREAKED. ME. OUT.  About that time the headlights on my car automatically turned off and I couldn't really see the eight-leg-spawn-of-satan any longer...because he was black and it was DARK.  So, I ran, I mean RAN, back to my car.  Jumped in.  Slammed the door.  Locked it.  I have no idea what for.  It's not like the spider was going to open the door or anything.  I turned on the light inside the car, you know to make sure there were no tarantulas in my car that I hadn't seen 15 seconds earlier when I was in my car.  I sat there and waited until my husband came and killed the massive-life-threatening-eight-leg-spawn-of-satan.  I would have slept in my car before I would have went past that spider to get in my house.
7. I love Starbucks.  What?!  I couldn't think of anything else to say.

I know there have been tons of tagging and bloggy awards floating around, so I'm not going to tag anyone.  However, if anyone wants to snag this award and play along, feel free!  I think you are all wonderfully, versatile bloggers, and I would love to know more about each and every one of you!


Hope you're all having a TERRIFIC Tuesday!♥

Award Time

Jen @ Harried Mom of Four bestowed up on me this lovely blogger award. Thanks so much, Jen!! I'm not sure that I'm all that "kreativ", but I appreciate you thinking of me.

Rules after accepting the award are:

• Tell 7 things that you don't already know about me.
• Name 7 other blogs to receive this award.
• Leave a comment on each of the blogs I nominated.
• Thank the person who gave you the award.
  

So, tell 7 things that you don't already know about me...this will be a little difficult seeing that my life is pretty much an open book here at JennyKate's Spot...let's see...

1. I love green beans...like LOVE them love them.
2. I'm a bit obsessive. Oh, wait...you already knew that. Did you know that I'm a bit obsessive over the color red? I actually have incorporated it into every room of my house.
3. I also have a thing for snowmen. It is getting ready to look like my house just threw up snowmen. They'll be everywhere.
4. I have a soft spot for all things small or miniature.
5. My last two tattoos are based off of a book and/or fictional characters.
6. I love having my eyebrows waxed. Weird. I know.
7. I've made it my goal to beat last year's viewings of Twilight with New Moon. I'm tied right now with 3. I'll keep you posted. Hoping for another date with Edward and Jacob this weekend.
   
   

7 People's Blogs who I find creative and entertaining...

1. Carrie's Little World - she's always up to something cute!
2. The Paper Note - my sweet friend, Lisa, who is one of the most creative people I know!
3. Outside My Kitchen Window - she's crafty w/ the stamps!
4. This is the year - a modpodge genius! I love her!♥
5. Tatertots and Jello - I seriously LOVE (L-O-V-E...love) everything that Jen does...I'm sure I've awarded her before, but she totally deserves each and every one! Go check out her adorable Christmas Advent Calendars!
6. Brainella - she's crafty with the clay...pottery that is...it's beautiful and would make fabulous one-of-a-kind Christmas gifts!
7. Living in France - Mimi is so super creative with her words...she completely cracks me up...non-stop! Need a good laugh? Stop by Living in France...I used to think she really lived in France.

Hope you all have a thrilling Thursday! *loves*

Honest sCRAP

This award was bestowed upon me by Julia at Brainella the Librarian. She's an honest kind of person, so I feel honored that she would award me the Honest Scrap Award. Her blog is down-to-earth and just about life. Go check visit and say hi!

Here are the rules:

In accepting this award, I need to do the following:
1) Say thanks and give a link to the presenter of the award.
2) Share "ten honest things" about myself.
3) Present this award to 7 others whose blogs I find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged me.
4) Tell those 7 people that they've been awarded HONEST SCRAP and inform them of these guidelines in receiving.

10 Honest Things About Myself: (this could get embarrassing...OK, so I'm not easily embarrassed.)

1. I burp...a LOT.
2. I LOVE coffee, not just like, but LOVE. (especially from Starbucks)
3. I like to be right. So shoot me! You can't tell me that people walk around thinking, "Man, I love being wrong...it feels good to be wrong." whatev.
4. I take things personal...even when I shouldn't.
5. I over analyze EVERYTHING.
6. I'm a talker...I talk a lot. Just tell me to shut-up if you ever need to...I'll try not to take it personal. (pssshhh, yeah right.)
7. I'm Nosey (with a capital N...it's like a profession).
8. I can be over dramatic.
9. I LOVE giving gifts. It's much better than getting them.
10. I would LOVE to go on a missions trip.

Honest.

7 People I Tag:

1. Xazmin @ This Is The Year - Xazmin is a kindred spirit. We share a LOVE (and when I say LOVE I mean verging on "groupie" status here) of NKOTB (If you don't know what NKOTB stands for do NOT ask Xazmin or myself, we will give you the "uhh, you don't know who NKOTB is" look...yeah, it won't be pretty). She's also been a great friend who always listens and offers advise whenever I need it. Thank, Xazmin! :)
2. Rebeckah @ Life With Kaishon - I love Rebeckah! Whenever I am down and need a boost, I just go visit Rebeckah's blog. She always has fun and AH-mazing pictures of kiddos and family. Plus, she always has the kindest coolest words. You're a gem, Rebeckah!
3. Vivienne @ The V Spot - Have you had your dose of funny today? (that is a question we should ask ourselves everyday) If you haven't, and you want it given to you straight, then you should go see Vivienne. Girl is Funny (with a capital F). Also, she is my hero. She is the MOST organized person I know. When I am cleaning in my house, I seriously think to myself "WWVD"...what would Vivienne do? Remember it...use it...WWVD.
4. Amber @ {aefilkins} - Amber is awesome! She hosts EM:MEs, which have been a HUGE inspiration for me while on my weight loss journey. She also goes to WW and it's fun to share WW ideas. Her blog is great and full of life. Go check her out...oh, and join in on EM:MEs or FMMs (she's hosting for Kelsey while she takes a bloggy break).
5. Kelli @ Outside My Kitchen Window - Kelli is a new bloggy friend (and Facebook friend). She is super nice and has GREAT craft ideas on her blog. I read things on there and think "I COULD do that"...she makes it seem possible. Plus, she always has inspiring words and scriptures.
6. Julie @ Shabbywears - I got to know Julie through my very first bloggy swap. She was my partner and she totally HOOKED me up! She has a fun (newly redecorated) blog and she's got a family of ranchers. She got my name for Seriously's Birthday Swap! WOOHOO! I can't wait!
7. Becca @ The Texas Darlings - Becca is an amazing mom to three adorable kiddos. Her and her kids collected a post card from all 50 states this summer. What a cool idea, huh? She has an ADORABLE blog and always has fun-to-read posts!

Hope everyone is have a wonderful Wednesday!

Attitude of Gratitude

I have been tagged for this particular award several times. Sorry to those who have tagged me and I haven't re-posted. I know the one of the bloggers who recently tagged me was Vivienne at The V Spot. Have you guys read her blog? Oh.My.Gosh. She is so funny. Her blog is an easy read. The way she puts things out there and is so real...it's captivating...and funny...did I mention funny? Rhonda at Down Memory Lane is another one who recently gave me this one as well. She's a new blogger buddy who I am looking forward to getting to know better. I know she always has such nice things to say when she comments and her blog is a joy to read!

So, I'm supposed to tell how I've come to have an attitude of gratitude. I can't think of one particular event in my life that made me want to be grateful. That's really just how I was raised. Knowing God and knowing that He was in control, has been my anchor my whole life. I've always been grateful for that. I also think being grateful is something that is often passed down. My mom has always been such a good example. She has never taken anything for granted and she has always been willing to give praise where praise was due. I've learned a lot from watching her.

I have a story I'd like to share. It's a little lengthy, so I'm warning you in advance.

My life took a drastic turn when I was about 8 years old. My mom remarried for starters. I did not want my mom to get married. I just couldn't understand what was wrong with the way things were. Why did we need a man around? What did he have to offer US? He put a kink in our Saturday shopping trips and weekends spent at a hotel. Our weekends turned into "family time"...movies, dinner out, ice skating...it was horrible! Ok, maybe not horrible, but in the eyes of an 8 year old little girl who loved nothing more than her mom and the time she spent with her...it was the worst. He took up space, he took up time, he took up residence, and he took up the comfy recliner in the living room. Not only did my mom marry some strange guy, despite my many protests (which could be another blog in itself), she also started a long battle with illness.

In 1985, my mom got married. The next year she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. So, at the ripe age of 27, my mom had a complete hysterectomy. What she thought was the end of being sick, was only the beginning. During the next year or so, she started losing weight due to an inability to keep her food down after eating. She went through tests until there was nothing left to test and every outpatient procedure you can think of. Results of some of the tests showed an abnormality in her esophagus area and also down through her GI tract. She was referred to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, where they continued to do tests and diagnosed her with colon cancer. Due to the fact that she was so young and had so much life to live. They took every necessary step to make sure that she would beat cancer yet again. Many prayers were prayed and our attention turned to God. He is the author and finisher of our faith. He was the one who had carried us through hard times before. My mom always made a point to focus on the good and make me see that we had things to be grateful for. I remember lots of things from that time in our life, but one thing I don't remember is every forgetting my blessings. My mom would remind me that she was still here, God was not finished with her, and He was still in control. So, that's where I would stand. That was my "happy place". Just a short while later, they removed my mom's colon and did a brand new procedure that rerouted her intestines and reconnected 'things', which meant no colostomy bag...one more thing to be grateful for. Her recovery from this second surgery was long, and the chemo was awful, but eventually she did recover. One more thing to be grateful for.

By this time, I was about 13 years old. I was past my mom's new husband being a nuisance and I had fully embraced him as my dad. He was a rock. He was someone I knew I could always lean on through good times and bad. Again, one more thing to be grateful for. During all of these procedures, my mom's issue with not being able to keep food down never got better. She had been diagnosed with everything from eating disorders to mental disorders. While the doctors tried to decide what she had and who to send her to next, she was withering away to nothing. By the time they decided what exactly was wrong with her and what they were going to do about it, she weighed 87 pounds. The conclusion they came to was that she had a congenital defect in her esophagus, one that stemmed from her being a twin. Basically, the muscle at the end of her esophagus, the sphincter muscle, was paralyzed. It would not do it's job of opening to allow food to pass through and then closing to keep the food down. Hence, the getting sick after eating and extreme weight loss. Soooo, in 1995, when I was a Junior in high school, my mom had another surgery. They did a thoracic surgery (kinda like open heart surgery) and went in and basically cut the sphincter muscle so that it would stay open and allow food to pass through. That wasn't necessarily the end to my mom's battles, but it was the end to the most of it...and we were grateful.

She is alive and well today. Something I am VERY grateful for! I know I didn't have to tell you all of this to prove my point, but I just wanted you to see that God has always been in control. Also, when things seem to be at their worst, if we will just remember ALL the things that we have to be grateful for, it allows us to believe things will get better. Going through all of that makes it easy for me to see all the little and big things that I am grateful for.

So there are a few rules to this award:
1. Put the logo on your blog or post...check!
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs that show an attitude of gratitude
3. Link to your nominees within your post...check!
4. Comment on their blogs to let them know they've received this award
5. Share the love and link to this post and the person who nominated you for the award...check!
6. Tell us how you've come to have an attitude of gratitude...check!

I know a lot of you have done this already, so I'm not sure who to tag.

Here are a few people that I find are always grateful and counting their blessings.

1. Katie at Blessed by 3 Miracles
2. Renee at My Glimpse of Life
3. Melissa at The Crazy Daisy (I think you've already done this before, but you could do it again.:)
4. Rebeckah at Life with Kaishon

Mommy Of The Year...

Mom of the Year...phsshhh...not even close, but thanks Tanielle for giving me this award!

The rules of this award are....

• Admit one thing you feel awful about involving being a mom. Get it off your shoulders. Once you've written it down, you are No Longer allowed to feel bad. It's over with, it's in the past. Remember, you're a good mom!

Wow, hmmm. I definitely have my fair share of bad mommy moments. There are mornings that I drop Isaiah off at school wondering if he's going to rat me out for being so crazy. I'm afraid he's going to recount the morning's conversations to his teacher or worse his friends...that will later go home and tell their parents. You get my drift.

I have an extremely cranky boss, and when I start thinking about being late to work and enduring a morning of crankiness...well, it makes me cranky. It's a vicious cycle.

It often starts out something like this...

"WHERE are YOUR shoes? You just wore them yesterday, they can't walk out of here on their own!"

"You're making momma late! Do you know what happens when momma's late? Mr. J will fire me. Do you know what happens if mommy gets fired? No money...no money for food, no Disney Channel, no blueberry muffins, especially no Hot Wheels!"

Sometimes, Isaiah likes to give me a hard time about wanting to stay home. He'll say, "MOMM-AH, I could just stay home with Belle Girl! I wouldn't mess anything up. I'll be fine until you get home." I say, "do you know what happens if the police find out that momma let you stay home by yourself?" He reminds me that Belle Girl would be with him, and I remind him that a dog is not a sufficient baby sitter. I continue to explain that the police could throw momma in jail for not taking him to school and for leaving him alone with Belle Girl. He decides that he doesn't want me to go to jail, because I make the best spaghetti-Os.

So, there are a few things that I feel the worst about:

1. Crazy mornings. I try to make the mornings as pleasant as possible, but some circumstances are beyond my control.

2. Crazy mommy. Those moments when I have an "out-of-body-experience" and feel like my head is about to pop off of my shoulders.

3. Not being able to stay at home with Isaiah. I know that me working is best for our family, but at the same time I wish I could be home with him more.

• Remind yourself you are a good mom, list seven things you love about your kids, you love doing with your kids, or that your kids love about you.These are the things to remind yourself everyday that you Rock!

I LOVE Isaiah's sense of humor.

I love seeing the world through his eyes.

I love his hugs and kisses...and his laugh is contagious.

I love to read books with him and hear his imagination soar.

We love to play pretend...our floor becomes hot lava and the stairs are the volcano...and our only chance of escape is to ride it out on our lava-proof boat (aka the couch).

Isaiah's favorite day is Saturday, also known as "Stay At Home With Mommy Day". Love that.

One of our favorite things to do is tell each other how far we love each other..."I love you to _____ and back."

• Send this to five other Mom's of the year that deserve credit for being great moms and remind them that they are the best moms they can be!! Remember to send them a note to let them know you've selected them, and add a link to the person who nominated you.

1. Melissa at The Crazy Daisy
2. Renee at My Glimpse of Life
3. Rebekah at Life with Kaishon
4. Katie at Blessed By 3 Miracles
5. Shilo at My Place of Peace

Tanielle over at The Polka Dot Daisy gave me this award. How sweet is she?! Go check out her FANTABULOUS blog!

Have a great Wednesday!!

And the winner is...And the award goes to...And...

As you can tell from my title to this blog, I have much blogging business to take care of. Sorry it's taken me so long to tell you the winner of the Gift Drawer CLEANOUT Giveaway. I've been sick and feeling like poo.

Without further ado, the winner of the Gift Drawer CLEANOUT Giveaway is...

Joy @ Joy To The Blog

I also have a bloggy award to pass on. ReRe @ Re-Ramblings passed on the Fabulosity Award to me...ME...can you believe it? I was totally honored, because I think her blog is FABULOUS, so for her to tell me that she thinks my blog is fabulous is a huge compliment. As we all know, when you receive a bloggy award you must pass it on. This one will not be a hard one to pass on because I read so many FABULOUS blogs. The hard part will be deciding who NOT to give this award to. So, I'm going to pass it on to some bloggy friends who I have not given an award to before.

1. Be Different...Act Normal - This girl is full of advice, tips, and information. Everyday her blog is full of cool things! She likes Martha, which is a huge plus, and she posts links to crafty projects. You just won't be disappointed by checking out her blog. Oh, and she has 260 followers, but still finds time to comment and e-mail back! FABULOUS!
2. Confessions from an Impulsive Addict - Impulsive Addict has been my friend IRL for a long time...we go way back. So, it's a ton of fun keeping up with her in bloggy land. She is a hoot. She drinks beverlies. She isn't afraid to write about anything...it's real life in a no-holds-barred kinda way. You'll love her! FABULOUS!
3. My 3 and 4 are Hot Chocolate Caramel Mocha and Three Baby Chicks - These girls hosted the Where's Wenda search...go check out there blogs to find out what it was. They made it around to hundreds of blogs commenting along the way. Their blogs are fantastic...ones you don't want to miss! FABULOUS

One last thing before I go...WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON IN THAT PEA-SIZED BRAIN OF JASON's?! I know I'm not the only one who is totally ticked off at the Bachelor...at Jason...at Molly for taking him back...it's INSANE! I say "I'm never watching this STUPID show again...eVER!" However, I know from past experience, like the Brad Womack season, that I will return and watch it again...I'm sick like that I guess. I get so mad at the show and things that happen, but by the next time the season rolls around I've forgiven and forgotten. I don't know this time though. I think it was pretty low, pretty planned out, pretty staged...and I'm not happy. How about you? What's your feelings?

I'll have the Spring Cleaning Tips post up tomorrow! It's a pretty good list!

Oh, and this is my 150th post! Woohoo!

Christmas Spirit Award

I was awarded this fabulous award by my fabulous friend Feather! So, my duty as the recipient is to do the following or Christmas is canceled this year...ok not canceled..just not as much fun...

• You must be a true Christmas lover to receive this award.
• The person to whom you give the award must also be in love with Christmas.
• You must link back to the person who gave you the award.
• You must list 5 things that you love about Christmas.
• If you can't limit it to 5 things, then keep going till you run out of space! :o)
• Pass the award along to as many people as you like. That can be 1 or 45; it's up to you. But, you must pass it on to at least one person in order to keep the Christmas cheer going!
• Let your recipients know that you have tagged them by leaving them a comment on their blog.

What I ♥ about Christmas:

• It's the celebration of the birth of Jesus! He is the REASON for the season!
• family
• carols
• twinkly lights
• Christmas trees (even though I don't have mine up yet☺)
• snowmen☺
• baking
• It's A Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street
• Alvin and The Chipmunks singing Christmas Don't Be Late
• wrapping presents and making them all pretty (and matching...all my gifts under my tree must match)
• fresh garland
• i ♥ hot cocoa
• shopping on Christmas Eve with my mom and my cousin Lindsay
• Christmas Eve at my Granny's
• Christmas pjs
• Peppermint Mochas from Starbucks☺

I pass this award on to:

• Melissa for her already having all of her seriously cute Christmas decor up!
• Lisa for all of her Christmas crafties she's been making.
• Katie for her beautiful Christmas tree and her cool gift ideas!
• Carrie for her adorable Advent "Calendar" and all her other brilliant ideas!
• Sandy Toes for her inspiring Christmas traditions she so freely shares.

Merry Christmas!

Two Awards...Holy Moley!

What a lucky girl I am! I've got two awards in the past few days, so I need to pass them on to some noteworthy blogs.

The first one is from my dear sweet friend Feather. Go check out her blog!

The Rules

1. Put the logo on your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.
3. Nominate at least seven other blogs.
4. Add links to those blogs on your blog.
5. Leave a message for your nominee on their blog.

Here are my nominations in no particular order:

1. Melissa @ The Crazy Daisy
2. Renee @ My Glimpse of Life
3. Lisa @ Pumpkin Pink Cottage
4. Mistee @ Our Family Blog 2
5. Tabitha @ Fresh Mommy
6. Lisa @ Simple Shutter
7. Cherry @ Cherry's Jubilee

••••••••

The second award is from the most lovely Melissa! I Love her! You will too...go check out her blog :)

Here's the rules:

1. Write a post showing the blog award and linking back to the person that gave it to you.
2. Choose a minimum of 7 people to award this award to and link to them.
3. Leave them a comment telling them about the award.
4. Name 10 honest random things about yourself.

Here's my 10:

1. I've been snorkeling in Jamaica.
2. Also, while in Jamaica I went up (and back down) Dunn's River Falls.
3. I have a tattoo and I want another one.
4. I'm a cosmetics junkie...I love buying make-up...Sephora is my fav store.
5. I am my mother's only child, but I have a mixtures of 5 siblings...steps and halves.
6. I like to eat vegetables straight out of the can...no cooking...spinach, green beans, corn, etc.
7. I'm the oldest of 15 grandchildren on my mom's side.
8. My mom and I used to have a coffee shop.
9. I graduated from The University of Oklahoma
10. I am terribly afraid of spiders.

Here are my nominations in no particular order:

1. Feather @ Yes, It's My Real Name
2. Liz @ Mable's House
3. Shelly @ Cubicle Confessions
4. AndreaLeigh@ My Chihuahua Bites
5. Rebeckah @ Life With Kaishon
6. Christy @ Krazy Beautiful Life
7. Drama Queens Mum

Congrats, girls! You all deserve it! You make my blogging so much fun and enjoyable...and educational ;)

Awards!

My sweet friend, Mistee, over at Our Family Blog #2 gave me two...yeah 2...new awards. This just never gets old. It's always nice to know that others enjoy reading your blog. It feels good, you know? So, I'm gonna pass them on to my top 12 bloggers, some that you all know and love and others that are new to blog-land. Here goes...

1. Melissa @ The Crazy Daisy - her take on life is just one of the best around! She's also a really really great friend and one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet! I love her much!
2. Renee @ My Glimpse of Life - need to laugh so hard you pee your pants? Go see Renee! My cousin, my friend...I love her!
3. Lisa @ Pumpkin Pink Cottage - want new craft ideas? Lisa's your girl! She's got an eye for design! Love you, Lisa!
4. Shelly @ Cubicle Confessions - she's new, you should go check her out :) Also, Melissa's sweet sister...make the connection?! :)
5. Feather @ Yes, It's My Real Name - for a fun read and everyday adventures! Have you seen her new tattoo? Really cute!
6. Lori @ Simple Shutter - for amazing photography, yummy recipes, and a fun look at life in Nebraska!
7. Carrie @ Buzzings of a Queen Bee - this girl has some GREAT crafty ideas! What a decorator! She's totally into monogramming...go over, you'll get hooked too!
8. Miranda @ Enjoying the Ride - She's got lots to be thankful for and she's sharing them everyday!
9. DeeDee @ Praises2Sing - she's a new friend with a really uplifting blog!
10. Tabitha @ Fresh Mommy - her blog is so chic! I love it! The photography is amazing and that Baby Blue is so cute! She also has a store :) Go have a look!
11. Brainella the Librarian - what a fun girl! We have similar interests and I just really dig her blog.
12. Sandy @ Shell In Your Pocket - she's craft, and she's got great recipes, and she's fun to read...what more could you want from a blog?

Enjoy your awards because you guys totally deserve them!!

Friendship Award! :)

Wow! Thanks a million to my blog-land friend Mistee over at Our Family Blog #2 for this friendship award! I value friendship so much, so that makes this the BEST award!! You should go check out her blog!



Ok, I now have to answer a few questions and pass the award along.


1. Do you have the same friends since childhood? Yes! Absolutely! I cherish my old friends. I hold them close and try to never let them go. My bff and I have been friends since 9th grade. Renee over at My Glimpse of Life is my cousin and bestest friend since forEVER! Seriously, we've been friends so long I can't remember when it all started. I'm also still close to at least 3 or 4 other girls who I went to grade school and high school with.

2. What do you value most about your friends? Loyalty. Isn't that what makes the best friends?! Also, humor...I thrive on finding things funny and humorous. I have to be surrounded with people who find the brighter side of things. Like my sweet and totally adorable friends from Cafemom, Melissa and Lisa! Love you girls!!

3. Are your friends sounding boards? Sometimes. Yes. Isn't that what girlfriends are for...to hear you out when no one else will, to give you sound advice, to tell you the things that other people won't?!?!


4. What is your favorite activity to do with your friends? Well, I am a girl, duh! So, shopping and chatting...and sharing a good cup of coffee! :)


Now it is time to pass the award on to some well deserving ladies! :)

In no particular order.

Melissa @ http://www.thecrazydaisy31.blogspot.com - What you might not know about Melissa is that she is the sweetest person EVER...she's always hot on the button with a compliment, smile, or whatever it takes to raise your spirits! She's wickedly funny, beautiful inside and out, the best to talk to and I wish we lived closer so we could see each other on a daily basis!!! She also has her VERY OWN Etsy stores, Crazy Daisy Candles and The Crazy Daisy...go check her out! The candles are amazing! Love you!



Renee @ http://www.myglimpseoflife.blogspot.com- What you might not know about Renee is that she is seriously funny...not just your run of the mill humor, but quick-witted and she will have you crying from laughter in a heart beat! She has great fashion sense and she knows how to have a good time! That's why we've been friends for so many years! Love you!



Lisa @ http://www.pumpkinpinkcottage.blogspot.com- What you might not know about Lisa is that she is amazingly crafty, sweeter than cotton candy, and super fun to talk to! I know Lisa through Cafemom and hope one day we will meet in person!! She's also 35 and gorgeous...just thought I'd throw that in there! She also has these two fantastic Etsy stores, The Pumpkin Pink Cottage and The Creative Crown. Do yourself a favor and go check them out! Love you!


Feather @ http://featherlikeabird.blogspot.com/- What you might not know about Feather is that her and I became friends while attending college (The University of Oklahoma...Go Sooners). We were in the same block (classes) and spent many hours together learning how to teach. She taught me a thing or two along the way, as she is FANTASTIC with children! She has a gift! We hit it off right from the start and I'm so glad we're still friends this long after college! Love you!

I Received an Award!

I have seen other people's blogs with awards...Best Blog, The Smile Award, Most Creative...and thought that's cool they really deserve those! Today, however, I was awarded my very own...my very first blog award! The best part is that it was given to me by my very bestest Renee! You can find her at her blog, My Glimpse Of Life, which by the way is a fantasticly humorous and down to earth blog, where she chronicles her daily happenings. I highly recommend it be added to your favorites! Renee is my cousin. You know how you have cousins who you are close to just because you're related, then you have cousins who you would be friends with EVEN if they weren't related to you...well, Renee is the later for me. We would be friends regardless. She gets me. Sometimes I'm sure we are the only ones who find each other humorous (or down right hilarious)...although I'm equally sure that we make people laugh, even if it is at our own expense. We've been at this for a long time. The two of us were in Campfire together, went to the same Church and Youth Group, shared dorm rooms at cheerleading camp, went to church camp together...we definitely have history! So, thanks Renee for thinking of me and giving me this award (like you had a choice)!

If I got this right (which I'm sure I do because for the majority I'm usually right...teehee..I kid;)...these are the rules:

*Mention the blog that gave it to you and comment on their blog to let them know you have posted your award.
*Share 6 values that are important to you.
*Share 6 things you do not support.
*Grant the prize to 6 people.

So, mention the blog that gave it to me...check!

Now for my 6 values...

1. God - I base my life on His plan for me. Without Him I would be nothing.


2. Being Mom - I really value this role in life. Isaiah has brought so many joyful moments and I love him so much! I really don't know what I did before I became "Mom" (OK, I probably lazed around on the couch, watched whatever I wanted on TV, read a whole novel in 2 evenings, exercised daily...but you know what I mean...it's totally worth it:).


3. Family - I feel so blessed to have been born into the family that I have. I LOVE my family...I mean REALLY love them. We're close. We do things together. We enjoy each other. I'm totally blessed.


4. Being an American - I'm really appreciative to be an American. I think in times such as these people forget what men and women have done in the past to secure our freedom and liberties. I'm so thankful for those who put their lives on the line for our country, and for their families who make the ultimate sacrifice.


5. Friendships - Old and new...they mean the world to me. I can't say enough about my friends. LOVE YOU ALL!


6. A Good Cup of Coffee - For those of you who really know me, you know I REALLY mean this. :)

Now for 6 things I do not support...

1. Abortion


2. Any type of injustice


3. Any type of violence or cruelty (toward people or animals)


4. Ignorance


5. People or organizations who do not have integrity and good values


6. OSU or Texas (you would have to be a Sooner fan to understand this one.)

Now I have to tag 6 people and give them the award... (I wanted to give the award to a few of my other favorite daily reads like Melissa, Feather, Lori and Renee...but since they've already received the award, I thought I would share the wealth or award rather!)

1. Lisa - she's probably the most creative and original person I know...she makes BEAUTIFUL paper crafts and these gorgeous crowns in her Etsy stores...She also has a fantastic GIVEAWAY going on right now. She has two totally unique blogs...go check her out!
2. Mistee - from Our Family Blog #2...she's a new friend from blog-land. I think her writings are fun and down to earth. By the way, she has this fantastic GIVEAWAY going on right now...so hurry on over there and check her out!
3. Katie - from Blessed By 3 Miracles. I don't really know her, but from what I've read in her blog her and her family are wonderful...they have adopted a child, who is precious by the way. Her other two boys are adorable. She has BEAUTIFUL pics on her blog. Go on over there and plan on staying a while...reading 'til your hearts content! :)
4. Angie - She has a blog called The Happy Homebody. She truly is CREATIVE with a capital 'C'!! She has some wonderful ideas on crafts for your home and she has a knack for turning old out-of-dated trays into something spectacular! Go see for yourself!
5. Buzzings of a Queen Bee - what a fun read this girl is...she's terribly clever. I think you'll like her too...what are you waiting for...go...read...enjoy! You can thank me later :)
6. Lovin' This Krazy Beautiful Life - This is a great blog about family and life...she has a beautiful blended family and a fairy tale...she found her prince charming! :) Go check out her blog!