Stylish Blog Award

I was chosen by a sweet friend from high school, Ashleigh, for this fun award/blogging idea.  Thanks to Facebook, I’ve been able to reconnect with her and watch her grow as a mommy and a military wife.  Thanks Ashleigh!!  Seriously, her blog is precious, and even more precious is her sweet baby girl!

Here are the rules:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you
2. Share 7 things about yourself
3. Award to 10 great bloggers
4. Contact those bloggers and tell them about the award

So, 7 things about myself?  Hmmmmm.

1) I’m learning more and more everyday, with watching my kids grow, how important family is.  How important spending individual time with each child is.  How important reading with the kids is.  How important family dinners are.  I’ve found that the more time I spend loving on my kids, the happier I am despite a bunch of personal stuff going on in the sidelines. (And I absolutely freaking love how Kimber is using sign language more and more each day!!  It’s so much easier to communicate with her knowing what she wants!!! Hopefully her whining will lessen with her signs increasing and her verbal words becoming more understandable!!!) Also, I’m learning every day how to love my husband more each day, as well.  We’ve been married almost ten years, and every day with him I consider a blessing.  It hasn’t been an easy ride, but it just makes our relationship/marriage so much stronger.  I’m looking forward to ten more years with him!!!

2) I hate the fact that society has set expectations on women and how they should raise their children.  I’m definitely one of those mom’s that will yell at my kids that I will “high-five” their face if they keep up their stinky attitudes.  Do I actually do it?  No.  But the threat works and it makes me feel better. 

3) I am striving to cook more.  If you know my husband, you know that we are soooo well fed here.  He is a fantastic cook and I think he truly missed his calling as a chef.  But I’ve made some pretty tasty meals this past month and will share the recipes more as I find good ones.  (Who knows?  Maybe one day we’ll own our own restaurant!)

4) I want to do crafts.  Constantly.  I see things on different blogs that I want to try.  I want to make more bows (which is a passion of mine) and I want to finish Joey’s scrapbook of his first year.  I want to use Mod Podge more.  Only problem… the never ending amount of laundry and cleaning that I do every day and the lack of space for me to do half the crafts I really want to try!

5) I am addicted to Grey’s Anatomy and Glee.  I’ve tried looking into rehab groups, but there are none out there.  And thankfully, Netflix has all past seasons of Grey’s on-demand that I can watch on our PS3.  This makes me happy. 

6) I consciously keep a filter on my writing on my blog.  I am a bonafide “people pleaser” and it sucks.  There is so much more I want to blog about, verbally vomit about, and I won’t because I’m afraid of offending my friends.  Sad and pathetic, I know.

7) I firmly HATE Bank of America.  HATE isn’t even a strong enough word.  Like my blood boils and I think evil nasty things about them when I see or hear a commercial about them.  Keeping the reasons why to myself.

So there are 7 tidbits. 

Now off to tell you about 10 blogs I absolutely adore:

1) HAWT mama, Anna over @ Mom of Wild Ones. Holy crap.  Now, she definitely isn’t afraid of speaking what’s on her mind.  And it’s freaking fantastic.  5 kids (age 1 to 16), her husband, her best friend Barb, Barb’s son, and a couple dogs…. all in one house. 

2) Friends of mine from high school, Jerry and Shana Marin.  Her blog is protected, so I can’t post the link.  But it’s been neat to reconnect with her and Jerry and see where Jerry’s time in the Marines will take them and their precious baby boy, James.  Like Ashleigh, it’s neat to watch high school friends grow into being a mommy.

3) I came across this blog … wait, I don’t remember how … but I love it!  McCall has such a big heart and is doing some awesome things over at her blog raising money to help a friend travel to Africa for a mission trip.  McCall has felt it on her heart to help Africa.  Plus, her girls are friggin’ precious.  I’m sure that if Kimber met her daughter Hollyn, they’d be BFF!  Check her out @ Lee, Me, and The Girls.

4) I’ve known Meagan for a few years now when she was with a guy from the fire department.  She used to watch Josh for us when he was a big ol’ chunky baby.  And now she’s got a fantastic husband, sweet little girl Mallory, and a little boy on the way!!  Read about their family journeys @ The Davis Family.

5) I came to follow this blog from Meagan, and join in as much as I can for “Embrace the Camera” which happens weekly on Thursdays.  Emily Anderson and her clan are so unique and have such a heart for God and adoption, they are getting to bring home sweet girl Elsabeth from Ethiopia very VERY soon!!!  Follow their adoption journey and join in for “Embrace the Camera” Thursday @ the anderson crew.

Oh goodness… 5 more?

6) I honestly don’t remember how I came across this one either… I read a lot of blogs and if I like it, I follow it!  I follow like 30 something blogs!  But I love this one.  I love this momma’s heart and I love her little tutorials and “Rock the Crock” recipes!  Plus, this momma has something in common with me.  Our youngest baby is a girl.  She’s got 3 boys and 1 girl!  So I feel her pain.  Check Laurie out @ The Justin and Laurie Story.  She also has her own side blog Love from Laurie.

7) This next blog is my best friend (since age 6) friend’s from college.  Lindsay has a beautiful family and worked oh so hard for it and had little Lila.  She’s almost one!  Too Much of a Good Thing

8) Meet Debi.  She’s one tough momma, taking it one day at a time until she sees her husband on the weekends.  He works out of town during the week and comes home on the weekends to see her and their two precious little girls.    She tells it like it is.  She tells it how I WISH I could tell it, but I’ve got my stupid conscious filter to deal with.  Please go visit her @ The Truthful About Motherhood.

My last two choices are my good, sweet friends who have their own photography businesses!! 

9) NHance Photography:  Natasha did my pre-natal photos, my babyshower, and Kimber’s hospital pictures and her newborn shoot.  Check her out!

10) Breathtaking Photography:  Chantel did our family portraits in November.  She’s moving soon.  I’m sad.  :(

So I think that’s it!!!  Off to contact the people so they can go share the love!