How perfect is that?  I am definitely ready for some more permanent sunshine and warmer temps!  This will do for now, though.  I’m honored that Kelly chose me and touched by what she said about me…I do not feel like I’m doing a good job with this mom business most days.  Today is NOT one of those days, though.  It’s been one of those days where I am confident and secure in my supermom-ness.  Don’t worry, that will surely change tomorrow when the clouds roll in and we have to worry about being stuck inside all day!

So, here are the rules:

1. Put the logo in your post or within your blog.
2. Pass the award on to 12 fellow bloggers.
3. Link the nominees within your post.
4. Let the nominees know they have received this award by leaving a comment on their blogs.
5. Share the love and link to the person who gave you the award.

These folks bring sunshine to my life. Go check them out — you won’t be disappointed!  (It goes without saying that Kelly is included here, right?)

1. Emily over at All I hear is blah, blah, blah.  She’s someone I “met” locally through blogging.  We now go to the same church and I respect her for SO many reasons.

2. Sarah at Growing A Little Ivy.  God brought us together, I am sure of it.  She is an amazing friend and an awesome mom and I can’t say more because I will start crying.  Seriously, her reflections on mothering and faith move me to tears regularly.

3. Kim at Kim’s Thoughts.  LOVE her movie reviews.  We have very similar taste in movies, so it’s nice to get her perspective.  I don’t get to see movies in the theater much, but I definitely make decisions on rentals based on what she has to say!

4. Jamie at Mama to the Drama.  Funny, funny, funny.  My younger son is about the same age as her son so I can always relate to anything she has to say about the age!

5. Susannah at Painting Chef.  I relate to so much she says.  But she says it much funnier than I would.  I mostly just cussed and whined.  She has a sense of humor about it all that is inspiring to me.

6. Liz at The Suburban Bohemian.  The way we met is what I love about blogging…she sent me an email asking about Sanford because they were moving here.  I hesitated, but decided to answer it because I wish I’d had someone to help me figure out details about the area before we move her.  I’m glad I did, because she is super cool and brings a different dimension to the friendships I have.

7. Melissa at Binkies and Bandaids.  A hard working mom, she is the only person on this list that I haven’t actually met.  But I love reading about her and her kids!  She totally gets the chaos that 3 kids bring like few other people I know.

Sorry, 7 is all you get.  First of all, I’ve exhausted my list of frequently read blogs and second of all I’m starting to hurt.  Plus I need to get in the shower for a meeting tonight at church.  If you have a blog I might enjoy reading, let me know in the comments.  I can always use more reading material for the times I actually get possession of the laptop!

Share/Bookmark

Here are the rules: Answer the questions below using only one word (yes, only one). Thank the blogger who gave it to you. Pass it on to 6 of your favorite bloggers.

The good stuff:

Where is your cell phone? diaperbag (that’s 1 word, right?)
Your hair? blah
Your mother? Knoxville
Your father? dead
Your favorite food? chocolate
Your dream last night? forgotten
Your favorite drink? Dew (so embarrassing, but I’m addicted)
Your dream/goal? nurse
What room are you in? office
Your hobby? writing
Your fear? pregnancy
Where do you want to be in 6 years? working
Where were you last night? home
Something you aren’t? neat
Muffins? blueberry
Wish list item? netbook
Where did you grow up? Knoxville
Last thing you did? groceries
What are you wearing? sweats
Your TV? off
Your pets? dead
Your friends? blessings
Your life? content
Your mood? tired
Missing someone? yes
Vehicle? minivan
Something you’re not wearing? glasses
Your favorite store? Target
Your favorite color? pink
When was the last time you laughed? lunch
Last time you cried? vacation
Your best friend? amazing
One place that I go over and over? church
One person who emails me regularly? Ashley
Favorite place to eat? fondue

And now your part:

Yeah, I’m not tagging anyone.  Because I am a) lazy and b) the people who I’d tag wouldn’t do it anyway.  So if you’re inclined, go ahead and do it and leave me a note in the comments.

Share/Bookmark

Look around, grab the closest book, and open to a random page.  Pick a sentence and share it.

Since I have 3 books sitting on my desk, I’m going to share a line from all 3.

1.  The Bible. My new Bible is a devotional Bible for women.  I’m trying to read a little every day, so it’s never far away.  (If you’re curious, it’s the NLT “sanctuary” version.  Available at Amazon, just click the picture.)  I didn’t really pick a random page because I keep my book mark in one place.  This is the verse I try to live by:

“Three things will last forever — faith, hope, and love — and the greatest of these is love.” (Corinthians I 13:13)

I think that applies to everything in life, not just personal relationships.  I also like that it focuses on hope.  I like hope!

2.  The HTML, XHTML, and CSS Bible. A different kind of Bible, I guess!  I use this one quite a bit when working on websites.  It’s indispensable!  Not very interesting, though…

“You have at your disposal a handful of pseudo-classes to match attributes of elements in your document.”  (Page 370)

Frankly I have not the first clue what that means.  Something to do with CSS.  I’m sure it’s very useful for the more advanced users, but it’s not something I’ve ever bothered with.  Moving on…

3.  The PhotoShop Elements 5 Book for Digital Photographers. Another boring one, but very useful.  I am embarrassed to admit this, but it fell open to a page that I’ll swear up and down I’ve NEVER used on a photo of me.  AHEM…on to the quote.

“This is an incredibly popular technique because it consistently works so well, and because just about everyone would like to look about 10 to 15 pounds thinner.” (Page 261)

Make me 50 pounds thinner and I might be happy.  But seriously, useful stuff so that you don’t want to puke when you look at a picture of yourself!  (Not that I’ve ever used it, of course!)

___________________________________________________

So there you have it.  Random (or not so?) quotes from the 3 books closest to me.  What book is sitting on your desk?  What does it have to say?  If you do this one, leave me a comment and let me know.  It’s kind of an interesting peek at people’s interests!  Now if I’d been laying on the bed, you’d have a completely different list because that’s where I keep my fiction.  Maybe I’ll do that one tomorrow!

Share/Bookmark

1. Traffic. Or more accurately, the lack thereof. Sure, Horner can be scary with those semis flying by, but I never get stuck anywhere for more than a couple of minutes. I do not miss traffic.

2. We have some really good local restaurants. I love Fairview Dairy Bar for a cheap lunch or dinner. I never have to worry about my kids getting loud there. It’s a great place for families to eat…and now that they’re smoke-free, I don’t have to worry about my child with asthma getting sick after a meal there! Davison’s is quite possibly the BEST steak place I’ve ever eaten at. We almost never get to go because of the kid factor but when we get a night to ourselves, that’s where we like to spend it. And if you have fried pickle fetish (like me) you must go to the River Lodge. I adore fried pickles. They are arguably one of my favorite foods, but they’re not easy to find. The River Lodge has them and they are delicious. I also love their Sunday lunch buffet. Even without the fried pickles. I know there are lots more great restaurants, but there’s my top 3.

3. The choice for year-round school. My 5 year old will start at Tramway in a few months and I couldn’t be happier. I have heard great things about the school and the benefits of going year-round. He thrives on consistency so this will minimize the adjustments he has to make at the start of every school year. I really don’t understand why so many people in Wake County are so opposed to the year-round concept. I think the traditional calendar is outdated and makes very little sense. Going year round will give him a great start to his school career.

4. The hospital here is very good, considering the size of Sanford. The first time I was there was for the birth of my youngest son. That experience was amazing. And there is no comparison to the birth of my oldest child at Cape Fear Valley in Fayetteville. You would think a hospital that delivers 3000-4000 babies a year would have a better facility, but they don’t. I’ve also had several outpatient surgeries at Central Carolina Hospital and though the surgeries themselves weren’t a lot of fun, I’ve always been very well taken care of by the nurses there. We’ve needed the lab and radiology department there on several occasions and have never had any problems. We’ve not needed a visit to the ER (knock wood) so I can’t comment on that, but everything else has been as pleasant as possible, considering.

5. In less than an hour I can be in a large city and take advantage of all those things that Sanford doesn’t have. Shopping, all those chain restaurants that I occasionally get a craving for, world class hospitals that can treat anything you can come up with, and even traffic, should I find myself wishing I could sit in a hot car and not move for a long time. It’s really nice and I feel like we’re perfectly situated here.

If you’re a Sanford blogger, consider yourself tagged. Let’s hear what you like about Sanford. Leave a comment with a link to your post so we can all feel the love together. (Don’t worry, I’m planning a “Things that annoy me about Sanford” post in a few days!)

Share/Bookmark

1. I auditioned for the part Reese Witherspoon played in The Man in the Moon.
2. I started out in college as a nursing major but decided I couldn’t deal with it. The irony? That’s what I’m planning to go back and get a degree in now. I should have stuck with it.
3. I am almost 100% self taught when it come to computers and the internet.
4. I enjoy photography but get bogged down in the “it must be perfect” attitude and rarely pick up my camera these days.
5. I am a good planner but am terrible with follow through.
6. There’s a whining toddler sitting on my lap and yanking on my shirt because he wants to nurse. I’m trying to wean, so I’m going to get up and get him a snack and cup of milk instead. Hopefully he’ll go for it!

Six rules if you want to join in:
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
5. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.
6. Let your tagger know when your entry is up.

Share/Bookmark