So Thankful and Humbled

This past week, I was honored by being recognized by TWO other bloggers for bloggy awards.  I wanted to take a moment to return the favor and recognize them as well!  They are awesome (you should check them out)!

I'll just say that those who have received this award from me - I don't expect you to repost or keep it going. If it works for you, pass it on. If not, no worries!  I still appreciate your blogs! (I know how time consuming these can be) Oh - and because I am doing two awards and blog lists, I am just listing 10 for each rather than 15.

First, Amy from Eat, Live, Laugh, and Sometimes Shop, awarded me the One Lovely Blog Award!

Now for the official rules:

1. Accept the award and acknowledge the person who bestowed it upon me. 
2. Pay it forward to 15 newly discovered blogs I enjoy
3. Let them know I think they, too, are lovely!

Now for my favorite part - sharing blogs with you!  Yippee!  Take some time and check out these awesome blogs.  Leave some comment love!

1. A Stranger in This Land - celebrating the ups and downs of marriage, missions, and homemaking
2. A Wise Woman Builds Her Home - but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands. Proverbs 14.1
3. AP Freewriting - Encouraging women through the written and spoken word
4. Arrows of Integrity - Aiming for excellence as we target life together
5. Boys, Burps, and Blessings - Join Nichole as she follows God's lead in reclaiming the art of dance for the Kingdom
6. Confessions of a Dr. Mom - Doctor turned full time mom and blogger.
7. Created to Bring Him Glory - The title says it all! Faith, homeschooling, and frugality.
8. Finding Joy in my Kitchen -  My husband, Frog Prince, and I cook with simple ingredients combined to serve up wholesome, from-scratch, healthy foods for our family. Through our journey, we've found great joy in our kitchen and its our hope that you can too!
9. Losing Brownies - Losing the baby weight, one brownie at a time.
10. Our Best Bites - all I can say is YUMMMMMMM

I was also given the Versatile Blogger Award by Pandora at Peace from Pieces.  Thanks so much!  Now for the rules:

-Link back to the person who gave you the award.

-Share 7 things about yourself.

-Pass the award along to 15 other bloggers who you recently discovered and think are fabulous.

-Contact the bloggers you chose and let them know about the award.

1. Caribou Castle - This blog is a veritable gallimaufry of topics. Mostly about running my home and family and my/our journey through trying to live leaner, greener and simpler. 
2. Christian Frugal Mama - Save money and grow in your faith
3. Frugally Marisha - Fantastic and comprehensive bargain blog written by a fantastic gal!
4. If You Give A Mom a Moment - If you are a sucker for beautiful photography and yummy recipes with a good dose of real life and humor, check out this blog!
5. Because First He Gave - Life, faith, and giveaways!
6. The Dave Ramsey Road - Our journey to financial freedom
7. Scribbles from Emily - The purpose of this blog is to share honestly my life adventures and my spiritual growth process, as well as daily happenings, information and inspiration, and to develop my writing skills, all for the purpose of glorifying God and being a blessing to you!
8. I'm Totally the Turtle - Getting healthy, slow and steady.
9. Grow With Stacy - Your personal development resource.
10. Momma Made it Look Easy - a real-life mom blogging about real life

Oh - I can't forget the 7 things about me:

• I don't like bugs and crawly critters. I'm a little creeped out now - I just picked a spider out of my hair. Ew!
• I'm not a very girlie girl though I often wish I was.
• I cannot STAND toe socks!  Toes were meant to be TOGETHER!
• I love my boys more than I ever imagined possible.
• I am so thankful for Hubby's job that allows me to stay at home even if the budget is a bit tight.
• I am a very shy person at heart - I have to work hard to stay out of my shell.
• I am very excited to be a bridesmatron (put the words together and say it like Transformers) in my brother's wedding this coming spring!

So, which blog was your favorite?  I hope you found one you liked!

Another Award!

 I was  excited to receive a blog award  from All About the Savings!!  Thank you for thinking of me!

The rules for accepting this award:

1.Thank the person that gave you the award

2. Pass this award on to 13 bloggers you've recently discovered
and whom you think are fantastic!

3. Contact the Bloggers you pick to let them know they've won

4. State 7 Things about yourself!

How fun!
Here are the seven things about me:

1. I am loving that my Hubby works so hard that I am able to stay home to raise our children even if finances are super-tight.

2. I am amazed daily at God's love for us.  I look at my son and can't imagine sacrificing him for others, yet God sacrificed His only Son for us - vile sinners who didn't deserve anything better than Hell.

3. My baby boy (in my belly) currently has the hiccups and seems to be part octopus.

4. I am thrilled that my son (Buggy) is finally sleeping well both at night and for naps!

5. I still cannot get used to the idea that we won't be moving next year or anytime soon - we are in our "Forever Home" after moving around a TON for 8 years.

6. I love my church.  I love my MOPS group.  I am having so much fun building a new network of friends.

7. I hope to start a beginner guitar class in our area in the near future.  I am a musician and am itching for more outlets!

Now here are the 13 blogs that I have chosen to give this award to - make sure you check them out!

1.  Melissa's Bargain Blog
2. Together We Save
3. Growth Chart Moments
4. The Centsational Saver
5. Stewardship Diaries
6. Lifestyle Logic
7. "Deal"ightfully Frugal
8. Adventures of a Somewhat Crunchy Mama
9. Bargain is the New Black
10. Golden's Bargain Blog
11. Mama Loves to Save
12. Sew Blessed by Children
13. The Bargain Squad

When Life Hands You Lemons

I just received word from an old friend that she chose ME for the When Life Hands You Lemons award!  What a blessing!  Thanks Amber!  Definitely check out her awesome and helpful blog at Beyond Postpartum.

The rules for this award are simple:
I am to thank the giver of the award and link to their blog (see above).   I am supposed to share 5 things about myself.  And I am supposed to link to 5 new blogging recipients of my choosing and notify them.

Here goes….
1. I was once in a rock/ska band back in college.  We were a Christian band that traveled around the US doing concerts and youth functions.  It was tons of fun!  I sang and played French horn.  I once dressed as Rainbow Brite.  It wasn't pretty.
2. I took a semester of Japanese in high school.  It was great!  Had I not gotten mono, I would have finished out the year.  My name in the class was "Aya."
3.  I often feel like a little kid even though I am 32.  I am not even 5 feet tall, so that doesn't help at all.  I even got shamed at the mall when pregnant with Little Man.  Some little old ladies said, "Shame on you. Teenage pregnancy."
4.  I have owned 4 homes in the past 10 years.  We aren't going ANYWHERE anytime soon!
5. I was blessed to know two of my great grandmothers growing up and was very close with them and all of my grandparents.

Here are a few of my fave bloggers right now:
Centsational Saver
Healthy Heritage
Stewardship Diaries
Lifestyle Logic
Caribou Castle

Blog Award

I wanted to thank my friend, Amber at Beyond Postpartum, for thinking of me for this award!  I have really enjoyed getting to know Amber as adults (we went to high school together) through the blogosphere.  She was a critical part of my journey through my postpartum issues.  Had I not started reading her blog, I would not have realized that I might have a problem!

I recently received this award on my other blog and passed it along, so I simply want to say thank you to Amber and to encourage you to check out her site!