My Sweet Friends

I haven't gotten a blog award in a while (that might have to do with the fact that I am so inconsistent these days in writing that I don't know that I have any readers left) but it can be a fun thing to do. I got an award from a friend today - what a nice way to wake up in the morning. It's my turn to share about some bloggers I love to read:

Here are the rules:

1. Copy the award image into a post.
2. List 10 things that make you happy.
3. Tag 10 bloggers who brighten your day.
4. Put in a link to their blogs.
5. Notify the award receivers.
6. Recipients should link back to the sender’s blog.

10 Things That Make Me Happy (in no particular order…):

My faith

Being married to my best friend

my two pieces of my heart, my almost four year old daughter Pk and my one year old son, Baby Bean

My dogs and my cat (I know I shouldn't play favourites but especially my girl, Chelsea)

Living in our small town (I feel like I belong in a way that I never felt in the city - not the city's fault, mine)

cooking and sharing food with others

crafting, especially knitting and card-making and the friends who go with it

celebrating the seasons and holidays

a good book

a pot of really nice tea (at the moment, Marks and Spencer Extra Strong is my favourite, followed by Fortnam and Mason's in the gray box)

And an extra, since I tend to ramble anyway, the success I am feeling with my running

10 Bloggers Who Brighten My Day (in no particular order…):

Bloggers I know personally (and love!):

Sarah (who gave me the award): Sarah is someone I met a few years ago and knew right away that I could be friends with. She is smart, sassy and wise beyond her years. She seems to have the secret of being content with what she has, making the most of every day and loving her family with her whole being. Reading her blog makes me smile every time. To top it off, I don't know whether she remembers this, but she was the one who introduced our family to Veggietales and who started a love affair for Pk. We were up at a church function and she was running the nursery. She put in Daniel, Pk fell in love and the rest was history.

Kittenpie - my oldest, dearest friend and another wise woman in my life. Her life has kept her awfully busy and the blogging has dropped off on her personal blog but she has an "in" on children's lit and has a brilliant blog sharing books with all those of us who love to read with our children and our classes. I get so many ideas from her! She is definitely worth tracking if you read to children at all.

Lora - Lora and I go way back although, if I am honest, my memory is pretty fuzzy of our time in kindergarten and, I think, grade 1 together. I remember her much more clearly from high school. She's a mom who goes way beyond just a mommy blogger (although I don't like people running down the whole "mommy blogger" sphere, since being a mommy requires so much of our talents and treasures!), she's a wonderful, thoughtful writer who shares her views on life. She's also a woman after my own heart because she moves all over the place in her interests. Her creativity is astounding!

Bloggy Friends:

Jill - Jill and I met through a wonderful online Bible study that I discovered when I first entered the world of blogging. Jill has been there for me through thick and thin and she's yet another wise woman (I have learned so much about how I want to live from these strong, intelligent, thoughtful women!) She's got a heart for those in the world facing hardships and she really strives to live her beliefs in everything she does. She has several blogs, including a private family blog, a blog about her faith and how she lives life called Daily Bread and a blog to support the ministry of Compassion, called Compassion Family.

Gin - Gin and I also met through the Bible study and Gin is another friend who has been there through thick and thin. She has recently had a gorgeous son and it's so much fun to experience her joy in motherhood and the turn her life has taken. Gin's deeply committed to her faith and to improving the lives of the people around her - I feel lucky to know her, even if it's only online.

Ms. Huis - We met when I first entered the world of blogging and she stopped by via a friend. She has been a commenter (hooray!) and an encourager and a fellow running enthusiast. She's also a super cook!

Laura, at Nestled Under Rainbows - I don't know how I stumbled across Laura's blog but she's in Ireland, raising her three children, the youngest of whom is almost the same age as Baby Bean. She's creative, she's actively involved with her children and she seems, at least to me, to have found the secret to simplifying life down to it's richest aspects. Laura doesn't generally write involved, deep posts, she mostly writes about the daily life of her family but I love peeking into her world.

Lucy, at Attic24 - my Anglophile heart loves Lucy's blog - it's full of lovely photos of the area of Northern England in which she lives and photos of the lovely things in her life, most especially her crochet work and calendar pictures she loves. It's a visually beautiful blog and she always makes me want to pick up my knitting needles!

Monica, at The Homespun Heart - I love Monica's blog. She consistently captures the beauty possible in family life, whether it's how to set a lovely table, how to have a quiet family moment or how to celebrate life's little pleasures. Her faith is really strong and I really look up to the way she keeps her love of God and her desire to live Biblically at the forefront of her life. Hers is a really pretty blog and it is so calming, she helps me to take a deep breath and remember what's important

Angela, at Free Spirit Haven - Angela came into my life at a time when I was really struggling. Every Friday, she posts prayer requests and personally contacts everyone who contacts her. She's faced a lot of challenges in her life and fights the battles with frustration, despair and longing that we all fight. Instead of pretending that all is well, she honestly shares her struggles and how her faith gets her though. She also is the best yard-saler in creation and I love her Saturday "Yard Sale Haul" posts.

It's hard to stop there - I think this may have to be expanded to another post but I need to go to bed. Thank you to these bloggers who take me out of my own life and inspire me to live each day to the fullest!