spreading some bloggy love . . .

I feel so honored that several friends have thought of me in the last few weeks,

awarding me with the

"Liebster Blog Award"!

Thanks so much to

Emily at The Peters Family,

Kassi at K Plus J Equals Love,

and Rachel at Our Havenhill!!

Check those sweet girls out - they are some of my favorites!

{and please forgive me for taking so long to pass this on!}

"Liebster" is a German word meaning "dearest" or "beloved".

It can also mean

sweet, kind, lovely, nice, endearing, and valued.

This award was created to show a little blog love

to bloggers who are growing

{and currently have less than 200 followers}...

just a little encouragement to say "I cherish you and your blog!"

Rules are:

Thank the giver, and link back to their blog.

Award this to 5 other growing blogs that you value,

and share them on your blog.

Have fun and spread some love!

I am passing this on to:

(in no particular order)

Meredith at Everything Espey

Jessi at Rising With the Son

Heather at We Are the Holdens

Jessica at Where is My Instruction Manual?

Jen at Just Like Heaven

I LOVE Y'ALL!!

you will LOVE these precious hearts.

go check them out, and give em some bloggy love!

and have a GOOD and SAFE

New Year's Eve!!!

blog award, blog love, and about US...

My sweet sweet bloggy friend (and fellow Baylor Bear AND Aggie fan!)

from Elizabeth Ann's Recipe Box,

blessed me by passing on this award!

Go check her out! She is the queen of encouragement and you can tell God has given her a heart to speak truth and sweetness into other people's lives... even when she only knows them through blog land! :) She (and her blog too) is a treasure you need to know!

Elizabeth Ann's Recipe Box

Here's how the award works:

1. link back to the giver of the award

2. spread the love by awarding 10 other blogs

3, contact those bloggers to tell them you're giving it

4. share 10 random things about yourself

SOOO...

here are the 10 blogs

I would love for you to go check out and be blessed by!!

(links are below each picture)

Name Your Joy

she not only makes the cutest stuff (check out her shop while you're there!), but throughout her writing you see her heart for finding the simple joys around her!

June and Bear

this momma is such a sweet one whose love for her little ones exudes in her posts!

She is also an amazing decorator, and recently threw the precious party for her littles that you see in the picture above!

Undercover Mother

Hyacynth (such a gorgeous name right?)

This beautiful lady takes my breath away every time by her writing, her honesty, and her heart!

Bradford Road

Isn't this momma and baby girl just gorgeous?!

Grace writes with sincerity and heart and I love reading about her little family and

what God is showing her daily.

The Easily Amused Mommy

I recently "met" this mommy, Jamie, and have been so blessed by her comments.

Her blog is witty and sweet all at the same time. I love her heart!

Peanut Butter in my Hair

Love this blog,

She is honest, funny, and sweet in her accounts of motherhood,

including the very real ups and the downs.

Finding Joy

Another blogger I've recently discovered,

I love "finding joy" with this sweet mama to 7 and precious wife,

you def will too!

s, d, and double e

this sweet lady always blesses me with her comments,

and I love seeing her life through her amazing and talented photography.

She is beautiful in front of and behind the lens.

Resourceful Red

another new blog Im following,

I love this girl, her heart, her creations, and her awesome tips to help live a better life in our environment! check it all out for sure!

Art For All Ages

You will love Danett's art ideas, her heart for art, and her precious little family!

You'll be drawn in by her artsy kids stuff from the get-go!

---------------------------------

SO NOW, the next part of this award is to share with you 10 things about me.

Since I did that not too long ago in another post,

(see that here to learn more about me)

I decided I'd list 10 things about me AND my hubbs!

(Ill keep it short and sweet)

1. Parker and I will celebrate 8 years of marriage in August!

2. We love to just hang out, stay up late talking about serious things, and almost every morning we say we shouldn't have stayed up so late...but then we do it again!

3. we actually went to the same high school, but are 5 years apart

(6 grades...scandalous right? hehe :))

dont worry, we didn't meet until I was in college!

4. We have been through a ton of medical issues (including 8 surgeries), and a lot of financial struggle in our life together. More than most our age it seems.

But God has proven faithful through it all.

5. Parker LOVES being a daddy to his little princess.

He laughs about how he was so "scared" of this baby in my tummy and what it would bring,

And then when she came, he was so instantly in love.

6. We love the beach ALMOST as much as we love the mountains.

7. We have been through two of life's most impactful events together:

the death of a father (we lost Parker's dad suddenly last year),

followed 3 months later by the birth of our first baby.

Emotional roller coaster, but it has strengthened us.

8. We love watching House Hunters International (on HGTV),

and have friendly arguments about which house the couple should pick.

9. He loves sushi and seafood.

Anything that swims should not be on my plate. Eww.

10. We do agree on this: Happiness and Joy are both good things.

One you can have when things happen that you like, and the other is actually

found by knowing a Person,

and which can be had no matter the happenings.

Thanks for learning more about US!

so now,

go check out those lovely blogs I mentioned,

and if you like them leave some love, or better yet, follow them!

And feel welcome to follow us too...we'd love to have you!! :)

Lovely Monday!

versatile blogger award, and 7 things....

the "Versatile Blogger Award" 

was just given to me by my new bloggy friend at 

Texas Is For Lovers!

Thanks so much, I am so excited!

Go check out her blog...she loves dishing up some fun date ideas,

 AND I love her because she is embracing Texas for the great state that it is! :)

Here are the award guidelines:

1. thank and link to the person who awarded you

2. share 7 facts about yourself

3. pass on the award to 7 newfound bloggy friends

4. let your bloggy friends know they were awarded!

This is an awesome way to link up with friends, and to find new ones too!

We are all "connected" in this wonderful world of blog, so lets spread the love! 

Soooo....7 facts about ME.

1. Becoming a mommy is the best thing that's ever happened to me 

(just in case you cant tell that I think that from my blog...)  :)  

Abigail Joy has graced my life with just what her name means: JOY.

She came at a perfect time... my pregnancy with her was part of God healing me from Fibromyalgia, and she was born 3 months after we unexpectedly lost my father-in-law.  

God knew just when we needed her.  She is FULL of life. 

2. I love juice.  I drink it every night, its what I have on my nightstand.  Not water, juice.  The dentist has taken this up with me a few times, but I love my juice.  

It's usually some flavor of lemonade. 

Now if only they made a giant sippy cup...

3. I love tulips, they are my favorite flower.  Especially light pink ones. Parker surrounded me with them when he proposed to me 8 years ago 

(yes, 8 years...which is another fact: we will celebrate 8 years in August! Where has time gone!?)

4. I am adopted, and it is one of the biggest blessings in my life.  It's something I've always been proud of.  My parents adopted both my brother and I, and they are AMAZING for doing so.  

I am forever thankful for the gift they gave me by raising me.  

Another fact about that is that I met my birth family 3 years ago and it has been a blessing...

I even gained two sisters and am in one of their weddings this summer!  

Adoption is an amazing thing, for all parties involved.  I applaud those of you out there who are adopting, and those of you who have given a baby for adoption....what a gift.

5. I am supposedly training for my second triathlon right now.  You will see on a coming post why I have been distracted from that lately.  

The first tri I did was a great accomplishment for me and I hope to do one again soon.  

Oh, and I hate running. But fortunately I love to bike and swim.

6. I could pretty much quote you any episode of FRIENDS.  

Don't challenge me in the FRIENDS boardgame (yes, they make that. and yes, I own it.)

I find myself relating situations in life to FRIENDS episodes (Parker is never surprised to hear it),

and I never get tired of reruns on TBS.

one of my favs: "Get there faster!"  (Chandler to Joey.)

7. The Lord has flipped my faith upside down in the last 3 years, all for the better.  The way I worship Him now looks completely different than they way I did most of my life.  

I've always loved Him and known He was there, but the "fire" He has allowed in our life has given me a whole new belief IN Him.  He is trustworthy and good and I don't have to be "religious" to know His presence.  That's so freeing. I'm thankful for His grace and that it is so reliable.

Hope you got to know me a little better. 

Thanks for listening!

OK so now the fun part...I get to pass this little award on to 7 others!!

Go check these blogs out, yay!

Elizabeth Ann's Recipe Box

The Keep Family

Marx Family Blessings

The Anderson Chronicle

Adam + Amy

A Boy, A Girl, and A Promise

Blueberry's Blog

Can I list more?  puhhleaaaase?  There are so many out there that bless and inspire my socks off.

(check out more great blogs on the sides over there!)

If you're not on this list, or if you are and you've gotten this award before I knew you, 

Just know I love you!!

Spread it. :)

Blessings!!!