Thanks Shawna for the cool mom award!

I pass it on to Nancy who is such a cool mom she made lauren pj’s and turkey today!

To Janeen who is so cool her kid knows the singers of songs already!

and to Tori, we all know how cool she is! to Haley who is a new mom … and to Karen! who is totally cool!

There’s Jenny who is always cool and Amanda who is cool X 2 (almost) now!

Then Zenaida & Nancy gave me this award!

Thanks guys! Right back atcha!

Also Lauren, Jenny, Irene, Sheryl, Kahri, Susan, Kat, Kari, Yvonne, Sandra, Jodi, and Julie.

Julie at Joyful days gave me this sweet bloggy award! Thanks so much Julie! I pass this one on to you, and you, oh I almost forgot… you too!!! You are all excellent and so are your blogs!

It’s a busy week. I have been on the go go go! Today is Matt’s sister’s (Jane Ann) birthday. Thursday is Bailey’s … He got a PSP. I need to run out and pick up a few more things for him.

I hope you all rush over to congratulate Amanda!!!

Did you vote today? I did! We’re watching the results come in (B O R I N G!!!) Matt canceled the tivo-ing of American Idol to watch this! I’m like, “why not just watch the results later when they are all in?” UGH. Emelia is at basketball practice, Bailey is hovering, Amanda ran to get a birthday cake with boyfriend for boyfriend’s mother’s birthday which is tomorrow. Izzy is in my lap, snoring. I need to lay her in her bed!

We’re having a birthday weekend here… Matt’s mom, aunt, sister & her friend are coming Friday night to spend the night. I guess I’ll be making strawberry cake for the birthday girl and probably cheesecake for Bailey.

I posted a pic on Izzy’s blog earlier today. She’s doing good, she’s been really happy this week… lots of smiles!

Happy Birthday to Princess Lauren!!!

Sweet Kim over at Mom’s Musings passed this bloggy award to me…
Xandra, from Heart of Service has created this fun award. Here is what she says:
“it’s for blogs that I must read every day without fail . . . They make you laugh, cry, think and feel connected every time you read a post. They give you a thrill as you see them loading into your browser and you get an equally satisfying thrill when you see that they have commented on your blog.”

I love visiting Kim’s blog and appreciate her *smiling* sweet words… I’m gonna pass this one on to Nancy tonight. She is not only fun & funny, she is also thoughtful and sweet beyond words.
I keep up with many blogs on bloglines and could list several other bloggy bff’s who I love to read!!!
Oh Amanda is always up to something fun over at her blog… and Sheryl is keeping it real with faith lifts on Fridays… Jodi is a real bloggy pal!… Jenny coaches with love… Julie is a IRL bff… Marcia keeps it all together… Haley is a scrappy gal… Karen can write like no other mother… Kari is laughin through the heat… with Kat the beach girl… Lauren keeps us all young… while Sandra keeps us cooking slow… Gail and Stacy are sweet sisters… Susan has a heart of gold… Tina is a palm tree lover… Hope is a monkey giggler… Irene spreads love and Greek culture… Ann and Elizabeth are related mom and daughter… and Tori tells it like it is.

I know I’m forgetting at least 12 people, but I’m off to lay Izzy down for the night! Good night!

As I was driving Amanda to school earlier this morning we were discussing how crazy it is that the year is almost over. It has gone so fast … we then discussed how much we’d like to be back in Florida )! She is growing up. It’s a little sad, but I’m so proud to see how she is maturing and what a good girl she is. It just goes so fast. Okay, enough nostalgia.

Izzy had a wonderful day at school yesterday. She really enjoys her friends and seems to be enjoying the letters of the week. So much so that I’m going to get some letter and number cards to work with her at home. She lights up when she goes into her pre-k class too. She did really well in vision therapy yesterday. We are seeing constant changes, although tiny changes, we see them and know that God is working in her everyday. We praise and thank Him for the miracle of Izzy.

On to some bloggy business…

Irene, the green greek, has given me a bloggy award (the color of friendship award) and I want to first say thank you to Irene. She is one of the nicest friends I have met and it amazes me that I have met her across so many miles, blogging. Just amazing. She is a constant encourager and a blessing. So, thank you Irene for such a sweet bloggy acknowledgement.

I want to pass this one on to Nancy; CoachJ; JennaG; OhAmanda; Jessica; Tori; and Haley. I could pass this to so many people but with time restraints on the computer (and Izzy ready for her breakfast) I’ll stop here, but I value each of my bloggy friend’s friendship so much.

Lori has given me the bloggers with integrity award.
Thank you so much Lori for thinking of me for this award.
This award was authored by The Little Aussie Cynic to honor those blogs with integrity.
~
Here’s Aussie’s post:
“After looking, reading and watching many many Blogs and bloggers I decided to issue some recognition to those fellow bloggers I feel maintain integrity in the Blogs. All these bloggers incorporate within their wonderful sites, an integrity not always seen. They share terrific stories, topics, discussions and images. All Well worth a look.”

I want to pass this one to Susan, Penless Writer; Sheryl, Taking the Challenge; and Irene, the Green Greek; and Karen from New Zealand.

Karen gave her entire blogroll this encouragement award. I want to pass this one not only to my blogroll (because I actually use bloglines now so my blogroll is much larger than the one on my sidebar….) but also to everyone who has been so encouraging to me during my lack of laptop time and have continued to pop by and leave such sweet messages. Thank you so much. I hope to be up and running sometime in the future )!

Karen is a wonderful friend, I’m sure you know her, but if not you should stop in and say hello. She lives in New Zealand.

Thats all the time I have for now, but I hope you all have a wonderful blessed Wednesday!!!

p.s. my washing machine is FIXED!

I saw this over at Vader’s Mom and thought I would play along. I am supposed to tell you where I was 10, 20 and 30 years ago.

10 – I was pregnant with Emelia. Amanda was 7 and Bailey was 3. I lived here. Same house.

20 – I had just graduated high school. I was going to college and working. Dating Matt, really engaged to Matt and hoping to be married sooner than later. I had marriage on the brain!

30 – I was in third grade. Mrs. Taylor’s class at Choctaw Elementary.

So where were you 10-20-30 years ago????

Kari’s cousin Joey passed away last night. I am so sad for her and her family. He had been in my prayers and the prayers of many. Please pray for their family.

Thank you Nancy for the blog friend forever award!

(I’ll be back in a bit to pass this one on… Izzy’s in the stander and it’s time to get her out!)

Thank you Jenny (Mamalisicous) for giving me this special treat!

If you win please feel free to pass it on to others. Please don’t just choose your friends, choose random visitors as well so you can make new friends and spread the love across the blogging world and not just in your group of blogging buddies. And remember to visit the blogs of the people you choose to let them know they won and to share some comment love…you know we all LOVE comments!

I pass this on to Workin that preppy, Palm Tree Fanatic, Theresa’s Life and Nancy Face .

I was also given the Christmas Spirit award by Kari! (I do love Christmas)! … maybe not as much as Kari ). I am hoping to do things a little differently this year. I think I know what each kid is wanting. I am thinking about ordering this for Izzy, I’ve heard it is a wonderful thing for tone and it is reasonably priced too. After her $7000 stroller, $300 seems like nothing in comparison ). I’m going to pass this one right back to Kari, and then also to Julie, Irene, Sheryl, Sonya, and Carrie!

This is what was said about the award:

What is the Spirit of Christmas you ask?

Quite simply it is those that have a generous and giving nature. Those who care about others. Those who have a kind word to say or a broad shoulder to lean on in the times that others need that. Those who display the “Spirit of Christmas”.

This is the only award that I am releasing that you may pass on to others. I am giving it to five and you should too. Those that have touched your heart with their kind and giving and caring nature.

I thought Susan wrote such an excellent post on blog awards yesterday. Thank you Susan for articulating my own thoughts too )!

I love bloggy awards, it’s just like a big hug from a blog friend.

I got a few while I was away and want to acknowledge them.

Thank you Theresa for the “You lift me up” award!Theresa is a new blog friend and I look forward to getting to know her.

Jenileigh, Carrie, and Karen gave me the Mathetes award.
Mathetes is the Greek word for disciple, and the role of the disciple (per the Great Commission) is to make more disciples.
If you don’t know these three, they are the cream of the crop. Carrie was one of my very first blog friends and she is a sweetie to the core! Karen writes such encouraging posts and is a wonderful author and friend. Jenileigh’s love for God is so evident, I love visiting her.

“We are challenged to find five more people who share the message in their own ways. Winners of this award must pick five other “disciples” to pass it on to. The originator of the award (Dan King of management by God). It’s a blessing to see things such as this floating around the blogosphere.”

Here are my choices for this award:

Susan-Penless Writer … I have enjoyed our emails and feel like she is a true mentor in Christianity. I WILL meet her, she lives in Oklahoma too!

Sheryl-Taking the Challenge … She is a blessing and a prayer warrior, I love her too.

Karen-Karen’s Ramblings … Because you can read God’s love and presence in her blog everyday. She is an inspiration.

Marcia-Organising Queen… Her blog may be about organizing, but dig a little deeper and there is a true love for God and her friends.

Jenny-A Coach for Life… she loves God and her blog is a testimony of that love. I love that we have gotten to be friends through blogging.

Julie-Gigi’s Little Blog… my IRL friend who makes it her mission in life to serve God. She has a huge heart and I love her.

This is the part of blog awards I don’t like, there are so many more names that come to mind! I’ll stop here, but all the blogs I keep up with are disciples… that is why I keep up with them and love to know them.

Well, we’ll be leaving early tomorrow morning and I have a few little bloggy awards I wanted to acknowledge before leaving!

Kari over at Living Large gave me the “You lift me up” award. Kari is a hoot, seriously! She’s a Texan with an Okie heart… gotta love that. Thank you Kari for this award, I always enjoy visiting you!!!

I pass this award to Sheryl, Karen-NZ, Karen, Irene, Marcia, Ann, Coach J, Oh Amanda, and Susan!

Zenaida over at Verb gave me the “egel nest blog award”… thank you Zenaida. One fun thing about blogging is meeting people from so far away I would never have known. Zenaida is one of those people and such a sweetie, thanks Zenaida!

I pass this one to Jodi, Sonya, Carrie, Tricia, Momma, Natalie, K.C., Michelle and Tina!

Karen (another far off friend) gave me the “I’m Fabulous Award.” Karen is certainly fabulous and I love visiting her very spiritual God loving blog. Thank you Karen for the award!

This one I give to Nancy, Lauren, Tori, Julie, Dena, Haley, Kat, and Kari!

I’m packing and doing last minute things because we leave at 5 a.m. tomorrow ya’ll so if I get a chance this afternoon I’ll put all the links to the names, but for now I am just getting it typed to be finished. Sorry. If you see your name, take the award and pass it on!

I’m going to miss you all, please pray for a safe trip and I’ll miss and pray for all you guys too!

I always say I have the very best bloggy friends, well… this past week Kat gave me the nice matters award and Janeen gave me the courageous blogger award.

It’s time to pass these along!

“This award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world. Once you’ve been awarded please pass it on to others who you feel are deserving of this award.”

I imagine before long everyone will have this but here are my nominations… Tori, Susan, Sheryl, Kim, Dena, Jodi, Mandalyn, Judi, Karen, Carrie, Irene, Marcia, K.C., and JennaG. I would also add Kat and Jill had they not already received this award.

Janeen had this to say… Annie: Annie is such a sweet and gentle soul. But she is a fierce momma when it comes to her children and especially Izzy. Her love and belief in Izzy amazes me. Annie you are a wonderful person and an excellent mom.

Thanks Janeen, you are such a sweet bloggy friend!

This award is a little harder to pass on. I went to the root of the award to read about who should be given this award. It said this “For those bloggers who are battling or have battled with physical or mental illness, those who are survivors of abuse, poverty, or who have overcome other challenges in life. Those who serve in the military or work/volunteer in dangerous situations in order to provide a service or to help others. This award is for the strong, the brave, and the courageous.”

I’m not sure my group falls directly in this category, but I find them to be courageous bloggers anyway (in no particular order)…

OhAmanda… she is courageously putting things on her blog that are not world friendly, but she is more concerned with God’s word than the world and I think this makes her one courageous blogger!

Jessica is a courageous blogger. Her blog gives updates on her sweet little girl ME. She is now pregnant with another little baby and is dealing with medical issues with sweet ME. She approaches these medical issues with courage and I enjoy visiting her blog often.

CoachJ… she puts her heart out there on her blog. I think it is very courageous of her to open herself up to the blog world.

Jenny (Gus’ Gang) … she has taken the loss of her beautiful baby boy and made a blog to help spread information about other children needing prayers. She is very courageous in her day to day postings and I love her for that.

D.J. has been going through a lot of medical issues with her hand and has continued to praise God and keep a courageous attitude.

Julie is my irl friend who has seven children. I think having seven children puts you into the courageous category instantly!!! Julie has courage and has overcome a lot of things in her life.

Michelle is a courageous blogger. We all love reading about and especially seeing the adorable pics of Kayla, but Michelle is courageous in her attitude and has connected with so many bloggers! She is such a sweet courageous blogger.

Tammy (Parker’s mom) is so courageous! She is dealing with a lot of medical issues with sweet little Parker, I continue to lift this family up in prayer and hope you will too. It takes more than just courage to deal with things Tammy is dealing with now.

You can take these awards to your place now and pass them on!