Another Blog Award!

Woo Hoo! A blog award from Tauna.

In order to accept this award I'm supposed to answer some questions. They have to be one word answers - I stretched a couple of them.

1. Where is your cell phone? Purse
2. Your hair? Brown
3. Your mother? Friend
4. Your father? Dead
5. Your favorite food? Chocolate
6. Your dream last night? Huh?
7. Your favorite drink? DietCoke
8. Your dream/goal? Married
9. What room are you in? Kitchen
10. Your hobby? Blogging
11. Your fear? Money
12. Where do you want to be in six years? Debtfree
13. Where were you last night? Home
14. Something you aren't? Thin
15. Muffins? Raspberry
16. Wish list item? Car
17. Where did you grow up? Pocatello
18. Last thing you did? Cleaned
19. What are you wearing? Capri
20. TV? love
21. Your pets? None
22. Friends? Blogbuddies
23. Your life? Happy
24. Your mood? Hopeful
25. Missing someone? Brady
26. Vehicle? Pontiac
27. Something you're not wearing? shoes
28. Your favorite store? Winco
29. Your favorite color? Blue
30. When was the last time you laughed? AM
31. When was the last time you cried? Don't
32. Your best friend? Sons
33. One place that you go to over and over? Becky's
34. One person who emails me regularly? Mother
35. Favorite place to eat? Sizzler

Whew!
Next, I have to pass this award on to six other bloggers. Thanks Tauna for giving me this.

Shauna at Trying to Stay Calm. She has amaZing give aways and I won!

Becca at Blue Cricket Design. She has wonderful creations and giveaways and I won!

Valerie at Valerie's Attempt at Pondering. Valerie is a great cook and has such a strong spirit that she continually makes me feel the spirit through things she writes!

Bobbi Jo at It's Good to be Queen. Bobbi Jo is such a kid at heart and has too much fun with in her life. Her humor is great. She loves Pink!

Teresa at A Baby changes Everything. She is a pro at decorating Christmas trees. My new favorite site - check it out!

Kado at Our life in Perfect Cadence. I recently found her blog and I think she is one amazing woman and mother.

Hope you all enjoy checking out their blogs!!

Blog Award!

I was given a blog award from Valerie this week. It's always a great feeling to receive an award and to know that someone likes your blog. Valerie was nice to choose me for this Honest Scrap award.

I feel deeply honored because this award is gifted to blogs that are encouraging, inspiring, or brilliant. To be listed in this criteria is very humbling - because my blog is just my plain old journal, my thoughts and my family events.

It's always nice to know when people read what I write or even give me a comment. I really enjoy being part of the blog world and all the wonderful women who inspire me.

The rules of accepting and sharing this award are:
*Thank the person who gave the award and link to their blog. (Thanks Valerie!!)
*Share "10 Honest Things" about yourself.
*Present this award to 7 others whose blogs you find encouraging, inspiring, or brilliant.
*Contact the bloggers and inform them they've been given this award.

10 honest things about me ( I hope it's not tooo depressing, but these are real facts about me):

1. I don't cry much. I have to be having a really emotional day to cry - but usually I just hold it inside. When I feel I have to let out the emotion, I have to watch a really sad show to get it started. I don't cry.

2. I had my first son as a single person at age 22.

3. I didn't get married until I was 31 years old. It makes me sad that I married too quickly (2 week engagement) to the wrong man. I just really wanted to be married and have children. My marriage only lasted 3 1/2 years.

4. It's hard to realize as I connect with old school friends how my life hasn't really progressed as theirs has. I know we aren't suppose to compare lives, but I am exactly where I was when I was 20....wondering who I will marry and having to get out there and date. I didn't progress to adulthood with a 47 year old life... I'm still a struggling single woman... You'd think it would be better at this age... Oh well... it's my life and I am happy with it (when I don't compare it with other people my age or old school friends).

5. I've only attended 1 year at BSU before becoming a career woman. I wish I would have finished college and received a degree. I would have loved to be a teacher. But as a single mother, it's been my job to provide a good home for my children and I didn't have the time or money to complete school and I don't think at this age it will happen.

6. I am a spender not a saver - although during this past few years I have worked hard to get out of debt and save. Life is much happier when you spend money you have already saved vs spending on credit and getting into bondage to a payment.

7. I've never really like to cook - or cooked enough to get by. But since becoming a blogger and working on food storage - I've really become a better cook. It's been a real joy in my life collecting recipes and cooking new and yummy things. Where were all you wonderful women years ago????? Sure glad I finally found you!

8. I don't have any real close friends. I have lots of friends but haven't bonded closely with anybody since I've become an adult woman. I think it is because I have had to work so hard to provide for my family and be a single mom that there really isn't anytime left that I am willing to share with someone else - it's too much work. That sounds a little harsh, but it's just a fact that when I am not working I want to be home with my children.

9. Life is different being a single woman. I know I am safe at home and hate to venture outside my home where my children or I could be harmed. A married person who has a husband to rely on, doesn't understand this. I may be different, but I don't like taking vacations where I have to provide, protect and go outside my comfort zone. This equals to no real vacation for years. My vacations are visiting my family (safety zone) which equals a boring life.

10. I am always VERY careful around men who are married. I never want to get into a situation joking or talking with married men from my church or anywhere else. It maybe silly, but I am aware of it all the time. I never want to put myself in any weird type of situation or room where others may gossip about me.

You never really knew how life is for a single woman - did ya? I don't talk about it often, because it's kind of a downer... I'd rather be upbeat and be the best person I can be. But there are lots of challenges being a single woman. You probably won't hear me whining about this again... But, it's out there - 10 honest things about me.

Now I get to award this to 7 amazing bloggers.

1. Kimmie has quickly become my favorite woman. She is frugal, a wonderful cook who is gracious enough to share her wonderful recipes with me. She is a fabulous mother and loves the outdoors and takes beautiful pictures of her treks. I am always inspired reading about her wonderful life.

2. Cherie is one of my favorite people I know. She is a wonderful friend and I really look up to her. She has an amazing life with an amazing family and is a bishops wife - kudos to her that she has time to blog and inspire those around her. I love when she teaches me to be a better blogger. She hosts the best parties and ward parties. She is TALENTED! I can ask her anything and she knows the answer. I am glad she is my friend and close enough to chat with in real life.

3. Scrappy Girl is one of those women whom I connected with in blog land. I love her humor and all the fun she has in life. It could be that we both are huge Twilight and Vampire Diaries fans. She is an amazing scrap booker - very inspiring which is why her name is Scrappy Girl -she wears the name well.

4. I love visiting Connie's blog. She is the best grandma, and mother of 8 children. She is full of life experience and she shares it freely. Great recipes too! I love her sense of humor as she describes her family, it always brings a smile to my face as I read what she writes.

5. Sandra is my creative crafting guru. She comes up with the best craft ideas with things that come from the dollar store. Every time I read her blog I am blown away by her talent in creating marvelous things. WOW!

6. Roots and Wings is a fun blog to visit. They always have great children party ideas, craft ideas, decorating ideas. There area couple of women who share their ideas together on this site. I love it!

7. Prepared LDS family. I love all the preparedness ideas helps, hints and how to prepare better. It's a very informative place to visit.

Relief Society Meeting and Service

Tuesday night was our Relief Society meeting. Women of the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints get together every once in a while (monthly or quarterly) to learn new skills or provide service.

This week we met together to make Christmas Stockings for the Boys and Girls club in Meridian. We each donated stocking stuffers for the stockings. These stockings were for boys and girls ages 12 through 18, because they are the children usually missed during charity drives.

I completely forgot this service project was scheduled for this week until I received an email on Monday - Yikes! First of all, I signed up to bring a treat I love to make during the Christmas season to share on a tasting table. I decided to make Carmel brownies and lucky for me all the ingredients were in my food storage. The downside was that it made me stress out a bit for lack of time. I wish I would have known it was this Tuesday and that I had signed up for the treat on Sunday (the downside of being in Primary and NOT Relief Society). If I'd have known, I would have made it on Sunday instead of rushing around on Tuesday.

Monday I cleaned 2 houses, cleaned off all the flowers from my berm, raked leaves, cleaned my customer's business Monday night, plus fit Family Home Evening lesson in. OK - it was a busy Monday but we did it.

Tuesday I cleaned 2 houses, came home showered, made Carmel brownies, took Brady to piano lessons, shopped for stocking stuffers, made dinner and went to the activity. Sometimes I run at full speed. I really need to stop signing up for things - like making a dessert at the last moment *shaking my head.

I made it to the meeting and helped cut out stockings to be sewn together. We had different stations to cut the stockings, sew the stockings, decorate the stockings with appliques and glitter, then stuff the stockings (boy or girl) and write notes to the children and the missionaries from our ward.

The members in our church are very giving. There were so many items to fill the stockings that we were able to do 60 stockings. WOW! It was exciting to see all of these women get together for one purpose to spread Christmas joy!

They had Christmas music playing in the back ground and we all visited and had a grand time. Even though I am a little out of my comfort zone as I rush around to get to these meetings I always have such a great time being involved in such great causes and being surrounded by wonderful women!

Now I am in the mood for Christmas music and have been listening to it non-stop *giggle. Last night I finally took down my Halloween decorations and put up my Thanksgiving decorations. You can see some of my decorations from my post last year. I will post more pictures later of items not on this post. Happy Thanksgiving - only 3 weeks away!

I am Thankful for Neighbors

Brady and I have been enjoying our thankfulness jar. Monday after Brady returned home from school we headed across the street to rake leaves for one of our neighbors. We raked up 10 garbage bags full of leaves. Linda (a single woman who had back surgery about 3 months ago) came out as we were finishing and was thrilled and confused why we were raking her leaves.
It is always a great feeling when you provide service for someone. I believe that you get more joy then they do. Service always gives me a happy heart.

Brady kept asking me who told us to do the Thanksgiving count down jar. Why were we doing this. He makes me smile. I told him that nobody "told" me to do this, it was something "I" wanted to do for our family.

I feel it is important to have a grateful heart. Sometimes I think we are to arrogant about our blessings, instead of thankful for the goodness of the Lord. One of my favorite DVDs are the "Love Comes Softly" saga. I love how the pioneers were dependant upon the Lord for everything. We have come far with technology and luxuries that our hearts are hardened and not thankful enough for all the goodness in our lives and where it comes from - our Heavenly Father.

While I was reading Bakow Babble this week, Cherie's family did a great Family Home Evening lesson that will be ours next Monday. Here it is:

The lesson is trying to acknowledge all of the blessings given to us by our Father In Heaven. We read the story in Luke 17:11-19 of the Ten Lepers who came to Jesus to be cleansed. Only 1 came back to give Thanks.

We are often like the 1 who came back when we thank God for our blessings but there are often times that we are like the other 9, forgetting many of the things we receive from a loving Father.

So, for this month during our Family Prayers we are only going to be Thankful and not ask for anything. It is harder than it sounds and it really makes you think.

Brady and I decided to have our prayers be one of "Thankfulness" this month and have been trying hard to do this too. I want to rely more on the Lord for my day to day life and be thankful to him for his bounteous blessing he gives me. I have a feeling this will be an amazing month!