Another Award... Yippee!

Julie over at As Jules is Going nominated me for a LIEBSTER award... She is so sweet!

(Here is a confession... I have actually been nominated for this award a couple times before, but it always seemed so time consuming to meet the requirements I never got around to fulfilling them.)

What is the Liebster {LEEB-ster} award, you ask? The Liebster award is given to upcoming bloggers who have less than 200 followers {shhh, don’t tell}. The meaning: Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing and welcome.

Rules for receiving this award:1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves.2. Then answer the questions the tagger sent for them, plus create 11 questions for the people they've tagged to answer.3. Choose 11 people and link them in your post.4. Notify the people you have tagged.5. No tag backs.

11 things about me…


1. I was born in Bad Kreuznach, Germany... (It was West Germany when I was born!)

2. My dad was in the ARMY (hence #1)

3. I am a night owl... I always have been and even during those seasons that I had to be up early my internal clock always fights it.

4. Even now to fall asleep I have to read to fall asleep...

5. I was a terrible cook for the first seven or so years of my marraige... Well, not terrible but not good either. And I don't know why I suddenly decided to get better at it, but it seemed to happen kinda over night.

6. In my mind I'm a "girly girl" but in reality I am no such thing...

7. I have good luck in raffles and drawings... I win more than most people I know, and so did my father... I didn't think something like that could be hereditary... Go figure..

8. I do not journal... I have tried several times, but can never keep with it... Which is weird since I blog, and in some ways that is kinda the same thing.

9. I love all colors but by default I think red is my favorite color... I seem to be attracted to it and buy a disproportionate amount of red things...

10. I always have sunglasses with me when I leave the house (rain or shine) even if I don't wear them on my face... They are almost always on top of my head.

11. I never listen to my messages, on either my cell or home phone... Leaving me one is futile, because I won't listen to it. I check my caller id frequently and will call people back, but don't even know how to check my voice mail on my current cell phone. In fact, I am kinda funny about the phone in general, and will frequently just not answer it... I hate being interrupted in the middle of, well almost anything by it's ringing. My mother always answers the phone and if I am here she tells the caller I am and calls out for me... This is my number one pet peeve... I am more likely to answer my cell phone and text, facebook or email is the best way to communicate with me. (All impersonal... Weird for an extravert, I know...)


Julie's Questions for me...  

1. What’s the theme song of your life {make up one if there’s not one already in existence}? I don't know if it's the theme song for my life... At least not my whole life here, but Casting Crowns "Glorious Day" is the song in my heart... I am continually moved by it and transported to a place of worship by it...  

2. What is your most recent project you've completed?
Does the wedding, subsequent showers we hosted and the antique show we catered count? I feel like they should... I am also starting a 40 bags in 40 days challenge, I'll tell you more about that soon, but just completing the list felt like an accomplishment!

3. Describe a time you laughed until your tummy hurt.
The night before last... We (Paul, Katy, Jed, Allison, Dakota, & myself) were eating dinner on the back deck as we usually do in the summer and Allison decided to toss her watermelon rind into the bushes and ferns behind our house... All of us but Paul (who thought we'd attract skunks) thought it seemed like a fun if not good idea and even though he accused us of being easily amused he didn't stop us... Until... Allison was on her third slice of watermelon and decided to really throw it hard... I think she was going for distance... Anyhow it flew from her hand prematurely and smacked Paul with a loud thunk right in the middle of his chest. The look he gave her was too much... We all died laughing and couldn't stop... (Yes, even him!) I am laughing even as I type this.

4. What was the last thing you re-tweeted?
I kinda, sorta gave up on twitter... I don't even remember my password.

5. What’s your favorite TV show or Movie?TV Show... I'd have to say Gilmore Girls because I usually watch it with at least one of my girlies and love that it's our show... By myself I tend to be more nerdy and watch Battlestar Galactica (newer ones) or Firefly on DVD... Movie is tougher... I love to watch almost all movies (except horror) but a favorite... Hmmm... I am going to go with four... "While You Were Sleeping" for romantic comedy, "The Bourne Identity" for action, "Serenity" for Sci-Fi and for drama I'll go with "The Blind Side"... But as a whole family we watch the entire, extended edition of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy at least once a year... 12 hours of family time is the perfect antidote for a mid winter blizzard, and it helps that the guys love them too!

6. Tell a brief story of your ultimate fail.You can read about them under "Need a Giggle" at the top of my blog... Here are direct links... Enjoy my shame...#1 & #2

7. Who is your biggest fan?
Paul... Hands down... He is always in my corner and encouraging me, but recently I met someone who knows one of the girlies that I hadn't met yet, and she was recounting all the amazing things my daughter shared with her and said since she met her it has been her goal to try to be as good of a mom as I am so that he children sing her praises like mine do. I was blown away to hear this and it is nice to know they appreciate who I was/am as a mother.

8. What do you want to accomplish {blog-wise}?
I want to be real... I want the people who read my blog to hear my voice. I want my readers to feel like we are friends, like we are catching up over a cup of coffee and they just asked me "So what is going on in your life?"... When I am fortunate enough to have a reader comment I can often follow their link back to their blog and get to know them too. I have had the amazing experience of making actual friends through blogging and even though that wasn't my goal, I am blessed by this outcome!

9. Where did you grow up and where do you want to live?
I grew up right here in Rockport, Maine and even though through the years we have lived in Tennessee, (Northern) California, New Jersey, Montana, and Vermont, this is the third time we find ourselves back here in Maine... Maybe the Lord is trying to tell us something??
As for where I want to live... I have lots of opinions but have decided I want to be where ever the Lord wants me. This is not a cop-out, because I want to say I want to be where my girlies are, and even though I hope this is what the Lord has for us, I don't know if that will be the case or not.

10. Top 3 favorite blogs to read?I absolutly can't narrow it down to three... You see that little list of who I read daily over there on the right... Well, I do... Those are the blogs of my bloggy friends and/or their blogs touch my life in some way... (Although there are a couple of you who only blog every once in awhile so I tend to just drop by yours weekly.) I also read the Pioneer Woman daily... I know, who doesn't, right? It was her blog that inspired me to try blogging and I am so glad I did.

11. Cold or Hot Caffeine drinker {or neither}?Both... I love coffee but mostly drink it in the morning with my beloved peppermint mocha creamer... I also like ice tea and drink it a ton in the warm weather... I don't really do cola anymore, I gave up all soda for a year last year and now pretty much only have ginger-ale if I have any.

Now the hard part...
To nominate 11 bloggers...
(I am not sure how many followers you all have, so if you have a lot more than the 200 required, I'm sorry!)

1. Julie at Herding Grasshoppers

2. Nina at Nina the Mom

3. Dawn at It Just Dawned On Me

4.Mindee at Our Front Door

5. Conny at The Life of an Ordinary Hausfrau

6. Angela at Angela's Randomness

7. Amiee at Promises and Secrets

8. Shannon at Sincerely Shannon (The amazing Joyce's daughter)

9. Katie at So, Funny Story

10. Karen at Karen's Corner

11. Angie at Angie's Ad Lib

My Questions for the nominees:

1. Why did you start blogging?
2. What is your funniest post?
3. If you could go anywhere on vacation where would it be?
4. Would you like to meet your bloggy friends or do you enjoy the anonymity?
5. When you are at baby showers and they tell you to write a piece of advice for the new mom what do you write?
6. Just out of curiosity, have you ever been to Maine? If yes, where and if no, what do you think of when you hear Maine besides lobster?
7. Do you have a favorite color for decorating and/or clothing and are these the same color?
8. What one song inspires you or touches you heart?
9. What is you favorite Bible verse or favorite quote?
10. Do you like to change up your home's decor (seasonal decorations, change the furniture around, etc) or do you pretty much leave everything where you put it the first time?
11. What was your favorite childhood toy or toy your child had and why?

There... I did it! I can finally post this award!
Thanks for listening,


PS. Let me know when you do your post so I can hop over and read your answers!