Thank you Thank you

Wow!!!! Taylor gave me the "Smile Award" yesterday. I am honored. There are so many people I want to thank, first my producers and my fans.....just kidding. But seriously, even though it is just one of those silly blog awards, Taylor's words on why she picked me mean the world to me. Thanks Tay!

Now to tell you about Taylor. Taylor is one of my very best friends who has gone through quite a journey. Her story is amazing. (which you can find at a little slice of heaven.) It is full of grief and sorrow, but even more full of God's love and grace and power. You see, Taylor had struggled with infertility issues and when she finally became pregnant was asked to give that baby back to the Lord. Her sweet son, Nathan Taylor, had Trisomy 13 and when he was born he lived just a few short moments before going into the arms of Christ. She has shown unbelievable strength and dedication to God through all of this and more than anything is using her "story" to bring others closer to our God...including me. We have been best friends for quite a while now but her friendship means more to me now than ever! We have some fun memories like dragging Jeff by a rope in a field behind her car, many fun lake trips where bouncy balls hit my teeth, and helping each other hold up our huge wedding dresses on our wedding day when we had to go "potty." The thing that I love best about our friendship now though is how we are teaching eachother and encouraging eachother toward Christlikeness. She has really been a source of strength and comfort for me as I am about to enter the ministry. She is amazing and I love her for considering me a friend.

Now I am supposed to grant this award to 5 blogger friends... I think I only have 5 blogger friends on my list anyway so this should be easy! Hehehe.

These are the rules:
1. The recipient must link back to the awards creator the babblings of mere
2. You must post these rules if you receive the award.
3. You must chose 5 people to receive the award after receiving it yourself
4. You must fit the characteristics of the recipient of the award, as posted by Mere.
5. You must post the characteristics of a recipient.
6. You must create a post sharing your win with others.
7. You must thank your giver.

Characteristics for the Smile Award:
1. Must display a cheerful attitude. (not necessarily at all times--we are all human)
2. Must love one another
3. Must make mistakes
4. Must learn from others
5. Must be a positive contributor to blog world
6. Must love life
7. Must love kids

1. Mary (http://marynorton.blogspot.com)~Mary is one my best friends. She is such an encourager. This may sound kind of selfish, but I love how she always makes me feel like she's my biggest fan! We've been friends for about 4 years now. We have some great memories ranging from going to Broken Bow and playing "panties" to pouring our hearts out to each other while our dorky husbands play video games! And she has 2 really dang cute kids! Her and her husband have played a HUGE role in me and Jeff's life. They have encouraged us to follow God's leading and not the world's. They have shown us what a "John 10:10 life" looks like. We do "life together" and I love that. I am really sad that they live far away from us now, but thank goodness for blogs so I can still "hear" her words. She is really dang smart and I always learn more about God's character just by her character and her words.

2. Jenni (http://jdarst.blogspot.com) I love my Jenni! Jenni is my sister in law (Jeff's sister). She is also one of my best friends! We can't go a week without seeing eachother. We have withdrawals and we just can't function. Jenni energizes me. She is my battery (haha). Even though I sometimes hate it, she makes me branch out by trying on crazy clothes at stores and doing pilates with her. She is a woman who is passionate and loves the Lord. She just got married to Tim (who is a riot to be around by the way) and their "newlywed love" is so pure and sweet. It's cool to see how we have grown to be so close. She started out merely as Jeff's cute little sister and is now my best friend and someone that I look to for an example of godliness. You are great Jenni....even though you had a thumbchunk!

3. Sharon (http://thebaileybeat.blogspot.com) Sharon was like a second momma to me and to many others. She helped out a lot with the youth at my church I grew up in. We had some fun memories at camps and such. I remember getting in a chocolate pudding fight with her at a camp where we were wiping it on each other's faces and everyone was looking at us like we were crazy. I also remember her leading a bible study for the youth in the girl's bathroom on the floor because she needed a room that was pitch dark and that was the only room. She put a sign on the door that said, "Out of order." But some old lady walked in and was probably appalled that the youth (including teenage boys) were hanging out in the girls bathroom. I loved how Sharon could "come down to our level" by playing and joking with us but then could "bring us up a level" through her bible studies and her example.

4. Amanda (http://aspecialblend.blogspot.com) I went to high school with Amanda but didn't really know her then. I just knew who she was. I actually just found her on blogger and facebook probably a couple of months ago. But I can say that I do know her now just by reading her blog. Her blog is amazing and inspiring. She really conveys a love for Christ that is quite contagious. She is very knowledgeable and shows a passion for interpreting scripture. Even though we still don't "know" eachother that well, I am truly blessed by her words and am grateful that I found her.

5. Kate (http://mymessynest.blogspot.com) Kate is another girl I went to high school with that I didn't know all that well. She is actually good friends with Amanda. Kate's blog is the one I go to when I need a good laugh. She is freakin hilarious! It makes me wish I could hang out with her in person! She is also quite inspiring when it comes to domesticity. She writes and posts pictures a lot of room decor, recipes, cleaning tips, etc. It is so great and she is quite talented. So thanks, Kate, for always bringing a smile to my face!