I got a blog award.... but I have to work for it!

Holly, at Scattering Agates, has awarded me my very first blog award. Awwww.... :) Thanks, Holly!

Holly and I went to college together and she has a blog I need to check to ground myself once in a while. Really good reflections on falling down, getting up, and trying harder in the Christian-Catholic life as a wife and mom. Holly likes mine, because she likes the material, but it's not really her style to post it. So we help each other out!

So, these are the rules from what she posted:

If I sent you the Honest Scrap Blog Award, here are the guidelines:

1) Say thanks and give a link to the presenter of the award.
2) Share "ten honest things" about myself.
3) Present this award to 7 others whose blogs I find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged me.
4) Tell those 7 people that they've been awarded HONEST SCRAP and inform them of these guidelines in receiving it.

Ten Honest Things About Myself:

1. I love being Catholic and cannot imagine giving it up. Ever. World Youth Day 1993 has something to do with that.
2. Honesty is one of my favorite attributes. Fairness is another one. And yes, I am a Libra. If you want to see me mad, do something really unfair.
3. I never thought I was going to have more than, say, three kids. But I have to say, five doesn't look that much harder, and I'm glad we're going there.
4. My home is really California, strange a place as it is. But since my ultimate home is Heaven, I can call WA my home, also. Sorry, Oregon, you never really were home to me.
5. I love my husband dearly, and am very, very glad I married him 10 years ago on July 10th.
6. I always love my family, but sometimes I don't like them very much.
7. I vascillate between lazy and frenetic cleaning periods at our house. Maybe that's why it looks like a tornado went through it most of the time.
8. I'm thankful for being close to dirt poor at times, and for all our woes we have gone through, because I have learned what it's like to be poor and also how to manage my money before I have any (thank you, www.daveramsey.com). God knew I needed to learn that a few times before I got it right, and so I thank Him. It is only on reflection that one sees the hand of God.
9. I am enjoying these next ten years or so to the fullest, because I can foresee another stage of life that is not nearly as fun -- high school/college aged children and aging parents. It will be more difficult, and my life is so good right now, I want to enjoy every single moment.
10. My family fits surprisingly well into 967 sq. ft. They even like each other. Most days.

Ok, now for the seven other blogs:

The Common Room
http://www.heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/ It was the first, and the best. I check it every day.

The Pioneer Woman
http://thepioneerwoman.com/ So much good stuff, and reminds me of my childhood on a ranch. Not nearly as big of a ranch, but I do get it when a cow's uterus falls out. Been there for that one!

The McKillip Klan

http://www.mckillipklan.typepad.com/ This family is one I corrected papers for a while back, and we became friends. They are a neat family, on a farm in Colorado. They've been having an AWFUL weather year, so please pray for them and their mom's sanity!

Stoney Creek Digest
http://culbreath.wordpress.com/
We met through a recommendation from the first blog, and then last year we met in person. I don't always agree with Jeff, but he sure does make you think. His family is loverly, and we dearly enjoyed our meeting. They took us to our first Latin Mass in Chico, CA of all places. Let's just say Chico State is not known for it's Masses! And since it was nearby, I just thought that was funny.

Gladdest Hours

http://houseofgallus.typepad.com/cedarsandroses/
Suzanne is a lovely person in person, too! She focuses on the Liturgical Year, and how to celebrate it. It's just wonderful. Her site has soooo many links, you could be there all day.

Who Says 8 Is Enough?
http://bouffard11.blogspot.com/
I adore this blog, but don't check it as much anymore. She's just amazing. Watch the video of how their family came to be. It's partly by birth, partly by adoption, and she keeps basically a scrapbook online. It also links to lots of other blogs, many of which are about adoption, christian families, and multiples. The slideshow at the beginning is a must, did I mention that?


Sardonic Catholic Dad
http://sardoniccatholicdad.blogspot.com/ This guy reminds me to have a sense of humor. Seriously, I love this blog, and it's good for the guys out there. I think the next baby makes an even dozen kids. He lives in NJ, I think. He's very honest, and that's a nice thing to see in a PC world. So funny, it might be sinful.


Now I have to contact all these people?? Holly, why, oh why did you do this to me? :)

Have fun, peeps!