Kreativ Blog Award

I was given a Kreativ Blog Award from my friend Alicia! Thanks Alicia! Now I get to share 7 things that I love and pass the blog award on to 7 other bloggers whose blogs I enjoy reading! I do enjoy reading Alicia's blog but thought since she was already awarded to award it to someone else!

Seven things I love:

1. Crafting:
I enjoy all types of crafts from scrap booking, sewing, floral arranging, and painting. I am always wanting to learn something new. I do not crochet of knit and I would love to learn both. I have very slowly picked up cake decorating and I am going to take some classes in the next few months. I am a not a seamstress by any means but I love making simple things for my boys, family, and friends. I love to scrapbook but don't seem to find the time since my second child was born but I will pick back up one of these days! I have been doing florals since I was little because my mom did them when I was growing up. I get all my craftiness from my mom. Thanks for the great genes mom!

2. Being a stay at home mom:
I have known since I was very young that I wanted to be a wife and a mother. Always in school when someone would ask me what I wanted to be, that was my answer. It was not a very good answer to most but that I have always felt it was my calling in life. I was never very ambitious about a career choice because it was never where my heart was. I knew as soon as I had a baby I would be at home and not at the job anymore so it was never my focus. Now of course, I regret not finishing college since I will be returning sometime in the future to finish. I still pray every night the Lord will direct me in the career path he wants because I know one day I will have to return to the work world. I am excited to see what plans he has for me. I am thankful to have a husband that believes my being at home is the best thing for our children and family as well. It wouldn't be possible to be a stay at home mom without the support of my husband. Thank you, baby!

3. Cooking:
I always remember being in the kitchen with my mom. When my mom went back to work at a job outside of the school system and didn't get off work until 5:00, I started cooking supper for our family a lot of nights. It has always been something I enjoyed doing. I had my first dinner party when I was in high school. I try to cook most every night and I usually cook at least 5 nights out of the week. I love trying new recipes but somehow most of the time I end up making the things I grew up eating and making with my mom. I love trying to make my mother's and grandmother's dishes and make them turn out just like theirs. Why your cooking never tastes exactly the same as someone else's with all the same ingredients is so puzzling to me. It must to pots and pans! :) My sister's always call me if they can't get a hold of mom and need some cooking advice. The middle sis is good for something every now and then! I am trying to pass this love onto Max since he has shown an interest in it. We will see!

4. Family:
I am so blessed to have a such a wonderful family. My parents and siblings are always there when I need them. My boys are so blessed to have both set of grandparents that love them and want to spend as much time as possible with them. They all spoil my babies rotten and I think that is great! Don't get me wrong it can make Max a little bratty sometimes but that comes with the territory. I actually enjoy being with my family and love our Sunday afternoons together. We go on vacation every year together and always enjoy it and each other. I still have both of my grandmothers and we try to make as many trips to see them as possible. I am glad my boys are getting to know their great grandmother's as well. Max was 2 when Rex's grandmother died but Max still remembers things about her. I am glad Rex has extended family here so the boys have cousins their age they can play with. That was something I really missed growing up without extended family around. We try to spend as much time as we can with them.

5. Special outings and birthdays:
I love doing special things as a family. An outing to me is a chance at making memorys. I love living in such a family friendly city that offers so many opportunities for family outings. We had so much fun this fall doing all kinds of things like pumpkin picking, hay rides, camp fires, and parties. We go to Gatliburg with my family for our annual trip in the winter but we try to go at least two more times through the year. We love going to the park with friends, the Creative Discovery Museum, the zoo, and Coolidge Park. Max loves going on train rides and riding in the church bus for our day trips with church. I love birthdays! I love planning Max's birthdays and seeing the joy he gets from it. He loves his parties and starts planning them right after one is finished. I am so excited about Wesley's first birthday and started planning it after he turned 6 months old. There is just something about having one day out of the year that is your special day. I always loved my birthday growing up and want to make it a special day always for my boys.

6. Shopping frugally:
I have always, always been a shop-o-holic! I came out of the womb ready to make my first purchase. My parents are both bargain shoppers and my dad likes to shop as much as the rest of us. Rex says my favorite hobby is spending other people's money! LOL! He thinks I should become a professional shopper and get paid to do what I love. I just lately have become addicted to couponing. I love saving money and finding ways to get what we need for as little as possible. I have always been a bargain shopper for clothes and other items but not in the grocery arena. I have taken the challenge head on and now am seeing great rewards! I can't wait to check out and see my savings, first call my mom and then Rex to tell of the day's savings.

7. Music and singing:
I think I was exposed to music in the womb. Most of my traits other than my temper were inherited from my mother. My love for music and ability to sing comes from my father. Some of my earliest memories are dancing around while my dad sang Winnie the Pooh while playing it on his guitar. I remember the Gibson guitar he had almost all my life and how I would love to see that big black case being brought out. My father has a beautiful voice and I love to hear him sing. We always sang at home and in church. I went to an after school choir in elementary school and we would put on performances every year. I started singing solos in that choir very young. I was always in chorus at school until high school and transferred my attentions to anything art. I always sang at church and loved being in the choir. I miss the choir and hopefully will join back in one of these days. Music has always been a big part of my life and I can't imagine having a quiet non music household.

Enough about me! :) Here are seven blogs that I love and enjoy reading in particular order:

1. Tammy at Tammy on the go. I met Tammy through 31gifts. She found my website and became a consultant under me. I have only met Tammy twice face to face but she is a lovely Christian lady with a huge heart. She has two precious girls and we were pregnant together with our second babies. She is doing some wonderful things on her blog to bring attention to some families in need. I am glad the Lord brought this special lady from Florida into my life.

2. Sarah at Our Nine Month Journey . I have only met Sarah once but I have known her husband for a long time. Her husband is part of a group that does a music revival at our church every year, The Akins. They are the sweetest family and we love them. Davey and Sarah are expecting their first baby this month and I have enjoyed watching her progress in her pregnancy. I hope she keeps up the blog after baby A is born. They haven't found our the sex of the baby so we are all anxious to see if it's a boy or a girl. Good luck to Sarah and Davey!

3. Sarah at fiddledeedee . I have never met Sarah but she saves me time and money every week! I use her blog for my Publix coupons and updates through the week. Thanks Sarah for your hard work that makes my life so much easier!

4. Amy at Homespunthreads. I went to high school with Amy for a couple of years. She was older than me. We ran back into each other at Breastfeeding Support Group after I had Max. She ran a successful purse business for several years. She is so creative and I think can make anything possible. She amazes me at her talent. She does some awesome web designs too. She has 3 cute little guys. She has her own website on Etsy and I think I may have to purchase one of her new silhoute products. Too cute!

5. Stephanie at NieNie Dialogues. I found this blog from Amy's blog actually. I have kept up with this for a while. Nie was in a plane crash and was in a coma for several months. While she was in the coma her sister posted older post that Nie had written and so I got to know her through he older posts. She is now in recovery and posting about her daily life and progress. She is an excellent writer and I love to hear all the things she does with her family. Her spirit always seems to be high even through all the trials and pain she is living with.

6. Julene at The Simmons Boys. I met Julene through our play group. They moved here two years ago or so and I really don't remember who invited them but they are a part of us now. She has two cute boys Alex and Paxton. Max loves having other boys to play with and loves to play at Alex's house. They have tons and I mean tons of stuff to play with at their house. Julene is a sweetie and I am glad we have gotten to know them through our play group.

7. Jen at The Jones' Family. Jen is another lady I met through play group. We were actually having a play group at Imagination Station and Jen was there. We invited her to join and she did! We ended up knowing a lot of the same people and she is cousins to my SIL's best friend from high school. She has to adorable boys Cooper and Hudson. She keeps us posted on all there goings on. I think we do a lot but those Jones' are always on the go! :) Max and Cooper are really good pals and Hudson is just a little sweetie! Jen is a dear friend and I am blessed to have her in my life!