Beautiful Blogger Award

Jessica, mommy to handsome Drew, from A Deeper Shade of Love (visit her blog here) nominated me for a Beautiful Blogger Award! Thank you Jessica - just when I thought my whining might be deterring fellow bloggers from coming to visit! LOL! It feels really great to be recognised by another blogger, and so knowing that there is a connection made, across the most vast of distances!

The rules of accepting this award are as follows:

1. Thank the person who nominated me for this award (tick!)

2. Copy the award and place it on my blog (tick!)

3. Link to the person who nominated me for this award (tick!)

4. Share 7 interesting things about myself

5. Nominate 7 other bloggers for the award

Ok! So seven interesting things about myself?...

1. I am a Virgo, and because of this I tend to be a very critical and analytical person - I often wish I could relax and 'let go' more, but as the years have gone by, I'm learning to accept myself as I am...

2. I will be turning the big 3. 0. this year... yikes! Time has definitely flown by, and I don't feel a day older than 22!

3. I remember being about 4 or 5 years old and my mom told me that as you get older the years fly by faster. I literally thought that they did and dreaded getting any older. I thought that by the time I reached 2o a year would last only a couple of months, and by 30 a year would be finished in a matter of weeks and so on... Needless to say, I had quite a literal-mind at that time! LOL!

4. When the Virgo in me isn't at full-tilt I can be quite a creative and eccentric person. As a 17-year-old I shaved all my hair off (after a particularly horrible break-up with a boyfriend). I loved it, but it soon wore off when I was referred to as a boy wherever I went... Still, it it something I am proud to say that I had the guts to do in a world where long blond trusses are practically expected in order to be called 'woman'.

5. I love words. I love them in written or spoken form. They move me. They inspire me. My mom always tells me the story of how as a 3-year-old I started crying one day and when she asked me why I was crying I told her that the words of a song on the radio were very sad and they were making me cry.

6. Speaking of crying - I was a very sensitive little soul as a child. I cried for weeks when I found out Steve Wonder was blind... I am not as sensitive these days and hardly ever cry - I am still wondering if that is a good thing?

7. If money, location, career was no issue and I had no boundaries at all I would choose to take my family and live on the edge of a lake, nestled in between massive mountains, in a small cabin at the top of a winding tree-lined drive. I would grow my own food, I would write of my life, I would photograph my boys every single day, I would cook my husband wholesome love-filled dinners. I would lay out his clothes for work the next day and pack him lunches that included small love-notes. I would teach my boys to grow and love plants. I would do many differently.

OK - so the 7 bloggers I nominate (in no particular order)?

1. My Life with Gabriel - I just love the way that Lee writes about her precious Gabriel, I feel she really helps so much and gives such great advice, as well as a glimpse into Gabriel's life.

2. Bridget's Light - Again, a blogger whose words and posts are so inspiring. And Bridget is just so friggen cute too!

3. Praying for Parker - what a well-written blog! I just love the 'everyday-ness' of this blog as well as the beautiful pictures!

4. Enjoying the Small Things - a new blog that I follow (I think I'm follower number 1852!). But truly, someone I think is a really gifted writer and photographer, as well as someone who literally says 'yes' to life, every. single. day.

5. Conny Wenk - again, just so inspired by the images that Conny captures - she just inspires me!

6. Three's a Charm - This is the first blog I started following when Malakai was diagnosed with Down syndrome and it's still high on my list of absolute favourites!

7. Emma Sage - I also love Tara Marie's creativity, zest for life, her calm spirit.