I'd Like To Thank The Academy....

Eh em...  Well maybe not the Academy.....  I'll start by thanking my children, for they are my inspiration & my reason for blogging.

I was both surprised & honored to see I  received this award

when I logged into blogger on Sunday.  Thank you to Neel over @ Being Zara & Zidan for thinking of me and awarding me this award!  I am so grateful!  While my initial reason for blogging was to capture life with my children, I have to admit, it is validating to learn that others enjoy my blogs (and kids) as well.  I never expected to find this community of woman blogging about their lives and families all the while supporting each other.  That was an added bonus... & now I am addicted to it!

Here are the rules for the Versatile Blogger Award:

1.) Thank the person who gave you this award.

Already done, but just in case you have short term memory.... lol... Thank you Neel!  If you haven't already, hop over and check out her blog here. 

2.) Share 7 things about yourself

1.  I love, love, love my DVR.  Seriously.  There is nothing I look forward to more than getting in my PJ's after the kids have gone to bed and snuggling in on the couch with my husband (and sometimes without) to watch our adult TV.  And boy do we watch A LOT!  Bones, House, Lost, The Closer, Desperate Housewives, Fringe, True Blood, NCIS.... that's just some of what we watch together.  Stuff I watch alone?  The all time BEST show on TV, Brothers & Sisters, Mercy, The Good Wife & Nurse Jackie to name a few.  See.  Told you I love my DVR!

2.  I currently have a book that is 2 weeks overdue @ the library!  It is the new one by Jodi Picoult called House Rules.  Because it's new it is a 14 day rental and since having my children, I just can't plow through the books as fast as I used to, no matter how good they are.

3.  I often frequent other blogs and feel a little jealous.  Some of the photography is just so breathtaking.  There is so much I have to learn.  I just have a regular point and shoot and I try my best to play with the angles and work on the lighting... but honestly I am just feeling around in the dark!  I have a passion for photography.  I can appreciate it and my dream is to one day own a DSLR and really learn the art of photography.  One day.  I hope.  For now though, I do the best I can with what I have and I am trying to learn more editing skills.

4.  My first  car was a turquoise blue Pontiac Sun Fire.  I loved it because I thought it had a great sound system and I could blast my tapes (yes TAPES!!) while I was driving.  I still love to blast my music while driving.  The only difference is now it is usually on CD or my iPhone and my wheels are attached to my minivan! 

5.  I have 4 children.  My oldest is my stepson Brenden who is 10.  Next is my daughter Kensington who is 2.  Both Kensi and Brenden celebrate birthdays in August.  Dell of course is 5 months old, born in December, he is my Christmas baby.  I also had a child between Kensington and Dell that was stillborn @ 20 weeks on November 28, 2008.  As you can imagine it was the most devastating loss I have ever experienced but I wouldn't change it for the world.  My little boy Clarence was born perfect from his little nose to the tips of his tiny fingers and toes.  His only flaw was that he was not breathing.  I am so proud I was chosen to be his mother.  I speak of him often and he is never far from my thoughts and always in my heart.

6.  For the first time in 34 years (my age) my family will not be spending 2 weeks of the summer up at Devil's Lake in Michigan.  My parents went there every year, even before I was born.  Every summer since I came into this world we spent 2 weeks in July there.  Those 2 weeks we looked forward to all year and mourned them when they passed too quickly.  I'd venture to say we looked forward to that yearly vacation more than Christmas Day.  That's saying a lot for a kid, right?   It was a tradition I had hoped to pass on to my children.  2 years ago the cottage that we used to rent was sold.  My daughter Kensi got to spend 2 weeks the summer of '08 up there and I am so grateful for that.  Then last summer we rented a different cottage on a different part of the lake.  It just wasn't the same.  Now that my mother has died, I doubt we will rent a cottage up there again... at least not anytime in the near future.  I just don't think any of us could handle it.  It breaks my heart that I won't get to share this tradition with my children, especially after watching my nieces and nephews get to experience it.  I tell myself that we will find a new tradition.  A new cottage on a different lake or a cabin in the woods.  Change is good.  It's the letting go that is hard.

7.  Let's end on a light hearted note.  Hmmmm.... Let me think.  OK.  I hope I don't regret this. 


I am a Block Head.

  New Kids On The Block that is.  Remember them?  The "boy band" from the late 80's early 90's?  Well 2 summers ago they got back together again.  Yay!!  lol!  I promptly went out and bought their album and, yes, fell in love all over again!  Last April I even indulged in "All Access" tickets that got me backstage to meet the guys before the show AND 3rd row seats front and center!!  Aside from anything related to my family or my children.... that was the single most exciting night of my life!  We enjoyed it so much that we did it again in June and this time drove 12 hours to get there.  Post show we ended up @ an after party and I got a kiss on the check from my favorite guy.   It's OK.  You can laugh. It's kinda funny but I'm not ashamed.  It felt good to feel 15 again.   I'm  also proud to say that my daughter is a little Block Head herself.  She asks for them by name (or at least by the name of one of their songs) and happily dances and nods her head to them in the car.  Oh yes.  And if you are doing the math, you're right.  I did all that with little Dell in my belly! 

So there you have it.  7 things about me.  Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

3.) Pass the award along to 10 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic!

In no particular order:
1.  Shana @ http://blazeandcrochet.blogspot.com/
2. Krystal @ http://nickrystal.blogspot.com/
3.  LeAnn @ http://palaprestifamily.blogspot.com/
4. Melissa @ http://mommystrials.blogspot.com/
5.  Natalie @ http://www.mommyofamonster.com/
6.  Mamma Parker @ http://notsosouthernliving.blogspot.com/
7.  HeatherOz @ http://oswaldcuties.blogspot.com/
8.  Kristen @ http://www.wearethatfamily.com/
9.  Kelle @ http://www.kellehampton.com/
10. Sazzifrazz @ http://asibforquin.blogspot.com/