Awww. . .

My good friend Natalie has nominated me for a blog award. Wasn't that nice of her? I think so, even though this award isn't prestigious--it is more of a pass-along award. But it is the thought that counts. And I would definitely link back to her, because I love her blog, but is is private! So sorry, you'll all have to miss out on this one. Natalie and I met back in our BYU married student ward when we were thrown into the Primary Presidency together. She and I, and the two others in the presidency, hit it off and have kept in contact ever since, thanks to blogging. Natalie is kind to everyone and is very unselfish. She also loves to laugh and has the kind of presence that brightens the room. She is also the mom of two small boys: Jayden 19 months (?) and Ethan, 5 months. She is busy, but she is raising happy boys so she must be hitting the mark. I wish you all could get to know her and love her.

Here's the way the "Blog Awards" work:
1. Whomever I nominate gets to put this same picture on their blog.
2. Link back to the person who nominated you on your post.
3. Nominate 5 other blogs.
4. Link up to them.
5. Leave a message (comment) on those blogs to let them know they were nominated.


Ok, this is going to be tricky because I have a lot of blogs I love to read. Some of the ones I really like are private, so I can't nominate them (all of my sisters-in-law, for some).

1. Rebecca Clark. I met her through visiting teaching in my current ward, and I have loved being able to visit her. She has a great perspective and a great sense of humor. She also has a good head solidly resting on her shoulders, which I love. Her blog is one of my very favorites; she is always posting interesting thoughts or making me laugh.

2. The Sjolseths. Sheila is also in my current ward and has a son named Everett who is three weeks older than my Everett. She also just had (as in, three days ago) an adorable little boy named Merritt, who I am so excited to get to know. She has an interesting take on a lot of things and always writes with a sense of humor. She is an educator and an amazing mother, and that shows through on a lot of what she writes.

3. The Browns. Jessica, the writer of the blog, was another member of the Primary Presidency in my married student ward. In fact, she was the President and she was an amazing one at that. She had a special love for the children, but she has a special love for everyone. She has a sweet girl named Olivia who is 10 days younger than Everett, and she also has a little boy on the way. She lives in Washington and I am always so excited to read her take on the area and the people she meets. You'll come away from her blog feeling happy.

4. The Jameses. Tori was one of my freshman roommates at BYU. We had a wonderful time together and with our other roommates. We actually shared a room, and she never even got on my nerves (I don't know if I can say the same for me bothering her)! She is very smart and loves to read, and lately she has been really into sewing and crafting. She is good at relating to anyone. She also has an amazing baby named Katrina who is only a few months older than Ashley is.

5. The Redferns--therhouse. Okay, I admit it, I don't actually know Lindsey in person (am I a blog lurker? maybe). But she is the daughter of my just-released Bishop, and she has a remarkable story. She and her husband have two amazingly cute adopted sons, one who has only recently joined their family. They have very open relationships with the birth mothers, and she and her husband do a lot to publicly advocate adoption. She has a lot of inspirational, honest posts, and she also includes great articles. She makes experiences with infertility more real and tangible to those of us who have not yet had to deal with them.



Well, those are a few of the blogs I follow. A part of why I picked these was that they are updated frequently. Have fun perusing, if you would like. And thanks again, Natalie. I wish I could send people over to you!