First Award

Eileen ("We got hitched. We bought the 4 bedroom house. Now what???") was so thoughtful as to nominate me for the Honest Scrap award recently! I have only been reading her blog for several weeks, but her title especially rings true with me, because it's what Mr. A and I did, too! As so many of us mention on a frequent basis, it is so comforting that none of us are alone in our struggles!



Here are the Honest Scrap stipulations:
1. Choose a minimum of 7 blogs that you find interesting and engaging
2. Show the 7 winners names and links on your blog and leave a comment informing them that they have won the "Honest Scrap Award"
3. List at least 10 honest things about yourself

Here are my 10 honest things:

1. I love broccoli, and Mr. A hates it. One time when he was away on a business trip, I had huge bowls of steamed broccoli for lunch and dinner!
2. I would rather eat Sou.r Pat.ch Kids than any sort of chocolate or sweet thing any day.
3. Somedays I still have trouble believing that we're having this much trouble conceiving. I mean, really, it happens so easily for so many other people...
4. I love Christian music.
5. I'm three years older than Mr. A.
6. I use my breadmaker almost every day. We don't buy sandwich bread at the store anymore, and I also make our bagels, our dinner rolls, our pizza crusts, and our cinnamon rolls for weekend breakfasts with it!
7. Between 2002 and 2007, I ran 2 full marathons, 2 half-marathons, 3 10-mile races, 1 8K race, and 1 5K race. I think that chapter of running is now closed, but maybe it will get resurrected when I'm in my 50s!
8. I work from home and consider it to be a huge blessing.
9. I recently started volunteering as a peer counselor at a crisis pregnancy center, and although it has been one of the hardest things I've ever done, it has also been one of the most "worth it" things I've ever done. The other peer counselors are such inspiring women of God, and being able to minister and show Christ's unconditional love to the women who come in has been very powerful.
10. I could watch Foo.d Network all day long and never change the channel! (I don't, because I would never get any work done, but when I'm emptying the dishwasher or mopping the floors or getting dinner started, you can bet it's on for entertainment!)

And for 10 blogs I nominate:

1. Being Infertile - misfit (aka "the littlest angel"...TBD) writes about infertility with an clear intensity that is so true but often far from what sometimes silly and not-as-impressive words and thought patterns that I come up with.
   
2. Making Me Mom - Hillary is (I think) a hope junkie like me, and I love reading another blog with so much hope!
   
3. Day by Day - Becky has struggled with a miscarriage and a subsequent failed IVF, and yet she remains moving forward with her faith leading the way when it seems like all else is gone. I love her post on Sarah's Laughter!
   
4. Grace in my Heart - GIMH is a calm and peaceful place for me to go :) She and her husband experienced a heart-wrenching unsuccessful adoption last year and are walking this journey with faith in God's plan for their family through adoption again!!
   
5. The Non-Housewife Wife - I love the Wife's posts because they are so objective and matter of fact, but they still convey what we've all thought before. Plus I love hearing about her dogs!
   
6. Praying for Hope - I am always encouraged by the honesty of her posts and her comments that she leaves on my blog!
7. Hoping in Houston - Hope just got her first BFP after second round of clomid! Hmm, why does this inspire me so much? Haha!
   
8. Stacey's Thoughts on Infertility - All of Stacey's posts are incredibly thoughtful and sensitive, and I'm uplifted by her spirit, and I feel called to lift her up when she is feeling low.
   
9. Sew Infertile - On the cusp of 17dpo and beta bloodwork due TODAY, I am prayin my heart out for her!! I love her writing and how blatantly and bluntly and comically she deals with being childless. Maybe she's not childless any more! *UPDATE* SHE IS PREGNANT!!
   
10. I Married Barney, Now What? - I'm a relatively new reader of Betty's, but I have really enjoyed her positive-minded posts!

I read many other blogs that are all so inspiring, so maybe I'll get another award sometime where I can highlight the rest of you wonderful girls!!