Note two new things in my sidebar: a new poll for you to answer and my recent bookmarks.

You see, I often read a blog in my favorites and want to share it with you bloggers. So I leave it open as a tab in my firefox until I get around to blogging it. Well that is like forever and a day lately and therefore it is crowding up my firefox. So I am going to try using delicious to keep up with good reads, we will see how it works. Some of these things are projects I want to do. Some of them are things I found inspiring. You can click my username to find all my bookmarks. It will change as I add more, and you are only seeing the most recent 10 in my sidebar.

I keep coming up with things to blog but use up my 45 minutes of nap in other ways so alas, no reading material for you.

I think I finally found out how to show you a video.

The other day, E and I were sitting out on the front porch and the wind was blowing the leaves around in a circle on the concrete. She loved it. She watched the leaves dance. She listened to the rustling sound. The wind blew her hair. And the dog sat nearby, enjoying the cool day too. It was a sweet memory.

She is full of giggles. She likes to stand and play with her toes and blow bubbles. This morning, she didn’t even cry when I put her in the car seat and she was cooing to herself or her toys or her world in general as we drove to church. Thank God for such a blessing. 2010 was wonderful.

What have I been working on the past 24 hours….a photo book! (I stayed up until 2 am doing this! And since I woke up at 10 I have been working on it some more! It is super fun!)

I don’t know about you but I don’t print many pictures since they are digital. I found this blog called Moms By Heart and she blogged about a deal where you get a free photo book from Picaboo. It is an 8 1/2 x 11 sized book with 20 pages free, which normally costs $39.99.  So I am in the process of making one, instead of printing off pictures and putting them in a photo album. It comes out looking kinda like digital scrapbooking but I don’t know how to do that.Go make one, or two!

Here is her post telling about it

Ok here are some posts that I have read lately that I thought were good.

from Cupcakes, Sprinkes, and Other Happy Things: Therapy Thursdays

I really like this blog that is written by Jenny from the band Addison Road and the principle that she learned and shares makes so much sense!

from Balance: The True Story of our First Few Months

Honest sharing from my friend about what the first few months after a baby are like.

from Simple Mom: My Daily Docket is My Daily Lifesaver

I like this idea of how to organize your day.

What good blogs are you reading lately?

So my sweet friend Kasey  presented me with this award a long while back and I am just now getting around to sharing it with you…

Here’s the deal:

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award. Thank you Kasey!!! You are awesome! Great job on NaBloPoMo!

2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog. See above.

3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award. See above.

4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might not know. You probably know these, but oh well.

• My favorite color is red (or pink)
• I hate snakes.
• I love shoes.
• I don’t like roller coasters.
• I have a bad habit of saying I don’t like to eat things that I have never really tried. I just don’t think I will like them.
• I once wrote a grant for my school and won it!
• I currently drive the only car I have ever had and it has 120,000+ miles on it and I love it!

5. Nominate some  Kreativ Bloggers.

• Kaela is a great blogger because she always has great stories and I love how she has guidelines for what to post on by weekday so she can think of stuff to write.
• Lindsey is a really good write and her posts are always so witty. I like her new theme of balance.
• My hubby is  a Kreativ blogger because he always shares such interesting links!
• Desi has a blog about her sweet kids and I love to see what their most recent stats are and the most fun thing Ava is saying now.
• Lydia is one of my longest running fellow bloggers and I always love to read what she writes.
• My sweet mom has some great pictures to share on her blog.

6. Post links to the  blogs you nominate. See above.

7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated. I’m on my way.

Thanks Kasey!!

Well…I survived the first week of school. And let me tell you, it was tiring! It was like a flashback to my first year of teaching, when I came home and took a nap every night. I don’t know why except maybe for the fact that I went straight from staying up til 12 and sleeping til 10 to having to wake up at 6… but for some reason this week wore me out. But it is Saturday now and I slept really late today and plan to be lazy for the rest of the day, so that will be wonderful!

My friend mab is doing a giveaway here….

If you are looking for something to do, you could make and  send an IBOL.

I found this super cute link about an adorable dollhouse, and here are the instructions.

Oh, and my new chair was great!

warm furry hugs from a puppy in the sunshine

soft tiny fingers and toes curled around my big finger

tasty food and laughter shared with kindred spirits

a clean newly organized surface

a to -do list with delicious check offs on the side

Psalm 138:8

love

These things encourage me…what encourages you?

Check out a new blog: (in)courage

So I have been perusing statcounter.com to find out how much traffic my blog is getting and from where, and it is quite interesting!

I see that someone has been reading my blog from a Starbucks in Round Rock…..Lindsey perhaps? KarenD?

Robbie must be reading from Australia…Niki in Montana….Leanna in Coppell…mab in NO…Erin in Bastroup….Aunt Kathy or Jenn in Lufkin

It’s fun to see all the locations and try to guess! (If I have somehow breached your security by putting your name and location together, let me know and I will erase it!)

Of all the locations from which people access my blog, some of them I have an idea of who it might be and some I can’t figure out.  I would love to know who you are!! So if you are reading this blog from the following places, you should leave a comment and identify yourself!!!

Hobbes, New Mexico…. You read it a lot…who are you?
Pekin, Illinois  (Elizabeth Beck? Jess’s sister?)
Needville, Texas
Raleigh, North Carolina (Judy on vacation?)
Amarillo, Texas
York, Pennsylvania (connected to Keith or Missy?)
Ireland (Sarah?)
Jacksonville, Florida (Jess on vacation?)

And I am curious about who is reading my blog in the UAE??

Wherever you are from, I am glad you found it and keep reading!