Awards and Pay it forward! long overdue!! (I fixed Izzaks link)

Okay I have gotten some awards lately but I'm a terrible person because I don' t pass them on in a timely manner. I do thank people for them but I'm supposed to pass them, right?

Part of it is blogger, my computer or the internet have been bad lately I am having problems posting pics. Even though I am posting them and sometimes a lot it takes forever because I get error messages. Anyway aside from the excuses. I really do appreciate the awards people give me!! It makes me feel special....

So I will get those taken care of at least the ones that are fairly recent.




This one is from a fairly new reader of mine Marja that I do enjoy reading but have been having a hard time with getting to and commenting on everyones blogs latelyThe bloggers I give this to are:

Alpha Dude He's a funny dude and I love hearing his stories. I have enjoyed his stories about his family. He has a great son names Josh
That Chick! I can pretty much always count on a laugh from her! Her open letters are always great and many times she says things I'm already thinking. She's not afraid to say what she thinks and her kids are great! So's the hubby.
Jocelyn I love her posts everytime. She is a faboulus writer in my eyes and really makes me laugh also
Melanie at Our Happy Happenings Recently her adorable little girl turned one and she wrote several posts about her feelings about her growing up. I loved the posts and several of them hit the mark with my own feelings about my kids growing up
Janice at Eleven Months Apart Janice is a great photographer and I wish she lived close by, I would totally inlist her to do some photos of my kids! She doesn't give her self enough credit though because even when she says they aren't very good they are really great!



This award was given to me by Melanie at Our Happy Happenings
this is what it says This Egel Nest Award for Blog Excellence was given to me from ZAM. This award was created by Brad Egel as a way to honor your friends who you think have excellent blogs.
Scribbit Anyone who already reads Scribbits blog do you really need and explaination to why I think her blog is excellent? She posts pretty much everyday always has great posts. She is hosting a Winter Bazaar at her blog and you really should check it out!
Amy at A Family Story I love Amy's blog and her header I have always loved. I feel like that some days. Pop over to her blog Friday was her and her twin brothers birthday! She has adorable little girls and I love to read her blog
Dreaming What Ifs I love her blog what can I say. Also her nicknames for her kids are too cute!
The Dust Will Wait Karmyns mom and a fabulous blogger as well. The name of her blog is part of one of my favorite poems and caught my attention immediatly when I found her.




This one is from Sylvia at HeiressChild and Kila at Mom to 3 cubs “This award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends, and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also, for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world. ONCE YOU'VE BEEN AWARDED, PLEASE PASS IT ON TO 7 OTHERS WHO YOU FEEL ARE DESERVING OF THIS AWARD.”

Here is What Sylvia said about me! "-i'm always inspired when i read about your children and the love you have for them. you're very smart, and to me, your whole family has made a positive influence on the blogging world. i liked how you responded to the anonymous person last week
about the address."

Heather at The Zoo One of the original people who found me. We have emailed back and forth ever since not always regular but often. I consider her a friend. In fact when our original plan was to move near Anchorage and we were going to drive from Oregon we were going to stop off and visit her and her family. One of the reasons I was disapointed we couldn't drive to Ketchikan I was really looking forward to meeting her in person. I hope someday we will meet!
A Step at a Time by Debbie One of the few homeschooling bloggers I know. I got the idea to homeschool Izzak from reading her posts. She talks about her doubts in herself sometimes which actually gives me hope since I doubt my ability all the time.
Wendy at Chaotic Kiddospassword protected Another blogger I feel like I've become friends with from blogging. She helped me with my template when I was trying to do it myself and nearly brock my blog in the process.
Stacy at Bowl Full of Wishes Wendy's sister. I'm jealous of the friendship they have and how they do things together. I don't have that kind of a relationship with my own sister. I love seeing it. We are doing a Flat Stanley project for her daughter right now who also is a first grader named Madison! Small world isn't it?
Emma A day in the Life of a mum to 4 Emma was the very first blogger who found me from comments I had left on another post. I feel like I can connect with her and think we actually have a lot in common. We both have sons with similar learning problems, both have 4 kids and sometimes neither of us is holding it all together very well. Recently she posted about how if her head wasn't attached she would lose it when talking about losing important things. I can soo relate. I feel like she is another friend!
Frannie Frannie loves my little Madison. She is always commenting that she will babysit her for me and if she didn't live so far away I would totally take her up on it. I gotta love anyone who adores my little Maddie so much!
Scribbit I said above that Scribbit was my go-to person a lot of times before we got here about information on Alaska. I still feel she is. I think it is awsome that she addresses every comment I give her on her posts with a personal email.


This one is from my friend Heather at The Zoo and Melanie at Our Happy Happenings I say my friend because I have actually met a lot of people who I consider friends since blogging and she is one of them. We "talk" via e-mail pretty regular and I really look forward to "talking" with her!

This is what the person who created this award says about it- "the thing that I love most about blogging is that I learn so much about a person just by reading their blog. I have met MANY wonderful people with wonderful stories to tell, and I am grateful every day for each person that I have the pleasure of crossing paths in life with. I wanted to create something special for the top ten people who have inspired me through their blogging; the stories they tell, and the lives that they lead with grace and dignity. I visit their blogs for inspiration and encouragement. Although there are MANY people I want to give this award to at this very moment, I am going to choose ten bloggers: Please grab your badge and wear it(with a smile) proudly, and pass it on because you inspire and encourage me, thank you. So, now it is my turn to pass it on."

Here is what Heather said when she gave me this award "makes me grin in envy at the beautiful scenery of her new Alaskan home. Her kids are pretty entertaining too! I liked Izzaks eagle outfit. :) She's an encouragement to me as well."

Frannie Again some of this has to do with her love for all things Madison. She makes me smile everytime she comments. I love her blog too. She is one I feel I could be friends with if we lived closer by. Her little Drama is the cutest little guy and I love when she posts pictures.
A Kid Called Emma Emma has the cutest little face and head of curly locks. Kenzie used to have hair like that and I miss it! Recently they went to a restaurant and told them it was Emmas birthday just so they would sing to her. Too cool!! I wish I had the nerve to do that.
Colours of Dawn Another homeschooling blogger I have started reading just recently. Her kids are older ages. Even though she tries to say she isn't very organized she has posted several posts about it recently and I so wish I could be like that!
Chrisb Chrisb makes me smile especially every Wednesday with her Whitty Wednesday posts she started awhile back. Sometimes the fun is in her comments though when Beccy and her and her other daughter Sam getting into it together!
Peppermint Tea Chrisbs daughter she was also one of my first blog finds. She regularly makes me laugh and if you go to her blog soon you can read the story of her tasting magic sand that was on her daughters floor! She makes me smile with the stories she tells as well.
Emmakirsten at Going for a baseball team? Is pregnant with her 5th baby right now and I'm actually jealous I'm not sure why but I wouldn't mind another baby. I really can't wait till he is born so that I can see new baby pics. She also has a son with learning problems.
TwinsxTwo What can I say she has 2 sets of twins! I would go nutso with 1 set and hers are not very far apart in age. Her younger twins have craniosynestosis. Another thing I couldn't imagine dealing with surgeries like that for 1 child let alone 2 at a time. Really you should check her out she is an inspiration to me!
M at And then there were 2 M's little boy Liam is just now in the process of getting started on therapy for speach and other delays. She is where I was with Izzak 10 years ago and I totally feel for her frustrations! I've been there hon It's hard but I promise you will make it and be a better mom from it!! She has a lot on her plate right now but still manages to make me laugh sometimes and if not all she has to do is post pics of her kiddos they are both adorable and her little girl Lily has the cutest smile!
Steffi Makes me want to take up sewing if I could just figure out how to make a straight line. She posts pictures of the clothing projects she does making clothes for her daughter Nathalie and some she has made for her little nephew Tom. She is an awesome seamstress and I am extremly jealous that she makes and sends things to Beccy for her daughter Molly. She lives in Germany and writes in both english and german which I think is very cool. I took German in highschool and like to read the German translation first to see how much of it I remember. Honestly for me though I'm lucky sometimes that my posts are in understandable English
Izzak (my son) I wanted to include. He has a blog, he doesn't post very regularly but writing is very difficult for him. He has reading and writing disabilities among a couple of others so his posts are short. He is an inspiration to me though because he has been through a lot in his short 12 years and finds ways to overcome most. I know he will find ways to work around his disabilities because of that and because of that he is my inspiration and makes me smile every day!

Honestly though I love all of the blogs I read and would consider them all to be at the top of my list. Otherwise I wouldn't have come back again and again! You are all parts of my daily life since I can't wait to get a decent chunk of time to check on all of you! I worry whenever someone doesn't post for a few days just like if I hadn't heard from a friend on the phone.

I also need to include in this post that I was a commenter on Frannies Pay It Forward post so the first 3 commenters who post here on this post "win" a gift from me! You have to promise to do it on your blog also to participate. Most are doing a homemade gift but really with the move I don't have time and my stuff is still packed away so I have decided to do mine a little different and I will send a gift from here in Ketchikan! Hope you choose to participate and I will post the names of the commenters on my next post. I will just need those named to email me their addresses at dunnfour6@yahoo.com.