happy 101

What a lovely surprise. My blogging friend, Karen, of Over the Backyard Fence, awarded me with this Happy 101 award. Thank you Karen. Your blog makes me happy, too.

First, I have to list 10 things that make me happy. Then I get to pass the goodness and the award to other bloggers who make me happy.

Here is my list of happy things...

1. Starbuck's white chocolate mocha

2. Having both of my kids home from college at the same time.

3. Photo opportunities.

4. Sunday afternoon naps

5. Honey Bunches of Oats

6. The sun shining on my face

7. Scrapbooking

8. The beach

9. A good book

10. Flowers

I'm passing this happiness on to the following bloggers:

Huckdoll, because, for some reason, it makes me happy to read about her self-realization journey. She questions herself and others and she finding out who she is and where she fits in her life and in this world. We are all on this journey, but Huckdoll writes with such openness and honesty, that not all find the courage to do. That makes me happy.

Mary, of Not Before 7, because she has a weekly meme called Tiny Talk Tuesday where she (and others) share the funny things her kids say. This always brings a smile to my face and leaves me in a happier mood. I like her serious writing just as much.

Sarah, of My Wonderful Life, because I enjoy her spunk and enthusiasm. I admire her commitment to her family and her country and her friendship makes me happy. Reading about her children also puts a smile on my face.

Maybe I should have included reading blogs in my list of 10, because so many of my blogging friends out there do make me happy. So, if I read your blog and leave comments, consider yourself awarded. I'd love to hear what makes you happy.

blogging = friends

I'm not very good at keeping up with awards and tags.

The thing with awards is that, although I am honored that someone thinks enough of me to pass on an award to me, I always feel a little funny about it. I think just about every blogger out there deserves one or more of the many awards that get passed around, so I don't feel like I should be on anyone's short list and I hate making that short list myself.

With that said, I want to let my blogging friend Christine, of Chris's Coop, know how much I appreciate her passing on this award to me, and to say I truly am honored. Here's the award and write up about it.


These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind of bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give attention to these writers. Choose eight more and include this cleverly written text into the body of the award.

Even though it says to pass it on to eight people, Christine only passed it on to me and I'm only going to pass it on to one blogger... Sarah, also know as Might Mom, of My Wonderful Life. Mighty Mom (and she is a mighty mom!) recently wrote this in one of her posts. I echo her sentiments and think this award fits her perfectly.

"Diana, you mentioned that I always answer questions here and how it seems like we get to know each other better with this give and take. This is what I blog for. It is a sense of community that is important to me. Not number of hits a day or comments per post....but rather the relationships that have been formed. I share my life with you, you share yours with me. And I love this little group of bloggers that come by regularly. I'm always happy to make new friends."

Tomorrow I'll catch up even more with answers to a tag I received. Beware... I might be tagging you!

valued award

Susan, of Penless Writer, honored me with this award. Susan has become a dear blogging buddy and I can't help but admire her deep faith and how she uses her blog to share that faith as well as reach out to other bloggers. A while back, she felt convicted to start a 24 hour prayer blog. She has rallied many fellow bloggers to participate and oversees this valuable ministry.

Permio al Esfuerzo Personal has been translated by a previous recipient as Prize to the Personal Effort.

Here are the rules:
Mention the blog that gave it to you and comment on their blog to let them know you've posted your award
Publish these rules
Share 6 values that are important to you and 6 things you do not support
Grant the prize to 6 people

Six values that are important to me:
faith
family
love/compassion
integrity
relationships
respect

Six things I do not support:
abortion
being judgemental
bullying
the theory of evolution
cosmetic surgery
disrespect

I would like to pass this award on to:
Melissa @ Mejojac's Memos
Jen @ Pen of Jen
Deb @ Riding Free with Deb
Heather @ Not a DIY Life
Mary @ Not Before 7
Amber @ Crazy Bloggin' Canuck

on my mind...

A few have asked why I haven't been blogging as much and wondering if I'm doing okay (thanks to those who inquired). I am doing okay. Being in an empty house and having both of my kids away at school has definitely been an adjustment. And there are times I'm sad. But I think both Don and I are getting adjusted to this new way of living just fine.

Why I haven't been blogging daily? I guess it comes down to motivation, or lack thereof. It's not just one thing, but a combination of things.

=> I don't feel like I have much to write about. I don't think my well has run dry, just going through a dry spell. I'm not too worried about this aspect and I'll be working on towards my original challenge when I started this blog - posting something every day.

=> Since Jake left the house, I felt like I lost a lot of structure to my day [and life!]. I need to find that structure again. I've been lazy and that has shown in my blogging life. I know I need structure and need to figure out what that's going to look like now in my life.

=> And I hesitate to mention this because I don't want to offend anyone, give you the wrong idea of why I blog, or guilt anyone into doing something they weren't planning to do.

Although I don't feel like I'm comment driven, I do enjoy having people comment on my posts. It is motivation for me. And as of late, comments have been at a minimum.

I know people are busy and and have very good reasons why they don't comment at any given time. I really do understand that. It just feels lonely. I used to feel part of a pretty big community of bloggers. One by one, many have disappeared - leaving the blogosphere or not wanting to read my blog (which is totally okay with me. I have blogs I like and don't like). I feel like my blogging community is very small at the moment and when just a very few people comment, not only do I feel lonely but I question what I write.

Let me just say that this last thing is my issue... not yours (my readers). Just trying to be honest with my feelings.

Ironically enough, I've been honored with a couple of awards lately and wanted to recognize those who passed them on to me.

Sharon, of Quiet Reflections, gave me the Kind Blogger Award. Thank you Sharon. I am honored you thought of me. You are the kind one.


Kailani, of An Island Life, passed on the Brillante Weblog award. Again, thank you Kailaini. I appreciate it, you, and your blog.

post potpourri

I just need to post a disclaimer about yesterday's post. I thank everyone for their kind comments but as I was reading them, I felt like maybe you thought I was fishing for compliments. I wasn't. I wrote the post right after getting home from the band's gig and I guess you could say I was on a little bit of a high.

I was a little euphoric because I almost didn't go to their concert but then so glad I did. It had been snowing most of the day and I didn't want to drive nearly an hour to get into downtown. Don was out of town and I didn't want to go alone. Plain and simple - I didn't want to go. I wanted to sit home in my pj's and watch Extreme Home Makeover and Oprah's Big Give. But I just couldn't get comfortable with that choice. I felt like I should drive Jake and I should be there as probably the only adult for his band.

As it turned out, it was a fun evening. It was low key without too many responsibilities. The snow stopped and the roads were pretty clear. And I had fun. It's amazing what a difference your attitude makes. So, I just wanted to clear that up. I am far from the rockin' mom that the post implies. I'm a rockin' mom because I can rock to the music my son and his band mates play.
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I wanted to acknowledge the fact that the Blogging With A Purpose award was passed on to me by two wonderful blogging friends. Both Mary of Not Before 7 and Ma Kettle (Jen) of Double Nickel Farm honored me with such a nice award, each mentioning the meme I started; More Of Him. Thank you very much, Mary and Jen.

This award was created by Eric Novak at Blogging With A Purpose. He started awarding christian bloggers who blogged with a specific purpose and I am supposed to pass it on to five other blogs who do the same.

I would like to pass it on to Heather of Not A DIY Life as she has graciously taken over the reins of More Of Him. She has a wonderful blog where she regularly shares how God is working in her life. For those of you who participated in More Of Him, either through your posts or comments, I hope you continue to support this meme over at Heather's place.

I feel like most bloggers have a purpose for their blog. As for me, I have a few "purposes." Although I understand the spirit of the award, I once again am going to decline to pass it on because I feel like everyone is worthy of it. Sorry to disappoint.

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And here's an encouraging story. A 14 year old boy in California, who founded a 'no cussing club,' has designated this week as NO CUSSING WEEK. I hope he gets a lot of support for his efforts. There's even a website (of course there is) dedicated to the cause. I have included it as my link of the day.

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link of the day:
http://www.nocussing.com/

my two cents

Thank you to everyone who participated in the conversation yesterday on the hot topic of punishment, discipline, and spankings. I enjoyed reading each and every comment and am glad you all felt comfortable to share your opinions.

Although I don't think I would have put my kid out on the corner holding a sign, like the situation discussed, I can understand why the mother did it. As many of you said, a mother [and father] knows her/his kid best and knows what kind of discipline works best.

I think there is a difference between discipline and punishment, though. And I think that's important to keep in mind. In my opinion, it should be our goal to discipline a child in order to teach them self-control and direct them to better choices. I found this site that expresses my feelings on discipline vs. punishment. Please read it - it's short. I was going to articulate it myself but realized I couldn't write it any better (or differently).

I do think it's important to discipline our children. There are too many parents who don't take this part of their job seriously, and it shows in their children, who grow up with all sorts of troubles and issues.

There you go... there's my two cents.

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This is a long time in coming, but I just wanted to thank Heather of Not a DIY Life for awarding me with this Excellent Blog award. I am most appreciative and very honored.

The originator of this award asks that each recipient pass it on to 10 more bloggers. After some thought, I've decided I'm not going to do this. I always have a hard time passing on awards. I never want to leave anyone out. Plus, I feel like all the blogs I read are "excellent." Who am I to judge that one blog is more excellent than another. So, if I read your blog and comment on a regular basis, please consider your blog EXCELLENT.

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link of the day:
http://www.coloring-page.net/book/valentine/index.html

daily dose

Sharon, of Quiet Reflections, honored me with this award the other day. Thank you Sharon. Your words and your visits mean a lot to me.

The award was originated by Xandra from Heart of Service, and here are her words for this award: "...it's for blogs that I must read every day without fail . . . They make you laugh, cry, think and feel connected every time you read a post. They give you a thrill as you see them loading into your browser and you get an equally satisfying thrill when you see that they have commented on your blog."

Now I guess I need to pass this award on in the spirit it was given. This is always so hard for me (passing on awards) and since I read a lot of blogs on a daily basis, it's even harder. Please forgive me for not being able to list each and every blog I visit. If I leave you comments, consider yourself loved.

Short Stop, Momma Roar, Just Mom, Not Before 7, Mejojac's Memos, Sunshine, The Gremlin Wrangler, and Mi Casa Es Su Casa.

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link of the day:
http://www.colourmefamily.com/index.php
(thanks Kailani)

monday potpourri

I know some of you have come here looking for More of Him Monday. I have decided that More of Him will be taking the month of December off. I am sorry if this is an inconvenience to anyone, but I'm guessing that this month will be busy for all of us. Whether it's the hustle-bustle or the special meaning of the season, I think we all want to be writing about other things and/or not spending as much time here in blogland. I will post it again in January. If you did post something today, please leave a comment in order for me [and others] to stop by and read it.

SharonB of Quiet Reflections is having a holiday give-away. All you need to do is answer the question in her post and your name will be entered in the drawing for your choice of one of the books she's giving away. Good luck.

Speaking of SharonB, she honored me with this The Colors of Friendship award right before Thanksgiving. This is the spirit in which this award is given: I want to nominate my following blog friends for the Colors of Friendship Award. They color my life with the beautiful hues of friendship. Although we come from different backgrounds and cultures we share the same spirit of friendship. Thanks again Sharon.

And speaking of awards, Tee of Spilt Milk passed on this fabulous award to me some time ago. Thank you, Tee. It's always nice to feel fabulous, and you made me feel that way by honoring me with this award. Sorry it's taken so long to acknowledge it.

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link of the day:
http://www.joshhosler.biz/NumberOneInHistory/SelectMonth.htm

excellence in discipleship

My blogging friend, Ginger, has honored me with an award today. It's called the Mathetes Excellence in Discipleship Award.


Mathetes is the Greek word for disciple, and the role of the disciple (per the Great Commission) is to make more disciples. I now have the privilege to pass on this award and badge to five blogging friends who exemplify a Christ follower through their words and life.

Many of you know that I don't like to pass on awards because I feel that all of us are worthy of the many awards that make their rounds here in blogland. But, because of the nature of this award, I think it should be passed on as a serious statement to the importance of being a Christ disciple. Therefor, I will pass it on to five women, even though I know more than five that are worthy of this award.

In the spirit of this award, the rules are simple. Winners of this award must pick five other "Disciples" to pass it on to. As you pass it on, I just ask that you mention and provide links for (1) this post as the originator of the award (Dan King of management by God), (2) the person that awarded it to you, and then (3) name and sites of the five that you believe are fulfilling the role of a disciple of Christ..."

Here are the very kind words Ginger wrote;
Diana - Thank you for blessing me by always keeping it very real with all of your feelings and your day to day living. Your heart for the youth of this world is so evident in all you write. We are walking the same road in life right now and you encourage me more than you will ever know by your constant reminders of God's goodness and faithfulness to us.

Ladies, I want you to know that I enjoy going to your blogs each day. I like the fact that not every post is reciting scripture or expounding on theology - that you write about your life, which is a testimony in itself. It's obvious through your words and message that you love God and that encourages me and it witnesses to your readers. Thank you. I pass on this award to:

Amber, of Trust in the Lord- You are one of the sweetest and hardest working people I know here in blogland. Your life is so busy and yet you always take the time to help others. The fact that you really do trust in the Lord shines through in all you say and do. Thank you for the many e-mails, your encouraging words and your obvious love for God.

Sarah, of Shortstop- You, too, are one of the sweetest people I've met through blogging. You, too, have encouraged me through your words and spirit, whether it's in an e-mail or a post. Your words are a testimony of God's love flowing through you. I thank God for the blessing of your friendship.

Lyndy, of Oh Fiddle-dee-dee- You came immediately to mind when I was thinking about this award. Your posts have been so sincere; whether it's crying out to God or thanking Him for your many blessings. It is so clear that you give Him your all, which is a wonderful example to the rest of us. I love that you always have quite a list of things to be thankful for even as you are struggling with life.

Lori, of A Mother's Heart is a Garden of Love- Your posts reflect your life so well for all to see how important God and Christianity is to you and your family. I enjoy hearing what's going on in your home and life. You're a very busy person and yet you're leading a Bible study. It's clear how much God is a priority.

Mary, of Not Before 7- I haven't known you as long as some of the other ladies, but I thoroughly enjoy reading your posts. I like how you combine what is happening in your everyday life with how God is working in it or how He is speaking to you. It is clear that you desire to follow Him and I thank you for sharing that.

In the words of Dan King himself, "I just pray a blessing over the bloggers that receive this award, and ask that the Holy Spirit use them mightily as they share the Word of God with the world around them. May all of their efforts be fruitful, and their words carry the anointing of the Spirit of God. In Jesus' name, Amen!"

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link of the day:
https://www.shoeboxed.com/

you make me smile

Leigh Ann of Living to Learn, Learning to Live and Melissa of Mejojac's Memos (in a round about way) awarded me with the You Make Me Smile Award. Thank you.

It's a little ironic because I haven't felt like smiling for a few hours now. In fact, I've had to hold back tears all night. To put it shortly, Jake and I had words and we haven't been able to reconcile. It's breaking my heart.

I'm glad that there are so many blogs that are positive, uplifting, and can make us smile. No one would want to consistently read a blog that was negative and left you feeling down or sad each time you visited. We all want to be able to smile and even laugh. We need that in our lives.

But I would hate to think that we post only happy things because we feel like we can't share the times when we're down or are dealing with hard stuff. We need to feel like we can be honest on our blogs, at the expense of making ourselves real and therefore, vulnerable.

I do appreciate the award and I am so thankful for those of you who come and read my posts each day. It means so much to me. And if I leave a comment on your post, then take my word for it - you make ME smile. I thank you for that. I will leave you with these quotes, because I am normally a happy person with a smile on my face. I believe in the power of a smile and that laughter can cure much.

Smiling is infectious,
You can catch it like the flu.
Someone smiled at me today,
And I started smiling too.
~Author Unknown

Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing. ~Mother Teresa

It takes a lot of work from the face to let out a smile, but just think what good smiling can bring to the most important muscle of the body... the heart. ~Author Unknown

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link of the day:
http://littlekenadie.com/

nice does matter

susan, of penless writer, has awarded me the NICE MATTERS award. although i feel very honored, i don't necessarily feel worthy. but i am very thankful that susan thought of me.

if i hadn't written the post i did yesterday, in response to this award, i would write something along the same lines today. but susan put it well and i totally agree with her.

"In the current day and time which we find ourselves where NICE seems to becoming more and more of a scare commodity I do think it is important for all of us to stand up and loudly proclaim.........NICE does MATTER!!!!"

and if we truly believe that nice does matter, then we need to be the instrument of change. we need to make being nice a priority. we need to be more aware of when we're not being nice. we need to model being nice to our children. and we need to be a witness to those around us. okay, enough of the preaching ;) let's move on.

i'm supposed to pass this award on to seven new people, but as with other awards, i find this difficult. i wouldn't want anyone to feel left out. because i truly feel that you all deserve this award. when i started this blog (because there have been previous ones), i never would have thought i'd meet so many wonderful people. i know there are unkind people out there in blogland, but i don't communicate with them, nor them with me. so all of you who read my blog and are kind enough to respond to my posts - i am passing along this award to you.

let's keep passing this award around as a reminder that kindness is contagious, that we all can can stand to be a little nicer, and that nice does matter.

it is not true that nice guys finish last.nice guys are winners before the game ever starts.-addison walker

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link of the day:
http://www.answers.com/

feels good, but not right

friday the 13th has the reputation of being unlucky. well, mine was pretty nice. after having my usual bowl of cereal, i started reading some of my favorite blogs. i found that one of my new blogging friends, amber from trust in the Lord, has given me the blogger reflection award.


i was very surprised and greatly honored. here's what amber wrote when honoring me with this award. thank you amber for these kind words.

Diana @ Sunshine on My Shoulders is a SWEET woman and mother who SPIRIT definitely SHINES! Not only does her sweet spirit shine, but she is very insightful too. She graciously shared with me her insightfulness (I don't know if that's a word) with me in my previous post, Patience. The comment she wrote made me cry, and made me realize that I'm being the best mother I can be. So in return I wanted to give her this reward.

now i am supposed to pass this on to five other bloggers. this is where i'm struggling. i don't want to offend anyone - especially you, amber, who thought enough of me to give me the award. here's what i'm thinking. i believe just about everyone is deserving of the many awards that go around the blogosphere. but not everyone receives the awards. i think some bloggers get left out and that doesn't sit right with me.

i guess i'm like the paul newman of the academy awards. i'm sure he's honored for being nominated, but he never accepts the award. everyone should feel like winners. no one should feel left out. and i know we're just talking about simple little awards given through cyber space, but i don't want anyone to feel left out by me naming 3, 5, 7, or whatever number of recipients.

so i'm not going to pass on this award to anyone in particular because i feel like we are all deserving of the blogger reflection award, and whatever other awards that are being passed out.

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link of the day:
http://militantplatypus.com/games/gamepage.php?game=crossword