Happy 101 Award

The other day my sister Elizabeth Williams gave me the Happy 101 Award.

Now it's my turn to follow the rules and share some great blogs with you.




Here are the rules:


Copy the award image into a post.


- List 10 things that make you happy.
- Tag 10 bloggers who brighten your day. (not sure if I have that many to post!)
- Put in a link to their blogs.
- Notify the award receivers.

- Recipients should link back to the sender’s blog.



List 10 Things That Make Me Happy:



1. Jesus Christ My Savior- The most important and happy part of my life is the relationship that I have with my Savior. He is my salvation. He is the ONLY STABLE part of my life. When everything around me is in constant turmoil and change- Jesus Christ is the ONLY one that NEVER changes- What a refreshing truth!

2. My husband Paul- For all of those who know my husband- know that my life is full of adventure and fun with Paul. There is NEVER a dull moment in our lives. He makes me laugh all the time- no matter what the situation- I love you honey!

3. My family- I have the best family ever- including my in-laws. I am so happy when I am around them. They are always there for us- in the good and the bad. God has truly blessed me with the best family and I thank God daily for them!

4. My job- I am happy that I have a job. I know that sometimes I complain about work, and I am working on being more positive regarding my job- because NO MATTER WHAT I have a job.

5. My Friends- God has placed several very important friends in my life. Pastor and Gabby have been very good friends to us. I treasure the friendship I have with them. I also am very thankful for Ana- who is a new believer and I have truly enjoyed teaching her about God. (by the way- Ana is coming to live with us on February 6th and we are going to be doing a daily study together!!!)

6. Reading- I love to read. I have been reading lots of Tracie Peterson books lately. She has a way of writing that makes you feel like you are right in the middle of the story.

7. Cooking- I truly enjoy cooking and baking. I have been trying out new recipes and I love to see what the outcome is!

8. Singing- I constantly listen to music. I love to sing and also to listen to good music. Singing brings back memories of when I was young. While we would travel as a family to make the trip go by quickly we would sing as a family. I have lots of good memories of all of singing as a family.

9. A good Bargain- I get so happy when I find a good deal on something. I love seeing how far I can make the dollars stretch!

10. Vacations- I am so happy when I on vacation (but then again who isn't) I especially love vacations with the family. One of my favorite vacations was when we went on a cruise with my entire family and part of Paul's family.





Tag 10 Bloggers Who Brighten Your Day:

1. Zizzie Happenings- This is my sister Elizabeth- I don't think I am supposed to give Lizzie the award she gave me but I wanted to mention that her blog Brightens my day.

2. Comments from the Corner- This is my dad's blog. I enjoy reading my father's blog.

3. Grandma's Page- This is Aunt Linda Goossen's blog. She has really interesting posts!

4. A Home Grown Life- This is Paul's cousing Tesa Goossen. She writes about her life as a homemaker, mother, teacher and wife!

5. It's good to wait quietly- This is my Aunt Sharon Hoyt's blog. She does not blog very often but when she does I truly enjoy getting to know her more!

6. Just a southern girl- This is my Aunt Kim Hoyt's blog. She is currenlty in Argentina as a missionary. Her blogs are amazing. She is a wonderful writer!

7. MeeMaw Moments- This is my Aunt Rita Koch's blog. I enjoy reading her blog and getting to know her more.

8. Bring the Rain- I found this blog through Aunt Linda Goossen. I read her blog daily. She has a very inspiring blog.

9. $5.00 dinners- I found this blog through my sister Lizzie. I love the recipes that she has posted. It is amazing what she can do on a $5.00 budget!

10. Sorry- I have no other blogs that I read. I need to find a way to read more...

Thanks again Lizzie for selecting my blog!

****** On another note- Please be praying for us- Paul was laid off on Friday. We had been expecting it for a few months so it was not a surprise to us. We WILL be okay- we rest on the Knowledge that God will take care of HIS children. We will be looking diligently for the best job. Please Pray with us! ******

Ramdon Dozen

1. When was the last time you craved a food--what was it, and did you cave? This morning I craved a cup of Duncan Donuts coffee.

2. M & M's or Skittles? M&M's .... Peanut M&M's are my absolute favorite.

3. Have you ever read the Bible completely through? yes- not as often as I would like. I am thinking of doing what my sister is doing and listening to the Bible on CD since I do a lot of music listening- I could switch it up and listen to the BIBLE.

4. How long does it take you to really wake up in the morning? about 1/2 hour. I set my alarm 1/2 hour early so I can gradually wake up.

5. Have you ever been on a cruise? If not, would you like to? yes, Paul and I have been on 9 cruises. We LOVE cruises. Our favorite cruise is to Alaska. What a memorable trip.

6. Who is your favorite actress? Resee Witherspoon is one that I like. I enjoy the movies she is in.

7. ______ is something that I will just never understand. Chess

8. How much of a technology junkie are you? I don't really consider myself a junkie. I have what I need to get things done and that is about it.

9. Do you enjoy selecting greeting cards for people, or is it more of a cultural "have to" for you? I used to enjoy making them for people. Then I got rid of all my stuff to foster the boys. I love reading cards and their really nice saying but I think a homemade card has so much more value to me.

10. When was the last time you got a new style/haircut? About 3 years ago I got a shorter hair style- Paul prefers my hair longer so I am working on letting it grow.

11. What do you enjoy shopping for most? I love going shopping for awesome deals. I always find great deals the more time I spend just going through items one by one. I have found pants for $1.00 and a pair of shoes for $3.00.

12. What's the last thing you think of before you leave the house? Do I have my phone?

Better Late than NEVER

Happy New Year! I have had a hard time putting all my thoughts down for anyone to understand. 2009 was a HARD year. I am Thankful that 2009 is over and I welcome 2010 with open arms. I am a bit frightened to see what the Lord has in store for us. I rest on the Promises that God gives me daily.
Where do I start-
Last Wednesday I got on a plane to Charlotte, North Carolina. It was a hard decision to make since Paul would not be making the trip with me. He had to work practically the whole New Years weekend. This was the first New Years that we have not spent together. Paul was very good to me and told me to go. Deep down inside I needed to see my family. Probably more for moral encouragement than anything else, you see, that morning I had to do another hard thing at work. I was told that I had to let go of 2 more people- Yes you heard me right- 2 more people!!!!!. That leaves just Ana and myself. I thought I was overworked before when I had the 2 other people.... NOW I am not sure I have a word for how things are. So, I needed to make the trip for a mental break as well. Of course, I did not tell them I was coming and that was the most exciting part of all. Philip and Rosalyn knew ( I needed someone to pick me up at the airport). They picked me up and they took me to Wal-mart to surprise Dad. He was surprised to see me.
Then on our drive to surprise Mom, Mike and Lizzie I called mom to see what she was up to. A few minutes later we walked in to the house and surprised them.
It was nice to see them all- We had a wonderful few days.
Now I am back in the swing of things. Work is just as I predicted. However, I pray daily for strength to make it through the day.
I will be posting pictures of my trip in the next few days.
Happy New Year's to all my Blogger Friends.