So Angie over at Our Life as the Parent of a Preemie nominated me for the sunshine award!

This award is pretty much the same as the beautiful blogger award so I won’t go and list the 7 most interesting things about me or tag anyone either. I just want to say thank you to Angie. And to all of you really.

I started blogging 4 years ago. Seems like so long ago to me now. When I first started it did NOT come naturally to me. I go back now and read posts from my first year and I laugh. It’s embarassing to me. But honestly, I’m glad I still did it. Hannah was 3 when I started this blog. When I’m feeling nostalgic I go back and read old posts from back then and laugh. I shared funny stories or pictures of her. These are things I might not have remembered on my own yet here they are sealed forever in my own little place. My goal is to one day let both my girls read my blog. Like when they’re older. MUCH MUCH older. Like adults. I want them to see the things I struggled with…the things I overcame. The things that were important to me. Obviously I can’t put much about all of us on here but I do put enough to let y’all in. I’ve made such good friends since I’ve started blogging. Blogging is what lead me to Twitter. And y’all know how near and dear Twitter is to me.

I can’t say it enough how much the online community means to me. The fact that people take time out to say “Hey Becky…we think you rock. Here’s an award!” is awesome to me. People think of me. They think that I’m deserving of being acknowledged. That’s a nice feeling. So thanks again Angie. And thank you all

This past weekend Nic from My Bottle’s Up presented me with this award. I was excited when she told me that she had something for me but this was really special. You see, I have serious issues with being self conscious. That’s all I’m gonna say about that too but it always helps when someone tells you “hey, I think you’re beautiful and here’s an award.” So thank you Nic….SO much.

There are rules that come with this award:

1. Thank the person who nominated me for this award.
2. Copy the award and place it on my blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated me for this award.
4. Share 7 interesting things about myself.
5. Nominate 7 other beautiful bloggers.

7  interesting things about myself? Let’s see….

1. I’m tongue tied. I’ve said this before on this blog but I literally can’t stick out my tongue. Most babies get that snipped now adays but my mom insisted from the day I was born on that that wasn’t necessary. I never had problems speaking or eating so to this day, still tongue tied!

2. I’m flat footed. Like badly flat footed. Tennis shoes hurt my feet because of the arch in them. It hurts to walk in flats all day. You can usually find me in at least a 2 inch, if not 3 inch heel at any given time. All my shoes for work have heels. All my boots have heels. I’m just more comfortable in them. My feet are CRAZY flat.

3. I had a blankie that was really a cloth diaper, which I called my papa ( couldn’t say diaper) up until age 5. I carried that thing around EVERYWHERE. I even snuck it in my backpack to school to just look at it and sneak an occasional smell because I loved smelling it. I was so attached to it. I guess my mom saw the problem in this and took it away from me like outta the blue one day. Just threw it away. It was devastating. So when I had Hannah I gave her cloth diapers to grow attached to. At least for her, as long as it was a certain kind, she didn’t mind having a new clean one everyday. Mine was THE SAME ONE everyday. It was full of the funk. When we took her paci away, she gave up the papa. Sorta made me sad. So now Livie has one and she loves it as much as Hannah and I did. This pleases me. I’m keeping the tradition going.

4. I’ve had plastic surgery.

5. I love hip hop music. Nothing pleases me more than belting out the lyrics to a Snoop Dogg or Nelly song. I like all kinds of music but really…I think my heart is with hip hop. I love to dance. I love to rap. I can still say the lyrics word for word to “Baby Got Back” and “Ice Ice Baby”. I consider this a true talent.

6. I’ve read the whole Bible. Yes. I sure have.

7. I’m KIND of scared of the dark. Like I don’t have a panic attack or anything to be in the dark but I prefer to sleep with some kind of light on. So basically yes, I’m a pussy. There. I said. it.

Now I have to pass this along to 7 other bloggers.

1. Jenn from Jennster’s blog. I know she won’t do this but I’m tagging her anyway. I love Jenn. We’ve been friends for 5 years now. She’s seen me at my worst…and best. We’ve traveled together…danced together…I watched her get married and laughed at her vows because they were hilarious. She’s hot and I love her.

2. Maura from Irish Eyes Aren’t Smiling. I’ve coined this little phrase about us- “We were friends before make up and good hair”. And it’s true. We’ve been friends since 8th grade. And really, she’s my best friend. She’s seen me through bad boyfriends. Good boyfriends. My mom being sick. She was at my wedding. She was at my dad’s funeral. I’ve sent her tons of pics of my kids. She sends me cute pics of her doggie. She’s beautiful, inside and out. I love her.

3. Greis from Amazing Greis. Greis lives in the same city as I do. This in itself connects us. It’s always nice to find someone who blogs or Tweets that lives by you. It’s like an instant connection. I finally got to meet Greis in person at a Britney Spears concert (don’t hate!!!) and she was just as awesome in person. She’s gorgeous…funny…and so sweet.

4. Carrie from Stop Screaming, I’m Driving. Carrie’s blog was one of the 1st blogs I started to read back in 2006 when this blog sucked and I needed inspiration. I read a handful of blogs back then and had just started to delve into the blogging world. Carrie started to read my blog back and always commented…even on the craptastic posts I had back then. 4 years later we’re still reading eachother’s blogs. We’ve watched eachother’s kids get bigger and blogs get better.

5. Jessie from J Miller Fam. Jessie and I have also been friends since before make up and good hair. Since 6th grade to be exact. I’ve laughed til I’ve cried with Jessie. I’ve cried until I could cry no more and we had to laugh with Jessie. We had BFF necklaces. That’s hardcore. We’ve always kept in touch. Another person I love.

6. Tricia from Irishamomspeaks. You talk about someone who is always there with something perfect to say. That’s her. Her heart is so beautiful. So inspiring. She always just knows the right thing to say at the right time. She’s so wise. So caring. Plus her son just had a birthday so that makes her extra special.

7. Naomi from Naomi’s Nest. You want crafts…she’s got them! This girl can crochet…make cards….bake…it’s like my very own Martha Stewart friend. The extra’s in this is that I see her everyday. She’s awesome in person. Trust me.

So there ya go!

Over the weekend my friends Jenn and Ali tagged me with the Honesty Scrap award.

I think they gave this to me at the most perfect time ever. I’ve been through major ups and downs and all around lately and I think it would do me some good to be honest with myself and others about myself. Maybe tell you things you didn’t know about myself. With all the craziness that’s been going on in the blog world lately, some honestly would do everyone some good right now. Here are the rules:

1. Present this award to 7 others whose blogs you find brilliant in content and/or design or those who have encouraged you.

2. Tell those people they’ve been awarded the HONEST SCRAP AWARD and inform them of these guidelines in receiving the award.

3. Share “10 honest things” about yourself.

Here’s my 10:

1. I’m tongue tied. Literally. My tongue is tied into my mouth and can barely stick out. The doctor’s wanted my mom to get it cut and said she wouldn’t unless I had trouble eating or speaking. Neither happened so it’s still that way today.

2. I’m scared of the dark.

3. I believe in ghosts. (Jenn, tell Sam I said hi.)

4. I am a Christian. May not always act like one, but that’s my own issue to fix. The truth remains and I’m going to Heaven when I die.

5. While I love the life me and Hubs have built for ourselves, I sometimes wish that we would have waited to have kids just a couple more years.

6. I’m scared for my mom to die. I know she’ll be better off and so much happier in Heaven but I don’t know how to live my life without my mom. I dread the day.

7. I have an addiction to the internet and being connected. I don’t think I could go one day without my blackberry OR talking to my friends on it.

8. My sisters resent me for moving away. They don’t really admit this but I know it. I deal with that everyday of my life, especially when I hear other people talk about how they’re close to their siblings. It makes me very jealous. We are not close at all.

9. I’m super clumsy. I trip and fall and drop things A LOT.

10. I hate tennis shoes and think they’re hideous (unless you’re working out) and refuse to wear them with regular clothes. EVER.

I’m tagging these 7 people to join in the fun!

1. Issa from Issa’s Crazy world.

2. Jennster from Jennster’s Blog.

3. Karen from Smiling through it all.

4. Nilsa from Somi Speaks.

5. Vinomom from Vinomom.

6. Amber from Pacifier Graveyard

7. Angelia from Mommy Needs meds

I was going to blog about my crazy/scary night last night, but I’ll do that tomorrow! Stay tuned!