I spent the last two days in West Des Moines in some seriously boring training to keep my CPA license active.
painfully b.o.r.i.n.g. Literally, my fully charged cell phone battery was dead by noon from spending my morning on twitter.
shhhh don't tattle.
I also happened to peek over at
Letting Our Light Shine {Hi, Mar!} because it had just been too darn long since I had seen a blog update from her, so I just needed to check... Come to find out I was tagged in her Seven Links Challenge. Which, according to her digging, "...was created (I'm still not sure by whom) to connect bloggers from all over the world to share old and forgotten posts that deserve recognition..."
The rules are this:
- The blogger who is nominated (me, in this case) must publish 7 links from his/her own blog; one for each of the categories below.
- The blogger then nominates 5-7 more bloggers to take part, and the beat goes on...
It is one of those Friday nights that sweat pants & comfy couch are incredibly exciting, so without further delay:
Most Beautiful Post
I'm not sure what it is, but I don't feel like I have written any beautiful posts (especially after Mary's picture she posted of meeting her sweet babe for the first time, none of mine compared). I didn't start blogging right away when M was born, because at the time - and no offense to anyone - I was still of the mindset that blogging was silly. I stand here, today, corrected, and almost addicted to it! I digress. I came across
Sixteen Months or a Lifetime, when I was overcome with the feeling that in 16 short months, M had become my world and it seemed like he had been in my life forever.
A little preview:
 |
| the gapped teeth kill me! photo via {cb}h |
"Matthew is a couple weeks shy of being sixteen months old, and I can barely remember life without him. If there is one thing I have been reminded of lately is that Matthew belongs to the Lord and we have been the lucky parents chosen to train him in the ways of the Lord and introduce him to Jesus
..."
A little disclaimer, I moved many of my posts that get in to specifics on the boys or our family to a private blog, mostly for their privacy (since they aren't old enough to tell me whether or not they'd really want to be on my public blog...) and protection. So, if you want to read the rest, you are probably already listed on the permissions, and if you're not, I'd love to have you read it, I just need you to e-mail me first!
Most Popular Post
This wasn't the post that received the most comments, but it was, according to blogger, my most viewed post.
Show Us Your Life - Christmas Tour of Homes which I am sure was so popular because I linked up to Kelly's Korner. To all who bothered, I apologize if I disappoint... My domestic skills leave a lot to be desired.
Most Controversial Post
I tend to shy away from blogging about issues that may end up controversial. You see, I am not afraid of those conversations, I just prefer to have them face to face so that you can see my passion and not assume my tone in text on your computer screen. That being said, I think one of the most controversial issues that I have touched on with my blog is toddler eating issues. My "
Picking Your Battles" post
didn't seem to create controversy on my blog, but rest assured, it is a hot topic. Forcing your child to take a bite of food that makes him gag, cutting back and potentially removing milk from your toddlers diet, ear infections potentially caused by milk intolerance - there are a lot of opinions out there on health and nutrition for children and I tend to get very caught up in all of it. So, for me, its the topic that creates a great deal of controversy within.
Most Helpful Post
I tend to write quite a bit about
faith, and where I am at on my journey with Jesus on this earth.
And, faith is a topic that I could talk with people about for hours on end. Be warned, if I enter a faith conversation, I could stay up all night until the sun comes up the next morning talking about it. However, going through the
Project: Simplify series via
Simple Mom was, dare I say, life altering for me. I have looked at my home, getting organized, and leading a simpler life much more seriously, ever since. My attitude about living simply was so changed by this series.
Most Surprisingly Successful Post
Definitely the "
Just Needed Someone to Believe..." post.
Sometimes I blog with a purpose, to talk about one specific topic. Other times, I hop on and it is just a journal post, that I am not to shy to share with friends and strangers. This was a journal post. Just a day with some heavier thoughts on my mind to put out there and lighten the load a bit. {Little do you all know, I journal via a private blog and every once in a while when I get brave I share snippets on this little diddy}. While the post didn't receive a lot of commentary, I wasn't actually expecting any at all and was so humbled by the love you ladies left me. xoxo
Post That Didn't Get the Attention it Deserved
This one. None of ya'll even wished us a happy anniversary. (wink, wink)
Post That I am Most Proud of
To be honest, my initial instinct was to say my "Marathon Monday" posts from when I was training for last years Des Moines half-marathon. However, I am taking myself back to the post where I finally kicked my homesickness to the curb and decided catch up with the Lord and figure out why in the world he lead me to Muscatine, "
Adjusting and Finding Blessings".
And let me take a moment to give some glory to God on this one (updates in italics):
"When the move first came about, I was very positive about it, knowing that this is God's plan for our family and that He would use me here for His glory. Then, Satan (in the form of hormones and immature self-pity) started turning my view negative. We miss Gloria Dei and are struggling to find a church home.
Shortly before we found out we were moving again, I believe we really had found that home and such a wonderful group of people to spend time with. I miss my friends and have missed some special events in their lives recently, and that is hard.
I have missed even more in the last year, and it is still hard. It will always be hard to miss out on joyful moments with friends. Thankfully, one day we will all be together in heaven and the only emotion we will know is PURE JOY. I am eager to find friends here, and apparently expect that to happen overnight.
It didn't happen over night, but I know I made some forever friends in Muskie. After a tearful evening of feeling sorry for myself, I remembered the positive attitude I had before we got here. Remembered that God is so much bigger than the negative feelings that I am having. That He will lead us to a church home. That He will bring women into my life that I can lean on.
Amen. Because He did just that. That I am here right now, I should live every day to make Him known, and that this life was meant to let his light shine.
Just coincidence, or a God thing, that one of the best friends I made in Muscatine writes a blog called "Letting Our Light Shine"? And, that most importantly, our time here (on Earth) is so temporary."
I have been reminded of that on four separate occasions in just the last week.
And, because Mary quoted Bill O'Reilly, I am going to steal her words here as I ask seven others to participate:
"On that note, here are the 5-7 bloggers that I am nominating to pay this challenge forward. I won't be offended if you choose not to participate. It
is a little narcissistic to bloviate about your own past posts, after all. (Yes, I
did just channel my inner Bill O'Reilly.) But who among us doesn't like to go back and revisit our own personal history?"
- Hickstionary - I owe you all of the credit for starting a blog. Until I started following yours, I was lost in the point of blogging at all and now I totally get it. I am so thankful for this digital scrapbook of life.
- Yellow Brick Beauty - because you are awesome and I love ya!
- Words of Williams - Love their general outlook on life, their inspiration to be stewards of God's gifts, and because if you're not reading their blog, you should.
- The Dillinger Family - because I miss your blog posts terribly... (and you)
- The Iowa Farmer's Wife - because even though I barely met you when I was in Des Moines, through your blog I feel like I know you and we'd be good friends in real life! And, because you truly inspire me to be a better mom.
