Versatile Blogger Award

Yes, I guess there is such a thing.  And I was tagged, so now it's my turn to pass on the love.

The official rules are as follows:

1.  Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them.  Thank you, Mary (yes, there are two of us with that very common name).  Mary blogs also about adoption, and is an positive voice for a variety of foster care and adoption topics.  Take a look at her blog for more information.

2.  Tell 7 things about yourself:  

1. I was going to cheat on this one and name our family members:  Tim, Mary, Nate, Megan, Jeran, Joie, and Gabby.  That's seven.  Plus two if you count the dogs, Champ and Blossom.
2. Tim and I both come from large families.  Tim is #3 of 10 children; I am #2 of 12 children.  There isn't a lot that can phase us.
3. I can say the alphabet backwards really, really fast, and my kids think it's my most amazing talent.  They make me do it for their friends.  (They also make Champ do tricks for their friends.  Should I be concerned?)
4. Besides saying the alphabet backwards, I love to write, which I didn't figure out was a real talent until I was in college because I thought to have a real talent you had to be able to sing or dance.  I don't do either of those.
5. I grew up on a farm.  I'm a true farm girl (except that I don't live there now, and didn't ever move back after I turned 18...)  I love that it's part of my life's journey, and love that I can journey back there often.  I also love that moment in the trip when we start to drive back toward stores and people, and get nervous driving to the farm when we pass the last store, thinking I've forgotten something I'll need.
6. My dream is to own horse property (the suburban kind...not a whole farm).  Someday.  Hopefully soon, before my kids grow a lot older.
7. I broke my knee in the growth plate when I was a year old, and had three casts and two surgeries before the age of 6.  Thanks to modern medicine I can walk.  I remember running in high school and college and looking down at the long white scar on my leg and finally feeling thankful it was there.

(Whew!  Seven!  That wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.)

3.  Pay it forward and award the Versatile Blogger to 15 recently discovered new bloggers:  

Did you say fifteen?  What I forgot to mention is blogging is my hobby, which means I try to keep time spent here relatively sane.  I put words to whatever seems foremost in my mind on any given day.  That said, I've come across some great blogs as people post and as I visit other blogs.  I'll follow the lead of the other Mary and "tweak the rules."  I'm awarding the Versatile Blogger to five other blogs:

(No particular order of preference)

1. My Nutritious Dish by Emily...can't remember how I found this blog, but my own drive for health and nutrition keeps me checking back frequently
2. Living A Big Story by Laura, who has kept the Mother's Day theme going all month, and is introducing us to a lot of different moms in memory of her own mother who passed away recently.  She also promotes healthy living, in a very down-to-earth way.
3. The "Mental"-ist Mom by Missy, who blogs about being a mother to a child with multiple mental health challenges.  She's the real thing.
4. The Happiest Sad by Jill Elizabeth who blogs about her journey as a mother who chose adoption for her baby.  She does a beautiful job putting words to the often silent members of the adoption triad.
5. Outward Expressions by Esther, my sister...who might kill me for this, but probably not since I don't know if I've ever seen her angry.  This is one of those situations where it might be better to ask forgiveness than permission.  I am always inspired by her posts, and I aspire to write like her.
6. And I know I only said I'd post five, but I also think my son, Jeran, is a funny, creative writer and he has been blogging lately too at Go for the Gold, a blog that used to be called "Go for the Bronze" because he was championing mediocrity until my other amazing sister convinced him to Go for the Gold!

Enjoy!