Beautiful Blogger Award

Ok, can I just say that I feel super cool and popular right now? I just got a blogger award from April and I feel a little bit awesome. I've never received one before so now I'm going to spend the day chanting "They like me! They really really like me!". Yes, it's a little pathetic ... Thank you so much!

The rules of this award are:

• Thank the person who nominated you for this award
• Copy the award and place it in your blog
• Link the person who nominated you for this award
• Tell us 7 interesting things about you
• Nominate 7 bloggers and link to their blogs

Seven interesting things about me ... Ready?

1. I am the oldest of six children and my brother's and sisters literally call me Hen. (Hence, the Mama Hen). I always thought it was because my nickname is Gen and when we lived in Mexico when I was younger they realized /G/ is pronounced /H/ in Spanish ... I thought this until finally one year (like last year) my brother, Spud, finally laughed at me at and said, "Yeah, that isn't it at all. We call you Hen because you are constantly trying to mother all of us and boss us around." Oh, oops. Well, whatever. I can't run from who I really am man.

2. I always wanted to be a mom when I grew up. When people ask me what I'm going to do when all my kids are in school full time I say, "Be a mom. And sleep in. And have morning sex again." I have no desire to ever reenter the workforce. Maybe I'll take some college classes ... but only if they sound like fun.

3.  Just like April, I'm a list maker. Everything has a list. This morning, Snuggles wasn't eating his unfinished dinner for breakfast (yes, I'm that kind of mom) and I told him he would have to stay home from school until that hamburger was gone. When he seemed to like the idea I began making a list of things he would do as soon as it was actually finished ... folding the laundry, dusting the living room, cleaning the toilets. Needless to say, my list making set him straight and he gobbled that burger up. I make lists for budgets, I make honey-do lists, I make my own chore lists, I make grocery lists, I make vacation lists ... I find a strange comfort in having a list lying around.

4. I love birth. Everything about it. Placentas, contractions, vernix, dilating, effacement, pushing ... and most especially the little squeaky baby at the end of it all. I especially love, and am an advocate for, natural childbirth. I had my fourth baby at home, attended by a midwife, and it was the best birthing experience I ever had. A friend told me the only down side to having a home birth was that I would love it so much I would want to have another baby so I could do it again. I'm done having babies, but she was right. I wish I would have been brave enough to have all my babies that way.

5. I'm addicted to sugar. Seriously. A naturopath once told me that I was addicted to sugar the same way a crack addict is addicted to crack. That's pretty sad. Sugar gives me migraines. Sugar and me ... it's a bad relationship. But I keep going back for more. I just can't say no. 

6. I don't want to come across as preachy, but I love Jesus. I love what He did for me. I love who He is to me. I love what He does in me. I love how He speaks to me.  I love that I have Hope because of Him. 

7. I heart a cop. And a cop hearts me. And I love that people care enough to read about that.

Here are 7 blogs that I frequent and I think you should check out ... oh, and I'm giving them the beautiful blogging award too!

• The Brazilla Gorilla Balancing Act
• Tied By His Love
• To Show My Love
• Simply Complicated
• Neoteny

Ok, I couldn't come up with seven. I actually frequent quite a few police wife blogs but most of them have received the blogging award already. The blogs I've mentioned here have some great stuff to say and definitely deserved to be checked out.