An Award!

It never ceases to amaze me that I get to "hang out" with so many cool, cool people here in Blogland. I never knew that I could have friendships with people I had never even talked to before. Now, I realize that these relationships are different than my "real" friendships, but I treasure these "cyber" friendships as well. Even my husband understands. When he read Brandi's blog a couple of weeks ago and saw that she was going to have to slow down blogging for a while, he wanted me to email her and make sure she was okay. I thought it was so sweet. The fact that her husband and my husband have emailed each other back and forth a bit had a lot to do with that, I'm sure. But still, he cares.

This post is to celebrate those friendships and to thank one of those cyber-buddies for an award she gave me Friday. Thank you Sarah Mae! She gave me this sweet award...she said she liked it because it had coffee cups filled with Creme Brulee creamed coffee...my mug would be full of Vanilla Caramel creamed coffee...MMMMmmmmMMMM! Oh, and I see a little tea bag, perfect for when I'm reminiscing about my time in Australia.

Okay, with the award, I have to answer some questions. So here you go:

1. Do you have the same friends since childhood? I have not kept up with many of my friends from childhood, but the ones from high school still keep in touch. In fact, I just got an email yesterday from a friend I hadn't heard from in YEARS. Hey, Cassie!

My best friends since I was a young teenager were my cousins Ruth and Scotty. Ruth and I still email quite often, but I am a horrible cousin/friend when it comes to keeping up with Scott. Ugh. And his birthday was last Sunday!

2. What do you value most about your friends? Definitely a sense of humor. There's not much I like more than laughing with my friends. (It's why Kat is my best girlfriend...she laughs at my jokes. That's not the real reason, but I like saying that.) And every Sunday morning I get to be in a room with some of my closest friends, usually starting our rehearsal time laughing about just the stupidest stuff. Good times.

I also value those friends who speak truth in my life. They are not afraid of hurting my feelings (although they are very kind and careful with my fragile self), yet they tell me like it is when I need it most.

I also value those friends who challenge me to stretch my limits. I have one who is doing that right now. Scary, but what I hope to gain from it will mean so much I don't even think I can grasp it yet.

3. Are your friends your sounding boards? I have to agree with Sarah, my husband (my best friend as well) listens to me when I'm happy, sad, mad, crabby, hysterical, (enter any other emotion here__________). He is definitely my constant sounding board, but I don't know what I'd do without being able to vent to my girlfriends every once in while!

4. What is your favorite activity to share with your friends? Road trips! I think I laugh the hardest on road trips. Two come to mind immediately. I mean, when one of your friends ends up in the floorboard after sitting backwards watching the cranky woman behind us in traffic, or when another of your friends has an infection on his uvula and has to put medicine on it without using a mirror, you laugh reeeeeally hard. I'm laughing hysterically as I'm typing this just remembering...

Okay, now I get to pass this sweet award on to four of my bloggy friends! Even if you've received this award before, I still wanted to pass it on to you girls! Here you go!

Brandi at Shack on the Rocks

Jen at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

Suzy at Wild Rose Cottage

Susie Harris at Bienveune...

I hope you visit each of these amazing women. The things they share on their blogs are such an inspiration to me. Thanks again, Sarah!