Real Neat Blog Award

I have to admit that I was truly honored to receive the Real Neat Blog Award from one of my most favorite authors, Carrie Jill Sullivan, over at Journey of a Soul. (I updated the award banner so it wasn’t so blurry looking).

So here are the rules for the award:

1. Put the award logo on your blog
2. Answer 7 questions asked by the person who nominated you
3. Thank the people who nominated you, linking to their blogs
4. Nominate any number of bloggers you like, linking to their blogs
5. Let them know you nominated them (by commenting on their blog, email, etc.)

Now on to the fun part – answering the questions!

1. Where do most visits to your blog come from?

The majority of my traffic comes from the United States, with Russia and Canada making up the second and third most visits spot.

2. What is your favorite sport?

I’m not a huge sports fan. I do love playing tennis and volleyball, but when it comes to watching sports on television, the only sports I watch are the Winter Olympics. I love to watch the figure skating competitions, curling, and bobsledding teams.

3. What has been a special moment for you in 2014?

I had a few special moments in 2014 so it is hard to choose just one. The one that meant the most to me was seeing my youngest son begin middle school, and my eldest son starting his freshman year at high school. They both reached milestones in their life that they will remember for many years to come, and it brought a tear to my eye knowing that my “babies” are growing up and will be starting their own lives before much longer, and the hubby and I will be left to our own devices. That’s a scary prospect!

4. What is your favorite quote?

Oh my gosh, I’ve been on a quote-snagging frenzy since I received my iPhone 6 Plus for Christmas on Facebook and Pinterest. There are so many that I love, but my absolute favorite is this – “Always believe that something wonderful is about to happen.” I come across so many people who focus on the negatives that are happening in their lives at the moment, that they fail to see the small moments of wonderful, or fully appreciate them. I want to always remember to focus on the wonderful that is about to happen!

5. What was your favorite class while still in school?

English – hands down. I was an ace student (if I do say so myself) in English from the time I started school until I graduated. I adored English Literature and reading the classics. I’ve always loved to read, so I suppose it isn’t a big surprise that English was my favorite subject.

6. Anything you wished to have learned earlier?

In my mid-30s I “finally” learned that one of the big keys to being happy is being able to love yourself. For many years, I always relied on others to make me happy – whether it was a boyfriend, a spouse, a job, my children – but until I learned to truly love myself and appreciate me for the beautiful person God created me to be – I wasn’t truly happy. Learning to love myself as I am, warts and all, has allowed me to be happy (mostly) every day since. I wish I had learned this a lot earlier in life!

7. What musical instrument have you tried to play?

I can play the piano, sort of. I took piano lessons in high school, learned how to play Chopsticks and The Rose by Bette Midler. I’m sure I learned more songs, but that’s all that I remember almost 30 years later!

And now, I’m sending along this award to the following blogger – Debbie from Heartbeats ~ Soul Stains. Debbie is the mother of 7 children (yes, I said SEVEN!!!!), and a beautiful soul despite the many tragedies, challenges and obstacles she’s faced in her life. Her faith is strong, and I admire how she opens her heart to her readers much the same way that I do. Take a moment to check out her blog and drop a comment to say hello!