Blog award!

I'm excited to announce that I have received my first blog award from Joanna at Pregnancy, Miscarriage, & Life with Chronic Pain!  Me and Joanna unfortunately share some similar experiences, and she has offered me a lot of encouragement as we both struggle with TTC.  You should definitely go check out her blog!

 
Now on to the rules that come with receiving this award....
1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award.  (Check!)
2. Share 7 things about yourself.  (See below - Check!)
3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers.  (See below - Check!)
4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award!  (Check!)

Seven things about myself:

1. I am a problem-solver and a perfectionist.  I think this is why I am having such a mental struggle over trying to get (and stay) pregnant.  I have never failed at anything in my life; I've always been able to make it happen if I worked at it hard enough.  Obviously this does not apply in TTC, and I think that is one of the hardest things for me to cope with.
2. I am the oldest of five children.  When my siblings were younger, I had to help my mother a lot, and there was a time when I did not think I ever wanted to have children because they were so much work.  My view on this has of course since changed.  But I am thankful to have gotten so much hands-on experience raising my younger siblings, because I think it will make me a better mother when the time does come.
3. I really hope our kids get my blue eyes, and DH's dimples.  :-)
4. I really want to lose 10 pounds, but I have no desire to exercise or cut back on all of the good foods I enjoy.  (Besides, I'll need those 10 pounds to feed our hypothetical baby when I'm so nauseated from morning sickness that I can't keep anything down... right?)
5. I have a love-hate relationship with cooking.  Sometimes it is fun and I enjoy creating new meal ideas, but some days it feels like the biggest chore ever in life.
6. I don't love my job.  But it is a paycheck and health insurance, and I feel like I can't complain in this economy, when I know so many others are struggling to put food on the table and would love to have any job at all.
7. I finally got the fancy camera I wanted for Christmas this year, and I am really getting into photography as a hobby.  I love it!

Award fifteen great bloggers:  (I actually goofed and awarded sixteen... but thats ok because they are all great at what they do!)

1. Shanna at Wishing...Hoping...Waiting
2. Mary at The Great Elephant Symposium
3. Christina at The Curse of the Chewed Buddha 
4. Missy at ...And Baby Makes Three
5. Mrs. Z at Come Blog With Me
6. Sylvia at Clear as Mud
7. Colinda at The Port of Indecision
8. Bobbi at When Did I Go From a Kid to a Grown-Up?
9. Mrs. H at A Second Line
10. Ginger at Winter Baby
11. Liz at Womb for Improvement
12. L&R70707 at An Element of Blank
13. Elise at WildeZoo
14. TERogers at A New State of Normal
15. Mrs. Later than Most at Later Than Most
16. Randi at Life As Me

Well, I think that's about it.  Thanks so much for the award, Joanna!  I really appreciate it!  :-)