My first blog award...and a much needed visit.

     So, I was astonished to receive a Stylish Blogger award from New Year Mum.  I started this blog as a way to express my feelings.  I never thought it would reach so many people, or that I would have "met" so many wonderful mommas!  So, thank you for the award! 

    As a recipient of this award, I am expected to participate in a few "rules" which I do not mind at all.  So, here they are:

1.  Link back to the person who gave you the award.

          I began reading New Year Mum's blog not long after I began my own.  I was inspired by her story of Gabrielle and her journey both before and after the loss of her daughter.  She is one of the most generous BLM's I have met.  If you haven't, take a moment and swing by her blog, A Year On...Our New Beginning (hopefully) to read more about her.

2.  Tell 7 things about yourself.

**I married my best friend.  We've been through so much crap together, our life should be a soap opera!  His loyalty has never waivered and for that, I am thankful.

**My passion lies in cooking and photography.  If I could, I would own a bakery/photo studio business.   Don't ask me how that would work because I have no idea...its just a dream!

**We LOVE to travel.  We often take long car rides just because.  Of course with gas being so expensive, we haven't done a trip recently, but I hope that changes soon. 

**Loving to travel and loving photography, its not a surprise that I love to scrapbook.  I just wish I had more time to do it.  I am about 4 vacations behind on doing books.  Oops.  I'll catch up one day.

**As much as I miss her, the best day of my life is still meeting my daughter for the first time.  Yes, it is also the worst day of my life, but I will never forget that sweet face.  My mom pointed out, no too long ago, that she was definitely my kid...she even had my crooked pinkies.  Only a grammy would notice those things.  I love those crooked little pinkies!  And I miss them so much!

**I was born in California, and will always be a southern Cali girl, but my heart is here in the East Coast.  I hate snow, but my life is here and always will be.

**My friends and family mean the world to me.  I don't know where I would be without them. 

3.  Award other bloggers.  So the Stylish Blogger award is supposed to be given to 10-15 blogs that I feel deserve the award.  I will try not to repeat the award, since New Year Mum and I read many of the same, but I'm sure I will duplicate a few.  Simply because I feel these women deserve this award, just like New Year Mum did.  So, here are the winners I've chosen:

**Melissa from Laken's Bears

**Raquel from Hopping to a New Normal

**Melissa from Amazing Mikayla Grace, Mikayla's Grace, and Chasing Rainbows

**Deanna from Forever Our Angel

**Franchesca from Small Bird Studios and My Heart Song

**Maggie from Butterflies for Alexandra and A Rainbow and My Butterfly

**Cindy from Cindy Kimble Photography and Puke, Poop and Lots of Love

**Angie from Expectations Revised

**Rhiannon from For the Love of Harper

**Molly from Everything Ebach

**Tiffany from Holy Pee Stick, Batman and In His Name

**Natasha from My Angel Baby.....Aiden William

**Missy from Mommy's Sunshine

**Tabatha from Savanna's Wings

**Tiffany from The Broken Road

**Mandy from From Under the Weeping Willow

I think that's 15.  Oops, that's 16.  Oh well.  Each of these women deserve so much more than just a blog award.  I feel as though I know each one, and they know me as well.  many of these women have started projects to benefit baby lost families.  Wonderful women, sad that we had to meet this way.

4.  Notify the winners.  Which I will do soon!

Thank you again to everyone who takes the time to read my blog.  You all deserve this award!

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     Now, as my title hints at, I recently visited with 2 very good friends.  These friends are the same women I was pregnant with last summer.  The 3 of us shared so much last year; advice, baby clothes, hopes, everything for our children.  They are some of my closest friends.  Since leaving my old job, I haven't gotten a chance to see them much.  Over the past few weeks I have gotten to spend time with each of them separately.  And, their babies.  I love those kids...I know Addie would have been great friends with both of them, just like I am with their mommys.  It hurt a little to be around them without Addie there, but I relished spending time with them.  I have been in such a funk lately...it took some time with Aaron yesterday to pull me out of it.  I'm still kind of down, but, really, who can resist this face (I hope his momma doesn't mind I posted this...I'll ask her soon!).

And the same goes for Miss Layla when I saw her and her mommy a few weeks ago.  Sometimes you just can't help but smile.  I'm so glad these women have stuck by me.  There have been many people who don't talk to me anymore, some of my family included.  But I'm lucky to have wonderful people in my life, like Dianna and Jessica, and a few others.  I know I'm not the easiest person to be around...but my friends had a choice to stay or go.  I now know who my true friends are.  Thank you.