Friends Like That

If you were to ask me one or two years ago if I ever thought that some of my best friend's could be women I met on the Internet, I'd laugh at you.

Meeting people on the Internet is only for crazies.

Right?

Wrong.

When I started my blog, I really had no idea what blogging could add to my life. I thought my mom might read it. Maybe my siblings. You know, people who I know.

But then I started to find other bloggers with similar interests as me. I started to get to know Taryn, SnoWhite, Shaina, Jenny, Lindsey, Jackie, Kayla, Brittany, and so many others ...

I started to look forward to reading their blogs, getting comments from them, e-mailing with them, tweeting with them, texting with them, and, well ... sharing with them.

I started to consider these women my friends. My dear friends.

Then I started to get sad that I didn't know any of them in "real life" and that perhaps, I might never know some of them in real life.

And then, in February that began to change when I had a chance to meet Shaina and Jenny on a weekend road trip. And in June, I met SnoWhite as she passed through my neck of the woods!

So, this weekend as I hung out with Shaina and Jenny again, here in the great worth north, for part two of bloggy road trip 2010, I realized that it is good to have friends like this. Even if we are all crazies who met on the Internet.

It's good to have friends who will drive up to 10 hours to visit for the weekend and who won't get jealous when their dog would much rather cuddle with you and your preggo belly than with them.

It's good to have (furry) friends who can forgive each other and make up, even after having a few little fights.

It's good to have friends who will go to your favourite ice cream place with you and then sit in the backseat of your car as your husband chauffeurs you around the local area and shows them all the great sites there are to see - including the great Canadian fox.

It's good to have friends whose lives revolve around food just as much as mine does and who are eager and willing to indulge in all sorts of fancy Canadian treats like dill pickle chips, butter tarts, nanaimo bars, poutine, and maple syrup!

It's good to have friends who enjoy roaming around the farm, taking a look at the chickens, and going for a swim in the pond.

It's good to have friends who think it's funny to put on the fake pregnancy belly at the maternity store to send a photo to their husband who has been deployed for the past six months.

It's good to have friends who you can go to an all you can eat Brazilian grill and not worry about being judged for the fact that you may have just consumed the largest amount of food in the history of the planet and have made it so that your unborn child no longer has a single inch of space to move around inside your uterus.

It's good to have friends who will park in the "Expectant Mother's Parking" space with you for the very first time ever (and maybe only time) when you're heading to WalMart to buy a fake wedding band because your sausage fingers won't allow you to wear your wedding rings.

It's so good to have friends like that.

A Sweet Gift

On Saturday, I was surprised to find a notice from the UPS drop off letting me know that I had a parcel waiting for me. I wasn't expecting anything so I was very interested to see what it could be! I stopped in to the pick up location on my way to the baby shower and was so surprised to see this lovely gift from my sweet friend Jenny! I was so excited, I made Logi hold the parcel while I took around 50 a few pictures of the lovely wrapping paper!

I tore into the package as quickly as I could - which was not that quickly because my hands were frozen solid and this girl must have used 6 rolls of tape on that box!

When I finally got into the package ... I found this:

For Christmas, Jenny received a meat mallet and in one of our many, many e-mail conversations, I told her that was a kitchen tool I have never owned. Well, she actually ended up receiving two and was so sweet to send me one!

It felt like Christmas had come all over again. Thanks for the lovely gift, my friend!

We've Been Featured

Guess what?

Today the Fabulous Dude and I are begin featured over at the Newlyweds-Blog on her Meet the Newlyweds feature!

Head over here and check it out.

Honest Scrap

The oh-so-lovely Mrs. Southern Bride presented me with the Honest Scrap award. If you have not been by her blog, you really ought to check it out. She's a great gal.

Here is what it's all about...

"The Honest Scrap award comes with a caveat or two. Firstly, you have to tell your readers ten things about you they may not know, but that are true. Secondly, you have to tag 10 people with the award. Thirdly, let all the people you've given the award to know that they've gotten it (comment on their blogs or something). And finally, make sure you link back to the person who awarded you."

Okay, so 10 things about me that you don't know? Hmm, considering all the personal, random info I've dished out in these posts, this might be difficult, but I'll do my best.

1. I have only cleaned our shower/tub maybe 4-5 times since we've been married. For some unknown reason, this job belongs to my husband.

2. I love love love Pepsi and drink way too much of it.

3. I am the messiest corn on the cob eater in the history of the world.

4. I have three nieces, one nephew and one more niece/nephew on the way.

5. Gummy bears give me a headache.

6. I am never happy with the length of my hair (when it's short I want long hair, when it's long I want short hair).

7. When I was in high school, I wanted to be a midwife. Now I just want a midwife to deliver my babies.

8. I can't skate in figure skates, I have to use hockey skates.

9. In high school, the fabulous dude called me Possum because, in his opinion, I look like an Opossum. I guess that was his 15 year old way of "hinting" to me that he knew he was going to marry me.

10. When I was born, I resembled a monkey.

This really took me SO long because every time I thought of something to write, I realized I had already written it in an earlier all about me post!
And now, I am nominating..

Summer B
New England Girl
Cristina
Jill
Emily
Kristen
Lindsey
Megan
Taryn
Elizabeth

...as well as all of the rest of you! I'd love to learn 10 things about each of you.

Whatcha Sayin'?

C, over at Wedded Whims, posted a Wordle on her blog today and encouraged everyone else to make their own wordle. If you go to wordle.net and type in the address of your blog, it will create a label cloud with the words you most commonly use on your blog. If you want to join in the wordle fun, head over to C's blog and leave her a comment telling her where to find your wordle and she will feature them at the end of the week. I must say, I'm quite impressed that the word 'Chocolate' is displayed most prominently on my wordle.

Here it is...

I don't know why it's so small? I can't make it bigger without it going all fuzzy but you can click on it to see a bigger version.

In other news, I got my very first blog award today!

(Actually, I think this is a lie. I think Homebody Holly gave me an award a while back when I was new to the blog world and at the time I had no idea what was going on and I never posted about it or thanked her. So, thanks, Holly and I'm sorry for not thanking you earlier).

And, thanks, Lisa for giving me my first "official" blog award!

Cafe au Lait Giveaway

Denise, over at Koffords in Colorado has posted today about two giveaways. Click here to enter. Her blog is one of my very favourites. She is uplifting, encouraging and funny. I always look forward to reading about what's going on in her life. You outta check her out and be sure to enter her giveaway!

Thanks, Denise!

Giveaway!!

Check out Mandi's 100th post giveaway. This girl has got some creative abilities! I'm definitely going to have to take some pointers from her.

By the way ... I'm getting close to 100 posts myself. Check back soon. ;)

We're at the in-laws this weekend. I went to a factory store today and got some things to (hopefully) spruce up my (hideous) bathroom. I've been inspired lately to make some improvements to our home and I think I might need some help with ideas.

Have a great weekend!