Good and bads

Bad: Natalie is sneaking books when she's supposed to be going to bed, just like her big sis Mags.
Good: We have another reader.

Bad: Not even a ShopVac can get glitter out of carpet.
Good: We have the shiniest, sparkly-est art room ever.

Bad: Um...having trouble coming up with a bad for this one. Oh, and Maggie got trophy-envy.
Good: Katie, Maggie, and I ran in the Alert Road Race last weekend. The rain held off until after the race, the wind helped cool us down, Maggie finished the mile with some encouragement, and Katie ran the entire mile and came home with her own trophy.

Bad: It is June 21, and we have yet to take the girls to the pool.
Good: They love the sprinkler and slip-and-slide.

Bad: Katie has yet to get a hit during a game this summer.
Good: Tonight, she got walked twice and got home with both of those. After the game, she told me, "Mommy, I prayed three Hail Mary's and an Our Father before I got up to bat that I would do good, and even though I didn't get a hit, I feel like I contributed to our team's win." That trumps any home run, in my book.

One Lovely Friend!

Jina (Behold the Turtle), you made me get all teary-eyed. You know I don't like to cry. Crying is for the weak. :) Thank you for the nomination, you awesome chica!

And because I'd hate to defy any rules, I'll follow the steps:

• Link back to the blogger who nominated you
• Paste the award image anywhere on your blog
• Share seven facts about yourself
• Nominate other blogs you enjoy for this award
• Post a comment on your nominees’ blogs to let them know of their nomination

Seven facts about myself...hmmm, following Jina's lead, I'll try to come up with 7 new ones. Or, at least seven facts that I'd want the general public to know:

1.  I don't like sweets. I'll eat an occasional snickers and maybe a Hershey's with almonds bar every once in a while (like once every month or so) but I'd rather have something fried or cheesy.
2.  I hate snot. Truly. Every time I hear someone cough or hock up a loogie, my stomach flips. Nice trait for a nurse, don't you think? 
3. I have 51 58 first cousins. Most of you already know that, and the rest usually say, "seriously?!" So, I'll count them out at the bottom of this post. (And the more pathetic thing is once I wrote them out, I counted 58. I thought I only had 51.)
4.  The idea of being a flight nurse sounds so awesome. To arrive at a critical scene, secure the patient, fly out to the best facility for the patient...so cool. I think that makes me an adrenaline junkie. Don't worry -- no more major career changes for a few years.
5.  I like Christian music, especially Mercy Me and Laura Stone and Francesca Battistelli. I also like classic rock (AC/DC, Queen), country (Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley), some pop (Katy Perry), and even some true classic music (you know, the Bach and Beethoven route).
6.  I don't like carrots, even though we have probably twenty pounds of carrots here at any time. I'll eat them cooked with honey or brown sugar, and I'll eat them raw because I'm supposed to. But, they aren't my favorite.
7.  I love lists. So, maybe this is no secret, especially considering my insane calendar menu. Lists make me feel safe and comfortable and in control of things that are so not in my control.

So, that's me, in a nutshell. 

Now, I get to pay it forward! I LOVE paying it forward! Here are my three nominees for One Lovely Blog

•  Behold the Turtle: You inspire me, and it has nothing to do with running. Your positive outlook, ability to ignore ugly stuff and ugly behaviors or at least put them behind you, your independence and drive, all traits I adore in you. 
• Team Gramkow: You've shown me what to do when you put your trust in God that all with turn out okay, then realize you have to struggle yet again. And, what other blog is a seamless team effort!
• Julia: I love to read your blogs, not only because of the craziness of your house of five, but because your writing style is amazing and you make me laugh every time. 
• High Farming: Because it's my hubby's blog and I love the photos he takes and the step-by-step stories of how his veggies grow. And, I'm kind of partial to the header photo, even if it is a year old.

And that's it! Time to step away from the computer for the night. But first, my cousin lists...because I want to:

1. Teresa
2. Annie
3. Craig
4. Pat
5. Kris
6. Sandi
7. Matt
8. Mike
9. Travis
10. Mary
11. Carol
12. Shelley
13. Chad
14. Josh
15. Zach
16. Kayla
17. Annie
18. Kaine
19. Michelle
20. Shannon
21. Tina
22. Mark
23. Chris
24. Kent
25. Kevin
26. Danessa
27. Ashley
28. Zachary
29. Jeremy
30. Erica
31. Angela
32. Beatrice
33. Denise
34. Eva
35. Faye
36. Hope
37. Ivan
38. Julian
39. Kent
40. Loren
41. Merle
42. Nick
43. Trudi
44. Tranda
45. Veronica
46. Chris
47. Sarah
48. Ryan
49. Melanie
50. Kirk
51. Gwen
52. Lisa
53. Eric
54. Brad
55. Stu
56. Sharon
57. Charles 
58. Albert