You Make Me Smile and Sometimes I Even Laugh Out Loud

Naturally Caffeinated Family tagged me with the Smile Award. I am glad I make people out in Bloggy Land smile! Thank you so much for thinking of us, floating way out here in the middle of the Pacific Ocean!!

Characteristics for the Smile Award:
1. Must display a cheerful attitude (not necessarily at all times–we are all human)
2. Must love one another
3. Must make mistakes
4. Must learn from others
5. Must be a positive contributor to blog world
6. Must love life
7. Must love kids

These are the rules:
1. The recipient must link back to the award’s creator.
2. You must post these rules if you receive the award.
3. You must chose 5 people to receive the award after receiving it yourself
4. You must fit the characteristics of the recipient of the award, as posted by Mere.
5. You must post the characteristics of a recipient.
6. You must create a post sharing your win with others.
7. You must thank your giver.

Now, here is who gets one:
(AND I am including the link to a post they wrote that made me smile!)

Sand Between My Toes
I smile when I read so many of your posts! I love when you share pictures, take me on vacation with your blog, and share your grandchildren and friends. I am intrigued by all that is in your attic, in your garage, and all about the old barn. Your patience with Bob the Builder is admirable. I enjoyed reading about your godson and Japanese daughter. You seem like such an inclusive family! This post made me smile.

Beloved Spring
You are so transparent and honest! You share your heart, the joys and struggles of mothering two little men, and particularly how you are growing! I read your posts, and think, yeah, me too! Your photography speaks more than a thousand words. You inspire me to want to read my camera manuals! I just loved that sunset, and can't wait to hear how running goes. This post made me smile. You have such a way with the boys!
C is for Caleb
Your silliness and playfulness make me smile. I love how your share private family moments, your thoughts on His grace, and your confessions on change. I see a side that I don't even see in 4D. I read these posts, and can't wait to see you afterward. Ha! This post made me smile from beginning to end.
Embrace the Circus
Ok, Kathleen makes me laugh! The rest of you do, too, of course, but you just aren't Kathleen! The mouse that ate the corn was priceless. I loved her superhero cape to protect her from the virus evils, telling Lambie he is too old for glitter glue, and her attachment to the jeep. But a post that just captured motherhood was this one. It made me smile.
His Treasured Possession
Well, I smile an awful lot when reading your posts, through the funny ones, and through the heartfelt ones, the ones that are brimming with integrity. Those are the days I wish I lived in the same city, that we could still play cards at night, and that you would make dessert. I have not forgotten this post. I thought it was HYSTERICAL.

Love you all! Share, share, share these awards!!!

Sharing Some Gold Credit

Sand Between My Toes bestowed upon The Farmer Files the Blogging Friends Forever award. She found me when I blogged about being an extra on LOST. She and her husband are retired, and split their time between living in the Midwest and living on Sanibel Island. I love reading about their travels everywhere, from Highland Games, to visiting their grandchildren in San Diego (I know!!), to the remodeling of their 100 year old home. Stop and visit her some time!

The thing that warms my heart most is that we never would have been friends had she not commented and let me know she was out there!! Those of you who know us in real life know what we say: "A friend of the Farmers is a friend forever!"

Here are the rules for sharing the award:

1. You have to tag 5 people.
2. 4 of the 5 have to be dedicated followers to your blog.
3. One has to be someone new or recently new to your blog and must live in another part of the world.
4. You must link back to whomever gave you the award.

1. Usherisms
We met the Ushers when we first moved to Northern VA., when we were families of three, two humans with dogs. Our friendship is not measured in the distance of 6,000 miles, or how much time passes. They are friends that love at all times, through peaks, and through valleys, through joys, and through disappointments. Blogging allows us to visit several times a week. I visit them way more now than I did when we lived in the same county! As much as they are a hacker loving family, they are also an internet security loving family, so they have a private blog.
2. Vitamfamiliae
How she has time to visit The Farmer Files from the far South, I have no idea. She is a big follower, though! She has four littles, four and under, and one on the way. Reading her blog made me want to blog, too! Her heart is so big. You ask her to pray and she will. I have said time and again how she esteems her husband, too. More wives should. I told Hubs I knew I loved them from the beginning when they wore jeans to church. LOVED THAT. All of a sudden a CA girl could relax in the DC Beltway!
3. The Sturgill Road
She is a friend of my friends. We've never met, but another BRAVEY that left a comment here, and that's how we met. She reminds me of me, a stay out of the house mom, that drags her kids places in the name of We Are All Going to Have Fun, Trust Me. She is newer to following our blog; rule three above. I have this sneaking suspicion we are going to meet in real life one day!
4. Naturally Caffeinated Family
They live amongst the cactus, the coyotes, and the desert flowers these days. I hadn't caught up with NCF but a few times since we moved to Hawaii. Then they started a blog and they found ours! They commented and said PEEK A BOO I SEE YOU, and there you have it! Blog friends forever! When we move back to the Big Rock we will see more of them because I know the hubbies will want to play tennis, tennis, and more tennis!
5. Lollipops
Aaahh the friend that checks in to see how my move is going, sends me private emails to make sure I am living even if I haven't blogged, and keeps my husband wondering what is going on in Georgia. Well, ok, me too!!! I met Mommasong through an ornament exchange last year.

Now go forth and award, award, award!

Respect Award

A bothered Son1, an indifferent Son2, and a proud mommy

Hubby took the day off work. We packed our video camera, our SLR camera (we only lug it around for special occasions), and staked out our seats among other parents. Son1 was receiving an award at the Character Counts assembly for Respect. We shot a lot of video and less photos because the kids sang in Hawaiian and the music was led by a ukulele. The recipients entered last, and proceeded forth across the front of the assembly. A punch and cookie reception followed. But we never made it.

I found Son1 after the assembly. He took one look at me and scowled. I had never seen him give anyone stink eye, let alone his own mother. (Stink eye is a local way of saying give a dirty look.) I reached for his hand, and no response. We approached Hubby and Son2, and he wailed. Whatever was the matter with him? I suggested we make our way to the punch and cookie reception, and the tears fell. "Please don't take me away from my friends! I want to go back to my class!" I patiently explained that it was his special day for pictures, cookies, and punch. I coaxed him toward the reception, near the doors that led to his classroom. Reluctantly, he walked with us, until we passed the doors to the classroom corridor. More tears. More wailing. More protesting. We skipped the cookies, punch, and other pictures. All of the tears disappeared the minute we walked into class, and he ran toward his classmates, and they squeezed and hugged him. He was back! Sigh...I never realized how much his friends meant to him, too.

Bloggers With Integrity

I received my first blog award from MommaSong! She writes:

"One of my new favorite blogs is http://thefarmerfiles.blogspot.com/ I love this blog! It is always such a happy blog and so positive! I discovered this blog because we were paired up for a Christmas Ornament Exchange and now I check it everyday!"

I am so honored she chose me as one of the five recipients! I write to all of you from my heart about things that truly matter to me, and to the three other Farmers on this farm. Living far from family and some of my dearest friends is a challenge, but I purpose to chronicle our daily joys.

Now I have to award five more bloggers with this award. If you don't get an award it does not mean I think you lack integrity!

In no particular order:

1. http://www.famigliagrande.blogspot.com/
Buffy is a new blogger, and I hope this award encourages her to blog often. Her blog and Christmas letter absolutely moved my soul because of her and her husband's courage to share their son's journey with Fragile X Syndrome. Plus she will stand in the rain with me in front of the White House, well, just to prove a point, and no, it wasn't political.
2. http://www.vitafamiliae.com/
LL just tells you the way it is, without blinking, about raising, loving, and teaching four kids born in less than three years. My favorite thing is that she esteems her husband often and publicly. I wish more wives would. Plus, she inspired me to blog!
3. http://histreasuredpossession.blogspot.com/
Rachel has made me love her more and more when she shares where she has been in her spiritual journey, and where she is going. She has witnessed a lot of my own growth, too. Besides, how could she not get this award when she has been so honest about her emotions, hormones, pregnancy, and love for Target????
4. http://www.livinglifewright.blogspot.com/
Michelle is as honest as they come about having a son. I giggle when I read because I am 10 months ahead in the journey with a son. Plus she tells the world about how much she loves her marathon running husband. Check our her belly pic! I never looked that cute in my third trimester! She has been such a prayer warrior for me over the last several years. She is true to her word when she says she will pray for you!
5. http://amyspring.blogspot.com/
Amy has made me laugh so hard I have wanted to cry (have you seen God sunburn, OT humor) and just brought me to tears with her honesty about moving and family, because I am too familiar with the feelings. She tells how she loves her husband and loves that her sons love him, too! She is full of words of encouragement, so you know she speaks my love language!

Now go forth and award five blogs, each!

Ok, and an honorable mention is my sister. She is a baby blogger, and her integrity has stopped me in my tracks. But her integrity is so much more about her courage over the last several months than about her blog. And I love her for that!