Thanks so much to Sharon for honoring me with this award. What a nice surprise, Sharon! I encourage you to check out her blog for some very inspiring posts! She loves the Lord and uses her blog to spread the Word.
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This award is given to a blogger who is deserving whether for creativity, design, interesting material, or contributions to the blogging community.
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“Arte y Pico”is a Mexican phrase and it translates into “lo maximo.” It is said that it will never find a suitable English word translate to, but, the closest words in English are “Wow! The Best Art! Over the Top!”This award was started by the blog Arte y Pico.
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You may nominate up to 5 bloggers who meet the requirements to pass the award along to. Link to the person who gave you this award, the blog Arte y Pico, and the blogs you choose to award. And so, I pass this along to:

Jill at Jillian, Inc. for her sassy new blog design

Sherrie at Journey 2 Our Princess for her inspiring blog on the adoption process as she and her family await the day they can go pick up Sweet Sophie and bring her home.

Ian came over the other day to show me his new motorcycle. He rides it back and forth to work every day. He has customized this one with these pipes. It is loud…but, he likes it that way!
People ask me often if it bothers me that my boys and Don ride. The answer is no. Since they were little boys and learned to ride a bicycle, they have been riding. Their Pop has taught them well…and Joy’s girls, too. He would take them to ride in the loose sand, so they would know how it felt. He taught them to ride in mud and on wet grass and loose gravel…all kinds of surfaces. This was so when they encountered that surface, they would already know how the bike would respond. That is the cause of so many accidents when an unexperienced rider hits an unfamiliar terrain. They have worn helmets from the beginning. They have never been allowed to ride without them…even in the yard! Also, they learned to ride in proper attire…long sleeved shirt, long pants, sox and shoes and helmet! This is the proper way to avoid road burn if you fall. And they have fallen…and got right back on. There have been broken things, and sprained things and burned things…but, it has always been due to driver error.
Because they grew up on motorcycles, they have learned from the beginning, that you have to watch 10 times more closely than if you are driving a car. You HAVE to watch the other drivers and anticipate them doing something stupid…or anticipate them not seeing you at all. That is why they always ride with lights on. Actually, because they learned to ride a motorcycle, and learned the road rules to get their license, they are much better drivers in the car. That same teaching follows them as they drive. BTW…Pop is still riding at 82…but only with a buddy!
I have never wanted my boys to be afraid to try new things or be afraid that they might ‘get hurt.’ Life is full of bumps and bruised…even breaks…but if you never get out there and try…look at all the fun you miss. Now, I must hasten to say this. We were very strict about the way they behaved on their motorcycles. Doing ‘show-off’ things and acting the fool were never tolerated. One of the boys decided to test whether we meant that or not. He had begun riding to school and of course since none of the other boys had driver’s license yet, he thought he was ‘big stuff.’ We caught wind of something he did…they always said we had spies out everywhere…and he lost all riding privileges for a month. Quite a lesson to go from Mr. Big Stuff to Mommy Drives Me To School! Lesson learned.
Adam and his Pop took a 1600 mile trip on their bikes when Adam was around 18. I do not know who enjoyed it more…Adam or Pop! Ian took his to school with him and rode back and forth to Dothan and around Birmingham. He rides a lot now…and is getting some riders groups meeting together since he is back in town.
May, I remind you…as you tool around in your car…Please look out for motorcycles. They really do have as much right to the road as we do in our cars. Don’t think you can pull out in front of them just because you are in a bigger vehicle. Be careful…it could be one of my boys and certainly some mother’s son or daughter.
BTW…I rode a motorcycle to school when I was in High School,too. Yes, I was the only girl doing so. Yes, all the boys were envious. Yes, I though I was too cool. Yes, it was a Stud Magnet…not that that mattered to me…:). I also took a bike to school when I was in Birmingham. Lots of fun. I gave up riding when I began to have children, but now Don and I love to ride. And we are fortunate that many of our friends enjoy it also. We love to all get together and ride somewhere for dinner. We went up to the mountains a few years ago and it was a blast. But, now, I get to just sit back and chill out and leave the driving to Don.
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Oh! My! Goodness! Look what I just spied in the back of Don’s truck! Kayaks! I guess boys need their toys for as long as they live.

Looks like more lake time coming up!

I was pleasantly surprised to get an award yesterday. My good friend, Kat, who LOVES TO EAT and LIVES IN PARADISE awarded me the Brilliant Award. She also writes a wonderful blog, Just A Beach Kat. And not only that, she is a charter member of the world famous “B” Club! Throw in a cute hubby and a sweet doggy…or is that sweet hubby and cute doggy …never mind, it’s true both ways! Thank-you, my friend!
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Here are the rules to pass this award on to someone you think is deserving:
Display logo and link to who gave it to you.
Nominate at least 7 blogs.
Add links to those 7 blogs.
Leave the nominees a message that they received the award.
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I would like to pass this award on to the following:

Andi at Fingerprints On The Glass

Teresa at Living the Life

Nancy at Too Wonderful For Me

Dianne at Glasses of Grace

Holley at Windy Corner

A few days ago, my computer, my near and dear laptop, had a meltdown. I was furiously typing away when all of a sudden, it decided to take a nap. It went to sleep, and would not wake up. Panic time!
I immediately called the resident computer guru in my
house, Alex, and he came to see what he could do. “Mom,” he said, “I don’t know what you did this time. I can not get it to come back on. Take it in to the computer store, and let them see.” I was sad. I was upset. I was devastated. I really had done nothing different than I had always done. Really! I could just hear Don. He takes great delight in saying to me…”Tonja, you could tear up an anvil.” And I must admit I do tend to be unlucky around my electronic toys. So, the next day, I took it to the store and asked them to fix it. And I waited…for almost a week. They called me and said it was ready. ( Now, I hate to tell you the rest of the story…I really do. But, I try to tell the whole truth…as much as I can…so here goes. ) I went to pick it up. “That will be $50.00,”he said. Well that was not as much as I expected. I figured it would be much more than that. “What was wrong with it?”, I asked. “Well, we ran a diagnostic check on it and everything checked out fine…nothing was wrong,” he said. Did you hear that? NOTHING WAS WRONG!!!I felt like my computer was doing this to me.

How could I have thought something was wrong? I don’t feel quite so bad since Alex thought something was wrong, too. The nice man at the computer store said that maybe I should consider getting this computer instead of the one I currently own.
Very funny.
He kind of smiled when he said it, but I could tell he was serious. So, I paid him and took my computer and left. Getting in the car all I could think was, “I am dumb as dirt. Who takes their computer in to be fixed when NOTHING is wrong with it? Who does things like that?” I bet the computer fixer was thinking,”Hey, easy money…hope she comes back!” However, the worst insult came when I got home and booted up my dear friend and this message came up…

How tacky is that? I mean, I have told this computer all my stories, showed it all my pictures, introduced her to all my friends. And then she says things like that! Oh well, I think I’ll just go to the mall. I’m looking for something…