Dear Prairie Chick

I interrupt my regular poetry, pictures, prose and periodically preposterous ponderings for a post devoted to your questions, tags and awards (thank you!). Be sure not to miss the Name That Cat Contest. Any ideas on a prize for whose name gets picked? Wracking my brains trying to come up with a good one.

QUESTIONS.

Dawn asked how I became a christian. There was a lady who would come and pick me up for Sunday school when I was just a little girl, I think I was around 4 or 5. I don't remember her name, or her face, but I do remember the pictures and stories of Jesus at Sunday school and the faith that they planted in me despite my life with a completely secular, single teen mother. I can never remember NOT believing in Jesus, and not feeling safe and loved by Him despite a very traumatic childhood. He was always there for me, even when noone else was. And I mean that quite literally. When I look back on certain circumstances and situations and try to imagine my own tender children in those same situations my heart just seizes up. How true it is though that God works all things out for good in the lives of those He loves and has called according to His purposes. I know I wouldn't be who I was today without the specific series of circumstances I have grown out of and grown from. I can only attribute my faith and salvation to Him and give Him humble thanks. "Becoming" a christian has not been something I can mark by dates. I believed from as far back as I can remember. I was baptized at a young age, I'm not even sure what YEAR it was to tell you the truth, and it doesn't really matter (I think I was six). All I know is that my love for Him and trust in Him grows stronger and truer each day. He has always been there for me, and never failed me. I am thankful to know that this will always be the case.

Savannah asked; "How do you manage homeschooling, on a practical level, with the little ones around. " Finally getting to this one Sav... I posted it over at *The Schoolhouse*

Grammy asked; "How is it doing the chores in that weather?" NOT FUN. The sheeps water freezes over in spite of being in an electrically heated dispenser. The cats whiskers are all frosted over despite the heat lamp in the barn and their litter freezes up in big clumps at the bottom of the litter boxes. I had to do a double take today when I thought I saw a FIRE in the horse corral... smoke wafting up like there was a little bonfire or something... one of the horses must have just taken a dump and walked away and man did that produce some smoke in those frigid temps!

Linda asked; "I see you are signing your name on your photos now. What program are you using?" That was my first ever post written in Windows Live Writer thanks to the set up help of my internet savvy girlfriend Berry Girl. It's a free program that allows you to compose your blog posts offline, insert photos, urls, watermark your photos and a whole bunch of neat stuff. I am so excited about it because it makes it so much easier for me to upload my photos, move them around within the body of my post, plus the cool watermark feature.

TAGS
I was tagged by Leanne at *Fireflies in the Garden* for the Fourth Photo Meme. In which you open the fourth picture in your fourth picture folder and post it for viewing. Lo and behold my Ragdoll tom from this spring's litter who, poor thing, still doesn't have a name.

So to spruce this tag up a little (cause that's just the way I play) how about a naming contest? Oh yeah. I'm liking the sound of this. Name that cat. Nominations are now open.

AWARDS

Amy at *Zoes Splendor* awarded me the

award which I in turn pass on to *Mom and Us*.

Sarah at *Beauty in the Mundane* awarded me the When Life Hands You Lemons Award. This award is passed to bloggers for showing great Attitude and/or Gratitude. I'm so thankful for this lemonade stand, because it is a reminder to me of how far He has brought me (from a negative attitude to a positive one). Thanks Sarah. I pass this award on to Katrina at *Simple Life Moments*, because she is a girl after my own heart.

Katrina at *Simple Life Moments* awarded me the
award which "acknowledges the values that every blogger shows in his or her effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values every day." I love that. I especially love how it recognizes this is true of EVERY blogger in our own individual, special and unique ways. Therefore, I award this to EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. *grin*. And I really mean that. Don't just leave it sitting here. Take it and pass it on to fellow bloggers in your life who enrich you just by sharing their stories.

Noreen at *Life Blessings* blessed me with the
award which just lit up my face with a smile because it is in Portugese and I could read it without needing an explanation. This award recognizes that “This blog invests and believes in PROXIMITY! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. " I would like to pass this award on to Dawn at *Dawn Writes*, because she has become a "more than blogging friend" whose emails I cherish and who sent me the yummiest Texan coffee via mail *grin*.