Happy Valentines' Day, Sweet Friends!

In honor of Valentine's Day, I thought I would do a post on my favorite blog friends and why I love them so much! I hope I don't leave anyone out. If I do, just know I love you too! Because I'm too lazy to do the link thing on everyone's name, if you want to visit any of these blogs, most of them are listed on the side of my blog!

1. Melissa, Initial Designs - My very first blog friend. I emailed her once because her Tip Junkie link wasn't working, and I just couldn't stand the thought of her not knowing that, and we've been friends ever since! And she has AWESOME art that she creates. Check out her site!

2. Daphine, Just Stuff - Daphine is one of the first people who left a comment on my blog. She is so much fun, and such a faithful friend to so many people, and I just love her!

3. Angie, Bring the Rain - Almost everyone reads Angie's blog. One day I was sitting here, and I remember I had gotten an email about this woman who wrote a letter to her daughter who had passed away. I found the email, then visited her blog, and I think I stayed up all night reading it. I decided I had to have my own blog at that moment! Her blog opened up a whole new world for me of this network of strong, Christian women who weren't afraid to proclaim their love for the Lord. I wanted to be just like her! Because of starting my own blog, my faith has moved forward and so have I. Reading her blog really was life changing for me!

4. Kelly, Kelly's Korner - I found Kelly's blog from a link on Angie's. I think I stayed up reading her blog all night long too! She is just such a super fun girl, who loves the Lord, and I just loved her instantly. We all know now about her sweet Harper-girl and the way that God used Kelly's entire family to remind us all that prayer really does work and that God will never leave us. Right before Harper was born, I had begged the Lord to just please show me that He was up there and that He hears me when I pray to Him. Well, what happened with Harper definitely answered that prayer for me! What a miracle little Harper was and I'm looking so forward to watching her grow up!

5. Angie, Angelica Grace Designs - Angie is a super talented online boutique owner who makes the most precious creations that you have ever seen in your life! She is so much fun, has the cutest kids ever, and finds beauty in everything that the Lord has created. She has been so inspiring to me as I try to put my own business plan together for my business. She is also a talented photographer who always posts the most awesome photos on her blog. I wrote the other day that I had discovered that the band Leeland is from my town, and they have a church here that I may visit. She wrote me to tell me that I would love their church and that she got to have lunch and go backstage with them one time because one of their relatives used to work for her husband! It's such a small world, and I have no doubt that the Lord intended for me to "meet" her from the moment I started blogging. He knew she would be just what I needed to bring me closer to Him!

6. Lynnette, Dancing Barefoot on Weathered Ground - Lynnette is an amazing woman! She has lived through my biggest fear, having to say goodbye to 3 of her precious children, yet she has never lost faith. She has written a book about her journey, which helped me tremendously with my grief. She started the memory walk meme, which has been very therapeutic to me and also a lot of fun! Lynnette is just such a genuine, caring woman who loves the Lord with all of her heart and she always seems to write about exactly what I need to hear. She is a very special lady!

7. Abigail, Random Ramblings of a Teenage Artist - Abigail is Lynnette's daughter. She is wise beyond her years and a super talented artist and writer. I put one of her quotes on the side of my blog, because I think it is one of the best quotes that I've ever heard! I can't wait to see where the Lord leads her.

8. Linda, Truthful Tidbits - Linda is Lynnette's Mother. She is a precious woman. She reminds me a lot of my Mom, in how much she loves her family and loves the Lord. Her comments to me often bring me to tears, because I can feel her love jumping off the page. She is so sincere and genuine. I can see where her daughter and granddaughter get it from!

9. Brandi, Brandi's Blog - Brandi is awesome! One day I wrote a memory lane post about how I was trying to get back in church, and in honor of that, she wrote one about the experience she had with getting back into church. That touched my heart! She has been praying for me, which is the best gift that anyone could give me right now. Her posts are always a lot of fun and her comments to me are always so uplifting!

10. Denise, There's Always Room for One More - Denise is one of the funniest ladies I know! Her blog always makes me laugh and I can always relate to the funny things that happen around her house. I am always entertained when I visit her blog, as well as inspired. Denise is a wonderful blog friend to have. Visit her blog.....you will be glad you did!

11. Katie, Blessed by 3 Miracles - I love Katie's blog. She has 3 precious kids and her sweet Lauren is one of the cutest little girls that I've ever seen! Katie has a knack for taking ordinary things and making them look extraordinary. I always enjoy seeing what she will create next!

12. Rachel, Jack and Cole Designs - Rachel owns a fun online boutique that carries amazing children's products! She is a strong, Christian woman, has 2 precious boys, and loves to share the latest books and sites that she is inspired by. She doesn't live too far from me....maybe one day we will actually get to meet each other in real life!

13. Heaven's Gift - I just realized that I don't know her real name, but Frizzy's love for her adopted daughter, Yaya, reminds me so much of how much my Mom loved me and I felt an instant connection with her. I've only recently found her blog, but I already love it so much!

14. Jami, Jamimania - I've recently found Jami's blog through our memory lane walks, and she is so funny! She did a post one time on her old hairstyles that totally cracked me up! I've enjoyed getting to know her through our chats and I'm glad that our paths have crossed.

15. My Memory Lane friends - All of the blogs that I get to read each week that participate in the memory lane walk, I love you all! It is so inspiring to read about other's experiences in life. I look forward to their posts each and every week and they have blessed my life in more ways than I can name!

So, if you actually read all the way through this really long post, I thank you! I love blogging. It has brought so much to my life: inspiration, mentors, entertainment, tips, recipes, prayer, good laughs, etc. Most of all, it has made me proud to be a Christian woman. Though I have never met any of my blog friends, they all have influenced me and made me want to be a better woman.

So, Happy Valentine's Day my sweet friends! I love you all!