Show Us Your Life - Favorite Blogs

I keep up with so many wonderful blogs in my google reader, but there are a handful that I go to first thing each day because they have something to say to me as a Christian, a mom, sometimes crafter, hobby photographer, or just as a blogger.  To keep from going out of control, I am just going to list my top five daily reads.

Enjoying the Small Things - Kelle Hampton is by far my daily TOP read , she has such an amazing way with words and she always writes from such an honest and open place.  I truly wish I could sit down and write like her.  Kelle's blog first caught my eye when I stumbled upon her daughter's Nella's birth story while I was pregnant with Rachel, I actually tried to put it behind me and forget it but in truth I felt like God was putting it in my way for a reason.  We know now that God was preparing me through Kelle's openness about her daughter's birth story for our own Rachel's birth and unexpected diagnoses of Down Syndrome.  Kelle writes about so many things, and actually DS is such a subtle string of pearls that weaves through her writing, it will not overwhelm you and you will completely enjoy her upbeat phrases and photography. 

Kelly's Korner - Is probably the first blog I got addicted to.  I have enjoyed watching Harper grow up and now to see Hollis join their family is wonderful.  I find myself drawn to Kelly's blog not only because she is another mom, but because she is a Christian and I feel like she LIVES her life with Christ and serves others as often as she can.  I also love how honest she is on her blog, she doesn't try to paint some perfect life.  Kelly shows images of her house sometimes when Harper has made a mess of the kitchen or toys are all over the place, OR she blogs about the difficulty she is having with Harper's behavior. Kelly is just very quick to be honest, open and quit frankly laugh at herself or her own circumstances when they need a laugh.As a mom that is what I need, is another mother who let's me now I am not alone in this and she is standing in the same place but in another state, HA. 

Love From Texas - What can I say, Jessica at Love From Texas is so darn crafty, talented, and lets face it her whole family is CUTE. I started following Jessica when we were both starting to grow our blogs, I think we found each other during a blog hop, but since then she has truly grown a following and a stride in her writing and I love checking up on her each day to see what she is up to . . . . . these days its a lot of sewing.  Jessica is much younger then I, so it is refreshing to see her youthful perspective and energy on parenting and keeping a home, I never get tired of reading her blog or looking at her adorable children, she truly is talented with her sewing machine and I look forward to the day when she has enough time to open her Etsy shop, HA.  

From Marriage to Motherhood - Another Jessica I follow resides at the blog From Marriage to Motherhood and she is so lovely and completely has my taste in decor and fashion, I think the two of us would be trouble together if we ever went shopping.  I first started following Jessica shortly after she had her dream wedding and she started her glorious image rich blog.  Jessica has an amazing talent for planning events and she pulled off a spectacular wedding event for she and her husband to be that was later featured in the Knot magazine. After their honeymoon they found out they were going to be parents, thus the name of her blog, From Marriage to Motherhood, so her readers got to follow the journey of her going from single, to married, to mother in a very quick journey.  Now Jessica continues to keep me coming back with the images that inspire her decorating, products she uses for her daughter Ilah, and her wonderful talent for decorating beautiful sugar cookies.

Resolved to Worship -  Alyssa Ann is an amazing photographer and her main subject is her seven children going on eight . . . . . you read correctly, she is due any day now to have baby number 8.  I find her to be an amazing open Christian woman author, I really do enjoy reading her as a woman and a mother.  I believe she and her husband really do try to live a fairly simple life and teach their children to re-purpose as much as they can even if they could afford better, with nine in a family they have to learn to be wise with their budget obviously and I believe this is how God would have us to be.  Alyssa's blog is one you have to have time to sit down to read though, many of the other blogs I read are image rich posts and although Alyssa's are as well, her blog reads more like a journal and it takes time to read, so have a cup of tea and read it when the kids are quiet or off to bed and you will enjoy it more . . . . . plus she has some lovely background music.

A special mention goes out to my blog friend Laura who has a very small blog for her family, but who I love keeping up with because lets face it, she has a GREAT name, HA!!  Laura and I met on a blog hop or through a give away back when we were both pregnant, and we made a connection, her blog is Our Fine Life.  Laura is married to David and she and I were pregnant at the same time and literally due at the same time, I think it was fate that we met in the blog world, they now have a beautiful son named Jackson.

By no means do I slight the many other blogs that I read or think are fantastic, but these are just the top 5 that I read and go to every day and I think you too may enjoy