Liebster Award

Wow, guess what everyone?? Counting Pinecones has been given an award. How incredibly cool is that??  It's a very nice way of knowing someone is saying "We've noticed you and we like what you're up to" and I am so grateful for the acknowledgement.

I was given the Liebster Award by Crystal over at Homeschool Dreams (Thank you Crystal!!). This is an award given by other bloggers to small but promising blogs as a way to say that they have been seen and have been found interesting.

In exchange for accepting the award, I have been asked to answer some questions to allow readers to know a bit more about me and then I get to pass the award on to others whom I feel are deserving of recognition as well.

So, first, I would like to announce those who I would like to pass the Liebster award to and I hope that it brings them as much excitement as I felt when I found out I was being given it. There were many blogs that I would love to recognize for this award but the requirements state that they have to have less then 200 followers at the time.  For this reason, I have narrowed my list down to three that I do feel are very deserving (and in no particular order)..  Congrats to each of yall and be sure to pass it on by nominating blogs that you feel are also deserving :)

1.)  Tasha at ABC's and Sweet Tea - A fellow homeschooler and a newer blog just starting to get on its feet.   From wonderful pictures of interesting places in her town to southern recipes, I see much potential out of this blog and am excited to see the direction she takes it (Plus, I absolutely love the name - too cute!!)
2.) Missica at The Open Window: An Autism Blog - A mother of a high functioning Autistic son, Missica pours her love of her son into each and every blog posting and I frequently find myself drawn back to her blog as I can relate with my own son.
and
3.) Finch and Wren over at FinchNWren - This blog is ran by two sisters.  Together their blog covers everything from homeschool curriculum, gardening, food, inspirational posts and even their cats, there's a lil something for everyone at this delightful blog.

Congrats to these three.. (BTW - Your questions will be at the end of this posting).. I look forward to seeing how much each of your blogs grow :)  I encourage everyone to visit these three blog.

Now, for the second part of my acceptance.  I've been given a set of 11 questions for readers to learn a little more about me.. These questions were given to me by Crystal and I will pose questions for each of my nominees to answer as well.

1. What is your number one tip to make the mornings easier?   Honestly, I'm still struggling with that myself.  It takes about an hour for my brain to catch up with being awake.  Usually, it involves copious amounts of coffee and an uplifting essential oil blend in my nebulizer. 
2. How did you choose your blog name?   Garrett would be responsible for that.. For the longest time he was completely fascinated with pine cones (He still is to some extent).  Everytime the front door was opened, Garrett would go out and collect as many pine cones and he could. At one point, they were everywhere and so we started using them as manipulatives when teaching him how to count. Hence Counting Pinecones. :) 
3. What made you decide to homeschool?  Again, that was because of Garrett.  With him being Special needs, the school here on base where we live did not have the facilities necessary for his schooling and they wanted to bus him to the nearest school that did. Unfortunately, that school was over 45 minutes away and I just couldn't see putting him on a bus every day for an hour and a half.  The husband and I discussed it and decided I would stay home and school him myself. 
4. Do you do meal planning by the week or month? Or not at all?   Usually, I plan meals a week in advance.  With only having 1 car and my husband working swings (3pm til 11:30pm) it's very hard to run to the store.  I also tend to spend a lot less and make much healthier meals when I actually plan ahead. 
5. Do you have a favorite book or movie that you just can’t imagine never reading or seeing again?  I'm a huge bookworm and I have so many favorites.  I guess I would have to say Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.  I've read it three time already and always find something new that I missed.. 
6. Do you have pets?   A small Zoo is more like it.. We have 3 cats (Keira, Kitten and Newton), a Russian Tortoise (Morla), 2 White's Dumpy Tree Frogs (Smiles and Fern) and 2 aquariums full of fish.  We also have a family of bunnies living in the back yard at the moment. 
7. If you could do one thing over from your past, with the knowledge you have now, what would it be?  I am a firm believer that everything in life happens for a reason and makes you who you are as a person, good and bad.  As I like who I am, for the most part, I don't think I would change anything significant.  
8. What are your three favorite comfort foods?  Meatloaf, chicken fried steak with country gravy and boudian.  LOL
9. Do you prefer ebooks or regular books?  I prefer regular books, however, being a military family, when we move we are under major weight restrictions.  Books add up quickly so because of that I have switched to buying books on my Kindle.  That way, I can just throw it in my purse and I have an extensive library at my fingertips that is virtually weightless.. Same thing with magazines.
10. What is your favorite piece of jewelry and why?  Without a doubt, my wedding rings.. My husband busted his butt to be able to afford them and they were given out of love and a promise of forever. 
11. Tell us 11 things we may not know about you!  Oh wow!!!   I never know how to answer these types of questions.. LOL  

• My three all time favorite movies are Top Gun, The Silence of the Lambs and The Last Samurai. 
• Of those three movies, Tom Cruise is in 2 of them.. However, I cannot stand Tom Cruise. LOL
• Speaking of Tom Cruise, somehow, the Church of Scientology got my address and continue to send me invites to their church.. I've been tempted to send a response back saying I'll go if Tom Cruise will pick me up in a UFO.
• I have a better relationship with my ex husband's family then I do with my own.. My current husband and my children consider my ex's parents and grandparents part of our family and vice versa.
• I have this strange fascination with swimming underwater under a duck and then grabbing it by it's feet and pulling it under the water.. I have never done this, nor would I ever do it, but for some reason, the idea totally quacks (I mean cracks) me up.
• I read on average about 50 books a  year
• I am completely intolerant to heat.   Anything over 85* and I start sweating like a pig and my face turns red, even if I'm not exerting myself. It's quite embarrassing. 
• I tell everyone I went to the University of Texas.. and while this is true, what I do not tell them is that I was working on a degree through UT at the University Center at the campus at Lone Star College.  I don't mind letting people believe I actually attended the main campus (but will be honest if asked).
• I love doing genealogy research and have uncovered very interesting things in both mine and my husbands family.  I am supposively related to King Henry VIII through an illegitimate son who was never fully acknowledged. My husband is related to Pocahontas and Robert the Bruce. 
• I have a huge crush on Hugh Jackman.. What an awesome actor and a downright wonderful person who is not too shabby on the eyes.. My husband knows but he's got a celeb crush on Reese Witherspoon so we're even ;)
• I love cooking but I cannot bake for the life of me.. I can cook a gourmet meal but manage to burn everything from frozen pizzas to cut and bake cookies.  

LOL okay, probably more than you wanted to know about me :)

Now, for my questions for my nominees.. 

1. What is the one physical item that you cannot live without?
2. How did you choose your blog name?
3. What subject in school did you excel in? What subject did you have the hardest time with?
4. What is the one mistake you made that you hope your children never repeat?
5. What is your favorite food? Is there a food you just absolutely hate?? 
6. Name one place you would love to visit and why?
7. If you could sit down for 1 hour with a famous person from the past, who would you pick and why?
8. What is one profession you wish you could have tried?
9. Would you ever skydive?? Why or why not?
10. Is the glass half full or half empty?
11. Tell us 11 things we may not know about you!