Sunday, November 14, 2010

Thankful for my blog readers! (Plus a Giveaway!)

I'm so thankful this holiday season, it's hard to know where to start! I'm taking time to dedicate this post to my faithful blog readers!! Your comments and prayers over the last two years has been more help to me than you might realize. At times when I wasn't sure how to vent or express my feelings, my blog and the comments from readers were there to lift me up each time. The comments from the last post have encouraged me and made me come to realize even more that God can use any situation, no matter how terrible, to bring people closer to Him. What's amazing is that being "closer to Him" and giving Him the glory means we get to reap benefits such as a life filled with contentment, happiness and most importantly: Meaning! Our lives mean something! Even though we talk all the time about how short our time on Earth is, we are sowing values and love that continue in our children for generations. Our bible study, Breaking Free, has us think back through our family lines to determine who laid the foundation for where (and who) we are today. I'm blessed to have several family members contribute to my path to finding a real relationship with God, but when I think as far back as I can, I only remember one Great Grandmother since the others had passed on before I was old enough to remember, but I know someone must have put the love of the Lord in her heart and I pray thanks to God for whoever those "ancestors" were. In just a few short generations our names may be forgotten, but our legacies live on. I'm determined to instill the same values in my children so that God will be praised in our family long past the day I enter heaven!
Since the accident I have felt guilt because I haven't thanked every single person for what he or she has done for me.e I understand it's a silly guilt (I'm working on giving it to God, I promise!) However, a friend of a friend (Thanks, Misty and K.C.!) contacted me about a giveaway I could do on my blog! My first thought was, HOW FUN! My second thought was: Here's a very tiny way I can say "THANK YOU" to my fellow (local) bloggers! (So sorry for my out-of-town blog friends. Maybe I can come up with something for you all soon!) I've never done anything like this before, so I hope I don't mess it up!...
This coming Friday and Saturday there is a very special boutique show happening at the Springdale Arkansas Holiday Inn Convention Center. It's special because it's a shopping experience where all of the 130 merchants are moms with small businesses! The show is free on Saturday the 20th from 9am to 6pm, but I think the real fun will be Friday, November 19th from 5:00pm-9:00pm at the "Girls Night Out" Preview Shopping Event which will have live Christmas music, door prizes, candy buffet and shopping! It costs $10.00 a ticket at the door, but for a lucky reader of my blog it will be free for you and a friend! I have two tickets to give away to the event. I'm really excited about going and if a reader wins whom I haven't met yet, maybe we can meet there! Just leave a comment on this post! Make an additional comment on this post if you link me in your own blog and you'll have two chances to win! The deadline is this Wednesday at noon and I'll either mail them or hand deliver them to you! If your blog ID doesn't have an email address linked to it, come back here to see if you've won! Good luck!
PS One of the merchants is Lanning Photography and Amber Lanning is an amazing woman and a gifted photographer (see pic below she took of me and my seweet baby T!)

CONGRATULATIONS, ERIN! I used a random number generator and she won the tickets! I'm excited to meet you!
I wish I had tickets for everyone! If you buy online the tickets are discounted to $8 a piece. The Saturday event is free!

21 comments:

  1. Rats! Not local anymore. Love you!

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  2. How fun will this be? A blast I'm thinking!

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  3. Bonnie,
    You are too sweet. I don't know what time I'll be back from the conference on Friday night, so I don't think I would be able to go. But I just wanted to say you are so sweet to think of others this way! Love you!
    Caroline

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  4. What a great idea! Thanks for doing this!

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  5. This would be a lot of fun. It would also be great to meet you. I'm not even sure how I stumbled upon your blog, but since I found it months ago I keep up with how you are doing and what your family is up to.

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  6. Bonnie,
    No thanks are ever needed! You are loved by many! We only want you to be happy! Love you!

    PS- This makes me registered right???? lol

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  7. Looking forward to seeing you sweet girl! :o) -K.C.

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  8. Love you Bonnie! So good to see you the other day!

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  9. You're the best Bon- I really wanted to go to the show since Amber teased me by saying she will use pics of her clients at her booth and she is marking them way down for those clients that she has up. If there is one of ours up, BUY IT FOR ME!! I can't go because we will be out of town but have so much fun. I love you.

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  10. Would be so fun to go and have an excuse for a fun night out with friends!

    Incidentally, my son goes to MDO at the same place. They are so adorable, mine just eyeballs Thomas, thinking of what kind of trouble they could get in together! :)

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  11. I'd love to go Bonnie!! Thanks for doing this giveaway! We should meet up there and walk around together :)

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  12. I linked you to my blog also...woo-hoo!!

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  13. I would LOVE to win these tickets. I have been reading your blog for a LONG time. My friend Sharon shared your story with me and I've been following...Thanks!

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  14. Bonnie!! I'd love to go! I want to see you and hug your sweet neck! Not to mention, you know Fort Smith doesn't have too many great boutiques to shop at, so I NEED to go!! :) Hope to see you there!

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  15. I would love to win! Ddrennan@centurytel.net

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  16. I would love to get to go Friday night and get some Christmas shopping done.

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  17. Fun!! I doubt I can win being your sister but I'm posting anyway! I love you to pieces!!

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  18. I'd love to go and meet up with you!!! How fun... your first Giveaway!!! : )

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  19. Excited and what a great opportunity! :)

    www.bandofcrooks.blogspot.com

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  20. I pray for you and your family often. You are an amazing woman. The kiddos are getting so big and adorable!!!!

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