Liebster Award//Eleven Fun Questions

I was offered the opportunity to go for the Liebster Award from Kelly, a friend made recently online. 

 The Liebster Award is a way for others to discover smaller blogs like mine. The nomination means I am supposed to answer eleven questions about myself and my blog.  I am also supposed to nominate other blogs to do the same, but I'm not going to. (Being lazy... sorry!) But if you feel like answering the questions (some of them are fun!) feel free!  

1. How did you decide on the title of your blog? My blog started as The Cunningham Twins because the twins were the reason I started this blog.  Then it morphed into The Cunningham Family, when we added Wyatt to our brood.  And finally, when we landed in the rural village of Marshall, Alaska four years ago, it changed again, this time to The Cunningham Family in bush Alaska which it has been ever since. 

2. What is one word that sums up the heart of your blog and why? Family.  This blog is all about my life as a wife and mother.  It covers relationships with loved ones near and far, and dipped most recently into my struggle with a miscarriage and the loss of those dreams about Babyham #4.

3. What are your favorite pastimes other than blogging? Reading, hiking, swimming & camping.  (the last three only when I am in Washington)  I also enjoy crafting-- scrapbooking, cardmaking & letter writing.  

4. What is your favorite aspect of blogging? I love sharing my story, particularly when others can relate.  And now that I live so far from family (I am closer to Russia than I am my hometown) the blog is a great way to keep them abreast of everything that's happening.  

5. Which project, recipe or idea on my blog would you most like to try yourself? I'm not one to love new recipes (too stressful) and the last few treats I tried to make on Pinterest were awful... so I'm once burned, twice shy... but I would like to someday try knitting. I even got a kit from Purl Soho, but have yet to dive in.

6. Where does your blog inspiration come from? My own life. Namely my children and where we currently live.  I had three sons in three years, so life here is loud and parenting is non-stop.  From breaking up fights to talking about heaven, these three boys keep me on my toes.  I also enjoy writing about living where we do, the perks & the challenges, in hopes of helping others who are planning to relocate to rural Alaska.

7. What is one country in the world you would like to visit? Why?  I do not have wanderlust.  I have little if any desire to travel.  Josh and I have talked of wanting to visit Yellowstone someday with our kids, but that's about it.  We are content to spend time with our family in Washington in the summer (camping at the lake, swimming at the river, and visiting my grandparents at the beach) and having our adventures there.

8. If you have children, what are there names? If not, what are your favorite girl and boy names?  We have identical twins named Logan Henry & Jack Sawyer.  They are currently six and a half.  We also have a singleton son named Wyatt Nathanial.  He is three and a half.  The girl name we have had since our engagement is Bailey Kate.  But now I'm not sure that's the name we'd go with if we ever did get a girl.  

9. A long-lost relative leaves you a large sum of money. What do you do with it? We would pay off all our debt (credit card & student loans).  We'd also like to buy a house.  I think that's about it!

10. In your opinion, what are the best blog posts you’ve written so far? (Include the links!) Our Journey, which is the story of how we came to be in rural Alaska.  Perspective, which is about how fleeting our time in the nuclear family is.  And Every Feeling where I discuss my emotions post-miscarriage.  

11. Where do you see yourself in five years time? This the question I've been grappling with since the miscarriage.  In five years, will we have added to our family? Will we still be in Alaska?  Will I still be homeschooling? I have no idea.  At this time in my life, I am best suited to just put one foot in front of the other, and let the future come a day at a time.

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