Honestly, I don’t know what it is either

That’s the line I used in an email introducing this blog to our family and friends. Really I didn’t have a clue what a blog was at the time.

A few weeks ago at a MOPS (mother of preschoolers) meeting, we were doing an ice breaker where we were paired up and had 2 minutes to find something in common with another mom. We were given a specific thing to discuss, like hobbies. This gal and I had absolutely no hobbies in common and when I mentioned “blog” I got a complete blank stare. I’m chuckling just remembering it. My computer nerdiness was quite evident to her!

Why do I blog? Well, I had three main reasons for starting this:

1. Before I had been using the webpage that came with our internet service to just post pictures of our kids. That worked okay but I was frustrated at how difficult it was to delete and add things, and that every time we moved (which we do often) we changed our internet service provider and had to start the webpage from scratch again. So when I was introduced to blogging by my friend Jess, it seemed ideal as a way to post pictures for all our family and to keep a consistent web address no matter where we moved. From the feedback I hear from our family, they love this. (Thanks for all your encouraging feedback, by the way!)


2. I needed a hobby. Caring for three small children is draining, to say the least. I needed something to do for just me. Something that I enjoyed but could still do here at home.
   
   • Cross-stitching used to work well for me, but let me just say that children are a bit too helpful when you bring out lots of thread and little needles. That was not working at all.
   
   
   • Scrapbooking was awesome but a similar problem for me (with the little helpful hands that is), not to mention that I am just too much of an engineer to enjoy all the creativity that is possible with scrapbooking.
   
   
   • Computer programming was out of the question. I did that for the first year and a half after J.D. was born but soon discovered it wouldn’t work long term if I planned to stay at home with the kids. I do enjoy it, but it requires such focused attention that just isn’t possible with small children interrupting me.
   
   
   • Tada! In came the idea of blogging. I love it! I love being able to keep all these memories alive so hopefully my kids will enjoy them too someday (or maybe it will just be me weeping over them when my nest is empty). I love being able to keep all of you in touch with what we are up to. And now I actually take pictures since I have someone to share them with. (Lane has been after me ever since we got married to take pictures. My mom is the photographer, not me!)


3. I wanted to write. I’m not good at it (English was my worst subject), but I want to be and I figure that practice is one of the best ways to get there. As a child I wrote several childish books. I still have a couple - they are quite funny! But my mom, being the wonderful empowering mother that she is, encouraged me that she could see me writing a real book someday. I really don’t know if that’s in God’s future plans for me, but I so appreciate the dream that she gave me, believing that I could do something so amazing as that.

When I started blogging I had no idea it was so popular. After all, I had barely even heard the term. But I started noticing them everywhere on the internet: businesses, authors, newspapers, churches, as well as normal people like me.

I love to read (another hobby) and devoured many, many parenting books and magazines when our first child arrived. But I found myself being more frustrated and discouraged because life didn’t seem to fall like it said it would in the book. I had to shelf them and just reference the few that were the most helpful when needed.

Now I have found some amazing moms out there writing on their blogs. I so appreciate their honesty about mothering and their dedication to their children. I am inspired by those who write so well and encourage me everyday. If you ever notice the list of My Favorite Blogs, there are the links to the blogs that I read most often. I’ve found other great ones but these are the ones I actually read regularly. Some are friends that we have met through college and Navy life. Others are just blogs that I’ve come across and couldn’t stop reading. Not all are Christians, some use language I do not use or approve of, some are even a different religion, but all are moms or friends that I am learning from and enjoying. Check them out. They are awesome!