blogging.

As I look back over the last 3+ years of this blog, I'm in love. I'm so thankful we have a record of our life.

But then, I wonder.

What becomes of a child who can wonder to himself ten years from now, "I wonder what I was doing May 28, 2008?" and then look it up. Is that weird? That goes way beyond any baby book I've ever seen.

Couple thoughts:

*Are we blogging moms great historians and story tellers of our families or are we raising a self-centered generation?

*When Eliot starts dating (when he's 25...) his girlfriend won't have to wait to meet us to see baby (awkward) pics of him. She will undoubtedly find this post.

Um...I'm sorry and you're welcome?

P.S. Go to yesterday's blog and shoot me an email. Go.

Month-o-love!

Several bloggers have committed to comment-love this month. I like it. If you're one of the gazillion bloggers in my google reader, you might just see an increase in my commenting.

Heather's post explains it well,so I'll just link you to her thoughts.

By the way, I had a blog-fame moment the other night. I was at a very-healthy-eating-establishment that happens to also have a large play area with Lisa for a playdate and a woman came up and asked if I was Katie from Mohr from the Mohr's. After I got out my Sharpie and signed her iPad and posed for a picture, she explained that she was told about my blog by her friend Nicole because she and her husband are foster parents currently. She doesn't know it yet, but we're about to be BFF. Oh the questions I have! (Hi Megan!)

Postscript: I didn't really "sign" anything or pose for a picture. Some of you don't know me well enough to know that embellishing stories is my personal therapy. Keeps you and me coming back.

Appearances.

This post idea has been rattling around in the brain for a few months now. Over the summer I heard someone say they quit reading a mutual friends blog because she always looked like she had it all together, life was dandy, nothin' to see here except shiny happy people holding hands. Those weren't her exact words but you get it. It got me thinking. I'm sure we all do it to some degree.

While at the pumpkin patch with friends we rarely see, we noticed them laughing after watching us attempt to take a pic of Eliot. They made jokes about how after seeing all the cute pics of him we have, they thought he walked around posing perfectly for pics. Then after I posted some of our patch pics on facebook, one of my friends even commented this: "It must be so fun to photograph such a good-looking kid! So stinkin' cute in all of these!!"

Well, let's see...

Take 347? Nope.

And take 2931. Nope.

So, yeah...let's just set the record straight. Eliot is just like every other 3 year old. We take hundreds of pics hoping for 2-4 good ones. The digital camera was created by a parent, I'm sure of it.

We certainly don't have everything figured out as parents, and for sure not in marriage. Everyday life can get pretty stressful around here with all we have on our plates and I'm not even talking about how often Russ wrestles a block of cheese out of my hands. But I rarely post about that stuff. I should more often, even just for myself, but also for you. While some unhealthy part of me really wants you to think I have it all together, the reality is pretty much the opposite.

Some blog examples? 90% of gymnastics so far has looked like this:

But that's not what I led you to think, and the five minutes he actually participated I bossed Lisa around making her take a million pics.

And that cute little chocolate chip? Believe it or not, he spends a good amount of time like this:

That's a time-out. At the pumpkin patch. The place of utopia-like paradise for a 3 year old. And don't fall for the brown face of innocence, he deserved it and more, frankly.

So, don't be deceived. Things are not all sunflowers and bubbles around here. More like bubblewrap. (As usual, I'm not sure what that means.) We're pretty much making up this parenthood thing as we go, I fail daily at wife-hood, I consistently drop the ball in friendships, I can't stop drinking soda and I would like to take this opportunity to admit publicly that I don't know the last time I mopped the floor. (Let me think...how long have we lived in this new place?)

And while I'm admitting stuff, if you were in the stack that didn't receive a thank you card from our wedding 11 years ago, please know that we really were thankful for those _____ that you gave us.

In conclusion, know that we're not as polished this here blog may suggest and may need to throw in a few more 'keepin it real' posts. Oh, and, don't eat anything off my floors.

500th Post!!!!

HELLO!!! Holy blogiversary!!!

...I'd like to thank the academy...

In honor of such a HUGE,MOMENTOUS occasion, I will share with you something caught on film this week.

Are you ready? You may even see this in the National Enquirer soon, that's how amazing this is. Too bad the guys from youtube couldn't make it.

Ready?

Here is proof that when you're contemplating picking up that last bit of high calorie yumminess but knowing you shouldn't, there's a little man over your shoulder convincing you it's a good idea.


Be shocked and amazed. or just entertained.

But seriously? 500 posts? Who knew I had so much to say? (don't answer that) Even more amazing, there are some of you that have been reading from the beginning and it's not just my mom! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

And thanks to Lacy, my newest and only reader from Montana! It's a google analytics thing, you wouldn't understand... or maybe you would. On my analytics map (a tracker to tell me where my readers live) I have readers in 42 states. Now I only need New Mexico, Idaho, Wyoming, North and South Dakota, New Hampshire, Vermont and Delaware.

So, what do you think? My blogiversary wishlist reads like this: Have readers in all 50 states. Maybe as a blogiversary present, you can email your friends in those states and tell them to just log onto my blog once. I am not cool enough to know anyone in those states, so am needing your help. They don't even need to read anything, heck, I don't even read it half the time, just log on to the ol' blogger and type in my name. Sound good? The little guy in the sketchy hoody sitting on your shoulder thinks you should...

To blog or not to blog...

What did people do before blogs were created? It's become a sickness for me. In my 'time budget' I have to figure in time for blogging. Not just filling all of you chumps in on us (by the way, eliot cut two new teeth this weekend, we're up to 8) but reading all the blogs linked to mine. Not only do I try to keep up with all of those but there are a few that are linked to them that I keep up with also. It's out of control.


Back in March when Keri, Heather and Beth came for their visit to the 'mala, Beth suggested that I start a blog. Life was getting more and more tricky for Russ, my parents and in-laws and close friends. Lots of people wanted updates and details about the adoption and it was getting exhaustive for my family and friends to relay the same information over and over. People wanted to see pictures on a regular basis and I couldn't add enough emails to our shutterfly list. So, our blog was created. It has become a perfect solution. Now we can communicate and share Eliot with everyone everywhere.

I've had some surprising visitors to the blog. As you can see from the little map to the side, we have lots of international visits (hello to my new New Zealand friends!) as well as a bunch from the US. It's been healthy, almost theraputic, for me to share our story. God's story of what he's done through us. The most rewarding aspect so far has been to hear from a small handful of people that they have been encouraged to proceed with or begin the process of adoption after keeping up with our journey. How cool is God? Posting a blog sometimes feels like shouting from the rooftop that God is good.






I wondered if the only people who would keep reading after our return home would be the grandmas and sometimes I post with only them in mind, knowing their desire to daily see their little grandson. However, most of the time, whether it's at church or on the phone with a friend, we jump right into the daily happenings that they've already read about. I don't have to describe nearly as much anymore because most of our close friends and family still keep up with us this way. It's just so very handy.

So, good morning to you blog-hoppers. It was great meeting with you as you've had your daily or weekly dose of our blog. See you tomorrow.