now that it's been a year of blogging...

in looking back at the first posts of this blog and consequently thinking through why it is i blog at all, i have determined two things...

1. i love that this is a place where i can post pictures of the most treasured people in my life. i love that i can look back over the course of the year(s) and watch how they have grown. i love that i can chronicle our visitors - the people who come and go, in and out of our life and our home. i think those things are really meaningful.

2. i find it so helpful to spell out what is going through my mind from week to week. i use it as my own personal therapy - but i have said before that i think God uses writing as a way for me to SEE His plan for me and for us. by reading and refining what i write so that the words say what i mean them to, i can also shed light onto a sometimes really fuzzy path.

i find it much harder, however, to pay enough attention to #2. it's hard to write out what i am thinking and feeling. i compare it to sunbathing in a bikini in your front yard - can any good really come of that? but to see the sequence of letters that spell out what is difficult and stressful is important. after all, it's easy to write a funny story about work or to lament the actions of children, but it's harder to talk about being the 'captain of this ship.' the tides our life are strong and the current it set - but what happens on board can almost always knock me on my keester. to be more clear, i know that God's plan is present. The Holy Spirit is in our sail, but the feeling of fluidity under my feet is scary and unsettling.

writing about these 'hard' things...my story's pivitol moments, helps me to see the light that is being shed on my path. these moments are my own personal flashlight...sometimes i may only be able to see a small trail to make my way through, but it has always (and will always, i trust) lead me to the place i need to be.

all that to say that i will continue to write out what's up in the world of this party of five. i will continue to shed light on what's hard and what's great. i will also continue to post pictures! their value is no less, even if it's a lot easier to do!!

i have some topics that i am planning to explore soon...the content of my book, carrie's trip to minnesota, finding a part-time job in order to solve a full-time challenge, adjusting to minnesota while processing through our future and where we'll land...so much to learn!!

thanks for being a part of this...so much of it is just for me, but that fact that it has allowed me and my family to stay connected with those we love so much has been a blessing beyond what i can write.

be strong - enjoy mastering your own trails - and be in touch!
shannon