Thinking About Coming Back

Lately I've been giving some thought about my return to blogging.  I think I might finally be over my hissy fit.  The only problem is that now that I'm home I can't seem to find the time to sit down for 5 minutes!  My Sweet Boy will turn 9 months on Monday (HOW is that POSSIBLE!?) so I think that might be a good time to start back up again.  I won't make any promises that it'll happen but I can try.  Is anyone still even out there?

Over It

I thought I'd better post as a courtesy to let you guys know that I'll be taking a blogging hiatus - I'm sure you've noticed my lack of posting.... or maybe no one has!?!?!  I have no idea how long it will be for but I need a break.  I begin my journey as a Stay At Home Mama October 1st and I couldn't be more excited.

The decision to stay home with my kids was the easiest and hardest decision I think I've made yet.  It took a full year to make the final decision - I didn't just up and quit my job.  Maybe someday I'll tell you about the whole process.

And for your viewing pleasure - here are my boys yesterday :)

** Recipe posts will continue cuz I have them scheduled through January. **

11 Things

Jessie tagged me in the 11 Random Things posts that I've seen on a lot of blogs lately.  Since it took me a whole 2 days to finish this I'm behind and all of the people I would have tagged have pretty much participated.  So I'm just going to give you 11 Random facts about me and answer her questions....k?

The Rules:

1. Post these rules  
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself  
3. Answer the questions set for you in the post you were tagged in  
4. Create 11 new questions for your tagees to answer  
5. Tag them on Twitter, Facebook or your blog

11 Random Facts about me...

1. I LOVE Dean Martin.  Always have and always will.
2. I love spreadsheets.  I'm super organized when it comes to money.  The way I do our budget would pry confuse the heck out of you but it works for me.  We have no less than 2 checking accounts and 9 savings accounts - I'm not kidding.  I LOVE to set up automatic transfers and keep everything  seperate and in its place.
3. One of the biggest things I deal with at work is keeping track of all the mobile homes in the County.  I love it.
4. I didn't like The Sister until she turned 18.  Then something magical happened and she became cool.  Now she is my best friend.
5. If you saw me out in public you would pry think I was shy - I really only babble like this to my family and you guys.
6. I went to IAJHSC Leadership Camp in Jr High and it really did change my life!
7. I don't break rules.  Hardly ever.  I always like to be on the safe side.  My husband however, will do things that drive me nuts like drive the wrong way through a parking lot.  Makes me crazy.
8. During the summer in High School I worked at my Grandma's flower shop in the morning and my Dad's Body Shop in the afternoon.  Talk about two totally different jobs - but I loved them both!
9. My Aunts/Uncles and older cousins call me Tessaroni.... isn't that terrible?
10. Atticus and Allistair were on my short list for Brudder but Dustin quickly veto'd both names.  I for sure want something "different."
11. I don't think I've slept "soundly" since Asher was born.  At first I was listening to him breathe next to me all night, then I was listening for his cry - and so on.  Now I keep one ear open all night to hear him hollar that he has to go pee.  I have a feeling this will last until he's at least 18...

 My Answers to Jessie's questions:

1. What is your favorite fast food chain? Steak N Shake

2. Do you like to work-out? Absolutely not.

3. What kind of sports do you like to watch?  I would rather stick needles in my eyes than watch sports.

4. Who is your favorite band/musical artist? DUH!  Brantley Gilbert!

5. What's your favorite movie/why?  I do not have a single move that is my favorite.  BUT there are several movies that I'll drop what I'm doing and watch if they are on TV: Rio Bravo, Steel Magnolias, 8 Seconds, Pure Country, Overboard.... just to name a few.

6. What's your dream vacation?  Sometime I would like to go overseas - you know, France, Italy.  But if I ever do it won't be for a loooong time.

7. If you didn't live in where you live, where would you go?  First of all, I would NEVER live anywhere else.  I must live within a 2 block radius of my parents.  BUT if I was single and had no kids I would pry move to some flat state like Oklahoma, Nebraska or Montanta - somewhere with cowboys....

8. How many kids, if any, would you have?  Although I still think I might want 3 someday Dustin says we're done so I'll be happy with my 2 boys.

9. Is there a celebrity that gets on your nerves? Why?  The people from Jersey Shore?  I've never watched it but previews on TV are enough for me.

10. Whose blog do you stalk religiously? Why?  Ummmm it might be easier to tell you whos blog I do not stalk!  A couple of favorites though are Katie and Leah.

11. Do you have a suggestion on a blog? Why?  Just look at the blogs on my sidebar for some of my favorites - of course there are more that I read but I just can't fit them all!

3 Years Ago...

Three years ago I wrote posted this post. (yeah, yeah.  Don't laugh)

It was my first post ever!  In the last 3 years I have written 503 different posts about anything and everything.  How fitting  that the post today is about almost the same thing!

When we went to Shelbyville this weekend I really didn't get my camera out much besides taking John and Brenda's pictures.  But we did get a couple while out on the lake.  Dustin was on cloud 9 with the new boat and his stitches were out!

1... 

2... 

3!

Dustin's cousin Jaime just announced that she is 10 weeks along!  Can't wait until they come back in December. 

Her husband Craig had a relaxing day. 

As did mine :)

7 Posts

I was nominated by Jessie and Sara to complete a Blogger link up.  And since I've been super busy and hadn't had a chance to upload pictures this came at a perfect time!

What this is about:
To unite bloggers (from all sectors) in a joint endeavor to share lessons learned and create a bank of long but not forgotten blog posts that deserve to see the light of day again.

Rules: 1) Blogger is nominated to take part

2) Blogger publishes his/her 7 links on his/her blog – 1 link for each category.

 - Your most beautiful post
– Your most popular post
– Your most controversial post
– Your most helpful post
– A post whose success surprised you
– A post you feel didn’t get the attention it deserved
– The post that you are most proud of

3) Blogger nominates up to 5 more bloggers to take part.

4) These bloggers publish their 7 links and nominate another 5 more bloggers

5) And so it goes on!

6) The site Trip Base will be sharing the best posts from participating bloggers on their blog and everyday on Facebook and Twitter at #My7Links

Now, I'll admit that some of these I knew my answer to right away - others, I had to really dig through my list of 497 posts to find something that would fit each of these.

My most beautiful post: Unconditional Love
     Is it wrong that my most beautfil post is about puke?

My most popular post: Mama's 1st Year and a Birth Story (finally)
     According to Blogger this post has the most views of all time!

My most controversial post: See above.
      Yes, for sure my most controversial.  I put it all out there -  about what childbirth does to you.  Including my weight, talk about my boobs and even a picture of my scar.

My most helpful post: Things I didn't know about being a Mom...
       Anyone has has kids would understand.  But those who haven't - welcome to my world.

The post that's sucess surprised me: The Thing About Blogs
        I had no idea when I sat down to write this post on a whim that it would be my most commented on post.  Or that I would find a lot of new "blog friends"

The post that didn't get the attention it deserved: The Night I Almost Met Ree Drummond
          Come on people if you don't know who Ree is you couldn't possibly understand my pain.

The post I'm most proud of: Treadmill? I don't need no Stinkin Treadmill
          This may seem like an odd choice but when I look back over it - it is so me.  I think you learn a lot about me when you see pictures and hear the crazy thoughts in my head.

Bloggers I Nominate to do this challenge

• Sara
• Kayla
• Bri
• Ryan
• Julie

Hi Everybody

Let me just say that I am so glad I wrote that post about blogs.  Funny how everyone has a little stalker in them.  Especially since I also happen to stalk Brooke, Jill, Jessie and The Mousty's.  Hmmm didn't know that?  Well I know all about you guys too... scary huh?  Although it is funny that we have friends in common with Brooke and I would have never known it if she wouldn't have left a comment.

And since I wrote this post I have a couple of new blogs to follow: The Oakley Family and The Bracken Family (I went to school with your brother:)  Then I also heard from my friend Jarrin who has gone off and moved to Mexico.  And Bri who left me a comment a few months ago.  And an anonymous comment from someone I might see around sometime.

But to tell you the truth it was you, Katie Jones, that I was most excited to see "lurking!"  I was sitting at a bar in Nashville having a great time and decided to make sure my next post posted OK when I saw I had a new comment.  You made my day :)

I think this will make me stop creeping so much on other people's blogs and start leaving comments.  I think we all like to hear from the people who find our day-to-day lives interesting!

The Thing About Blogs

See there is this thing about blogs, they make you feel like you know someone - even if you don't. 

I read several blogs on a daily basis and I become so involved in their lives that I feel like I know them.  Is that weird? 

Case in point.  A few months ago we went furniture shopping with Mom & Dad in Peoria and I spotted a couple that I follow their blog off of another blog.  I saw her and was just about to say "Oh Hi, how are you!  How is your pregnancy going?  How are the kids?"  Then I realized... She has no freaking clue who I am. 

That day I had to take a step back and think, wow, this is weird.  How would she have felt if I had said something to her.  Would she think I was some crazy lady or think it was cool that some random person followed her blog.  I think there is a balance to the whole thing.  I love it when I get comments because that means that someone is actually reading what I put out there.  I recently got a comment from Laura Kruger saying that she loved my Chevelle pictures!  That really made my day!  A couple of months ago I got a comment from a girl that I didn't know that she loved reading my blog and since then I've been following hers too!  And I'll never forget the one I got from a man named Alan Popejoy from the UK saying that he loved Asher's name.  It's the unexpected comments that I love.

Most of the time when I'm writing I feel like I'm talking to the people that I know read this thing: our parents, my Grandma and a handful of friends.  But obviously there are more of you out there - about 200 a day.  I know compared to most bloggers this isn't much but for me - considering I feel like I have 10 readers it is.  I love it when Dustin comes home and a random person has said something to him and he's like "what did you say about me on there now?"  So there is also the side where you wonder how much of your life you should keep personal.  When I post things I don't think about other people reading it or seeing it.

Anyway, if you're one of the 190 people that I don't know - stop and leave a comment sometime.  I'd love to hear from you.

Who's There?

OK, so this weekend I had someone say to me that the check my blog all the time. I've had this happen quite often and it really does make you wonder how many people out there keep up on this blog and what Asher is up to. So for the next week I'm asking everyone who stops in to click to the right of the page just once to see how many people check this thing in a week. I've tried to add one of those counters at the bottom of the page but can't quite get it figured out. Thanks!