Five Years.

 

 Yesterday while browsing through my reader, I noticed a post in which someone mentioned it was their Blogiversary.  I thought to myself, ya know, I think mine is coming up sometime soon.  So I decided to check....and it was YESTERDAY.  As in, the day I checked WAS my Blogiversary!  Yesterday was five years since the day I published my very first blog post.
How weird is that?!  I wanted to post right away, but I'd already blogged yesterday and too much of a good thing is not necessarily a good thing.  Like Mexican food, for example.

Anyway.
I have been blogging for FIVE years.  I have published 933 posts.  That's a lot of silliness, a lot of journaling, and a lot of pouring out my soul in this, my little space in the world wide web.  So much has changed in those five years that it's mind-boggling.

I have shared a lot here.  Maybe sometimes too much.  On the flip side, there is a lot that I haven't shared here, and maybe never will.  And that's okay too.  This space is mine.  What I do with it is up to me.

I love to write.  I wish I could devote more time to writing.  I've posted a lot of stuff that was just journaling, listing what we did that weekend or what was going on in our lives.  I've done a lot of fun, silly memes and hops.  But I've done some real writing here, and I'm proud of that.

I've made some wonderful friends.  Some that I met early on and am still friends with, some who drifted off throughout the years.  Some who I miss and wonder what is going on in their lives now.  Some who I've met in real life, some who I very much want to.  Some who have been there for me in some dark times, and whom I love even though I've never actually seen them in person.  I talk about them to other people and refer to them as "my friend in California" or "my friend in Texas".  Because they are my friends, true friends.  It's crazy to know that someone in Canada is thinking of you and wishing you well.  But it's true and it's real, and it's all because of blogging.

I must say, the blogger that has impacted me the most is Hallie from Wonderful World of Wieners.  She lost her beloved son CJ, and I honestly don't think a day goes by that I don't think of both her and CJ.  I hurt for her, I worry about her, I think of her, and I remember CJ.

I've drifted away from here a few times, but never really left.  I feel like I'll always need this place to express myself and I hope I always have it.
I've never been to a conference.  I rarely log on to Twitter.  (I do love me some Pinterest though - hit me up!)  I rarely check my stats and don't really get SEO and branding and all of that stuff.  But I'm still proud of my little spot in the interwebz.

Thank you for coming by!  Here's to five MORE years.

Photo by Shelbie

Summer Fraggin Fun

It's been a crazy week at work, and I am happy to see Friday - and Fragments, too, of course!
Although this weekend is going to be pretty crazy, too.

* We're having a party for the kids on Saturday night. They have been wanting to do this since we moved into our new house with the pool and huge yard. We're going to have a bonfire and grill hot dogs; just simple summer fun! And hopefully we'll get to see some friends who we don't get to see very often, although I learned quickly that summer parties are hard to plan, with everyone trying to get their vacations in!



* Generally, when many people gather at my home, things get broken. Last time, it was Elayna's softball trophy. =/ So, let's cross our fingers that all of our possessions remain intact after this party!



* On a totally UNrelated note (ahem), I think I've found the title of the memoir I'll write one day: "It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time....". Heh.



* After reading Momo Fali's post about bypassing her 500th post and not even realizing it, I decided to see what post number I was on. This one right here is number 602! So I just whizzed right by 600. That's ok though, because next month will be my 3 Year Blogiversary, and I'm going to start planning something fun!




* I received an award that I am particularly fond of from my friend Shawna at My Girls. It's called "A Blog With Substance". What an honor! Thank you, Shawna.

* I am thinking about growing my hair out for Locks of Love. I've been growing it out for a while, and I think after the summer (or when I have enough), I'll cut it off and donate it. My oldest daughter Shelbie did it when she was in 5th grade. I think it's a great organization. Have you ever donated to Locks of Love?

OK friends, wish me (and my breakables) luck this weekend!
And have a good one yourself.
For more Friday Fragments, visit Mrs 4444's!

It's my Bloggiversary & I'll have a giveaway if I want to!

Today is officially two years since I wrote my very first post. I wanted today's post to be celebratory, but after the news I got yesterday, I can't help but feel all weepy and emotional.

A lot has changed since I started blogging.

I've made many friends, too many to count. I've also lost a few along the way. Most notably, Beany. She literally was lost. She disappeared last October and as far as I know, nobody knows where she is. I can only imagine how devastating it was to her family.
I watched little Madeline Spohr grow and get cuter and smarter every day, and then was heartbroken when I read that she passed away.

And of course there have been many good times. Kat, one of my friends from way back, recently had a beautiful baby girl. Piper, one of the inspirations for my blog, just got engaged to a wonderful man. Momisodes is pregnant. Melissa and Kim started blogging again (and Melissa went on Dr. Phil!!).

I've connected with bloggers who live near me. And so many that live far away.

I've been touched, saddened, thrilled, amused, annoyed, disgusted, surprised, disappointed, overwhelmed. I've taken a couple of breaks. But never seriously considered closing my blog.

I love it, and I love the community. I don't read the crazy-big bloggers, the ones who don't ever have time to visit me, because I am here for relationships. Friendships. (although I do feel almost famous when OhMommy comments here! She's been in a friend since the beginning, too.)

Many of you have been here for me through happy times and rough times. I've bared my soul and you've supported me. You've been there through thick....

and less thick!

And I so appreciate those of you who still loyally visit. Even when it's hard to find time.
So since it's my bloggiversary, I'm giving away a blog-related gift. I'm putting together a Blogging Gift Pack. I could not have a blog if I didn't have a journal. So many of my blog ideas come to me either driving down the road, or reading a book, or at work. I'd never remember all of them if I didn't have a journal to write them down in. It can be anything from a few words to a paragraph. But it keeps me from forgetting all about it. I'm going to add in a few more fun little surprise things as well.

So, if you want to win, leave me a comment telling me what you love the most about blogging.
For a second entry, follow me or let me know that you're already a follower.
For an third entry, tweet my post and then come back and leave another comment with the link to that tweet. The contest will end on the last day of the month, Wednesday, September 30th.

Thank you all and good luck!

Celebrating the Blogginess

So, I didn't get to coordinate these two things together, but I'm celebrating them together anyway. Because it's my blog and I'll do it my way! ha! My one year blogiversary was September 25th, but this is my 200th post. Time to answer all of those questions I asked for.



Y'all came up with some great questions. I was surprised that anyone wanted to know this much about me! I'm terrible at thinking of good questions, so I am impressed!



Off we go......



My first questioner (I totally just made up that word) was AnyMommy. If you do not read AnyMommy's blog, you should do that now. She is amazing and real and I just love her, as well as admire her.





Anyway, her question is:



What's your favorite book and why.





Now AnyMommy, can any reader ever actually answer this question with ONE book? I don't even know where to begin. I love books, love to read. My recently read favorite is I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb. Another favorite is We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates. An all-time favorite is The Green Mile by Stephen King. There are many movies out there that I've never seen, but I've read the book! As for why, I like books that move me and make me think, and if they make me think about them for a long time after I've finished the book, that's even better.




Speaking of making me think, Lauren has a knack for doing that on her blog. She said:




Ok I'll be bold and ask a tough question. Since you lost 100lbs what happens to the skin? Does it bounce back or is it a problem for you?



Oh, the dreaded skin. It's basically a crapshoot. Some people have more elasticity than others. I think I'm in the mid-range. I have some sagging skin, but it's not that bad. Also, it does tend to firm up in time, and I'm already noticing a difference.






Tracy from Priceless Journey asked:



If you could travel anywhere-where would you go and why? What has been the favorite place you have traveled to thus far and why? Rnadom but I love to travel-so thought others might too.

I LOVE to travel! Our dream when we retire is to get a motor home and travel all over the US.

If I could go anywhere right now, it would be England. My in-laws are from England and they have told me all about it and I've seen the most amazing pictures. I'd love to visit, and meet the part of J's family that still lives across the pond.




My favorite place we've travelled to is the Bahamas. Last year, we cruised to Freeport & Nassau. It was amazing, and I got to snorkel for the first time. We truly loved it!



Little Grumpy Angel asked:
what do you consider your greatest weakeness and how is your progress in overcoming it.



My greatest weakness is letting what other people say or think bug me. I used to be really bad about this, but not any more. I have to actively pay attention to my thinking, and when my thoughts drift into that mode, I intentionally pull them to a positive track.



Feener from MommyVents asked:




i see the cure chiari ribbon, what is that all about and are you touched by in personally




My son has Chiari, so this is definitely very personal for me. I told his Chiari story in five posts, which you can see here.




Kel from Cafe Kel says:



So my question is - based on your experiences, divorce, weight loss, love, life ... what is one thing that you've learned that you feel is a piece of advice we all should know?

There are many things, but to choose just one...don't take things too seriously. ENJOY life. Live, laugh, love!

Wep of WepRuminations inquired:

With the divorce, how did you it was time to stop trying to fix things?

When he had an affair. That, my friends, is a deal-breaker! Which brings me to the next question.....




Jill from Caffeine Court asked:



Okay, I'm nosy. Why did you get a divorce?




To fully answer this would take up at least a whole post, and who wants to post about that? lol I had a really terrible marriage. Abuse, drinking, the whole nine yards. I almost left several times, but I was scared and dumb. Finally, he met someone else. I found out, and everything hit the fan. Long story short, that was what ended the marriage, and I will forever be grateful for that!



MamaHut said:





OK my skinny little friend...am I crazy or did you take pictures of you and the kids off of your blog.



I don't think I had any permanent pics of me & the kids. Maybe my profile pic was of myself & the Princess a while back? Many of my posts have pics of me and the kids, though.





I think Adrian from Adrian's Crazy Life asked a great question.

I've seen some pretty strange posts lately - basically stuff I didn't really want to know about people and their personal lives. How do you decide where to draw the line on what to share on your blog and what not to?
Also, Mrs Bear asked something similiar: Are there any topics you've found that are off limits when you're blogging?

This is such a good question and definitely varies greatly from blogger to blogger. I have read some posts that absolutely floored me. TMI, people!
I will not blog about my sex life. I may make a cutesie reference to alone time, but that's it. It's just out of my comfort zone. I don't say much about issues with my family (meaning parents, siblings, etc). For one, things are going well now so I don't have much to say, but also, the internet is a big place and I wouldn't want any family members to stumble onto anything. I would never post anything extremely personal about my kids, because that violates their privacy. And I don't like to post a whole lot about my past with my ex, because for one, there's no point in stirring up all that negative energy, and also, his wife reads my blog (NOT by invitation!).
So basically, for me, I just have to stay within my own comfort zone.

My local friend, Irregular Tammie, asked:

1. Where do you get the dogs that you foster? Do they come from animal shelters? How did you get started doing this? I really know nothing about this topic so feel free to talk to me like I'm retarded.

Totally not retarded! Our dogs come from shelters all over Florida, South Georgia, and in some cases like big puppy mills being shut down, they can come from all over the US. We very rarely take in owner surrenders directly. We let our local shelters know to call us when they take in dachshunds. J and I really wanted to do something to help out the rescues and didn't really know where to start. We were helping a local rescue group some, but we didn't feel very welcome or needed. I did a google search for Florida rescue groups, found DARE, emailed them, and here we are! You should come visit us at Petco next Sunday.

2. About your weight loss: Are you worried that when you get to your goal weight(if you're not there already) that maybe you won't be happy? {I hope that question isn't too personal.} I'm just curious because as a teenager I was chubby and I kept thinking "my life will be better when I get thinner." As i grew up and got thinner, life was basically the same. Of course that was a long time ago and a teenager is a lot different than a gal in her thirties but I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

I think if I'd done this at a different time in my life, that would've been a problem for me. When I wasn't happy at all with my life, I was sure if I just lost weight, everything would suddenly become wonderful. But at this point in my life, everything else is wonderful. My weight was the only negative, and it was holding me back. So, this is just something I did for my health and for myself, but not in some quest for elusive happiness.

3. What do you do to teach your kids about healthy eating and body image? Again I ask this personal question because it's something I think about often as well. I know that I eat (and want to eat) when stressed, but I know this is unhealthy and don't want to pass this behaviour onto my kids. Yet at the same time I want them to enjoy food and be happy with their bodies, no matter what they look like. It's a balance. How do you strike this balance? Has it gotten easier since the weight loss?

I wish I had an answer for this, and it's actually gotten harder since the weight loss. The kids see me looking at labels and avoiding certain things, and they pick up on that. Especially the youngest, who shouldn't be worrying at seven years old! I was a big-time stress eater and I think I may have already passed that on to my preteen daughter. I am trying hard to reverse any damage I've done, and I really stress healthy eating and everything in moderation. Moderation is a big part of my life now.

John Deere Mom wants to know:

If you had to live on one food only for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Which movie can you recite the most lines from?
Granny panty or thong?



That first one is hard! I think I'd have to say pickles. I have a strange obsession with them and I don't think I'd ever get tired of them!
Movies lines, definitely Forrest Gump. I love, love, love that movie, and my kids can quote the lines too. Second place would be Toy Story.
As for the last question, somewhere in between. I wouldn't call them Granny panties but I do NOT wear butt floss! :P




Semi-Slacker Mom asked:



Are you planning on getting any surgery done when you reach your goal weight? I definity am! 3 babies did a number on my tummy!



Right now I'm undecided. It's a wait and see thing at this point.



Groovy Mom over at Don't Forget to Flush posed this question:




If you could sell your house, all your belongings, and start over with your family somewhere else, where would it be, and what would your life look like?

This is a hard one, because I'm not very well-traveled so I have a limited knowledge of what's out there. Honestly, I love where we are moving to, it's like a dream come true. But my first choice for relocation would be St Augustine, Florida. I love that town and feel a sensation of peace when I am there. After that, I'd choose England. I haven't been there yet, but J's relatives are all from England and I've heard so many stories & seen beautiful pictures. Third choice is California because everyone I've talked who has lived there loved it, and they say it doesn't get HOT like it does here! As for what it would look like, honestly, much the same.

Melissa asked:

Why did you start blogging in the first place?

An online friend of mine mentioned having a blog. I had read a few blogs off and on, but didn't really 'get it' at that time. But I started reading my friend's blog and venturing around the blogosphere, and I was hooked. I knew I had to be a part of it all!

From ABun'sLife:

Do you feel like your whole family has benefited from your weight loss journey?

Most definitely!

Do you feel like you will have to have further surgery to remove excess skin or has it gone back pretty well?

I'm hoping not to need further surgery.

How many dogs will your hubby allow you to keep as your own if your heart feels like they should be yours? :)

We have an agreement about this. The first time we adopted a foster, it was because HE was the one who fell in love! I was determined not to keep this dog; he was young, adorable, and definitely would be snatched up quickly. But he and hubby totally bonded. So, finally I said we could keep him...IF I could foster and/or adopt as many dogs as I wanted, with whatever issues they might have (I'm a sucker for one-eyed, 3 legged decrepit animals). I don't go crazy with this power (heh heh). The funny thing is, when I first tell him we're getting another foster in, he doesn't say anything but he gives me this look like "Another one?" Then once he meets the dog, he falls in love and is ready to keep it forever. He's already telling me how hard it's going to be to give up our newest foster. He's such a softie!

Momisodes asked:

If you had the chance to go back and "redo" 1 thing from your past, would you do things differently? If so, what would it be and why?

I wish I could've met my current husband before I met my former husband! But, I think life was supposed to work out this way. I had to endure all that crap to appreciate what I have now.

From Kelly, my fellow Gator fan:

What was your breaking point before the weight loss surgery?

Just the usual stuff, mostly. Tired of being overweight, tired of losing weight only to gain it back. Fear of diabetes (it's in my family) & the possible limb loss that sometimes occurs with that really freaks me out.
Tired of buying cute outfits that looked like crap when I put it on! Tired of back pain & other medical issues. I was scared for my health.

What was your heaviest weight?

253 lbs!

Can you post before and after pictures?

This picture was taken last Halloween.








And this was taken just last weekend:

From Tinabean:





What is your favorite song & why?


This is another thing I can never pick just 'one' of. I have so many songs that I really love, from almost every genre of music! Some of my favorites are our wedding songs; God Blessed the Broken Road by Rascall Flatts, Amazed by Lonestar, Me & You by Kenny Chesney, Everything I Do by Bryan Adams....





Who is your go to person when things start to overwhelm you?


Definitely my husband. He is truly my best friend, and he can always calm me down. He knows just what to say and do to make things better. We are 2 peas in a pod, we are so perfect together!


Where was your best vacation & why?


Definitely our trip to the Bahamas. I didn't even have any burning desire to go, but my Mother-in-law (along with J's aunt & grandmother) decided to send us on an all-expense-paid cruise as a Christmas present. It ended up being one of the best times of my life! Snorkeling was like a dream come true, and it was just so romantic and relaxing.


What was the breaking point that made you decide to loose the weight?


see above =)


What is your favorite comfort food?


Chicken & dumplings, although I haven't had them since surgery. And of course, chocolate!





Robin says:


My question:


If someone cuts you off on the road, what would do?


a) Flip them off


b) yell loud obscenties in your car


c) take a deep breath and let it go


d) all of the above

My answer is actually b & c. I yell and call them names, then I let it go and forget all about it.







WHEW! That was harder than I expected! I hope this wasn't too terribly boring. Thank you for all of the support you have all given me.
And I hope y'all are all still around for my 300th post! :o)

I wanna talk about ME!

I am 9 posts away from my 200th post, and 11 days away from my one year blogiversary!
(I'm hoping I can make them coincide, but I'm really not that coordinated or organized....)
Anyhoo!
In honor of this momentous occasion, I'd like to invite you all to ask me questions.
I am pretty much boring an open book, so ask me anything. About my weight loss surgery, job, kids, husband, divorce, dogs, etc. Serious, funny, philosophical. Whatever you want to know, lay it on me! (just don't ask me about your kids' math homework, because I.do.not.know. Me + Math = Suck.)
I want lots of questions, people, so get busy. I'm terrible at thinking of questions to ask other bloggers, but I sure hope y'all are better at it than me!
And maybe just maybe....there will be a giveaway involved!