38 Reasons to be Thankful

Today's my 38th birthday!

I can remember turning 16, 18, and 21, and now here I am turning 38.  In the past I've shared lists of random facts about myself on my birthday. {Here they are when I turned 33, 34 ,and 36.}  I don't have a list of random facts this year.  It gets more difficult each year to come up with something original for those types of blog posts so instead of spending time on that, I decided to list 38 things I'm thankful for.  

38 Reason to be Thankful on my 38th Birthday

1. Y'all know my faith is important to me.  All of the blessings in my life that I'm undeserving of are a gift from God.  I'm grateful for God's grace, patience, and forgiveness and the love and sacrifice of Jesus.  I'm thankful for the Bible to guide and direct us.

2. My husband--Mark and his unconditional love.  He makes me a better person and God knew I needed him.  He's handsome, intelligent, humble, funny, and always up for an adventure.  Mark is the love of my life and my best friend.

3. My precious boys--Will and Ben, they are my purpose and make me want to be a better person.  I'm the luckiest to get to be their mommy.

4.  My grandparents--Being raised in a Christian home by people who set an example of faith and honored God in their lives

5. My extended family--my in-laws, brothers, sister, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews, and cousins

6. My health and the health of my family

7. Being a teacher-- Having a job where I see my husband often and my children have the same schedule

8. Living in a country where we are safe

9. Friends--ladies who get me and make life fun

10. Our home and the new home we are fortunate to be building

11. Social media and the relationships built through it

12.  The teachers who help educate my children

13.  Bible class teachers at our church who help teach our children God's word

14. All of our travel memories.  Some of the best moments in my life have been spent on trips with my family.  

15. Going through hard times because it's made me appreciate the good times that much more

16.  Being raised in a small town because it's made me value the simple things in life

17. Having the opportunity to live in a big city and travel to big cities because it's shown me there's a lot more out there

18. The ability to attend ETBU and graduate from Texas A&M

19. Imperfections because they keep me humble

The first half was serious, and I could only think of so many meaningful things.  The next part of the list includes things I'm definitely appreciative of but they are also things I could live without. 

20. Tex Mex

21. Makeup and good hair products

22.  Social media because it's a distraction from life

23.  Freezer meals on a weeknight when I'm tired and don't want to cook

24. Cherry limeades from Sonic or Dairy Queen

25. Good music

26. Romantic comedies--chick flick movies

27. Getting a good deal when I'm shopping

28. Netflix

29. Pinterest

30. Candles that smell good

31. Coffee and tea

32. Whole Foods and Trader Joe's

33.  A clean house

34.  Photos--professional, from my iPhone, my DSLR and any others,  I love photos of places we've been and photos of my family!

35.  Cooler weather when we've suffered through the heat of summer.  Fall is my favorite season.

36. A good book

37.  Cardigans and scarves

and last but not least

38. Being surrounded by an abundance of love

5 Years--Then and Now

I started blogging 5 years ago and life looked a lot different back then.  Ben was about to turn 1 and Will was 3 1/2 years old.  Our life revolved around the baby and toddler.  Those were fun years and the boys were sweet, but raising children that age can be challenging.  I miss the days of the boys being little, but there are many advantages now that they are older and more independent.  It's hard to believe that Ben is almost finished with kindergarten, and he's about to turn 6.  Will has almost completed 2nd grade and is 8 1/2.  The boys' lives are all about school, sports, riding bikes, playing outside, games on the iPad, Wii or Nintendo DS, Legos, and friends.  Will and Ben are best buddies and I'm thankful they love each other.  Currently they share a room, and at night I love hearing them talk and laugh.  God's blessed with us with those two more than I could have ever imagined.

As for Mark and me, life is still really good. Back in 2010, we'd been married almost 8 years.  Today we still feel as happy now as we did then.  We've always had a great marriage, but I think it gets easier the longer we've been married.  Mark and I have been married long enough to feel comfortable, but instead of that being a bad thing I find it comforting.  There's an assurance knowing that we'll always be together and we want the same things in life.  Not a lot has changed in most areas of our life.  We still live and work where we did 5 years ago.  We still attend the same church.  We still have the same friends. We still love to travel and spend time with our family.

Not everything is the same though.  The family photo above is a clue.  There are some big changes in the near future.  We will be moving soon because we are in the process of building our new home.  The new home will be in the field behind us where we took this photo.  Many like to call what we are building a "forever home", which is how we think of it.  It's truly our dream home that will be a new old farmhouse out in the country on some land Mark bought before we got married.  Did I ever mention that's where he proposed?  It is!  Thirteen years ago he asked and I said yes.  So it's a special place to us for many reasons. 

There have been challenges in our lives the last five years.  Some of them I've shared, and other things I've chosen to keep to myself.  I'm an open book, but some things needed to stay private.  I've always tried to navigate the fine line between being encouraging by sharing our struggles, but also remembering that it's important to handle difficult situations with dignity.  Sometimes the most dignified way to do that is being reserved and sharing less.  Overall I can't complain.  Even when we've gone through trials, the Lord has seen us through.  We've grown from the struggles we've faced and we press on to the goal.

Looking back at the last 5 years reminds me to think ahead to the future.  It's hard to believe in 5 more years that Will will be 13--a teenager--oh my goodness!  Ben will be 10--almost 11, which blows my mind. 

I love that this blog has been a place to keep our special family memories.  It's also been an outlet to share important thoughts.  The biggest surprise from blogging is that it's even provided me friendship.  What an unexpected blessing!  The memories and encouragement are just a few of the reasons I'm grateful for this little blog and the blogging community.  Lord willing I'll be around for many more years to come. 

If you're reading this, thanks for spending time with me and being a part of our Imperfectly Wonderful World. We're living proof that life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful.

And just for the fun of it, here's the link to my very first blog post ever on May 5,  2010.  

Life Is Better With You

Happy Anniversary to my best friend.  

Just like the song says, life is better with you.  

I'm lucky to have you by my side, Mark.

Today is our anniversary.
We've been happily married for 12 years. 

Our life isn't perfect.  We have our ups and downs, but there's no one else I'd rather have by my side to take on this thing we call life.  We've changed over the last 12 years, but through it all we've grown closer together.  There's comfort in knowing that Mark will always be there.  It's reassuring to know I can depend on him for anything.  He loves me and our family, and I know that's real.  I don't take our marriage for granted.  We love each other and we try to show it in our words and actions.  I'm content in knowing that there's nothing out there that would make me happier than the life I have right now.  I look forward to many more happy years together.

Photo by Lauren Neyra

"Selfie"-Reflection

Back in the Fall, I got a haircut and took a selfie because I was really happy with my new do.  I used the selfie to update my Facebook profile pic, and I was surprised that people liked the photo.  Why was I surprised?  I was surprised because I'm really insecure when it comes to photos of myself.  Most women are their own worst critics.  I'd say that goes way beyond our outside appearances and even deeper.  I'm not one to self-reflect but my selfie caused some "selfie"-reflection.  

Sometimes it's good to stop and look at your life and think about ways you could improve.  A little introspection never hurt anyone.

There are so many areas in my life that could use improvement.  I don't have it all figured out.  I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels inadequate.  I have flaws.  I worry about not being good enough.  I worry that people might think I'm fake or a hypocrite.  

When I think about the way I live my life, the number one concern is 

does my life honor God?

I try.  I really do, but this is where I struggle.  I'm not a perfect.   Just look at this long list of mistakes that I make all the time.  I get angry, I can be tacky, I laugh at inappropriate jokes, I say things I shouldn't, I yell at my kids, I'm impatient with my husband, I'm not a good listener, sometimes my priorities are wrong, I waste time, I don't spend enough time in Bible study and prayer.  The list could go on and on.  Pretty humbling, right?  

I'm not trying to make light of those things.  Knowing those are just a few areas where I fall short remind me that I'll never be good enough.  It's also a reminder that when we are weak, he is strong.  Pretty encouraging, right?

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 comes to mind where Paul is talking about his struggles.

 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I don't ever want to praise the bad things in my life as me being "real" but through those weaknesses I have humility.  I'm just being honest about my struggles.  They are always there to remind me that I'll never be good enough on my own.  Those struggles keep me humble.

Philippians 2:3

3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Colossians 3:12

12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved,compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,

My goal is to be genuine, honest, and real.  We're all struggling to do the best we can, and with Bible study and making a conscious effort to practice what the Bible teaches we can do better despite our flaws.  So now that I've come clean, can people still trust that I'm genuine?  I sure hope so.  Even though I make mistakes, when I talk about my faith it comes from a sincere place.  

1 Timothy 1:5

 5 The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

36 Random Facts About Me on My Birthday

I'm 36 today! 

In the past, on my 33 and 34 birthdays I've written lists with random information about me.  They included the basic info like I'm left-handed, I went to Texas A&M, Fall is my favorite season, blue is my favorite color, I love to travel, etc.  I'm having to get more and more random the older I get because my lists are getting longer, and I've already used up my go-to trivia, ha! 

Surely I'm not the only one who likes reading these lists.  I don't expect people to be waiting in expectation for my birthday each year so they can read this information about me, but I'm fascinated by these lists.  I love learning more about my blog friends.  Hopefully you don't mind this all-about-me-post and you might even find that we have a lot in common. 

Before I start my list, you must know that Mark, Will and Ben are the center of my world. 
I love them so very much!  I am blessed to have these special guys in my life.

Now, on to my list.

 

1. Top 5 favorite cities that I've been to:

Seattle, NYC, Chicago, San Francisco, Austin.

Mark and I have been to all of those cities together, with the exception of San Francisco.  I went there several times in my early twenties when I lived on the West Coast.  Seattle is special because I lived there just after I graduated from college.  NYC is where Mark and I took our honeymoon.  Chicago was one of our favorite family vacations with both boys.  Austin is the coolest city in Texas.  As an Aggie, I feel like a traitor admitting that, but Mark and I both love Austin.
I took this photo of San Fran when I was driving back to Texas after leaving Seattle.

San Francisco 2002

Seattle 2004
The view of Seattle from Alki Beach.

Seattle 2004
The guy behind us is sitting where Tom Hanks sat in Sleepless in Seattle.

Seattle 2004
View of the city from the Space Needle

NYC 2002
I have the craziest look in this photo!  I'm obviously super happy about being on my honeymoon!

Chicago 2010

Austin 2008
Hula Hut

Austin 2008
Hula Hut 

Austin 2008
Threadgill's

2.  I really like lists. As proven by #1 above where I created a list within a list.  Lists help me mentally organize things.

3.  I didn't become a coffee drinker until this last year.  I was always a hot tea person.  So finally at the age of 35, I found out what I'd been missing.  I'd always enjoyed the occasional coffee drink from Starbucks, but as far as buying my own coffee and having it at home, I was never interested.  I starting drinking coffee at work, and then I bought a Keurig.  I'm usually only a one cup a day kind of girl, but I do enjoy it each morning, especially when it's cold outside.

4. I started teaching junior high social studies and Texas History in the 2001-2002 school year.  This is the start of my 13th year of teaching.  I'm still in the exact same classroom almost 13 years later.  I can't imagine doing anything else in the world.  I know the teaching profession is not perfect, but it's perfect for me.
 

5.  I'm 5'5", but I have freakishly short legs so that makes me feel shorter.  I usually have to have pants and jeans hemmed so they don't drag the floor.

6. I like clothes.  I always have liked shopping.  That was one of the things that my grandma and I always did to bond.  She liked to shop too.  She was always willing to take me to the store to find a new dress for church.  To this day, I still have clothes that are basically "church clothes" and I have the same mindset when I shop for my boys.  I think, "Oh, this would be nice for them to wear to church.".  Also, I inherited my thriftiness from my grandma.  I hardly ever buy anything that is full-price.  Show me a clearance rack and I'm all over it!


7.  Mark doesn't have a problem with me shopping.  I would never make a purchase that I knew wasn't being responsible with our money.  Also, I never hide purchases I make from him.  With that said, I sometimes complain to him about other ways we spend our money (the utility bill). I'm by nature not bothered by the heat.  Mark is the exact opposite.  He has no tolerance for it so he runs the air conditioner at a much cooler temperature than I would.  I've been known to sneak by the thermostat and turn it up a few degrees.  This just wasn't working for him.  He finally broke it down in terms I could understand.  He said, "You spend money on clothes, and I spend money on air conditioning."  Enough said.  I've never messed with the thermostat again.  It's a compromise that works for both of us.  That's why we have a happy marriage.

8. I have a fear of any creature that scurries--mice and lizards are at the top.

 
9. If I had to pick 5 restaurants to eat at for the rest of my life, then I'd choose: Chipotle, Grimaldi's Pizza, McAlister's Deli, Chick-fil-A, and TaMolly's (it's Tex-Mex).

10.  Our family has been on a frozen yogurt kick for about 3 years.  We can't get enough of the tart, frozen goodness!  We started out with Pink Berry and then became huge fans of Yumilicious and Sweet Frog.  My favorite frozen yogurt toppings are mochi and fresh fruit.

11.  I really like being a "boy mom".  This summer I embraced America's favorite pastime and learned to love baseball.  Mark's always loved baseball and now Will is a huge fan.  Now I can watch a game and enjoy it. In the past, my experience at baseball games included people watching and trips to the concession stand and gift shop.
This photo is from the last Rangers game we attended on September 1.

This is the first Rangers game Mark and I attended together in the Spring of 2005.



12. I have gray hair now!  I didn't notice it until this year.  When it gets worse, I'll definitely be dyeing my hair.

 

 

 

 13.  In the last couple of years, I've rediscovered my love of reading.  I prefer to read on the iPad using the Nook or Kindle app.  I love a good classic, but I'm not ashamed to admit that chick lit is my favorite genre.  I really like books by Emily Giffin, Sophie Kinsella, Jennifer Weiner, Kristin Hannah,  and Elin Hilderbrand.


14.  If I could spend the day doing anything I wanted, I'd float in a swimming pool while reading a book.

15.  I really don't like surprises. I'm not angry if I'm surprised, but a surprise doesn't make something more special.

16.  I don't like suspenseful movies.  I have a bad habit of going online and reading the plot synopsis, including the spoilers, of most movies that I watch.  It's annoying to my husband, but he loves me despite this flaw, and will still watch movies with me.

17.  I have terrible eyesight.  I wear contacts and keep my glasses on my nightstand so I can grab them as soon as I wake up.

18. I cry when others cry.  I cry when I read emotional books and when I watch sad movies.

19.  I'm sentimental.

20. I collect milk glass.

21.  I take a lot of photos.  I'm sure you're shocked!  Since I'm a blogger I know that wasn't a big surprise.  I have a routine that I strictly follow before any photos I've taken are deleted.  First, I add the photos to my computer and organize them in folders by date.  Next, I upload the photos to a website like Shutterfly or Snapfish.  Finally, I back up the photos on my external hard drive.  Once that is done I will format my SD cards and erase all the old photos.  I've been known to get behind almost an entire year because my photo method is so OCD.  It usually takes me several days to get it all organized, but so far I haven't lost any precious photos.  (Knock on wood!!!)

22.  I like to exercise.  I started an exercise group/class in August 2012.  The workout was at 5a.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday.  I love the workouts but the early mornings are rough.  I took the summer off so I could stay up late and enjoy time with my family.  It's been a challenge to get back in the routine of getting up so early.  I'm hoping that I can find the motivation to keep going.

23.  My two favorite holidays are Halloween and Christmas.  Odd combination.

24.  I can remember turning 16 like it was yesterday.  My grandpa took me to get my drivers license.  I can't believe that was 20 years ago!

25.  I don't keep in touch with very many friends from high school.  Most of my life-long friends were made in college or after college.  Angela at Unexpected Elegance is one of those special people.

26.  Two of my best friends from ETBU are Kelly and Andrea.  We constantly keep a group text message convo going.  Our discussions are always random--sometimes serious and other times silly.  We're all busy, but that little bit of communication is a bright spot in my day.

27.  I didn't have a smart phone until May 2011.  I don't know how we survived without it.  I'm joking!

28.  On one of my previous lists, I told you that Claire Elizabeth was our girl name, but since we had boys we didn't use it.  Other girl names that were runner-ups included Catherine, Caroline, Anna, Lily, and Olivia.

29. I like to camp, but I'm terrified of wild animals.  I once thought I'd want to do backcountry hikes, but the fear of bears, snakes, and other animals has made me realize I'll take the comfort (and safety) of a lodge instead.  We're still interested in going to as many National Parks as we can, but I'll stay on the well traveled paths and take in the beauty of nature from a scenic overlook.

I don't think I've ever blogged about our trip to Big Bend National Park that we took Spring Break 2004.  Here are a couple of photos from that trip.

30.  I've been to 38 states in the United States.

31.  I've seen a falling star.

32.  I like cats.  As a child, I was afraid of dogs.  Now that I'm older, I like dogs, but I still prefer cats.  When I was little I would dress my kittens up in baby clothes and push them around in a baby carriage.  This is true.  Those poor kittens.  (The story about the kittens in baby clothes is about as random as it gets.  Sorry if you've read all this way, and now you think I'm a total weirdo!)

33.  Building our future home is closer to being a reality.  We've approved the floor plan and the architect is currently working on the exterior elevations.  We don't plan to start building for a few more years, but I'm beyond excited to have accomplished this much so far.

34.  The only way I can think of describing our future home is that it's a New-Old-Farmhouse.  It reminds me of my great-grandmother's house in the country.  Just a simple, white farmhouse.

35. If I had to describe where I spend most of my time, it would have to be with family, teaching at school, and activities that involve our church.

36.  My faith is really important to me, and I've struggled with how to share it on this blog.  Two posts that I've been really proud of sharing are here. 
This post is about sharing the Gospel. This post is about Bible study. 

 Thanks for reading and hanging out here!  You guys are the best!

Belated Blog Anniversary

 

Oops!  I missed the 3rd anniversary of my blog!

Our days have been full, and it slipped by me. 

I'm not nearly as faithful in keeping up with my blog as when I started it.  I still love blogging though.  It's a wonderful place to keep our family's memories, but it requires a lot of time.  Time that I do not have at this point in my life.

I won't give it up because it's important to me and so are the people I've met through it.

As always, I'm grateful for the friendships I've formed through blogging.  Most of my blog friends are on some other form of social networking so we can stay in touch.  I'm thankful for Instagram (my favorite!), Facebook (yep, I'm friends on FB with several blog friends), Twitter (still haven't figured it all out, probably never will, ha!) and Pinterest.  I might not get to their blog as much as I used to and leave comments, but I enjoy staying connected these other ways.

Thanks to all of you who still stop by to see what we are up to.  I appreciate you!


If you have a lot of time on your hands and you'd like to read the LONG post that I wrote on the first anniversary of my blog, you can find it here.  Last year, I shared this on my blogiversary.

I know I've been absent from blogging so expect a lot of posts this summer to catch up!

xoxo,

Michele

Ultimate Blog Party 2013

Hi there!

You've probably made your way to my blog via the UBP 2013.  I'm so glad you're here.

Welcome!

You can check out my UBP posts for 2011 and 2012 to get to know me more or just read on :)

I've been happily married to Mark for almost 11 years.  We live in a small town in Texas.

We have two sweet boys, Will and Ben.  They are our pride and joy.

We spend a lot of time together as a family.

Will is in kindergarten.

Ben is in preschool. 

 Our family October 2012

This photo was taken this fall on the land we own.  It's where we hope to build our new home in the near future.

Besides my most important job of being a mom, I'm also a junior high history teacher.  I've been teaching for 12 years.  I'm thankful for my job and grateful that I get to help improve the lives of others through education.

Here are a couple of my fun coworkers.

I love to blog because it's allowed me to become a part of a wonderful community of women who have similar interests.  It's such a special place of inspiration.  If you're a blogger, then you know what I'm talking about.

The focus of my blog is our family.  Most of my posts are about what Will and Ben are up to.  The other posts usually focus on spiritual things because my faith is such an important part of my life and our family.  One of my goals for the new year was to share my faith more openly in hopes to be an encouragement to others.  While I take my beliefs very seriously, I like to write about things that aren't very serious like fashion, travel, home decor and our future home. I'm also on other social media outlets like Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.  LOVE Instagram!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  

I hope you felt welcome.  Please leave a comment.  I'd love to stop by your blog and get to know you, too.

{All professional photos are by Lauren}

Q&A

My new blog friend Michele at Moonfield Lane passed along a Liebster award.  That was very thoughtful of her!  One of the best things about blogging is meeting new people and realizing you have a lot in common (including the spelling of our names!).  I'm supposed to share 11 random facts and answer some fun questions Michele came up with.



11 Random Facts About Me:
1. I really like writing lists of random facts.  I wrote a list of 33 and 34 several years ago on my birthday.

2. Michele and I agree on this, Kathleen Kelly in You've Got Mail had one of the best jobs ever.  It's still one of my favorite movies of all times.

3.  I have a new movie to add to my list of favorites.  Silver Linings Playbook is now in my top 20 movies. It was so good!  Seriously, I loved it!

4. I went to the same school kindergarten through 12th grade.

5. No one in my family or friends knew that I had a blog for a very long time.  I was a secret blogger!  I confessed to my best friend, Angela, that I blogged and she admitted that she wanted to start a blog, too.  That was a fun coincidence.  We've made our blog journey together.  She has an amazing blog that is focused on interior design and DIY projects.  Even though our blogs are different, we still "get" each other and share a special bond because of blogging.

6.  I love to travel.  I have a bucket list of places I want to visit.  If I had unlimited income, traveling would be one of the luxuries in which I indulged.

7.  I'm a morning person and a huge grouch at night.  My husband is the exact opposite.

8. I like order and organization.  A place for everything and everything in its place :)

9. As a little girl, I loved dolls.  I had baby dolls, Barbies, and Cabbage Patch kids.  My grandmother was an excellent seamstress, and she would sew clothes for my dolls.  I still have many of the outfits and dolls stored in my attic.

10. My favorite color is blue.

11.  If I could shop at 3 places for all of my clothes, it would be Banana Republic, Anthropologie and Boden.

Here are my answers to Michele's questions.

What's your #1 guilty pleasure?
I spend a lot of time on social networking apps or websites (facebook, pinterest, instagram, blogging).
That's closely followed by the guilty pleasure of reading chick lit.

Why did you start blogging?
Several reasons:
I was having a hard time processing my feelings when my face was paralyzed after having Bell's Palsy.  You can read about that here. I also wanted to meet other women who had similar interests (interior decorating, fashion, parenting).  I was feeling lonely and isolated in the small town where I live and blogging provided the connection and encouragement I was looking for.  Now I blog because it's a place to keep a record of all the special things that happen in our family.

What's your favorite book?
To  Kill a Mockingbird

What's the worst job you've ever had?
I wouldn't say "worst" but being a YMCA day camp counselor when I was in college was challenging.  I worked at the Y in the summer of '98.  That year Texas had a record setting heatwave with almost a month of  consecutive days that were over a hundred degrees.  Most of our work was outside and it was miserable in the scorching heat.  I'm still not sure how I didn't have a heatstroke.

What's your idea of a perfect day?
Spending the day outdoors doing something with my family.  I'd love to be skiing in the mountains or hanging out on a beach.

What's the most daring thing you've ever done?
I moved to Seattle, Washington after I graduated college.  I didn't know anyone in the city.

How would you describe your decorating style?
cozy-cottage-farmhouse

What's your favorite desert?
Blackberry Cobbler

What's your least favorite household chore?
cleaning the bathrooms

Describe your worst DIY/decorating disaster.
When I was younger I had a terrible encounter with sponge painting.  To add to the decorating disaster, I'm pretty sure the color was country blue.  Please don't judge me, ha!

Name a designer or blogger whose style you admire.
Posie Gets Cozy, Holly Mathis, Jones Design Company, The Pleated Poppy, The Inspired Room, Urban Grace...
the list could go on and on :)

My Blog is Two!

Today my blog turns 2!

I wrote my blog story last year and explained why I decided to start a blog.  It's only natural to reflect on anniversaries and think about the past and plan for the future. 

I can't help but look back over the last two years and feel happy about being a part of the blogging community.  Two years ago I started blogging in secret.  I slowly started to share with family and friends that I had a blog.  I didn't keep it a secret because I was embarrassed about my blog.  It's more because I didn't know if people would understand.  Fellow bloggers you know what I mean.  You get it.

It's taken me a while to figure out what direction my blog would take.  I've always considered it a haphazard collection of the events of our lives, but I wasn't sure what I wanted to focus on at the beginning.  I never minded sharing personal experiences and my thoughts.  That always felt pretty natural.  I'm a teacher and when I first started to blog I participated in teacher link-ups.  I quickly realized that teaching is my profession, but it doesn't define who I am.  I decided to stop focusing on that and focus more on my family.  First and foremost I think of myself as a wife and mommy.  It takes little effort to share the joy I have from being Will and Ben's mom and Mark's wife.  It's no surprise that Will and Ben are the main focus of my blog.  It's always easy to write about other random things that are going on in our lives--family, church, traveling, music, milk glass and food.  Usually I try to keep the blog cheerful, but there are times when life is tough and I can't help but feel heavyhearted.  I end up sharing those thoughts, too.  I still occasionally link up to Misc Monday, What I Wore Wednesday, InstaFriday and Life in an Instant because those are great places to meet new blog friends. 

Blog friends.  Well, that leads me to my next thoughts in reflecting about my blog.

This blog is proof that life is ever-changing.  It was fun to read last year's post and realize that as my blog has evolved so have my blog friends.  A lot of you guys were here from the beginning, and there are new wonderful people I've met since then.  You can read my blog roll titled "Delightful" to see the current blogs that I adore.  There are many more on my blog reader, but those are ones I try to read as often as I can. 

Thanks Angela, Kathleen, Nicolle, Heather, Jill, Emily, Katie, Genn, Katie, Paige, Angee, Jennifer, Susanne, Lorri and Andi and Stacy for your comments and encouragement, I {heart} you guys!  If I left someone out, so sorry!  Social networking is connecting us more and more.  I've had fun connecting with some of you on facebook, pinterest and instagram.  I've figured out how to navigate those in addition to blogging.  Twitter still freaks me out so I won't have an account there any time soon.

Enough reflection.  Let's discuss future plans and dreams.

As we look ahead, Mark and I are starting to make plans for our dream home or forever home.  Hopefully there will be a lot more blogs posts about that  in the near future.  Also, Will is starting kindergarten this fall and that will change the dynamic of our family.  Ben is growing up and leaving the baby stage more and more every day.  These changes are bittersweet.  Mark and I will celebrate 10 years of marriage this summer and I can't wait for our anniversary trip to Vegas. 

So many things to look forward to, and I can't wait to share them with you!

Thank you for choosing to spend time with me.  I treasure our blog friendship.

Much love,

Michele

Ultimate Blog Party 2012

I had been blogging less than a year when I participated in my first Ultimate Blog Party in 2011.  It was such a cool experience that I definitely wanted to participate again this year.  My blog will be 2 years old in May.

If you are new here and made your way to my blog from the Ultimate Blog Party then let's get to know each other.  Here's a little info about me.

I'm Michele.

I've been married to Mark {my best friend and the love of my life} for almost 10 years.

We have been blessed with 2 awesome little boys, Will and Ben.

Will is 5 1/2 and Ben is almost 3.

I'm a junior high history teacher, and I'm thankful that I have a job I enjoy.

My faith is very important to me.  I am a Christian and our family is very involved in our church.

I had a hard time deciding where I should link up.  I definitely fall into the "mom blog" category but at the same time, I blog about my faith a lot.  I ended up going with the "mom blog" focus.

I started blogging back in May of 2010 just before Ben turned one.  I read blogs for a long time before I started my own.  There are several reasons I started a blog.  I'd struggled with a health issue that year, and blogging helped me resolve my feelings about it.  Will and Ben were finally getting older so I had a little more "me time". I live in a small town in the middle of nowhere in Texas and I miss having girlfriends to chat with like in my college days.  I discovered that the blog world allows you connect with like-minded people.  I never knew I'd find so many kindred spirits out there.  To say that blogging has changed my life would be an understatement.  I'm constantly blessed and encouraged by my blog friends.

Although I love blogging, and it's a big part of my life, I still struggle with balance.  I want to be connected to my blog and blog friends, but I also want to always focus first and foremost on my family.  If blogging interferes with that, then it takes a back burner while I refocus.

If you hang around you'll most likely find that I write about...

my boys

faith and religion

random things that I find interesting (phone dump post like Life in an Instant and InstaFriday)

what I wore (silly posts about my clothes)

traveling and road trips

our dream home/forever home

milk glass (I'm a little obsessed with collecting it)


Thanks so much for choosing to stop by!

{Photos by Lauren}