Happy BLOG birthday to me!

it has been ONE fabulous blogging year!

with an insane amount of posts (apparently i have alot to say.)
the grand total? including this one 942!
there are a handful that weren't actually posted but not that many.


and for my blog birthday it's a celebration!

including a prize for one random winner.

but first i should thank Lindsey for starting a blog, and eventually it started me thinking of things
in the shower that i would post about if i had a blog .

and thanks to my friends that came and commented- in the beginning there were only a handful. but they were great and encouraging, and became better real life friends. and i love that. and they make my life richer. and i feel blessed to know them in real life.

you know you need your own blog when you take a picture thinking this would make a great post.
Or when you think about it while doing normal mundane everyday things
ie,laundry, cooking, dishes, driving, showering, sex, shopping, sleeping.
(kidding on the sex one. that has only come up once or twice in a year. just checking to see if you were reading every word)

you know you are a die hard blogger when you talk to someone and have not much to say since they either read it on your blog already,
OR
you have to preface a story with "i blogged this but..."
or you chat with a friend on the phone and they say"did you see so and so's blog?"
and you surf the blogs together while on the phone.
OR
you have a conversation with someone and there are long pauses in the thing they are telling you because they are reading blogs while on the phone with you!
OR
they hear you typing in the background, while you're talking , and think it must be time to get off the phone because you aren't paying attention.

you know it may be out of hand if your kids say...
"DON'T BLOG THIS!"
"You aren't gonna blog that are you?"
"Please mom, don't blog this"
"hey mom put this on your blog"
or " hey mom, i want this on my blog..."

or your husband keeps up on daily family life by reading the blog.
and feels out of the loop if he hasn't kept up for a day or two.

and then there are the comments,
"i took a blogging break for a few days. and i had 10 posts from crazymama!"
or even better
the emails or calls saying "are you OK? you haven't posted in __amount of time."

the best parts of blogging are...
the journaling that i do now - it may not be fabulous but it is real.
the pictures that i take of the family now
even if i don't post them i take them-i never took pictures before.
the old friends i didn't know that well- and now feel pretty close to.
the new blog friends- that come and comment and give fun awards.
the free entertainment- i used to shop all the time for entertainment,
blogging is so much cheaper! Lance loves that.
the positive feedback- hello! who doesn't love to hear the sweet things people say?!
the support system -i never thought existed! online friends are great for offering encouragement, and prayers, from really big scary stuff (cancer) to parenting and life!
the great ideas-from organizing to parenting tips , shopping and crafts! everyone is always sharing something great.
the laughter- seriously i love to laugh and sometimes i am totally cackling out loud all by myself!
the tears-once in a while there is a post that touches me, and i can't help but cry. whether it's frustration about finances, or parenting, or illness. i often find myself crying. its cathartic.
the recognition of blessings in life- the silver linings and looking on the bright side. sometimes it's hard, but it's nice to recognize them no matter how big or small.
the reasons to Celebrate- birthdays, babies, pregnancies, new jobs, graduation, holidays, firsts (for babies and at school) awards, great writing, good ideas and friendships! we even celebrate a really good deal. the love of a bargain should be celebrated!
the creativity- hello blog toppers, templates, color codes, things to post about, fun games, and tags, list making and story telling.
the MAD SKILLZ- hello since i've been blogging i have gained so many computer skills. i didn't know how to copy and paste,or "save as" to pirate pictures, or , or do a hyper link, or make an attachment, post a picture or video, i didn't know how to download anything, or extract files, i was not youtube savvy, i couldn't type(hunt and peck style only) , Html? yeah no clue before. and now people ask me how to do things on the blogs. i feel so much smarter now, and have tons of useful skills. sure i don't know everything but i feel great about what i do know now.
the eye opening information- i was so sheltered in my perfect winter weather AZ for all my life, i had no clue before this winter what weather was like anywhere else. i still don't know what it's like to actually live there, but i now have an idea weather and seasons actually exist elsewhere and i'm now 150% sure I'll never live anywhere else. BRRRRRRRR.
that was the most obvious thing to me, that i had no clue about. but also I've learned about momo twins, other cancers, diabetes, Kawasaki disease, genetic diseases, birth defects , adoption, politics and home schooling.
i love to know about new things. and i like to share what i know.
i know about ADHD,postpartum depression, childbirth,ear tubes ,tonsils, and adenoids,
down syndrome, unemployment, bargain shopping, being poor, hardware,and other assorted random crap.

and your blog gift to me would be to come outta the closet, if you lurk here today is the day to come out. leave me a comment. but only nice ones are welcome!


now for a party game!
angie at seven clown circus did this one. and it was so fun to read through her comments.

the rules:(shamelessly copied directly off her blog)
Here's how it works. I'll start off with a question or phrase. The first person to comment answers that question or finishes the phrase and then poses their own question or phrase. Then, the next commenter answers that question or phrase and then leaves one of their own. And it progresses from there.

and you can post and answer more than one time to up your chances of being the random winner Of a ten dollar gift card to SONIC! (or if you don't have sonic,it will be something by you)

here is my starter question.

what is your favorite word to use?
cuss word?
exclamation?
when happy or sad?
(you can answer one or all)