I realize that it has been a very long time since I posted a good old-fashioned family update, so I figured that it is about time! Also, I just wanted to note that this is my 300th post on this blog! That's a lot of writing! Sometimes it feels like it's just me here, hitting keys and staring at a screen, but the stats say that I've had over 300 page views this past month—and that's been without promoting my blog on social media! So thank you so much to each one of you who keeps coming back to read what I have to say. Thank you to those who have left comments or responded to me privately. Your encouragement means so much to me.
So—family update time! My little boys are quickly growing up to be not so little. They are both forces to be reckoned with and possess (seemingly) endless energy. They are starting to play together now—and starting to get in trouble together! There is never a dull moment around here!
Steven is endlessly resourceful and loves making up new "games" to play. He has no hesitations about going for what he wants, whether through negotiation or pure initiative—he has been known to climb up to get the juice out of the fridge, climb up to get cups out of the cupboard, and pour juice for himself and his brother, and then put everything away again, while I am only out of the room for a couple of minutes! He climbs absolutely everything, loves reading books, and is a big fan of "Veggie Rock", specifically the Hairbrush Song.
Kenneth is constantly trying to keep up to his big brother—and he does a very good job of it! He is very funny, and has become quite the chatterbox, with a word for almost everything (even if we can't always understand what the word is)! He loves animals, music, and dancing, and whenever there is some great dance music being played, he will run up to whoever is in the house saying, "Come! Come!" until everyone joins in the dance.
For Jesse and I, it seems like life is mostly work and taking care of our family, but one recent thing of note is that we recently finished our longest-running D&D campaign with some close friends of ours that spanned from South Korea to British Columbia to Vermont.
As a family, we are in a significant time of transition right now, as we figure out our living situation, Jesse's work, and make decisions about the future. It can be hard to balance the mundane of the day-to-day with the bigger questions of where we are supposed to be and what we are supposed to be doing, but I'm glad that the conversation has been started, and we'll see where we end up!
Showing posts with label Blogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blogging. Show all posts
Wednesday, 28 March 2018
Thursday, 28 December 2017
2017 in Review
As we come to the end of 2017, I thought I'd share a few highlights from my blog this past year:
Disruptive Children
This was by far the most viewed post on my blog, not only this year, but of all time! It was a little overwhelming to have such a emotional post receive so much attention, especially since after a couple of days I was able to process everything that happened and I wasn't feeling hurt anymore. But I found that this is a subject that many people could identify with, and I really appreciated hearing from so many people who shared encouragement and similar experiences that they have gone though.
Baby Kraken
One of my favourite crafts of the year.
The Power of Words
Sometimes I read through some of my old writing and find it very applicable to my current situation. This is one of those posts, so I thought I'd share it again so you can be encouraged by it too!
I Wish
This is one of my favourite poems from this past year. One of the struggles of being a very sensitive person is that I see when others are struggling, and I want to help somehow, but I also want to respect their space and don't want to say the wrong thing. Far too often I second guess myself for too long and lose the opportunity.
Fear, Your Day is Over
Something that many people don't know about me is how fear used to control so much of my life. I used to lie awake for hours, paralyzed with sheer terror, certain that I was going to die at any moment. Through God's grace that kind of fear is no longer a part of my life, but there are still days when it tries to creep back and gain a hold again. On one such day, this is what I had to say to it.
What are some of your favourite posts from 2017? I'd love to hear from you!
Disruptive Children
This was by far the most viewed post on my blog, not only this year, but of all time! It was a little overwhelming to have such a emotional post receive so much attention, especially since after a couple of days I was able to process everything that happened and I wasn't feeling hurt anymore. But I found that this is a subject that many people could identify with, and I really appreciated hearing from so many people who shared encouragement and similar experiences that they have gone though.
Baby Kraken
One of my favourite crafts of the year.
The Power of Words
Sometimes I read through some of my old writing and find it very applicable to my current situation. This is one of those posts, so I thought I'd share it again so you can be encouraged by it too!
I Wish
This is one of my favourite poems from this past year. One of the struggles of being a very sensitive person is that I see when others are struggling, and I want to help somehow, but I also want to respect their space and don't want to say the wrong thing. Far too often I second guess myself for too long and lose the opportunity.
Fear, Your Day is Over
Something that many people don't know about me is how fear used to control so much of my life. I used to lie awake for hours, paralyzed with sheer terror, certain that I was going to die at any moment. Through God's grace that kind of fear is no longer a part of my life, but there are still days when it tries to creep back and gain a hold again. On one such day, this is what I had to say to it.
What are some of your favourite posts from 2017? I'd love to hear from you!
Wednesday, 6 September 2017
Feedback
As you may have noticed, my posts have been much more sporadic lately, but now that the summer is over I'd like to get back into some kind of routine for my writing. Before I decide what that is going to look like, I'd appreciate your feedback!
The schedule I have (generally) been following for the past couple of years has been posting twice per week, with Tuesday posts generally being poetry, musings, and thoughts on life, and Thursday posts generally being recipes, crafts, and other things I have been up to.
If you have a minute or two, please leave a comment below! I've included some possible responses that you can refer to by number, or write your own!
1. I enjoy reading your poetry and musings. I would like there to be more reflective, thoughtful content.
2. I prefer the recipes and crafts. I would enjoy more hands-on content.
3. I follow your blog to hear about your life. I want more family updates and "Mommy Moments".
4. There is something else I enjoy that I would like to see more of: _______
5. I have a new idea for something that you haven't tried before: _______
6. I think you should post more frequently. I would like having more to look through when I visit your blog.
7. Less posting would be fine with me. I don't visit your blog very often.
8. I like it when you post links to your blog on Facebook. It reminds me to check out what you've been writing.
9. I don't like it when you post links on Facebook. It's kind of annoying.
10. I think that what you have been doing works really well. Keep it up!
The schedule I have (generally) been following for the past couple of years has been posting twice per week, with Tuesday posts generally being poetry, musings, and thoughts on life, and Thursday posts generally being recipes, crafts, and other things I have been up to.
If you have a minute or two, please leave a comment below! I've included some possible responses that you can refer to by number, or write your own!
1. I enjoy reading your poetry and musings. I would like there to be more reflective, thoughtful content.
2. I prefer the recipes and crafts. I would enjoy more hands-on content.
3. I follow your blog to hear about your life. I want more family updates and "Mommy Moments".
4. There is something else I enjoy that I would like to see more of: _______
5. I have a new idea for something that you haven't tried before: _______
6. I think you should post more frequently. I would like having more to look through when I visit your blog.
7. Less posting would be fine with me. I don't visit your blog very often.
8. I like it when you post links to your blog on Facebook. It reminds me to check out what you've been writing.
9. I don't like it when you post links on Facebook. It's kind of annoying.
10. I think that what you have been doing works really well. Keep it up!
Tuesday, 21 February 2017
Two Hundred Posts!
I have written two hundred posts on my blog now! I can hardly believe it! To celebrate that number I thought I would share a bit about my blog.
I started blogging over 3 years ago for primarily two reasons: to give myself a place to share my thoughts and what I've been up to, and as a way of staying connected with family and friends around the world. Now that I am a stay-at-home mom of two little kids it has also become something that I do simply because I want to, something that I'm doing "for me", which had been very life-giving.
As of writing this, I have had over 9,000 page views! That number blows my mind, and that is thanks to all of you who keep coming back and reading what I have to say. So thank you, thank you so much for all of your encouragement and support!
My top 5 posts, according to numbers of views, are:
- What We're Missing
- Present
- 10 Things I Didn't Know About Being A Mom
- Why We Use Cloth Diapers
- Full Circle Wrap Skirt
If there are any of those you haven't read yet, I'd encourage you to check them out. Do you think they deserve their place in the top 5? Are there any other posts you've read that you think should be in the top 5?
In no particular order, here are a few of my favourites that didn't make the top 5 list:
Did you know that my blog has a suggestions page? Anyone is welcome to post a comment suggesting a topic for a future blog post. Perhaps it's something you'd be interested in hearing my perspective on or a recipe or diy project that you think I'd enjoy. I'm always looking for new ideas!
I'd also like to take the opportunity to especially thank the people who have taken the time to comment on my writing, whether on my blog or in some other way. Writing can be kind of a one-sided thing sometimes, and your comments, feedback, and encouragement have meant so much to me!
Blogging has been a really great experience for me so far. I am very thankful, and I'm excited to keep writing! I'll talk to you again soon!
I'd also like to take the opportunity to especially thank the people who have taken the time to comment on my writing, whether on my blog or in some other way. Writing can be kind of a one-sided thing sometimes, and your comments, feedback, and encouragement have meant so much to me!
Blogging has been a really great experience for me so far. I am very thankful, and I'm excited to keep writing! I'll talk to you again soon!
Wednesday, 1 February 2017
On Wanting to Write Profound Things But Being Too Tired
So many thoughts
Swirl around
In my head
To write about
Like birds circling
But refusing to land
Amid the mist
That scatters
The moment
I reach out my hand
To grasp it
To ensnare them
In black and white
On a page
Bridging
From my mind
To yours
To encourage
To challenge
To share
My journey
My heart
But I
Am
Tired
Swirl around
In my head
To write about
Like birds circling
But refusing to land
Amid the mist
That scatters
The moment
I reach out my hand
To grasp it
To ensnare them
In black and white
On a page
Bridging
From my mind
To yours
To encourage
To challenge
To share
My journey
My heart
But I
Am
Tired
Friday, 4 November 2016
Writing
I like writing. That may seem obvious, given my dogged determination to post consistently on this blog, even if I don't always manage to. Really, writing is the one thing that I keep making time for that doesn't involve taking care of my family (though I do often write about my family).
As a child I liked writing stories. I still have those stories (complete with hand-drawn pictures), and the little notebook of story ideas that I was always adding to. As a teenager my focus changed to script writing, as I began directing homeschool theatre. I adapted books into the scripts that I used for the productions I directed.
Once I started going to college I stopped writing for fun. I had to write so much for my classes that it just wasn't in my top 10 list of things to do when I had free time. Toward the end of my degree, though, I began this blog. I wanted a way to express myself and share about my thoughts and experiences without getting annoying on Facebook. I also thought it would be a good way of staying connected with friends and family who live far away. Most of my writing on here involves my thoughts on random topics, musings and encouraging words, poetry, updates on my family, and sometimes a recipe or diy project. But no fiction.
I've missed writing stories. I keep trying to; in fact I currently have 3 stories that are partly written. But I've found it hard to actually finish them, or even make significant headway. My years of college and blogging have grown my confidence in my non-fiction writing, but because I haven't written much fiction I often doubt myself and my ability to write something worthwhile. But now I have an opportunity that I'm really excited about!
It is a project called "Captives". It's being run by someone I met through school. He has created a fictional world and has invited people to create a character to be a part of that world. The participants will be writing about their character in a chapter by chapter, serial format, while the editor gives them promps and starts to weave all the smaller stories into one bigger story.
I'm very excited about this opportunity, because it gives me a reason to write fiction again, but in a very controlled way. It's just one chapter at a time, so I can't be tempted to over think things and jump around like I often do when I try to write fiction. It will also give me deadlines which will force me to keep writing, even if I think I'm too busy or feel stuck.
"Captives" is being hosted on Tumblr, which is where all of the chapters will be posted as they are written. I wasn't on Tumblr before, but joined so that I could be a part of this project. If you are interested in following along, here is a link: Captives
Also you are welcome to check out my new Tumblr page if you're on Tumblr. It's not much at this point, because I'm still trying to figure it out. My page is called Mama Bard.
As a side note, trying to figure out Tumblr has made me feel much more empathetic toward those who struggle to understand social media, especially those from older generations. I've been using Facebook (and Twitter to a certain extent) for so long that it just feels natural. But trying to understand Tumblr has been a bit of a challenge! I think I'm starting to get the hang of it, though.
Anyways, I'm super excited for "Captives", and I hope you'll follow along as the story starts to unfold.
Tuesday, 10 November 2015
Blogging 101
Blogging. It seems like everyone and their great aunt is writing a blog these days. This plethora of online material can be found all over the internet, covering every topic imaginable. Because it has become so common, it is perhaps too easy to disregard or scorn the humble blog.
But the reality is that blogging is not an enterprise to be undertaken lightly.
For one thing, you need to come up with material to write about. This is not always as easy as it may seem.
For example, on Tuesdays I just can't seem to think of much to talk about. I don't have any poems just waiting to be written or thoughts on life just waiting to be shared. I sit in front of a blank screen and contemplate the fact that my Thursday posts are so much easier to write. All I have to do is make something and take pictures of it. I don't have to try to be deep or clever.
But then on Thursdays, things get busy, or I'm really tired, and I don't have the ingredients to try the new recipe I've been thinking about, or the baby is fussy and doesn't want to entertain himself long enough to let me finish a project to post about. Then I contemplate the fact that Tuesday posts are so much easier to write. I don't need to have free time and the right supplies to make something. All I have to do is think of something to write and write about it.
And then once you have a topic, the next challenge is actually writing about it. This generally involves either an intense multitasking situation where you are typing with one hand while trying to stop the baby's determined effort to eat your laptop, or staying up way too late after the baby is in bed and the tasks of the day are done, desperately trying to write it fast enough so that it can be posted today rather than tomorrow because 11:59pm is coming really quickly. And of course that includes editing it three or four times, because you have to second guess the way that you worded every sentence.
And beyond the actual writing process, being a blogger has a significant impact on your daily life. Everything is fair game for becoming the content of a post. Your friends become familiar with the sheepish question: "Do you mind if I take pictures while we're doing this? I might blog about it later...". You find yourself moving piles of clutter off your table so that you can take pictures of a craft or a muffin or something, only to move the clutter piles back onto the table after the pictures are taken. Assuming that the baby didn't destroy them in the meantime. And you take an embarrassing number of food photos while your family is waiting to eat their dinner.
But despite the challenges, blogging can be a very meaningful method of expression and communication. I hope you enjoy mine, and if you have one you'd like me to check out, feel free to send me a link!
P.S. Did you get the title of the post? It's the 101st post on my blog, and it's about blogging! Hahaha... ha... ha.... It's never as funny when you have to explain it...
But the reality is that blogging is not an enterprise to be undertaken lightly.
For one thing, you need to come up with material to write about. This is not always as easy as it may seem.
For example, on Tuesdays I just can't seem to think of much to talk about. I don't have any poems just waiting to be written or thoughts on life just waiting to be shared. I sit in front of a blank screen and contemplate the fact that my Thursday posts are so much easier to write. All I have to do is make something and take pictures of it. I don't have to try to be deep or clever.
But then on Thursdays, things get busy, or I'm really tired, and I don't have the ingredients to try the new recipe I've been thinking about, or the baby is fussy and doesn't want to entertain himself long enough to let me finish a project to post about. Then I contemplate the fact that Tuesday posts are so much easier to write. I don't need to have free time and the right supplies to make something. All I have to do is think of something to write and write about it.
And then once you have a topic, the next challenge is actually writing about it. This generally involves either an intense multitasking situation where you are typing with one hand while trying to stop the baby's determined effort to eat your laptop, or staying up way too late after the baby is in bed and the tasks of the day are done, desperately trying to write it fast enough so that it can be posted today rather than tomorrow because 11:59pm is coming really quickly. And of course that includes editing it three or four times, because you have to second guess the way that you worded every sentence.
And beyond the actual writing process, being a blogger has a significant impact on your daily life. Everything is fair game for becoming the content of a post. Your friends become familiar with the sheepish question: "Do you mind if I take pictures while we're doing this? I might blog about it later...". You find yourself moving piles of clutter off your table so that you can take pictures of a craft or a muffin or something, only to move the clutter piles back onto the table after the pictures are taken. Assuming that the baby didn't destroy them in the meantime. And you take an embarrassing number of food photos while your family is waiting to eat their dinner.
But despite the challenges, blogging can be a very meaningful method of expression and communication. I hope you enjoy mine, and if you have one you'd like me to check out, feel free to send me a link!
P.S. Did you get the title of the post? It's the 101st post on my blog, and it's about blogging! Hahaha... ha... ha.... It's never as funny when you have to explain it...
One Hundred Posts!
Dear Reader,
This blog post that I am writing today is the one hundredth post that I have published on this blog!
So I thought that this would be a perfect day to say Thank You! Thank you for reading and following my blog, for keeping up with my family and what we've been up to, for listening to my rants and poems and prayers. Thank you for your encouragement. You have all blessed me, and I hope that through my writing you have also been blessed and encouraged.
Much Love,
Leane
This blog post that I am writing today is the one hundredth post that I have published on this blog!
So I thought that this would be a perfect day to say Thank You! Thank you for reading and following my blog, for keeping up with my family and what we've been up to, for listening to my rants and poems and prayers. Thank you for your encouragement. You have all blessed me, and I hope that through my writing you have also been blessed and encouraged.
Much Love,
Leane
Tuesday, 12 May 2015
To Be or Not To Be...
Well, maybe that's not the question. However, I have been trying to decide where to go with this blog! I have really enjoyed having this medium in which to share my life with you, but I know that my posts have been rather sporadic and haphazard. I have been considering whether to try to implement some kind of schedule for my future posts. This thought both excites and frightens me. On the one hand, it would help me in my desire to have a bit of routine in my life, and it would give me motivation to follow through on more of the ideas for posts that I come up with. (I frequently have things that I want to write about, but never get around to.) However, being a bit more "artsy", I have a hard time producing content when I "have" to, rather than when I feel like it. And as anyone with a young child knows, sometimes good intentions just aren't enough (as my "fitness routine", "meal plans", and "Bible reading schedule" can attest to)!
All of that to say... drum roll please... here is a summer plan for my blog! For the duration of the summer I will be attempting to post twice a week: Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tuesdays will be "thoughtful" posts - my random musings, thoughts on life, and poetry, and Thursdays will be practical things that I have been up to - recipes, crafts, outdoor adventures, etc. So, we shall see how this goes!
I also wanted to let you know that I am totally up for taking suggestions - so if there is anything you would like to see me post about, just let me know!
I'm looking forward to sharing this summer with you!
All of that to say... drum roll please... here is a summer plan for my blog! For the duration of the summer I will be attempting to post twice a week: Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tuesdays will be "thoughtful" posts - my random musings, thoughts on life, and poetry, and Thursdays will be practical things that I have been up to - recipes, crafts, outdoor adventures, etc. So, we shall see how this goes!
I also wanted to let you know that I am totally up for taking suggestions - so if there is anything you would like to see me post about, just let me know!
I'm looking forward to sharing this summer with you!
Monday, 21 October 2013
Hello World!
Yes, I have decided to start a blog. Why, you may ask? It is primarily because I enjoy sharing things from my life, but I do not want to become annoying on facebook. Now I can happily chat away about the things I love on this blog, and you only need to read about it if you want to!
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
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