back in the saddle

wow. it's been a while.

hi again, friends!

i woke up tuesday morning and thought to myself for the first time in months and months (& months), "i really want to start blogging again." so here i am, back in the saddle, getting really excited. aaah! so much to write!

i'm in the process of moving my blog to a website (with the help of my amazing husband and some great friends), so i'm having fun looking for url's, checking out page designs, and figuring out what i want to change and how. while i'm building, i'll be writing here and gearing up for the move. as i'm creating this new blog, though, i'd really love your input, my faithful readers! anything you'd like to see? things you want to hear more about? huh huh huh??

i'm ready, i'm excited...let's hear some thoughts!

lurkers

we all do it.

we can't help it.

there's something fascinating about someone else's life, isn't there? if you're reading this, then you, like me, are a lurker. if you're tweeting, or posting on facebook, or watching survivor or the bachelor, then you, my friend, like knowing what is going on in other people's lives.

before i go any further, let me assure you, lurking is not a bad thing at all. it sounds like a dirty word, like peeper, or creeper, or prowler, but i assure you, lurking is part of our culture now. we all are in each others lives through some medium, especially my generation. andyou know what?! i think it's FANTASTIC.

why?
because blogging, like many other mediums, is a way to connect with each other. my friend suzannnah (i lurk and follow her life via her blog) put it this way:

"if you had told me two years ago that blogging would create relationships with strangers in other parts of the
country and across the world, i would have told you that was insane. what kind of creeper becomes "friends" with people online? um, apparently me, and i'm grateful for the connections, especially during a season of life that can be achingly isolating.

being home all day with tiny people is lonely.

and wonderful.

but lonely, nonetheless.
this space has made the distance seem narrower."

i told suzannah that i would steal her words because they're so poignant for me and for others who need a space. to write and think outloud. to share. to be heard. especially moms, who have no time to themselves, yet are still somehow allll alone.

i adore sharing my life you and with the world. not because my life is that interesting, but because i know it can impact people's lives in a positive way. or bring some joy or some laughter to someone's day. or maybe i can challenge someone with a thought. or maybe i can just share my little life (and my little children) with you (and with our family that is spread literally all over the world).

i'm really glad your here, lurking around. it's such a cool thing to be connected with so many, near and far, and so easily. however, there is a price to pay as a lurker. are you ready?

i, michelle, challenge you, lurker, to leave comments here on blogger. i love to hear your feedback, and like suzannah articulated in her post, it helps me to feel "less naked." you can create a blogger profile really easily with just a name and your email address (to keep wacko spammers at bay), and if you have gmail, you can just sign in.

so let's keep the conversation going :)

defining re:defined

i just realized today, as i sat down at my desk with my cup of tea, that this is my 100th post and that my blog has had over 2,000 hits since i began conversing with you in december.

that totally blows my mind!

when i began writing, i pretty much figured i'd be writing to myself, and that was totally fine with me. it was always more for myself than anyone else. but the more i've written, the more i've noticed how enjoyable it is to share my thoughts with others. it's funny, there have always been people who "don't get" blogging...don't understand why you want to share your personal life with the general public. but i have never seen blogging in that light. i love the idea of people being able to know me and my daily life. perhaps even more so because many people out there have crazy ideas about what my life must be like. i feel like besides writing being near therapeutic for me, and also one of my passions and interests, it's a chance for me to be an encouragement, to make someone laugh or smile, or most importantly show someone just a little bit of Jesus. it's more like an honor that i feel privileged to have.

so i have to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you- my readers- for your interest in my little life and family, and all that represents. for your encouragement to me, and for joining my journey, as cliched as that sounds. and just so you know, i've opened commenting up to everyone, so that if you'd like to leave me a note or make a comment, you don't have to sign your life away or give your first born to blogger. i always love hearing from you. of course.


and truly, it's a pleasure conversing with you.

cheers,
michelle