One Year

“I have never denied that I am a complete and total idiot … so with a computer science degree and all – I have no clue how to work this blog…”

One year ago tomorrow I began my very first blog post with that sentence. I am still a complete and total idiot, but I do know a bit more about how to work ‘this blog’!

I had started my blog to post photos of our family trip to Yellowstone and Bear Lake for my family to view. The plan was that they would do the same on their blog and we could all share. I didn’t want to have to mail them and thought it would be a great way for me to be, well – lazy.

It was a good plan, but apparently the ‘blog gods’ had other plans for me and my blog. My next post two days later was titled “Goodbye Jessie” and started: “I really never thought the day would come … the day I said ‘Good Bye’ to Jessie.” One phone call and my life had changed, my heart had shattered and I remember sitting there terrified – not knowing how to even begin to pick up the pieces.

Two short days and my life went from posting pretty photos online, to being turned upside down and shaken – with my heart and brains spilling out and all over the pages of my blog. I was terrified. I was overwhelmed. I was weepy and somewhere peeking around the corner was a part of me that was excited – for Jessie and for me. Our lives were going to both going to change – Jessie was to become more independent and, well – so was I.


I just had to get through the hard parts first.


My blog became a source of information. I could write down what had happened that day concerning Jessie’s situation and being emotionally drained, my blog was there for everyone to read – leaving me in better shape not having to repeat myself over and over again to concerned friends and family.

My blog became my shrink. As I wrote something down, I could read it, and re-read it, and analyze it. It helped me work things out because I had put it down on ‘paper’.

My blog became a source of encouragement. As I roamed the house at night, sleep not coming – generally because of the worrying – I would sit down and read my blog and see a comment someone had posted. Very many kind words have been posted in my comments section and you will never know how much they meant to me on those lonely, scary, sleepless nights.

My blog became my journal! I decided that I was writing it anyway, might as well check off the box! (I don’t save it though, so it probably doesn’t count)

My blog became a resource to get to know people better – a sort of jumping off point. Being shy – I would most likely not approach someone – but approaching their blog? Not a problem! I have more friends in what I call our little ‘blog land’ than the total number I have had in my entire life! A new experience for me.

My blog became a diversion – on those scary, sleepless nights. And I have enjoyed re-igniting the computer scientist in me to play with my blog and web sites in general. It has given me a bit of self confidence back. I might not be the biggest idiot on the block after all …

My blog became a way of life for me. I enjoy writing, I enjoy taking photographs and I enjoy mangling them in Photoshop and my blog lets me throw all three of those things together and have a fun time doing it.

I started my blog to share photos and family news with my family. How’s that working out? Well, I got tired of seeing the title “Merry Christmas from the Hurst’s” on the family blog so I put something stupid up there just to get rid of it. I have a few sibs that peek in every now and again, but for the most part – not working out the way I planned, which for me is JUST FINE!

I love our little community! I love that I know my sister-in-law a bit better than I know some of my sisters! I love that I can count on laws from Laura, *twirls* from Kimberly, beautifully written words from Courtney (and the rest of you), great bargains from Liz, the joy, difficulties and hysterics of being a mom from Alisha and Jen, what REAL scrapbooking should look like from Leah, a hysterical comment to one of her sisters from Sarah, learning something new about Kristie and Jamee, a kind word or two in the comments from A.J., the struggles of dieting from Leslie, feeling the excitement of getting married from Ashley, and Rhonda: it’s true – you never know what you are going to get!

My blog and thus my friends out there have seen me through Jessie leaving, Gary leaving – and very soon through Ryan leaving. And I am sure I will whine about it but I know that y’all will look past the whining, the poorly written posts, the bad scrapbooking, the pettiness, the self centered-ness, all the annoying things that make me … well … me - and will write something in the comments that will totally make my day!

Thanks for being along for the ride!