This is My Grown-Up Christmas Wish

Hey guys!   I hope that today you are happy and feeling blessed because, well, you are! 

I just wanted to share a little backstory behind my blog and a little about what has been going on behind the scenes...that's a lot about behinds but then it will be looking forward from here on out I tell ya ;)

I started this blog SOOO long ago.  About 2007 I believe?  So almost 10 years ago. I have been blogging for so many reasons throughout the years but the number one reason behind my blog has been because I have always loved to write.  After I had our daughter Emma my blog became a way to document things we were doing in her life and it served as a way to keep out-of-state family connected into our life.  After our son Calvin was born and then diagnosed with Autism my blog morphed into a new form that enabled me to tell other moms "you are not alone" because I know that I felt alone and often ashamed by everything I was feeling and going through. 

My blog started on blogger and then has taken me places I never thought possible.  My blog opened the door for me to have my own column and lifestyle blog with our local newspaper and after I left the paper it opened doors for me to become a freelance author and writer of some really great projects in magazines.  It's been an amazing journey and I love how I got to where I am today!

Today I have this blog for the reasons mentioned still but also as a way to kind of get me out of myself and out of the house!  I have felt God's calling for a while now that I have a gift and a message that no one else out there in the world has to share.  I love that He made each of us unique and special and I want to share that with others!  God also placed in my life my amazing cousin who when I was finally ready for a "real" website she constructed everything for me and put it all together seamlessly.  It's been such a great journey!  

So there's the backstory of my blog.  Now onto the behind the scenes of what is happening currently...

Earlier this year I turned 35 and had a clear vision...no more bad days. 

No more days of feeling like I hadn't accomplished anything, days where I was ashamed of being me, days where I was embarrassed at night to come before the Lord in prayer with nothing to offer Him.  I just felt depleted and done. I know that "no more bad days" isn't really possible but I have decided to live intentionally and to not let life just fly by me. 

I know God has great plans for me; I stand in faith in that statement.  And so on my 35th birthday I decided to start living intentionally. I would try to have the best day...everyday.  Now of course that isn't possible and of course already I have stumbled and fallen but, by golly, I am determined! 

One of the areas of my life I have felt determined in is my blog.  The past year (or so!) I have had my blog take a back seat.  I've written when I wanted to, not really worked on it, and as a result when I come back to it it feels neglected to me.  I didn't want that anymore either. 

I really felt like I needed an assistant though with everything that comes with blogging today (did you know it's more than just sitting down and writing?) Watermarks, editing, cropping...and that's just for the photos!  Then there's the actual content, marketing through social media, pinterest, I could go on and on but that's not what this is about!  I also felt like I needed some sort of accountablility. 

So I got up all the courage I had and decided to hire someone.  Sorry, "hire" someone.  So I asked my husband.  Now I am sure I could have hired a much better Virtual Assistant but seeing as my budget to pay someone is $0 I figured he was the man for the job! 

It's been incredible working side by side on this job and dream and gift with him.  He pushes me out of my comfort zone in terms of ideas and collaborations and trusts my God given gifts to stand on their own. 

That being said we don't fully feel like we are where we want to be, but we are trying!  One of the things Nick was so surprised by was how low my readership is.  Try as I might it just feels like something is missing that I am missing so we all are missing.  Did ya get all that?

And that's where all of this behind stuff comes into helping me.  By reading all of these behind the scene and background details I am hoping you can help me step into the future with my blog! 

Legit talking now, here's what I'm struggling with:  Laying it all out on the line I feel like I write well and have good ideas and lots to share but my following and readership just doesn't jive with that.  Meaning I am not having nearly as many people reading my work and coming back as I would hope or expect. 

So...

This is my Grown-Up Christmas Wish:

Well it's kind of two-fold. 

Here's what I would really like for you to do:

1) Please give me honest comments about my site. 

Rip me apart.  What do you like about my site?  What do you hate?  Tell me what needs changed.  Everything you say, be it hearts and stars or harsh will be seen with love and appreciation.  I want to know what is keeping people away and those who stay, I want to know what they are liking.

and...

2) Please follow and/or share my blog, Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, whatever! 

The higher my readership numbers, the better I am able to serve you with fun things like giveaways, reviews, and other things!  I really want to help other Momma's to be the best they can be!  Also when my numbers go up then I know that I am not just writing and hearing nothing but crickets back.  Ugh, that's always the worst!  Anytime you can tell your friends about my site in any form I would really, really appreciate it! 

So those are the two things I would really love as my Grown-Up Christmas Wishes! 

Please comment below on this blog to tell me what to change, what to keep, and everything in between! 

For all of you who read this, I am so genuinely thankful...thankful for you, your voice, your friendship, and your faithfulness. 

Thanks again friends, be blessed!