you asked, I answered: the blog

Not too long ago, I asked on Instagram if any of my followers had questions for me, or about me, that they wanted answered. I figured it would make for a good first post after I introduced the new blog - an "about me" post, of sorts. Since reading your questions, though, I've decided to go about it a little differently and write separate posts for each question (many were asked multiple times) so I could expand a little on the topic without boring you (or confusing you!) with one long, never ending post. So, let's start!

"I'd love to know your blog story - when you started, how much time you spend, why you do it and how/if you make any money from blogging"

I figured this would be a good one to start with, what with the dramatic "I'm all of a sudden a writer" post you read yesterday ;)

I started my blog just after Stephen and I were married in July, 2011. We were married in Oregon, living states away from both our families, and were moving to Alaska just a month later so Stephen could start medical school - it began as a way to keep family and friends updated on our adventures.

Originally, I had no other plans for it. I saw it as an extension of Facebook, really - a way to share more pictures, words and details with family and friends far away and to log it all chronologically for us to have to look back on. It was mostly just recaps of our weekend outings, day off shenanigans and vacation highlights.

Somewhere in that first year, while we were living in Anchorage, I started reading and following a few lifestyle and fashion blogs - they started to become more popular that year and it sorta became a "thing". So I thought, "hey, I could have a blog, too!" I started posting more often, adding recipe posts, fashion posts (because I was working for Nordstrom at the time and had a reason to wear something other than leggings!) and the occasional "inspirational" post about something I was reading in the Bible or something we went over in a sermon at church.

It didn't expand quickly, or really, at all, but that was fine with me. I wasn't actively pursuing it - I liked spending the time taking pictures and writing so I saw it as a hobby more than a potential business, though the thought of becoming "popular" and making money from blogging did appeal and interest me.

Once we moved to Seattle (August 2012) I slowly stopped posting style posts - I was pregnant then and used the blog to document that time, slowly transitioning the blog to revolve more around my babies - go figure ;) - and time spent as a family of three. The blog was becoming a little more popular, but growing very slowly and sporadically because I still wasn't actively pursuing that. I can only handle so many social media sites at one time and I was still keeping my Facebook and Instagram private, so I wasn't expecting much.

When Uriah was older (January 2014) I sorta discovered the "mom community" on Instagram. I felt so weird following people I didn't know personally, so I'd come across their profile (usually while nursing, because what else was I going to do!?), scan their pictures, get home and outfit inspiration, laugh at their relatable captions and move on. I never left comments because I never expected these "popular" moms to respond to me. But one day I left a comment and, as silly as it is, 'bout fell out of my chair when I saw she responded. Gosh, I'm such a nerd. But from there, a friendship was born. (Hi, Corianne!)

I started to become "actively involved" in that online mom community - leaving comments, responding to comments, following new people, building friendships through "you too, huh?!" comments about life as a mom or wife. Because of that, the blog grew in popularity.

In the Spring of 2014 I briefly started posting style posts again. I studied Merchandise Management in school and have always loved fashion, and while my personal style had changed since college and our first year married before we had kids, I still enjoyed getting dressed up and looking put together - posting style pictures sorta made for an excuse to get out of the yoga pants. And it was fun, but short lived. No one really cared. Not in a rude way, but most of my followers were still people I knew personally or had gotten to know through Instagram, and they cared more about what we were doing as a family or how I felt about being a stay at home mom or what it was like to be married to a medical student... My most personal posts were the most popular posts.

So all the "extra" posts went away and I continue to blog about our weekend adventures, vacation recaps, babies growing, moving states, thoughts, lessons learned... You know, life.

And now we're here, where I'm wanting to change the direction of my blog, but only ever so slightly. I want more of that - more life. More honest, more real, more personal, more deep, more words, more thoughts, more prayers, more feelings... And am I hoping the blog grows from this? Eh. Not really. Though I love every like and share and read every comment and feel so connected to and touched by many of my followers, I want to write posts and share our adventures here on this blog because I want to. It's fun for me! I want to look back through these posts and see us - our stories, our adventures. I want to leave my heart on these pages for others to read and relate to, knowing they're not alone in what they're going through as a wife and a mom and a Christian woman. I want my kids to read these posts someday and see me - not what I wore or an ad for a business.

So I think that answered your question... and then some! ;) I started in 2011, I blog when I want to (aka, when I can - right now, both babies are napping!), because I want to, and no, I don't make any money doing it.

I hope you're all looking forward to the (slight) changes making their way to these posts. You'll still see plenty of baby updates and "this is what we did this weekend" posts, but hopefully some more posts about motherhood, residency life and leaning on Jesus. Think, my long Instagram captions extended to several paragraphs instead of one... Or something like that ;)