So much has happened in the last few months. Eldest DB and his family moving overseas (Germany) and then expecting their #2. My baby DB and his family welcoming the arrival of their sweet lil #2. Long needed counseling for DD in progress. Seasonal biz restructured for max profit and least time expenditure for our family as a whole. Eldest DS is growing up as his voice has suddenly lowered and booms thru the walls of our home. Instituting tough love parenting with our older children, defining new routines & raising their bars. Addressing dental/health issues (both DH & I... that's what happens when you stay away from the dentist/doctors for way too long... $$$). More auto repairs... again $$$. My father having had a stroke (hello mortality/reality issues... can we say priority wake up call...). DH's SF repeatedly in the hospital and on a declining trend (this time the wake up call is to DH's extended family about impending realities to face). Re-evaluating and addressing changing needs once again to our household (what is & isn't working & why... that part seems never-ending as kids grow & needs change in the family).  Receiving a very welcome opportunity to reconsider my parents' home for our family (praise God, so what we need and what my parents need).

 (N meeting lil J for the first time.)

In all this reflection and future contemplation, I finally realized that I'd started to come away from why I decided to start blogging in the first place. Originally this was just a place for me to come & dump my thoughts out and possibly use as a digital scrapbook of sorts (for myself and my family). Mostly until I get back to the physical scrap booking I've put away until I have the space to work it efficiently. Blogging became an additional pressure. While admittedly self-inflicted, who needs that?! Yup, definitely not so little ol' me. I had started posting with an "additional audience" in mind. That led to fear of judgement and much self comparison that at least, for me in the here and now, wasn't healthy. Another limit learned. My subconscious obviously knows best, since I kept falling off with regular posts. Back to my initial drawing or rather thinking/sounding board. 

This little space in the WWW is for me first, my family second and my friends (IRL and OL) third. I just need to keep it real... for reals. First post of the happy New Year is to remind myself why I started this journey.