Reviving the Blog

It has been over a year since I have posted anything on my blog. I will be upfront and say that a lot of stuff has happened since that time. And if you have any imagination, you may guess that "stuff" isn't the first word in my mind when I think over the past 15-ish months. Things have changed. Actually, EVERYTHING has changed, myself included. One of my last posts was in September of 2016, Little Jo's Room, and if you used to read my blog back then, you know that I was expecting a little girl and we were doing some remodeling of our house. So, yeah, everything has changed since then.

Allow me to give you the Cliff Notes version of what all has happened between September 2016 and February 2018:

We finished the house remodel and got most everything put back together and in it's new place(s).

Our beautiful daughter was born, and I quit my job.

Our Little Pumpkin

2 weeks later, Jason flew to
Kansas for a job interview.

My sister, brother-in-law, and nephew visited.

A. giving his cousin a kiss.

Just before Christmas, Jason was offered the new job and accepted it starting mid-January.

After New Years, we drove to Kansas to look for, and buy, a house.

All tucked in for her first road-trip.

Upon returning to our home, we proceeded to get our house ready to sell and show-worthy.

I still miss our old home.

Jason left to start his new job the second week of January.

I stayed behind with our now 8-week old, and Gunther, to over-see the house selling, packing, and final moving processes.

Thankful for the moving company that packed up 99% of our house.

This was a long day.

The house sold instantly, but not without headache.

The second week of February, I drove our final belongings (not packed onto the moving truck), 12-week old Pumpkin, and Gunther, along with everything we needed to live for the next month, to Missouri.

My brother met us in Missouri and helped me drive the rest of the way to Virginia where we stayed until we could close on our house in Kansas.

Staying with Uncle Linden and Auntie Juls.

At the end of February, my mom drove with Pumpkin and I back to the mid-west to finalize the house buying, clean, and move stuff in.

Trying to be content in the new house on the first day while Grandma and Mama cleaned.

Jason's job is working 12-hour night-shifts.

The same dear sister, brother-in-law, and nephew graciously went out of their way to visit us again and helped clean and paint in the new house.

One of the rooms B. so graciously helped to paint; it used to be fire engine red.

By the middle of March, all the extra people (mom, sister) had returned to their own homes and lives.

A lot of below-the-surface stuff happened that may, or may not, get talked about in future posts.

Such as this haircut I tried; I was not a fan.

Our little Pumpkin was pretty cute, though.

Quality time with Gunther

Pumpkin and I flew to Virginia for my family's 2018 New Year's get-together and stayed for 2 1/2 weeks.

Trying to get a photo of Pumpkin's mountain of New Years gifts.

Jason is still working nights.

It is now closing in on the end of February 2018.

And.....that is the short version of the last 15-ish months.

I recently started thinking about my old blog, and wondering if I dared to try and revive it and get it going again. And, if I would keep up with it. To be honest, I've thought about trying to make it sort of my "job," and see if I can figure out how to make it into an income. (That part is still under research; not sure if I am ready for blogging professionally.) However, upon mulling over the idea aloud with a few people, I began to think that maybe I should try to at least use this creation I started ages ago. (At least, it feels like ages ago.) If for no other reason than to try harder to keep in touch with people, share photos of life, what all is happening, thoughts, ideas, words of wisdom (don't hold me to that!), and use my brain. 

Originally, I started the blog solely to share pictures and travel experiences with my family of afar. I didn't really share it with anyone else because I kind of have this thing about privacy and the internet. Now, having moved away from my "family-by-choice-not-by-relation," I have been contemplating making my blog more public; not so private.

I don't travel or take pictures near as much as I did. We were actually without a camera for almost the entire last year. (I lost it. And it was Jason's camera.) So my blog would literally be retro-postings of pictures from my past escapades, things about daily life, and whatever random things I pull out of the thin air to ponder and muse over via blogging. I may even do some product and book reviews for you; I've always wondered how that would work out.

So, for all of my loyal blog followers from the past (think "siblings"), you now know that my blog, and it's reader comments, are now public. I still welcome, and look forward, to any interaction you wish to have with me via the blog. And I am definitely open to thoughts, ideas, advice, etc. on the whole public blogging program. I am still hoping to maintain a decent level of privacy for the sake of the folks who are in my pictures, and that may get mentioned (or have already been mentioned), throughout my blog. If you personally have wishes to not be mentioned, or seen, let me know and I should be able to accommodate. Let's see how this "Reviving the Blog" thing goes from here!