whobody is patting myself on the back?

Can I just tell you how glad I am that I started this blog???

There are so many 'parts' of my children that I have been able to 'capture' with different posts that a photo album just wouldn't do justice.  I mean really...if I had just put a picture of Nash holding a gallon of milk and a can of Bud Lite in a photo album...it wouldn't be near as funny...and wouldn't really do the moment justice at all.

Being able to post pictures and running commentary really brings
our life to life on here!

The reason I am reflecting on this is that I have been looking into different ways to actually print off my posts from 2011 into a bound book. (If anyone has any suggestions or experience with doing this let me know...a site called Blurb is what I am leaning towards)....  So...I'm looking back at previous posts and I am laughing and crying and totally AMAZED at the things that have already slipped my mind.

Kids grow SO fast *yet, weirdly enough...sometimes time seems to be moving so slow.... but they grow SO fast and change so much and there are those weird little things that they do that can be easily forgotten.  OBVIOUSLY the 2 and 3 year old ages are extremely entertaining and fun to read and write about... but it seems even Keaton (who was 5 when I started this blog) has been a part of some posts that will really help me remember what the 7 year old Keaton was like.

Let me say something that I think is VERY important here.... and this is the truth: EVEN IF no one EVER read this blog....even if there were only 4 hits instead of 70.... I would STILL keep it up.  I have to be honest here...my reasons for 'blogging' are 100% selfish.  I want...ahem....I need to be able to remember these things about each kiddo.  My only regret is that I didn't start when Keaton was born.  I tell you what: I am sure that Keaton was just as hilarious as Lola and Nash are/were at 2 and 3 years old...but there are only a few specific instances that I can actually remember. Now THAT makes me a little (okay a lot) sad.  I especially am not able to recall much about any of the older 3 being Cruz's age!  It just all blends together and flows into the past...

I LOVE that through this blog,

I can look back and read little excerpts out of our

'real life'....

THAT being said, if I were you, I would totally start a blog too....not for anyone other than yourself....you don't even have to make it public...just a sort of online journal/photo album.   I am NO WRITER... I just talk (using my keyboard)... I truly just type in what comes in my mind...and what I would say if I were sitting here on the couch telling Jason the story of what happened today while he was in the field.  I just know that 11 years from now when I am cleaning and getting ready for Keaton's graduation party (YIKESSSSSS) that I will be so glad that I have a bound book...that has these glimpses into his personality and his life as a kindergartner and a first grader....and hopefully I keep something like this up until then....

This wouldn't be complete without linking to some of my favorite posts from 2011.....enjoy!

Funny, I seriously don't even remember writing some of these!

whobody likes lolaisms (of course funny things from lola herself!)

whobody had a really good idea (Nash stuck in the stool)

whobody had been working really hard (yes, this includes Lola's pig drawing)

whobody had a fun party (Keaton's 6th birthday)

whobody is an excellent teacher (Keaton teaching Lola how to write her name)

whobody wants a ride (Nash...riding on everything)

whobody is an april fool (the kids birthday presents to me :)

whobody believes in Christmas Magic (our announcement of pregnancy #4)

whobody graduated from little preschool (Lola grad from preschool)

whobody needs help (the bike up the slide)

whobody wants a tour of keaton's room (self explanatory)

whobody is a perfectionist (keaton fixing his own paper)

whobody lives for the river (lola and the river)

whobody is growing up way too fast (lola and big preschool)

whobody made a list (list of naughty words)

whobody is the new baby of the family (Cruz's birth)

It just seems that so much of our life right now is just getting from nap time to nap time (or bedtime to bedtime). This blog has been a GREAT way for me to keep the BIG PICTURE in mind. 

As Dr. Suess so intelligently put it:
"Don't cry because its over...
smile because it happened."