Back to Blogging

As I rode shotgun to Mike on the 5 hour trip back to Ohio from our 4th and final family Christmas celebration last week, something made me think of our "old" family blog. I actually had to "Google" it to go to the site because I couldn't remember the web address. Once I tracked down the site, we had fun reminiscing as I read the posts and showed the pictures to Mike and the girls. At some point, Mike said, "You really need to start posting again". He is right. (I'm sure he looooves it when I use those 3 words).

From June of 2008 to April of 2011, I wrote 105 posts, capturing the goings on in our household. When I started "Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice", we were living in Georgia. Ava was 3 and Emily was just 5 months old. Our blog survived 3 moves (and as many computers as my fingers tapped away on the keys through a desktop and then 2 laptops). I wrote about our travels, milestones reached, the funny things the girls said or did, and on occasion, reflections about being their mom. I posted pictures as they grew and videos of everything from choir performances to Ava's first time riding a bicycle.

Once upon a time, people wrote in their diaries or journals. But in this "digital age", the ability to take pictures and video is literally at our fingertips. This forum is perfect for us to combine the media we collect in the day-to-day with those writings and reflections that were once written into journals. Whereas I have pored over the yellowed pages of my grandparent's writings, hopefully my children and their children will be able to read these words one day. As I read old posts and shared pictures on the road back from Indiana last week, I realized what a treasure this blog is for our family.

Unfortunately, life was busy with two small children, a new home, and the 4 part-time jobs I was working back in April of 2011 and I stopped writing on our family blog. Then I went back to work full-time in November of 2011. Last October, we found out we were expecting our 3rd baby, and in June, we welcomed baby Aidan Michael into the world. Which is why, more than ever, it is time to start writing again. I want to preserve our memories for all THREE of our children. And it's true what those "seasoned" parents say (even though in those moments when your toddlers are losing their precious baby minds over God knows what and there are toys all over the floor and the laundry is piling up and we are sick-to-death of macaroni and cheese and we really don't want to hear it....)"They grow up so fast".

They really do. Ava is 9 years old and in the 3rd grade. Emily is in kindergarten will be 6 next week. And baby Aidan, well, he is almost 7 months old! I can hardly believe it myself.  I won't call this return to blogging my New Year's resolution, but I will try to make it a priority to carve out a little time to capture what is going on with our little family. Because Lord knows, I won't remember the "little things" that I hold so dear right now if I don't write (type) them down. : )

You will notice that our blog is sporting a different name: Alm Adventures. Why? Because 1)"Sugar and Spice" no longer fits with a little boy in the house and 2) because my creativity stores are currently depleted and that is the best I could come up with. : ) The blog description, "Our sweet life with two little girls" has changed, as has the appearance- shades of pink just didn't seem right. At least we have a couple more years before Aidan becomes offended by the hot pink and zebra-striped bathroom that he will share with the girls. Changing a blog background is much easier than re-painting... But all of the old posts are still here, archived by date in the right sidebar.

To wrap up this first post of the "new" blog, here are 20 snapshots from our Christmas break:

 On the Cuyahoga Valley Polar Express

 Emily helped to set up our biggest tree ever!

 Making Christmas treats for her teacher.

 The annual making of the gingerbread. Emily was on "red hots", Ava on sprinkles, and Aidan chewed the cookie cutters and screamed for a cookie.

 Aidan spent some time with Great-Grandma Shirley. She hadn't seen him since he was 1 month old!

 Santa baby.

 Miss Emily opening presents. Isn't she huggable?!

 Ava, all ready for her basketball league, which begins this month. I can't get over how grown up she is!

 Aidan visiting his Great-Grandpa Bailey. He really liked Grandpa's cool Christmas tie. : )

 Christmas Eve morning. Aidan and Emily happily playing under our giant tree while I made cinnamon rolls for Christmas breakfast.

 So big! Aidan showing off his balancing skills on Christmas day with the toy Santa brought for him.

 On the road again! Aidan sitting shotgun on the trip back to Grandma Pammy and Papa Nick's on December 26th while Mike and the girls ran into a store.

 Ava and Emily in front of my sorority house. We visited Purdue to show the kids around campus and have dinner with friends who were visiting from California.

 Goodbye Mammoth Tree! Mike hauled the tree out to the back yard so that we can burn it this summer in what has become a yearly tradition with our neighbors. I was not sad to see it go. Big trees require lots of lights, decorations, water, and.....time! In the words of Clark W. Griswold, "Looks great! Little full, lot a sap."

 Big trees are also very messy. Between braving the cold, muddy, tree lot with small children, carrying the heavy tree around the back and into the house, wrestling with the electric hedge clippers to trim the thing, getting tangled up in the lights both while decorating and un-decorating and all of that vacuuming, I am  re-thinking a real tree. Mike and the girls are anti-artificial tree. I used to be. We'll see who wins this debate next year... At least this year we made a memory!

 Oh, how we love this little guy! Could he be cuter?!  Before bedtime on December 30th.

 New Year's Eve. Even Aidan was feeling festive.

 Ava and Emily had a blast bringing in 2014 with our neighbors.

 Of course, baby Aidan goes to bed at 7:30 pm and takes 2-3 naps per day. The rest of us are T-I-R-E-D after our wonderful, blessed, fun-filled, Christmas break.

Happy New Year to all of you!