As my children are playing outside and preparing to go for a bike ride with their dad on this 70 degree afternoon in February, I just realized that I am about to post for the 200th time. Coincidentally, post #100 was published last year on Feb. 21, and I commemorated it by sharing my top 5 viewed posts of that first year of blogging. I thought I would do the same today, except I won't include the "Popular Posts" already featured on the sidebar. So aside from those, below are the other top 5 posts of the past year, from blog posts 100-199. If you missed reading them the first time, just click on the link and you can see them now.
I wrote this post last March when I was feeling rather discouraged about my perceived slow growth of this blog. I had recently installed Google Analytics and was checking my stats and comparing myself to other way more experienced, way more popular bloggers. I was actually seriously considering throwing in the towel, but I'm so glad I didn't. I am grateful to all you readers and fellow bloggers who sent me words of encouragement and have continued to faithfully read my posts. I feel a little embarrassed that I might have sounded rather whiny in that post, and I'm happy to report that I've cut back on comparisons as I go about just "running my race."
Creating delicious meals for my family and friends is one of my favorite things to do, especially if I'm not rushed. Making fun, quirky snacks that the kids delight in is also a favorite past time of mine. Some of these ideas came from Pinterest, some from cookbooks, and most were adapted by me based on what I had in the house. I think the general consensus amongst the littles in our family was that the yogurt pops were the best.
There are many stories I can tell about the adventures we've had while living in this farmhouse. The story of the little goat that spent the night with some fraternity brothers is certainly one of the more memorable ones. We learned a lesson that night about selling livestock, and fortunately, the goat wasn't hurt and the story has a happy ending.
Sometimes I'm really surprised by the views that certain posts get. This one was my emotional ramblings of the pride I felt watching our daughter run a final cross-country meet of the season. I witnessed her walking part of that 5K and almost giving up, but then I saw her reach down inside and pull out a surge of energy that propelled her across the finish line to beat her personal record. And I was flooded with the love and emotions that a mother feels as she watches her child struggle and suffer and nearly quit, but then she overcomes and achieves her goal. It's nerve-wracking. It's gut-wrenching. But it's one of the most satisfying parts of being a parent.
Interestingly enough, while I've been composing this current post, the one I just published last Wednesday jumped into this list. It's full of items on Amazon that I would love to have in our farmhouse, and that I suspect many of you readers would love to have too. If you click on the pictures or the blue Amazon links, they'll take you directly to the merchandise for sale. I wasn't sure how I felt about finally running ads or promoting affiliate links. Frankly, I was a bit afraid it would drive away some readers. But here it is finishing out my list of the most popular posts of this past year. To see the 8 posts that were at the very top of the list, just look on the sidebar of this blog.
In conclusion, thank you all for sticking with me through the past year of another 100 posts. I truly enjoy blogging, more than I ever dreamed I would. And I absolutely love seeing the numbers of you viewers from all over the world increasing monthly. Thanks especially to those of you who take a few minutes to leave a comment here and on social media. It is a pleasure to get to know each and every one of you.
After showing you the photo at the top of my kiddos outside in shorts this afternoon, I'll close with one I took just 10 days ago. It's hard to believe these were both taken in the same month.
Tell your daughter, the cross country runner, that one time while writing a college recommendation letter for a student, I focused on the fact that she had run cross country all four years in high school, finishing last every single time but always finishing.
ReplyDeleteIn my mind, that said so much more about her than anything I could add referring to her grades, her other school activities, etc., all in which she excelled.
I will pass on those encouraging words. Thank you, Marianne.
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