Seventh Blogiversary!

It was seven years ago, that in our little townhouse in Erie, PA, a newlywed version of me sat down at the computer in the sunlight filled office/guest back bedroom feeling excited and nervous about what living life as a family meant for Brandon, me, and our solitary pet, Lola (well, and a handful of fish).  My first blog post was sweet and and a little apprehensive.  What I wouldn't give to sit next to that girl I used to be and put my arm around her waist and say, 'hey, you did good starting this,'   

A lot of things have changed in the seven years since I nervously pushed publish on that first blog post and then subsequently called my mom, sisters, and mom in law to alert them that I had posted something on the internet that they could read (hah): 

For one thing, I have published 707 blog posts, including this one

(For unfathomable to me reasons yet incredibly so) I have 1100+ on facebook, 600 blogger subscribers, and a huge amount of articles re-pinned on pinterest

Over 3.5 million pageviews (mostly due to my megahit: 25 Rules for Mothers of Sons article)

(I guarantee you that tabitha of seven years ago, blog post #1, is losing her mind about all of that right now, current tabitha will never stop blushing about all of that, because...how?)

Things have changed in our actual life too:

We have had three kids: Greyson, Gemma, and Violet

We have bought two homes, two vehicles, and a tractor

We have adopted two dogs

I've quit working for a paycheck and starting stay-at-home-mom'ing (ie. working but no paycheck)

We moved back to our hometown

And some things haven't changed at all:

Brandon is still my favorite person on the earth, bar none.

Lola is still making us laugh and an escape artist

We have fully embraced (seven years running!) a monthly act of kindness for our family to complete with our 12 Months of Kindness Project (facebook page, and instagram hashtag:  #12mokp ) 

We still always think about (worry?) about Living Life, all of life in all the ways the best way we can.

This blog has been a thread that connects all our episodes of life, each one building on itself over the course of each new stage and phase.  This blog has really been an anthology of me, all of the different versions and changes of me.  To go back and read my posts, is to be able to feel again former emotions that I had during that time.  This blog and my musings about whatever was happening in my life at the time is quite honestly like real life time travel for me.  Maybe I'm too much a romantic, but it's my love letter to myself, to this life.

Never in a million years when pressing that publish button seven years ago today would I have imagined that anyone would be checking in regularly to see what's going on in our life, or to read what I have to say.  And if you are, thank you.  thank you so much for checking in and caring and listening.  It somehow validating and also inspiring to know that there are friends out there on the other end of this microphone.  Because what is a friend but someone who knows you and acts of a supporter.  I am so grateful to have you, friend.  

So happy blogiversary to Team Studer.  And, friends, I think that's reason enough to have a little bit of your favorite drink or dessert after dinner tonight!

ps. transformation thursday from late 2008 to late 2015.