some history and some hope

I started this thing a few weeks before Silas was born, thanks to some prodding by Casey.
You see, I've always wanted to keep a journal and I have tried over the years to start one at seemingly dramatic points in my life- becoming a teenager, going to the academy, starting college, getting married. I wanted to not only record the happenings of my life, but also improve my writing skills. The trouble was that these "moments" weren't any more dramatic than the rest of my life. And writing them down didn't seem to make them any more meaningful. So, somehow they always petered out after a few weeks.

But I thought, 'what could be more life-altering than having a baby?' if this doesn't make me want to document nothing will. Plus, there was the slick, technological, aspect that I could add pictures, I would invite all my friends and family to visit and view. It would be great.
But three or four posts later, before Silas even made his appearance, life got busy, my sister, aunt, mom, and inlaws were all visiting. Then we had to plan a trip home to see the great grandparents. Not to mention a screaming, always hungry newborn to take care of. I was always occupied, I was exhausted, I was losing my mind. So while Orrin managed to take lots of photos of his adorable son (thanks goodness) and his slightly disheveled wife, I spent every available brain cell figuring out what to make for dinner.

So the blog was pushed aside. I probably didn't even think about it. I don't really remember. Just when I felt like I was finally getting the hang of baby wrangling, Orrin found out that there was a position opening in Ireland. One of the things we always said we wanted to do was to live overseas, and Orrin had been putting out feelers for about 6 months about the possibility of a position in Ireland. So we packed up, said our goodbyes, and moved.

And as I waited for the arrival of all our worldly possessions, I started thinking about writing again. And then I remembered the blog. And now, I've tried to be really disciplined about writing in it every day (ok, some days I don't quite make it, but I'm trying). And most days I find I don't have anything that interesting to say, and I resort to quizzes, or pictures of Silas. But I figure I'm developing a habit, a good habit I hope. And one of these days, when I have something intelligent to say, you'll see it here.

To that end, I stumbled upon Mama Says Om. They pick a theme every week and people write or photograph around that theme. I figure I can use a little inspiration, and I hope it will stretch me a little bit.
This week's theme is liquid. I have two more days. Wish me luck.