Why I Stopped Blogging

For the majority of my life I have hated writing.  I have always been an avid reader (and by avid reader, I mean prior to becoming a momma in 2006...  the majority of my reading now happens when I hole myself up in the bathroom to hide).  However, writing was a whole other beast.  The physical process of writing was painful.  Just the very thought of writing something as simple as a "Happy Birthday, Love the Hen Family" in a greeting card was enough to give me a hand cramp.  And seriously, if I had given any forethought to the thank you cards that come with getting married, I would likely have stayed single.  Just kidding, Rooster.  Just kidding.  

When I was in middle school I was given an electronic typewriter for a Christmas gift.  It openned up a whole new world.  Of course it didn't spare me of this real special day, but it did make writing a lot more of a possibility.  A few years later I got a computer and whiz-bang-boom I was amazed.  What had been such a painful process wasn't so bad after all.  I actually enjoyed writing for the first time in my life.

Most writing that I did for the next several years were standard academic writing mixed with emails.   Then nearly 2 years ago I started this little blog.  I wrote nearly weekly little quips about our life here at the Hen's House.  Some funny-ish, some more of a look into my heart.   But, I truly fell in love with writing when this blog was birthed.

I loved writing those little post  not always knowing exactly who would read them, but sharing my heart and life with those readers.   I got a lot of positive feedback and truly looked forward to blogging.  That first year I wrote nearly 40 post. 

Then, the past year I have only written twice.  Two little post.  As someone who thoroughly enjoys reading blogs I have noticed that is not an uncommon occurrence.  There are many bloggers, for whatever reason, they just stop writing.   Their blogs just get lost in cyberspace.

I don't want that to happen to my little blog.   I have been thinking about why I stopped blogging about a year ago and haven't really be able to discern what made me stop.  I always thought it would be cool that several years from now if my children were able to read my post to laugh and cry about how life looked when they were little.  That's something I still want.  Sort of a recorded history of things like this, or this, or this jewel.   Unfortunately so much of the richness of life from the past year has not be written.  That's probably one of my biggest regrets in not keeping up with this blog.

But, who is to say we can't give it another go?  Yes, let's do that.  So, we will call this The Hen's House 2.0.  A second go at tending to my little blog.  My goal is to write a couple post each week.  I hope that you enjoy it and spend some time here.  And to everyone else welcome back!

Overwhelmed

Hello...  it's me, LeeAnn.  You may have forgotten me it has been so long.   I know, I am the worst blogger in the history of bloggers.   Forgive pray-tell?

Thank you...  Well, I'm assuming you forgave me and if not, you likely aren't reading any longer.  Either way, let's move on from my neglect and talk about other things.

Life has been, in a word, overwhelming the last year.   Trial after trial has came by way of the Hen's House.   Just to give you peek into what's been going on...  As I type this I am all hopped up on Tylenol (regular strength... don't call A&E's Intervention just yet) from my SECOND wreck of 2012 (read, it is mid-February).  

I am resisting the STRONG urge to list everything that has happened this past year.   Every last ounce of my sore body would like to do just that to make this a poor, pitiful me blog post.   I am sure at the end of it you would likely agree it's been a rough year.   You would likely say things like, "Oh, LeeAnn...  I had no idea.  I am so sorry."  Or, "Wow... stinks to be you!"  But, all that would do is give me sympathy and bring attention to myself.  

The truth of the matter is this... it has been a rough year and there really isn't an end in sight.  My momma assures me the end will only be death. That troubles are just a part of life.  She's had a very rough year (mine really pales in comparison), too. 

But, I have had 2 realizations as we have entered into this season of our lives. 

1. Though we have had several trials, many minor and a few major, our blessings have greatly outweighed our troubles.  
2. More importantly, through trials we have been brought closer together as a family and more dependent upon the mercy and love of God.  

So, instead of focusing on the sadness and hardships this year has given us, I wanted needed to type this post as a reminder to myself of all the beautiful things we have been given.  

-Jesus in our hearts, marriage, and home.  

-Our babies know Him and love Him and boldly tell others about Him. 

-We are alive, we are together, we are healthy.  The Lord has spared both mine and Major's lives multiple times this past year...   there has to be a purpose for that.  Not to mention the countless times in which we are unaware.

-The Rooster loves me and our marriage has grown in beautiful ways this past year. 

-Oh!  And I love him too.  

-I get to kiss the cutest two babies in world goodnight each night. 

-We have a roof over head, shoes on our feet, and food in our bellies (um... considering the emotional eating that I've been doing, plenty of food in mine in particular).

-We have an extended family we love and loves us back. 

-We have a church family we love and loves us back.

-We had good insurance for the first wreck and I was able to get a sweet new ride when my not so sweet ride was totaled.

-The folks who hit me today have insurance, so my sweet new ride will be fixed (I promise to never use the term sweet new ride again in my whole Caucasian, rural, mom life).

-Oh, and you want to know the good thing about having 2 wrecks in just a months time?  Experience, baby!   I actually knew where to find my registration this time and I didn't even lose the police report, yet.

-For today, I have a job I love.  I've got the very best boss in the entire world and wonderful coworkers.  

-Our heat pump decided to die on us over the weekend, but we have awesome friends and family who lent us heaters and and thanks to Dave Ramsey had an emergency fund to fix it.  

-My precious Bub, whom I was afraid I was going to watch die in his hospital bed last Christmas, is whippn' some tail in wrestling.   

-I haven't killed the dog yet.   Um.... moving on.

-My dad has had a rough past few months with surgery and such, but he finally seems to be doing better.   Well, minus the stomach bug I just heard about.

-My mom is going back to Jackson, MS for a work trip.   I am not going to elaborate on that one, but it is a biggie. 

-My father-in-law was told a couple months ago by his oncologist that he is truly out of the woods with his cancer and even the doctor didn't think he would ever be able to tell him that.  

-My mother-in-law made it to her 1 year anniversary this past year and still going strong.  

-We've been given some awesome new group of friends who we love and make us laugh.   Gooooo Enthusiastic Hammers!. :-)  This has been a long asked prayer of mine. 

-I am fairly certain that I am in the process of getting a fever blister from my nerves being so rattled, but about 6 months ago I was introduced to Campho-Phenique.  Which while it taste terrible, is thebomb.com so I may not look like a tomato is growing off the side of my mouth in the morning.

-Weigles has Pumpkin Cappuccino in February.  Weird, but I'm not complaining.

-I actually remembered my blogger.com password.   Impressive!

So, just between those kisses to that fall time caffeine delight being available today, I am very blessed.  But, above all that I am thankful today that I know that I can cling to His promise from Psalm 34:18 that during this difficult season that He is near me always, but especially now.  

If my momma is right, and she usually is, then more likely than not any given person who is reading this is going through some type of sadness or difficulties.  So, I hope that whatever hurt you are feeling, that you will be encouraged to not focus on that sadness, but to focus on the good that is going on around you regardless of if it there in spite of or even because of your pain.  I hope that that overwhelmed feeling you may also be feeling becomes not because of the trials in your life, but because you are overwhelmed by the good things in your life.  

In closing, I want to share with you a song I love.  I particularly love the line that states:

Hearts are stronger, after broken
Wake on up from your slumber,
Come one open up your eyes.

Slumber- Video is goofy, but listen to the song