Happy Birthday Blog!

Well, the blog turned one year old yesterday. Wow, hard to believe I’ve stuck with writing for a whole year, harder to believe anyone would want to read the daily happenings in our lives here on a regular basis.

I’m a contemplative, reflective kind of person, so thought I’d take a moment to reflect back on the year. First, the stats. Although I know they are not completely accurate, they give somewhat of a picture. I don’t have a huge audience, but do have some very loyal visitors. 52 posts, 2810 visits, 3785 page views, 39.50% new visits, 60.5% return visits. 23 countries in order of number of visits: US, Canada, Netherlands, UK, Australia, Kuwait, Germany, New Zealand, France, Chile, Spain, Poland, Indonesia, Georgia, Italy, Malaysia, Austria, Sweden, Ireland, Russia, Bahamas, India, Japan. In the US visits from 47 states and the District of Columbia (only MT, ND and VT have not visited) Top States in the US for visits: CA, NY, CO, GA, MI, NE, FL, IN. Top cities in top state of CA: West Hollywood with 131 visits and Monterey park with 108. Average hits per day 8. Most hits in a day 36 when someone on the Back Yard Chickens forum posted a link. For those with brains like mine, I blocked my IP address when I set up the counter, so my visits wouldn’t mess up the stats. I’m on a lot posting, replacing pictures and such and wanted a more accurate picture.

Now for the heart stuff. I’ve really enjoyed blogging. Hope you all have enjoyed reading our adventures. It’s nice to be able to look back and remember when a certain batch of chicks hatched, when I planted my peas, etc. Even more so, it’s been kind of cool to see how things have evolved here and changed for us over the past year since we moved in. There was nothing here but the house and bare land. The house had been vacant for a while, so the animals were used to coming up near by for shelter and such. We moved in, put in a garden, and slowly added our coop/barn, chickens and goats.

We’ve adjusted to it being so dark here that we could actually see the Milky Way galaxy rather than just 5 stars. We went from living backed up to major highways for 14 years to living off a single lane 4WD dirt road and grabbing the binoculars when a car drives by to see who the heck is lost out here. From major city to the middle of nowhere. From barely being able to see past the neighbors back yard to a visibility of 100 miles or more across the flatlands. From an elevation of 740 feet to an elevation of 6400 feet. From manicured 10,000 sq ft lawn and perfect landscaping to rocks, scrub brush and 40 acres for a “yard”. From high humidity to technically high desert. From next door neighbors, to next mile neighbors. From a city church of 8500 to a country church of 85. From ministering to 600 kids a week to a Sunday school class of 7. From leaving home daily and having contact with literally hundreds of people on a daily basis to sort of a hermit’s life, leaving home weekly for church and once or twice a month to go to town. From Becca living at home to her now moved out on her own. From running to the grocery just a mile away 4x a week, to running to the grocery 50 miles round trip once a month and learning to stock up and make do when the stockpile runs low. From eating out 5 times a week to eating out 5 times a year. From clothes dryer to clothes line. From processed foods to raising a lot of what we eat.

It’s been a good change and a good year. The only thing I really miss is the Children’s ministry and all the kids we saw each week; the impact we had on their lives. Seasons come and seasons go, that season has passed and I know good things are in store for the future. God is bigger than the challenges we face, bigger than the economy and bigger than our failings.

I look forward to what the next year holds for us, hopefully not quite so much change. Josh will graduate and plans to go off to college. So we’ll just have Em here. I’m already feeling the pain of that. He is my right hand man when it comes to helping around the place.

I know no matter what the future holds, I can always hang my hat on Jeremiah 29:11&12: For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

Thanks to all for a great year!


Who needs a 4 lane highway??


Both pictures are of the road to our house, we drive on 4 miles of this to get home. Those of us who live on the road chip in to maintain it. Yep, its just been mainatined.