"Are You Gonna Put This on Your Blog?"

Today is a special day--a holiday.

I'm sure you're racking your brain right now, trying to remember why on earth November 4th is such a special day.

Still can't think of why, can you?

Today, my friends, is my five-year blogging anniversary.  That's right.  Five years ago today, I birthed the "Denton Sanatorium."

Five years of funny stories, tears, projects, additions, subtractions, and multiplications.

My mindset about blogging has changed so much over the last five years.  I've been through phases of "This is so fun!" and "Why don't more people read my blog?" and "I really need to take a picture of this for my blog."

Case in point: 

I don't know why I found this so funny.  Hyrum got a soda while he was trick or treating, and he put it in the freezer overnight.  It overflowed as it froze and dripped straight down onto the ice cream bucket, turning my freezer into a GIANT root beer float!  And I just thought,"I need to put this on my blog!"  Why?  I don't know--I just thought it was funny.

As much as I wish my writing were as influential as a New York Times editorial, I have finally discovered the true joys behind blogging for so many years:

1. Meeting friends from all over the country.  A few of you I have met in person, but that doesn't diminish the friendships I've only fostered in cyberspace.  I truly love conversing with you and learning about you and your corners of the world.  It  is a true joy in my life.
2. Making a difference in people's lives.  Occasionally, I will receive a comment or email or run into someone and they will say, "I loved what you wrote yesterday about . . . " or "I needed to read that today . . ." or "Thanks for writing your blog."  I am always flattered and surprised and glad that people appreciate what I have to say in this space.
3. Improving my writing and photography.  I look back on posts I wrote a few years ago, and I can see how my writing and photography are changing and improving.  Experts say that it takes 10,000 hours or ten years to become a professional at anything.  As of today, I've logged 1126 blog posts, so I'm on my way.  I've discovered such joy in expressing myself through writing and photos, and I'm so grateful I found this outlet.
4. Leaving a legacy for my children.  Until recently, I didn't realize how important my blog is to my children. I know that Heidi and Tucker both read it often, and reading it keeps them grounded in what's going on at home. What surprised me was how often I've caught Ben and Lily reading my posts, even logging back and rereading old events and laughing about how much they've changed.  Just last night, Micah was building a block tower--the tallest EVER--and as soon as it was too tall for him to reach the top any more, he exclaimed, "Are you gonna put this on your blog?"  So I ran for my camera.

As caught up as I get on who's reading and what other people think of my posts, I know that my daily documentations of the antics at the Denton Sanatorium are most important for my children.  Through my posts, they will have memories of our daily lives as a family, and hopefully it will be treasured by them forever.

So, thanks to all of you who read my blog.  Thanks for your comments and your feedback and your friendship.  Thanks for watching my kids grow up and laughing and crying along with me. Thanks for sharing your lives and blogs with me every day.

As my way of saying thank you, I'm hosting a giveaway--$40 gift card to my favorite of all favorites.

This giveaway isn't sponsored in any way.  It's just my way of giving a little something back to all of you.

To enter, make sure you're a follower on my sidebar, then leave a comment on today's post.  I'll randomly select a winner Thursday night and announce the winner on Friday.

Thanks for being part of our lives.

Happy November 4th.