My blog is 9 years old!

9 years ago I set out to write a personal blog; I wanted a place where I could tell tales, post pictures and eventually print it out in the form of a book to give out to my kids when they grow up (I still plan on doing this!)
My little blog has seen me through 2 pregnancies (I started it after Olivia was already here), countless vents about personal frustrations, fun trips, movie reviews and a few other posts in many categories.
Through the years, my readership has grown from the tens to the thousands and even though I don't market my blog and haven't turned it into a cash cow (this is easier than people think), I have been contacted on several occasions regarding marketing and product sponsorship opportunities; for many reasons I have decided to keep it simple instead of "going big" because I've always been afraid of this blog losing the "essence" and the "rawness' that I enjoy so much about it.
At times this blog gets unexpectedly controversial and some other times it's just about a "Happy Mom" navigating through life with 3 kids; there's so much more to keeping a blog than it's visible to the eye and I feel blessed and proud to be able to keep it going for this long.  I also feel happy that I get to share my life with so many people I care about and who care about me too.
So today I celebrate another year of blogging and I hope for many more.  Even when I don't post as often, I'm always thinking of the next thing to write about.
If you're a regular visitor, THANK YOU! If you're an occasional lurker, THANK YOU too. Please know that everything I've ever written on here (and anything I'll ever write) comes from my heart.
Happy Birthday, Blog!