Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Notebook Therapy

I can hardly believe we're celebrating one year on this little ol' blog of ours. Not only am I celebrating for us girls, but my own wedding anniversary is coming up this Monday. Eight years ago right now I was getting ready to make the biggest change in my life to that point. I was 29 years old when I got married, old enough to have completed college, traveled all over, and established my career. I knew I was making the right choice to marry my best friend, knowing my life would change dramatically but not knowing just how much.

That first year was a wake-up call in so many ways. Here I was a mature, independent and capable woman who, as it turned out, was very immature when it came to dependence on someone else, and lacking in communication skills. We grew up together and grew closer together *quickly* that first year, through funny experiences and some tears too.


Why share this with all of you? I've always been a devoted journal-writer, until a couple of years ago. I fell out of the habit of writing regularly, justifying my complacency with our family blog being a "journal" of sorts, and later this blog being a kind of journal. But I know I need somewhere to write for me and only me.

This is one I revisit regularly, bursting with stapled-in newspaper articles, funeral programs, thoughtful notes, movie stubs, to-do lists, and other stuff.


While I seem to look forward most of the time to plan and prepare for what's next or what needs to get done, or where we need to be, I forget to look back and see where I came from...me, just me. This past summer when we hiked here and, as fatigue started setting in, I focused so much on the steep, rocky path ahead that I almost forgot to take time to stop and look how far we'd come.


The older I get, it seems I become more desperate, for lack of a better word, to not forget who I was pre-college, pre-marriage, pre-kids, or whatever. How am I to know where to go if I don't know where I've come from? I'm thankful that I know where I can look back, remember who I was and am, and figure it out.

So, in honor of our blogiversary, my wedding anniversary, and to thank YOU for coming back here and taking a peek into our lives, I'm making one of these to give away:




I'll even make it in your favorite colors, and maybe you can use it to record a little bit of you, for you, to you. Just leave a comment, and let me know a little something you learned about yourself this past year, or two, or eight! :-)

I'll choose a winner next Wednesday, November 24th.


23 comments:

  1. How cute is that!

    And congrats - wow - eight years - how awesome!!!

    I've learned the truth of fleeting moments. All we have is today, and little ones grow up to fast!!!

    Great site - following now and I'll be back for more!!
    The Survival Mama

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  2. My anniversary is on Monday too! It will be 7 years for Ben and I. This year I learned how to juggle school and family.

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  3. I LOVE my journal you made me, Jen. Some other lucky person will get one, too! (Your wedding picture is so pretty, by the way...) I can't believe it's been eight years already! That was a joyous time with the wedding but a sad one losing granny. Time sure has a way of rushing by, doesn't it? And now eight years later you have the cutest little family ever! xxoxo

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  4. LOVE the journal - so cute! Within the past year I have learned the value of doing whatever it is I am doing right the first time, rather than having to go back and do it over. My father-in-law is a great example of that to me, and he was diagnosed with cancer this year. He doesn't have regrets, and doesn't need to change how he lives. He has always expressed his love and gratitude to every member of his family and he has lived life the right way from the beginning. I love him for it.

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  5. I looked back at my journal and realized I hadn't written in it since March. I've missed out on so much! Every day I think "journal" but the day is gone before I know it. I think every year I realize more and more than my life isn't in my control--so many experiences have taught me this. And I can't control my kids, my husband, the direction the Lord intends my life to go, even if I am pulling the opposite way. When I can work toward good, righteous goals my life is easier. Simple and true. Love you, Jen! I can't believe 8 YEARS!~

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  6. Maybe you can send me a link sometime of how to make those notebooks. Are they hard? Is it something even I can do? (be honest). :)

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  7. I have learned to try and not let the little things get to me. I tend to like things a very specific way and want things to work as scheduled. With kids that is often not how it works and you have to be ready to change the plans and adjust. I am trying to let go of the little things and adjust better. Still not very good at it, but I am learning.

    I love writing in a journal! I hope that one day my girls will be able to look back at it and know that life isnt always easy, but gets better. They will be able to see my testimony in the pages and be able to know how much I loved them. They will have a piece of me and our families life history. Thanks for this great blog!

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  8. What a gorgeous journal. I know just what I'd do with it! I keep a journal for each of my girls of good things they do and ways I see their characters developing. Then, they can read it when they want to and realize that I see more than the things they get in trouble for. My journal for my daughter Katy is filling up, and I need a new one. Thanks for giving us the opportunity to enter.

    I love your (collective) blog.

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  9. First, I love your wedding dress. Second, I too am an avid journal writer (or was) with 64 journals on my shelf. But blogging has kind of taken over for the most part, which is kind of sad to me in some ways, but I'm mostly okay with it for now (since I print my blog into a book). Anyway, I'm basically saying that I can relate. 3. I love your giveaway. So cute! Pick me!

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  10. Oh, and I forgot to list what I've learned. This one actually came recently, just 8 months ago after the birth of my son. I was reading through an old journal while I was pumping and read a quote from M. Russel Ballard (I think) which said that to sacrifice is to make something sacred. I had a lot going on in my life (grad school, work, first baby, nursing issues, hives, shingles, anxiety and depression from some meds I was taking...) and this quote was so applicable. It was just what I needed to hear. (More about it here: http://ashleyschultz.blogspot.com/2010/04/parenthood.html)

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  11. Can hardly believe it's been 8 years on Monday--what a wonderful day we had together. You and us waited for that special guy! Creativity and planning have always been high on your priority list. Love this blog and the "sharing" aspects. The older I get the more important it becomes to write down (before I forget) the highlights of life. We have many things to be grateful for, especially family and good health. Writing hasn't always been an important part in recording history but I love reading other family histories so that spurs me to write about history in the making. Granny C

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  12. I too am a big advocate of journalingt... I have a family blog and a scrap blog and now I am considering a private one (or that cute journal you are giving away) to write letters to my two kiddos. I and so happy to get to be with them everyday... what they say, how they look, what they like or don't, how their relationship is evolving... they won't remember those little things when they grow up and they happen so fast I make sure I get it all down!

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  13. I really need a push to start making more journal entries of my life right now. Cute giveaway.

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  14. That journal is a.d.o.r.a.b.l.e.
    You are all so crafty. Seriously.

    One thing I think I'm coming to learn about myself is I'm capable. For a long time I've always just talked myself down, like I couldn't make something as cute as she, or I'd never to be able to throw a shower like that, or yadda yadda yadda. Slowly, I am coming to realize. Yes, I am, and Yes, I can do those things.

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  15. The biggest thing I've learned in the past however many years is to say no. It's a powerful word!

    Thanks for the giveaway!

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  16. Cute!!

    The biggest thing I've learned this year is how to get married!! : ) July 10 was the big date and I've loved every day since!

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  17. I used to keep a pretty regular journal, too. It came in handy recently when I started working with the Young Women. I made my poor husband stay up late one night while I read snippets of my old journal to him. I think he fell asleep before I finished. It was just that exciting.

    Perhaps the theme that I see weaving in and out of the past months of this year is that I know Heavenly Father loves me. It seems like this is something I have always known, but there have been so many reminders this year. Especially when I wasn't quite sure if anyone really noticed. In the past 10 years since I have graduated from college, I have moved 8 times. This last time (6 months ago) was incredibly hard for me and I didn't think I had the strength to go through the settling in process yet again. But I have seen how Heavenly Father has been watching me and guiding me day in and day out. I still feel His support and love--and am grateful that I can continue to say that I know He loves me.

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  18. So cute!
    The biggest thing that I have learned about myself this year, I have learned very recently -within the last 2 months. I have always labeled myself as not crafty or cute in any way. Recently I have started to try new things and with all of the tutorials online these days, it is sooo easy to learn new things. So thank you so much for being one of the sites that has inspired me to get out of my comfort zone and try new things. I am truly loving every minute of it!

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  19. Very cute! I am a newly wed and also pregnant! I can't even begin to tell you how much I have learned in the past 6 months since I have been forced to become mature, independent and responsible like you mentioned. But it has all been a wonderful journey and now we are looking forward to having a little baby and building our family from the ground up. Thank you for all of your positive imputs!

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  20. That has to be the most beautiful journal I've ever seen!
    I think the biggest thing I have learned this year is to be more aware of others. Most of my life I've been relatively selfish when it comes to what I want or need, but the older I get, the more I realize that others are suffering just as much or even more than me with their situations, and I need to be more giving and caring and aware of their needs as well as my own and my family's. This includes what I may mention to others. Every year, I seem to have many a "growing up" moment. :)

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  21. The biggest thing that I've learned about myself this year is not to be such a perfectionist. Too often I don't finish projects becuase it doesn't look like the other persons. People don't know what it's really suppose to look like and the other persons isn't going to be sitting next to it in your home so what if it didn't turn out perfecty........I'm now ok with that! :)

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  22. Can you show us how you made it sometime? I especially love the button. Happy THanksgiving!

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