Why'dja Up and Change Yer Blog Anyways?

Good question!

Here's how it all happened...

First, a number of months ago, I realized that I was getting close to the end of my free storage space from Blogger on my old blog, Life on Sylvan Drive.  I can't imagine why; after all, I'm such a concise writer, and I so infrequently post pictures!  ;-)  My original thought was to try to make it to my five-year blogiversary on that blog before completely running out of free space, and at that point I could simply start another blog and gain a brand new batch of free storage space.  But it wasn't too long until I realized that there was no way in the world I could do that.  Next, I guessed that I could at least make it to my four-year blogiversary (because, of course, if I was going to make a change, I needed to do that after completing a full year; I couldn't "up and change" in the middle of one; it just wouldn't be right!).  :)  Eventually, I realized that I wasn't even going to make it that far, so I caved and spent the whopping $5 bucks to buy more storage space.  When it comes to my blog, I'm a big spender.  ;-)

All of that, however, had gotten my mental wheels turning with thoughts of a new blog:  what would I name it?  what would it look like?  which aspects of my former blog would I want to keep and which would I want to change?  After many hours spent pondering these oh-so-important questions (usually while folding laundry or changing diapers or chopping onions for soup), I came to see that I viewed my first blog with such fondness that I didn't want to mess around with it too much.  I liked the general layout, with the info and photos in the sidebar, the header picture and background I changed every month, the main body of text being on the left, etc.  It was pleasant in my eyes, and I didn't want to change it.  I did, however, want to try a new format for blogging:  specifically, with the body of the text being much wider so I could make my pictures bigger, and the addition of tabs at the top for various categories.

Could I have made these changes to Life on Sylvan Drive?  Sure!  Would I have been a little sad to mix it up on that blog?  I feel sheepish for saying it, but yes.  Silly, sentimental me...

So, these are the factors--some practical, some nostalgic--which contributed to the start of this new blog.  But I guess what it really comes down to is this:

I'm a woman!  And hey, what woman doesn't like to rearrange things from time to time?  Some women change their hair color, some rearrange their furniture, some buy new dishes.  But me?

I change my blog.  ;-)

Despite the new web address and the new format, the content of this blog will, I expect, remain very similar to my former one.  After all, my life hasn't changed that much!  I still homeschool...

...and will sometimes write about it...

...as soon as I can unbury myself from this towering pile of books right over here.  ;-)

I still prepare food for my family...

...and will occasionally post recipes.

I still stroll through my yard, camera in hand...

...and will probably take and share random shots of beauty that catch my eye.

Most importantly, I'm still their mom and will certainly write about Josiah, my thoughtful eight-year-old...

...and five-year-old David, who sometimes gets distracted when he's supposed to be eating lunch because he just has to line up all his lima beans on his spoon handle and see if he can make them all balance...

...and Tobin, who turned three last week but told my husband Jeff at the supper table last evening that it's still his birthday...

...and my littlest sweetheart, Shav, who is one day shy of the 18-month mark.

So even though I have a new blog home, I still have the same dear ones in my real home; and with these boys (and their daddy) around, I'm never at a loss for blogging material!  ;-)