Stats from 2011

So, I've only been blogging since September, but it's so exciting to me to look at my "stats".

In September, my total pageviews was 807. (This doesn't mean 807 different people...just that my blog was looked at 807 times.)
In October, it was 1,114.
November 1,792.
And December 1,808.


Pretty cool!!

Interesting search keywords (things people searched that led them to my blog):
*Teresa Strasser (Who?? Why would this lead someone to my blog?!)
*clean eating (ha! what is clean eating?! I'm pretty sure you won't find that at my house with 4 kids!)
*if someone wants to be a part of your life (aww)
*cardigans and crayons song (maybe I should write a theme song for my blog!)

And....my Top 5 posts from 2011 (according to the number of pageviews)
1. Monogrammed Swap  - No surprise that this was #1. I linked up with Kelly's Korner and she has like 6.4 million followers, so it shot a lot traffic my way for people wanting to buy monogrammed stuff.

2. It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas - I'm glad this was #2. This was my post with pictures of my Christmas decorations and pictures from my open house. I worked really hard and was proud of how it turned out! Glad somebody wanted to see!

3. Birth Story - Sam, Part 2 - Love this. Kinda self-explanatory on what the post is about!! :)

4. I am 1 in 4 - This was the hardest post for me to write. Cried the whole time I wrote it. It talks about the miscarriage of our first baby.

5. Birth Story - Sam - The first part of my precious baby's entrance to this world after a time of infertility and miscarriage

2011 Year in Review

Well, 2011 is almost over, and let me just say I think it is my best year yet! We had a wonderful year and were so blessed. With a little help from Facebook, I have highlighted some of my favorite memories from the year...

[NOTE: I know I switch back and forth between past and present tense. This took more than one sitting to compose, and at this moment I am too lazy to go back and make them all the same. So, I politely ask you to get over it!! :) ]

JANUARY

*Eli turned 2!

*We got snowed in when we visited Mississippi

*Went to Georgia for a funeral. Sad, but great to see old friends!
*Sam got baptized! And Eddie got to do it...so special!!

*Sam got the flu...and croup
*Noah got RSV

*January Family Shot...

FEBRUARY

Our lot looked like this...

Eddie turned 39!!!

Sam started playing basketball...

*Closed construction loan
February kids shot:

MARCH:

*Lot at the beginning of March....

*And at the end of March....

*Noah got his first tooth...

*Ate his first cereal....

*And had his baby dedication....

*Meri Hobbs had her first dance recital...

*Sam started playing pitching machine baseball (the only pic I have of his first game is of the fence...sorry)
*Got pulled over for suspected drunk driving...HA!
*Went to the beach with the youth group

*March Family Pics...

APRIL:
*Wrote prayers for our family on the studs in our house...

*Easter egg hunt

*House in April...

*Conversation I had with Meri Hobbs in April....

Meri Hobbs: I want a baby sister in your belly.
Me: Maybe one day.
Meri Hobbs: When we give our baby brothers away to someone else?

 

*Another fun MH convo:

MH: I'm hungry.
Me: What do you want?
MH: (stares at me in silence)
Me: What do you want?
MH: (stares at me in silence)
Me: Meri Hobbs, if you want me to fix you something, you have to tell me what you want.
MH: Well, I'm kind of shy sometimes.

Oh my gracious.

 

*April family pic:

MAY:

*We traded in my suburban for a minivan....oh my!

*Went on a field trip to the zoo with Sam's class

*Meri Hobbs turned 4!

*Sam's field day

*Sam graduates from Kindergarten
*Friends from Texas came to visit!
*Meri Hobbs gets her first pedicure

*Sam's analytical thinking skills shine:

Sam's irrefutable logic of the day: I think Eeyore is always grumpy because he has a nail stuck in his booty!

*Meri Hobbs gets her first bike

*Visit Mississippi
*We go to Georgia to visit our old friends

*121... I counted how many times Eli said mama in a 10 minute period.
*Stucco is done!

JUNE:
*All 4 of the kiddos have mono
*Eddie and I went to Phoenix for the SBC
*Eli enjoyed his trip to Maggie Moo's

*Been working on manners with the kids. Here is what Meri Hobbs came up with: "can i may have some of your please water?" Still got some work to do, i see...
*Sam broke his arm

*House is coming together

*June kids pic:

JULY:
*Sam's hard cast

*Meri Hobbs just said "abracadabra I wish for Sam to dis-tappear" then she opened her eyes, looked at him and said "aww man". Hahaha
*House getting finished up

AUGUST:

*Moved in new house August 1!!
*Eli's first night in a big boy bed...combined with his first night sharing a room with Noah.....SUCCESS!!!
:)
*I turned 33
*Sam started 1st grade

SEPTEMBER:
*Went to Ole Miss football game

*Got some projects done for the house

*MH started preK

*Went to the beach with my parents and brother's family

*Meri Hobbs and Eli are watching Diego in the car and Diego says, "stand up and clap with me," to which my defiant little precious daughter replies, "you're not the boss of me,Diego!" haha wow!
*Started my blog!!
*Apparently Eli has overheard the phrase "you're the bomb." and he he has told me no less than 48 times today, "you a bomb, mama!"
*Sam played football

*And MH cheered

*Made my last bottle for my last baby. :((  Noah started drinking from a sippy cup

*September family shot

OCTOBER:
*Potty training fun....Eli just went #2 in the potty for the first time and he keeps saying, "a mud in there." hahaha I love my baby!!
*Meri Hobbs just asked me, "who's the baddest?" I was confused and asked her to explain what she meant. "who's the baddest at first baddest church, mama?" oh, hahaha!! (I won't tell y'all who I told her!! Hahaha)
*Noah turned 1!!

 *Mission trip to Colombia

*Halloween/October Kid Pic

NOVEMBER:
*Sam killed his first deer

*We built our first fire in the fireplace

*Thanksgiving....made turkey cookies

*Went to MS for Thanksgiving
*Eddie is bummed that Sam chose to spend the night with Drake instead of go hunting with him in the morning. Sam tried to make him feel better by saying, "I'm sorry, Daddy. I'll go with you next time....unless someone invites me to come over." HAHA

DECEMBER:

*Eddie and I celebrated 12 years of marriage bliss!
*Sam turned 7

*MH was twirling in her socks, and fell on some tile and busted out her front tooth

*Kids saw Santa. Noah loved him!

*Christmas

*Quick trip to MS....wore Eli out!

*Noah gets to face the front now.

*December family pic