Hello! I am so excited to be a part of Ultimate Blog Party 2014. I found out about this event just about a week ago and I was thrilled. I was a mixture of squeals of excitement and relief that I hadn't missed out on it. That would have been a huge bummer!
UBP comes at a perfect time for me, I am a new-by blogger. I tried about a year ago and failed miserably. But a lot has changed and I jumped back in about a month ago. Blogging has been different this time around and I am LOVING using it as my creative outlet.
For those of you who are thinking what is Ultimate Blog Party?! It is a way to say who you are, link your blogs in one place and meet other bloggers. I am super excited about that last part. I want to meet more bloggers! Networking is fun, but hard. I am so glad to have this week of fun to hopefully make it a bit easier and make some new friends along the way!
Let's get started...
My name is Beth! I have been married to Russell for almost 7 years now. I love that man, even when he mercilessly teases me to the point of insanity. Nobody can make me laugh like he does and he really does understand me better than I do myself.
These are our girls Marissa, almost 6 and Emily, who just turned 3. I LOVE being a girl mom. Half of the things in our house are pink and/or covered in glitter and I couldn't imagine our life any other way. They bring more life and love to everyday.
I am a... nerd, knitter, runner, athlete, baker, Cardinals baseball lover, gardener, food preserver, nature enthusiast, home-schooling mama, DIY'er, classic car loving girl, NASCAR fan, and a VERY stubborn individual who can sometimes be a bit of a hypochondriac.
We are Christians. We are part of the most amazing church. I know a lot of people feel that way but, I couldn't mean it any more.
Almost 3 years ago our home was destroyed by an F5 tornado that demolished 1/3 of our city. We got to see our church be THE church. When I reflect back on that first year of life post tornado and living in recovery mode, it was the hardest thing we have ever been through so far. I can't imagine how much more difficult that would have been without so many people helping us along and even propping us up at times.
We are part of an amazing church.
Most of our blogs are about what we're up to. What we're learning, baking, making, and doing. And sometimes even what we are thinking.
I hope you stick around. If you would like to leave a comment, that would be great. I would love to be able to get back to you!
Connect with Me:
Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest
Twitter
Happy partying fellow bloggers!
Hi there!! I found you thru the UBP14 link up and wanted to stop by and say hello. I'm really excited that I came by your blog because I am also a newbie blogger! It's great to meet someone else just starting out. You have a beautiful family! "Following" along!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.artworkbyjm.com/
Thank you! Glad to meet another newbie to. I feel like I have SO much to learn :/. We will get this figured out!
DeleteThanks for coming by! Me to, so excited for #UPB14! I will definitely check you out!
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry about your home. What church are you a part of? Your little girls are so very cute. Happy to be your newest follower!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.jenerallyinformed.com
Thank you! The best part is I can look back on the situation and see how God was faithful through the whole thing, And, the blessings that came out of it are to many to mention. We go to Mystery Church (yes that is really the name, ha!) It is part of the Acts 29 network.
Deletehttp://www.mysterychurch.com/
Glad to have you around!
Glad you made it in time to be a part of the UBP. My first one was shortly after I started blogging in 2010 and it was a great boost for my new blog. And wow to losing your home- glad your family was ok and that you had a great church to help you through! Love the pictures- your girls are adorable. I'm now following you on all your social networks. :)
ReplyDeleteI am so excited for UBP, I have already met so many great people. This is going to be a fun week!
DeleteI know right? So crazy it seemed surreal at first, like something that happens on T.V. but not in real life, especially to us.
Glad to have you hanging out with us!
I love the picture of your girls running together, so sweet!
ReplyDeleteAnd as a new church-goer, I love hearing about people who love and are passionate about their churches. You always hear such negative stuff (scandals etc) in the news that it's really refreshing to hear people say "My church is awesome, look at the great things they are doing"
Looking forward to reading more of your blog. Happy UBP14!
It is a favorite picture of mine to, so natural.
DeleteAgreed, people here lots of negative about churches and Christians. They forget that we are all sinners by nature and that outside of Christ we can do nothing good. It is so awesome to see and be a part of.
Glad you found me!
Can not imagine losing my home like that! So glad to hear you have a wonderful church family that was there for you.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the party!
Crazy isn't it. The worst part of a loss like that is how violent it feels. In one moment almost everything you own is taken from you. It is heartbreaking. It has definitely made us more compassionate people.
DeleteThe party is AWESOME :)! Thanks for coming by!
Nice to meet you here! Isn't the ultimate blog party so fun!!! Your family is adorable! I can't imagine experiencing a tornado like that though! Yikes!!! So glad you had some helpful friends! <3
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteTornado.... YES! Never imagined that would happen when I took the kids to the bathroom. All of us were barefoot, no cell phones, purse or diaper bag. Eeessshhh!
You have a beautiful family. I am one of your newest followers. UBP is a great way to meet new people. I love blogging and have some great friends via blogging. I look forward to getting to know you even more.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteSo glad you found me! I am so excited about the new friend I have found through UBP! It will definitely make blogging more fun and interesting.
Oh wow! I couldn't imagine living in a Tornado zone. It would be so frightening. Glad that you and your family are all safe and OK. And good for you for giving blogging another go. I had a blog before my recent one and I gave up on it as well. But I am back and trying to find my writing magic again as it tends to disappear every once in a while.
ReplyDeletePopping in from the UBP14.
http://myunwrittenlife.com/
Yeah l have lived in "tornado alley" my whole life. But, I never imagined one ripping right through the middle of a fairly large town. I always think of the Wizzard of Oz, lol. But, it did and if you looked around Joplin today the scars are healing and it is bigger and better than ever!
DeleteAh yes, the writing magic. It such a tricky thing. I don't know if I have ever found mine :).
Glad you found me!
Wow. SO scary. I'm so glad you guys were all okay though. We live in Indiana, so tornadoes are one of my biggest fears.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I never really thought much about them! Boy has that changed, can you say paranoid?! Thankful for the tornado shelter in our new house. It does give some peace of mind. I still get that sick to my stomach feeling when the weather gets bad
DeleteDropping by from UBP14. Love your site - your little girls are adorable! So sorry to hear about your house - I can't even imagine how scary that must have been. I'm a brand new blogger also, with two teenage sons. I'm having so much fun finding other moms in the blog world! I'll be back to read more. http://twoteensandtheirmama.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming by!
DeleteIt was the scariest thing I have yet to experience... don't care to do that again.
Yay for another new blogger. UBP has been so much fun and a great way to meet bloggers. It came at a perfect time for us newbies! I will make sure to check your site out!
Beautiful pictures! I look forward to getting to know you a bit better. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! Thanks for coming by, hope to see you around more!
DeleteHi Beth! Just stopping by from Motherhood and Beyond. I can't wait to follow your adventures.
ReplyDelete~Lauren
Hello to you to!
DeleteGlad to have you with us!