My Favorite {Blog} Friday!

This is new "posting" theme for my little bLoG. Do you visit blogs and think...

"I wish that person would come and decorate my bedroom"

OR

"I wish that person would tell me the secret in entertaining without 'stress' "

OR

"I wish that blogger lived right down the street b/c we would have a blast together"

Well, a few times a month I am going to be featuring some of my FAVORITE "reads". The first "blog" I am featuring is a lady who I wish DID live down the street. She is witty, funny, true and her life just seems "fun"!

THE LONG ROAD TO CHINA

Maybe you know her as "Half Gaelic, Half Garlic".

She has a big "heart" and her love for her family shines in every POST.....

Her husbands COOKS, yes ladies, COOKS!!!

Her daughters "stove" is cuter than my real one...

She says she loves lots of cheese and pasta and every picture of her cooking makes me want to EMAIL her to see if she would "deliver" or overnight a dish....She has the cutest aprons and makes "cooking" and the "kitchen life" glamorous... all while sipping on a glass of wine...

Her kids are just adorable and their smiles melt my heart every time her blog pulls up on my computer....

I asked Lisa a few questions about that thing we call "BlOgGiNg"....

{What made you start a blog?}

Back in January of 2006 we were just starting to put together our paperwork to adopt a baby from China and were required to go to a couple of meetings with other families who were starting the adoption process. At the very first meeting we attended, I had met a girl that asked if I had ever seen or followed blogs of China Adoptive families. My answer was no, but it struck my curiousity, so when we got home I started doing some investigating and was instantly hooked!! I lurked in the shadows for a long time and never commented. As time went on, I kept telling myself that when we got our referral, I would start a blog of my own....after all, what did I have to talk about on a blog!!

In November of 2006, we were still waiting for our China adoption to come to fruition and we were presented with an incredible opportunity to adopt domestically. We were in the middle of building our new home and were not prepared at all for this new little bundle of you, but to he honest, the timing could not have been more perfect. We adopted Sarah, and then moved 2 months later. I really had my hands full juggling a career, our new home, and my two children. In the back of my mind, I knew that there were many opportunities that I should have been documenting, but just did not have time. I was still checking in on blogs, but never thought I could handle one on my own.

By April of 2008, Sarah was just over a year old and our extended family constantly asking for us to send updated photos of Sarah and Nick. Our family is spreadout amongst a half dozen states, so I thought there was no time like the present to bite the bullet and start my own blog. My sole purpose was to email the web address to our immediate family and close friends so they could check in and not feel like they were missing out on all the special moments and milestones in our lives. Little did I know, where this blog would lead me.

{How has the blog enhanced my life?}

In the beginning, I did just have family and friends checking in, they did not even know how to leave comments, or that they were even supposed to. Little by little, I started picking up readers and meeting other women and Mothers like myself who had similar interests and stories to tell. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would have made the friendships that exist today.....all because I started to blog!!

I have had the opportunity to meet a couple of these amazing ladies in person and when we have met, it was like we were long lost friends.....they were just as wonderful in person as they are on their blogs.

Blogging has brought me into contact with people I would never have never met otherwise. Day after day, I turn on my computer and feel like I have my giant group of friends rallied around me and there to share the joys of my life as well as the hardships. We are there to support one another through whatever life hands us. In addition to the moral support, it has been a wonderful resource for decorating ideas, craft type projects for the kids, and recipes to try out on my family. My blog has become more than a place to showcase my childrens pictures, it is a huge part of me and an extension of my home. When new people visit, I like to welcome them with open arms and make them feel right at home.

Today, pop over and say "HeLLo" to Lisa! You will keep coming back for more!

p.s. I have NO idea why my font is so big..can't change it!