This week I am celebrating the one-year anniversary of my adventure into blogging. And what a milestone it is! When I wrote my first post here on New Year’s day 2013 I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into. I had a lot on my mind that I wanted to put down into words–I didn’t know what exactly that was going to look like or if anybody would even want to read it. Honestly, I started the blog a bit for the benefit of my readers but mostly just for myself. A digital time capsule, if you will. And now, one full year later, this little writing-hobby of mine has become a part of my life. In the last 365 days I have written over 100 posts that have been read by 22,000 people around the world. I am amazed and humbled that something so simple has touched so many lives.

I spent some time this week looking back at some of my posts from this year and marveling at how moments were captured. Moments from my own life that I already wouldn’t have remembered had they not been written down in this space. Like the winter night we got locked out of our own house with two babies. Or the ridiculous reasons my 2-year old would cry. Or the details of our first trip to Ireland, a place that I didn’t yet know would be such a huge part of our lives. Lots of memories have been captured on this blog–my life played out in words and pictures.

One of my favorite posts from this year, though, was my very first post about my New Year’s resolution. In this post I wrote simply that I wanted “To find the praise in every complaint. When I am tempted to fall into worry, doubt, or distress to turn it around and find the good in every situation.” Easier said than done, yes. But important. Even as I write these words I am sitting up with two jet-lagged children at 2 AM–grateful for the amazing time we had visiting family overseas (and the prospect of a nap in a few hours). Being a mom has been the craziest, happiest, busiest, most stressful, and most rewarding thing I have ever done. It’s a job that is full of complaints but, when you look for it, more joy than can even be measured.

So, to all of you who have read my words and joined me on this wild ride through motherhood–thank you. May you find the joy in today, and every day!