Happy Birthday, LoLo Life!

My phone informed me this morning that it is my blog's birthday. You can see my first post here. The post is (appropriately) titled, "Our First Blog Ever!!" I reference a blog title I haven't used in years, have no pictures, and am generally at war with a cranky toddler.

In other words, not much has changed.

This blog has changed spaces, names and even URLs in the past few months. (Anybody remember when I used to be called Bubba Bubbles? No?) Instead of stories and pictures about my first child, I share crazy pictures of my third child, with my other two hovering in the background, as we slowly re-learn how to be a family as a group of five instead of four. Life is different, but life is good.

Here is what Ming Wai looked like then.

(Ming Wai, just days short of being 8 months. I can't help but point out that that outfit is currently hanging in 3 month old Baby Ying Ying's closet. She has outgrown it. She has a torso that goes on for days.) 

Here is Ming Wai now.

(Ming Wai at a little tea party she put on for her cousins, at about 6 1/2 years old)

This blog was originally a way to brag on my little girl. I loved telling stories, and felt kind of silly sending out e-mails to the same 7 or 8 people about all the amazing things she did. So, I found out about these things called "blogs" (short for web logs), and looked it up. A few minutes at blogger.com, and I was good to go! I talked about our travels, what we were eating, and shared pictures of Ming Wai. I started reading other blogs, and began to hone in on my voice, and my purpose. One of the blogs that affected me the most was Pioneer Woman. She seemed to effortlessly combine photography with recipes, stories about her kids and daily minutia...and it worked. Her blog was just a little, new thing then - in fact, she recently celebrated her own 7 year "blogiversary." (May 20, 2013 marks LoLo Life's 6 year blogiversary.) 

As the years have gone by, I have started other blogs, added more children, abandoned other blogs, and changed my blog's theme, purpose and layout more times than I can count. This past year has been pretty sparse, post-wise. In 2012, I had some health issues, and then I got pregnant. I felt pretty crummy for the duration of those things, and didn't feel like posting, "Hey! I feel crummy again! See you tomorrow!" So, I just stopped talking. Lo Gung has been pushing me, though. "Blogging used to be so important to you. Don't give it up!" And he is right. As it turns out, I love telling stories. I shouldn't be surprised - my father has a repertoire of stories that can enthrall any audience. He is a fantastic and engaging story teller, and I love listening to him spin out his yarns. My mother is not so talkative as him, but has the most vivid imagination and has written half a dozen novels in her spare time. She completed a journalism degree after all of her children went off to college, and has a talent for making words on paper come alive. With examples like those, coming to this space to share my stories feels pretty natural! I look forward to continuing to share here, and continuing to learn more about all my "invisible friends*", too! That is what makes blogging so great - I have formed friendships in this space that are so valuable to me. 

(*"Invisible friend" = a person with whom I have developed a friendship through reading blogs and leaving comments, but I have never actually met In Real Life)

So, to the family that reads this: more stories to come! The adventures around here never stop. To the friends, both "invisible" and otherwise: thanks for stopping by. I love sharing this part of my life with you.