The BIG QUESTION

There has been a lot of questioning and speculation about the future of Oh, the Fun. As you know, if you’ve been with us this week, we’ve been celebrating one full year of blogging- something that started because of a challenge that was on my bucket list. Originally, the challenge was to start and maintain a blog for at least one year. You can read more about the back story and what a “year of fun” has looked like here.

As of February 15th, we hit that year mark and I was officially able to check that item off my bucket list. Hooray! So, now what? Are we going for another or are we finished and clocking out with a lot of fun memories and the satisfaction of knowing we made it? This was a really tough decision for me, one that I’ve been thinking about for awhile now.

Blogging is hard work. When I read other people’s posts, sometimes it seems so effortless, so natural. Captivating words, beautiful pictures- a clean and tidy finished product for others to enjoy. Hah, I was so naive. Blogging is anything but effortless. I have learned so much about discipline through this process. Discipline to create, to document, and to make “deadlines”. Sure, if you have any type of job you know all about deadlines. But I’m talking about deadlines you set out for yourself. I learned that willpower and discipline play a much greater role in the process when you’re your own boss.

This year has been rewarding, but challenging. My goal was to post 3-4 times each week. And that, my friends, is A LOT. Sometimes it didn’t happen. There were definitely weeks when only one or two posts got finished and even the rare time when I had to show myself some grace and be okay with a week of zero posts. Sometimes, the opposite happened and a post went up every single week day- bringing the grand total to a five day run, back to back. Those weeks were hard. For the most part, though, we hit our 3-4 average pretty regularly. This was quite the challenge. As much as I have enjoyed blogging, it is not my job. I have a full time job working with teenagers, which I love. At points throughout this year, it felt like I was holding down not one, but two full time jobs.  So again, willpower and discipline have been crucial.

 There were also times when I wondered “why am I doing this”? My goal was to document the first little baby steps of our life and experience as first time homeowners, hoping that anyone else who might find themselves in a similar place might benefit from our successes and mistakes as we learn on the go. But sometimes it’s hard to know if the things you say or do make a difference. There are definitely moments when I wonder, Is anyone really reading? Am I writing to myself?

Funny enough, this exact fear- am I my own biggest reader?– is what has brought me the most joy in this process. I didn’t realize it at first, but a year of blogging has not just been a bucket list item or a challenge to complete. By accident, I documented so much of our life and our story that can be looked back on for many years to come… by us! In a way, this blog is a bit of a journal, a diary chronicling our house projects, room transformations, family trips, ministry experiences, and day to day life. There are things that I have blogged about- small things- that there is no way I would ever have remembered in five years if I hadn’t taken the time to write about them. Silly things like the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, how we decorated our tree in 2014, and what our family room looked like as we navigated through some of our first decorating choices (“yiiiiiiikes” is a good way to describe it). And also big things- we now have two home tour videos to show our kids someday (this is what your bedroom FIRST looked like!), a list of the best and worst things that happened on our first family vacation, and posts reliving and recounting the day we got married. And for this special archive, I am so thankful.

I am also thankful for the things I have learned throughout this process. In addition to discipline and willpower, I learned practical skills that I never would have known otherwise. My mind was challenged to research and pick up new techniques, to try new programs, and develop skills regarding web design, general media and technology navigation. I learned (very basic things) about graphic arts, video, and photo editing. You know that phrase “you learn something new everyday“? Not being in school anymore, sometimes I felt like I wasn’t learning things. Except for this year. I learned things that were previously so foreign to me and have actually been able to use some of these new skills in my job! Talk about an unexpected blessing.

And finally, this blog has just been plain ‘ole FUN. Hence, the name. It has been a blast documenting countless projects, life events, and youth group craziness. I have thoroughly enjoyed making new friends and interacting with all of you. If at any point in time, you stopped by to read a post or check out a video, please hear this loud and clear. YOU have made this experience more than I could have ever hoped. Thank you. Thank you for reading, commenting, and showing me your own homes and projects- what a ride it’s been and I’ve had the best car-ful of people to enjoy it with.

So where from here? After really thinking about it, my mind and body have reminded me of the hours it takes and the pressure that comes along with the territory and I’m not sure if I want to dive back into that world again. But even louder than those thoughts are the ones that remind me that I still have a lot left to say. We still have projects to complete (some that are in the works even as I type this), rooms to paint, adventures to go on, and things to learn in ministry. I’m not sure that one year is enough time to put it all out there. And after realizing how much this archive of life means to me, I want to not only be able to read back on the first year of fun someday, but also maybe a bit more.

So the answer to the BIG QUESTION is… we’re going to stick around for awhile. There is too much excitement in life happening to duck out now. So you’re stuck with us. 🙂 For how long? I’ve decided not to put a time frame on it. We’ll just go until there’s nothing left to say or until the next adventure starts calling. For now, we’ve got too much to do to think about that. We’ve got rooms to finish, frames to fill, youth group games to post about, and trips to record (there’s a big one currently in the works, so stay tuned for the what/where/when as we get our plans in order)! I think it’s safe to say… I can’t wait. If you’re still up for it, jump on board- there’s plenty of room! The best way to “follow the fun” is to subscribe via email– this way, you get all the newest posts delivered right to your email (no spam, just our posts!). To do this, just follow the instructions in the sidebar. And, as always, thanks for coming along. Let’s party on, people.