I got tagged

Thanks, Melba, for tagging me and making me feel popular!

(Yes, Emily, I know you tagged me last week as well and it will be up soon at my other blog!)

5 ways blogging has affected me:

1. No groundbreaking stuff here....it's given me an incredible community! I'm able to find thoughts, opinions, experiences in a matter of moments. From TTC blogs to infertility blogs to adoption blogs to parenting blogs, I've found something to relate to at the click of a button. Just this week Natalie sent me an e-mail saying hi and I'm just amazed I now have a friend in South Africa! Now I have friends all over the U.S. whom I pray for and think about and celebrate with and hurt with during their journeys. And I even have some blogs I just read for fun...my guilty pleasure (see Snickollet and her dating journey).

2. It's made me both much more open with my feelings and experiences, and at the same time much more cautious about what all I share. I don't know how "famous" bloggers do it....get off-the-wall, sometimes mean comments every day. So I think it's taught me valuable lessons in openness and in stopping before I say too much. I also learned to be careful about posting anything about work.

3. I have a vivid journal of this time in my life. One day, I hope my kids will be interested to read about how much we wanted them and how hard we worked to get to them. I love that I have a picture of this moment, in this time of my life.

4. It's a way for friends and family to keep up with me and to understand a little more about my emotions right now. I think I described that a couple days ago.

5. It's given me a chance to be there and share with other people. I can only hope that putting all this info up in such a public forum leads to someone being encouraged or changed by my experiences. I know I've been changed by others...and that's my goal as well.

And finally, selfishly, it's a constant solicit for prayers. And I really feel them....I love having your thoughts and prayers and please know that I return them as best I can.

I don't really have anyone to tag, so many have been taken. So I'll just tag Lori, Angie, and Becky and anyone else who wants to write!