The thing with Blogging

Sometimes I really don't like having a blog...

-It's just one more thing on the to do list that always needs to be updated
-I feel bad when I fall behind
-It's effort
-People often feel like they know what's going on with us because of the blog and therefore sometimes don't seem to see the need for other forms of communication, conversation, etc, this can make me feel sad sometimes
-It's kind of depressing that we'll most likely have a family blog for a really long time since we probably won't live close to family again

However, the positives seem to outweigh the negatives (at least for now). Here's what I really like..

-Our family and friends can feel connected to us through the blog (more effective than mass e-mails)
-Those that don't live around us can watch our kids grow through posted photos and video clips, this is better than nothing.
-The blog is a place for me to share my thoughts and ideas on life, kids, our adventures, etc
-It has become a great reference point for our family. Even though we've only had the blog for 18 months we often go back to see what was happening at this time last year, what was Sarah doing when..., when did it snow, etc
-It's a great place to post photos that would otherwise have no place
-Is a great extra place to have photos backed up. As I was burning DVD photo backups the other day I realized that the blog is a great extra safety net for all our precious photos.
-It's become a wonderful family diary for us. Even David really appreciates it and makes sure I add certain things to the blog. I love how it visually tracks the growth of our children through photos and writing.

My previous co worker, Nancy recently gave me a link to a company that will actually print out your blog into a bound book (I have since learned that there are several companies that do this sort of thing). This is so exciting for me, since it has given me new motivation for blogging. I don't want to miss any milestones or happenings in our life. I think that we may get a book made at the end of every calendar year. The book even includes the photos on the blog and gives you the chance to edit add/ delete anything that you want before it's bound.

What an amazing keepsake for our family! Even if no one looked at our blog I think I would keep it going just for our own family So it looks like I won't be stopping blogging anytime soon. The positives seem to out weigh the negatives.