Welcome Back!

I have sat down to write this post countless times before, hoping the words would just flow the way I would like.

Anyone who read my blog, Newly Wife Healthy Life, on a regular basis knows how much I love to write.  It is not only a hobby used to fill my time, but it also brings with it a peace of mind knowing I can get thoughts out of my head and into words to be read.  I go through moments in life when writing is the only thing that gets me through the obstacles I face.  It is a form of therapy during dark days.  It is a form of speech to tell others how I feel.  It is a way to show love to those I cherish. It is an expression of myself when spoken words are not needed, or don’t come into existence easily.

The past month and a half, I decided to take a little time away from writing to clear my head.  With it being our busy season at work, preparing for Thanksgiving, running a household, trying to stay sane without much free time, and decorating, shopping, wrapping, etc. for Christmas, I chose to live in the moment and soak in each opportunity presented without running myself ragged.  At the end of the day, if the choice was to spend time with my family, bake a batch of Christmas cookies, watch lighthearted holiday movies, or simply catch up on sleep rather than write, it is an easy guess what found priority.

Now that January is here though, I have been able to take a step back and focus on some of my goals and hobbies I missed during the busy holiday season. One of these activities I have truly missed greatly is blogging, writing, and sharing my heart, home and recipes with anyone willing to take the time to read what I have to say.

As someone who reads plenty of blogs, including those very successful ones written by full-time bloggers, I know at times it is easy to feel like a small fish in a big pond. Sure, I may not have thousands of readers per day, but I do have loyal followers who have emailed me, reached out to me on twitter, and even told me in person how much they miss my posts. As someone who is humble to the point of lacking self-confidence at times, it has blown me away at the support I have been given and the encouragement I have received just when I needed it the most. God provides people in our lives to help us along the way, even during the days that feel gloomy and discouraging. I know taking a break over the past summer, and this most recent one during December may cause me to lose a few readers, or won’t catapult me to blogger fame status. To be honest though, I know deep down that it was more than okay; it was only human to need time away to collect my thoughts. I am hoping that in thanks to the break, I am returning as a better writer filled with new ideas and a fresh perspective for my future posts. I needed a mental break and so I took it. The last thing I ever want is for blogging to become a chore in my life when it is such a positive outlet for my creative juices to flow.

I blog to share my passions like creating recipes, learning to be a loving wife and homemaker, spending time with my family, trying to stay healthy emotionally and physically, and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and what he has done positively in my life. There was a period of time when I was angry with the Lord and I didn’t understand the direction my life was headed. It was during those times I learned the most about myself and the faithfulness of God. Even now as I am going through big changes in my life, I know He is the one person you can always trust and that won’t ever leave you alone or let you down. I feel a calling from Him to share my blessings, and hopefully His light to others through this blog by doing what I love: writing.

I may not have been blogging, but I have spent a lot of time over the last month thinking about the direction I would like this blog to take. To be honest, I still am not 100% sure! I know that I will be sharing recipes, my faith, fun events I attend, home decorating and craft projects, my journey as a new wife, and anything else that has importance to me. However, one thing I do know is that I do not fit into one specific category. I think part of my struggle to define my blog is that I enjoy a lot of different things, but I am not exactly an expert…I tend to learn as I go! I wouldn’t say I completely fit into the ‘healthy living blog’ category, especially if any of those requirements is to work out x times per week, or eat x number of calories, or run x number of miles. I strive to live a healthy life both emotionally and physically, but after years of making diet and exercise one of my very top priorities, I now prefer to put my family, friends, God, and life experiences first.  I am not a ‘food blogger’ as I don’t photograph everything I eat and sometimes I eat the same meals day after day, which can get a little boring to photograph, write about, and share. I like shopping and clothes and putting together outfits, but I am not a ‘fashion blogger’. I am not a ‘home improvement’ or ‘home decorating’ blog as I don’t do large makeovers/remodels on a regular basis, and I am not real handy with a hammer and nail.

So what kind of a blog is this? I guess the answer is simply: mine. There is no specific category I fall under, and honestly I kind of like that. I am not trying to be anyone except myself and I what I share is real and meaningful to me and my life.

As you can see, I have made a few changes to the blog now that I am back starting with my new name: Happy Wife Healthy Life!

I decided to buy my own domain name, something I have wanted to do since I began blogging. I figured that I won’t always be a ‘newly’ wife, so I better choose something I hope to always be instead, a ‘happy’ wife! I have also finally gone self-hosted! I was very nervous to “bite-the-bullet” and invest my money, but so far I am beyond happy that I did! The process has been slow, but I am proud of myself for tackling this change all on my own and learning how to run a self-hosted blog as I go.  I have now truly made it mine and I know having this freedom will encourage me to stay committed and help me to remember how much joy blogging brings me. To anyone still reading, I want to thank you for sticking with me during my breaks. Having a reader like you is one of the greatest gifts in my life. I hope you will continue to stand by me and grow right with this blog as I once again begin this exciting journey.