The blog's 20th anniversary

All 17 of us yesterday on Easter

Technically, the anniversary was yesterday, but it was Easter and all, so we're talking about it today. Twenty years is kind of a milestone for a blog. There seem to be very few left and is definitely older technology. I knew this anniversary was coming up, so I've been doing a lot of thinking about how our life has changed over the past twenty years.

When we (and by we I mean J., because I didn't think I wrote well) wrote our first post, we did so only with the intent to keep friends and family updated on our adoption of TM. It's what adoptive families did back then. We had no thoughts past that. And here we are. 

This blog has chronicled the life of our family. There have been births, adoptions, and deaths. It has celebrated birthdays and successes and weddings, it has mourned losses, it has followed us into the pit of despair more than once, and followed us as we climbed out of that pit as we became better people and better parents. It is practically a family member now, holding memories and is an arbitrator of disagreements over what happened when. 

Personally, it taught me to write (though not proofread, as I'm sure you've figured out), it introduced me to people I now call friends whom I would not have met otherwise, it became my therapist as I sorted through ideas and feelings and failures. I am a different person now than I was twenty years ago because of it (and not just because I have a lot more children now.) 

So dear readers, especially those of you who have faithfully followed along all these years, thank you for joining us. Thank you for cheering for us and praying for us and for just being here. (I'm realizing this is now starting to sound as though I am about to announce this is the final post. I'm not, writing this blog has become too much of a habit.)

Finally, I've been thinking about what my main intention is here as I sit and write every night. If I had to boil it down to something short (not my strong suit), it would be this: Life is messy and wonderful and terrifying and hilarious and heart wrenching all at the same time. In short, life is beautiful. Don't take it or your relationships for granted. Don't get distracted by things that don't matter or worrying about what others think. Don't waste time on things that are ultimately not important. Loving the people around you... all the people around you... is what matters. 

Life is beautiful. Enjoy and appreciate each and every moment. 



Through the window
I see you waiting
You are smiling
'Cause I'm coming
Your eyes are a story
An ocean of memories
Pictures of faces and places
And all of the things
That make us feel like we have it all
All of the times
That make us realize
We have it all
We have it all
Life is beautiful
Life is beautiful
Living and dying
Laughing or crying
If we have the whole world or have nothing
I know there are long nights
But we'll make it
With every sunrise comes a new light
And all of the things
That make us feel like we have it all
All of the times
That make us realize
We have it all
We have it all
Life is beautiful
Life is beautiful
Life is beautiful
A father's love
A wedding dance
New Year's dreams
A toast with friends
A soldier coming home from war
The faith the hope of so much more
A brand new life, a mother's prayer
Shooting stars, ocean air
A lover's kiss, and hard goodbyes
Fireworks, Christmas lights
These are things that make us feel alive
These are the times that make us realize
Life is beautiful
Life is beautiful
Life is beautiful
These are the times that make us realize

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