Cheers! To One Year Later....

A lot of people blog for different purposes. I love reading food blogs and fashion blogs but my favorite blogs are the ones where people open up their homes and let us get a glimpse of what their life is like. I don't know if that's because that's the kind of blog I have or if I'm just nosy! Ha! Well, not nosy--curious and interested!! I love blogging and I enjoy sharing about my life with everyone. However, I mostly blog for me. I go through my archives all the time if I'm trying to remember when something happened and I love that most of my life over the last 5 years has been documented on an almost daily basis. When I first started writing Kara's Stories I had no idea what I was doing. I had kept a weekly diary since I was 8 but got out of the habit of writing in it and needed an easier way to jot life memories down. I don't think I ever even told anyone I had a blog and it wasn't until about a year later that I realized people had been reading it.
I had no idea that I was going to be entered into this world of "blogging" when I started and I still don't feel like a true "blogger." I don't care about my stats or how many followers or comments I have. I've never tried to make money or get free goodies out of it. Don't get me wrong--that would be really cool--but I've never pursued it. I blog for my memory. Meeting new people through blogging and becoming friends with some of them has been an amazing bonus that I never imagined would happen when I started my "internet diary." I think it's so neat that so many people have taken an interest in my blog and one of my favorite things to hear is when someone tells me they read it. It always surprises me and on the inside I'm thinking "Really??!! You read my blog? That's so cool!" but on the outside I feel like I'm so awkward when someone tells me that. Ha!! I can't imagine not blogging but I do wonder if I still will be 5 or 10 years from now. Only time will tell I guess!
With all that said, this post is for me but I hope you enjoy it too!!

Scott and I moved into our house 1 year ago today!

This is the first home we've ever purchased and we love it so much. Little did we know we were moving into a neighborhood with the greatest neighbors anyone could ask for. We knew we were getting a pretty new house but had no idea we would gain so many new friends as well!!
I have enjoyed this last year so much and I'm so happy with where I am in my life right now and honestly a lot of it is thanks to our home. I have moments from unloading my dishwasher to watching the gorgeous sunset where I become overwhelmingly happy. I feel very blessed to live here.
This has been a really strange year because I have been so happy but a huge cloud has been over it with the loss of my precious Holly. I thank the Lord for the timing of her death often. He was truly looking out for me because we moved here and were distracted with the house just 2 weeks after we had to say goodbye to our favorite girl. Losing Holly and living life without her has been so sad and the grief has been quite heavy. I love and miss her so much!! On the other hand this year has also been filled with wonderful new, fun blessings--our house, Ivy and Madison to name a few.

This evening we had a cheese tray and wine for dinner while we sat on the patio, listened to music via our outdoor speakers (best investment ever) and drank wine. My patio is my happy place and it will be an even happier place when my landscaping gets put in tomorrow!!!

Cheers to one year later! A year ago I never imagined I could be this happy without my number one girl but I am happy. Very content and very happy. I will always have a piece of my heart missing but life does move on and it can become better than you ever thought it could be.
Here's hoping I didn't just jinx myself and something tragic happens soon.
My mind never fails to go to the dark places......