Here are some fun facts from the first ten years.
- My blog was originally entitled: Life in the Polar North. When we moved from Minnesota to Florida, I changed it to Life in the Polar North Defrosts. Then we moved to Turkey and I think I called it Life in the Polar North Defrosts and moves to Turkey. After that, I gave up on a name. We are working on moving my blog to a new site. Once that is done, it will be called We Bought a Farm.
- I have written this blog from many states and many countries but most specifically I have lived in: Minnesota, Florida, Turkey (and a little Germany), Portugal, and then Tennessee since this all began.
- I started this Blog with a husband and two love birds. We have since lost the love birds (due to domestic abuse and a big Dalmatian) and have added four amazing children who have rocked my world.
- My first blog entry: First Blog Entry (July 13, 2005)
- My post with the most comments (449!): Introducing Isaac John (May 8, 2008)
- The post that caused the most tears: The Secret is Out (June 23, 2008)
- Hardest post to write: IVF #4 failure (June 12, 2007)
- I had the most blog posts in the year 2010! I had 767 posts. This was a big year as we moved to Turkey and found out we were expecting Abigail.
- As of today I have had 1,295,472 visitors to my blog.
- My blog is most often read by people in: (1) USA (2) Canada (3) Turkey (4) UK
- I had the most blog posts in one month in: November 2013 (95 posts!)
- I have 221 official followers of my blog.
- I have 294 people signed up to follow me to my new blog. (Click here if you haven't signed up.)
So now it is your turn. I'm asking EVERYONE who is a regular reader and who enjoys my blog to please leave a comment telling me what your FAVORITE post of all time was. (Or some other fun memory.)
C'mon. Don't sell me out. Ever since Facebook, I get a lot less comments on my Blog as people often just leave the comment on Facebook. This time I want to see the comments here. If I write every day, surely you can leave ONE TEENY TINY MEASLY COMMENT in celebration of TEN YEARS?!?!
52 comments:
Been with you from almost the beginning. Love ya Wen
-TONY B.
I loved all your posts about sleep training. I read and re-read them when I was in the trenches of sleep deprivation with my youngest! I love your blog and look forward to learning more about your amazing farm life!
-Emilybatt from HP :)
You are such a talented writer and I love reading the Friday Funnies! You capture so well the humor kids can bring! But most of all I am thankful for the honesty and real life accounts you share!
Congratulations on 10 years on your blog writing! However, I have an advantage because we were acting out your plays long before then so I consider myself one of your long-time readers! Love you!
Lauren
I enjoyed being your neighbor and getting to know your family and watching it expand! I love watching your kiddos grow up and seeing how God blesses your family. Hugs, Emily
Tony B. I doubt many people have known me longer than you! My childhood is full of memories of us at Tradewinds!
Emily from HP ... I am so glad the sleep training has worked for you, I'd love to feature a post on what you did and how it worked! Message me if interested!
Lauren, I look forward to watching you experience the Friday Funnies in your own life!! And yes, you've been with me from the very beginning!
Emily, I canr believe how your kids are growing! Time flies! You were a great next door friend!!
I've been reading since 2008, right around the time that you got Isaac. I attended your shower at Lisa Johnson's house and then read your blog start to finish! Your writing it such a gift!
Woo Hoo!! Congrats Wendi! That's awesome...Happy 10 year anniversary to your blog & for 10 years of inspiration to others...myself included! I find reading your blog has become a daily ritual for me! I especially like the Friday Funnies! Thanks for letting me be privileged enough to read your blog! Keep up the great writing! Maybe when things slow down a bit for you in the future;you can write a children's story or a novel about your life!
Your blog is where I first got to know you, Wendi. Your openness about your infertility gave me the courage to reach out to you when I first realized that I was headed down a similar path. God brought us together through our brokenness and now I love you as a sister and best friend. <3
Joy -- you have seen this journey from the beginning of adoption to now. Hard to believe "our boys" are seven now, huh?!
Briana -- you and I -- sisters forever.
Stephanie thanks for your loyalty. God bless!
Congrats on 10 years!
I met your husband, you, the boys and Abigail in Turkey but have really enjoyed getting to know you through your blog. You inspire me by your honesty and longing to help others through the same situations. I'm so glad you've all finally fulfilled your family dream of buying a farm - I remember hearing John talk about it in the clinic and loving the concept.
I have most appreciated your blog post about flying with kids and have passed that post on to a lot of friends with small children.
I always look forward to new posts and can't wait to keep reading for years to come! And hopefully visiting some year when I live in the good ol' USA again.
Heather
I so love keeping up with the Kitsteiners! I wish that I were as dedicated to blogging as you are, but, alas, I get too involved with projects. Lol. Love you and your little damiky, Wendi.
Even though I haven't seen you since that first visit to MN with Isaac, it has been really fun to keep up with you via your blog. I so admire all you do for your family, friends, community, and even strangers by allowing people into your lives and experiences, both the hard times and the glorious ones. I have also found it really helpful to read about your journey with infertility and have found guidance on how to be supportive to family members and friends experiencing those difficult times. Thanks for sharing!
If you make your way to the Twin Cities area again anytime in the future, we'd love to see you.
: ) Lisa Cronk
Love reading about you and your beautiful family. You are a great writer!!
I have shared your posts and articles with dear friends throughout our infertility journey which helped them understand and better walk alongside us. Many times you put into words what I was feeling but couldn't express. They have been able to show love and support to others struggling with this as well. Cannot thank you enough for your transparency!
I deeply enjoy the honesty and human insights in your blog. You are truly a gifted writer, and I look forward to your daily updates.
I have been following your blog for years! I have loved reading about your world travels and your views on life and family.
I don't know my favorite -just that you are one of my favorite bloggeres :) and a joy to my heart! love you Wen...Auntie Jan
Tante Jan -- you are for SURE by favorite Tante Jan!!!
Can it really be ten years of blogging? Twenty years since we graduated high school? And 28 years that I've known you! You are a blessing. Keep it up!
~ Lein'
Rachael and Ann -- thanks for leaving a comment and being a faithful reader.
Stacy A. -- a sister who truly GETS where I am and have been! You know my heart well.
Leina!!!! Always faithful Ten years. And this is our 20th high school reunion year. We are old?!?!?!
Brittney Rabens -- thanks for always being a loyal reader!
Heather, we would LOVE to have you visit when you are back in the States. PLEASE email me and I'll send you our visitor guide!
Lisa Cronk, I so appreciate your helpfulness, encouragement, and friendship as well as willingness to help others. God bless!
Lisa, thanks for your faithful reading!
Congratulations on 10 years! I love to visit your blog because your writing is real and inviting and encouraging. Thank you!
I first found your blog while struggling with infertility myself. Now, almost 10 years later, I find myself coming back on a daily basis. I love all your posts because they are honest. You are a faithful Christian who is a wonderful wife and mother. I hope one day to meet you. Keep up the blogging! <3
Not sure that there is a specific post. I love hearing your stories about the kids and seeing them grow. Besides, we're family (I have proof...the family tree book ��).
God has blessed you and you continue to pass His love on.
~Holly
I have been reading from the beginning ... Early HP days. Many times your blog posts have resonated with situations in my life or with close friends and I was able to share. Love hearing about the farm! God Bless,HP Amber Lois
Amber! Great to hear from you.
And Holly -- you will always be family!!!! So glad to see you around!
Susan and Kim, thanks for introducing yourself.
I started reading your blog when you were at Incirlik because my husband and I were stationed at Incirlik. I enjoy the travel and everyday happening posts. Stefani
I started reading almost from the beginning. I have loved being able to follow your life around the world. My favorite posts are either special family moments or your posts about infertility. Your journey to parenthood along with my personal experiences have really changed the way I look at family. Thank you for your vulnerability and openness! Miss you!
Congratulations on 10 years and I hope you keep sharing all those new adventures you and your family are having on "The Farm!" Love and hugs!
I love your blog! I haven't always agreed but always loved reading it, and always appreciated your honesty and "real-ness". I've been reading since about 2008 when my husband and I first started to start a family. It took a while, but then our son Luke was born in 2010. He's a bit younger than your boys but in many ways I feel they grew up together (at least in my mind). I appreciated when you shared your writing on helping friends and family through infertility, and on dealing with depression. We then experienced three years of miscarriage and secondary infertility and I appreciated your experience on a whole other level. Our daughter was just born a month ago - Hannah Leigh, our precious rainbow baby. Finally, I grew up in small-town Texas so I've enjoyed your posts about moving to a farm! Thanks for sharing your gift of writing.
Much love! I have now known you for 20 years!
Congrats on your blogging milestone! I remember when infant Sidge was diagnosed with failure to thrive and then you gave him formula and seemingly overnight, he bloomed into this big baby with chubby cheeks. It was such a transformation.
Coach K! I love being able to keep up with you and your family. Your blog inspires me to keep up my own even though I do go through dry spells! I know you will cherish having all of these documented moments to look back on, and I try to keep that in mind as well!
Even though I love reading about your kids and all of yours and John's adventures, I think my favorite posts are when Scrubs makes his guest bloggy appearances to let us know what's new with him. :)
Congrats on your 10 years!
My favorites are about the farm and also what raising little kids is really like, hard, crazy, fun, hilarious, messy, joyful, etc.
I've been reading your blog since just after Sidge was born (a few months before I became pregnant with my first after 3+ years of infertility). I love all your parenting tips, but mostly getting to see the way your family functions in its ups, downs, ins, and outs - how you make decisions, how you trust in the future, how you live very deliberately and thoughtfully. Thanks for letting us in the IF world into your life!
And I love love love hearing about the farm! So impressed and jealous ...
I've been reading your blog since you were waiting for Isaac's arrival. When I was going through infertility (though it was only for a year), I loved going back to your posts and seeing your hope
I don't have a favorite post, but I love any of your stories about Scrubs. We used to have a Dalmatian and reading about your four-legged boy warms my heart. One day, we hope to move to east TN and I love hearing about your farm adventures! Keep those posts coming!! I started reading your blog after my former co-worker moved to FL and was one of your neighbors.
Congratulations on 10 years! Thank you for sharing your stories of hope :)
Susan, I need to start doing more Scrubs posts!!!!
Heather, thanks for introducing yourself.
Jennifer, I'm glad I could support you from afar.
Jane, God bless you!
McKenzie, nice to meet you -- thanks for leaving a comment.
Emily -- so proud of the woman you've become.
Kristi, I LOVE YOU!
June, great memory!!! Wasn't that something. It makes me always encourage people to not be afraid to do what it takes to get your child healthy.
Stefani, great to hear from you -- God bless!
Patty Grogan -- great memories of you and your hubby!
Bonnie Leigh -- THanks for reading!
Beth -- thanks for commenting.
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