Bye-Bye to Blogging

My dear friend Katie has been after me to write this post.  I've been drafting it in my head for well over a week, yet I'm still struggling to figure out what to type.  Perhaps I should start with where my heart was when I initially started this blog.

A few months ago when I first started blogging about my family's allergy experience(s), I was optimistic.  I immediately saw an opportunity to not only keep my information, recipes, and struggles documented and organized, but I had hoped to inform others in the process.  I think I've been successful as I've reached what I would consider a rather large audience, particularly through Pinterest.  That got me excited.  I was fired up about all the pins and hits I was getting on Pinterest, comments on Facebook, and emails through my blog.  My daily traffic stats amazed me, and I think that's what kept me going, knowing I was accomplishing what I set out to do...and then some.

But then I got a little carried away.  Well, in my opinion, anyway.  I think I lost sight of the most important thing, my purpose, the reason this all existed in the first place.  You see, as soon as my husband would get home from work, I would run off to update my blog, post on Pinterest, check my activity, etc.  Throughout the day I was getting sidetracked by answering emails, typing up recipes, and even baking far more (sweets) than our family really needed (incidentally I've cut out refined sugar from my diet and feel better than I ever have....what on earth would I post now?!).  This mommy was entirely too distracted.  I was going overboard, and my dear family was paying the price.

And then reality hit me.  You see, I had somehow drifted off to this fantasy world where I somehow scrounged up enough money to open my own allergy-friendly bakery, and we all lived happily ever after.  But that's not my real dream, it never has been.  And just as quickly as that vision came, it went.  It turns out my call to teaching is what really drives me in the professional world, and I suddenly had an amazing opportunity for not only myself, but my family as a whole.  I decided to take it, and I'm excited to say I am returning to teaching in the fall after a four year break with my babies.

As soon as I started considering the job, I stopped blogging.  I realized it was a time-suck, and it wasn't serving much purpose in the long run for my family, at least not in the way I initially had hoped.  In hindsight, I think I would have continued if I were going to carry on as a stay at home mom, but again, this was never my goal in life.  I need to put my master's degree to use and get back in the classroom.  And my dream of teaching where my children attend school is no longer a dram, it's a reality.  My husband and I feel that's the safest and best thing for our girls.

Thank you to everyone who encouraged me to do this.  While I make it sound like a negative experience, it wasn't entirely.  I learned some new things about myself, and I had a lot of fun (and success) trying out new recipes.  I also stepped outside of my comfort level and tried something I didn't think I would be very good at.  I may still occasionally post recipes on here, but, it will be sporadic to say the least.  You never know what lies ahead, I may pick it back up in time, who knows.  All I know is, I have a few short months left to be home with my girls, and I don't want to spend that time in front of a computer.  So, farewell for now, but perhaps we'll meet again.  :)