Tag: blog

Adoption, Life or Something Like It

Why Do I Blog?

Barefoot Faith Journey

Why Do I Blog?

Why Do I Blog?
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Why Do I Blog? Well, that is a good question. I started my blog almost eleven years ago. It was not what it is today, it was much different. I was in the thick of raising (ie keeping alive, feeding, homeschooling, and all the things) only five kids. We were in the process of adopting our sixth child, internationally.

Originally My Intentions

My blog originated with the intent of keeping family and friends in the loop about our process. It is hard to know who you told what to while in that process. This was an easy way for me to make sure everyone knew everything. The process was hard. It was sanctifying and challenged my faith.

Our journey was long and hard with our adoption. There were many people in many places (and countries) that was following our journey. A blog was just easier because I could word vomit all my feelings. There were so many emotions during that time. You have, in the beginning, what is called a “paper pregnancy.” It takes about 9 months to do all the paperwork, get the dossier together, homestudy, and travel.

Then, we had a 15 month delay, so that emotional rollercoaster was all documented. It really was just so I could process my emotions and keep my eyes above the waves. There were some times I wrote about raising kids, homeschooling life, and cleaning but it was mainly on our adoption.

Moving Forward

After his adoption, my blog shifted to just homeschooling mom life of six kids. Adjusting to the new addition in our family, my husband starting a new job, and just living life. It was full of adoption related content that helped me keep an account of all the fun and not so fun things that happened.

Many things I wrote, I have set to private. As I went through and reread them, over the years, I decided that it was not something I wanted to remain for the public to see. Adoption is beautiful but it is also extremely hard and trying. Add that to my journey through my own personal trauma and mental health issues…well, it isn’t for public consumption.

Here We Are Today

I write when I have a chance. There are so many things that have gone on lately. In short, I went back to college (again), got a job, working through my health crap, studying for the world’s worst test, cooking, raising kids, being a Lolli, and all the things. I would like to get back into writing more, but I have not been in the mental state to do so. In time, trying to get back into the swing of things. We shall see where it goes.

 

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Barefoot Faith Journey Blog Update

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Barefoot Faith Journey Blog Update

Barefoot Faith Journey Blog Update

I mentioned in a previous post that I’m updating my blog. This blog has been going on for about ten years. I started this blog when we began our third adoption. Initially, it was more of a journal for me: something to remember, a place to keep my family updated on our adoption, etc. 

He has been home for ten years, and things have shifted quite a bit. We thought adopting again was not going to happen. I, we, were utterly content with our six children. There was much to work through with their trauma, but we were in a good flow.

Content is a 7 Letter Dirty Word

I mentioned, in prayer, that I was content with my family. That I no longer desired to bring children in through adoption. Honestly, I just wanted to focus on the healing that needed to happen with my kids from hard places. I returned to school to get my master’s in marriage and family therapy, shelf-cooking, cleaning, homeschooling, and things.

However, with God’s funny sense of humor, in November 2016, we (at 42 and 41 years old) began raising our great-nephew. He was 21 months old at the time. Hello Shock. Nice to meet you. I had a 21-month-old 7th child, and my 6th child was eight years old.

So, my blog stopped. I was busy beyond busy. Lots of things going on in that familial situation put everything on hold for me. Then, in June 2017, H got sick with Opsoclonus Myoclonus Syndrome. From then, my blog started back up a bit to process everything we were going through.

Keeping My Eyes Above the Waves

Since then, it has been hit and misses with when I write. I go in spurts of cooking, grief, trauma, life events, processing of everything, and a terrible season of suicide updates with lots of resources.

I’m trying to revamp what I want in my corner of the web. Yes, I still love Jesus, cheese, and cats. Also, I’m a huge adoption advocate but with a different perspective. I parent children from trauma, and we are muddling through that. There are moments when I’m considering getting my doctorate and going back to work. Cooking is not as much a passion though it is a necessity.

Sifting Through it All

I am going through the last ten years’ worth of posts, which is around 800 posts. There is a lot that I’m choosing to mark as private. Reflection has caused me to have a new set of eyes. I’m keeping them for my kids but not for the public.

There is a lot of SEO work that I’m doing, which is not my idea of fun, but it is necessary. You will never notice several things because it is on the blog’s backend. I’m taking all personal pictures of my kids and grandkids off of my blog. I don’t want to post any images without their permission. That goes for my social media stuff, as well. If you see a picture I might have missed, feel free to send me a message and let me know. I am also attempting (though probably going to fail) at taking my kids’ names off of here.

I want to share things in my journey that might relate to a lesson we have all learned through a parenting experience. Yet, I don’t have to attach a name to that story. I will forget and miss a post, but I will do my best.

PTSD Lockbox

For now, I’m reading a lot and learning a lot. I can process and refile something in my brain in the proper spot. I am working on going through my special “PTSD” lockbox, picking out memories or events, and writing about them so I can process them properly instead of keeping them locked away. I no longer want certain things to trigger me and cause a reactive response. If you work through those deep dark things, you can get them out of that lockbox and file them accordingly. When you do that, you no longer have a trauma response; you have a crappy life experience that no longer holds you captive.

So, bear with me. Subscribe if you want. If you do, you will get notifications in your email when I write something new. Be a guest blogger. I’m good with that as it is pertinent to my content. Give me book suggestions or ideas if there is something you want me to tackle. Ask if you have questions here, my email (barefootfaithjourney@gmail.com). You can also like and interact with my page on Facebook, Barefoot Faith Journey, Pinterest, or Instagram.

Life or Something Like It

Upcoming Changes to the Blog

Barefoot Faith Journey

Upcoming Changes to the Blog

Upcoming Changes to the Blog

Upcoming Changes to the Blog are in progress. For one, I’m going to possibly have that boy in an arrangement with my second daughter do some behind-the-scenes work. That means he is going to do things I don’t know about.

An addition will be either a category or a page dedicated to book reviews. I have been reading a lot lately, and I want to share with you what I’m reading to see if it piques your interest. I usually stay away from fiction, though I can stomach a few John Grisham books, and then there are a few classics that I love. Mainly therapeutic books, brain healing (from trauma), Holocaust books, and so on.

I am definitely going to make a page dedicated to Momentum Influencers Network. I have been working with them for years. I want a space dedicated to the reviews and giveaways they offer. This is such a good company, and 98% of the time, they have great opportunities.

Another “piece of business” thing is I am in the process of taking pictures of my kids and grandchild(ren) off social media platforms. This is a personal decision because I never want people to think I’m exploiting my kids for profit (I make nothing). Still, my adult children can give me informed consent, but my young boys cannot. If I have one standard for one kid, it goes for all my kids. I will still talk about them, but I want to respect their privacy.

As for my blog content, I’m on the fence about whether or not to take down posts regarding H’s health or my adoptions. I may go in and rewrite certain things…I want people to know how good God is in everything He worked out about those subjects. Yet, I want to be sensitive to all parties involved.
Now, this will all take time as I’ve been writing for a long, long, LONG time. I don’t even know if anyone reads my blog. My blog is more of a journal for me and an outlet. Recipes are a given; my mental health and my faith journey will still be here, and I will still write about it. Also, I will be accepting guest bloggers on a case-by-case basis. I may even start my FB group back up. It was deleted when I deleted all my social media accounts a year or so ago. I may try and see if there is interest in that. We shall see.