Blogiversary Take 2

Welcome back to my blogiversary party!

 (Image found via Google Images, made by Jen Gets Fancy).
I couldn't cram everything from the last two years into two posts so I made into two- one for each year my blog has existed! I got a little more sappy in the last post, so I'm trying to make this one a little lighter. I thought I would play a little numbers game with some fun facts about my blog over the last couple years:

• 181: Posts I have published in the last two years. 
• 38: Posts that were published since my 1st blogiversary last year (side note, I know this number is really low. After my sister was diagnosed, it took me awhile to come to terms with the fact that it was okay to go on with my life as normal, and that meant blogging about stuff non-cancer related. That is why that number is so low).
• 1646: Comments I have received (thank you to my blog friends and loyal commenters! I love hearing hearing from you, it very often makes my day!)
• 244: The most visitors I have ever had in one day. It was Thanksgiving Day 2008. Like I said last year, I have no idea why people were reading my blog on Thanksgiving, but I'll take it! 
• 201: The second most visitors in one day. It was December 26 of this year.
• 23,043: Total visitors that have stopped by this blog since the beginning!
• 2,790: Visitors that have came to my blog directly (according to Google Analytics). 
• 127: Google Followers my blog has! That is amazing! Thank you all!! 
• 78: Facebook fans! Thank you! :)

Some other non-number fun facts:

• The number one term people search to get to my blog is "dangers of beer pong" (same as last year). One of my favorite posts, a humorous outlook on injuring yourself during a game of beer pong!
• The weirdest thing people have searched to get to my blog? "Women flashing on roller coasters" I have no idea what this has to with my blog... I swear I've never done that! Other weird ones include "fat girl kissing skinny girl", "mckmama moocher" "but you don't understand, osgood. uh, i'm a man. well, nobody's perfect!"
• My most viewed post ever is this Top 5 Tuesday post about shopping. It has 764 views... crazy!
• My top viewed post in the past year since my 1st blogiversary is Dangers of Beer Pong of course! Even though that post was up before my blogiversary last year, it was still the most popular since then!
• This was a year of firsts, as well: I participated in 1st blog swap with the fabulous Caroline! And I wrote my 1st guest post at Winey Mommy's blog! 

Well, that about it wraps it up! This year my blog has changed a lot and it will continue to change (hopefully for the better) as the years go on. Thank you to everyone who has seen me through this journey!

My one request (I know, I'm always demanding things)- I have so many followers I don't know, but I really want to "meet"! Please introduce yourself! That is all... I hope you all have enjoyed my blogiversary party!

2 Year Blogiversary!

June 22, 2008. That is the day of my very first blog post, the day Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman (the blog) was born. Two years later, here it is, still alive and kicking. I thought a lot about how to celebrate this blogiverasry. I mean, two years, that's kind of a big deal, right?! So I wanted to give a proper celebration.

Some people, I know, do giveaways for their blogiversary, but in two years this blog has never had a single giveaway so I'm not about to start now! I didn't want to re-cap the year(s) because, well, if you've been reading, you already know it all.

I thought a lot about what "good" bloggers would do. A "good" blogger would have some big celebration planned maybe link to a few blogs. Definitely make you laugh. They would definitely not wait until 9:00 the day of their blogiversary to publish their post. But then I came to my senses got over it and realized, (warning, I'm getting deep here) I am me. Just me. I'm not a queen blogger, I'm not a blog celebrity  (or any kind of celebrity) or anything, and that's ok. Because all I can be is my version of greatness, and if I'm not a "good" blogger by some standards, well oh well.

Ok, off my soapbox now. This blog sure has changed since the early days. I like to think that my blog grows as I grow. As I mature, my blog matures. This past year, my blog changed in a way I never anticipated that it would. When my sister was diagnosed with cancer in the fall, this became my outlet to process what I was feeling. I am so thankful I had this forum to express myself and on top of that, I had all of you, people who I wouldn't have "known" otherwise, praying for her! And that makes it all worth it! :)

So without being cliche, I just wanna say two years ago I had no idea what blogging could be! I just wanted to journal the transition from high school to college, and I did that but also so mcuh more! Thank you to those of you who read this blog, my bloggy friends, because you all inspire me with your creativity, and your kindness overwhelms me. (sorry, I didn't mean to get so sappy!)

Since it is a two year anniversary, I'm gonna spread this out over a couple days. This is installment one, installment two will be a little lighter since this was so sappy!!

Now, I am throwing myself a party here on my blog in honor of my blogiversary. And any good party has a guest book right?! So in honor of my blogiversary, I would like my followers and readers to comment, therefore signing the "guestbook". I am toying with some ideas for the 2nd installment of this blogiversary to get my blog friends to get to know each other, so make sure you come back and check that out!

Thank you for following me through my blog journey! I sure have come a long way since day 1...

(Year 1 blogiversary)

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to a guy I am proud to call my Daddy! 

From an early age, he made me laugh and smile like no one else! 

And when I would sit on his lap, I would feel like the most special little girl in the world.

As the years went by and I got older our relationship changed but I never stopped looking up to and admiring my Daddy. He helped me become the person that I am today because he always taught me to strive to be the best I can be. He taught me to never give up on my dreams. When my dad tells me he's proud of me, it means the world to me because I always work to make him proud.

My dad has always worked hard to give our family a great life and I am so grateful to him for that. I have learned a lot about hard work by watching my dad and listening to his advice.

It takes a special kind of man to be a Daddy to two girls, but my dad has always been great with us. Even though when he took me to football games and he had to talk strangers behind him about the game since I didn't know what was going on, even though when he's watching golf I comment on their outfits or if they're cute rather than the actual tournament, I know he wouldn't have it any other way, and that means a lot. I know he loves us and we are lucky to have him!

Now that I am older and starting to think about a future husband, I not only think of qualities my dad possesses that I want in a husband, but I also think about someone who will get a long with my dad. I always say (because you know, you can plan these things! ha!) that my future husband needs to play golf so he can bond with my dad!  My dad has been the most important man in my life for 20 years, so any other man in my life will need to appreciate him as much as I do! Luckily I still have a long time to find him! It's no easy task! ;)

So, Happy Father's Day to my Dad. I'm lucky to have you in my life and especially as my dad! Love you!


(p.s. Mom- I know I owe you a great Mother's Day post next year after this! haha)