Starting over....

OK, so I am going to give this blog thing a shot again.  I started one years ago and I think I might have wrote three posts before the thought, and the blog, died.  But a friend of mine told me she has been blogging for years as a way of preserving the memories for her kids and I began to think that was perfect for me as well.  My sister does my scrapbooks for me and really as much crap as I give her for being a year behind she is way ahead of where I would be if I was doing them.  At the same time, sometimes I look at the finished product and think to myself that the pictures aren't really telling the whole story.  If I could just add words it would add so much more.  But the logistics of adding words while my sister is making the scrapbook...and actually remembering the words a year later (sorry Heather...yet another jab) is just wishful thinking.  So, I've continued to toss around the blog idea. 

My next hurdle to get over when thinking about the blog was, "does anyone actually care".  And the truth I have landed on is "no, probably not".  Most people who are going to read my blog will actually hear the stories from me anyway.  So that shouldn't even be my motivation.  What I need to keep in mind is that my kids will care.  Someday, they will get to look back and see/read the stories about the memories we created.  And even further down the road, maybe they will show the stories to their kids.  Well if they grow up that is.... I'm still trying to figure out how to keep them little.  So, the first key to writing is to know your audience.  Mine is my children.  While I might share my blog with others (in a couple months, if I actually keep up with it) they are the reason I am doing this.  I want to share the memories with them.  I want them to be able to look back some day and say "wow, I remember that". 

Next, I needed to decide if I actually thought I would keep up with it.  Truth is, I still don't know about that one.  But I did find myself thinking throughout the day, "ok, that could go in my blog".  I thought that enough times that I decided to give it a shot.  Granted, I have been thinking that for about a week now, and this is my first post (about nothing really) so we will see how it all goes. 

Finally, I needed to come up with a name.  That is the tricky part.  I'm not against using our names but really, there are crazies out there.  I've met plenty of them already.  So what is the point?  After much thought, I landed on two possibilities.  If I were to go with my funny one it would be "Just Another Way to Avoid Laundry".  Really, I should use that one.  Because it is the truth.  My laundry is going to suffer on account of this new hobby.  But, I have a feeling my kids are going to remember the piles of unfolded laundry anyway, so I don't need to remind them how much I dislike (the H word isn't allowed at our house) laundry.  So, I went with a memory instead...."One Night and Forever". 

My goal is to make the blog about Bumpkin, Troublemaker, and Mimi (and maybe any others that come along :) but the title has importance to my husband and I.  In essense, it is our love story.  And although I am sure we will tell the kids about it someday, here is the computer version for my girls.  But before I start I want to remind my girls, there is no white horse.  No Prince Charming.  No Knight in Shining Armor.  Although your father and I's meeting may sound like a fairytale or fate, it does not happen the same way for every person.  Do not wait for some chance meeting in a foreign country to find your true love.  It may not happen that way for you.  Your father and I certainly weren't looking for forever that night. 

Your daddy and I met in London, England.  I was over there "studying" and your father was "watching a car race". We met at a dance club/sport bar the night after he was supposed to fly back to D.C.  The same night I was supposed to meet someone else.  After eyeing each other for a while we finally started talking and ended up closing the place down. 

We didn't have a pen or paper so I told your father my email address and assumed I would never hear from him again.  He remembered it though (impressive if you think about your father) and we started emailing back and forth.  Once I got back to the states he decided to fly out and visit my "village".  We officially gave ourselves the dating title during that visit and many more visits followed.  One night, when we were out with some friends who were in London with us, my roommate Grace said, "So you guys are going to be one night and forever huh".  And it has stuck.  It was our wedding theme and it is only fitting that it is the blogs title.  It is the forever that is following that one night. 

This blog is for you!