home about contact sponsor why teaching midweek FAQs

Monday, April 22, 2013

Blog Friends & Roanoke Meet-up

Sam & I with Ashley and Luke on Friday
As I mentioned on Friday, this past week I got to meet my blog-friend Ashley (from The Pollock Potluck) and her little guy Luke for this first time in real life.  It was so fun and so easy - truly, it felt like we were just regular old friends who have known each other forever meeting for lunch and a play-date.  I loved it!

I hope she won't write me off as a total creeper friend for saying this, but even though we had never officially "met," before Friday, I have considered Ashley one of my good friends for a while.  (Let me be honest for a second, if you would have told me three years ago that I would consider someone I only knew via the internet a good friend - I would have laughed in your face and made fun of people "like that." Things change.) 

Anyway, Ashley was one of the very first "strangers" to start reading (and commenting) on my blog (I think she found it through a friend of a friend sometime in early 2010).  Subsequently, I started reading her blog, and we immediately connected because we were both teachers, "newlyweds," and fur-baby parents. ;)  

Our friendship went to a new level of closeness in the winter of 2011 when we both announced we were pregnant with our first baby (I vividly remember the day she announced it - I was SO excited), and then again when we both became "boy moms" less than three weeks apart that summer... 

Our boys hit it off right away
As I've said before, I don't have a lot of mom-friends in this area; so, the blogging community has served a very important function as an outlet and support-system for me in the almost two years since Sam was born.  Ashley is one of the first people I think about when I realize I how grateful I am for that community.  Not only do we know tons about each other because we both over share blog, but we also email regularly and stay in touch that way too.  Of course our journeys through these first years of motherhood have not been exactly the same, but I have appreciated SO much having someone who can relate to some of my struggles, answer questions, and offer encouragement along the way. 

All that to say, again, I LOVE this place.  I feel like I have real friendships with so many of you guys!! And, honestly, I wonder sometimes how I ever would have survived the transition to motherhood without this community.

It was such a treat to get to meet Ashley and Luke and - finally - get to watch our boys play together.  I hope it will be the first of many visits to come! (We're pretty much going to be the next Sherry & Katie or Erin & Nina.  You ok with that Ashley? Haha!)  

In conclusion, I'd love to get to meet more of you in real life!!!  In fact, I'm going to get crazy here for a minute...

If you live in the Roanoke/ SW Virginia area, would you consider coming to a little blogger meet-up if I planned it?  (Heck, even if you don't live in the area!)  If so, leave a comment or shoot me an email!  Let's make this thing happen!

I'm thinking we all meet at the Target snack bar, buy our kids lots of junk food, and stroll the aisles aimlessly for six+ hours.... Or just come to my house for wine and cheese! Either one.

What do you think?

One more thing: Whether you are local or not, I really do want to KNOW you too.  It really isn't fair for you to know all my deep dark secrets and I only know your avatar photo. ;)   Anyway, if you have a blog, will you please leave your web address below for me too?  Thanks friends!

I love you all!

P.S. Midweek Confessions link-up on Wednesday?  (Another great way to meet new blog-friends!)

42 comments:

  1. Aw that is so lovely you finally got to meet. I've been loving your blog a while now, but I live in England, haha! I'm not married yet, let alone have any children, but I somehow feel so connected to your posts :)

    Amy| The Little Koala Blog ♥

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I totally recognize you from comments... Thanks for being such a loyal reader! I'm a new follower on your blog!

      Delete
  2. I wanna come to your meet-up!! No fair! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I used to live in Roanoke, but we moved back to Maine in 2011!! My husband's family is still in Salem, so I will let you know when we come down...we'd love to have a playdate (preferably including wine and cheese, but I do love my some Target)! Fun idea. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm a fairly new reader to your blog, just in the last couple months. I live in Northern Virginia. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. i grew up in the SWVA area (franklin county) and if i was still there i'd be all about a meet-up. but if you're ever in the richmond area.... :)

    http://www.thekriegers.org/2013/04/twenty-months/

    ReplyDelete
  6. so fun! i occasionally get back to swva, but usually for short family trips :) my mom did grow up in roanoke - i think in the same neighborhood as you! (creeper?)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I am an IRL friend of Erika's, which is how I found your blog. I write occasionally at thegurleys.blogspot.com.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Next time we are in Fredericksburg visiting Andrews family you need to come visit your sister and we can meet up. Or you guys could plan another trip out to Seattle :-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Dang it all! I wish I lived in your area and/or had a blog! You've been such an inspiration to me (our little dudes are about a year apart - currently planning his first birthday party for June and crushing on your red/turquoise color palate). Though I'm an old lady compared to you (IF is no joke!), you've really helped me keep my type A in check as I go through this whole parenting thing. Someday, someday I will have a blog. But right now I’m working full time, raising a 10 month old, studying to become a teacher (oh! Hubby is an English teacher and I’ve totally shared some of your ideas with him), and trying to make sure I get out the door without spit up all over me. But some day, SOME DAY I will blog! In the meantime I guess I’ll have to be a lurker. But a friendly one! And if you ever find your way to North Texas I would totally take you out for margarita(s) and guacamole! Keep it up! I love your blog! - Katy W.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you SO much for saying hi! And, I'm totally going to remember your margarita and guac offer if I'm ever in Texas!

      Delete
  10. I'm so jealous! It looks like you guys had fun! If you're ever in Charlotte, let me know!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love reading your blog, I think we may have mutual friends because my husband and I went to Clemson too! We graduated in 2007... and now we live in Waynesboro, Virginia... not crazy far from Roanoke. I have a little girl who just turned a year old, and your blog has been an encouragement to me because you are about a year ahead of my in the mom adventure. Thanks! When I can keep up with it, I write a little about our life at www.thehawknest-jkh.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. I have been a total slacker on my blog lately, but would love to meet up with you and some other "friends". :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. I wanna come to your meet up too! No fair! (Haha - ditto'ing Erika.)

    I always get jealous of Minnesota bloggers - there are so many of them, and they're always meeting up!

    But i have met several blog friends in real life & I always feel like i just haven't seen them in awhile or something - with every one, we pick right up as if we are old pals! And they're even BETTER in real life than you realized from the blog! I have no idea why, but i've felt that way about each one! :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. For a brief second I thought about buying a plane ticket to come to this little shindig you guys are planning.

    Then I remembered I'm poor.

    ugggh. I am so jealous.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I have yet to meet a strangers blog in person, but I think we would enjoy each others company if we lived in a semi close area. But you can follow us along on this adventure of a life at www.thenewlymarriedmrs.blogspot.com.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I just wanted to give a shout out to those of us who don't have our own blogs...BUT love reading Blogs. I promise we are not creepers. We live in CT and have a 17 month girl, I would love to go on a play-date to Chick-Fil-A (which they do not really have in the northeast... sad face)! I am a teacher so I totally relate to so many of your stories.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I'm not sure how long I have been reading, or how I found your blog, but it's one of my faves. :] I commented a few times when I was student teaching and now i'm a substitute looking for a full time job, woo! I don't have a public blog, it's more of just a daily journal, but you inspire me to want to create one when I get married or start having kids. I love the stories that you share! I also live in near Seattle so quite a way away, bummer, I love Target!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love your blog and also work in education, so I can relate to that part of your life :) I live on the other side of VA, and am really not a "blogger" per say, but I do collect recipes and occasionally add a little randomness at wahineeats.blogspot.com. I've also emailed you about random things like a piece of your furniture I liked and your "show us your singles" post - does that makes us internet friends, haha?!

    ReplyDelete
  19. I love reading your blog! I don't know how I found it, but I am on YL staff in Northern Va. I blog at: beautyinmymess.blogspot.com :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. This "Lover" turned Texan has read your blog for a while now! And I think a bloggy date sounds fabulous...although I'll only experience it through the post that I hope you'll publish afterwards. Should you ever want to buy Sam some authentic boots, I'd do a DFW meet-up in a heart beat!

    ReplyDelete
  21. How fun!! I wish I lived close but I don't. =( My blog is http://mindymaywaters.blogspot.com otherwise known as The Mom in Little Man's World ... even though I now have a daughter added to the mix.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I am in the Roanoke area and I THINK we actually met in person recently...at Melody Makers? My husband and I brought our little girl over spring break and we chatted about teaching and common Salem friends. I was pretty sure it was you, but I didn't want to be a complete weirdo if it wasn't (and now I'm hoping that it actually was you and not someone else, because otherwise this has become a new level of weirdo). Anyway, I found your blog through a friend and enjoy reading about your adventures! I write my own blog, but don't like to over-publicize the link as I tend to share a bit too much personal info. If you're interested, I'll send the web address your way.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I've been reading for a long time... Can't remember how I first stumbled upon your blog, but I love it. I live in San Diego and am a teacher & mommy to a little guy and soon to be baby girl. Thanks for sharing this post. So thankful for great blogs... it's such a fun community for moms to connect with one another. www.mrshein.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. I'm a teacher and girl mama in Ohio. I found your blog last summer when my daughter was born and have been reading ever since. I have a blog http://foltzsaphoto.blogspot.com/ which I pretty much just use to keep track of my photos for Project Life.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I'm going to photoshop Gabe and I into the mix. I actually met an Instagram friend for coffee last week and it was crazy awesome (she even knew my drink order). Obviously I've been following you and Ash forevs (and Erika) love you 3 - oversharers fo life!

    ReplyDelete
  26. I'm an occasional blogger at best, but here it is: http://itsalwayssunnyinsomerville.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  27. it was SO MUCH FUN to meet. and I'm not going to tell you how many times I've wanted to text you since we met, but didn't know if we were really "there" yet as friends. :) We're planning a few trips to Roanoke this summer, so I'm crossing my fingers I can join in one of the meetups!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Just found this wonderful space through a bloggy friend. What a nice idea to get folks together. I am actually in Northeastern NC and would love to try to make your gathering.
    Best,
    Emmie

    ReplyDelete
  29. Wow so many comments! I love Ashley in real life and love you in blog life! So cool that you two finally met. And I'm close by so yes a meet up would be cool, though I'd have to convince my husband it was not weird to meet someone from the internet. Ha! We could make it a Golden Retriever/toddler party! I blog quite sporadically but come on over if you like a very low reading commitment. :) www.dannyandmeredith.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meredith! I would come too - we could ride over together =) Not weird at all, right?? I know E through a friend of a friend - didn't know that you "knew" her! Too funny!

      Delete
  30. Love this!! I am IRL friends with Ashley (we went to Virginia Tech together). I'm a former kindergarten teacher, now kindergarten assistant and loving it! I'm a new 'boy mom' and love reading both of your blogs. I love that you keep it real and tell true stories about being a mom. I have a little blog: www.melissaandmince.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  31. It's so crazy to meet people who you've developed relationships with online first - I have a close-knit group of women who I bonded with because we were all due in February with our little ones! I grew up in Salem, and most of my family is in the Salem/Roanoke area, so if you host it while I'm visiting, I would love to be a part of it!

    ReplyDelete
  32. So cool! I love your blog and have been quite the loyal reader for a few years now. I'm in NC so a meetup might not be out of the question! I was a somewhat regular blogger, until my principal insinuated (at a staff meeting) said that we (the staff) couldn't be both teachers AND bloggers (and I immediately panicked and stopped blogging all together). However, your post the other day about how blogging helped you develop your voice, made me realize I have to start back up if I'm going to help develop my students into writers. So come by... www.pinkbirdieboutique.com :)

    ReplyDelete
  33. Hi E! I've been reading your blog for a while (since I found it through an article on Sam's nursery!... my son, Graham, has a nursery in gray and yellowas well! He is fifteen months old. :)

    Anywho, I am in the Roanoke area as well and would LOVE to meet up. I'm a new teacher in the county too, so it's always nice to have more teacher friends, especially with young kids! Let me know when you were thinking, I would love to meet up! Target, the park , WHEREVER! My email is katehailey@live.com. I hope your family is doing well!

    ReplyDelete
  34. You know I'm in! I'll even help you plan if you would like. :)

    ReplyDelete
  35. I don't remember how I discovered your blog, but I enjoy it so much! My little girl is eight months old, and I love reading your perspective on newish mommyhood. I am a terrible blog reader, though; I think that I have only commented once! I live in Salem and would love to join in a meet-up. No blog for me, but you can email me at btainerparkins@gmail.com.

    ReplyDelete
  36. start a mommy playgroup! kevin (19 months) Caroline (1 month) and i are in!

    ReplyDelete
  37. www.globogirls.com is a good one. It also has live chat so you can chat to other users online. Good luck.

    ReplyDelete
  38. I know I'm late on this post but ill meet ya'll at target any day !!!! I'm in NOVA but I love a good road trip!!!

    ReplyDelete

Your comments are what makes this thing fun! I LOVE to hear from you and do my best to respond to everyone! THANK YOU!


Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Pin It button on image hover