The Blog is a Many Splendored Thing

There was a point last week when I decided to give up the internet all together. I was going to read hard-copy newspapers, send postcards in lieu of emails and check the weather by actually walking outside. Why? I had deemed the internet, and blogging, evil. After all, this malicious superhighway had allowed me to post photos of my son in his underwear for the whole world to see. (I know. Kelli...get over it.)

However, I'm starting to come back around. I'm starting to see the beauty in the online world once again. And here's why.

Growing up, my family was really close on both sides...the Crawfords and the Marlows. We got together for almost all holidays, gathered around the table for lunch on Sundays after church and found no excuses to not all huddle around the tv with a huge stainless steel bowl of homemade popcorn and Moose cups of iced tea.

Then the inevitable happened. We grew up, moved away and had families of our own. Getting together was no longer as easy as rounding up the crew after church or jaunting down the street.

My uncle John decided to start a Crawford family blog several years ago to keep everyone connected. It took many of us a while to catch on. But was has happened since has been wonderful. One by one, many family members have started their own sites as well. My aunt Rae, the talented artist, poet, writer, gourd-painter extraordinaire, started a blog that blows my mind daily. She writes the most beautiful, humorous and touching posts. My sister Kari keeps the family in stitches with her candid musings about every day life. My cousins Libby & Lyndsey and their Brandons have started sites as well. And this has moved on to the Marlow side of the family, too, with my cousin Ashley's site. Not to mention all of my friends who have their own blogs & photo sites as well. I've decided not to link their sites without their permission after the last site's fiasco because of all of their kiddo's photos :)

All of this being said to point out that the internet and blogs and all things ethernetish can be great tools for keeping families close. I feel like I know my family better and am staying in better touch with them...although I may not have seen their actual faces in years!

So, thank you internet. Thank you Blogger. And thank you my fabulous family, for taking a few minutes a day at the computer to keep us all connected and smiling.