Frolic

On the first day of spring, Maile and I met a fellow blogger and her sweet daughter, in Denver, for some good quality play time. The girls were kind of all over the place, so we didn't get to chat as much as I would've liked, but it is such a great feeling when someone you feel like you've gotten to know via the internet is just as nice in person! (It's not always that way.)

Maile and I spent the rest of our day running up and down the driveway in our bare feet, drawing "outsidewalk chalk" art in front of our home, drinking cold water "with ice cubes," and loving every bit of the beginning of a new season. I just wish this weather was supposed to last -- there's snow in the forecast for Saturday.

A Moment, Gone Forever

I take my camera most everywhere, these days. Important outings, 'unimportant' ones. I admit that I'm terrified to miss a moment, gone forever, not captured.

I know, I know ...

Something that having children makes you realize, though, is that every single moment is important. If you think about that for more than a second, it suddenly becomes incredibly high-pressure. Terrifying, really. Those uninvited words creep into your mind: If you didn't take a picture, it didn't really happen.

Wrong.

If you were there, it happened. It happened for your children, and it happened for the family and friends who shared that time with you. 

I like taking photographs. I like having something semi-tangible to help me remember. I want to be in the picture with Maile. But I also want to be in the moment -- to live outside of likes and comments and hits on our family's time together.

It's strange to me how critical some people are of bloggers, accusing us of only share the beautiful and the good ... accusing us of being inauthentic, really. I think the great majority of us try to strike a balance between a pretty space and 'keeping it real'. For me, though, those things I choose not to share here, I don't share because those things are just for me. For our family. Sacred, if you will. Our messiest messes, and even some of our greatest joys -- those things are in my heart and my mind, and yes, in photographs. Moments, gone forever, meant only for us.

Small-Town America

We just returned from the quaint city of Pella, Iowa.

We're enjoying time together as a family,

unpacking,

and trying not to think about Tim leaving for work again.

Back soon!

See You There!

WELCOME TO THE NEW SITE! I am so excited to announce that Standpipe and Sprinkles is now See You There!

I'll be celebrating my one-year "blogiversary" next month, and the past couple of months, in particular, have been really eye-opening for me, as far as my goals for this blog, and how I want to present our space. I am thrilled with the new name (an homage to the way Tim and I end our phone calls when he's away), and of course I hope you love it, too!

I want to thank -- to the moon and back -- my designer Kristen, of Hello Monday Design, who's the talent behind our new look and branding. I cannot emphasize enough how fantastic she is, and how patient she was with me. (I freaked out a couple of days before install, and basically wanted to start over ... Ask me about my wedding dress fiasco sometime!) 

With this re-launch are coming a few other changes, as well:

• You can now Pin all post images -- just scroll over to see the new feature!
• A new Contact page, and email address
• Updated About and A Love Story tabs
• A Facebook page
• You can also now purchase ads directly from the Sponsor tab. I've thought long and hard about sponsorship, and given the amount of inquiries I receive about product features (especially for Maile), I do believe this is a fair way to approach the growing business side of our blog. For a limited time, we're offering 10% off any 30-day ad -- just use code TAKEMEWITHYOU at checkout!

Over the next few days, things may continue to be in transition, so thank you in advance for being understanding.

Finally, thank YOU for reading, participating, and sharing. I feel extraordinarily fortunate to have developed such wonderful relationships here, and that you genuinely care. Love, love, love you guys. Don't forget to update your reader or feed to the new URL || WWW.SEEYOUTHEREBLOG.COM

xo

Katie

Shrinking Kitchen!

I am so excited to be the newest member of the Shrinking Kitchen team! And of course, I started with a dessert recipe! ;) The brownies, which I call Cakey Carob Brownies, are my first feature for the site. Shrinking Kitchen features a few lovely ladies who are passionate about healthy living for families, and encouraging each other as women. You can browse recipes here. Thanks for including me, Shrinking Kitchen!

PS - Thank you to all of you for being so patient and understanding of me on my blogging journey! You may notice that I'm much less active when Tim is home. Thanks to you, I don't feel like I have to worry too much about this. I can't feel good about this space, or in the friendships formed online, if I'm not giving them my full attention. I never want to give y'all anything but my utmost, so I appreciate your support as I give my family my all during Tim's days off. Love you!

Happy 6 Months!

I don't know how the past few months flew by so quickly. I remember deciding to try this whole blogging thing like it was yesterday, and I'm so grateful to Tim for encouraging me to take a crack at it. It's been a very reflective past few days for me. How did this blog become a part of our lives so quickly? I've been blogging for 6 months? And look! I'm still plugging away. Still making new friends. Still recording our family's highs and lows. And still happy to be doing it! 

And oh my gosh, do I love you, my beautiful friends. It's an absolute privilege to be getting to know you. I don't know how many times I catch myself thinking, on any given day, "What a good friend [insert your name here] is becoming. How God is blessing me through this community!" This blog is teaching me so much about myself. You all are teaching me about life, and the things that matter most. You have helped make some of my most frustrating, despairing moments joyful again. You have made me smile through tears. I'm thankful for you. 

Thank you for being here. Thank you for being you. 

Happy 6-Month Blogiversary.

xo