A lot can happen in four years. Transformations occur in four years…just look at a high school freshman, and the insane amount of growth and change they undergo before they graduate four years later as a senior. In the four years since I began this blog, I feel like I’ve had a similar transformation. I started off clueless and uncertain, with a crappy camera and not a clue about blog advertising or Twitter or search engine optimization. Four years later, I’m still a little clueless, but I’m also more confident in what The Sweets Life is trying to be. I’ve built up a nice little following on Facebook, figured out how to use the manual settings on my DSLR, and made enough of an impression to get a mention on the Huffington Post. Through it all, I’ve stayed true to who I am as a writer, a blogger, and, most importantly, a chef. My hope is that when you come to The Sweets Life, you recognize the authenticity in my voice and my true love for enjoying food and sharing it with others.

In the four years since I began this blog, my life outside of blogging has had quite a few transformations as well. I trained for and completed a marathon. I overworked my body and dealt with running injuries on multiple occasions (I think I’ve finally figured this one out now!). I started and finished a Master’s degree. I traveled in just about every direction within the United States. I moved out of our duplex and into a single family home in a neighborhood we love. Through it all, much like with The Sweets Life, I’ve worked to stay authentic, living according to our faith and family values, learning and growing every step of the way.

Four years later, I’m on the brink of my biggest transformation yet—adding the hat of “mom” to the many others I wear. Ryan and I are thrilled to announce that The Sweets Life will be that much sweeter come February! I’m just about sixteen weeks into this journey, and so unbelievably thankful for this blessing we’ve been granted. Along with sharing the news with all of my dear readers, I wanted to explain a few changes that are going to take place on The Sweets Life in the days to come…

(How we broke the news on Facebook!)

Starting tomorrow, I’m going to cut back to blogging four days a week—Monday, Wednesday, and Friday will be food posts like always, and I’ll keep up the Odds & Ends feature on Saturday. Sometimes I'll probably swap out a Saturday post for a travel/restaurant post. Although I’m still, for the most part, cooking just as much as always and have plenty of recipes to share, I am tired and don’t have the time or energy to spend so many hours on the computer in the evenings. I figure that will only be more true when Baby McLaury arrives!

I’m hoping that fewer posts will allow me to up the quality and work on some behind the scenes blog stuff that I never seem to get to. In reality, I probably still won’t get to it, and I’m okay with that! Much as I love this blog, my family comes first and life moves too quickly to spend all of my free hours behind a computer screen! I anticipate that the blog will continue to evolve and grow and transform as time goes on, and I hope that all of you will keep reading and cooking alongside of me! Thank you for stopping by, whether you’ve been here since yesterday or four years ago…YOU are the reason I do this!

One Year Ago: Peach Yogurt Bundt Cake
Two Years Ago: No Bake Chocolate and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
Three Years Ago: Peanut Butter Cookies
Four Years Ago: Homemade Blizzards

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Friday, August 30, 2013

4 Year Blogiversary (& a BIG Announcement!)