I thoroughly enjoy blogging!  I've said it a number of times, but I love it as a creative outlet, and as someone who tries to regularly communicate with friends and family to maintain those invaluable relationships, blogging is a means for me to share our life with friends and family, building an online community.   Who would have thought that Matt was the one who originally thought of us blogging?!  Seventy-nine posts later, I think he's written about nine of them.  Nine really good ones!  I keep encouraging, coercing, begging him to write more.  But in between his posts, I'll just keep it running.

As I near the end of my job, my mind wanders to the numerous opportunities that are before me:  further education, working at Dog Boy's Dog Ranch (click here for the recount of this fabulous puppy "heaven"); and my most recent idea and more serious inclination, is to be a professional blogger!  Who knows exactly what this would look like, and with as popular blogging is these days, it might be very difficult to find a niche.  While I may never become a professional blogger, the point is mainly that I really like blogging and working to create an online community.  So I'd like to share with you some blog goals I've created for 2008.  The purpose of posting them is two-fold:  1) so I can look back and see how I'm measuring up and 2) so you all, as our readers and audience, will know the areas that I want to work on for our blog.  Your feedback, ideas, and suggestions are most welcome and very encouraged!

1. Read The Everything Blogging Book by Aliza Sherman Risdahl.  Realizing my enthusiasm for blogging, Matt bought me this book for our anniversary that has helpful tips on publishing my ideas, getting feedback and creating an online community.
2. Quickly (within two days) respond to comments left on the blog, whether by adding a comment or publishing a new entry.
3. Maintain posting 2 to 3 entries a week.
4. Discover a topic or theme to focus on for a separate blog that could potentially be used for a professional blog.  Any suggestions?
5. Regularly read (at least several times a week) friends' blogs in support of them and also to learn from their blog styles and content.
6. Leave a comment on at least one friend's blog a week in show of support of their blog, contributing to the online community they are trying to build.
   
7. Regularly read (at least several times a week) professional blogging sites (i.e. Daily Blog Tips, ProBlogger) for suggestions, ideas and tips for our own blog. 
   
8. Semi-annually communicate with friends and family in a creative way to market our own blog and remind them of a fun way to keep up with the Scullys.
9. Receive at least 5 comments a month by being more intentional in making our blog more interactive by creating entries that facilitate and encourage reader response through comments.
10. At least quarterly, request our blog host, Vox, to enable readers to leave anonymous comments so they don't have to sign up for Vox account.
11. Post entries of varied, interesting, vulnerable, and transparent content that keeps readers coming back and attracts new readers, even if it requires me being more brave to write something that may be controversial.
12. Create and implement ways to show appreciation to our readers at least quarterly.
13. Somehow get Matt to post a blog entry at least every six weeks.  :)
    

Again, your thoughts and suggestions are welcomed!  I'd love to know what keeps you coming back.  And what would you like to see us incorporate (something new?  something specific to continue?  more pictures?) in our blog for 2008? 

Thank you for joining us in this blogging journey!