It snuck up so fast that I nearly missed it! Yesterday, August 20, marked one year for Peace, Love, & Fostering! It’s unbelievable to me, really – and yet I feel like I’ve been doing this for a lifetime. It has been, hands down, the most rewarding experience in my 22 years of existence. Who else gets to say they talk to hundreds of people they’ve never met every single morning? I’ve made friends from all over the globe. It’s remarkable.
One year ago I set out to fiddle around with a keyboard and take some really, really amateur photos with my brother’s not-so-amateur camera – all to tell the stories of some dogs. I wasn’t quite sure what dogs, because at that time I wasn’t fostering yet, but I’d seen it done before by some pretty amazing people and thought, “Why not?” My boyfriend is really the one who pushed me to do it. I have this problem of coming up with ideas and then not following through on them. He makes sure I follow through. So one night I just sat down, clicked away for a few hours, and boom: Peace, Love, & Fostering was born. It had a long way to go, but it was in existence on the interwebs.
Instead of typing out the long story that followed, in the footsteps of some of my blog heroes I’m going to celebrate this blog-a-versary with some stats:
Date started: August 20, 2011
Date started updating 5x per week: November 2, 2011
Total posts: 225
Total comments: 1,880+
Total views: 66,400+
Search that brought the most views (besides PL&F): beagle sheltie mix
Number of fosters total: 3
Longest time a foster stayed: 4 months (tie between Otis and Baxter)
Shortest time a foster stayed: 6 weeks on and off (Lady Zee)
Number of fosters I wanted to keep: 3
Number of fosters it would have been logical to keep: 0
Number of fosters now happily in forever homes: 3
Longest time spent between fosters: 6 weeks between Zabora and Baxter
Favorite foster: Zaborabaxterotis
FosterDad’s favorite foster: Zabora
Goofiest foster: Zee and her off-balance bumblings!
Shyest foster: Otis
Happiest foster: Baxter when he saw human friends, Zabora when she was sleeping, and Otis when I returned home
Cutest couple: Baxter & Bella (below)
Biggest celebrity cameo: Tie between Chikerdoodle & Lily Fireworks
Post with the most views: Baxter is… ADOPTED!
Post with the 2nd most views: On Being 22 and a Foster Mom
Favorite props post: Will U Be Mine? (Baxter’s Valentine’s Day post)
Hardest post to write: Dear Baxter
Easiest post to write: The Power of Being Positive
Number of positive changes in my life from this blog: Too many to count!
Number of friends made: Too many to count!
Number of blog friends met online before meeting in person: 5+
Blog friends visited in other states: 2 (and hoping to add more!)
Weirdest place a random blog follower has said hi to me: While I was walking Otis in my neighborhood
Number of hours of sleep lost writing posts every night: Doesn’t matter
Favorite thing learned while blogging: Photography
Most helpful real life skills learned: How to be disciplined, plan ahead, and be creative
Favorite part overall: Tie between the lives saved, the bond made with each foster, and all my readers
I can’t say it enough: you all are one of the best parts of blogging. PL&F wouldn’t have gone anywhere in the last year if you weren’t here to read it. The friends I’ve met, the emails I’ve exchanged with strangers, the advice I’ve both given and received. . . the impact of it all is beyond measure. So thank you!
Tune in tomorrow to see the year reviewed in photos!
Congrats on your first year! Love the write-up!!
Congratulations! I love reading this every morning. Keep up the good work!
Congrats on completing a whole year! Yours is one of the only blogs I risk getting into trouble at work for by viewing/commenting. I’m in awe of your page views too — way to kick some butt for the pitties!
Congrats and keep up the good work! The dogs and your readers need you! :)
Congrats J from Big Bruno
Congrats! You do an amazing job with the dog’s, your blog, everything!! Thank you and keep doing what you’re doing! You are an incredible young lady! Love the pic’s as always:))) xoxo
Congrats on your blogaversary, I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s post w/ all the photos. And, of course, thank you for all you do for the pups!
Congrats on a WONDERFUL year! Your blog always makes me smile, although my husband would rather I not read it so much because I’m ALWAYS begging him to let us adopt one of your adorable fosters. Maybe one day :)
Wooo! Congratulations on a year, and on helping out so many dogs and people in such a short time!
Congratulations on your blog’s anniversary! And thank you for fostering!
Congrats and many Kudos to you! You truly are to be admired….
Congrats! I thought you’ve been doing this a lot longer ~ love the posts and the lives you have changed!
Happy Anniversary! Wishing you many more successful years to come!
How fun! Congrats on developing such a huge following in just one year! That’s amazing! :)
Congrats! Happy blog-a-versary! I loved the year review. Great job…keep it up! :)
Great work and congratulations!
Congrats from sunny England. Best wishes for year 2!
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