To kick off the blogiversary week, I thought you might want to get a better glimpse at this blog. So here are some questions that you may have asked, should have asked, or are completely uninterested in.
Bower Power came from an inside joke. Jeremy & I used to go mountain biking together…and a couple of times Jer’s brother, Torrey came. The entire time we were climbing these hills I thought I might die. At one point, I choked out a bit of bronchii. No joke. Torrey, being a kindhearted brother-in-law, would distract me from my wheezing by yelling out BOWER POWER in a very Napoleon Dynamite sort of way. Yes, other bikers would look at us like we were crazy. But the silliness of it all made me laugh. And I enjoyed the ride just a little more because of his Tarzan screams. It seemed like the perfect name for a place that I documented my highs & lows, my little jokes and my big joys. And that is how Bower Power was named.
No. This is a really really great thing for me right now…and I love that I have an online community of friends who read and feed me tons of encouragement. But I know that this, like everything else in life, will have an end. I don’t know when it will be. I do know that if it ever takes away from Will or Jeremy or if documenting life becomes more important than LIVING life…well, things will be prioritized. But for now, the unknown of it’s lifetime makes me appreciate it in this moment.
My favorite thing about blogging is looking back on what we did in the past. It’s just a great alternative to a diary. And also, I love comments. You guys are just so darn witty and funny and encouraging. Even when there is a person who had a bad day and leaves a little hateraid…sometimes that same person comes back, apologizes and teaches me that when I vent my frustration on an unsuspecting victim, that it is never too late to say “my bad”. I learn so much from you. Also, I love the fact that I make a little money doing this. I have a hard time buying Jeremy presents with his own money…so this way I feel like I earned it. Blogging is like the gift that keeps on giving 🙂
I hate, hate, hate uploading photos. I could crank out four posts a day if it wasn’t for the picture process. I have to take the pictures, upload the pictures to my camera, choose outta thousands of photos the ones I will use, edit the pictures, download the pics to Photobucket, and then upload the photos into the post…making sure that they all make sense and that my lazy eye, my mustache or my cellulite doesn’t make an appearance. But I believe that photos are an integral part of my blog. Can you imagine Bower Power without photos? I can’t. There would be no Will yawns or before & afters or family photos. It would be just a sad sad little place full of corny jokes and bad spelling.
My life is different because of blogging in so many ways. I tackle projects now with more focus, I take more photos of my life, I found a new best friend (you may know her…she’s got this tiny little blog called Young House Love), I am more inspired to be a better parent and wife, and I’m more thankful for my blessings….in short, my life is better because of it.
Hmmm….let me ask him.
“I don’t know.” That was his answer. Such a guy.
I will say this about Jeremy and blogging. He reads every single post. He asks me about missing posts…like “Hey Honey…No post today?” To which I will answer “I did however fry a pound of bacon”. I’m a champion mother/housekeeper/blogger with statements like that.
And he reads every single comment. Never misses a one. And he talks about them with me in bed. Especially the funny ones. So I think he kinda loves it. Plus, his parents still read…so it’s pretty darn cool that he can share those moments on the phone talking with them about how Will has little quirks that were mentioned on the blog. It’s like cue cards for conversation. And he probably would never admit this…but he does read blogs. So he probably thinks blogs are pretty cool.
Stay tuned for more Blogiversary goodness!
First off, congratulations! I have to tell you that I really look forward to seeing your posts pop up on my reader. My days at work could use all the help it can in the smile department and trust me, I have to catch myself from actually loling outloud at my desk. So with that said…it is a joy that you are letting your light shine on the web for all of us to see! Thanks so much and keep ’em coming. 🙂
I have to say CONGRATS and that I am a die hard reader. I have been following Bower Power for a little over a year now however I feel like I have been with you guys since the start thanks to your project archives and meet and greets. When I say die hard reader I mean it I check Bower Power and Young House Love atleast 10 times a day. It seems that I cant get off this computer without taking a little trip over to the blogs. Even though I know you guys have a life and families and can not post near as many times as I check. I just dont want to miss anything. Plus a year ago we bought a foreclosure and renovated it and I am a Stay at Home Mom to a baby boy named Gavyn that was born 4/12/2010 so I enjoy reading to see Will and all that you guys do to the house. Thank You and Congrats
Hi Katie!
Happy 3rd blogiversary!! I’ve been visiting your blog for 2 of the 3 years….and I must say YOU’RE my favorite blog EVER!! I read it everyday (when I’m at work). You crack me up all the time….I so enjoy reading up on everything Bower!
Congratulations again! All the very best to your blog and the Bower family!
Melissa Evans.
Go Canucks, GO!
Hi Jeremy!
Thanks so much for sharing your life with us! I appreciate your sincere, understated faith and the fun pictures of little Will 🙂 Happy blogging!
Happy Anniversary! I love reading about the new adventures of the Bowers… You guys are so cute and Katie your silliness makes me literally LOL:-) xo
Hi Katie,
We’re relatively new readers (lurkers?) and just wanted to say congratulations and we LOVE your blog! My wife says she can’t read your blog at work because she might laugh out loud and get caught. 😉
Happy blogiversary, you!
I read a LOT of blogs everyday. Yours is one of my absolute favorites. Your home is beautiful, and so was your old home. Your son is adorable and even though I don’t know him, or you, I love reading your stories. You have a gift for photography and a passion for blogging. I am so happy you are sharing that with all of us. Congratulations on three years! And please don’t stop any time soon!
Congrats on year 3!! Your blog was one of the main blogs that inspired me to start my own… which I can only hope is 1/8 as awesome as yours in 3 years!
I’m just curious (ok, nosey)..how much time do you spend on your blog each week?
I never leave comments, and by never I mean this is literally my first. But I just had to tell you that I laughed out loud to “I choked out a bit of bronchii” (and no it was not a conducive setting for any abrupt noises). But to top it all off, from across the room I later heard a gentlemen with a rather chesty cough and I about lost it. One of those moments where you tighten your lips together because you feel the onset of uncontrollable laughter…but then awkward noises escape.
You’re too funny Katie!
I love Bower Power blog! Out of all the blogs I follow, yours is always the one I look at first. I think it’s because we are about the same age, both have baby boys, and have a lot of other things in common. Obviously I don’t know you personally to know that for sure, but from what I’ve learned thru following your blog, I think we do have a lot in common. Haha. I also happen to think you are HILARIOUS. But I have also been known to laugh at my own jokes now and then too. 🙂 Anyway, basically congrats on the blogiversary! So glad you plan to continue to keep blogging for a while. It always brings a smile to my face when I see you have posted something new. And I espcially love all your photography posts…I read and re-read and re-read them again so I can try to virtually soak up some of your fanflippintastic photography (and photoshopping) skills. 🙂
PS…it’s really funny what you said about Jeremy and how he feels about blogs. My hubby would probably say those exact same things. He reads every post I make, and would also hate to admit it to anyone other than me, but will ocassionally check out some of the blogs I follow. One time a couple months ago he said to me “Hey, how’s that Katie girl doing in her new forclosure home?” It was so funny! I had to giggle a sec before I caught him up on things. 😉
You are such a better wife than me. Today is our 3rd wedding anniversary, we just got back from a lovely dinner and I’m checking your blog! Haha. Congrats on 3 years, & I’m looking forward to this weeks posts!
Congratulations! Three years in the blogging world is quite the accomplishment!
So adorable that Jeremy reads everyday! My husband once admitted to “skimming” my blog and just looking at the pictures. So instead of nightly comment discussions, I’m throwing out pop quizzes to see how many lines he skipped…
Oh Katie Congratulations!
Anyone deserves a medal for keeping up with blog posts for so long!
I have just started blogging – last year I didnt even know what a blog was…. I thought it was some geeky IT person thingo that normal people couldnt do- I was very wrong!
After stumbling across Bower Power and YHL I must say it changed my whole perception on blogging. Its really lovely to read about people that have the same interests and hobbies-
I also love your funny stories and the unique way they are written 🙂
Elle
Congrats! You’ve been a favorite of mine for quite a while (and its not because we both love the same football team). : )
Congratulations Katie! I don’t comment all that often, but I’m pretty sure that I have read every post you have ever written. Keep up the good work.
Hi Jeremy!
3 years, whoo-hoo! I found your blog less than a year ago & it’s one of my favorites. I love your pictures! I need that eye candy to keep me entertained! But I also enjoy your writing. It’s not overly wordy/explanatory. (Some other bloggers just explain way too much, or seem like they are forcing the perkiness…drives me nuts!) And I can always count on you for a good pun!
It’s sweet that Jeremy keeps up with your blog! My husband loves to make fun of me, saying stuff like, “Oh how’s the Bower Power house today?” or “What’s Katy Elliott up to?” (another blog I enjoy)… yet if I leave a blog page up at my desk, I find him scrolling the comments later on!
My husband & I go mountain biking too, so I totally laughed about the bronchii! ONCE I actually threw up due to heat exhaustion. It wasn’t pretty. It was the same day I saw 2 tarantulas in the wild for the first time. I jerked my bike over & almost fell off… I would’ve died if I fell & they crawled anywhere near me! 🙁
Sorry for the extra long comment, but I hope it makes up for the many days I don’t comment? I enjoy all your posts, but sometimes I just have no will power to type after a long day!
Happy blogiversary!!
Hey Congrats! I have a few more questions. 🙂
Would you and Jeremy (and Will!) ever consider doing a reality TV show?
Which reality TV phenom do you liken yourself too? The Duggars? The Gosselins? The Kardashians!? 🙂
Will will be homeschooled as you were?
Keep up the great work Bowers!
And here I always thought it was a perfect pun on this!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bower
You were clearly destined to be a house blogger… Happy anniversary!
Happy blogiversary! Perhaps Jeremy reads all the comments so he doesn’t miss out on any about how hunky he is? 😉
Happy Blogaversary Katie- I hope you don’t ever stop blogging because I enjoy your blog so much. And I think it’s kind of ironic how the pictures part of the blog is your least favorite…..
Congrats!!!
I will be sad when the day comes that you don’t blog anymore… you have become part of my daily routine.
Haha! Jeremy definitely doesn’t think he is hunky…so believe me, I hear about it whenever there is a compliment in the comment section 🙂
xo – kb
WOW Miya! Seriously that is such a coincidence! Thanks for sharing 🙂
xo – kb
Heehee…
1. No. We would be extremely boring. Nobody would watch. The pilot would be canceled due to camera men falling asleep.
2. Our real lives are most like Everybody Loves Raymond. A boring version.
3. Perhaps. It matters where we are financially, if we are in a good school district, if I have had a mental breakdown, etc.
xo- kb
Congratulations Bowers! Very jealous that your boyfriend reads every single post and the comments…that is stellar!! My hubs will read something if a co-worker asks him about it…his co-workers read my blog but he doesnt!!!!!!!
Happy 3rd Blogiversary!! I am so happy to have found your blog. I love reading all about your life, as creepy as that is haha! I like that your boyfriend reads all your blog posts. My husband does too and always asks me whenever I don’t write a post. Oh the pressure of being a good wife! Keep up the good work!
Katie,
I’ve been following along with your blog for a few months now and wow! I’m amazed at everything you guys do! I went through college with Jeremy and thought he was a talented individual. So glad I found you guys on line and can keep up with what’s going on. You’ve been an encouragement to me with your projects. I’m not very creative, but you make it look so easy! You guys have a handsome little boy and what a cool family! Thanks for the post and keep them coming.
Wow. Reading this post was bittersweet for me. Sweet, because not only do I love what you do, you were also on a short list of other bloggers that made me think I could start a blog for myself. And sad, because my husband never ever looks at my blog and rarely even asks me about it. (He’s truly a wonderful fellow and supportive in so many other ways). Keep up the great work. I esecially appreciate your genuine honesty and candor:)
That’s too cute that Jeremy reads all your posts and the comments! (Hi Jeremy!) My husband reads most of my posts, and he got a lot of his coworkers reading after talking about things we’ve done around the house. It still weirds me out a little when I meet his coworkers and they say “so what’s the project for the house this weekend?” or something like that.
I love the part about where your blog name came from! And I admit it made me a little sad to read that you won’t blog forever, but I completely understand. I doubt I’ll blog forever, especially if it starts to take away from my everyday life outside my blog.
Love your honesty, KB.
Congrats!
I am a semi-new reader from YHL. (I wonder how long I am new for?) Anyway, I love your blog and sense of humor. I get so excited when there is a new post. Your pics are beautiful and I appreciate the trouble you go through getting them to the blog.
Happy 3rd Anniversary, Katie! I think the most meaningful thing I can say to you today is to tell you that I now think of you every time the topic of bacon comes up. You and bacon are synonymous in my mind. 😉 Seriously though, I love coming here — thanks for all the good times reading your posts!
I’m so jealous that Jeremy reads your blog! My hubby so does not. I have noticed he’ll ask about my traffic from time to time though which I think is sweet. I’m trying to get him to start his own blog about sports so he’ll stop yapping to me about it so much. Everytime he starts going on about some game/player/scandal/etc I’m all like “sounds like a good idea for a blog post!”
I’m glad you’re a blogger and hope that you stick around a while longer. I think you’ve got such a unique voice and great style. And you make me laugh all the time. And I wouldn’t judge you if you chose to have fewer pictures. I think you feature more pictures than most bloggers and if that’s slowing you down from cranking out what I really come here for (great ideas and jokes about bacon), then by all means entertain us with your sparkling wit!
CONGRATS, KATIE!!!!! As everyone has said, you are awesome, hilarious, and make everyone’s day a little brighter. THANK YOU for sharing your life, inspiration, family, and photo skills with us. You rock. And nice job, Jeremy. 🙂
Hi Jeremy!
I don’t know why, but I couldn’t stop laughing at your last answer “What does your boyfriend say about blogging”…it just totally cracked me up in a sweet adoration kind of way and because my husband would most likely give the same kind of answer, I just was laughing here at home, out loud to myself. You’re awesome Jeremy, for the answer that Katie gave for you! 🙂
How can I subscribe to your blog? I just stumbled across it today and LOVE it!
There is a little button that has a flame on it on the sidebar – just click that and it gives you loads of subscription options 🙂
xo -kb