I began my blogger journey in 2009. I was six months pregnant with our twins, working full time, and Maddie was two at the time. I created our blog to keep family and friends up to date with my pregnancy. Thankfully I had started the blog before the twins arrival because they ended up arriving seven weeks early. The blog became even more important and became a way for us to keep everyone updated in the midst of this overwhelming and busy season in our life.
As the twins and Maddie got older it continued to be a great way to keep everyone up to date on the happenings of our family. I love to journal, but when I was pregnant with Timmy my fingers would swell up and I wasn’t able to hold a pencil comfortably. I could however type with no problems and my blog morphed into a way to journal out loud what was going on in my head. I was shocked when I discovered people found encouragement and inspiration from reading my ramblings. While I was shocked I was also encouraged to continue sharing my struggles and my joys in being a child of God, wife, mom, friend, sister, daughter, and all the different hats I wear.
I have always lived with the moto, “Everyone is waiting for someone else to say or do something so they can experience freedom in their life”. If I am the person God chooses to use, then I want my life to be an open book.
About a year ago I was blessed to meet Donna Hup through a class we took together at our church. Donna is the founder and owner of donnahup.com. She is a talented and gifted freelance writer! She is also one of the most amazing Godly women you will ever meet. She genuinely cares about those around her, she has an amazing heart for reaching the hearts of youth, and her joy is contagious! At the end of our class Donna mentioned to me that she really enjoyed reading my blog and she wondered if I would be willing to be a freelance writer for her blog.
The funny thing is I had made the mental decision that I would no longer be afraid to try things that came across my path. I was going to be confident and allow God to give me exactly what I would need in the endeavors that I tried. I agreed to try product reviewing for Donna. What I didn’t expect was how much I would love it! I truly do love it!
In the midst of finding new confidence I had also been praying for the Lord to bring me a hobby that I loved. I needed an adult outlet outside of raising my kids, being a wife, and something that would allow me to feel human. Something that would allow me to see a glimpse of the woman I missed.
Blogging has allowed me to take my role as a wife, mom, friend, child of God, and my many other hats and share them with the world. I am honored. I am humbled that others would want to listen to me.
What I didn’t expect in blogging was how it would mold and shape me even more into the woman and the person I already am. When I introduce myself as Robin Russell, owner and writer for Russell’s Adventures. I am in essence telling the world who I am, what I believe, and what I do on a daily basis. When I first began to introduce myself I was embarrassed and ashamed of what I was doing. I don’t have a smart phone, I have a broken down computer, and Mark my web developer husband continues to chuckle at me at my lack of website knowledge. I was embarrassed, but then God began to show me this was not a path I had planned to journey down. It is a direction I am willing and excited to allow God to take me on.
The journey God has put me on has helped me to own who I am, what I am about, and what I believe. It has helped me to be the confident child of God that I am. My blog is me, I am my blog, we are not separate from each other. When you read my blog, you hear and experience what I am struggling with in my life, you hear and experience our adventures first hand. I am proud of the Child of God I am, I am proud of the compassionate person God has made me, and I am in awe in how blogging has helped me to own who I am.
I have amazing people to learn from. I have learned that if I want to be the best in what I am doing I need to look at the ones who are already doing it well and learn from them. God has put knowledgeable, loving, and supportive key people in my life for such a time as this.
I would like to thank Donna Hup for not only seeing my potential but helping me rise to a different place. Your friendship, encouragement, constant answers to my questions, and your love for my family is incredible!
I would especially like to thank Mark, my husband, who has worked many late nights on my website. This is your baby as much as it is mine. Thank you Mark for believing in me, supporting me, encouraging me, and loving me on our adventure! I love how God has combined your career loves with mine. I love being on our journey together!
Also, thank you to our kiddos who have sacrified playing time with us while we are working to get our site up and running. This site is as much yours as it is Daddy and I’s! I am excited to see the beauty and creativity you add to our site! We are indeed blessed to call you ours! We love you forever, we like you for always, you are always wanted, and you are indeed our special treasure!
I am pleasantly excited at all that has happened through blogging! While I didn’t expect it I am thankful!