It's a Kick-Off Party!!

At Last!  At Last!  The Research Years is going LIVE!  And I figured what better time to do it than during the biggest mom blogging party on the planet- The Ultimate Blog Party?!  I would like to equally welcome those from the Blog Party and all my wonderful readers from Mama Kenz Studio (and my other blogs)!

So, what is The Research Years all about?  Well, I'm glad you asked!  The Research Years is all about leaving a legacy for my kids and meeting them and their spouses in the future, where I am at now.  It is about being honest with them- reminding them what life was really like when they were young so that they and their spouses don't suffer from any unrealistic delusions or expectations.  It is about sharing with them what I learn as I go, so that some day when they are 26, or 30, or 45, they can look back and see what I was writing to them when I was that age.  I plan on turning this blog into a series of books that I can present to them at different, relevant points in their lives (ya know the big ones- leaving for college, getting married, having babies, etc...).

I plan to cover all of the following on The Research Years:

• day-to-day life 
• my own trials and errors
• recipes
• general homemaking ideas and info
• how the Lord is working in my life
• prayers for them
• thoughts on marriage and raising kids
• family history 
• and more! 

All of these topics will be written from the perspective of addressing them directly, but my hope is that as you all get to spy in on what I have to say to them, you may be able to learn and relate right along with me.  You can read more about what fueled this blog in the below post.

In addition to the posts that will be directly written to my children and their future spouses, I plan on writing some posts just specifically for my readers.  These posts will pretty much center around leaving a legacy and building a memory inheritance for our kids.  I will post about a wide variety of ideas on how you can prepare for what you want to share with and pass on to your children in the future- everything from hope chests to homemaking journals and beyond!  Eventually I may even end up hitting on some genealogy topics as well.

I am so glad you took the time to stop by and check out this new blogging venture!  I am incredibly excited about it and can't wait to see where it will go!  My dearest hope and prayer is that the Lord will use this new venue to bless not only my children and myself, but all of you as well!  I greatly appreciate your support and would love to hear from each and every one of you!

Make sure you keep coming throughout the next week for lots of new posts and legacy leaving ideas!  Also, don't forget to stop by Mama Kenz Studio (my main blog) for lots of book reviews and a giveaway this week!

PS- Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I have a brand spankin' new Facebook fan page as well (make sure you check out the discussions section), lots of ways for you to subscribe, and you can also follow me on Twitter (Chic_Mama)!   Also, if I get enough interest, I will probably start a Blog Frog community as well!

What this is all about...

This little blog is my newest project in the blogosphere and it is something I have been considering doing for quite some time in one form or another.  Many of you will know me as Chic Mama or Mama Kenz from Mama Kenz Studio.  I am also the mama behind The World According to R-Man, and The Lion Cub.

"The Research Years" has come into existence to fill my longing to create an honest letter of love to my future daughter-in-laws and hopefully daughters as well!  There are so many things that I want them to be able to see about my life now, in all of its reality, so that years from now they can see for themselves what my life was truly like, how I dealt with things, and hopefully not bear the burden of thinking they have some unrealistic expectation to live up to.  It will also give my sons a nice little reality check to look back on and not think that they grew up with super-mom and project that image on their wives (cause let's be honest, even when their mothers aren't super, men have a tendency of remembering them that way!). 

Along the way I also hope to share with them the tips, tricks, recipes and revelations I learn along this journey, as well as the prayers and thoughts that I have for them now that I may just plain old forget by the time I meet them!

So, my dear hopeful daughters and daughter-in-laws to be,

Know that even now, at the age of 25 with 3 1/2 year old and 4 month old sons, I am thinking of you and hoping for the best for you.  I know that we will not always see eye-to-eye and there will likely be times we just don't get along!  But, dear DILs, it is my hope that I will prepare my sons in such a way for you in the coming years that you will know I loved you even now.

And my hopeful daughters, I pray that I am able to teach and prepare you for life so that you will have less to figure out than I have and that you will glean from the honesty and humility I hope to express to you through this blog!

I give you all my deepest love.

I commit you to the Lord in prayer.

I dearly hope that you will enjoy and relate to my trials, joys and experiments in the ins and outs of life as a wife and mom.

After all, these are The Research Years!

All My Love and Honesty!

Mama Kenz