Update on Blogger Tools

As many of you know, I am into looking at numbers, finding trends, etc. That is one of the reasons I have Google Analytics on my blog. If you have not heard or read about it before, basically it tracks all sorts of information about who visits any given site. (Assuming it is embedded correctly on the page)
Since I mentioned the use of "Following" a blog, I think there have been interesting results. What is following? Basically it is a shortcut on the blogspot website. Instead of checking lots of different blogs on a daily/weekly/monthly basis, if you "follow" you go to just one site, and it tells you who has updated their blog, and how long it has been. That way instead of checking 5 to 10 or more blogs, just 1 site will save you lots of time.
Anyway, since I mentioned the option of Following in January, my visitor statistics have changed quite a bit. There are 3 bit of info that I think are interesting - The Blogger.com referral (people that link to our blog from "following" jumped from 9% up to 21% of our total visits. I think that is a pretty significant increase. (comparing the 9 weeks previous to the post, and the 9 weeks since) The keyword searches, meaning somebody types something into a google search engine (or yahoo or whatever) has changed dramatically. The keyword search "Jason and Sarah Woodbury" dropped from 57% of total visits, to just 26%.
I know I am a total nerd. Deal with it.

Now, the most interesting to me, and maybe to bring a little embarrassment to a friend of ours. The absolute most interesting fact of all. the Keywords "Brittany Moore Farts" has had 2 searches that linked to our site. Brittany, is there something that I don't know about you? Do you have an obscure reputation or funny story we all need to hear? Please, feel free to comment!

Official News

I just wanted to put up a little post to let everybody know about our recent news. We have decided for the time being, that we will not be going out to Chicago this year. This is something I have been thinking a lot about for a little while, and Sarah and I just recently started discussing it. We had planned on Selling Pest Control forever, it seems. All good things must come to an end. I think that things have ended well between all parties. Well, I speak for myself anyway when saying I feel that I still have a good relationship with Pointe, Jared and Kyle (the owners). I do hope the best for them, and assume that business will continue to go well for them.
A few of the reasons, for those that are wondering. First of all, the work, selling, recruiting, managing, etc. is very hard. It is fun, exhausting, and has great rewards. I have always felt that me, and the people that I work with, dedicate ourselves and work as hard as we can for the entire summer. I think that I cannot commit myself to doing that again, putting my all into it every day. I feel that I cannot ask my sales reps to do something that I can't commit to do any longer. I have burnt out. A few other options have presented themselves to us as well, and we are looking at the other opportunities here in Boise. We want to be able to put some more time into service, and feel that by staying here and taking a job here, we may be able to help out more in our ward. We feel that we have been very blessed, and that we need to do more to help others, especially in this time of need.
Thanks to everybody for all your support, we appreciate it!

Does This Happen To Anyone Else?

I will never know why it is that Walker likes to get up between 6:30 and 7 am during the weekdays, but when it comes to having 8:30 church...his body refuses to wake up naturally.

I can't complain too much. Friday night, Parker went to bed at 9pm and woke up at 8am. I know! Right?! My jaw dropped too!

I love sleep

Mundane?...I think not.

So I have been at a loss as to what to write about lately. I work, come home, clean, do laundry(but never finish it), exercise, cook, think about what else needs to be cleaned, read, and spend time with Jason (which never feels like enough time). I've been thinking that my life is so mundane, but today I realized it really isn't.
Jason is away doing some recruiting and that makes me miss him that much more. I miss being able to drop anchor and just go with him for the weekend. I have to tell and re-tell myself that it is for business and not just hanging out with friends....Even though going to hockey games and four-wheeling and seeing old mission buddies.....sounds a LOT like hanging out with friends. While his business trips leave me home, I am able to spend some one on two time with the boys.

Last night I was cleaning out my purse and came across a gift card. The obvious response to this discovery? Tuck it back in the slot in hopes that I won't find it again until a rainy day...... Yeah right! I used it as an excuse to get out of the house! As many of you know, I have a little hobby of decorating my home v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y. I think I just tried to think of the least decorated part of my house (the master bathroom) and just got a few things to spruce it up. Soon after I had cleaned and decorated the bathroom, Walker came in, looked around and said, "Mama, 'dat so NICE!" I went in to where he was and asked him "What's so nice?" "THIS" as he pointed to everything I had done. Goooooood Boy, Walker. Although he's young, I must say he does have good taste!
At the end of the day (which came an hour earlier due to my lack of wanting to wait until I go to bed to feel like I lost an hour of sleep) We had bath time. Walker got in with his ten cars. And Parker was looking drowzy, so I bathed him in the sink. Parker cried a little bit, just because he's not at the point in his life where baths are enjoyable...(mmmmm...bath....) Walker was so concerned that Parker didn't have any toys and insisted that I get his car that he set on the edge of the tub and give it to Parker to play with. Honestly, even if evolution worked and I did have a third arm that was ten feet long, there is no way a car was going to fit in the sink with Parker. But thanks for sharing Walker.
It's now 8:40...or 9:40-whichever you prefer, both boys are asleep, and I have a good book to snuggle up with. After I put away all those darn clothes!

Walker-ism

I have hesitated to post any type of "Walker-isms," because I like to be original and unique. I do enjoy reading them from other people, I just didn't want ot jump on the band-wagon, so to speak. But here is one exception (I think this is just such his personality that I have to share):

We were at Walmart, and Sarah and I decided to get Walker his own special placemat for dinner. he likes to get our dirty, which means they all need washed about once a week. So we got this Diego one, which is more durable. Walker was obviously pretty excited about it, because he got to pick it out. When we got home, we let him carry it in. As I follow him into the kitchen I hear him "Bee beep Momma's, mine go down." He proceeded to move Sarah's area rug (the spongy one in front of the kitchen sink) to place his mat down instead. I thought it was funny. He was so proud, that he just stood there on top of it, waiting for Momma to come see that he put it where it goes, all by himself, without any help.
Needless to say, he wasn't too happy when we explained to him that it was to put his bowls/plates/food on. He wasn't having any of it then, but I think he's got it down now.