I’ve been blogging in my little corner of the interwebs for almost five years – unbelievable! What started as an outlet has grown into something I never could have envisioned when I signed up for that first Blogger account so long ago.
It’s become a tradition for me to provide a recap of each year’s most popular posts in the last week of the year (see here for 2011, here for 2012, and here for 2013), but with both Christmas and New Year’s Day falling on a Thursday this time around, I’m jumping the gun just a bit. Hope you don’t mind! I’ll continue to post between now and year’s end – Sarah Kate’s birthday is coming up, dontchaknow? – so be sure to stop back by.
When I put these lists together, I always check the analytics from multiple angles to make sure none of the top posts “snuck in” because they just had one good fluke-y day. When I saw this year’s initial list, I thought surely it couldn’t be right, but…it was.
You guys were All About Sarah Kate in 2014.
Eight of the top posts were about Sarah Kate – and that’s just looking at the top ten. She dominated most of the top twenty, too. Without further ado, here’s what you read the most in 2014:
What It Was Like to Be the Mom of the Most Awesome Kid in the World1 – Her brother’s photo may have gone viral way back, but her whole story went viral in 2014 – so viral that Disney made not just one, but two videos about her this year. It was also the most commented post of the year – many of the commenters were people who were there or Disney cast members who heard about her.
Dead Last Finish is greater than Did Not Finish, which trumps Did Not Start – Before that fateful day in February when Sarah Kate triumphed at the mile, however, there was a much-less triumphant day in January when she struggled mightily.
The Longest Days | My Messy Beautiful – You guys loved the race posts, but the top ten list was also dominated by posts about Sarah Kate’s surgery. This one, in which I recounted what it was like (both times) sending my baby into surgery, was also one of my favorites.
Why We’re Not Doing Santa Anymore – The Santa post just went up a week ago, so I was surprised to see it in the top ten. A lot of people had an opinion about it, too – it also was among the most commented posts of the year.
Dem Bones, Part 1: Sarah Kate’s Surgery Cocktail – I don’t know why this post was so popular. Maybe you guys just really, really wanted the details about what went on during her surgery? I know I’m thankful that so many of you seemed to care!
A Magic Moment for Sarah Kate – This post wasn’t one of my favorites, but the day that inspired it was. I’ll have a follow-up post about the Main Event in 2015.
My Stand-Up Girl – Seeing how popular the post about Sarah Kate’s surgery was, I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised that you guys stuck around to see how things turned out.
Disney Magic … in Mayberry! – As one reader said to me a few weeks ago, Sarah Kate may have a career in media or public relations one day. She’s a natural in front of a camera and a mic.
Fire Ants Suck, and a High Pain Tolerance Can, Too – The one and only post on the top ten list this year that was solely about Nathan was a recent entry – from when he was bitten by hundreds of fire ants earlier this month.
Casts Away! – You guys have shown an amazing interest in Sarah Kate’s surgery and rehab this year, so I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise that you wanted to see how the cast removal went, too.
Honorable Mentions (i.e., Three Most Commented Posts Not Listed Above):
- What Is My Responsibility to the Special Needs Community?
- Sarah Kate’s New Wheels!
- Is Sarah Kate’s Story Inspirational, or Inspiration Porn?
Obviously, I don’t know exactly why Sarah Kate was so popular this year, but I’m going with the scenario that makes me smile: you guys really care about my kids, even those of you who’ve never met them (which is most of you!)
I don’t know what 2015 will bring, but I hope you’ll continue to follow our stories, and share yours with us.
Happy Holidays!
Did your favorite post of 2014 make the list? Share what your favorites were in the comments!
Thank you for sharing your lives! Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas! May the Lord have many great blessings in store for you and your family in 2015 as you continue to bless others by sharing your stories.
Thank you!
Thank you for sharing and highlighting what many of us (in bits and pieces) have been through. Lets hope and pray that 2015 brings health and happiness to all of us – especially our little ones!
Thanks, Diane!