Imagine, life without TV, movies, videos, video games, emails, or internet. Strange that the idea of life without these things would sound strange to me. I want to try, though, and so I talked to Rich about my idea and we came to a decision over breakfast, just this morning:
We are literally going to unplug
both the computer and the television until September. . . .
I am looking forward to a unique summer full of fun for my whole family and I will be back to tell you all about it, Lord willing, in mid-September. Three months isn’t that long, is it? 
What I am truly hoping for is just a little more extra time to spend with the Lord, and with my husband, and our six children who are growing way too fast.
I’ve been blogging here for three years and it will be so strange (there’s that word again) not to be part of this community of friends that I’ve discovered here. I’ll be lonely for you all at times, I know I will. I won’t forget you and I hope you don’t forget me, either!
Of course, I’ll be back in the next few days before we “unplug”. I look forward to hearing from you “one last time” before I go…….
Here’s to an amazing summer with God, family, and friends! I hope you all have the best one ever with the ones you love. I will be praying for you, my special and dear xanga friends.
Your loving friend, Shanda
Good to be Home 
Praise the Lord and may God be glorified, you are doing a good thing, a very good thing, and I trust and pray the Lord will be glorified…Prayers for peace and sweetness coming your way. And your prayers are always coveted. We’ll see you in September, I’ll miss you but I truly understand, I’m having to take a partial hiatus myself with the course I’m studying. These media devices definitely get in the way of true life at times…We seem to trade the mundane for the real and best many times if we are not careful. You may enjoy the song I put on pulse this morning. : )Blessings and love, ~Amelia
I love your brave spirit! Go, Shanda, go. But be sure to come back to us…
Shanda, LOVE the idea, wish you the best summer ever!!!! I’ll be in touch!
What a great idea!! Hope your have a beautiful simple summer. You have my address, I have yours…keep in touch!!
Oh my goodness – you are one of the few blogs that I LOVE to read on an every day basis and will really miss you! I guess this will give me the chance to go back to the beginning when you started blogging and read it all – don’t mind the footprints when you are ‘plugged back in’ again! LOL Enjoy the summer and your beautiful family – may God bless you and Rich for an exciting decision like this! I’m sure you will have many adventures to talk about when you come back. And I can’t imagine how different the children and especially Seth will look!
aaauuuughghhghh!! How can you?!??! what will I do without your posts, pictures, encouragement, convicting words, etc??!?!! hahaactually, I am just jealous that I am not brave enough to try the same thing!! You will be greatly missed and we will look forward to reconnecting with you in the fall… Your kids will be so different, especially baby Seth, we might not recognize him!! :)I miss you already!!
Well, you will certainly be missed! Have a wonderful break. See you in September.
great idea…but I will miss your stories and glimpses into your family…Sometimes you just gotta turn it off and get back to what matters…
You are not going to believe how wonderful it is without network tv! We have been TV free since 2002. Perhaps we could send lovely little notes to you during the summer to keep you in the loop?
Oh! I will miss reading your blog and seeing wonderful pictures. But I hope you will have a wonderful summer with your family!!! You will be missed by your xanga friends! =(
I will miss reading your posts, I hope you have a great summer, which I’m sure you will:)
@SpazzyMommy – I would love to be penpals with you for the summer!!!!!
I will for sure miss checking for updates on your blog. Every time I read a post I know I will be encouraged as a mom. I can’t wait to hear from you in September and find out how your summer was.Love,Sherry
Shanda Banda I really wanted to call but Steve is on a very important (looooong) call so you might not hear back from me until Tuesday. Have a wonderful afternoon my dear friend!
I will miss coming on here and keeping in touch with your family this way. I hope we can keep up with eachother through the mail. I know you’ve (Rich and you) made a good decision and I am glad you are willing to take the plunge for the benefit of your family. Jeremy and I have hardly ever regretted getting rid of the Dish/Cable. We only watch movies and it has created much better communication in our marriage and home. I know you’ve made the right decision, not based on how I know what it feels like, but because I know this decision came from the union that God designed between you and Rich. I love you! Lish
I’ve never commented but I just have to say, I’m SO disappointed that we’ll miss hearing about the arrival of your chicks and how raising them goes!
oh wow good luck and I can’t wait to hear about your summer.
No tales of your girlie outings? No stories of what your children are getting into? No more Cracker Barrel tales? No book recomendations? Withdrawal!!!! Okay, half serious and half joking. You have a wonderful summer and I look forward to your return in September.
Shanda,I think this is wonderful! May we all evaluate our “dates with the media” and look deep within our own hearts at how much time we spend with all of it! God will truly bless this decision! I’ll miss you.love,Becky
way to go! I’ll miss you though.
Wow, a courageous move indeed. I suggested a week off to my hubby the other day and he was flabbergasted! I’m going to share this with him-what you are doing. It’s neat that you and Rich are making this decision together for your family. What blessings you will surely reap! You will be missed. I will pray for you and your family when you come to mind over the summer. Enjoy the beautiful, quiet (or maybe not so quiet!) days with your family and your Savior. ~AmyP.S. Thank you for your input and encouragement regarding depression. I’m meeting with my doc tomorrow.
I know I haven’t gotten over here alot myself …. actually I’ve been unplugged because of computer troubles, but I know you will be blessed spending that special time with your family! I will look forward to you returning though … your posts are always encouraging to me … and there is such a sense of peace here. You be well, my friend, and maybe, from time to time this summer, I’ll just drop on over and catch up with what I’ve missed! Bless you all! ~ Deborah <><
I have done the same thing in a “sort of” way. I literally don’t pay attention to TV shows when I’m in a room with the TV playing. That includes waiting rooms with TVs. I have a minimal, few shows I enjoy, but mainly keep the TV off and my attention turned off if others in the room are watching something. Consequently, I don’t know who’s who in TV-land and *that* hasn’t hurt me one bit.I’ve also started checking the computer only in the morning, late afternoon, and before I go to bed and turn it off. That leaves lots more time for listening to people and the birds singing outside!I’ll miss seeing you and can’t even imagine how big Seth will be in September. Be blessed, sweet friend! (maybe you’ll have time to listen to “Quiet Beauty” on a rainy day!!!!)
Ah – and I just signed on with you! LOL – My daughter, floflo1981 has been talking about you & what an encouargment you are to her and has been after me to sign on to read your blogs. I admire your courage to up-plug! I don’t have a TV so that is NOT a problem for me, and I’m sure I would be amazed how much Scrapbooking I could get done W/O the compute as well, but then I do my journaling on that so not sure if I could do that either! LOL But follow her heart & enjoy your family, looking forward to connecting in the fall!
You will be muchly missed! 🙂
OHHHH I envy you. That’s so amazing. Have a wonderful time. I will miss reading your blog. It always brightens my day, but I hope you enjoy your time so much. Peace.
I could easily do w/o the TV.. I rarely watch it.. .but I could not do w/o email very easily! You will be missed. Have a wonderful summer.
I will miss your posts and your pictures of your kids and your fun activities but I am sure it will be most awesomest summer ever!!! Enjoy your time together! I bet you will learn more about each other than you ever thought possible!love ya,Flora
Shanda,It’s wonderful your doing this. I’m going to miss coming to visit your post!!! I have been coming to your post for more than a year. You have such a wonderful personality. I did have a question. I wondered if you guys ever got your chickens??? Last I knew Rich had them on order..???? Did you guys change your mind.???Let me know if you have any time to write me with an update. Hopefully you get my message this month and not in September. LOLYour Xanga friend,PattyP.S. Enjoy your summer with your family. Memories are forever!!!!!!!!!! I’m sure you’ll make some good ones.
BRAVO and AMEN! Awesome decision for your family. I know Gob will bless you all in unexpected ways. Meanwhile, I shall have to send you snail mail using my new photo note cards Much love and prayers, Mary
p.s. I’ve been away from xanga as I’ve prepared for my first year in the Sawdust Art Festival showing my photography instead of stained glass! It’s quite nerve racking but exciting too. Please pray that my work glorifies the Lord and blesses the people I work with.I’ll miss your photographs and family SO MUCH!
“But I’m so used to hear her say”Good morning” ev’ry day.Her joys, her woes,Her highs, her lows,Are second nature to me now;Like breathing out and breathing in.I’m very grateful she’s a womanAnd so easy to forget;Rather like a habitOne can always break-And yet,I’ve grown accustomed to the traceOf something in the air;Accustomed to her face.”I’VE GROWN ACCUSTOM TO YOUR FACES
I will miss all your beautiful pictures you take, your days and all of it!! have a great summer,Just a mom from kansas Lori..
I am sad to hear you are going “unplugged” just as I am coming back to Xanga. I will miss you this summer but will SMILE when you come to mind because I will envision all the FUN you will be having with your family. If you haven’t unplugged yet please take a moment and read my prayer request. Love ya, my old Xanga friend.
Yes Shanda I will miss you but I think the idea is a wonderful one but a difficult one at first. I know that the family will profit from this experience–I think I will drop over to your message and leave just a little message that is a bit more private–Just for you and Rich. Merle
Hope your summer is wonderful. Many blessings to you and yours.