A look back at the top ten posts of 2014 by the numbers.
1. Six-tea Surprise
2. The Next Big Step
3. Marriage Matters: Life Happens
4. Happy Wife, Happy Life
5. Happy Kids, Happy Car
6. I Wasn’t Going to Go There
7. Time Travelin’
8. Keep the Love Alive
9. Mommin’ It
10. Go.
What was your favorite post?
When I first shared my word for 2015 with Mr. Gray, it gave him pause. I don’t blame him. It’s a strange word to choose to strive for: settle.
It’s one of those things that just sort of came to me. I didn’t deliberate more than one word this year. It didn’t weigh heavy on my heart until I found it. It just came. As we were driving down the highway one day, there it was. “My word for the year is going to be settle,” I said before I had even given it any thought myself. I wasn’t even thinking of goals or the new year yet. It was just there. So here it is.
Settle. I want to work to settle this year. I want to settle in to a community here in our hometown. I want to settle into a routine. I want to settle into a church (not settle for a church–totally different). I want to settle into our life here. Our life is here now, and I want to plug in, pour in, and be part of this community.
As I was reading through my go posts this week, I found this post, which completely foreshadows my choice for settle. I didn’t even remember writing it until I started reading it. My heart’s desire it to feel community. To be in a group of people we can do life with right here in our town. I know this starts with me being deliberate–making the Monday meetings with other moms here in town a priority. Inviting people over for dinner. Participating in local events and activities.
This year, I am going to settle.
This year, I went with a word instead of a list of goals. I liked it. It encompassed many areas of my life.
Go.
Some days were easy. Some days were hard. There were tears of joy and tears of pain. (Did I just re-write the beginning of A Tale of Two Cities?) Just reading through all my posts tagged go brings up so many emotions and thoughts from the year. I remember the place I was in as I wrote each post. I remember the times I was in bed typing through tears and the times I scribbled prayers into my journal that turned into posts. It’s been quite a year of transition for us, and I actually found one post that I had forgotten about that completely foreshadows the word I’ve chosen for 2015. (Stay tuned for that tomorrow.)
2014 logged lots prayers, memories, firsts, and lasts. It’s a year I won’t ever forget, and a year that helped me grow.
A few of my favorite memories:
A few of my favorite posts:
Wrapped in Pretty Paper
Time Travelin’
Today I Do Not Turn 30
The Next Big Step
Happy Wife, Happy Life
Just So Grateful
A few of my favorite photos:
We wish you a very happy New Year, and a 2015 filled with blessings!
So much Christmas. So much fun! I’m so glad Samantha introduced me to the Tuesday Ten idea; I can cover so much ground this way.
1. Christmas Eve’s Eve. Revolution. My heart, y’all. It’s so at home here.
2. Polar Express with Annie. So fun seeing one of Baby Gray’s favorites on the big screen–complete with Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot chocolate!
3. Christmas Eve. Gray Christmas. Always full of laughs (and last minute crafting this year).
4. Traditions. I’m oh-so glad I remembered to do everything before we left for Nonna & Pops’ house. It makes things so much nicer.
5. Christmas morning. We have everyone over for breakfast and gifts. This year, I set out the Christmas story (THE Christmas story, not A Christmas Story), and we read it before we did anything else. I have wanted to do that for years, and I always forgot. I’m so glad I was intentional about it this year.
6. Christmas evening. Aunt Cookie’s house is full of family and dogs. I think there are actually more dogs than people if we all bring them. HA!
7. Family fun. The boy got to go bowling for the first time. He loved it. I had to wear his socks–they fit. I don’t think I’m ready for that.
8. Lainey’s Frozen 5th. Baby Gray loves him some Lainey, and I’m pretty sure he loved her birthday party–complete with snow and Olaf–even more!
9. I hauled my “big camera” around all week. I took zero photos with it. Disgraceful.
10. I’m not ready to take down our Christmas decor. Twinkle lights make my day. I think we’re leaving part of them with our winter decor and just ditching the trees. When do you take your decor down?
We wish you a very merry Christmas!
(Use your very best, “Bye, Buddy!” Mr. Narwhal voice to get the best results with that title.)
Teddy came to wish us well today before heading “home” until next year.
As much as I wasn’t sure about this whole Elf on the Shelf business, I really like the approach we have taken. It’s been fun to be intentional about sharing the love of Jesus. Maybe Teddy will make a mid-year visit sometime.
Christmas Eve is always a late one for us, so last year, I finally got smart. We put Santa’s cookies and milk out before we go see family, not after. Teddy brings the Christmas Eve jammers to open in the morning. It only took two melt downs–one pretty bad–for me to get that figured out so we could make it fun instead of a tired mess.
1. This weekend, we had Tinsley Christmas. Aunt Carrie had her props for a fun photo shoot, so we have some great memories on camera.
2. Also at Tinsley Christmas? Halloween masks! YES! So funny!
3. Hashtags work. Yesterday, I videoed some Sea World workers dancing during the Sesame Street show and posted it on Instagram; someone checked the hashtag, saw them, tagged them, and it’s just so much more fun now!
4. After the lines died down, we headed to Snow World at Sea World. Baby Gray loved every minute of it! It makes me so very excited about our trip to the snow in January!
5. We made this caramel bark last week. It was amazing. Next time, I will break the pretzels up first. I will make another batch–soon.
6. Baby Gray told us Sunday that Jesus came to take the “badness” away. I love that simple understanding. So precious.
7. I have had so many chances to talk and share about adoption lately. I am so grateful for this wait God has given us to prepare our hearts and our home for a child. We don’t know what it will look like or how it will shake out at this point, but there is so much power in divine appointments throughout the wait.
8. I did not love The Devil Wears Prada. So, of course, I started reading the sequel as soon as I found out it existed (yeah, I’m a weirdo). I like it. I hope it continues on this course. I wish I read more. I’m doing better. The Paris Wife was my favorite book of 2014. What was yours?
9. We made some forward steps with the new house last week. Maybe I’ll have some progress to share soon.
10. I’ve got my word for 2015. I can’t wait to share. Do you have your goals, dreams, or word nailed down yet?
I love Christmas cards. They’re one of my favorite parts of the holiday season. I always find myself looking back at ours from previous years. Here are a few flashbacks to Christmas cards of the past:
Yesterday, both of my guys had Christmas parties at lunch. In my teaching life, with all thirty minutes I had to eat, I wouldn’t have been able to make it to one Christmas party–much less two. I was able to attend both, though. This work that I have been given allows me freedom to be present with my husband and my son. It affords me the time to spend at my son’s field trips, on work trips with my husband, or where ever I need to be.
This gift I have been given is not lost on me. Oh, how I prayed and cried over my work situation before Baby Gray was born. God unfolded the absolute perfect solution for our family in due time. I learned a lot about patience and trusting Him while I waited. The waiting wasn’t wasted.
I still look up a lot of times and can’t believe this life. I can’t believe I really get to do it–to be home with my son. It seemed like an impossibility for so long. Even after four years, it’s still miraculous to me. I still know with all that I am that God orchestrated this opportunity. I don’t want to take it for granted.
When I was teaching, I made reindeer food for my students each year. Then I forgot about it–until last night. Baby Gray’s class party day crept up on me, and I needed to come up with something fairly quickly with ingredients we already had. Reindeer food was just the thing! It’s quick, simple, and my students used to love it! I know Baby Gray’s class will, too!
Usually, I would involve Baby Gray in making the reindeer food, but since the day snuck up on me (did I mention that?) Teddy Elf made it instead. He even gathered up teacher goodies to take to school, too!
You will need:
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, and scoop into bags. You can also add a cute bag topper (click here to print).
Just print, sign, trim, fold, tape (or staple), and share!
