Top 12 of 2012

As I sit and look back through our year I thought it would be cool to post my top 12 blog post for 2012.  It was a new year with us moving to a new city and being closer to family. We welcomed a new blessing into our family and we ventured out across the world to participant in our friends wedding.  It was a year with many first and news for us.  We sit back today with thanksgiving for a great year and with anticipation of what the Father has next for us in this new year.


Here is a collection of your favorite and my favorite blog post for 2012.

1.  The Daniel Fast:

We try to start the year off by somewhat of a detox.  Each year we have tried to limit processed foods, junk food and rich foods during the month of January.  This year I have lots of new recipes which you can find on my pintrest board.

2. Red lentil Soup

Many readers have enjoyed this recipe and as been a big hit on the blog.  I didn't realize there were so many people wanting to take part in the Daniel fast with us :)

3.  Curly Hair

I saw how to do these no heat curls on pinterest and gave them a try and to my surprise it worked!!  I love trying new things with my hair my next step is to learn to use curlers and do a nice fish tail! 

4. Valentines pop-tarts 

My first blog post that was featured on one of my favorite blogs I heart nap time!! 

5.  Peterson LOVE Day

February was a fun month for us as we did so many different LOVE activities as we learned about sharing God's love with others. We ended our "love" month with a special meal at our "special" restaurant. 

6. Truffula Trees

A very fun activity to do with the kids before seeing the movie. 

7. Rock Pets

These were a hit with the kids and we used them to decorate our flower gardens, deck and we used them as paper weights for Eben's monster bash!

8.  Waffle Cone Dessert

This was a mothers day special that Micah did for me, his mom and my sister in law.  I love this post because Micah saw it pinned on my pinterest and then surprised me with it!  That is when I fell even more in LOVE with pinterest.  My husband was following only me on there and new all the things that I was pinning. Husbands pinterest is the key to knowing your wife :) 

9. 50 Days of Summer Fun

 50 days of summer fun was so awesome.  I printed these chart out and had it hung over the kitchen table.  Every day (at least it seemed that way) we talked about all the things we had done and the things we were still planning on doing.   We enjoyed everything from making Oreo popsicles to M&M on toast day.

10.  Homeschooling 

This was a BIG decision that we are enjoying so much!!!  We are having lots of fun playing games and learning creativity.

11. Monthly Meal Planning

During the end of the year I began to find it more helpful to plan meals for the month instead of just the week.  Lots of readers have been using the recipes as well and enjoying them :) 

12.  CEO of my home

I wrote this post over on our family blog but I just love it so much that it had to go on my top 12 because its how I feel about my home and our family it is my mission which all my fun and creativity flows out of!

Thanks for being faithful readers and encouraging me by writing comments and personal messages.  I love hearing from each of you.  I love when you do crafts I have posted, tried an activity or enjoyed (or didn't enjoy) a recipe. 

Have a happy new year my friends. 

Advent Christmas verses

Every year we count down to our Christmas celebrations using this advent calendar that my mother in law made for her kids when they were young.  Now that they all have families she has given each family their own.  Our family really loves hanging this on the wall and adding pieces to the beautiful nativity scene everyday until Christmas morning when baby Jesus is placed in the loving arms of his mommy Mary.  

This year durning our morning devotions I wanted to read verses that went a long with the Christmas theme and of course a quick shout out in the facebook world by another friend lead me to a Christmas list of verses to read every morning ending the 25 days with reading the first chapters of Luke. 

I made this little advent calendar and behind each circle is the verse for that day. 

So if you want the list here it is.

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself

will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin

shall conceive and bear a son,

and shall call his name Immanuel.

(which means God with Us)

Matthew 2:10 When they saw the

star, they rejoiced exceedingly

with great joy.

Luke 2:12 And this will be a sign

for you: you will find a baby wrapped

in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.

Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given; and the government

shall be upon his shoulder, and his name

shall be called Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God, Everlasting Father,

Prince of Peace.

Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter

of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter

of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming

to you; righteous and having salvation is he,

humble and mounted on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Acts 5:31 God exalted him at his right hand

as Leader and Savior, to give repentance

to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

Philippians 2:8-10 And being found in

human form, he humbled himself by

becoming obedient to the point of death,

even death on a cross. Therefore

God has highly exalted him and

bestowed on him the name that is

above every name, so that at the

name of Jesus every knee should

bow, in heaven and on earth and

under the earth

Isaiah 11:1 There shall come forth

a shoot from the stump of Jesse,

and a branch from his roots

shall bear fruit.

Matthew 1:21 She will bear a son,

and you shall call his name Jesus,

for he will save his people from

their sins.

Matthew 1:23 “Behold, the virgin shall

conceive and bear a son, and they shall

call his name Immanuel” (which means,

God with us).

Luke 1:30-31 And the angel said to her,

“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have

found favor with God. And behold, you

will conceive in your womb and bear a son,

and you shall call his name Jesus.

Luke 2:15-16 When the angels went away

from them into heaven, the shepherds said

to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem

and see this thing that has happened, which

the Lord has made known to us.”And they

went with haste and found Mary and Joseph,

and the baby lying in a manger.

Luke 2:10 And the angel said to them,

“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good

news of great joy that will be for all the people.

Luke 2:11 For unto you is born

this day in the city of David a Savior,

who is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the

highest, and on earth peace among

those with whom he is pleased!”

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that

he gave his only Son, that whoever believes

in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death,

but the free gift of God is eternal life

in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope

fill you with all joy and peace in

believing, so that by the power of the

Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

2 Corinthians 9:15 Now thanks be to God

for His Gift, [precious] beyond telling

[His indescribable, inexpressible, free Gift]! .

James 1:17 Every good gift and every

perfect gift is from above, coming

down from the Father of lights with

whom there is no variation or shadow

due to change.

Psalm 72:11 - All kings will bow before

him, and all nations will serve him

Micah 5:2 - But you, O Bethlehem

Ephrathah, are only a small village

among all the people of Judah. Yet a

ruler of Israel will come from you,

one whose origins are from the distant past.

Luke 1:14 - You will have great joy and

gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.

Luke 2