2012 in Review

Thanks Melissa, for this!  I deleted and changed it a bit, but it works!  

What did you do in 2012 that you had never done before?  Took maternity pictures of a friend. 

Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?  Met some goals, still working on others.  I wasn't as intentional in January, as I am in July, as we start a new Ranch year.  Those things are still in progress

Did anyone close to you give birth?  Yup!  Melissa, Tara and Julia!

Did anyone close to you die?  No one this year!

What countries and/or states did you visit?   Went to NY for the summer and also PA.

What was your biggest achievement of the year? Planning an entire month of home school routine!  House parenting the youngest boys- an age I always said you could "never pay me enough to do," and loving it!  Forest potty training in 3 days (though I guess that's HIS achievement, not mine!)

What was your biggest failure?  Scrap booking . . . I hardly did any at all and I really miss it, and miss what it gives our family.

Did you suffer illness or injury?  Random ear infection in June and horrible case of the Flu in December.

What was the best thing someone gave you?  Well Jeremiah worked extra nights relieving a night-mare cottage, and gave me the money to buy a new camera.  So that's the best thing I got!

Where did most of your money go?   Food, children, paying bills!  Normal life things!  We're paying off our car this year and I'm hoping we can spend a LOT more on travel- visiting family more than 1x a year!

What did you get really, really, really excited about?  All my friends having babies, and Jeremiah agreeing it's time to add another baby to our family!

What song will always remind you of 2012?   "Bless the Lord oh my soul . . . Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me Let me be singing when the evening comes!"  (10,000 reasons)  I held on to this song as a hope for a friend struggling with health (you Amber!!!!), and as I discovered my own PCOS issues and the inability to get pregnant  it's one I want for me.  No matter what comes, may I praise God through it.

Compared to this time last year, are you:

Happier or Sadder? Happier . . . I am so content in my life and job.  Thankful for them as well.
Older or wiser?.  Hopefully wiser :)  
Thinner or fatter? Probably about the same . . .always within a few pounds.
Richer or poorer?  Well, slightly richer because we are within finger-grasp of paying off our car!  

What do you wish you'd done less of? Wasted time . . . wasted on the computer or boring books.  Or just wasted because I wasn't as efficient as I could be.

How did you spend Christmas?  At home with my favorite three people!

How did you spend New Year's Eve?   Here at home, hanging with the family!  No celebrating, nothing!

What was the best book you read?   Hmm, I read tons and tons and tons . . . but I did finally read the Hunger Games, out of curiosity as to why they were so popular, and LOVED them!

What did you want and get?  Well Jeremiah got me my camera.  I got brown boots that I've wanted forever!  

What did you want and not get?   A baby!  Still praying for God to give our family a precious baby!

What was your favorite film of this year?  Eh, not really into movies.  But I enjoyed Snow White & The Huntsman, Spiderman, Hobbit and Brave in the Theatre!  That's a record for me probably!  HA!

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?  34 years old . . . worked on my birthday, as usual.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?  Not having to "try" hard and have zillions of doctors appointments to get pregnant!  

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?  Well most of the year is summer and there is no other choice but shorts and tanks, black Old Navy flip-flops and sunglasses.  Okay, so throw in a few bathing suits too.  For our "joke" of a winter- jeans, all the sweaters I've been dying to wear and my new boots!

What kept you sane? 2 hour "mandatory rest time" every day!  As I told Shannon, "it doesn't matter how old you are, if you live in my house and we work at the Ranch, we have rest time for 2 hours every day."  It's what allows me to exercise, get paperwork done, chores done, have some quiet time, take a nap, look at the internet, do errands, sewing, scrapping and anything else that isn't meals, home-schooling or playing with kids!

What political issue stirred you the most?   Well I hate politics and was really disappointed in BOTH major candidates this year.  As in, hopelessly bummed about both of them.  BUT the fact that all Christians magically ignored the fact that Romney is a Mormon, and declared him to be their "political savior" drove me NUTS!  If a democrat had run as a Mormon  it would have been the biggest outrage among Christians, we wouldn't have heard the end of it.  But because he was Republican, everyone magically forgot this issue.  Oh and the fact that his history is NOT pro-life . . . but because he ran Republican everyone magically ignored that too.  Thank God that we already know the end story . . . the world gets worse and then Jesus returns!  Our hope is in YOU Lord!

Who did you miss?  In-person friends.  All my dear friends have moved far away.  And while I'm thankful for the internet and phones, I miss in-person chats.  You know who you are . . . Tara, Janet, Melissa, Julia, Samara, Tabitha . . . and on and on.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012:  It's all been about being intentional.  Having kids with character doesn't happen by accident.  Having a clean house or good meals, doesn't happen by accident.  Keeping up with friends, encouraging the hurting . . .has to be planned for, executed . . . it has to all be intentional.  I've done well in areas and have a lot of others that need some major work this year.  But I feel like I learned some good lessons in being intentional this year.

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year: 

For all Your goodness I will keep on singing