posted by Jessica Lynette on Personal

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I thought it would be fun to share an update on some of my favorite things from this past year that were shared on here – projects we did, adventures we shared, lessons learned – and round them up in a favorites thing post.

1. You may remember in January we made our own whiteboard. While we have yet to mount it, it rests comfortably against the wall in Paul’s office and is frequently used. If you need a large whiteboard this is a thrifty and relatively easy way to go!

2. In January we also made a cardboard box maze for Judah’s 4th birthday party. While it rightfully met its demise it did last for quite awhile and was a huge, HUGE hit! Judah has already asked if we would do another one for his upcoming 5th birthday. We had a whole lotta fun creating it!

3. & 4.We had our first experience with winter camping and were introduced to camping with hammocks – which we then used ourselves on our way home from our family vacation in Chicago this summer.

5. While doing some remodeling of our laundry room, which included tearing up the subflooring so we could access underneath the house, we made a miserable, seeming-to-never-end remodel into an adventure with fantastic memories by making a pirate treasure hunt for the boys. They ask to watch the movie at least weekly.

6. Wesley used his birthday money to buy icecream treats and hand out the extra ones to strangers – it was a moment of swallowing my pride and sense of what is proper and normal for the sake of my son owning the idea of giving and loving people. My boys are still normal people that struggle with a love for things but this was a foundation stone in their giving and it’s come up many times since it occurred.

7. We started – and finished! – listening to the Bible on audio during quiet moments in the morning playing with legos and trains. If I could encourage you to commit to one thing with your children next year it would be to listen to the Bible through with them! It’s been such a blessing.

8. We enjoyed two more seasons of one on one dates with the boys. These times focusing on the boys in an intimate and intentional manner is so precious to all of us. The boys now anticipate this and like to make plans for the next date time. One on one dates are now our normal – something they count on – and I love that.

9. We discovered the best popcorn secret ever - which is that you can pop popcorn kernels in a brown bag in the microwave! We have enjoyed using this piece of handy information as popcorn is a very popular treat in this house!

Later this week I’ll share updates from my 2011 Goals and Challenges and my 2012 Goals and Challenges – what were some of your highs from 2011?