I’m back! See ya 2011, and hello 2012!

Hi ya friends! I’ve really missed seeing y’all. Having a little blogging break between Christmas and New Years was great, but we spent that time traveling to see family… so well, you know how it is… I’m still tired and need a [vacay-type] break!! But as you saw by my few pop-in visits, I missed y’all dearly! I hope you had a merry Christmas, fun New Years Eve (if, unlike me, you were awake for it..), and a relaxing yet energizing New Years Day!

2011 was a pretty great year for us in my house! The highlights…

• Just as the Packers won the Superbowl (almost to the minute), we welcomed sweet Lilleigh into the world. Her timing, just days between two ice storms, was perfect! And since I opted for a natural (meaning med-free) delivery, recovery was pretty smooth as well. (Natural birthing and midwivery has become a recent interest of mine in the past year and a half. I’m sure that will make it to the blog at some point.) After a tough 2010, welcoming Baby Girl into the world was nothing short of amazing. And truly experiencing that delivery, though excruciating, was a joy!
• We’ve gotten more on a “natural” food kick. (Well, not just a “kick,” but you get what I’m saying.) It’s been a fun journey and one we are definitely still on!! Speaking of which, I got a bread machine for Christmas. Yea! Now we can have homemade bread without all of the labor. We tested the bread tonight, and it was delicious!
• On the whole natural thing, we became farmers. Okay, not really! But we did get chickens. And then realized half were roosters. Go figure. But we are averaging about a dozen eggs per week, which is fabulous. Still, I could go for a chicken or two more.
• Before you think I’m a hippie, I’ll shift gears from the whole “natural” thing… In other news, I’ve made time to be more crafty! Oh man, I missed my craftiness! Between being uber preggo (and tired) and having a baby (and being tired), I lost the motivation for crafts. But in the past few months, it’s come back to me! Woohoo! Crafty Ash, I missed you!
• We moved churches. This is both bitter and sweet. We looooved the people at our old church, and I still miss seeing their faces each week! But we knew God was leading us to a new church home. And we are delighted to be going to church with people in our neighborhood! That’s a wonderful feeling. It truly feels like home. Knowing you’re exactly where God wants you to be is a beautiful thing.
• On the blog front, I shifted gears. I scaled back on deals and upped the amount of content related posts. This has been a huge relief to me because now I’m spending my time blogging both for fun and from my heart, rather than racing the clock to get deals posted. It seems you all have liked this change as well! And such a big change deserved a makeover, which I’m loving! (Thanks, Courtney!) And thanks everyone for your continued support and for reading this blog!
• As far as saving money, I saved close to $2,000 last year simply by using coupons! Sales, off-brands, DIY’s, etc saved me MUCH MORE.

In 2011, I’m looking forward to…

• Seeing where this blog takes us! I love hearing from you, so keep your feedback coming!
• Finally finishing Epicenter. I know I was supposed to finish that last week (see here)… but the good news is that I did finish my other two books! 2 out of 3 isn’t bad! Back to Epicenter, it’s awesome! Check it out! Here’s the gist.
• Getting more settled at our new church via membership, a community group, and serving!
• Growing in my relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
• Continuing on our natural journey and feeling healthier while doing it!
• Crafting.

My 2011 goals…

• To read more! A book a month. I know that may not be a lot to many of you, but at this point in my life, that’s a lot for me!
• To memorize more Scripture. This is a resolution of mine every year. But this year, I must be better than years past. Each time I’m in a conversation with a non-believer, I’m struck by how inadequate I feel… part due to humility but a lot due to my own ill-equipping.
• Walking each day. I was great about doing this until it got cold.

What does your year in review look like? What are your hopes and/or resolutions for 2012?