Top 50 for 2011

Every year I write my top 50 things for the year. This was a good one! We are so thankful for our family, our wonderful friends at school and the amazing family-away-from-family we have found in our ward at church. This year was so fun--here are some of my very favorite things.

1. Our several weeks of Jessica-time when she came to visit in January, complete with too many brownies, trips to the McKay's used books, chess games between the sibs, sledding on our hill (and locking ourselves out), and the viewing of every episode of Pawn Stars (a show about a pawn shop on History channel) that Netflix had to offer.
2. Discovering the joy of freezer meals. A necessity of life now.
3. Every thing Gracie says.
4. Mom + Dad's visit to NC.
5. 10pm feedings with baby-Charlie (before 4 months) when it was just the three of us snuggled up in bed. (Now that we have 2, time alone with each of the kids is a special treat--just to see their own little personalities).
6. And on that note, Charlie sleeping through the night. Oh how we all love sleep.
7. Gracie laying beside Charlie on his baby blankets every morning, and reading to him.
8. Escaping to Sunset Beach with Steve (thanks to the Pearsons for bravely watching a 3-month-old Charlie so we could go!)
9. Steve finishing second year, defeating STEP 1--a monumental accomplishment!
10. Charlie's baby blessing in California, with family (and the Nuckols... who are extended family) in attendance. Love thinking about sitting in the back yard with everyone on that sunny, lovely day. And I love hearing Steve's voice as he confers blessings from our Heavenly Father on our children.
    
11. Disneyland (and a B+B stay) with the Waltons! Always a good idea. Always.
12. Family photos by Michelle... I think we need to make more of a tradition of doing family pics.
13. Tackling new, big goals like working on that book, losing the baby weight, budgeting (gasp!) and learning about nutrition.... and blogging about it.
14. Planting flowers.
15. Weekend nights eating & playing games with the Pearsons.
16. Gracie getting potty trained. This kid is amazing! She got it down so quickly (I mean, there was a progression, but that's TMI, right?) and has been sleeping through the night in undies (with only one or two accidents ever) since April. She rocks.
17. Otto pool parties in the front yard.
18. The Y. We LOVE the Y! Personal time (and cable TV) for Mom/Dad and awesome playrooms for the kids. I never knew how much I could love an elliptical.
19.  Dropping 10 lbs--hey-o!
20. Ordering things from Amazon.
21. Finding yummy new recipes, especially anything we can do in the crock pot (like this chili! I added corn, too. Yum.) or freezer.
22. FINALLY throwing a surprise!!! party for Steve.
23. Masterpiece Theaters (and other miniseries), new and old. New: Downton Abbey, Sherlock Holmes, Upstairs Downstair. All fabulous. And rewatching our faves, starting with the A&E P&P in January. Little Dorrit. The Way We Live Now. Good times.
24. Gracie's first real birthday party (Under the Sea). 
25. Charlie's army crawl.
26. Watching all but the last 3 episodes of LOST. We just couldn't cope with the loss of watching the finally ones again!
27. Our yearly trip to the Ocean Isle! We love our little hotel near the beach; I think Gracie wants to live there.
28. Learning to coupon a little better. It feels like a game.
29. Making things.
30. Eating dessert snuggled next to the cutest guy in the world. Brownies/ice cream/cookie dough + Steven = perfect way to spend an evening. :)
31. A last minute family trip to D.C.! (And oh, I love Embassy Suites!)
32. Free holds at the library. Libraries are one of the best inventions ever.
33. Sending fun mail. (And getting fun mail.)
34. Making home feel more like home.
35. Gracie's excitement at starting our co-op preschool. Big girl!
36. Picnics in the front yard (sometimes even with Steve home in the middle of the day!).
37. Eating out: Panera, Firehouse Subs for free-kids-meal Saturdays, Chipotle, 3rd Street Grill in NC. Wahoos, Edna Ray's, El Burro in CA.
38. A solo trip to Arizona to see the Ramptons + Jess! Shopping, eating, shopping, eating, and reading a TON as I flew ALL BY MYSELF with hours to use for my own entertainment! Thank you to Page for watching my kiddos when Steve couldn't, and to Steven for supporting the idea of a long-girl's-weekend (and for loving the kids and teaching Grace to plank while I was gone).
39. Celebrating 5 years of marriage to my very very best friend.
40. Hosting Thanksgiving! Not so into the whole turkey-cooking thing, but it was fun to break out the China and have our friends over. :)
41. Grace and Charlie playing in her castle tent.
42. Charlie's first birthday! We especially enjoyed watching him attack his birthday cupcake mercilessly.
43. My Kindle. :) Yay. :)
44. Gracie helping "the Chef" (Steve) make french toast for herself (the princess) and Mommy (the Queen).
45. Pinterest.
46. Playing in the leaves (at home and on Blue Ridge Parkway with the Pearsons).
47. Hand-making Christmas presents.
48. Watching The Muppets with my 'rents and the kids--especially Charlie's intense interest in/love for/dancing to the music.
49. Visiting both families for Christmas! The kids soaked up all that face-to-face grandparent time. So did we!
50. Faith in our Father and His plan for us, gratitude and awe for the tenderness and sacrifice of our Savior, the amazing relief of forgiveness for our every shortcoming, and the sustaining influences these things have in the wonderful love of our sweet little family. We are so thankful to have the gospel of Christ in our lives; it truly is an everyday miracle.