#29: Take a photo everyday for 1 year

I did it!!! I'm so excited to have completed a Project 365 for 2011. There were lots of ups & downs, some that weren't represented in the photos, but it was still a great way to remember the everyday little things.  You can see all the photos if you follow this link.

Now I need to merge them all into a book. So fun!

#91: Potty Train Little Man

It took almost an entire summer, but I'm going to declare Little Man potty trained (although #2 is still in progress...).

#25: Attend a Ladies Weekend Conference

I was fortunate to attend a Living Proof Live event in Charlotte in late July with some sweet lady friends. After a particularly tough year, I found the topic of "Hold Fast" to be a perfect lesson/reminder. What a blessing!

#10: Go Apple Picking

We were able to go apple picking for FREE thanks to some sweet friends with an abundance of apples on their apple trees. Little Man ran around with a buddy while I talked to his mommy and picked way too many apples. I made apple butter, canned sliced apples (for baking or to be pureed into applesauce), made 5 apple pies, and ate a lot of fresh apples. Lots of fun!

#26: Read 15 Books (21/15)

Just finished this book...didn't enjoy it as much as I was hoping. She is a very funny & honest writer. I was literally laughing out loud many times. 

#26: Read 15 Books (20/15)

Dorothea Benton Frank always makes for a great beach read. I enjoyed the characters in this book, but it wasn't one of my favorites. I wasn't crazy with how it ended up, but my love for the people overrides the ending.

#26: Read 15 Books (19/15)

First book I ever read on a Kindle. It was great! I cried - like the ugly cry - on the plane to Seattle. Finished it on the way home. Loved every moment of this book!

#26: Read 15 Books (18/15)

The Dirty Life was a great non-fiction read. So fun to read about how a non-farmer married into farming. Maybe I can relate because I was about as non-farmer that you could be and at this very moment I have 15 gallons of tomatoes waiting to be canned (just from today's gathering!).

I feel like I've missed a book or two, but now I can't remember what I've read - oh well! This is good enough.

#98: Spend a girls-only day with Mama

Well, we blew this one out of the water! Instead of just one day, we spent 5 days in Seattle - just the two of us! 

Mt. Rainier

Dinner at Ivars (Happy Hour specials!)

On top of the Space Needle

ASCA Dinner & Mom's Birthday

Starbucks in Seattle - of course!

So, so fun!

#89: Go to his first movie at the theatre

While I went shopping with my mom, my sweet hubby took Little Man to see his first theatre movie - Cars 2!

He enjoyed popcorn (a treat since I wasn't around) and sat in his daddy's lap most of the movie. How adorable!!

#85: Visit the Aquarium

While visiting the beach over Spring Break, we made a stop by the aquarium on our last day - one filled with rain. Little Man LOVED it! His daddy even took him back later in the day for a second round of fishy fun (thankful for passes good all day).

Look at those teeth!!

#9: Go to the Raleigh Flea Market

While visiting my parents over the weekend, we made a stop by the flea market. It was a great day to mill around...low 70s and overcast. Here's a picture of some of the junk we passed. 

Just never know what you're going to run across at a flea market!

#77: Have 1 "real" date night/month for 1 year (1/12)

We enjoyed a REAL date this weekend! We had drinks & apps at Brixx on the patio, stopped by our favorite used book store (where we have tons of store credit = free shopping!), caught a movie, then a late dinner at one of our favorite local restaurants (which we had a gift card for). Such a fun night out!

Hopefully this is the first of a year long of REAL dating!

#5: Go to the movies (1/3)

We had a date night this weekend - yay! We went to see "Water for Elephants", which I actually read recently. The movie was so good & closely followed the book. We both really enjoyed it!

#26: Read 15 Books (17/15)

I finally finished the last book of the series. It dragged on a little too long for me, but I'm glad I finished. Always enjoyable to read wholesome books.

#21: Complete a WOW Bible Study

I just finished a WOW Bible Study at our church. We studied David and it was wonderful! Due to some unforseen circumstances, I fell a bit behind, but I'm hoping to catch up on the parts I missed on my own. Then I'll also be able to check #20: "Complete a Beth Moore Study" off my list!

#51: Buy Local Eggs

Finally bought some local eggs! They sell them at our local Strawberry Farm, so I was able to get a dozen for $2.50. Not bad - especially since they are so pretty! :)

#3: Visit the beach (1/3)

We enjoyed a week at the beach over Spring Break! 

I'm so thankful to live so close to beaches. I cannot imagine people who live more than just a few hours away from the ocean. I'm not sure I would survive! My toes need to be in the sand at least a few times a year. :)

#65: Replace Kitchen Floor

This is definitely a goal I'm ECSTATIC to cross off the list!!

In case you missed it, definitely check out the evolution of our kitchen. We're enjoying it everyday :)

#26: Read 15 Books (16/15)

Finished #2 in the series...

#26: Read 15 Books (15/15)

I have a fascination with the Amish and their way of life, so I'm loving this books series (this is the first of three). I do not agree with many of their religious beliefs, but their simple way of life really intrigues me.

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#26: Read 15 Books (14/15)

I love the Pioneer Woman, so I had to buy this book as soon as it came out. Love reading it and enjoying their love story. Just a fun read!

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#26: Read 15 Books (13/15)

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I heard many good things about this book, so I checked it out from the library (love that it was free!) and read it. I liked it and thought it was good, but maybe not to the extent of the hype I'd heard. It's being made into a movie and I'll probably want to see it once it comes to Redbox (love those $1 movies!).

#26: Read 15 Books (12/15)

Finished the last book, Mockingjay, of the Hunger Games trilogy last night. I loved these books! I think they appeal to a wide audience and they're so fast paced that I never got bored. Just loved them! So glad my husband bought the trilogy in hardback because these are books we'll be keeping for a while.

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#26: Read 15 Books (11/15)

Finished the second book, Catching Fire, of the Hunger Games series - loved it! Can't wait to see how it all wraps up in the third book.

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#30: Complete 2 Quilts (1/2)

The ABC Quilt is finally finished!!

After 2+ years, it's about time...  ;)

#26: Read 15 Books (10/15)

After hearing many rave reviews about this trilogy, I've been wanting to read them for a while. I received the books from my sweet hubby for Christmas this year and read the first one, The Hunger Games, last week. LOVED it! I'm on to the second one now and it's equally good. Even though these books are geared for adolescents, I'd say they are great books for anyone!

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#37: Create & Complete our "Family Book - 2008"

Wahoo! I finally finished our family scrapbook for 2008!! I really want this to be our family scrapbook and not just a showcase for Little Man. I think I made a nice balance - I'm quite happy with it. Here's one of my favorite pages - I'm definitely a simple scrapper. 

I'm choosing to just celebrate this small victory and not think about how I still have 2009 & 2010 to go, not to mention finishing up Little Man's baby book & any subsequent scrapbooks I might want to do for him. Let's just focus on the positive! :)

#96:Have a new experience with our families (1/2)

On Christmas Eve, my in-laws and nephews went with us to our church's family-friendly Christmas Eve Service. Christmas Eve Services have always been a special part of the Christmas celebration to me, but my husband's family always ate together and opened presents on Christmas Eve. This year we combined the two by eating in the afternoon, attending the 5:30 service, then coming back to open presents. A great compromise!

#26: Read 15 Books (9/15)

After months of being on the library waiting list, it was finally my turn to pick up the latest Nicholas Sparks book, Safe Haven. It was pretty typical Nicholas Sparks book, but I liked (I'm a sucker for my home-state author).  I must say, that I am just loving the library lately - definitely saved me lots of money in the last few months!

#26: Read 15 Books (8/15)

I like Jodi Picoult novels, but Handle with Care was not one of my favorites.  It did bring up some interesting things to think about as far as "wrongful birth" goes, but it had too much going on in one book. It dragged on to me and I hated the ending. Oh well!

#81: Visit the Children's Museum (1/5)

Little Man & I went to the Children's Museum back in December on a Friday after we had been stuck inside for a few days following some winter weather. We were desperate to get out of the house & had such a great time! I was shocked that so few people were there on a Friday, but pleasantly surprised. Tons of fun!

I was leaning toward not renewing our membership, but now I'm reconsidering...