Top Posts of 2015

As we near the end of 2015, I thought it would be fun to look back at the past 80+ posts of the year to see which ones were most often viewed.  It is a gift to see that my family has a tribe of people who care and root for them, and it is humbling to see that sometimes the things I have to work through in my heart are actually what resonate so well with you.  Thank you for hanging with us here.

The Video Posts 
{Video posts always rise to the top due to email subscribers needing to click over to the blog to actually view them, so I have listed those separately.}

the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living | January: After his first win, a woman said, "Did you say his name was Ish?"  She turned out to be a familiar face from our days at physical therapy.  Soon, everything came around in our memories - of the boy who was not supposed to walk on his own, now wrestling on his own two feet.

Banana Piano | June: Eli attended a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Camp this week, and now he can do things like turn bananas into musical instruments.  Toby and Ish are hoping that Eli will turn vegetables into Legos, and Julian just keeps trying to eat the bananas.

Ending April | April: I was a little nervous about this gift - not sure if he would think it was the fun I was hoping it would be.  But when the helicopter made its first flight, he had the same boyish grin that the four boys who admire him so greatly had on their faces.

Spring Piano Recital | March: These two boys are alike in many of their interests but unique in their approaches - their individual personalities sure were on display at the recital.  We are very proud of both of them for their musical discipline and for taking the risk to perform.  Enjoy!

Casual friday 1.16.15 (Julian's knock knock joke) | January:  It did not take long for Julian to figure out the joke's basic format; on this video, he is quickly reciting his own knock-knock joke that he created and has since told approximately 4 gazillion times. 


The Top IndiansandPirates Posts of 2015

every victory | January: If my labor is in the Lord (apart from Him I can do no good thing), no matter how hopeless it seems, it is not in vain - even when the results seem nonexistent.  

A Rich Life | November: As I used one arm to hold Julian and one arm to push the ridiculously-full, paid-for groceries to our old-but-faithful van, I thought about how often I start to look at figures instead of promises, at my own ability (or lack) instead of God's power.

Winner Winner Chicken Nugget Dinner | March: It was only as I was walking into the school on Monday that I realized what sibling challenge could come from a judged competition - what if one had a ribbon but others did not?  (I also realized how thankful I am that they are all in different grades.  Brother vs. brother is not my favorite scenario.)

Magic of the Toy Draft | November: With Christmas approaching, the reality of more toys coming into the home becomes ever so clear.  You start looking around, wondering where everything will go and how you will convince your kids to part with things they don't play with much anymore.  Enter the magic of the Toy Draft.

Small Shifts in Healthy, Simpler Living: Part 1 | November: Five Grocery Items I No Longer Buy (and what I buy instead)

13th grade romance | February: In 2011, as a Valentine's Day gift for Mark, I wrote a little blog series about our beginnings.  This week, as us has looked an awful lot like a tag-team instead of a twitterpated romance, I thought it would be fun and healthy to revisit those beginnings, seventeen years ago.  

snow day | February: The boys had been waiting for a delay or snow day for so long - all for blueberry waffles. 

Midweek Pep-talk for those who say YES | August: Living out the yes is the nitty-gritty part we don't think about in the midst of the gut-wrenching, all-consuming decision-making and immediate follow-through.  We're busy in the adrenaline, the navigation of what is so new.