The Blog - 2015 Year in Review (all the posts you might have missed ;) )

I really enjoyed looking over the posts I wrote at the end of 2014 and thought I'd do the same this year.   Here's a month by month peek at some highlights in case you missed a couple.**

For the most part, the things I've shared here are posts that were the most thoughtful.  Like they had actual content.  If you want to go back and look through the things I wrote that were book lists, curriculum recommendations, quick updates, and "hey, look at what I crocheted!" you're more than welcome to!!  Those you can find by clicking on the month headings or on the "Also of note" items listed at the end of each month.  But (with the exception of the soup and pancake recipes!) the majority of the links here will take you to the more substantial things I wrote :) 

Thanks for joining me for 2015 Year in Review :)  Can't wait to hang out some more in 2016!

** I'm not really that delusional ;)  I know no one's really wondering they missed here.  It's mostly for my own enjoyment - taking a look at what I did here this past year.  But in case you're wondering what you may have missed here.....  hehe :)

JANUARY

Woah!  I wrote 21 posts in January???

Oh, right.  Most of them were soup recipes.  If you missed the 10 Days of Family Friendly Soups recipe series you simply must check it out!  All the recipes are here on the Soup Savvy Page :)

We started off the new year with a dinner of Chocolate Pancakes with Raspberry and Bacon (warning - photos guaranteed to make you drool on your keyboard).

I mused on Christmas carols - The Theology of the Third Verse 

...and grocery shopping for a large family - It's the Club Pack Life for Me (Adventures in Grocery Shopping)




And one of my favorites (because it's one of our favorite family traditions!)...
How I Host a Casual, Family Friendly Soup Party

Also of note: Top 10 Family Picture Books, Crochet Dishcloth Pattern


FEBRUARY


I hosted a super fun blog hop and link-up showcasing what an ordinary day of homeschooling LOOKS like for many different families.  Check it out!!
See Me Homeschool

 Our First Baptism Day Celebration (new to us this year).

I wrote, "I should not grasp at holiness in spite of my vocation, but run toward and throw my arms and heart around the opportunities for holiness in my vocation," and need to re-read it often in Lift Up Thine Eyes: This is Sanctifying Work.

His, Hers, Yours, Mine, Ours (How We Handle Private Property in our Large-ish Family)

Also of note: 7 Gifts for the Youngest Jane Austen Fans, Chunky Crochet Cowl Pattern, 10 Lessons in 10 Years of Marriage, Beautiful Alphabet Books

MARCH

I sort of fell off the grid...  Nothing to report... Nothing of note.


APRIL

In honor of our 10 year anniversary I wrote about How We Kept Our Wedding Small, Thrifty, and Really Special.

And even though I'm totally committed to my husband, I also love Martin and Chris Kratt --
6 Reasons to Love (I mean REALLY love) Wild Kratts

And Dominic and I had a great homeschool success...
How I Got My Struggling Reader Prepped for His First Oral Presentation

Also of note:  The Story of how Russ and I Met,  5 "Extras" I Recommend for Your Child with Diabetes, 5 Things I Do Before Having a Baby

MAY

I wrote about How Lesson Planning Checklists Improved Our Homeschool Days and Attitudes.

And even better -- we celebrated My *First* First Communicant (How He Received Jesus and I Was Granted a Desire of My Heart)  (on Divine Mercy Sunday, to boot!!!)

Also of note: How to Help a New Mom (or Mom to Be),  Crochet Afghan Repair


JUNE

In June I wrote the post that I think has garnered the most attention from fellow bloggers to date.  (That was an honor.  And fun!)  It was my book review of The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up in which I came to the conclusion that I Want the Tidying Up, But Not KonMari's Brand of "Life-Changing Magic"

And I also chatted about why I think it's so important to keep taking little kids to Mass even if they're squirmy, fidgety, shrieky.  What I Wish I Said to the Mom Who Approached Me After Mass.

Also of note: Summer - Time to Ramp Things Up, Homeschool Mom!,   DIY Coconut Oil and Sugar Body Scrubs


JULY

Dear Catholic Parishes, Give the Sacraments of Initiation Back to the Community was an open letter I wrote explaining why I was so happy that my son received his First Holy Communion not at the parish special FHC Mass and why I think more Sacraments should be celebrated at regular weekend Masses.

How do we keep a house reasonably clean and operational while homeschooling and life-living with five kids??  Our Chore System is Use ALL the Chore Systems.

This post, Today I Told My Children About Abortion, was one of the hardest things I've ever written because I wish it never had to happen in the first place.

Also of note: The Best (FUN) Math Apps for Summertime Review

AUGUST

Oh man.  THIS ONE STILL GETS TO ME.  I was weeping like a baby.  Heaving sobs, snot dripping from my nose.  I'm still pretty upset about the whole thing... definitely HAVE NOT made peace about the read-aloud rights I was cheated out of :( :( :(  
Exhausted Mom Syndrome, Narnia Read Alouds, and Why I Was a Big Fat Crying Blubbering Mess Today

Creative and Contented: Large Families Living in Small Homes (a Mini Series!!)  This was such a wonderful guest series with lots of insights and encouragement from moms making smaller homes work for their families - lots of clever practical tips and wonderful words of wisdom about attitude and gratitude.  I encourage you to check out the whole series!

The Great Colored Pencil Comparison (or Are All Colored Pencils Created Equal?)

I know this is weird but I had so much fun conducting the comparison and writing about it :)

Also of note: My Homeschool Curriculum Favorites,  All the Homeschool Extras that I Love,    If it's Late August, I Must be in the Throes of a Panic Attack
SEPTEMBER

Hmm, sort of a slow blogging month.  I wrote a little about my weight loss and health improvements on a meal plan called Trim Healthy Mama (unfortunately.)  If you're into that sort of thing, you're welcome to click on over and check it out :)

We're also big on using audio resources for learning, so I wrote My Favorite Audio Learning Resources for Homeschool

OCTOBER

In late September we found out we were expecting a baby and miscarried in quick succession.   I was so very touched by, and grateful for, the total outpouring of love, prayers, and sympathy I received from friends, including those I've made here through blogging.  I loved writing this post, as it actually brought me a lot of comfort to share my thoughts on the little one we lost.
Thoughts on Loving our Recently Miscarried Baby

NOVEMBER

November got away from me.  I had intended to write a few posts for Diabetes Awareness Month, but instead I wrote one.  I hope I get to write more, especially since Aaron started on an insulin pump in early October and our diabetes journey has been very different, but for now, you can read about why juice causes such upheaval in my soul each time I go grocery shopping :)
Guilt and Misunderstanding in the Juice Aisle (Diabetes Awareness Month, Nov 2015)

December

So, I wrote a couple posts about Sants Claus... like Why We Don't Tell Our Children that St. Nicholas is Santa Claus   and then a sort of follow up about why we don't "do" Santa at all and how Not Believing in Santa is Not Ruining Christmas for my Kids.

And I wrote a couple posts about having a c-section or two.  Or five.
If Practice Makes Perfect, I Might Be A C-Section Expert (in which I felt like I shared a big, tender piece of my heart by posting pics of all my c-section babes and me in the surgery) and So You're Having a C-Section (Tips, Tricks, and "Expert Advice")

So now you're up to date.  Anything remotely worth reading from this past year is here at your fingertips ;)  I imagine that "worth reading" is subjective....  But it really was fun for me to go back and look at all I typed out this past year, especially when I came across something I totally forgot about!  

Thanks so much for being an Ordinary Lovely reader!  If you're new, I'm so happy to have you, and you're welcome for giving you all the links you need to get caught up on all the juicy stuff from 2015 ;)  And if you've been a reader for a while... I'm truly flattered and grateful!  It's so wonderful to have friends here!

Want to make more fabulous friends!  Head over to Like Mother, Like Daughter.  I'm linking up with their Favorite Posts of 2015.  Thanks for hosting, ladies!!

Happy New Year everyone!