2012 Challenges: December – Picture & Quote A Day

December is here! This is the last month of my 30 day challenges. I learned that if I want to make sure I complete a challenge, accountability and fun factor make a huge difference. For this last month I’m going back to the most popular challenge from earlier this year and doing a photo a day. This time I’m going to add a quote, because I like ’em. I’ve got my 2013 resolution all ready for next month and it’s a doozy. It’ll last all year long and you’ll be in the loop the whole way. Here it is, the beginning of the end!

Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never ever have enough. ~Oprah Winfrey

Thanks Chelsea, for seeing the heart first.

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We missed Thanksgiving this year because I had the stomach flu. Thankfully, we have great friends and family here that were happy to do a redo. Tonight we went to Anna and Micah’s house with the Tituses and celebrated all that we are thankful for. Without the pressure of the actual Thanksgiving day. Micah made a fantastically moist bacon covered turkey and dressing, Chelsea brought citrusy sangria, mashed potatoes and ice cream, I brought my dad’s green beans (which has taken me years to finally get right) and pumpkin pie. It was a lovely evening, which included the above picture from our walk to the park.

Porter’s beloved ice cream with whipped cream. I don’t think he took a breath the whole time he was eating until it was all gone. And Luke certainly didn’t get any.

I wish this picture wasn’t blurry, because it’s beautiful. Those smiles are genuine, because Anna is the best aunt in the WHOLE world.

Anna’s lovely table.

Luke introducing Porter to computer hardware. He’s such a helpful little guy.

And strong too.

Getting our hair did. Big improvement this time. Porter let Jen put a cape on him and he didn’t fret a bit. iPad loaded with movies does the trick every time.

I’m a witch. No, not really, just trying out chicken feet for making broth. I’ve heard they’re the best.

And they are! I don’t know if I have the stomach for them though.

This “Love Is Louder” photo was taken for a fellow blogger, Single Dad Laughing, who recently came out of the closet. He comes from the opposite kind of place and family that I come from. Being “anything other than straight” was perfectly OK where I come from. Sadly it isn’t that way for him. He’s setting an amazing example for others, and especially his son, about being true to yourself. In fact, his coming out helped inspire my 2013 resolution.

Gymnastics at Wings Center.

Luke and Porter are BFF’s lately and it’s so nice to be a part of.

Porter’s recent fascination with snowmen has led to many play dough figurines.

My friend Ashley found this little gem in her archives.

I can’t take credit for cleaning my oven, but I did a happy dance everyday for a week after it was done. I then spilled pumpkin pie filling in the hot oven and practically shat my pants. Sigh.

I’ll leave you with this gem of a video. Who needs video games when you have a cardboard box, buckets, YouTube and an awesome dad?