Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

We had one amazing Christmas this year.  Belle was way more fun than last year as she ran around, ripped open gifts, and went from one toy to the next.  She enjoyed her time with her cousins and her Meme and Papa and Mema and Bepa.  She wasn't a fan, however, of Santa.  As you can see from the pictures, he literally terrified the poor child! 

Paul and I have felt very blessed in 2010.  Belle is an active girl with loads of personality.  She has kept us busy, but always smiling (usually!). I have been learning the ropes of life with a toddler and it has kept me on my toes!  Belle is in the fun stage of saying words and exploring her world.  She has figured out how to break/undo all of the safety locks on our cupboards, and can climb up and down the stairs with ease.  She also has no problem climbing onto the couch, the coffee table, our side tables, and anything else she can pull herself onto.  As you can see from the pictures, she loves her new Christmas gift and crawls through the tunnels and tents.  In 2011 I hope she learns the word "yes," as she is REALLY good at the word "no" right now. 

I have also made it through my first half of my internship and in 2011 I will actually be able to say "I graduate this year."  It has been a long haul and I can hardly believe that I am in the home stretch to completing my masters.  It's bizarre that I started the journey without a child, and now I have a one and a half year old.  How time flies!

Paul is still loving Meijer.  He has taken on a new role in Reverse Logistics (yeah, I am not real sure what reverse logistics is either) that has kept him busy, sometimes crazy, but mostly happy with his job.  We love Meijer!  The greeters at the Meijer behind our house actually know who I am due to my frequent visits.  I am sure it helps that I have a 15 month old who likes to wave and ham it up for everyone. 

My little crochet business has been doing well and I am amazed at how much it has grown in 9 months!  It definitely keeps me busy, and sometimes overwhelmed, but I love it.  I get so excited to see pictures of little ones with my hats on!  Some days I wonder if I am in over my head, but some how I am able to stay on top of my orders and it feels good to make some money on the side!

So, the Thompson house says "goodbye" to 2010 and "hello" to 2011.  We pray it is full of more blessings and  we are able to laugh through the struggles it may bring.  We also hope for blessings for your family too!

Daniel Fast

Last year my entire church took part in a fast.  The specific fast that they did was The Daniel Fast.  I chose to opt out at the time because I was just coming off of breastfeeding and felt like I had taken enough time off of coffee and wine.  I felt like I had dodged a bullet and wouldn't have to worry about feeling guilty for not partaking.

Well, fast forward a year.  Guess what my church is doing to start of the new year again.  You got it. The Daniel Fast.  Darn.  I have no good excuse this year to opt out of the fast, and the more I have been focusing on my upcoming fast, the more I am getting ready.

First, I am sure many of you are wondering what the Daniel Fast is.  Here is the scoop:

"The Daniel Fast is a biblically based partial fast. It is a method of fasting that men, women and young people all over the world are using as they enter into the spiritual discipline of prayer and fasting.

There are two anchoring scriptures for the Daniel Fast. In Daniel 1 the Prophet ate only vegetables (that would have included fruits) and drank only water. So from these scriptures we get two of the guidelines for the fast:

1. Only fruits and vegetables

2. Only water for a beverage
Then in Daniel 10 we read that the Prophet ate no meat nor any precious breads or foods and he drank no wine for 21 days. So from this scripture, we get a third guideline:

3. No sweeteners and no breads
Another important guideline is drawn from Jewish fasting principles, where no leaven is used during the fast. So that's why yeast, baking powder and the like are not allowed on the Daniel Fast.

Finally, with all the above puzzle pieces, we conclude that no artificial or processed foods nor any chemicals are allowed on the Daniel Fast.

When asked about the eating plan on the Daniel Fast, I often say it is a "vegan diet with even more restrictions."

There you have it.  Scary, huh?  Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I have done my share of diets.  I have found success and have often been able to stick to diets for a bit of time.  I know that I really need to work on not seeing this fast as a diet, but it's hard.  It is very similar to Weight Watcher's Core Plan, so it feels familiar.  I need to remind myself that this is not about weight, but about denying myself food so that I can focus on God and my spiritual life.  Herein lies the issue.  I tend to focus MORE on food when I restrict it.  I focus on what I can eat, what I can't eat, and how crabby I get when I deny myself what I want. 

So, I ask for support and for prayers.  I will update as I go and let you know what I learn throughout the entire process.  Thank goodness Paul is on board with me!  Needless to say, here are my goals:

1. Focus less on the food and more on God
2. Not to view this as a great opportunity to lose weight
3. Get back into sync with God and grow closer to Him
4. Find a way to survive without my AM coffee and PM wine.  SCARY.
5. Pray continuously about my 7 (this is a reference to something our church is doing as well.  We choose 7 people to pray for continuously)
6. Grow closer to Paul spiritually

Let's hope I don't whine like a baby!  I LOVE food, so it's time to put this love for food on the back burner and focus on the Creator that made all this amazing food.

Checking In

It's been a few weeks since I have talked about what's happening in the Thompson household. Honestly, life has been hectic, but SO much fun. Belle is a riot. Here is what she has been up to so far:

1. She recognizes people and says their names. When Paul walks in she points and says "dada"
   
2. She is ALL about books. She will grab a book and scoot herself into my lap so I can read to her.
   
3. She is beginning to not want her bottle. I am well aware that at 12 months I need to ween her off, but I haven't really been proactive with this. Seems like she is doing this on her own. Yay!
   
4. She is showing more of her strong willed nature. Gosh, she is becoming more and more like me everyday!
   
5. She is busy, busy, busy. Into EVERYTHING. I don't know how people have twins at this age! She keeps me on my toes and running all over.
   
6. She is getting a little bit of the bully attitude with toys. She gives Maia a bit of a run for her money.
   
7. She has graduated from Praise Baby and Baby Einstein movies and has fallen in love with Horton Hears A Who. LOVES IT.
   
8. She cries when she has to go into the nursery at church or when Paul or I leave the room.

Those are the latest happenings in the Thompson home. I am halfway through my internship and can't believe how fast it went. Only 350 more hours to go!