2016

So many parts of 2016 seem fairly ordinary, and some even more into the just surviving territory.  Because if you have been around Luca or five minutes, you know he never stops moving, and not only does he never stop moving but he also doesn't sleep well at all. At times, it felt as if I kept piling things on my plate as my sleep became even less.  It was a definite adjustment!

In it's entirety, 2016 was a blessed year. We spent time with family, near and far.  We welcomed our brand new niece.  We grew our family by a puppy. Ruby made the performance dance team at her studio, and we are still figuring out what exactly that commitment means.  She loves it, and it has been a fun year for growth.  I ventured solo with three kids to Florida when Luca had croup.  Two friends and I had the brilliant idea to make the trek to Waco, Texas to see what the Magnolia hype was all about - so many memories. We took our annual trip to Missouri for the 4th of July, and celebrated our 9th year of marriage.

The end of the summer wrapped up swimming lessons and brought Eisley's surgery, right before she started kindergarten and Ruby started second grade.

Then football started and life became a tornado of chaos when we suddenly found a house we couldn't live without and decided we should move!  We are still sorting out things from our move, and making our house into a cozy space, but as we all know, life went on anyway.  We celebrated birthdays and holidays, and planned a surprise vacation, because we like to live with our plates on the full side.

Something I am so grateful for this year are my friends - so many of my moments of happiness are with my friends, and I'm thankful for them and also the realization that they are a precious gift to me.

At the beginning of this year, I wrote down words that spoke to me - ones that I needed to focus on for the year.  Some have been a great work in progress, some have been a success, and some of the others, well, I just need a do-over.

One of my favorite things that I chose to do solely for myself this year was to read more.  It's something that I love to do, and it has simply gotten lost in the shuffle of life.  I didn't read an impressive number, but in comparison to recent years, it was a good start.  My favorite book of the year (and a runner for all time) - The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.

The new year alwaus holds promises of surprises.  You never know what little pieces of your life are about to unfold, the new things you'll discover.  I love that I get this chance to make some promises to myself, recognize what I need to work on, and dare myself to get outside of my comfort zone.

Here's to a happy, healthy, and joyous 2017.

Some of my favorite things from 2016: