2015 Year in Review

This is a look back at the previous year where I note some personal feelings of reflection. Memories that I don’t want to forget and want to look back on in year’s to come. It’s one of my favorites to write.

I remember it being so cold that me and tLG just snuggled in bed most of the winter. Literally. We only came downstairs to eat and we did it in a hurry. I would make up a batch of crockpot peppermint hot chocolate and sip on it for a few days and then make another one.

I remember quiet Friday nights at home while Mike took Skylar for the weekend. I would watch Ugly Betty or read and just decompress from the week. I spent Saturday afternoons cleaning and putting the chaos back into order, which was good for my soul.

I remember Saturday morning Upward games. tLG loved basketball so much that I could hardly get her to concentrate on school work. Ms. Annette was the best coach we could ask for on our first year. Her team didn’t win a single game but they learned a lot and Skylar couldn’t wait to sign up for the next season!

I remember a Minecraft birthday party at the archery range. I stayed up many late nights creating the decor. The best part was seeing the kids pop balloons with their arrows at the end.

I remember helping to coordinate the Empower Your Birth conference, which was wildly successful with guest appearances by Ina May Gaskin and Penny Simkin.

I remember reading Every Bitter Thing is Sweet. It came at the perfect time for me and got me back on the path to journaling more frequently. Although, my favorite non-fiction book of the year was For The Love. I even bought myself a signed copy from Jen Hatmaker. That woman gets me.

I remember phone counseling sessions with Jena while lying on the little bed. She asked good, tough questions that make me think outside everything I thought was true and helped me to establish good boundaries and expectations. Basically, she gave me my life back and I will forever be grateful.

I remember our girls-only Valentine Party. So. Much. Fun. Skylar helped me with the decorations and food and we played minute-to-win-it games but the highlight was a Mad Lib that we all contributed too. Hilarious! My girl still has it saved.

I remember Skylar’s foot being burned by some soup that spilled out of the crockpot and the weeks of healing that followed. She’s still not a fan of soup.

I remember Skylar developed a thing for chewing and eating paper that came out of the blue. I discovered chewing jewelry and one necklace fixed her right up and stopped that problem immediately.

I remember it snowed on March 1st and I killed a snowman. #stupidcold

I remember painstakingly hand-picking my sessions for the Teach Them Diligently Conference and being so encouraged by what I learned. I came home and implemented so many techniques that we are still using that have helped to clear the clutter from my mind and simplify our routine. Like, standard breakfast & lunch items and our scripture memory system.

I remember doing homeschool at the park, at Starbucks, and on the roof, which proved to be a favorite. It was so peaceful out there listening to the birds chirp. I adore the flexibility that homeschool has given us.

I remember running away to Birmingham for about a week when I felt overwhelmed. I was comforted by the smells of honeysuckle, fresh-cut hay, brand new baby, and the ballpark.

I remember making our HOME sign. It was a group effort. K-Diddy helped me drill the holes. Skylar helped run the lights and Mike helped me hang it. It is, hands down, my most favorite item of decor in our house.

I remember suffering a foot injury at Dunkin Donuts moments before Skylar’s piano recital and going round and round with their insurance department. However, in the end, that little settlement helped to pay for my emergency room visit a few months later because of a kidney stone. I remember that the ER diagnosed me in less than 60 seconds. I’ve never been so thankful for pain meds in my life.

I remember being backstage when Skylar was baptized. I was so thankful for my unique, birds-eye view and being the first one to snuggle her when she came out of the water.

I remember finally being able to go to a hot air balloon festival, which had been on my bucket list. The air was too windy to see them fly but it was just as much fun to watch them inflate and see the night glow.

I remember Mike helping me install my brand new rain barrel. Saving up for it caused me to put my garden in a month late this year but it was so worth it! That rain barrel happened at an interesting time in our rebuilding process. I still look at it and remember it as a turning point full of hope and promise.

I remember that gardening still brings me immense joy and serenity. This year I battled squash bugs and lost but I also grew every single item from seed, which was a huge victory!

I remember watching Skylar boogie boarding at the beach in Gulf Shores and snorkeling together in Panama City. The water was calmer than I have ever seen it and we had a blast finding shells. It’s so relaxing listening to your breathing under the water and watching the fish.

I remember helping Dad cut down tree limbs and using the 4-wheeler to drag them around. A 3-4 hour job ended up taking all day but we were handsomely rewarded in the end.

I remember that 1st Baptist became our new favorite summer camp. I also remember the drill presentation after Traveller’s Rest camp.

I remember my inner circle of people who protected our privacy at all costs while we were separated. I also remember how excited Skylar was when Mike moved back home!

I remember playing games as a family on Friday nights. I love board games and it was fun to find unplugged things to do together. Cutting off the cable was one of the best things I ever did.

I remember helping Ms. Joni at church prepare the food for the Wednesday night meal. She was always so patient with Skylar and helped her learn how to do quite a few things in the kitchen.

I remember making the very difficult decision to quit my job. Leaving with no plan B was practically career suicide and very scary. But it was also an instant relief from all the stress and drama. It was freeing and I felt like I was me again! I took doula clients for the first time in almost 2 years and I picked up several new VA projects as well. The Lord definitely provided!

I remember how much I enjoyed our new curriculum for 3rd grade and starting our first day by meeting Senator Ted Cruz!

I remember our 10-year anniversary trip to Chattanooga, the hike to sunset rock, and the funyak ride down the Hiawasee River. I definitely enjoyed how relaxing the entire weekend was and all the yummy food we ate! The late-night trip to Baskin Robbins might have been the highlight. I do love my milkshakes!

I remember that this year’s trip to the fair was the best one yet. We went with friends and had a blast even though I didn’t ride a single ride.

I remember Tribe football parties every other weekend. It’s so fun to be around my people and watching our kiddos grow up together. I’m so thankful for friends who are like family.

I remember simplifying the shopping around here. Between Home Chef, Amazon Subscribe & Save (okay, anything Amazon), and Shipt I get all of my food and household products delivered to my door. I make one trip to Aldi once a month and that is it. It’s brilliant if I do say so myself!

I remember hopping down to Birmingham to meet Ben & Jessa Seewald at the Southern Women’s Show. I even ended up with a back row guest appearance on their show Counting On. Oh, how I love me some Duggars!

I remember that Skylar went on a week-long trip with Grandma, D-Dad and Avery and got picked to be one of the trainer’s helpers for the Sea Lion show. I was so tickled for her to get to do something so special since it’s what she loves.

I remember completely overhauling the nYn website but I was so excited with how sleek it turned out. It was a big step for promoting birth doula services in Nashville.

I remember our family discovering Once Upon a Time and binge watching for a month to get caught to the current season. I even dressed up as Emma Swan for Halloween.

I remember staying home to watch the Iron Bowl with Mike. It was a nice, quiet evening at home. We’ve typically never been able to watch the game together so this shows just how far we’ve come.

I remember picking up Baron in the middle of nowhere Tennessee. I attempted to like this dog but that lasted about 1 week. I swear he finds a new way to make me angry every single day. I also remember Skylar meeting him for the first time. It was very sweet and endearing!

I remember overnight postpartum shifts with the twins and being in disbelief that snuggling babies is my job. It just never gets old. There is something beautiful about the stillness of the night.

I remember that Legos became all the rage at our house at the end of the year. My favorite lego memory was making holiday creations with tLG on Christmas Eve. She’s so creative. My job is to find the bricks she needs.

I also remember that it was 70+ degrees on Christmas Eve this year. We took Baron to the park and enjoyed exploring.

I remember simplifying Christmas gifts and really focusing on Skylar’s stocking instead, which is her favorite! The want-need-wear-read gift approach was fantastic! I remember our Christmas tree. It was tiny and pitiful and precious and I couldn’t have loved it more. Plus, it will be great for our tiny house – assuming we ever get one.

I remember one epic dance, cleaning party the Saturday after Christmas!

I remember ringing in the new year with friends and their kiddos. We made glitter playdoh and jotted down memories from the year. So fun!

2015 was a year of personal growth. I learned a lot about life and myself. I learned that wisdom really looks a lot like patience. Sometimes waiting for things to play out without my interference really is the best. It’s hard to wait but I saw the benefit of it. I also took back control of my life in areas where I had put too much control in other people’s hands. Boundaries are necessary. When people can’t respect your boundaries, you must move on. Must! Even when it’s scary. I’m thankful I found new ways to simplify and to give myself more personal time. It’s something that I’m still working on but I made good progress this year. I made an assumption last year that age 35 would be my best year yet. I don’t know that it was the best but it was definitely the dawn of a new era of me. I took a good, hard look at what was #OnTheBeam and #OffTheBeam and got my priorities settled. It will be interesting to see what 2016 holds.