highlight reel 2016: the year of momentum
Last year, I was inspired by Sports Center’s Top Ten Plays of the Day to do the highlight reel of our year in 2015. I am continuing the tradition! Here is the highlight reel for 2016 that I’ve entitled the “year of momentum.” Jeremy and I made a lot of progress in marriage, as parents, and with our own personal goals. Do not be deceived. Our year was not without challenges, conflict, and disappointment. However, as we sit at the end of the last 365 days, we see God’s goodness, His hand over our lives, and how He has victoriously propelled us into this next chapter. We are incredibly blessed! For those of you who have been awaiting an update, wait no longer! **The ten highlights below are not in any order of importance, but more a cumulative list of greatness from our year.
# 10: Seeing some of our very closest friends and family find the loves of their life and helping to celebrate their wedding days. We have always been blessed to have the very best people surrounding us on this journey. Nothing quite fills our hearts more than seeing those same people at their happiest! We love ALL of you tons and are thankful for the adventures we were able to have surrounding your big day!
#9: Working towards our educational goals. Our lives are what I like to call “full” these days. Others might call it….busy. Jeremy continues to pursue his degree in Investigative Forensics/Criminal Justice and I started George Mason’s Master’s Family Nurse Practitioner Program. Stay tuned: Jeremy will finish up this year and there WILL be a party for all of his hard work!
#8: Nags Head with Jeremiah and Lilly. If you ask my mom, she will gladly tell you that as a child, I would begin packing for our family vacation months in advance because I just couldn’t contain my excitement! This vacation was no different and it did not disappoint! My absolute favorite memories from this year are having all of us together as a family of four. As I’m sure you can imagine, one of the biggest challenges of a blended family is getting us in the same place at the same time. It takes quite a bit of coordination and collaboration, but these moments are worth every ounce of effort! From kite flying to Duck Donuts to all-day beach sessions to wiffleball to mini-golf – the sweetness of time with Nana, Papa, and Uncle Ben was priceless.
#7: Jeremy and I setting our foundation. These last two years have flown by, but the importance of prioritizing each other in the midst of our busyness has been pivotal to our growth. In case you were wondering, having children as you step into marriage is TOUGH. There is no sugar-coating the hard work of intentionality with which Jeremy and I must use to invest in our relationship as husband and wife. We are celebrating the progress we have made in learning each other as well as ensuring we have special moments together. *Of note, this is not unique to the two of us. If you’re married, you gotta do it too!
#6: Father/Daughter time for Lilly and Jeremy. Having a blended family has it’s unique challenges. In every case, it is not the desire of both parties for the child to have equal time between each parent. This year brought us victory in in the area of guaranteed time with sweet Lilly. As Jeremy works to complete his degree, we decided there would be invaluable benefit for him to remain at home with her during the day for the majority of this year. That was probably the best decision we made all year. Seeing this relationship grow into all it can be is one of my biggest blessings.
#5: Our trip to Puerto Rico. Jeremy and I are blessed to have all of our grandparents healthy and happy. That means there are an additional EIGHT people with over 7 decades of experience for us to learn and glean. (That’s over 560 years!) Six of these eight were able to be present at our wedding, but I insisted I had to meet the remaining two: Jeremy’s maternal grandparents. What an amazing trip to see the beauty of Puerto Rico, but more importantly, the relationship Jeremy has with his “Mama and Papa.” That is something I will remember forever. I will not soon forget Mama’s INCREDIBLE cooking either!
#4: Making our house our home. The end of 2015 brought the blessing of a home for our family and a gathering place for years to come. We have enjoyed opening it up to all those we love for dinners, parties, sleepovers, “hotel stays,” and storage. We continue to offer it back to God because we know He desires to use it for His plan and purpose. Potty training Lilly, hearing the pitter patter (okay, STOMPING) of the cousin’s feet while visiting, baseball in the back yard, and watching Jeremy mow the grass this summer in a flight suit and mask (“to avoid allergens”) are all ingrained as special first-year memories in our new home.
#3: Working hard to achieve excellence exactly where we are.
“And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24.
Jeremy will never tell you, but he has been on the Dean’s List every semester since he started working on his degree. Thankful to my workplace for honoring my work by nominating and giving me the award of Nurse Case Manager of the Quarter in November.
#2: Sweet cousin/family time. From weekends spent with Grandma, Grandpa, Nana, and Pops to weeks spent with cousins and aunts and uncles, we are especially grateful for a geographical location that allows us to hop in the car and see those close to us.
#1: Entering a new decade! Jeremy and I both turned the big 3-0 this year. After praying over our next ten years both individually, together, and as a family, we couldn’t be more expectant to step into this new season as a powerful force to be reckoned with! I am positive that we are entering the best 10 years of our lives so far and the best is yet to come!
Praying over and wishing you and yours a beautiful 2017!
*Nags Head Photograph: Rachael Hyde Photography