highlight reel 2020
Some people are probably rolling their eyes at the thought of a “highlight reel” in 2020. I might even have given this title a glare myself at first. I get it. Our perspectives and personal opinions vary. Our situations and circumstances are different. That is not lost on me. We are living in the midst of a pandemic, racial oppression, astounding division, and often polarizing politics. The tension is tangible and it takes a toll. For all these reasons and more, I’ve felt strongly about focusing on what these past 12 months have GIVEN me and not what they have taken away. At the end of the day, 2020 has been good to our family. I am certainly not naive enough to think this is true for everyone or even a vast majority of people, but I pray as we ring in the new year, we can all rally around moving into 2021 loving greater, seeking unity, and giving grace. (And maybe even finding a few things to be grateful!)
Here’s my list in no particular order:
Celebrating 5 years with my guy – I can hardly believe it’s been 5 years since we said “I do,” but I guess I should have known we hit some sort of longevity milestone when we bought each other the EXACT same card! Not kidding. We shared a good laugh as we opened our envelopes. They weren’t even “5 year” cards! That day, I enjoyed taking time to inventory our adventures, victories, and favorite memories as a couple. To a million and five more years together babe, I love ya! (And boy oh boy am I excited for our next trip!)
Completing my project at George Mason to put adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and trauma-informed care into the graduate school curriculum – That is a whole lotta words to say my heart and my head connected in such a monumental way during the completion of my degree this year. I’ve spent countless hours wondering why people turn out to be who they are and what impacts those changes in people. (Yes, nature and nurture. Got it. But more specifics were needed to satisfy me!) During the last year of my doctorate, I got to focus on one of those reasons. I have always been passionate about the importance of our childhood and how different experiences create different children (and adults!). My research led me to look into childhood trauma and how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) impact the health of adults. I could nerd out on you with pages and pages of text, but suffice it to say that if you’ve never read about them, check them out. Many people know and believe trauma can impact our emotional health. However, one significant statistic I learned that still captivates me as I type it is that FIVE of the top ten leading causes of death in the U.S. are associated with childhood trauma. That’s our PHYSICAL health, not just emotional health. Kind of a big deal if we want to look at that with prevention eyes… So to ensure every nurse gets the same knowledge and insight, I wanted the material to be incorporated into the curriculum for nursing students. And now it is!
Of course after all that work, becoming a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and being able to practice as a Family Nurse Practitioner was a proud moment. For awhile before I applied to graduate school, I felt antsy. I love learning. I felt stagnant. I realized I was a nurse who wanted more – I wanted to achieve the highest degree awarded in my field, to break the glass ceiling for our children and my peers who may question if they’re “good enough” or “smart enough” or whatever “enough,” and most of all – to make a lasting impact on healthcare wherever I take my next step. Sure, you can do all those things without a doctorate, but I’m thankful for the relationships, tools, and experiences these last four years have given me both personally and professionally.
Home Renovations – With the extra time spent at home, we’ve conquered so many fun house projects! The list of changes is long, but probably my favorite is the conversion of our spare bedroom/office into Aiden’s nursery and subsequent renovation of the basement to make space for our new in-law suite. It turned out beautiful! Jeremy is 100% responsible for it all because my belly was large, my balance was horrible, and my tolerance for any smell was minimal!
Baby celebrations – We were so blessed to have amazing family and friends create two incredibly fun, socially distanced, safe, and heartwarming baby showers for us. After being so isolated for the early months of my pregnancy, it was an incredible joy to see our loved ones as they came through the drive-by showers. If you are reading this and came, you have no idea how much that impacted my heart and rejuvenated my spirit!
North Carolina – We chose to get away for a week in the summer with my parents (Nana and Papa!) and the kids to our own private beach house and pool. It was just what our souls needed! Ocean air, poolside fun, sunny weather, and all the shaved ice we could muster! Jeremiah and Lilly set some pool swimming goals for themselves which they both met. We took a fishing boat out to catch our dinner (and then some!). It felt nice to feel some normalcy in the summer season by safely keeping vacation in our schedule.
Summer! What an amazing time we had! So many outdoor activities, kitchen experiments, and 24/7 time together. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way! The kids got to enjoy watching my belly grow through months 7, 8, and 9, share in the excitement of our baby shower, and be here for Aiden’s birth. These are sweet memories I will always cherish.
Meeting Aiden – An entire post couldn’t sum up my phenomenal birth experience and meeting Aiden. What I will say is there could not have been a more smooth pregnancy or delivery. I even had a nurse friend come in on her day off to help with my delivery and recovery! Paula, you’re amazing. We were incredibly blessed. (Postpartum is another conversation. There were a few bumps… haha.) Leading up to my due date, I did all the things – drank the tea, bounced on a medicine ball, took loooooong walks, ate dates, pumped – if it was in the book of natural ways to induce labor, I did it. AND IT WORKED! (Or not, but I like to think my hard work paid off!) I honestly have never felt healthier than when I delivered Aiden. One of my favorite parts of bringing Aiden home was being able to have a short time as a family of FIVE. It will forever be at the top of my “answered prayers” in this season and honestly, in life. No weapon formed against us will ever prosper and God showed up and showed off!
Christmas – I can actually pinpoint my favorite day of 2020. It was December 25, 2020. I have the day etched in my memory. We got up, opened presents, soaked in all the excitement and magic, big fluffy snowflakes started falling outside, Jeremy cooked breakfast (his famous homemade waffles!) while the kids played, and Aiden napped in my arms. We watched holiday movies, ate popcorn, and snuggled the day away. I wouldn’t change a single moment and I’m grateful for that memory to be Aiden’s first Christmas. We all can’t wait to tell him about it.
Last, but certainly not least: COVID – It’s odd. Reflecting back on 2020, I realized some of my favorite highlights of the last 365 days were the moments in between all the “big stuff.” COVID-19 brought with it these glorious opportunities for connection by slowing down the pace of life and forcing intentionality in our relationships. Some of the best moments were taking walks/bike rides with Jeremy and the kids or other family and friends. Connection may have been overshadowed at times by feeling claustrophobic spending time in the same space for so long or feeling overwhelmed by the demands of filling the roles of teacher, daycare, cook, cleaner, worker, spouse, parent, and the list goes on – but my honest prayer is that people were fortunate enough to appreciate and soak up the extra memories of togetherness. I know we did! We raised butterflies from caterpillars, baked homemade bread, made rainbow spaghetti, built a birdhouse and gazed at the birds outside, drew a sidewalk “obstacle course,” grew closer to our neighbors who spent equal amounts of time outside, invented water sports in the yard, had movie marathons, and loved more simply.
For all these reasons and more, I will cherish 2020 for what it gave to our family. Wishing you a blessed and wonderful 2021 from our crew to yours!
