highlight reel 2022
In no particular order other than my nostalgic scroll through my camera roll, here are my favorite moments of 2022. If I were to describe this year in three words, it would be growth, stretching, and F-U-N!
Our Gender Reveal – Jeremy and I found out rather quickly I was pregnant when around mid-December of 2021, I started to get the feeling that I should take residence in the bathroom over the toilet… permanently. The first few months were pretty rough with nausea and fatigue, but somehow, we managed to keep our little secret until March, when we could all be together. Jeremy and I planned a little reveal for the kids in a park just outside of DC. We ate our cheeseburgers, got in a little soccer game, and watched the airplanes flying closely overhead. Then, the kids all got little presents to open where they found an ultrasound picture of their newest sibling! We knew their first question would be whether it was a boy or girl, so we also included confetti cannons to pop right afterwards. It was such a sweet moment!
Aiden’s Dedication – Having our whole crew together as we dedicated Aiden to the Lord was really important to us. We asked a dear friend, Dr. Julie Reams, to perform the dedication in our home and it was an intimate, meaningful, and memorable time for our family and close friends. We incorporated the verse God gave to me before he was born: Job 11:8, “The sky is no limit for God, but it lies beyond your reach…” and Dr. Julie shared her verse she prayed over Aiden’s life as Jeremiah 17:7-8, “For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes…”
Lilly got her black belt in Taekwondo! This girl worked incredibly hard physically, mentally, and emotionally to overcome her fears (she had to perform alone in front of a group of people she didn’t know!), push her body to the limit (she ran two miles and did 100 push-ups and sit-ups!), and made herself proud. This goal took her YEARS and we were honored to watch her perseverance and strength.
The kitchen renovation – I’ve had a dream to open up our kitchen floor plan since we bought our home years ago. I could visualize Christmas cookie cutting, making dinner while watching the kids play in the room in front of me, hosting different parties…. but the timing for the massive destruction of walls was never quite right. Guess what? The timing is never right for renovations! HA! So we just made the leap and are so grateful! Well… mostly grateful. There was definitely an inconvenience piece that cannot be overlooked, but the end goal was worth the squeeze. If you’re ever in need of an interior designer or contractor, let me know! We had the best.
Lake Tahoe – WHAT. A. DREAM. Early in 2022, I found out my close friend, Katherine, was taking a travel nursing position out in Reno, NV. My pregnancy nausea had started to subside {…slightly…} and I started to daydream about traveling again. Lake Tahoe has been on my personal bucket list since I came back from living overseas in Europe. I realized there was SO much I had yet to see in my home country, so I made a “Must See” for the good ol’ USA. Tahoe was pretty high at the top of that list! Somehow, all the stars aligned and the days I was available to go were the cheapest flying days AND her days off. Then, BAM! The flight was booked and the itinerary was set into motion by none other than my bestie herself! If you know Kat, you know it was a jam-packed whirlwind of a vacation and I loved every moment with her. I tried to narrow down my favorite breathtaking spots, but there were just too many! A special shoutout to my INCREDIBLE husband for supporting me and holding down the home front solo. I left Tahoe feeling so refreshed, rejuvenated, and filled up from all the little things – drinking a full cup of HOT coffee from a ceramic mug, eating an entire meal uninterrupted, having a conversation without my brain in multiple places, and soaking up the beauty of different surroundings. Water + mountains? BLISSFUL!
Outside time! While I didn’t set an official goal, I knew in the back of my mind, I wanted to focus on getting into the fresh, open air as much as possible this year. The outside helps us reset, burn some energy, and change up our routine with new sticks to find and paths to discover! There were countless playground trips, bike rides, creek visits, flower finding, strawberry picking, hayride moments that are etched into my memory of this year.
Jersey Adventures! We always love our time with our NJ family and friends. This visit, the kids got to experience their first Yankees game and we all enjoyed Nickelodeon Universe! We spent the warm days catching up with our Rivera family by the pool, playing basketball, and grilling out on the patio. The cousins played and we all ate too much!
Annual beach vacation – Somehow, we managed to fit it all our summer fun (but barely!) before Asher joined the family! Towards the end of my third trimester, we snuck to North Carolina to get in one last adventure as a family of five (plus Nana, Papa + Unca’ Ben!). There is something so calming about this trip – the predictability, the tradition of it all. We have our “things” that we always try to fit in and this year was no exception. We soaked up the sun and played in the sand, we got in a round of minigolf, took entirely too many post-dinner trips to Booty Treats, and jumped in the pool over and over again.
ASHER LEEAM! On August 16th, our sweet Asher made his way into the world! I was blessed with my second wonderful and smooth labor and delivery experience. Our friend Paula, was my nurse and I had the same amazing midwife deliver Asher who brought Aiden safely into the world. She is AMAZING (and cracks jokes on Jeremy that make him speechless which is hard to do!) Asher has already started to show us his little personality with frequent grins and giggles, a strong will {to avoid sleep or bedtime at the moment}, and a playful demeanor. He has been accepted by his siblings with arms wide open and one of my favorite parts of every morning is when Aiden comes downstairs and says, “Good morning Asher! You sleep good?” Lilly and Jeremiah have taken on their roles effortlessly as the sound of them chasing Aiden is often heard around the house if we feed or tend to Asher.
Parental Leave and Work Flexibilities – The last two and a half years have far exceeded all of my expectations. Jeremy and I both work full time and have been blessed with unbelievable parental leave and options to maximize our time at home as a family. Without these, many of my favorite memories just could not or would not have been possible. We do not take any of our time for granted and look forward to pursuing our professional passions while also being able to love our family well in this next year.
If you’ve made it this far, Happy New Year! We are praying and believing for all of the miracles you’ve claimed for 2023!