Forever Beloved

Today is my thirty-something birthday and I want y’all to come along with me as I take a glance back at the past year. Thinking of what all this past year has held blows my mind. Honestly, it’s been one of my toughest years to date (which sounds strange since it didn’t hold any surgeries). Though trying at times, I am overwhelmed with joy to see all that I experienced in the last 12 months! So let’s go for a little time-travel and reflect on my journey.

August was filled with a vacation. Lots of canning. Visiting a few amish farms. School shopping. And spending as much time with my littles as I could before school started.

In September I did a blog series called Love, Respect and Godly Submission. It had four different subjects {Gods Design, Respect, Hushing the World and To the Men}. I had such a great time researching and writing those posts! I also found out in September that I was chosen to be part of the book launch team for Courtney Joseph and her new Women Living Well book. And the Amish started moving into our area.

October held what felt like the beginning of my sadness. Lost friends. Loneliness. Not feeling well. It also held 3 weddings, 11 senior sessions, 1 engagement session, a day of mini-sessions and 1 newborn session. And our own big family photo session. Football football football. Ladies bible study. Lotsa photo editing. Yeah, October was a bit ridic.

My November was spent being thankful for oh so many blessings in my life. It also held me having the first ever Thanksgiving meal at my house! Put our tree up. Black Friday shopping. And I discovered an obsession with loom knitting. Who knew?

In December my general sad, unwell feeling continued. I craved the big family get-togethers we used to have. And I couldn’t, no matter how hard I tried, find my Christmas spirit. Which prompted this post. But my family, ever amazing, helped me through. In the end, we had an amazing blessed Christmas. Joey got his drivers license {and my stress began, ha}.

In January I started a new online Bible study with Lysa TerKeurst called Made to Crave. It prompted this post and this one as well. It also held a bit of “getting over things“. I was honest about my sadness and losing joy. And I wrote a letter to the teenage me.

Oh February, the month of love. I continued my Bible study and wrote a few more posts. This one stands out as one of my favs with this one in a close second.

March was filled with finally finding out through an ER trip why I hadn’t been feeling well…an adrenal mass. It also held a trip to Cleveland to visit my Dr. and a saddening experience on the trip home. And trying to come to terms with my loneliness.

In April we were busy. My Dad’s cataract surgery. Jade’s Freshman dance with a sweet boy. Easter. A visit from Papa. Trying to find my solid place to land.

May was full of fun! Regional Teens Involved {where the kids all did amazing}. Prom. Mother’s Day. Getting chickens!!! Joe’s birthday. A Freshman trip. Reminding myself of the many blessings in my life through this post. My baby turned 17, what?! And I did my first 5k, a color run.

In June Joe and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary. I started a new venture selling Younique makeup {seriously y’all, the 3d mascara is the bomb}. My family reunion. Bible school. Joey had his wisdom teeth removed.

July held the best family vacation ever. EVER. It was epic. My little miss went to TLC (Teen Leadership Conference} at BBC. And lotsa lotsa lotsa pictures.