2016: The Year of Chaos & Frustration

2016 was a tough one. Full of…

frustrations…
chaos…
change…
and adult conversations.

In general, adult-ing.

The first year of marriage is tough.

Real tough.

Putting 2 forty-something souls together with all their literal and emotional baggage is messy.

Real messy.

Simultaneously learning how to be a wife and a stepmom bonus mom to teenagers is challenging.

Real challenging.

Letting go of things that were “mine” to have things that are “ours” at forty-two is hard.

Real hard.

So, I am bidding a very happy goodbye to the tough, messy, challenging, and hard year that was 2016, but I don’t want to bid it farewell without recapping some of the best it had to offer – and it did have some pretty phenomenal high points.

I married the best man on the planet…

Gained two amazing bonus sons a bonus mom could ever ask for…

(FYI…I’m not a stepmom, I’m a bonus mom. The boys are not stepsons they are bonus sons.)

Sold my house in a single day…

Gained two cats that I (kinda) love…

Traveled…

Attended 2 weddings…

My brother’s…

And my now-nephew’s.

What can I say? 2016 was apparently the year of “I Dos.”

Went sailing in St. Lucia…

Paid off a credit card that has haunted me since my mid-twenties…

Had a fantastic time with family & friends at two VERY last minute parties…

4th of July

and New Year’s Eve

So, let’s get down to some categories.

Best New Year’s Resolution:
I think every one of my resolutions went out the door or beat my butt. I’m just gonna leave this right here until this time next year.

Scariest Moment:
I dropped by a friend’s house to find she had just severed (that’s right, People, severed) the tip of her little finger. I was calm on the outside, but on the inside not so much. After I took her to the ER, I cleaned up the huge drops of blood left behind by her injury.

Nope.
Nope.
Nope nope nope.
Never want to see that again.

Funniest Moment:
When my hubs very seriously accused me of STEALING his underwear shortly after being married. It’s only funny because moments later, he silently walked in from the car with his military “Go” bag only to have mass quantities of underwear come spilling out.

This is my favorite fight ever.  Hands down.

Weirdest Month:
uh…I’m gonna go with all of the them.

Biggest Obsession:
1) Podcasts

My favorites are Serial, Criminal, and Invisibilia.

2) Remodeling our house.

So far we’ve done the kitchen…

and the boys bathroom…

We’re on a roll!

Favorite Read:
Hmmm. Well…let’s go with The Bible because I didn’t do a whole lot of reading in 2016. Maybe in 2017.

Favorite TV Show:
Game of Thrones

“Give me more,” I say!

Favorite Bible Study:
Ruth

After Judges we could only go up.

Best Vacation:
St. Lucia for our Honeymoon.

Favorite New Experience:
Being a wife and bonus mom. Even though it humbles me every day because I don’t know what I’m doing, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Best Decision/Best Purchase:
Wearing red sparkly clogs under my wedding dress.

Biggest Loss:
Singleness.

While I gained something wonderful in return, I had no idea how much I would give up.

Biggest Accomplishment:
Planning and executing our wedding in three months with the Dream Team.

Also…getting teenagers to play a board game.

Best Conference/Concert:
Harry Connick, Jr.

I’ve loved him since my high school days.

Biggest Disappointment:
Impatience.

Dang it.

Biggest Surprise:
I was totally and completely unprepared for the increase in laundry. This could also be in the classification of Biggest Disappointment.

Most Memorable Moment:
Getting married kind of stays with you.

Most Embarrassing Moment:
Somethings just shouldn’t be shared.

Biggest Blessing:
Friends who are still hanging in after all the changes.

They are priceless.

Favorite Gift:
I’ve received some pretty fabulous gifts this year, but hands down my favorite was a birthday card the boys gave me. Here are some snippets:

“thank you for everything you do for all of us…”
“thank you for showing me love…”
“you are part of my family now…”

Y’all. I can’t even type that without ugly girl crying.

Give me a minute.

Favorite Family Activity:
1) Watching the boys perform at concerts & competitions

2) Thanksgiving in Georgia with the most fantastic in-laws a girl could hope for.

Most Awkward Moment:
Attending my first Meet the Teacher event. Middle school as an adult is just as awkward as you remember it.

Adios, 2016.

Your work here is done.

Welcome, 2017.  We cannot be more excited you are here.