Goodbye, 2016!

 

 

Well, it’s time to say goodbye 2016!

This year held a lot for me.  A lot can happen in 365 days.  A lot did happen.

The Army threw a lot of curveballs at us, most of which were really good. (ironic right?)

Life threw a lot of curveballs at us.  Some of those were not-so-good.  We got in a huge car wreck and lost both our cars.  Our brand new car was keyed three different times. And most heartbreakingly, a dearly beloved fur baby passed away.

But in the wake of those difficulties were some very beautiful and happy moments.  We built an even stronger bond with our remaining fur baby and grew in our appreciation for enjoying the life’s little moments with him.  We also upgraded to better cars (less important but still a plus to this year). My confidence in driving has slowly been increasing.  Very slowly.  Slower than pond water.  But progress is progress!

2016 might have been my favorite year. But maybe I don’t have to have a favorite.  I couldn’t trade the year we got married (2014) for the year we spent with our baby (2016), or the year my husband and I met (2010) for the year we met our daughter (2015).  Every year is incomparable, and completely irreplaceable.  2016 was no exception.  I can’t imagine not having this year as part of my life.  There are so many moments I will never forget, so many steps we took together as a family, so many accomplishments and surprises. Just so many memories.

I could go on and on for paragraphs about every single moment, and not even scratch the surface of what happened this year.  So instead I’ll just cloud together a blurry paragraph of the feelings and takeaways from 2016.

 

feelings cloud for december 2016

I learned that the power of a hug is unmatchable.  When my baby runs to my arms, or when my family hugs after Army separation, my heart literally floats into the clouds.

I experienced there is nothing better than just talking over a cup of coffee– nothing.

I felt the importance of having a fur baby around at all times, and the emptiness of losing one.

I finally learned to value unique kitchen items versus generic, get-the-job-done ones.

I began trusting the skills of a hairdresser after years of hairdresser fright (too many past bad experiences).

I reevaluated makeup and skincare with a lens towards wellness.

I experienced first hand the absolute majestic power of God, and how no prayer ever goes unanswered.

I felt love even more, which I didn’t think was possible, and that was my favorite feeling of the year.

the happy ending to 2016

2017, if you are even half of the year that 2016 was, then I can’t wait to meet you.  Even if you aren’t, I’m going to spend every day using what I learned from 2016 to make you the year I am hoping for!  This new year is going to be a special one, I can just tell.  Just as this one really was.

See you next year!

 

Goodbye 2016!