Closing out 2018

As most people do, when the year winds down and we approach the last day of December, I take stock of the year that was. This has been a wonderful year in so many ways, a challenging year in many more, and through it all, I feel so lucky and blessed to live the life that I do.

There were many things, big and small, that made up this year, and I did not take the time to write about nearly enough of them. Because of that deficit, I've made up my mind to do better in 2019, formalizing this intent in my New Years resolutions (to come tomorrow!). I did make good on most of the resolutions I set out for myself in 2018, and there was so much joy and fulfillment in those accomplishments, too.

In this first full year we've spent in Wisconsin, we've settled into our new routines and community, but continue to try to find our place. It isn't easy to move, but it had been enough years since our last one that I think I underestimated the breadth of challenges it would pose. On top of that, of course, our kids were four and six when we moved to Arkansas; now, at eleven and thirteen, their lives are more complex and complicated. There have been many challenges this year that I could never have foreseen, and that we are still trying to figure out how to navigate. The loneliness of a new place, though, has also brought our family closer in many ways, especially me and Justin. We have spent a lot of time together in the last year, having conversations that move beyond "what's for dinner?" and "who's picking up the kids?" The strengthening of our friendship and marriage has been an unexpected benefit of this move, a perfect example of never quite knowing the impact of the choices you make.

There are so many highlights of this past year, for me and for our family. There were really, really big highlights like my Grand Canyon hike Rim to Rim, and then there were the small delights like getting our bird feeders up in the backyard and finding that we have two types of beautiful woodpeckers that visit us each morning. There was learning to cross country ski, a new passion of mine, and boat-in camping up north Wisconsin with Caroline this summer. A trip to Michigan for an Army football game and a visit to Chicago to see Hamilton are both things we would never have done without having moved to Wisconsin! Making more than 52 new recipes, including learning to bake bread, probably qualifies as both a highlight and a challenge this year, depending on which week it was. Ha! Completing another Half Iron triathlon combined with a weekend in Maine with some of my dearest girlfriends and going to Houston for our annual summer visit - with a side trip to Galveston - had my toes in the sand on two different coasts this year. All of this was woven through a daily life of work that I enjoy, kids' activities that helped us meet a few new friends, and countless home improvement projects that have culminated in a beautiful home where we settle in together at the end of each day.

Since I didn't manage to update the blog with many of the amazing things we did this year, I'll just dump a whole bunch of pictures here at the bottom, on the last day of the year, to share some of the highlights of the year that was. I look forward to 2019 and everything it will bring, the ups and downs, the highs and lows, because with every passing year, I better understand and fully embrace that it all enriches our lives.





Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Grand Canyon Rim to Rim, Part 4 - the climb out (Bright Angel Trail)

Living the Wisconsin Life

New Year's Resolutions - new recipe, week 9 - Macaroni Beef Casserole