A Double Recap // December & 2022

Everyone is saying it but it's so true. I can't believe 2022 is over. I had one of the best years I've had in a long time. I got to do so much, see so many things, & have new experiences. When I think back over the year, I can't quite believe that some things happened THIS year. They seem like so much longer ago.

January and February were mostly spent packing and preparing for our big move in March. I got one of my all-time favorite birthday gifts this year. March was moving and unpacking. We were so blessed with so many friends helping us move. There are events in my life that I look to and I am in awe of what great community we have. This was definitely one of those events.

I don't recall a lot of exciting things in April or May but June was when my amazing summer started! I got to go with my aunt and cousins to Cooperstown, NY for my cousin's baseball tournament and I got to see the National Baseball Hall of Fame! It was a memorable trip for sure and I am so happy that I got the opportunity to go.

July was my Nebraska trip and when I started visiting new churches. Nebraska was precious and I miss them so much. It's things like not seeing loved ones that makes a year seem to take forever.

The highlight of August was my friend's wedding. It also started a season of weddings. We attended four weddings in five months! Whew! I also did river floating with a friend. That was a fun experience.

September was another wedding and I flew for the first time in over 12 years! I got a baseball player's signature that I've really wanted to get and I went to the zoo for the first time in a few years. This was also our six-month mark of living at the farm.

October was staying with friends, friends visiting, cider mill trips, a road rally, and another wedding :)

November was our wedding-less month and it was really chill. It was nice after such a crazy past few months. The big "event" is that I made a new friend out here! I'm pretty excited about that.

And now... December's recap!

    - I went to two Advent by Candlelight events. It's an evening for women at the beginning of the Christmas season to help us start out with the right focus. I went to the one at my church and one at one of the churches I've been visiting.
    - The last wedding of the year was so beautiful. The ceremony was unlike any other I've been to and I loved it!
    - I had two friends (one was my new friend) text me to set up times to meet, which was really special to me. So I went walking at a state park with one and met the other for coffee at a super cute place halfway between her house and mine. We ended up staying there for 3 and a half hours and it didn't even feel like it!!!!
    - I did make gingerbread, twice actually. We got invited to lunch by some friends and I made a batch to take with us but then I made more with a friend.
    - Craft night was fun. We made a cute little greenery decoration. Our friend's birthday party was amazing.
    - I did not make a gingerbread house (yet) but I did finally get to make fish tacos! They were exactly what I was hoping for, easy to make, and pretty inexpensive too. I was shocked to get fresh cilantro in the winter for .99 for a bunch.
    - Christmas celebrations went well and we had a white Christmas!!!! Do you know how happy that makes me?!?!?!

While Christmas did sneak up on me and it didn't seem like it should be Christmas yet, I was not stressed or rushed this month. I was able to slow down and enjoy things and that makes me really happy.

I'm really proud of myself for the things I did this year. I did new things that were kind of scary but I did them. I learned that I can do more than I think and that I can do things scared. I also learned to go and do things by myself and not always try to get someone to do things with me. I am learning to make doing things that I want to do a priority. Thanks, counseling :)

All in all, I'm satisfied with 2022 and that is a big deal for me. I'm usually very down at the end of the year, so I can't tell you how good it feels to feel this good! Have a very happy New Year!

How was your Christmas and December? How would you summarize your year?

My family and some of my "second parents" at the wedding.

This is what the world looks like normally ...

... and this is what it looks like with blue light glasses! I can't edit with my blue light glasses on, which I hadn't thought about.

"Siblings" - biological and found :)

More "family". I am so thankful to be a part of this seven.

I got them all crocheted sharks (courtesy of a friend) for Christmas. It's an inside joke.

I love this ornament!

No edits. Just me in the snow.

Photos from my nature walk in the snow. It was amazing!