20!6

I'm happy to say that I kept up with my blog a little better this year :-) There were definitely times I got behind, but overall, I've got some great memories stored. A theme for 2016 would definitely be travel, and I think I'll reflect on that quite a bit. So what were we up to in 2016? 

What did you do this year that you had never done before?

I went to Hawaii!

and I cliff jumped while I was there :-)

Did anyone close to you give birth?

Not this year! I have many friends who are currently pregnant, so I anticipate lots of 2017 babies! Also, one of our sweet couple friends added to their family through adoption this year. :-)

Did anyone close to you die?

Andy's Aunt Nawasa passed away in the fall. I never got meet her, but she always asked Andy's parents about us and she always wanted to see us.

Also, my great Aunt Julia passed away on November 1st. It was her 90th birthday! She was such a sweet, petite little thing with a feisty side :-)

What dates from 2016 will remain etched in your memory?

My golden birthday with my "new village"

One of our favorite couple's wedding on April 30th

Sadly, I will also always remember June 23. When a devastating flood hit my area and killed over 20 people.

Finally, I'm pretty sure I will always remember November 8th. The election this year was the craziest of my life so far. I'm pretty sure it is all. people. talked. about. most of the year.

Did you suffer any illness or injury?

Thankfully, after my never ending sinus problems in the spring, we've been healthy!

What was the best thing you bought?

The best money we spent this year was on the trips we went on!!

Where did most of your money go?

BILLS and travel ;-)

What songs will remind you of 2016?
Can't Stop the Feeling - Justin Timberlake
JuJu on that Beat

What do you wish you would have done more of?

 As always, I could have exercised more and spent more time making healthy meals.

What was your favorite tv program?

This year, I have almost totally converted to youtube. I barely ever watch TV anymore and I follow many daily vloggers on youtube. :-)

What is the best book you read this year?

I read a few books over the trips that we took but I honestly don't even remember what the titles were. They were good! They weren't necessarily super memorable though.

What did you do on your birthday?

I posted about my golden birthday here.

Where did you travel?

 Snowshoe Mountain in January

Huntington for a wedding in February

Hickory, NC at the end of April for Marc and Mindy's wedding

Salemburg, NC and Myrtle Beach, SC over Memorial Day weekend.

I spent a week in Charlotte in June after school got out.

Hawaii in July!!

A cruise in August!!

Boone, NC in September with Marc and Mindy

We also went to Blacksburg, VA to watch ECU vs. VT in September.

Fall Beach Getaway in October

Of course, we took many trips home to Charlotte on the weekends throughout the year to attend weddings and spend time with friends and family, and you can't forget all the holiday travels we've taken in November and December :-)

We spent a lot of time traveling this year, which was amazing!!! Ironically, we also feel settled in our little town, which is exactly what I'd hoped for last year. 2016 was a fun year and I'm looking forward to seeing what 2017 brings! 

Merry Christmas!

"Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift" 2 Corinthians 9:15

Peace at Christmas time

Today, I posted the following on Instagram and I wanted to share it here too;

 I haven't exactly felt peace this week. With something planned every single night & the expectation to work at school until the 23rd, I've felt super stressed. Add in being around ALL the sickness {think stomach bug & snotty noses}, my anxiety has been through the roof. I've finally come to terms that Andy and I won't be stopping to enjoy the peace that should come with Christmas until this weekend, and that's ok, many don't even get that much time. I hope you feel the peace that comes only from Jesus this month, even if it's just for a day or two❤️

The best part about keeping a blog is to store thoughts & memories. I want to remember how I felt the week of Christmas this year. We've got one more day and then I know we'll get to celebrate in the best way!!

Parker Christmas!

Man, December has flown by! We have been to Christmas parties, church events, shopping, and working like usual. I haven't documented any of December so far, but I was sure to take some pictures this past weekend when we went to Wilmington to celebrate Christmas with the Parkers! :-)

We flew to Charlotte on Friday and then we rode with my Dad and Kendall to Wilmington. It was pretty funny seeing our luggage being carried out to the plane on a golf cart Ha!

We had pizza and hung out on Friday night. Then on Saturday, Andy, my dad and Kendall went to see a movie and I hung out with Nana and Aunt Darlene. We all got back together that afternoon to relax on the porch while our steaks were cookin'. 

We watched App win their second bowl game and then we opened presents!

Will and Leah arrived Saturday night and we watched The Secret Life of Pets.

I just love spending time with my Nana, Papa, and Aunt Darlene. It makes me sad that we live so far away!! I'm already looking forward to our next time together.

O Christmas Tree!

This past Saturday, Andy and I got our Christmas tree!! We ended up getting lucky at Lowes this year :-)

We ended up being able to decorate the tree and the house in the same day! I posted what our house looks like at Christmas time last year ! It really paid off to be able to pull out organized/labeled bins this year! 

Cheers to this Christmas season!!