I’m spending this week reflecting and planning (and doing laundry and managing the kids and cooking and other typical life stuff), but definitely setting aside some quiet time to think, process, and plan. I feel a little differently going into this year than in years past, but before I get into that, I’d love to share a rundown of this past year.

Family Happenings

We kicked off 2022 with a visit to Gatlinburg SkyLift Park. We stayed at Sweet Home Bearolina but we were also in the area to look at properties. On that trip we found and put an offer in on what is now our second rental property- The Overlook.

In February we took a quick trip to Deer Valley to go skiing. In March, I shared what a day in our co-op looks like and David and I got away for a rare weekend just the two of us at The Grove Park Inn.

In April we were back in Tennessee for a long weekend to do some hiking and explore the area while also staying and working on The Overlook. Later that month we spent a fun-filled night in Atlanta reliving our glory days at a Georgia Tech Sigma Chi alumni event.

We kicked off the summer by spending Memorial Day weekend with friends on the lake. We had a headstone installed for Dad and seeing his name etched in stone, even two years after losing him, still cut like a knife. We wrapped up our 4th grade and 2nd grade homeschool year. Kaitlyn turned 8 years old and we visited Myrtle Beach for a quick soccer tournament weekend.

June was a very adventurous month! We finally finished up all the work turning The Overlook from a primary residence into a vacation property and got it listed to rent. We spent a lake weekend at mom’s house, then adventured to New Mexico and met the Dixon crew at Vermejo. From there we traveled north to Colorado to visit the majestic Great Sand Dunes National Park.

We hosted friends for the 4th of July and kicked off our 5th grade and 3rd grade homeschool years with fresh curriculum. We went with my side of the family to a week long extravaganza in Orlando. We hit all the parks, the highlight being The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and all came back sick- ha! Theme parks, man.

Labor Day weekend kicked off a month of celebrations. Finley turned one and finally became the dog we knew she could be through that crazy first crazy puppy year. Hailey turned 11 and I turned 39. I can’t believe I turn 40 this year!

In October, David and I squeezed in a quick getaway to the Annapolis Sailboat Show, we got to help Mema celebrate her birthday in the Tennessee mountains and attended the Dollywood Harvest festival. I also spent 24 nostalgic and fun filled hours with my college besties in Greenville, SC. David began helping other short term rental owners manage and get the most value from their investments.

November had me feeling all the emotions about life and time passing. I contemplated blogging style and decided how much I love old school blogging and sharing life. I’m still putting thought into how to best blend journal-style sharing and more content-focused posts that do help me maintain and grow this space. We filled our Thanksgiving week with family, my favorite week of the year.

We took December off of any formal homeschool lessons and it was the best decision ever. David went on a hunting weekend with his college friends and I took the girls to Christmas in Davidson. David finally bought a new (to him) truck that he has wanted forever, we hosted our annual Christmas party, and we enjoyed our traditions of family shopping and giving to Feed NC. We wrapped up the year by hosting a cozy family Christmas.

It is incredible how quickly a year can go by and I’m grateful for one so full of memory making, family, and friends. Before I shift gears into thinking about 2023, a few more wrap ups from 2022.

Books Read in 2022

I had a goal to read 15 books. I don’t have (make? let’s take ownership for our choices, here, Brittany) much time to read, but I’m happy with how I did! I also decided I’m going to count the books I read and listen to with the kids because those take up a lot of the time I would otherwise dedicated to reading or listening to audiobooks on my own.

1. Deep Work
2. The Four Agreements (repeat)
3. The Alice Network
4. The Forever Dog
5. 12 Rules for Life
6. Unlocking the Keto Code
7. Greenlights
8. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
9. Finish
10. Atomic Habits (repeat)
11. Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself
12. Lovelight Farms
13. Winter Stroll
14. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows
15. The Land of Stories (books 1-6)
16. Pippi Longstocking
17. The Christmas Pig
18. The Penderwicks
19. A bunch of the Whatever After series (on repeat)

Top Performing Blog Posts in 2022

In 2022, I had 1,428,761 pageviews on this blog. Thank you for being here. The top performing page by a landslide is the “newest post” area, which makes me so happy. It means that most of you are checking in to catch up instead of a google search or Pinterest pin sending you here (not that I don’t appreciate that, too!). After that, the top performing posts from 2022 are:

• Baby-Led Weaning: 8 Month Meals
• 17 Classic Christmas Movies for Preschoolers
• Broccoli Cheddar Quinoa Bites
• How to Cure a Sore Throat Naturally in Just One Day
• 14 Fun Things to Do At Home With Your 8 Year Old
• Copy Cat Cava Bowls
• A Day in the Life with a 6 Week Old Baby (oh my heart…)
• One Day at Arches National Park

Personal Reflections from 2022

In 2022 my confidence in who I am and what I want increased, a perk that comes along with every new laugh line. My feeling of urgency in making some goals come to fruition stepped up and notch and I’m hoping 2023 will be a year to see some of those come into full bloom.

I am happy in my marriage. I don’t talk about my marriage much. Maybe it feels gushy? But gosh I love David so much. He’s my best friend, my even-keeled rock, and my adventure partner. We are so solid and that’s something I probably take for granted more than I should.

I am entering a new parenting era of parenting a child going through puberty and one that often wants to act older than her age. I am thoroughly enjoying it. Seeing friends have new babies still pulls at my heart strings and sometimes I still wonder if we should have tried for more because I relish in being a mom to my babies (who will always be my babies). But I don’t spend much time in that mental space and instead to choose to focus on the gratitude I have for my healthy family and the freedom these older ages are bringing us.

I am excited for 2023 and am looking forward to sharing it with you. <3