2024 was the year of moving. We didn’t really intend for the process to absorb the majority of the year, but upon reflection, it definitely did from all aspects- emotional, mental, physical.

We kicked the year off having just broken ground on our new home. That was super exciting but also highlighted the fact we had plenty to do to get our previous house ready to sell. In February we began a total kitchen renovation to increase the value of our home for a quicker sale. We aimed to list in late spring to take advantage of the hottest selling market. From there we balanced our current-home renovation while making decisions for the new build and trying to maintain some sense of normalcy for the kids.

2024 – A Reflection

We hadn’t figured out our exact plan of action yet, but had it in our heads that David would retire from his current position and take on running Sweet Home Bearolina and The Overlook full time. Since we’d be (hopefully) selling before our new home was ready, we got a camper and planned to head west to explore and camp, filling our gap of time between homes with adventure until the new build was ready.

During all this we visited some fun places like skiing in Steamboat, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter for Kaitlyn’s 10th birthday, Hammock Beach Resort, The Montage Palmetto Bluff and spent a night camping at Stone Mountain Park.

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Summer brought the big changes, like selling, closing, and moving. After attempting to sell twice in 2020, this sale process was so much smoother and quicker. Packing and moving though is no joke! It was a challenging process as we packed ourselves and moved everything into storage units spread between two states.

We then moved ourselves to Georgia to live with mom for a few months (isn’t she generous?!) instead of traveling in the camper because David ended up accepting a new position (a promotion!) with his same company. I loved having the extra time with mom, but living fairly uprooted had its emotional challenges.

As summer began to fade into fall we all got knocked down with a virus that liked to linger and make us cough. We started our homeschool year, went camping in West Virginia for Hailey’s 13th birthday, and took a family trip to Sea Island. The trip was wonderful but also had a cloud hang over it, as it was cut short for mom. She left early to be with Nannie as it was clear she was nearing the end of her time here on earth.

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We laid Nannie to rest and I could not pull it together at all at her funeral. I cried hard, even when I got up to try and say a few words.

Finally at the very end of October, the day before Halloween, we were able to move into our new home. It was chaotic of course, but we were SO excited to be there and get to start rooting into our new community. We hit the jackpot with our neighborhood, not only for the hiking trails and mountain proximity, but with the incredible people. The kids had instant friends which has been such a blessing.

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Unpacking our last moving box landed us smack in the middle of November and the girls (OK, me, too) were itching to decorate for Christmas. Up went the decor and filled our new home with a level of cozy, familiar comfort. We enjoyed our bittersweet Thanksgiving at Nannie’s house and came back to the whirlwind that is December, culminating in hosting family for Christmas in our new home for the first time.

And now Christmas decorations are packed away and the house is looking pretty, but bare. But I see it as exciting- a blank canvas to take my time with, adding colors and textures that make me feel at home and make the place inviting and cozy. I have no idea what I’m doing but I look forward to the challenge, as well as the adventure of setting up my garden and… a chicken coop?!

January, I think I’m almost ready for you (though yes, I know you’re here). Last night David and I did our annual State of the Family meeting and it was invigorating. It is exciting to see progress made, proof that some tough decisions bore fruit, and dream about what’s to come. More about that as I dive into some 2025 goals, but I think I’ve chatted your ear off for long enough for now. What stage of the new year are you currently in? Resting, reflecting, revving up? Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope your day is a good one!