This past year was my first year to choose my One Word for 2016. I had always heard of people picking out a word for the year, so this year I decided to pick one for myself. After much thought, I decided on the word JOY. I wanted to spend 2016 focusing on finding my joy in Christ only and not in material things or my husband or my job or my home. My year started out with that prayer and ended with that prayer!
January
We experienced a “blizzard” in Alabama 😂 Thankfully this was as much as we got and it melted the next day. BUT we did get out of school early since the last time it snowed it was a total disaster for school let out!
February
We hosted 7-8th grade boys in our home for the weekend for DNOW, and it was an experience ha!
We also went bowling one night and Dustin learned that I was a superstar bowler.
March
We took a little spring break day trip to Nashville for the day, and I introduced D to his first experience at Jeni’s.
April
I mailed in my portfolio and all of my paperwork in order to finish my internship for grad school! All I had left was an exam in May and then I was done!
It was also warm enough in April to go out on the river for the first time–we love river days!
May
Janie and I went to see The Avett Brothers in concert in our old college town. We had a great time listening to a band we both loved listening to in college.
We celebrated my graduation from grad school with a dinner with both of our families…and presents for me!
June
#wheredustinsleeps started since Dustin sleeps everywhere…including on my leg while we were supposed to be watching tv.
We went on a cruise to the Bahamas! We loved the Bahamas (minus the crazy taxi drivers) and decided next time we could just stay at Atlantis!
July
We celebrated Dustin’s 31st birthday! He’d been wanting a 4 wheeler forever so I got him one…on his cake haha!
We also celebrated 2 years of marriage the very next day!
August
Someone got the 4 wheeler he’d been wanting…
I went to visit the Southern Living Idea House with Janie and was so obsessed with the living room–especially the gallery wall of these cranes? birds? ducks?
We went to a football game in town and were the only people who didn’t bring rain gear.
I received this really fun surprise in the mail!
September
My husband proved he really loved me in September.
And I also finally got my dining room furniture!
October
We went to a wild game dinner and ate way too much deer, turkey, bison, and fish–and lots of other “fauna” (my husband is a wildlife science grad and made me type fauna instead of species)
My little sister turned 25.
We experienced a really scary health issue with Dustin’s diabetes and he was hospitalized for 3 days.
I turned 29!
November
Mom and I went to Christmas Village and didn’t buy anything Christmas related but lots of food.
Dad took Rachel and I to New Orleans for a 3 day weekend and we had a whole lotta fun!
December
December was fun….and then not fun. I love Christmas and really enjoyed the lights and music, but I am ready for 2017 to get here.
My favorite thing about 2016? All of the memories made with Dustin! I am looking forward to many more in 2017.
