Just like that another year is in the rear view mirror and we are looking ahead to 2017 with big hopes and expectations for what it has in store. I love this time of year to set new goals and ambitions for a new year that is full of possibility, but also to reflect on the past year and all its challenges and triumphs. Here are some of the highlights and lessons I’ve learned…

m o m   l i f e

Becoming a mama was hands down the biggest highlight of 2016. It has also been the greatest challenge. Never have I embarked on a journey that is both so rewarding and so demanding. Becoming a mom has transformed my outlook on what is important in life and brought me more tears and smiles than I can count. I think I say this in every post, but it’s all so worth it for those toothless smiles… seriously, I can’t even.

The biggest lesson I have learned so far in motherhood is to do what works for you and your baby. Every book you read and every person you talk to has a different opinion and experience. Thinking that there is only one way to do this motherhood thing is going to be seriously stressful and steal so much joy! At the end of the day, the most important thing is to love that little bundle and whatever way you figure the rest out is totally okay.

w i f e   l i f e

This year we celebrated our third wedding anniversary… time flies when you’re having fun! The highlight of this year of marriage has been becoming parents. Seeing my husband in his new role as a father has revealed so much more about his character and has made me fall in love with a different side of him. Our relationship has already changed in these past couple of months, but supporting each other as parents has been such a sweet (and really difficult!) transition.

The biggest lesson I have learned as a wife is how important it is to set aside time and energy to still be a wife. In this hectic and exhausting season of life, it is all too easy to focus on my new role as a mother and to put my role as a wife on the back burner. Some days I am actually mom-ing so hard that I feel that I have no more energy to put into loving my hubs… but a simple conversation with actual eye contact or holding hands at the dinner table goes a long way. In the long run, we want our children to grow up with parents that are still madly in love with each other, so it is so important that we set aside the time to nurture our relationship… especially in the seasons of life when we are pulled thin.

f a i t h   l i f e

In this year, I have learned more about the nature of God, that He is LOVE and that He is always, always, always (no matter the circumstance) GOOD. In my past, I was hurt by the church and I mistakenly thought that I was hurt by God. I realized that I had let what had happened with people determine my image of who God was. In reality, God is always good, no matter the circumstance (I want to do a post all about this… so hang in there).

The biggest lesson I have learned is that I was letting my past experience affect my image of God and that this was holding me back in my relationship with Him and with others. Since I had been hurt in a church setting, I was reluctant to be truly vulnerable with God and with other believers for fear of being hurt again. In the past few months of 2016, God has revealed to me the necessity of vulnerability and that only in this place of being vulnerable will I build valuable and lasting relationships.

h o m e   l i f e

In October 2015 we moved into our first house. 2016 was full of home improvement projects inspired by my pretend bestie, Joanna Gaines (#shiplap for life) and my actual bestie, my home decor loving mom!

As much as I loved turning our house into a home, I have come to realize that maintaining a perfect home is not only unrealistic with a baby, it is also totally unnecessary! I hope that people who come to visit understand that being a mom takes priority over vacuuming and dishes and that any day I would choose snuggling my little boy over doing house work. In the past I would have worried about making everything perfect for company, but now, if my house is a mess, but my baby is happy, I consider it a win. Sorry if you come over and notice cat fur balls rolling across the floor. That’s just life right now.

I’m so looking forward to 2017 and all it has in store! Happy New Years, friends!

xo