A Summary of 2023

in 365 words

At the beginning of each year, all I see is possibility and open-ended growth. At the end, I wonder if all I hoped for did, in fact, happen. What do I have to show for the last 365 days? 

An improved marriage, thanks to 15+ hours of counseling, which gave us tools to communicate, new perspectives, and a safe place to talk. With that comes immense joy as we celebrated our 13th anniversary. We’ve grown up together since we were 23. Our marriage is officially a teenager, complete with some moodiness, but coming up solid and true. We’ve laughed till we’ve cried this year, enjoyed more dates than the last few years combined, and probably my favorite, learned to mountain bike together. 

Kindergarten was a bit of a bumpy start for our oldest as he adjusted to a new schedule, but the road has smoothed out now. 4 months of drop-offs in the morning give me some of my sweetest memories–kisses blown and “I love you” signs flashed while walking through the front doors, hand in hand with a classmate. Prayers on the way to school in the car, endless I-spy while driving, lots of snacks and describing PE games on the way home. A beloved teacher for whom I will forever be grateful. 

Our youngest turned 2 and continues to work to get his words out. Persistent speech therapy reminds me how big the village is, and how much it’s needed as we parent. Every new syllable and sound is a celebration. The love for his older brother and desire to keep up makes him agile and daring. I am soaking in his toddlerhood, knowing he’s our last. I linger at night in the rocker, letting him lay on my chest while he sucks his thumb. I love feeling his head nod up and down when I ask, “Do you know how much we love you?”

Abundant gratitude wells up in me for our family, dear friends, neighbors, this full life. I continue to be amazed at the love of God and His presence in our lives. Grace abounds, more and more, each year a brick building my understanding of who He is.

This post is part of a blog hop with Exhale—an online community of women pursuing creativity alongside motherhood, led by the writing team behind Coffee + Crumbs. Click here to view the next post in the series "365 Words".