Sunday, December 31, 2017

2017 – Our *Wild, Brave* Year in Review


I absolutely LOVE this time each year! You know, that random time after Christmas and before New Years when no-one has any idea what day of the week it is or what we're really supposed to be doing with ourselves?!  It's a time to just slow down and take a look back over the last year to see every little bit of provision and blessing (and a whole lot of painful growth) God has placed on us...and boy did He ever provide this year.  He provided us with lifelong memories, growing friendships, and peace through some of our toughest days.


When I started these posts, back in 2013, I did them more as a "Top 10," but over the years, some of the moments that have brought about the biggest growth in my life and in our family, as well as those with lasting impressions wouldn't necessarily be considered "Top," so now they're just the most memorable moments. We know that God uses every part of our lives for His story, and for His glory, so here they are from the past year:

10. Birthday Celebrations.  We kicked off 2017 celebrating our sweet girl's 3rd birthday with a little Breakfast at Bryleigh's, and we wrapped up the year celebrating our Wild One at his 1st birthday.  It is always so incredible to watch these kiddos grow up from year to year, to look back on the past year and see all the ways that they have grown and changed, but I know that the best is yet to come as they learn more about who God has created them to be.  I am so very thankful that God chose Brad and me to be earthly parents to these precious kids that make life so incredibly fun.


9. Vegas Vacation.  At the end of 2016, my Boy-Band-loving husband came across some information for the Backstreet Boys residency in Vegas, and the rest is history.  We had an absolute blast discovering a new city that neither of us had ever been to, and the cherry on top was experiencing my middle school self's dream!  Also, we ate a LOT of really good food!!  I am so thankful for times to get away with my husband, to reconnect and just enjoy life together.


8. Sports, duh.  Obviously sports is going to make the list.  The jury is still out on just how good of a year this has been for my hubby since his Sooners are STILL making a run for it, but most of my teams left a little (or a lot) to be desired in cheering them on.  Since number 9 happened (Vegas Vacation), a trip to see the Nets was off the table, but that didn't hold us back from watching them every chance we got (on a computer rigged up to the TV with questionable viewing half the time).  Brad and I had a blast at the incredible Baylor/OU game this year, and I always love getting to spend an afternoon with him at the Cowboys game.  The highlight of our sports year, though, was taking Will to his very first Rangers game!! He's a fan for life. I am thankful for the passions and interests God placed on our hearts as individuals AND the things he placed in our hearts that we enjoy together/as a family. (I am also thankful that my happiness does not depend on the success of the Baylor Bears!)


7. The Holidays. For us, the "Holidays" start with Halloween and go right up until 11:59 when we ring in the new year, looking for ways to work in some memory-making moments every chance we get.  Our Halloween was so fun and special this year as we saw our little girl REALLY growing up.  It was our very first "Teal Pumpkin Project" Halloween, and I'm already looking forward to doing a little more with that in 2018. We had a successful (read: tear-free) sugar free Halloween.  I LOVED getting to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, since last year's was a little...chaotic...and tiring...and every other thing you can think of.  We got to celebrate Will's SECOND Thanksgiving before he turned one! ;)  Any time with family is always special, but time with them at Christmas just seems a little more magical.  Christmas always reminds me of how incredibly blessed we are with an amazing family. God has been SO good to us.  I am thankful for the endless amounts of time I get to spend with my children during these younger years, making a lifetime's worth of memories with them.


6. Brave days.  As I mentioned, not all of the things on the list are "top" moments, but they are definitely BIG moments, and we had a lot of big moments this year with both of our brave babes and their health.  We started the new year with a new doctor, and that was a game changer for us!  There's been supplements, and adjustments, and nutrition education...and a few couch counseling sessions...to get us to a MUCH better place than we were in this time last year. After jumping through hoops and more details than I care to recount, we FINALLY got somewhat of a diagnosis for Bryleigh that consisted of TEN allergies we needed to completely eliminate from her diet...and it's been a journey to figure it all out ever since. On top of that, we have learned that she does have scoliosis, which is something we were very prepared for as lots of things pointed to that throughout the year.  We're still working through details with Will, and have to wait as his spine develops to see if he will have the same issues as well, but he does have the same GI issues that his big sister does.  Although there have been tough days (weeks.) and lots of questions, we are SO thankful to be where we are at this point and know that God goes before us in to 2018!


5. Summer-ish. Our B-Dad had been hard at work for the last three years, traveling weekly to North Carolina to meet in person with his client, and this summer they had their big finish.  It meant some weekends away, long hours, lots of stressful work, but he did an awesome job, and when it wrapped up, it meant some time at HOME.  It fell right around the middle of July, so it felt a little like we were on summer vacation. We got to do weeknight dinners, double duty bath time, and extra helping hands for this momma.  We're so proud of him and thankful for how hard he works to provide for our family.  He's now off to Baltimore each week to work with his new client, and we have no doubt he'll do just as well there!  I am incredibly thankful for my hubby's job and all that it provides for us, in every way.


4. Celebrating 10, and 8. It's always fun to celebrate and look back at all of God's blessings in our lives, and this year we celebrated 10 years of doing life together.  Our sweet story started on Memorial Day back in 2007, and we married a little over 2 years later.  We celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary in August with a fun date night out and some shopping, then home to snuggle our babes at bed time (which is exactly what we did to celebrate our 10 years of dating, too).  I really could not have asked for more. I am so thankful to do life with these people.



3. Saying Goodbyes. As I wrote this post last year and looked forward to all that 2017 would bring, I had no idea what was just around the corner.  We got what would be the worst phone call of our lives as we learned that our Uncle B had passed away of a massive heart attack at the end of February.  We have missed him every day since and we know that this world will never be the same without him.



Our heartbreak did not stop there, unfortunately.  In June, we said goodbye to our sweet Grandmother, days before her 93rd birthday.  Although we were so sad to not have her with us, we are so grateful that she was reunited with our sweet granddad and met Jesus face to face, where he undoubtedly said "Well done my good and faithful servant." What a reunion that must have been!  I will always be so grateful to God for her last 3 years of life where she was able to spend time with my Bryleigh Girl.  There relationship was one of my most favorite things in the world. I am forever thankful for the lives of Brian Lee and Pauline Mae, who loved me unconditionally and made me a better person.


2. Becoming Burgdorf. It's safe to say that the best day of 2017 for our family was the much anticipated wedding day for our sweet little sister, Erin, and our new brother, Luke.  We are SO blessed to have them as Aunt E and Uncle Luke to our babes and we had an absolute blast celebrating them and all the fun around their wedding - showers, bachelorette/bachelor weekends, and rehearsal included! I am so thankful that the Lord answered our prayers for our sweet Erin and a husband that will love and cherish her like she absolutely deserves.



1. Life with 2. This year, we settled in to life as a family of four, and we had an absolute blast doing it.  Will is OBSESSED with his sister.  It's obvious that she's his favorite person, and the feelings are quite reciprocated!  There's never been anything that has brought me more joy than to watch them love on each other and grow as little tiny people.  Every day is not perfect, but there is good, good blessings in every single day. I am beyond thankful for this very life that God has given us, each and every day of it!


 "Let me tell ya 'bout my beeeest friend!"



No comments:

Post a Comment