2016 In Review

A few more days!  

I love and hate New Year's.  It's SO nostalgic, you know?  So much to look back on, good or bad, it's still there in the ether.  

Here was our year!

• January: Olivia and Katie got engaged!  Katie proposed to my sister and it is by far my best memory of 2016.  I remember being at my friend Emily's house with my teeny baby (3 or so weeks at that point) and just nursing my little face off, and Jay saw it on his phone, and told me they were engaged (we knew it was coming but didn't know it was going to be so soon) and I yelled HURRAY FOR THE GAYS! and there were some gay people at that party who didn't know me at all, and that was weird for a minute.  But!  My sister is getting married in June and I am the most excited about it.  Beck is going to wear a tutu.  
• February: Jay had a second surgery on his leg, to remove one of the screws that was bugging him.  There are 2 left and we'll probably have them removed too because he's in a ton of pain most of the time.  Surgery with a 2 month old was so fun!  
• March: Got around to posting the tutorial for our paper crane mobile.  Fun fact, 3 of the cranes have met their demise via Beck standing up on her changing table and ripping them down.  
• April: We went to NYC for my a cappella work with our 4-month old, our dog almost died, and we were exhausted.  It almost killed us even though he's still kicking.  The weekend before that we had our 15 year a cappella reunion, which was crazy and fun and crazy fun and Jay won the AWARD for most supportive husband ever.  There is a picture of him cooking breakfast for 20 women while wearing our baby.  
• May: My car was totaled by a moron probably texting before ramming into me with my baby in the car.  I lost it and my 2004 CRV, which I loved so very much.  I got an HRV, though, and it is great and shiny and new but...still, you know.  Miss the old girl.  
• June: I took a blogging break, my sister got married, and Beck turned 6 months.  PHEW.  My goal in 2017 is to be more eloquent and braver in my writing while allowing myself the freedom to not do this if it doesn't work for a time.  That's not a thing, right?  Braver = people mad at me, every single time.  
• July: We vacationed in Nashville with my sister Julianne and it was one of our favorite trips ever.  I want to make a trip to that city not for work an annual thing.  
• August: Professional pictures with our wedding photographer and 12 inches more of hair than I have now.  I love these so much.  
• September: Jay started a new job after over a year of hunting, a near-move to NYC, and many, many letdowns.  This job has been wonderful for him, for us, for everything.  Career stuff is tricky to talk about because he's grateful for where he came from but darn happy to be where he is now, too.  
• October: Beck's first Halloween and I made pumpkin spiced chicken, which if I'm being honest I thought you'd like more than you did.  Pin it!  It's seriously delicious and not weirdly sweet at all.  
• November: The election.  Maybe the hardest day of the year for me, but it happened and we're all still here and we can be active and vigilant while being brave and hopeful.  
• December: Beck turned one, we had one year pictures made (coming next week!), we spent the last few days in Atlanta with Jay's family, met our brand new twin nieces, and are celebrating the good of the last year and all the hope of the next.  See also: we are having prime rib for NYE dinner with our friends.  

It's been one, that's for sure.