Friday, December 30, 2022

An Ode to 2022

Oh 2022, you were such a breath of fresh air after a terrible 2020 and an uncertain 2021!  I had high hopes for you, and I could feel it in my gut that you were going to be wonderful, and thankfully, my gut was right!

Shall we recap?  As always, I’m recapping the good and the bad, and I’m starting with the bad so we can end on a high note… and thankfully, the bad was very few and far between this year!  I mean, some of these “bad” things really weren’t even all that bad, but they shall be noted because that’s what I do.  Haha.

The Bad…

It was the year we all finally got Covid after avoiding it for nearly two years.  First was Jacob in February, then came Olivia literally the day that Jacob finally tested negative, and then Brian in August, and finally, me in October.  The silver lining?  The kids’ cases were suuuuper mild, and Brian’s and my cases were similar to flu and nothing more serious.  Yes, I had some breathing issues with mine, but thankfully, we all made full recoveries and nobody had to pay the hospital a visit. 

It was the year that I got the shingles?!  But again, thankfully, they were mild (at least I think, compared to other horror stories I’ve heard), and it wasn’t really a big deal… more weird than bad.  Haha.

It was the year that Brian had a terrible bout with poison ivy… all over his whole body… for days and days.  Eek!

It was the year that our beloved friars left our church to move on to their next assignments.  I still miss them so very much every single day and our church truly hasn’t been the same since they’ve been gone.

It was the year that Olivia had to have another surgery for her thyroid, and also a surgery done on her ear drum.  Thankfully, the biopsy came back with benign results again, so for that, we are most grateful. 

 

The Good…

It was the year that Jacob got the “best all-around” award for his class for the second quarter of school.  It’s only awarded to one student per class per quarter, and students are awarded for being hard-working, kind, going the extra mile, and following the school’s four core values of faith, honesty, loyalty, and respect. 


It was the year that after 41 loooong years, GEORGIA FINALLY WON THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME!!!!  That pretty much set the tone for an absolutely fabulous January.  We rode that high well into the year… heck, we’re still riding it. 


It was the year that we headed to Athens to celebrate our Dawgs and we had the absolute best time getting away, attending the parade, seeing all of the players and coaches up close and personal, and spending time in our beloved stadium.


 
It was the year that we had a day of SNOW… well, kind of.  Haha.  Even though it didn’t stick, it was still magical!


It was the year that we celebrated Brian’s 44th birthday!

 Celebrations Part 1

Celebrations Part 2

 


It was the year that we celebrated our sweet girl’s 8th birthday! 

 Celebrations

Birthday Interview

Birthday Letter

 


It was the year that Olivia made her First Reconciliation.



It was the year that I celebrated seven years of blogging!

 



It was the year that I celebrated my 40th birthday… EEK!

 40 Things for Age 40

Celebrations Part 1

Celebrations Part 2

Celebrations Part 3 



It was the year that we were FINALLY able to make up our missed Disney World trip from 2020, and we had the very best time!

 2022 Disney World Vacation Day 1 – Disney Springs

2022 Disney World Vacation Day 2 – Hollywood Studios

2022 Disney World Vacation Day 3 – Animal Kingdom

2022 Disney World Vacation Day 4 – Pool Day

2022 Disney World Vacation Day 5 – Magic Kingdom

2022 Disney World Vacation Day 6 – Epcot

Disney World 2022 By the Numbers

 


It was the year that Olivia danced in her 4th recital… and she nailed all four of her dances both times!



It was the year that Jacob got the Grace Award for his class for the fourth quarter at school… for being a person who embodies the characteristics of Christ (loving, kind, empathetic, etc.).



It was the year that Jacob wrapped up his little league career.  *Tear*





It was the year that Olivia made her First Communion.



It was the year that we were able to get away and head to our favorite place, 30A…

 Days 1, 2, 3, & 4

Days 5, 6, & 7

By the Numbers




It was the year that Jacob found a new passion... piano playing!  (No pictures of him actually playing, but here he is waiting for his lesson to start.)




It was the year that Olivia found a new passion... voice lessons!  (No pictures of her actually singing, but here she is waiting for her lesson.  Haha.)



It was the year that BOTH KIDS FINALLY LEARNED HOW TO RIDE BIKES!  Praise.



It was the year that we celebrated Jacob’s 11th birthday!

 Celebrations Part 1

Celebrations Part 2

Birthday Interview

Birthday Letter

 



It was my fifth summer home with the kids, and we got to spend more quality time with friends than ever!  We all enjoyed it so much!

 Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

 


It was the year that Jacob got Student of the Month for sixth grade… third year in a row for him getting this special award!


 

It was the year that Jacob started playing golf!



It was the year that we traveled back to the mountains for fall break, and this year, my parents were able to join us!

 Days 1 & 2

Days 3, 4, & 5

By the Numbers

 



It was the year that B and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. 


 

It was the year that B and I took the kiddos on their first flights ever to New York City and they were able to experience New York City at Christmastime!

 Day 1

Day 2 (to be recapped soon)

Days 3 & 4 (to be recapped soon)

By the Numbers

 


It was the year that we went on 3 weekend getaways in addition to our Disney, beach, mountain, and New York City trips… so much travel this year!  So grateful!

 UGA National Championship Celebration – Athens, GA

Dave Matthews Band – Huntsville, AL

Atlanta Braves game – Atlanta, GA



It was the year that we were able to go to 2 concerts, 4 if you count Blue Man Group and the Radio City Rockettes as concerts, haha.

 Blue Man Group

Dave Matthews Band – Huntsville, AL

Dave Matthews Band – Atlanta, GA

Radio City Rockettes – New York City, NY (to be recapped soon)

 


It was the year that we went to 1 Atlanta Braves game.

 Altanta Braves vs. New York Mets

 



It was the year that we went to 3 Georgia games.

 UGA vs. Oregon – Atlanta, GA

UGA vs. Auburn – Athens, GA

UGA vs. Tennessee – Athens, GA

 


It was the year that B and I managed to squeeze in 5 dates.  We always aim for 12 each year (one per month), but among all the sicknesses and obligations this year, we ended up having to cancel several of them.  Boooo.

 Dave Matthews Band Concert – Huntsville,AL

Dave Matthews Band Concert – Atlanta, GA

Georgia vs. Tennessee football game – Athens, GA

Christmas Shopping Day Date

Anniversary Dinner

 



It was the year that we were back in full-swing with lunches and dinners and coffee dates and get-togethers with girlfriends and old coworkers!

 Dinner with Jeannine, Jen, Jenn,Jessica, and Heather at the New Mexican Place Downtown 

Dinner with Jeannine, Jen, Jenn, and Jessica

Movie with Momma

Dinner downtown with Jen, Jessica, Jenn, Jeannine, and Becky

Lunch with Donnie and Gilbert

Coffee Date with Becky, Jen, Jenn, Jeannine, and Emily

Lunch with Brad

Lunch with Greg

Dinner Downtown with Becky, Jeannine, Jenn, Heather, and Jessica

Dinner Downtown with Jessica, Jeannine,Heather, Jenn, and Jen

Dinner with Momma and Father Manny

Dinner with Jeannine, Heather, Jen, Jenn, and Jessica

Fourth of July Party at Our House

Jenn’s Surprise Birthday Party

Lunch with Shelly

Braves Game with Shelby

Dinner Party at Jessica’s House

Lauren & Zack’s Wedding in Atlanta

Mexican Dinner with Jen, Jessica, and Jeannine

Lunch with Greg

Mexican Dinner with Jen, Heather, and Jenn

Lunch with Tammy and Thaka

Homecoming Alumni Social

Lunch with Brad

Georgia vs. Tennessee Game with Family and Friends

Movie with Momma

Dinner with Old Coworkers

Fundraiser Shopping with Becky

Christmas Dinner with the Girls



It was also the year that we had many playdates and get-togethers with friends!

 Pool Party at Christy’s

Play Date at Jeannine’s House

Aubrey’s Birthday Party

Golf Lessons with Mack and Noah

Swim Play Date with Jeannine and Khristina

Swim Play Date with Jeannine and the Boys

Golf Play Date with Jeannine and the Boys

BBQ Lunch Date with Jeannine and the Boys

Evening Swim with Jeannine and the Boys

Jacob’s Arcade Birthday with Friends

Savannah’s Birthday Swim Party

Bowling and Arcade with Leo and Clara

Callaway Gardens Beach Day with School Friends

Back-to-School Social

High School Football Game

Pumpkins at Callaway Gardens with Friends

WJ's Birthday Party

School Fall Carnival

Pumpkin Painting Night with Friends

Trick-or-Treating with Friends

Jacob's First School Dance

School-Wide Tailgate

Elf Movie Night at Jeannine’s House

State Playoff Football Game

Game Night with Friends at Our House

 



It was the year that I volunteered more than ever at the kids’ school, joining their Home & School Advisory Board, chairing and co-chairing several events and fundraisers (Grandparent’s Day, Reindeer Run), being room mom for Olivia’s class, and also taking on a new role as part of the school’s alumni affairs team.

 

It was another year of wonderful holiday celebrations…

 New Year’s

Valentine’s Day

Easter

Memorial Day

4th of July

Labor Day

Halloween

Thanksgiving

Christmas

 


It was the year that I read 20 books.




It was the year that I continued running, and I also continued working out consistently and incorporating strength training regularly.  My body is in the best shape it has been in my entire adult life!  I feel so strong and healthy and great!


 

It was the year I shared a few new recipes here on the blog!

 Mint Moscow Mule

The Best Hot Toddy + Immune Booster for Everything That Ails you

Candy Corn Fruit Skewers

Easy Chocolate Ghost Cupcake Toppers



 

It was the year that I shared some fun organizing tips, how-to’s, and DIY projects with you.

 How to Organize Everything – An Organization Roundup

House Cleanout and Projects –Mid-January Update

How to Move Your Data from an Old Apple Watch to a New Apple Watch

House Cleanout and Projects – Mid-February Update

Items in My Emergency Car Kit

Kids’ Bathroom Refresh

The Best Way to Display Lego Builds – Jacob’s Lego Museum and Updated Bedroom

The Ultimate Checklist for the Entire Holiday Season (Start of fall – New Year’s Eve)

The Best Way to Keep Track of Christmas Gift Purchases



And now I’ll leave you with my top five most viewed posts that were written in 2022.  Before I get to these, a few notes…

These are the top five most viewed posts that were written in 2022… all of my most viewed posts of all-time were written in previous years. 

I do still have several old posts making the rounds on Pinterest, and a couple that picked up speed this year.   

Income was steady yet again which is exactly what I’m aiming for these days as I haven’t had quite as much time to dedicate to my blog since I’ve taken on so many volunteer responsibilities this year.

Y’all LOVE my Amazon purchases posts and my weekly recaps.  Those always have, by far, the most views.

Without further ado, here are my top five posts that were published in 2022…

F I V E – What I Ordered from Amazon in January 2022

Y’all truly love these Amazon recaps!


 

F O U R – What I Ordered from Amazon in December 2021

Another one!


 

T H R E E – What I Eat in a Typical Week

This post came in at number three for the whole year, and I’m genuinely surprised.  Haha. 


 

T W O – The Lindsay’s Sweet World Travel Guide to 30A Florida

This one came as no surprise as 30A has become quite the vacation destination.  Pinterest has given this one a lot of traction.


 

O N E – How to Move Your Data from an Old Apple Watch to a New Apple Watch (Including a Step That’s Needed if it Doesn’t Work the First Time)

And finally, this was my number one most-viewed post that was published in 2022.  I am so surprised, y’all!  Haha.  I guess many people had the same struggle that I did when I upgraded to my new watch earlier this year.  This one was, by far, my most viewed post published in 2022… by more than double.  Haha.


 

***

And just for fun, my Instagram Top 9 photos of the year... five of the nine were from Disney World!  Haha.  Those were some of my favorites, too!  And New York City made it in there, too, so apparently everyone likes photos of travel.  ;o)


2022, you were so wonderful, and for the first time in a few years, I’m really sad to say goodbye to a year.  We traveled to some fabulous places, we were able to spend loads of precious time with those who we love dearly, we experienced another year of good health, and most importantly, we were finally able to get back to normal after a couple of years that were anything but normal. 

2023, I pray that you bring us more of the same.

Amen.