2024, I’m
honestly not really sure what to say about you.
You had your great moments, but you had a lot of bad moments, too. Between the bad moments and the constant
dizziness, tension, being off balance, and occasional vertigo that is still
plaguing me every. single. day., I’m just going to say that you weren’t my
favorite year. And that’s putting it
nicely.
We’ve been on a streak of not-so-great years since 2019… other than 2022… that was a pretty darn good year!
Let’s recap 2024, y’all…
It was the year
that I ended February with a vertigo spell… I hadn’t had one that bad in months,
but I think that due to all of the extreme face, jaw, head, neck, and shoulder
tension I was having from starting my braces rubber bands again, that caused it
to happen.
It was the year
that our water heater broke, so we had a VERY large unexpected expense towards
the beginning of the year. Not that big of a deal in the scheme of things, plus we'd had it for 14 years, so it was about that time, but it's still never fun to have to spend money on something like that. The silver lining – while the plumber was replacing it, he adjusted
our temperature and pressure, and we can now all four take showers back-to-back
without the hot water running out… we can also now flush a toilet or run a sink
while someone is in the shower without their shower water going down to a
trickle. I cannot believe how we lived
with such horrible water temperature and pressure these last 14 years.
It was the year that my Great Aunt Vera passed away. She lived a good life, but it’s still hard to say goodbye, especially for my dad since he now only has one aunt living.
It was the year
that Olivia had to say goodbye to another one of her best friends as she moved
away to Texas.
It was the year
that we had a cancer scare with Maui as her white blood cells were dangerously
low at one of her checkups. Thankfully, during
her two follow-up appointments, they continued to rise until they were back at
a normal level.
It was the year
that I had my first sickness(es) (besides having Covid in October 2022) in FOUR YEARS. How I managed to avoid all of the colds,
flus, stomach viruses, and Covid diagnoses that came through our house the last
four years is beyond me, but I had a good run.
Haha.
It was the year that we were involved in a hit and run... thankfully, there was very minor damage, and most importantly, all of us were okay. It did scare the absolute crap out of me, though, as we were driving on the highway at 70 mph when it happened. It could have been so much worse and we are so grateful that it wasn't.
It was the year
that there was a horrible school shooting in our home state, and the year that Hurricane Helene (and others) ravaged surrounding areas.
It was the year that the presidential election results saddened me to my core.
It was the year that my dizziness and tension came back in full force (thankfully, not the actual vertigo) in the months of October, November, and December after many months of mild issues. I have no idea why it’s affecting me so much again, but I’m grateful to have had contact with several different people to suggest new potential diagnoses to pursue.
It was the year that my family’s extended Thanksgiving dinner was a little weird. We only had about 30% of the family show up due to illness and other obligations, and my Momma was one of the ones who was unable to attend, so it was a little odd. Not the end of the world, but definitely not an ideal way for us to spend one of my favorite days of the year.
It was the year
that our dishwasher broke and we had to shell out money for a new one. Again, not a big deal – it’s a part of life,
after all – but it’s never fun to have to spend that kind of money unexpectedly.
It was the year
that I got Covid two weeks before Christmas and I ended up missing my best
friend’s kids’ play, Jacob’s big scholarship award ceremony, the Usher concert
that Brian had gotten tickets for my birthday (and we lost tons of money on the tickets
– waaaahhhh), Jacob’s spelling bee, and several other events. Not to mention, the timing was terrible since
Christmas was right around the corner and I had a million things to do. We also missed celebrating Christmas with my
father-in-law and my mother-in-law while my nephew and his fiancé were in
town. On a positive note, even though
mine lasted forever, my symptoms were relatively mild. I did, however, lose my sense of taste, and it
took some time to come back, but thankfully, it did.
It was the year
that my brother-in-law’s mom passed away on Christmas Eve.
It was the year that Olivia tested positive for Flu A first thing Christmas morning, and we all spent Christmas Day in separate rooms, scrambling to get meds for her, canceling all the plans, and worrying how many people we’d infected at Christmas Eve Mass. We ended up having to miss my family’s Christmas get-together, we had to cancel poker night with our friends, we had to sell our tickets to see Straight No Chaser at The Fox Theatre in Atlanta, and we had to postpone both of Brian’s family’s Christmases due to Olivia having the flu.
It was the year that Brian also woke up sick on Christmas Day, but thankfully, it was just congestion so it was mild.
It was the year that my dad’s cousin died from a brain tumor the day after Christmas.
It was the year
that Maui decided to stop eating the last week of the year, and we had to take her
for an emergency visit to the vet. She’d
lost even more weight (down to 2.9 lbs. from 3 lbs. which is a lot considering
she was only 4 lbs. to start.) but, thankfully, she was well hydrated. The doctor gave us a different medication to
try, and she gobbled it up so we are praying that she will continue to
eat. The doctor also diagnosed her with
dementia based on all of the things that I have been telling her have been happening
recently – she has been pacing a lot in the evening and can’t get settled, she
will go periods where she will scratch to get in my lap only to want to get
down immediately only to want to get back up in my lap only to want to get down
immediately… a vicious cycle, she has been walking into corners expecting to
get out of rooms, and she has been asking to go out a bunch of times only to
either not go out when the door is opened or she’ll go out only to turn around
and come right back. Our poor girl is
going downhill fast, I’m afraid.
It was the year that December (my favorite month of the whole year) pretty much sucked to put it bluntly.
And there are a many other things that put a damper on the year that I'm not mentioning here for the privacy of others, but needless to say... it was a tough year.
Now to end with the good stuff…
The Good…
It was the year
that January started out beautifully.
January was a month of healing for me, mentally. I began to journal about all of the things
for which I’m grateful on a daily basis.
I started reading my Bible every single day. I started a new daily devotional. I continued to meditate daily and started writing out
my prayers to God. I read a great book. I cleaned out the whole house. I got ahead on the blog. I surrounded myself
with friends who I love, and I had amazing conversations. I (mostly) made my peace with my lingering vertigo
among other things (until it came back viciously in October), and I felt so much lighter by the time we entered the month
of February.
It was the year that Brian and Olivia attended the Daddy Daughter Dance!
It was the year
that we celebrated our sweet girl’s 10th birthday! Two whole hands!
It was the year
that we got to spend time with our beloved Father Manny when he came for a visit.
It was the year that I celebrated nine years of blogging!
It was the year
that Olivia won an award (named after their school) for being a student who embodies the school’s four core values of faith, loyalty, honesty, and respect. Only one student per class gets it per
quarter and she won it for her class for the third quarter of fourth grade.
It was the year
that Jacob was invited to try out for the Honors Recital at his music school. He was one of only ten kids chosen out of 68
to perform, and he decided to do it despite the fact that he has never wanted
to perform in a recital. We are just SO
proud of him for overcoming his fear of getting on stage in front of people. And he nailed it, too!
It was the year
that I stood with my friend Heather while she was baptized into the Catholic faith. I’m so happy for her!
It was the year
that we went to Disney World for spring break and had a magical time!
It was the year
that I celebrated my 42nd birthday!
It was the year
that Jacob wrapped up his seventh-grade year and Olivia wrapped up her fourth-grade year… both ended the year with straight A’s and various awards.
It was the year that we were able to get away and head to our favorite place, 30A…
It was the year
that my friend Jen Facetimed Olivia and me from The Eras Tour concert in Liverpool so Olivia could see Taylor Swift live!
It made her whole life! She talked
about it for weeks and told everyone we came in contact with, and a couple of
weeks later, she told me, “That was a moment I’ll never forget.” Cue the tears!
Week 2 (and see beach recaps)
It was the year
that Jacob started his eighth-grade year and Olivia started her fifth-grade year at school. Where oh where has the
time gone, y’all?
It was the year
that we celebrated a milestone birthday with a surprise party for my Daddy… his 70th!
It was the year
that we celebrated a milestone birthday for my father-in-law… his 80th!
It was the year that Olivia started her seventh year of dance.
It was the year
that Jacob joined Velocity (the middle school version of Young Life) and has
been thriving!
It was the year
that Jacob stepped outside his comfort zone and chose to participate in the school spelling bee… even though he HATES getting up in front of people. He placed sixth out of 20 kids.
It was the year
that we saw lots of rainbows!
Aladdin Broadway Show – Atlanta, GA
The Georgia Aquarium – Atlanta, GA
Justin Timberlake – Atlanta, GA
Dave Matthews Band – Atlanta, GA
Abe Parker / Judah & the Lion – Atlanta,
GA
UGA vs. Tennessee – Athens, GA
Dinner at Our Favorite Restaurant
Dinner with Friends and the Justin Timberlake Concert
Movie Date Night to See Twisters
Dinner with Friends and the Kaleo Concert
Dinner and the Abe Parker/Judah &
the Lion Concert
Day Date to Go Christmas Shopping
January Dinner with Jeannine, Jenn, Becky, and Jessica
Lunch Date with Greg and Donnie
March Dinner with Jeannine, Jen, Jessica, and Heather
April Mexican Dinner with Becky, Jenn, Heather, Jeannine, and Jessica
May Dinner with Jeannine, Jessica, Jen, Jenn, Heather, and Emily
June Thai Dinner with Jeannine, Jessica, Heather, and Jenn
Lunch with Lauren, April, and Kelli
July Girls Night Making Floral Arrangements at Jessica’s House
Impromptu Girls Night at Amanda’s with Becky, Kimberly, Maegan, and Jennifer
August Girls Dinner with Jen, Jeannine, Jessica, and Heather
September Pizza Girls Dinner with Jen, Becky, Jessica, and Jenn
Catching Up with Jacob's Old Piano Teacher
October Girls Night at The Golden Girls Comedy Show
November Girls Night at the Brewery
December Girls Christmas Brunch and Ornament Exchange at Jessica’s
January Poker Night at Our House
February Poker Night at Khristina and Ian’s House
Olivia’s Taylor Swift Sleepover Birthday
March Poker Night at Jeannine and James’s House
Sleepovers with WJ and Cami at Our House
Middle School Dance and Sleepover with Jack at Our House
Maggie’s Birthday Party at the Local Entertainment Center
Jack’s Birthday Party at the Local Arcade
April Poker Night at Our House
Maren’s Cake Studio Birthday Party
May Poker Night at Khristina and Ian’s House
Jacob’s Sleepover at WJ’s House
Olivia’s Sleepover at Maren’s House
Breakfast Date with Khristina and Noah
June Poker Night at Jeannine and James’s House
The Georgia Aquarium with Mom, Dad, Zach, Cheryl, Tucker, and Chyler
4th of July Party at Maegan and Patrick’s House
4th of July Party at Our House
Lunch and Arcade with Khristina and Noah
Lunchbox Museum with Khristina, Noah, Jeannine, James, Mack, and Buckley
Sleepovers with Savannah and WJ
Hangout with Khristina and Noah at Our House
Jacob’s Arcade Birthday with Friends
Entertainment Center with Khristina and Noah
Sleepovers with WJ and Aubrey at Our House
Aquatic Center with Noah, Mack, and Buckley
Back to School Social & First
Football Game
August Poker Night at Khristina and Ian’s House
Labor Day Swim Date with Mack and Buckley
Bring a Friend to Music Lessons
September Poker Night at Jeannine and James’s House
Pumpkins at Callaway with Jeannine and Khristina and Families
Halloween Trunk or Treat at School
Halloween Trick-or-Treating with Friends
Soft Opening for Khristina’s Bookshop
Playdate with Aubrey and Storytime with Grammy Trish
Velocity Christmas Party and Sleepover at WJ’s
It was the year
that I chose the word GRATITUDE as my word of the year, and I held myself accountable
by sharing a monthly snapshot of the things I was grateful for.
December Gratitude Snapshot (coming in January)
It was the year I shared a few new recipes here on the blog!
Quick and Easy Protein-Packed Microwave Egg Bowls
Five Quick and Easy Meals for Busy Nights
2024 House Cleanout – Mid-January Update
My Sunday Morning Weekly Prep Routine That Sets Me Up for Success in the Week Ahead
2024 House Cleanout – End of February Update
How to Create a Perpetual Packing List – The Easiest Way to Pack
How to Throw the Perfect Taylor Swift Themed Birthday Party
2024 House Cleanout – End of May Update
Maycember – A Reverse To-Do List (A “What I Did” List)
2024 House Cleanout and Projects – Mid-August Update
15 Items to Keep on Hand for Severe Weather, Power Outages, and Other Emergencies
Planning My Quiet Time for 2025 – Studies I Plan to Do, Books I Plan to Read, and Supplies I’ll Use
And now I’ll leave you with my top five most viewed posts that
were written in 2024. Before I get to these, a few notes…
These
are the top five most viewed posts that were written in 2024… 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 several new ones that picked up speed this year.
Income
increased by more than 30% which was unexpected as my income has been quite
steady for the last few years. I am still
baffled and very excited about that!
Especially since I haven’t been putting more work in than in previous
years.
Y’all
still LOVE my Amazon purchases posts and my weekly recaps. Those are
always some of my most viewed.
Without
further ado, here are my top five posts that were published in 2024…
F I V E – My Ins and Outs for 2024
I decided to do this post on a whim since the whole “Ins and Outs” thing was trending on Instagram and TikTok at the beginning of the year. Turns out, y’all loved this one as it was my fifth most viewed post of the entire year!
Our travel posts are always some of my most-viewed per year, and y’all apparently loved my beach recaps this year!
I started this new series this year as GRATITUDE was my word for 2024, and all of these were some of my most viewed for the year. For some reason this particular post about my gratitude for March came in at #3 for the whole year.
T W O – Top Ten… Favorite Shows
It is always so funny to me the things that people love to read, and I have noticed that every single time I do one of these fun little random posts, they get tons of views. This post about my top ten favorite TV shows ended up coming in at #2 for the year.
Well, this isn’t surprising at all!! Taylor Swift is everyone’s favorite this year, so there was no doubt in my mind that this would be my #1 post of the whole year! It’s currently making the rounds on Pinterest, and a good chunk of my affiliate sales from this year are thanks to this post.
And just for fun, my Instagram Top 9 photos from the year…
I’m grateful for my little family, I’m grateful for our village, I’m grateful for our health (mostly… this dizziness/vertigo is still really upsetting), I’m grateful for my friends, I’m grateful that Maui is still with us (for now), I’m grateful for my therapist who has gotten me through a lot (again) this year, and I’m so, SO grateful that my relationship with God is the strongest it’s ever been in my whole life.
And now we pray for a happy, healthy, holy 2025.
