2016 in Review

So I've never actually done one of these "year in review" posts, but I figure if I keep up this blog thing, I'll likely appreciate an annual summary a few years down the line.

If you're like, dude - I read your blog all year, why would I want a recap? Feel free to adios. 

If you're like dude, I read your blog intermittently, but I don't really care what else happened..feel free to adios. 

And if you're like dude, you still haven't really blogged about Australia... I KNOW I'M SORRY. 

(insert monkey covering eyes emoji)

Like I said, this little recap is for the Katy in her thirties and forties. :)

A lot can happen in a year, and a lot has happened in this one. I've done a lot of traveling, I lived on the other side of the world for two months, I've had some(what sorta kinda) clarity on what I really want to do in life, and I've just completed my last full year as a single woman. 

Lots in a year. 

I actually kick-started 2016 in Colorado when I survived was peer pressured into learned how to ski. I made a resolution to just be better, and then fell off the face of the planet into the trenches of busy season.

#ohbyefelicia

Ummmm. So apparently all I did in February was work. Jeff and I did finally make it to the Fort Worth Zoo (and took our favorite three year old along for the adventure), but that's about it. Oh, and then the day after busy season I hopped on a plane to escape to Napa with Kelsey's family. I switched from a cubicle with coffee to a vineyard with vino. So it was basically the #1 place to recover from two months of working. 

Do I get a little more interesting in March? Let's hope so. 

Okay, so in March I desperately tried to find a routine, and then shared my thoughts on how it was much harder than I thought. Spoiler alert: I actually never found a routine in 2016. Here's to hoping I get my act together in 2017. I read a few books (I always read more in the months I try to "adult" better), baked a LOT, and spent Easter weekend dying eggs with this little chocolate mouth covered hooligan :)

So I baked a lot in March, and then in April I started my Trim Down Tuesday series. Sounds about right. This month also brought back baseball season (hallelujah) and I officially announced my Australian adventure!

Guys. It's April and I'm still not very interesting. Why do (all six of you) people read my blog? Why do I even have a blog?!

Ohhhh good. May is an interesting month. I remember this one. Whew!

Well - so I kick off the month talking about the power of the positive three. Man, I struggled a lot internally in 2016! :) We celebrated my mom and my sister (May is just their month!), I also wrote to Dear Abby and owned some more crazy. And speaking of crazy - I wrapped up the month by making 8 flights in less than two weeks. Fool. Crazy. Fool. Phoenix, California, Chicago, and Pennsylvania. But in the Cali part of that jaunt, Dad and I took care of Games 4 and 5 of my {30} Before Thirty!

Woop woop! Birthday month!

June was actually a pretty big month. I took (what I thought was) my last trip to Boston (things with this eye just always keep you on your toes!), spent a weekend in Mississippi with my Grandmama, celebrated two weddings, went to Brooklyn's first dance recital, turned 28, did Father's Day/Game 6 in St. Louis, and moved all my stuff out of Kelsey's house and into a storage unit Jeff's spare bedroom.

July kicked off with a bajillion hour flight (approximately) to my new home of Australia! I still can't believe I lived there for two months. It was an experience I'll never forget, and one that I really want to document soon (so I don't forget any little detail). Honestly it's just a bit overwhelming TO document (and I have an obscene amount of pictures) - plus I don't want to do it injustice. Sydney will always and forever have my heart. As will its animals. 

Hi sweet Rosie!

While July was primarily filled with working in Australia, August was filled with traveling around Australia! I wrapped up work, Jeff came to visit, we hit up Cairns, Brisbane, and worked our way down New Zealand - where Kristie met up with us and we all jumped off a cliff into the world's largest swing. You're lucky I'm still here. Then Kristie and I headed back to Australia to Adelaide, Melbourne, and a few more days in Sydney. 

(Pretend there are links to fun posts about those places....)

See, that little paragraph made me sad. This is why I'm not ready to document those two months. I'd 100% absolutely positively buy another ticket over there. :)

Not much happened at all in September. I fought jet lag, got settled into my new apartment, ate my weight in Blue Bell (it was a long two months without it), celebrated both my parents' birthdays and.....OH YEAH!

Jeff asked me to marry him :)

Ah, the fourth quarter. My favorite quarter of the year. 
And my favorite quarter of a football game. #causethatmeansitsalmostover

October was filled with a Texas State Fair date night (one of my most favorite date nights of the year!), introducing Jeff to the wonder, and utter chaos, that is Baylor Homecoming (I mean hello our future children will be going there), and hosting my 2nd annual scarf exchange!

November was filled with fall decorations, Canton trips, pumpkin muffins (or pumpkin everything, really), me crying my eyes out through the CMA Awards 50th Anniversary special, an Australian themed party (we missed it so!), and an eventful week with the fam for Thanksgiving :)

And hello, December. 

December kicked off strong with a weekend in Charleston, followed by baby showers, Christmas parties, Christmas decorations, Easton turning 1, an impromptu trip to London, adding a 3rd party to our annual Christmas cards, and a quiet little Christmas with my parents and brother that was honestly just good for my soul. It was my last Christmas as a "Reeves" and I soaked up every minute. I just love my family so good. 

And as I sit here (fittingly) on the very last day of 2016, I take note of two main things:

1) Internally, I probably struggled more in 2016 than I have in any other year in a long time. I never quite felt like I could "grasp" my life. I wrestled with who I was, who God wanted me to be, what path I was supposed to take, the struggle of the juggle (man that sounds like a blog post)... I just struggled. 

And 2) I still haven't figured it out. 

I still feel like I'm standing in one of those money machines where you're trying desperately to grasp hold of the cash - but it's just going too fast. I plum can't grab it. But people, look at that year. It's the end of the year and I still have trouble understanding that I don't need to be in control. 

I'm either stubborn or stupid - maybe a little of both.
 

Goal for 2017 - "be where your feet are, don't worry where they're going."

God has that already planned out. And if it's anything like 2016, I don't know that I could plan anything much better :)

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! 

 

May tomorrow be filled with an appearance at the gym, lots of vegetables, and the creation of a budget. Don't lie. We're all doing it. :)
Until 2017 --
Katy