2015 was a year filled with lots of laughs & some tears. lots of good & some not so good moments. we should view every year that way. with only some not so good. I try to remember more of the good than the not so good. a long time ago I made that promise to myself. that no matter what happened I would remember the good. we have to find the good that God has provided. the blessings and the favor. we need to look for it....anticipate it. I don't just leave the not so good, though. those moments are left for me to learn from & to grow.
we're so excited. anticipating. and eagerly awaiting what God has for us in 2016. we know it will be great!
so here's how 2015 went for us:
~lots of snow days in january. Ava loved every minute of being outside playing in the snow.
~every Thursday Ava & I went to GeeGee's house for a Bible study with other stay at home mama's. an enriching & humbling experience. we learned so much about each other & how to be the best mama, wife, & friend.
~I went to the annual women's
Devoted Conference at
Wave Church where I always leave feeling refreshed. empowered. full. and closer to God.
~we had not just 1 niece born, but THREE nieces born! Camryn Marie. Meara Leah. Hannah Jeanne. we love our growing family. girls!!
~in March I ran the Shamrock 8K with some friends. it was soooo cold!
~Bryan & I both reconnected with old friends & made some new ones along the way.
~Ava & I had lots of Target dates, TJ Maxx dates, & donut dates. we plan to continue this in 2016! hah!
~Sarah & I started a business called
Grantley Design for baby boys & girls where we sell headbands. bows. bibs.
~we continued hosting & leading our couple's small group at
3n1 Church. we're starting a new series on other world religions.
~we had our annual strawberry picking day with all the cousins. red berries & ice cream. yum!
~on Memorial Day Sarah & I celebrated our 27th birthday at the beach. it was such a beautiful day! Ava fell asleep on the beach which allowed for some time to layout in the sunshine!
~I won a free mommy & me photography session from Lundy Photography. the photos were beautiful & captured our relationship well!
~for our FIVE year anniversary Bryan surprised me with a cruise to the Bahamas!! we had an unbelievably awesome time!! the water was so many shades of blue & the weather was perfection. it was so nice to have time for just the 2 of us.
~just a few weeks later I got PREGNANT! but 2 negative pregnancy tests told me otherwise!
~we spent several days in the OBX with family. we soaked up all of the sunshine. the kids never wanted to leave the beach. I couldn't blame them!
~we traveled up to Ontario, Canada & spent a week with some of Bryan's family on the lake. canoeing. relaxing. boat rides. tubing. game nights. Ava loved the boat rides! it was a lot of fun!!
~Bryan celebrated his 33rd birthday in September with a home cooked crab dinner by his one & only.
~Ava "the apple of our eye" turned t w o in October! we spent the day celebrating with family & friends at her birthday party.
~we announced that I'm pregnant & IT'S A BOY! we're so overjoyed!
~we spent Thanksgiving & Christmas in VA this year. we had a very relaxing Thanksgiving Day. I really enjoyed cooking in the kitchen. it was strangely warm on Christmas, but the spirit was still alive! the wonder in Ava's eyes opening her presents was unforgettable. it truly is the most wonderful time of year!
~in mid December Ava & I flew to California (along with GeeGee & Papa and Aunt Sarah & Uncle Chad and the boys) to visit with Josh & Jessica and the girls. It was so much fun!! we went to the beach. a local donut shop. a safari zoo. to the bowling alley. made Christmas cookies. we hated to leave & dreaded the flight home, but we were glad to see Bryan at the gate!
~after Christmas we decided it was time for Ava to lose the pacifier. it was a difficult transition for her & she is still getting used to sleeping without it.
~Ava decided she was ready to wear big girl underwear!! we. are. ecstatic. she woke up on New Year's Eve ready to wear underwear. we've had a few accidents here & there, but she'll be ready when baby brother comes along! it's going to be so nice to have 1 kid in diapers.
~we rang in the new year with some friends at our house. we set off some fireworks & spent a lot of time just chatting about life. cheers to 2016!
disclaimer....it was very hard to pick just these photos!
xoxo
Amanda
