THE YEAR IN REVIEW: A LOOK BACK AT 2017

Welcome to the New Year! I hope the holidays were good to you and you're looking forward to 2018 with hope and anticipation. May it be your best year yet!

Before I jump into January 2018, I wanted to pause and be thankful for all the good things this past year, so I took a scroll through my phone. Here are some highlights of 2017.

One of my favorite updates around here was the master bedroom. I took out most of the color and opted for a more neutral look. I never got around to showing it to you last year. Maybe this year it will make the cut.

In February we celebrated my parents' 50th wedding anniversary.

March took us to Nashville for the coldest spring break I can ever remember. Two of the stops on this trip were the Country Music Hall of Fame and a tour of President Andrew Jackson's home.

It just so happened that the newly elected president was speaking the day after our tour, so it was somewhat hard to get the pictures I wanted. Everything was being set up for his visit.

This month marked significant progress to what would become my favorite before and after. The dining room lost its color and I couldn't be more happy about it.

I do miss the red from time to time but only a tiny bit. The white is so refreshing and light. I really didn't expect to love the change as much as I do.

My husband got a much-deserved promotion in the month of May. I'm really proud of him and his hard work.

June brought the summer and all that goes with it. We were able to "play" and enjoy lots of family time. (My daughter Blair on the left; Annie in the center.) :-)

One of my oldest son's best friends was married in June. Brooks (my son) was a groomsman.

A favorite in July was a trip to the Birmingham Museum of Art and the Disney play Newsies. It was fabulous! We took my youngest son, Bryant, and his girlfriend Sarah.

Guess what was on display in the museum to my happy surprise? Blue and white.

In August I went back to school for the 21st time! Yes, I've been a teacher for almost twenty-one years. That is so hard to believe. And every year, the years seem to go by a little faster.

September is our anniversary month, and we were able to spend a weekend in Chattanooga. The thing I enjoyed the most on this visit was renting and riding bikes. This is one of the pretty streets we found ourselves riding down.

October was special thanks to a girls' weekend at the beach. For the last few Octobers, I've been reuniting with my high school besties. It's always a wonderful weekend of food, catching up, and so much fun!

Laura, Shannon, Me, Meg, and Frances - "Life is better with you..."

Fall was in the air and our hearts were thankful for so much. I was most thankful this year for a cancer caught really early in my mother-in-law. She had surgery and finished up radiation treatments the week of Christmas.

At the end of November, I had finally found enough baskets at different thrift stores to create a basket wall in our breakfast room. I plan on sharing the ends and outs of that project with you this year.

December brought soooo many emotions. Our community suffered the loss of a precious 15-year-old girl who had been on the list for a new liver for 454 days. She got the call and had the transplant, but there were complications and she didn't make it. She was a role model for our students and adults alike. The void is unbelievable and her family will forever be in my thoughts and prayers.  

Our family--minus my sweet in-laws--was all together for Christmas this year. It was wonderful and I am so, so grateful for that gift.

And finally, in December, I crossed over into the next decade and here I am announcing it on the Internet. Age is just number, so they say... 

Us

Now I'm ready for 2018! Wishing you all the best for the year to come.