Monday, January 1, 2018

2017.

So I'm technically a day late, but it's time for the annual review post!


I've tried to think about how to describe this past year, and I don't think there's one word that can properly package it all together. 


The biggest event of the past year, and possibly my entire life, was that I got MARRIED! Still in disbelief that I have been blessed with having my best friend beside me forever. We both got to experience our first cruise and travel internationally which was one of the best experiences of my life. But literally the moment we docked we were lost in the current of unrelenting waves of medical uncertainty. From February until August I was in and out of the ER and hospitals more in that time frame than I probably have ever in my life. We were somehow immediately thrown to the wolves of marriage. Yet with every new update to the situation or with each new admission, I no longer found myself fighting alone - I had a partner to hold me up each step of the way.


I got to fulfill my dream of having my wedding (sort of) at McLane Stadium. I was surrounded by sweet family and friends, and got to introduce my HUSBAND to my insane Baylor-obsessed self. Not to mention we had pretty stellar cake to top it off, and as promised it was not smashed in my face during our first bite.


On top of the daily medical battles that were now the icing on top of my "usual" health issues, we had both found ourselves in a town we felt we no longer belonged in, at jobs we no longer loved. I can't express the mental struggle everyday of having to wake up and force yourself to get up, dreading the day ahead and looking forward to already being home. And then because of your impending dread for the next day, your few hours of solace at home aren't truly enjoyed either. After months and months of searching, interviewing, praying...God led us to CORPUS CHRISTI! Never in my life would I have thought I would get to live so close to the beach - and it's awesome! We've been here about 2 months now and still count everyday as the biggest blessing. I didn't realize how downtrodden and truly depressed I was, until I came somewhere I actually wanted to live and work. It's been hard moving to a new place and trying to make new friends and begin our lives here, but it's absolutely where we are meant to be.


We got to experience our first holiday season as a married couple, which is wonderful and a lot to handle all at once! Suddenly there are 2 families to balance all the holidays with, and now that we live so much farther it becomes very logistical. Also throwing into the mix that we're both starting at brand new jobs and didn't have much in the way of vacation time. But it was a wonderful experience seeing our families and having our first married Christmas. This year we have a house to decorate for the first time, bought our first real Christmas tree, and got to do the whole thing upright. And instead of being stressed at our inability to properly tie a tree to the top of the car (which was quite hilarious to passersby, I'm sure) or worry about the mess of Christmas light boxes everywhere, I have made a significant effort to really drink in this time. I know that years from now we will look back and remember our first Christmas fondly. Also, we moved to the most southern part of Texas and somehow got to experience snow!


While my tiny world has been a hot mess this past year, it seems the same was true on a global scale. This year brought with it a series of earthquakes, hurricanes, bombings and political upheaval. We have a new president that has finished his first year in office with some really impressive highs, though of course not everyone is on board with him. We watched through teary eyes as so many lost their lives in the Las Vegas shooting, but then got to see a glimpse of the good when Houston and surrounding areas came together so quickly and cohesively after Hurricane Harvey.


I managed to have my first set of stitches not from a surgery, but from the not at all embarrassing moment of falling on a broken glass candle and cutting my hand open. My family and I experienced the excitement, along with many other Houston alum and all Texans while the Astros won the World Series for the first time. I grew up constantly going to Astros games back in the day with the Killer B's - Bagwell, Biggio, Berkman....had the world's biggest crush on Jeff Bagwell my entire elementary life, and getting to see all of that come together and bring people of so many backgrounds together was a really incredible moment.


Looking back on the past 365 days, it sometimes feels more like five times that amount of time has gone by. The first few years of marriage are theoretically your hardest, and in the past year we have been through more as a couple than some couples face their entire lives - and we are stronger for it. 2017 had a lot of moments I won't be sad to see gone, but there were also some moments that I would relive every day if I could. I have a feeling this next year is going to be a pretty intense one as well. Heck, I'm starting it off with a major reconstructive surgery that will have me down for quite a while. But after I learn to walk (again) and get up, I hope that I'll be stronger than ever and I'll hopefully have you along for the ride.


Blessings to all, my dear friends.

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