A Year That Held It All

As this year comes to a close, our household is ending it in an unexpected way…slowed down, resting, and recovering. It’s not how I imagined the final days of 2025 would look, but maybe it’s fitting. This year has been full in every sense of the word, and it deserves a pause.

This was a year of milestones and of prayers answered in ways both loud and gentle. First and foremost, we welcomed an amazing, healthy, baby boy into our family. A reminder that God keeps every promise. A reminder that life has a way of renewing itself just when you need it most. Inspired by my first heartbeat and supported by my selfless husband, I earned my CRCM certification. Something that required discipline, sacrifice, and belief in myself on days when my confidence wavered. Speaking of my first heartbeat, this year I watched as she blossomed right before my eyes, her personality unfolding more boldly with each passing day. Seeing her become her has been one of the greatest joys of my life. My little “twonager” is in full effect! Pray saints lol

This year also gave us moments that will forever live in our family lore…vacations filled with laughter, backyard cookouts, birthday celebrations, date nights that reminded us who we are outside of the daily grind, concerts that let us feel carefree for a few hours, and even the surreal honor of meeting Vice President Kamala Harris. Each experience, big or small, stitched itself into the fabric of our story.

And then there were the lows. I won’t list them here, not because they didn’t matter, but because they don’t get the final word. They stretched me, humbled me, and refined me in ways I couldn’t see while living through them. In hindsight, even those moments worked together for my good. They taught me resilience, deepened my gratitude, and reminded me of what, and who, truly matters.

This year held joy and exhaustion, celebration and challenge, growth and surrender. It asked more of me than I expected, and somehow gave me more in return. As I step into the new year, I do so changed; more grounded, more grateful, and more aware that even in the messiness of life, there is beauty to be found. As I look back, I’m reminded that none of this was accidental. God’s hand was present in every high and every low, in the answered prayers and the lessons I didn’t understand at the time. I step into the new year trusting His timing, His purpose, and His promise that even the hardest moments are never wasted. With faith as my foundation, I move forward hopeful, covered, and deeply grateful.