First Pretty Portugal Pictures:
2017 was a DOOZEY:
Quick bullet point recap:
• We lived in 5 different houses/places. Sold a house. Bought a house. Renovated a house.
• Traveled across Texas 5 round trips. Maybe more.
• Visited Portugal and left both girls for the first time.
• Went Paleo pretty successfully all year until Portugal made me eat bread.
• Big bed and potty trained a 2 year old in the span of 3 weeks.
• Hosted pool parties, dinners, and a community groups.
• Watched a lot of netflix and now "demogorgon" is in my vocabulary.
Mini book Review of 2017:
Unashamed by Christine Cane: POWERFUL. Plain and simple. If you need to break free from some major hurts this is the book to read. Guilt says something you did is bad but SHAME says YOU are bad. But Jesus says you are FREE from all of it.
The Undoing of Saint Silvanus by Beth Moore: I like this book. It was a cozy read on the couch, slow at points, super exciting at others. You see a heart change when the Holy Spirit is at work.
Praying for Strangers by River Jordan: This is a true story of a woman who decided to pray for a stranger a day for a year while her sons were away fighting in war zones. A wonderful writer, down to earth, not super christian-y, and opens your eyes to see what is already around you.
Chasing Slow by Erin Loechner: YALL. I flipping loved this book. I NEEDED this book. She is inspired. Insightful. So many truths packed in a beautiful book with stories you can relate to.
Highly Recommend.
Highly Recommend.
Bread and Wine by Shauna Neiquist: You will eat. This book is like going to the grocery store hungry. You come home with a lot of snacks and meals to prepare and are so satisfied to finally eat. But more than food its about gathering around the table with friends or just plain showing up... and the major impact it has on our lives. We put this into practice this year and I will be forever grateful for Shauna laying it out there. “The heart of hospitality is about creating space for someone to feel seen and heard and loved. It's about declaring your table a safe zone, a place of warmth and nourishment.”
Highly Recommend.
Highly Recommend.
Handmaidens Tale by Margaret Atwood. PRAISE BE. This book is CRAZY. I watched the HULU series first and it messed with my mind but I was obsessed. In a different world America is now run by "christian" extremists. Most women cannot have babies so the "handmaidens" have babies for people. Read at your own risk.
The Road back to You by Ian Morgan Cron. WHOA. This book is about the Enneagram, an ancient personality typing system. I have taken personality tests and such but this is different. It explores the motives and whys and the past of a person in that number. What a certain type looks like when they are healthy, average, not healthy. Highly Recommend.
UNFINISHED BOOKS:
Next on the list: Little Fires Everywhere
My Resolutions- ish:
I have been struggling with major unknown allergies for the last 2 years. I have constant hives on my lips, neck, and one eye. The onset was the birth of Perry and other very stressful events. After 2 years of doctor after doctor and endless research, mind games, and theories of what could be happening... what I could be allergic to... I've resolved that all of this is a result of stress. And not dealing with it appropriately. You know that scene in the Family Stone where Meredith tries to relax at the bar with her hands all awkward behind her head. That's me.
I feel like we all try to do more, and figure out new things, eat better, add add add more more more in the next year. Not this year. I want to Rest. Relax. Restore. Reflect. I don't care if I have a list of books I read next year on this day. I don't care if I have people over or not. I don't care if I go on a trip or look cute or remember all the things for Mothers day out. I don't care if that tiny weird bathroom has half peeled-off wallpaper up all year. I HAVE TO REST... And not feel guilty about it. My resolution is to be an underachiever this year. And with that resolution I have more hope than I have had in a while.
Happy New Year Friends. I don't expect you to do all the things either. Be blessed.
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