Favorite Moments of 2018

This past year, I have not had a lot of time for blogging. I have not really felt the need to share personal things here since I was sharing them on IG, so I stuck with mainly book reviews since that all I had the mental bandwidth to write about. But as the year draws to a close, I wanted to share some of my favorite memories from 2018 since I have enjoyed this little tradition in previous years on the blog [ 2017, 2016, 2015 (1) and (2), 2014, and 2013 (1) and (2)  ]. 

2018 was a year full of adventures, new beginnings, and laughter, but it also was a year of tears, hardships, and anxiety.  I am choosing to look to the joyful moments in these photos and memories because they helped me get through the harder days, reminded me to find joy in the big and little moments of life, and gave me rest and relaxation in times I desperately needed to get away from the busyness around me.

As we close out 2018, here are some memories I am thankful for (from left to right):

*A year of awesome book clubs with Beauty & the Books Club (pictured is the Persuasion club in Jane Austen theme, hosted by a creative member)

*Celebrating Greg's great aunt and great uncle's 50th wedding anniversary in February in Houston. It was the last time we saw his great uncle since he passed away this fall, so we are grateful we had a few moments alone with them during that celebration.

* Exploring the beautiful PNW in April with my mother-in-law, especially the tulip festival 

* Our friends from Austin invited us to celebrate a Seder meal, depicting the Passover meal's many symbols of Jesus' atoning work at the Cross. 

* A year of digging deeper into friendships with our Young Life Capernaum friends with disabilities

* Getting to sneak away for half a day while in Portland in May and hiking Dog Mountain in Washington (not pictured: my knee bothering me so bad, I hobbled down the mountain, hiding my tears).

* Young Life Capernaum camp in Florida! What a blast!

* Buying our first home in July and moving in August! We LOVE our new home and location!!

* Amidst the busyness of packing and moving to our new house, a sweet escape to the family lake house in Canyon Lake with Greg's side of the family (pictured: sneaking away for a sunset walk with Greg)

*My mother-in-love came down to San Antonio to help us unpack and decorate our new home. She was such a big help!

* My birthday gift from Greg was a Selah Creative class on hand-lettering. It was such a relaxing and life-giving experience, plus I got to explore the small town of Boerne afterwards.

*I found several great used book stores in 2018 plus the ginormous Half Price Books yearly book sale  this fall ... LOTS of books, almost all below $2! 

* A friend and I drove up to Austin to meet one of our favorite podcasters, Anne Bogel of What Should I Read Next as she was on book tour for her recent book, I'd Rather Be Reading. Bonus: another favorite podcaster/author was there supporting her, Tsh Oxenreider, and I got to meet her and chat with her!!! Fan-girl moment!

*Decorating for Christmas in our new home this December

* A relaxing and uplifting weekend away in Kerrvile, TX for our church's women's retreat. A large group of our Young Marrieds class attended so it was fun hanging out with them!

* After several months of not jogging due to knee pain, I started again on the trail within walking distance from our home. 

* We bought my in-law's car in December! Mine was quite literally falling apart so it was time for an upgrade and this fancy car has me excited to drive (which says a lot since I don't like driving).

* I hosted a Young Life Capernaum girls movie night in October and we filled up our living room with friends, pizza, and desserts! 

We had a fair share of traveling in 2018. Here are favorite moments from our trips:

* During my April trip to Portland with my MIL, we loved the tulip festival, strolling through Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, playing with my nephew and niece and smelling the lilacs at Hulda Klager Lilac Garden, exploring history and enjoying the view at Maryhill Museum, and quiet times sharing from the book/Bible study my MIL and I were doing together. It was such a delight for my MIL and mom to have nearly a week together to get to know each other better. 

*Once my MIL returned to Texas, I had a few days before Greg joined me in Portland for another week, so I skipped off to Seattle for a day and night. I visited a few beloved and nostalgic spots in the city, including Green Lake, where I ran 4 miles before my knee started bothering me like crazy (and months of knee pain followed), and caught up with friends.

*While Greg was in Portland in May, we visited the exact spot at Laurelhurt Park where Greg had proposed three years to the day, had a quiet and restful date in Gresham with reading and walking through a tiny but beautiful Japanese garden, hiked Dog Mountain, and also snuck away for a delicious vegan meal at Harlow. We also celebrated the marriage of a sweet friend and had lots of family time. I LOVED having nearly 2 weeks in Portland!

* In late August, we returned to Portland for summertime fun with the family. I got lots of time to catch up with friends as well and Greg and I went accompanied my parents for a relaxing boat ride to downtown Portland.

* In October, my parents and one of my brothers came to visit us at our new house. We took them to my favorite little town, Gruene, during their visit. 

Along with traveling to see family, we also enjoyed two trips that were primarily time alone. In October, we celebrated THREE years of marriage in the sandy South Padre Island. Since we knew there would be some rain in the forecast, we made it a reading vacation, lugging along a grocery bag full of books (and getting through a good amount of them!) while also waking up early for morning sunrise walks, glimpsing dolphins on a boat tour, eating delicious seafood, climbing up a lighthouse, finding and exploring a bookstore, and doing some watercolor and hand-lettering for cards I would send to friends. It was great to relax after the busyness of homebuying and moving, plus it was great to save a bit of money by staying in Texas. We will definitely return to South Padre Island!

In December, Greg and I flew to Seattle to celebrate on of my old housemate's wedding. It was a sweet weekend of catching up with all of the housemates, who are some of my most treasured friends. Greg and I explored University of Washington, where I graduated with my Master in Nursing in 2012, and then drove to Leavenworth, WA (catching snow along the way!) to enjoy the Christmastime cheer of the adorable Bavarian town surrounded by mountains. 

One of my goals this year was to prioritize quality time with Greg. While we were able to do that at home many times, it was always a delight when we went on dates. Here are some of my favorites:

* Valentines Day: Greg surprised me with a delicious cajun seafood meal at Pappadeux and we also had massages and a coffee date that day! 

* We were camping with our YLC on my birthday, so a week later, Greg took me to Boerne for a fun day of exploring the small town! I LOVED IT.

* Bowling, experiencing new restaurants (like Pharm:Table) and revisiting favorites (5 Point Local), strolling through the Pearl (including the farmer's market, the quiet side of the River walk, and a fun night listening to live music at Jazz, TX), First Fridays in Southtown (lots of vendors and food, such as the gelato I am enjoying in the photo), fancy date: our Young Marrieds group's Christmas party, the San Antonio Symphony's Ella Fitzgerald tribute (and the awesome restaurant Ocho),  and the symphony's Holiday concert. Lastly, we enjoyed several walks on our trail by our house.

Wow, what a year! We are grateful to God for all of these moments. He has faithfully led us through the ups and downs of this year, and reminded us of His love throughout it all. 

What are some of YOUR favorite memories of 2018?