m

This year exceeded my expectations in many ways, along with some curveballs along the way. While I haven’t had ample time to reflect on the past year, I spent the holidays going through images and revisiting favorite moments. Out of the many thousands of images I captured in 2019, this one is certainly a standout (we used it for our holiday card), and represents a source of pride. Giving our children the gift of travel and cultural experiences is priceless, and when I look back over any of our years, it’s those memories that stand out the most. Returning to France as a family was such a highlight (recap coming soon, yikes)! I don’t want to forget our other family travels, which were equally precious: we visited family in Charlotte, explored England for the first time, celebrated Henry + Marie’s 7th birthday in NYC (and found ourselves in the city a few more times), and had an incredible summer vacation in New Hampshire.

I had considered writing a decade in review, but whoa…that is too daunting of a task and overwhelming for me. My head is still spinning from the past ten years: I moved four times, started a blog, battled mysterious health issues, bought a house, became a mother of two at once, grew my business, lost a furry baby, sold a home, struggled financially, dealt with anxiety, depression, and marital issues, got political, brought a big idea to life, got diagnosed with cancer, homeschooled my children, cared for aging parents, celebrated ten years of marriage, turned 40, and welcomed a new furry baby. These years have been some of the most unforgettable, challenging, and exquisite of my life…it may take a lifetime to adequately reflect upon them. I wish you all a happy new decade and new year…here’s to a mindful and joyous 2020!