2023. Man, I am glad this year is over. It wasn’t a particularly bad year by any stretch of the imagination, but it was just kinda meh.
Bobby had a good year at work. He received a good amount of recognition for the work he is doing, and he received his first ever full bonus. This money is a game changer for our family, and we are all so thankful for it.
I had a blah year. I began doing some hard work and serious self-reflection through therapy. After years of struggling on my own, I finally caved (finally!) and began medication to help me deal with my anxiety and depression. This coupled with therapy has been both stabilizing, but also very difficult as true self-reflection is hard for me.
I would say that Andy had a pretty tough year as well. He is struggling through some things that only he can get himself through, but it is so hard for this mama to watch. I wish there was some way that I could walk him through what he has been battling, but I cannot. I am hoping this upcoming year is a better one than this past year for him.
Joshua, too, struggled a bit. Soccer gave him some unappreciated, unexpected surprises, and it threw him for a loop and shook his confidence to his core. He and his long-term girlfriend broke up recently which has been extremely hard on him (and all of us, as we loved her).
Sarah began her first semester of college, and did really well. She had the roommate from hell, but managed to secure herself her own room from this point forward which is such a blessing. Sarah was also approved for a guide dog which she should be getting in the summer of 2024.
Elizabeth had a blah year as well. She saw her best friend and sister leave for college, which was hard for her. She also made the hard decision to walk away from a friendship that just wasn’t healthy for her. On a bright note - she went on vacation with a friend and their family and spent 11 days in Key West, Florida. She also played two seasons of soccer with her favorite coach of all time.
Overall, as a family, we definitely have had some good times this year. We moved to a small town in North Carolina that we love in May, and are living a 5-7 minute drive from Lake Norman. We spent the summer at the lake and enjoyed ourselves there immensely.
In June, we visited Oregon for a 6 day/5 night trip courtesy of the Make-A-Wish foundation. It was such a good time for most of us. (Josh wasn’t so thrilled with the trip.)
In July, we hosted our first annual Janet Gray 4th of July party. We had 25 family members (including us) over. It was a good time, and I am looking forward to making it an annual tradition.
In October, Bobby and I had the privilege of attending my cousin’s wedding in Maine. I have never been to Maine before and it definitely did not disappoint. It was probably the best wedding I have ever been to. It was different and unusual and perfect. It was so much fun.
In November, we had our second annual Thanksgiving weekend celebration at our house. We hosted 24 people at the house. Again, it was an amazing time, and I am so glad that we get to host our families at our house and that so many people are able to travel from out of town.
In December, we got our sweet golden retriever puppy whom we named Miles. He was named that because he is a promise that we made to our kids that once we got to a certain income level that we would be able to afford to get him. Our family has traveled both literal and figurative miles to get to the point we are at, and we wanted to honor that sacrifice by getting our kiddos this puppy. (Which every single one of them loves to pieces.)
I think it is safe to say that we had some good highlights this year, but I don’t think it would be a stretch by any means to say that we are all looking forward to starting a new year with a fresh start.
