Just like every year, 2014 was full of highs and lows, though I’d say there were more highs than lows. Here is a brief synopsis of how I will remember this year:

The Good – Chris and I celebrated 10 wonderful years of marriage. I still am amazed at how God brought us together…and keeps us together! Chris marked a lifelong goal off his list when he received his bachelor’s degree from Cincinnati Christian University. At times, I know he thought that graduation day would never arrive. But he didn’t give up, and all of his work paid off when he graduated summa cum laude. God added more sunshine to our lives when He blessed us with Damon Christopher this year, the happiest, smiley-est baby I’ve ever met. And Avery is growing by leaps and bounds thanks to all of the fun and learning she’s doing in kindergarten. I couldn’t be prouder of our little family.

The Bad – I unexpectedly lost my job last week. While I was blindsided by this decision, I’m doing my best to see it as a blessing in disguise. The future is very uncertain right now, but my prayer is that I will recognize, accept and submit to God’s will…whatever His will is and whenever He reveals it to me.

The Ugly – As if losing my job wasn’t bad enough, I also lost my oldest and dearest friend in the process. Losing both my job and my best friend in this way crushed my spirit. It will take some time to remove the bitterness that I built up in my heart, but soon I will forgive her and forget this most painful experience in my life.

So, I’m shaking the 2014 dust off my feet and looking forward to bigger and better things in 2015! Happy New Year to all of our family and friends!

A brief year-in-review