BEST ADVENTURE/TRAVEL/TRIP: our spring trip to texas! we had a couple days at robbers cave state park in oklahoma. we then ventured down to waco, texas to visit the silos for a day. as we pulled out of the airbnb + put in our home address, we randomly decided to extend our trip an extra day + drove a few hours south to the beach in galveston. it was such a fun trip with many great memories!
BEST KIDDO MILESTONE: jackson lost his first tooth + then proceeded to lose both of his front teeth -- just in time for christmas!. he has started reading so well + one of my favorite memories from earlier this year is when he was reading a store sign + asked, "mommy, what is booyah booyah baby?" i turned around, confused by his question, only to burst into laughter seconds later. it was buy buy baby. 😂
BEST FAITH GROWER: spiritual warfare. late winter/early spring of this year was, without a doubt, the hardest warfare we experienced as a married couple + as individuals. we know the enemy wanted us to just quit -- to become complacent + apathetic with our faith like we had been for far too long. but we persevered with prayer, by the grace of the Lord. He was our fortress in those difficult days.
FAVORITE BLOG POST(S) WRITTEN:
BEST TREND YOU TRIED: when clogs came back in style this year, i was ahead of the game because i saved mine from ten years ago. i bought two more pair this year. they are what i like to call "cozy stylish" shoes.
BEST BEAUTY PURCHASE:
BEST HABIT YOU CREATED: in this season of life, i just cannot wake up early to study scripture. i had to let go of the notion that i had start my day off with scripture. what works for this time in my life is reading + studying after dinner each evening. the bible is not simply a task on a to-do list; it's the living word of God + it is vital in my relationship with the Lord. i am so grateful for this time each day!
(i cannot recap the year without mentioning another beloved habit: coffee + wordle every single morning. it is the tiniest of delights 💚)
BEST NEW RECIPE: ground turkey sweet potato skillet
BEST MAMA MOMENT: nighttime prayers with my boy. him grabbing my hand when we're in a crowded place. the absolutely hilarious things he says. watching silly animal videos together. him sitting next to me, drawing while i blog. i love being his mom. 💙
BEST HOME IMPROVEMENT: we rearranged our dining room to be an actual dining room, LOL. we took out the cabinet with our board games + centered the table. after adding a plant shelf + rug, the space feels way more cozy.
BEST LITTLE LUXURY YOU'VE ENJOYED: this hand warmer mug. it has become my weekend morning coffee mug of choice.
BEST BOOK(S): nonfiction: pray confidently + consistently by valerie woerner // fiction: drowning by tj newman + american gauntlet by allie lewis. (i couldn't choose between the two!) here are my favorite books of 2023.
BEST MOVIE(S):
• the super mario bros -- jackson + i had a movie night complete with crumbl cookie + our fav candy. this movie was sooooo good!
• transformers 6 -- is anyone surprised this is on the list?!
• the ballads of songbirds + snakes -- a surprise pick on the list, for sure. we had zero hopes of this being good + ended up discussing it for days!
• ant man: quantamania -- the movie itself was kosher, but the CGI + digital effects of the quantamania world were so impressive.
• indiana jones (#4 +#5) -- i watched the IJ series for the first time this year (yes, i know.) it’s a fun series with good story lines.
• a knight's tale -- another first watch for me. such a delight of a movie!
• beckham -- i learned a lot in this documentary. mostly how insane people are when it comes to soccer.
BEST TV SHOW(S):
• the witcher
• no demo reno
• the crown, seasons 5 + 6
one of the best things from the year was paying for vidangel!
BEST ALBUM OR SONG: no longer bound - forrest frank + MCM. when i hear this song, i just smile. i love hearing jackson sing it at the top of his lungs from the backseat. 🥺
BEST PODCAST: for the second year in a row, podcasts were just not my thing. i did really enjoy clearly by jimmy + kelly needham.
BEST NEWSLETTER: phylicia masonheimer's newsletter was always one i looked forward to each week.
BEST FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM: @thelithomebody | tessa is such a fun follow on the 'gram. she shares her current reads + favs + her content makes me happy.
BEST DATE: our annual christmas shopping date is always one i look forward to. we ate dinner at bella luna + then shopped while sipping coffee.
BEST FAMILY MEMORY: on my birthday trip, we took out a pontoon boat with my family. after about 20 minutes, jared's fishing pole caught something. he quickly said it was probably a tree branch, and kept trying to reel it in. after about thirty seconds, he realized no- it's a fish. a BIG fish. after about 10 minutes of fighting + reeling, he pulled in a spoonbill fish! it was the biggest fish he ever caught, and it was an experience we will not forget. 🎣
*this idea came from em for marvelous
** affiliate links throughout post
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