High Five For 2021!

This post contains affiliate links – I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.  ❤

Wow. I wrote the bulk of this post and then came back to add these opening paragraphs, with the blessings and highlights from the year fresh on my heart. Two verses I shared this summer sum it all up so well:

“For this reason I kneel before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named…Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” (Ephesians 3:14, James 1:17)

God has been so gracious to us in 2021! It hasn’t been a perfect year. We’ve dealt with job transitions, health challenges, financial needs, big life decisions, stressful days and the trials & temptations of life under the curse of sin.

But as you will see – and as I was reminded through writing this post – it has been a great year! I chose one highlight from each month to recap the year. Here we go!

January: Our magical week at Disney World!

February: The weekend where my mom and sister visited, we did a bunch of shopping and got to hear Tara Leigh Cobble speak at my church ladies’ retreat…and it snowed!

March: A busy month, but we squeezed in a family lunch one weekend!

April: Celebrating my parents’ 40th anniversary!

May: Paul started a new job that has been a big blessing this year.

June: Our #HotDogSummer adventures, where we searched for the best hot dog in town!

July: This is the month that Paul and I made the decision to obey God’s call to pursue adoption! It was a fun, scary, precious time as we shared the news with our family and close friends.

If you read the end of my July in Review post with that in mind, you’ll see why I chose Psalm 78 as my favorite passage from that month’s Bible reading. ❤

August: Celebrating my sister’s 30th birthday at Lake Keowee

September: Family Vacation in Pigeon Forge – full recap here

October: Date night to see John Crist!

November: The biggest highlight was HamFam Thanksgiving, but I have to give an honorable mention to our Tennessee weekend getaway.

December: Christmas! This is my favorite season that I look forward to enjoying all year long. 🙂 Besides the Christmas celebrations, it was also fun to announce our adoption publicly here on the blog and to the rest of our friends and family.

I read several great books this year – some for my personal edification and some in preparation for our adoption journey:

• The Joy of Fearing God
• Adopted For Life
• It’s Personal: 5 Questions You Should Answer To Give Every Kid Hope
• Seasons of The Heart (fiction series)

As of today, I have completed my 4th trip through the entire Bible. Nothing tops this one in my highlights for 2021! In my quest to make God’s Word my delight and my counselor, I have found the great peace that comes to those who love His law.

In addition, I have benefited from the continual life change that only comes through consistent time in God’s Word and have found direction for every step of my daily life (both big picture and day to day needs). Will you join me in reading through the Bible in 2022? Start here if you’re interested!

Popular Blog Posts This Year:

• 3 Meals You Can Share With Friends in Need
• My $500 Living Room Makeover Project – another highlight of the year!
• 10 Steps To A Tidy Home
• BBQ Pork Roast in 15 Minutes
• Big Life Update: Our Adoption Journey

Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors. Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble. (Psalm 119:24, 165)

God’s faithfulness to His promises in 2021 gives me hope for 2022. Happy New Year, friends!

Previous Year-End Highlights: 2020 | 2019| 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013