Walk With Me Through 2013...

Another year has flown by, and it's time again for another Year in Review!

I kicked off January with a few new year's resolutions {which I actually accomplished!} and a book list {which I did not quite get through...oh well}. We began our Pray nine3eight campaign, a 100-day prayer campaign for our church in McKinney. Mike officiated an outdoor wedding for a former student, and we hosted our first Celebration Gathering as a church plant. I was able to purchase my DSLR camera {yay!}, and we helped promote Christine Hoover's book The Church Planting Wife. The wedding planning officially began with dress shopping for Laura! I began my journey of navigating life with Crohn's Disease and started my Humira injections. We also used some wedding gift cards to reorganize and re-decorate the laundry room.

In February, we celebrated my 28th birthday with a fun sushi dinner date. We also got to spend a fun weekend with friends at Robbers Cave State Park in Oklahoma. I flew to San Antonio for Lauren's bridal shower, which also meant I got to spend some time with my parents. I learned that I had a B-12 deficiency {thanks to Crohn's} and started taking B-12 injections. I participated in the MEF spelling bee for work, and we found out that Lindsay and Ben were having a baby girl!

We headed to San Antonio in March for Lauren and Miguel's wedding. Mike officiated and I helped coordinate; it was such a sweet time and we loved being a part of their special day. We also got to spend some sweet time with my parents, and we enjoyed a day shopping in Gruene. I revealed my new blog design {that I was super proud of because I did it myself!} There was a lot going on with our church plant: reading through For the City as a group, hosting an apartment outreach, and having Easter services at the park.

In April, I posted a 30 Days of Praying Scripture Over Your Husband blog series. Work was really busy, as we pushed toward our company's IPO day. We attended an adorable gender reveal party for our sweet friends Becca and Drew, and we got to have dinner with Chase and Julie just days before Julie's kidney transplant surgery. Laura had her first bridal shower in Cleburne, and I was excited about the monogram frame I made for her and David. We ended up at the vet with Sasha for fleas and allergies, and our home group participated in the Go and Be service projects in East McKinney.

I started counting 1000 gifts in May, which has been a good exercise for me to list my blessings and be thankful. I felt really old when I received the invitation to my 10-year high school reunion. My parents came to visit over Mother's Day weekend, and we were able to attend a DBU baseball game. I had a bit of a panic moment when I realized my medication was causing my hair to fall out {fun times}. Mike finished the residency program at Christ Fellowship, and we began officially taking steps toward launching Redeemer Church. This included our Acts 29 assessment, which we traveled to Houston to do. The weather was all over the place, with cold temperatures and thunder/wind storms. I helped Laura stuff wedding invitations, Mike and I enjoyed a fun date night to the Andrew Peterson concert, and we bought a new couch!

In June, we celebrated with Ben and Lindsay at a baby shower for their sweet baby girl. I hosted a lingerie shower for Laura, and was able to attend a family shower for her. We received the official word that we were accepted as Acts 29 candidates, and Redeemer Church became an official 501(c)3 in the state of Texas. We had a fun driveway BBQ with our neighbors and headed out to a Rough Riders game with our church. My baby brother turned 26 and Sasha turned 6. I also enjoyed a fun employee appreciation event at work. Mike started his job with Welcome Mat Services, led worship at a small Baptist church in our neighborhood, and started the Faith & Culture series in downtown McKinney.

July seemed like a celebration month! We celebrated our 2nd anniversary with a trip to Klyde Warren Park and the Perot Museum. It was also wedding month for Laura: from baking day and the bachelorette party to rehearsal dinner and the big day, there was no lack of fun festivities for her! I took my vacation so I could be a part of everything, and I am so glad I did. We also got to see our friends David and Kristina, had a fun dinner date for Cow Appreciation Day, and our sweet niece Presley Kate arrived! I had a little bit of Crohn's drama, as I realized my hair was falling out, I had an episode where my Humira pen misfired, and the cost of my medicine went up. Mike preached at Mercy Church, and we had our second vision night for Redeemer.

I had my 6-month check up with my GI in August. Everything looked good, and I was feeling pretty good too! We set up our family Ebenezer Stone basket, joined Academy Fitness, and I reminisced Baylor move-in day 10 years ago. I received some inaccurate information regarding the cost of my Humira, but the Lord was faithful to encourage my heart. We celebrated sweet Becca's baby shower, spent an afternoon at Top Golf with Ben and Lindsay, and enjoyed a fun snow cone date. We had a fundraising night at Spoons Garage, enjoyed a double date with the Rays to the Rough Riders Game, and my sweet friend Austen won Mrs. America!

In September, we had our first baptism service! Dannie and Sami were baptized, and it was a joy-filled celebration. I received a semi-promotion at work and started taking care of 4 executives instead of two. I attended a luncheon with other Acts 29 wives in DFW, and it was encouragement to get to know these ladies. My sweet husband decorated and made a date night jar, which was a fun surprise! We went to the Plano Balloon Festival to cheer Morgan on in her first half marathon and spent Labor day with my parents in San Antonio. We had a fun family date to the park, baby-sat some of the kids in our church, and Mike got to preach at Chick Fil A!

We attended my 10-year high school reunion in October, so I reminisced with some fun photos and memories from my high school years. I finally got to use my birthday gift of a trip to the Ft. Worth Zoo, and we had our second annual Pumpkin Carving party with our church. I started trying essential oils, we got a new phone system at work, and Mike rocked a {brief} mustache :) The Taylors joined our church, and we got to enjoy a fun birthday celebration with their family. We also had the beginnings of a worship team, and the Lord provided a space for us to meet at First Presbyterian Church!

In November, we had our first Redeemer Women's Retreat; we stayed at the Overby's cabin in Blue, OK, and it was a fun {and adventurous} overnight with the ladies of our church. We officially announced our February 8th launch date, and we got our sunflower photos back from Ben and Lindsay. I finished transferring all of my Xanga posts to this blog, we got a new rug for the living room, and we enjoyed a fun date night at Starbucks with the continuation of our ongoing Rummikub game. November is also when all of our crazy critter adventures began as well! We celebrated Mike's 32nd birthday at Uncle Julio's and spent Thanksgiving with Michael at Mike's parents.

I participated in Crohn's Awareness Week the first of December by posting my story. We had a crazy ice storm blow through Texas, which left everything covered in ice for several days. We went to a beautiful wedding at Union Station, had our Redeemer Christmas party, and attended the 75/380 Chick Fil A Christmas party. We spent Christmas with my brother and Mike's family, but were able to head to San Antonio after Christmas to celebrate with my family.

We are thankful for 2013, and we're looking forward to 2014!