Walk With Me Through 2025...

2025 was undoubtedly marked by grief. I felt as though I walked through my days in a haze, and there is now a weight of grief knowing that an entire year has passed since we lost Michael. Grief is complicated, and it's a difficult thing to navigate as you balance life with kids and ministry, figure out the day-to day, and just try to find your new "normal." The Lord has been with me through it all, and I am beyond grateful that I do not walk this journey alone. As always, He has been faithful and good.

Past reviews: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

In January, I wrapped up my job at Independent Bank after 13 years; it was the end of an era! We also got to enjoy several fun snow days, the first of the year. Since Christmas was a little overshadowed, we did our drive to look at Christmas lights a little late. We were still in the midst of grieving, as we headed back to Texas for Michael's Celebration of Life service. It was good to be with family and honor his life, but it was definitely hard to walk through all the formal steps of grief. We did our best to kick off school, and I had an MR Enterography.

We celebrated Chinese New Year in February with our church family, had several snow and ice days, and Aiden got to watch the Super Bowl! I turned 40, and got to celebrate with my family, a mammogram and a shingles diagnosis haha. The kids got to participate in the Pinewood Derby Race at church, which was so fun :)

In March, I had a colonoscopy {fun}, Maddie and I got to attend a baby shower together, and we got to serve at Generosity Feeds again. We had to say goodbye to our Pilot, and bought a new-to-us Kia Telluride. Our community group had a Pi Day event, and we got to make homemade pizzas together. Mike and Maddie attended a Father-Daughter Dinner, and it was so fun to see them all dressed up. They had a blast! My parents came to visit, and we got to enjoy Build-A-Bear, Harper's Ferry, cuddling baby goats, and Mount Vernon.

April was filled with a lot of the normal day-to-day. Mail from Texas, flowers from my love, snuggles with my babes, Pioneer Girls, nightly dinners, Perler beads and Yoto cards, dress up, haircuts with Maddie, park days with Daddy, glimpses of Spring, and learning how to crochet. We celebrated Easter with fun baskets and services at church. 

We celebrated Mother's Day in May, and I coached soccer for Aiden's U8 team. Mr. Jesse came to visit, and the warmer weather meant s'mores! I got to attend a women's conference to hear Kelly Minter speak, and the boys wrapped up their father/son program with a Citizenship unit. We wrapped up school and went on our annual strawberry picking trip. We kicked off our summer with a visit from Mr. Drew, a water balloon fight with friends, and building living room forts. I also wrapped up our women's ministry year with an end-of-year brunch.

In June, we welcomed family to town over Father's Day and what would have been Michael's birthday. We went to the National Zoo, Old Town Alexandria, the National Mall, and the Natural History Museum. The weather ranged from the 40s to 100, which was absolutely wild! On the warmer days, we enjoyed some time at the pool. We got to have friends from Texas over for dinner, and our church picnic featured a fire truck again. 

We celebrated the 4th of July with a picnic and fireworks with our neighbors. Aiden was losing teeth left and right, and he also got to wrap up his eye-patching journey! We got to enjoy and serve at VBS: True North, and Mike and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary. A sweet lady in our church allowed us to stay at her beach house, and we got to take the kids to the beach for the first time! Mike got to go on his pastor retreat, but not before seeing my parents and going to the TX Whiskey Ranch with my dad. 

In August, I ended up doing a sleep study and seeing a cardiologist {thankfully all is fine}. We kicked off a new school year and celebrated Aiden's 7th birthday with an Avengers-themed day. Grandma and Papa were able to be here for his birthday, which was extra fun. We also got to enjoy the LEGO Discovery Center, the Bear's Den Park Trail, and apple picking at Stribling Orchard. We started The Wingfeather Saga, which has been a nightly family read. Maddie wrote her first book, and we enjoyed a cookout with our community group.

We were soaking up the beautiful weather in September. We took a drive out to Bluemont for ice cream, we were in the thick of school, and we were enjoying all the wildlife in our neighborhood. I got to attend our annual women's retreat.

In October, I went on a girls trip to West Virginia with Laura to celebrate our 40th birthdays. Despite months of fighting, I lost a battle with insurance to cover my Stelara and was forced to switch to a biosimilar. I began taking Wezlana and struggled with the side effects. Fall was definitely here, with cooler weather and the changing of the leaves. We attended the Oakton band competition, I took the kids with me to vote, and we trick-or-treated with Optimus Prime, Bumble Bee, and a green M&M :)

Eli and Maddie turned 9 {!} in November, and we celebrated with LEGOs and chipmunks! We had a game night with some friends from church, and we were excited to celebrate Daddy's 44th birthday. It was all hands on deck to prepare a full Thanksgiving feast, as we enjoyed the company of a couple of friends from church this year. 

We started December with our Advent countdown, and I shared for Crohn's and Colitis Awareness Week what "IBD Looks Like..." I also shared about my struggle with the biosimilar and the side effects I have been experiencing, but also how the Lord unexpectedly moved mountains to put me back on my original medication. I shared a bit of my heart on the one year anniversary of losing my brother, how moments shape so much of our lives. While the holidays have been tough, I have tried to make the best of them for the kids: finishing out school, a Christmas band concert, homemade peppermint hot chocolate, Christmas crafts, and gingerbread cookies. We took the kids to see their first movie in the theatre, enjoyed Christmas Eve service with our church family, and got to spend the last week of the year with Grandma and Papa.

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I wish I felt "refreshed" and ready to take on a new year, but I feel like I am still wading through a lot of emotions, trying to find my way. I don't necessarily feel lost, but I also don't feel invigorated and ready to tackle a whole long list of new things. Maybe it's still a protection factor for my fragile heart, but I feel...steady and at peace. Almost like this past year has forced me to slow down, reevaluate, and refocus on my main tasks. In a lot of ways, I'm not sorry that I find myself in a simpler phase, even though there still seem to be so many question marks. 

So I'm stepping into 2026, trusting the hand of my Savior, knowing that His faithfulness will lead the way through what is ahead. I only need to remain faithful to what is right in front of me.

Back to Stelara

Back in August, I started my battle with insurance over my Crohn's medication. I received approval, and then they went back on their approval, I was forced onto the biosimilar Wezlana, and I have been working through all of the side effects. 

I saw my GI about a week ago, and I was actually ready to work through a transition plan, because it was my last appointment with him. He is leaving the practice at the end of this year, and I wanted to get his thoughts on where I go from here. I can't tell you how devastating this news is; I am beyond grateful for my GI, and I trust him completely. He has fought for me on many occasions, and I was so disappointed when I heard that I would have to find someone new. But I know that the Lord has a plan, and I am praying for the right care as I search for a new GI. 

When I relayed to my {still current} GI the side effects that I have been facing, he was NOT happy. As a last chance effort and parting gift, he wanted to try to appeal the insurance one last time, as he felt I was stable on Stelara and should never have been moved to the biosimilar in the first place. {Again- he's amazing, and I appreciate his care for his patients so much}. I honestly didn't expect much, considering how long our fight took last time and that he was leaving, but I appreciated his zeal, said my goodbyes, and left. 

In less than one week, I received an uncontested approval from the insurance and a dose of the Stelara on my doorstep. Just like that, and I am back to Stelara. I can't tell you how floored I was to hear that they approved it. I didn't believe it at first; I didn't trust it. And then the pharmacy was filling the script, and it arrived on my doorstep. There's still a part of me that is waiting for the insurance to say, "haha, just kidding!" And I guess, technically, they still could. 

But for now, the Lord {unexpectedly} moved mountains for me! I didn't even ask Him to this time. I have refills for the next 9 months, and I am back on Stelara. I am praying that the transition back is smoother than the transition away. And I am praying that the blip in treatment is just that: a blip. That I remain in remission.

Thanksgiving 2025

For Thanksgiving this year, we had a couple of church members over for lunch, so we needed all hands on deck to help prep our Thanksgiving feast! We had a full menu, so we started a couple of days ahead of time to be sure to get it all done. But I had great helpers! 

We went back to our Pioneer Woman turkey brine and roasted turkey recipes from a couple of year's ago. I started cooking at 325, then raised the temp to 350, and I didn't have to worry about it being undercooked this time. Much better results :)

We made Mike's family recipes: his grandma's cornbread dressing and rolls. It's fun to pass down family recipes to the kids, and I love that they look forward to helping with these recipes. 

We also had mashed potatoes, honey roasted carrots, green bean casserole, corn, cranberry sauce, gravy, and (of course) pumpkin pie. 

The rest of the day was relaxing and enjoying our turkey coma :)  And of course, we couldn't finish the day without watching A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. 

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and we are so thankful for the memories together as a family. We missed being with our extended family, but we are thankful for the time we had with members of our church family. We praise God for all the blessings that He has granted throughout this year.

Last Day of School!

Today we wrapped up another great homeschool year, and now we officially have two third graders and a second grader! {queue the Mama tears}

Eli has worked really hard this year, and he has really started to push forward into more independent work. Math continues to be his strongest subject, as he pretty much breezed through his curriculum. The only reason I didn't accelerate him was because I was having to focus so much attention on the other two. Thankfully he wasn't bored, but I will have to watch that. He made great strides in reading and spelling, and even though he said grammar wasn't his favorite, he did really well with it. While Spanish was his least favorite, he really enjoyed history, geography, and earth/space science this year.

Maddie was a little hesitant with having to repeat 1st grade math this year, but once she started understanding the concepts, gaining more confidence in her math skills, and seeing the progress she was making, she actually said out loud, "I LOVE math! Math is my favorite!" I was dumbfounded haha, and I tried not to let the shock show on my face. She worked so hard and was so proud when she got to start her 2nd grade math book in the spring, and I was so proud of her. I also looked up one day and realized how easily she was reading everything. Another subject that was hard fought and came with a lot of tears. We still had hard days, but overall, I found her saying she LOVED varying subjects that she had previously thoroughly disliked, so we had many wins this year. On any given day, she LOVED history, science, math, grammar, geography, Spanish, reading, Bible, spelling, and manners. Writing was consistently not her favorite, but she really does well with it when she can focus enough to actually write :)

Aiden asked every day, "Do we have to do school?" Haha. Sweet kid still just wants to play. School just isn't his thing, and that's ok. Because he still works hard to get his work done, so that he can go play! He also did really well with a refresher on 1st grade math and he still keeps up with his brother and sister on most other subjects. We did have quite a few tears this year over reading and spelling; it reminded me a lot of Maddie, though I am wondering if his struggles are different, so we will be spending some dedicated time this summer to focus on reading. I'm hoping that without all the overwhelm of his other subjects that it will help him feel less pressured and, therefore, less frustrated. He did love history and science and geography this year, so I am hoping to tailor more subjects for him next year.

We have our state-required evaluations next week, and then we will be ready for summer! We will take some time off, but will still pick back up a little summer school. We will keep up our reading and math, as well as finish out our history chapters, and we will also be adding an art class. When I was describing our summer to someone the other day, they said it didn't really sound like we took a break haha. I promise that we do! Even with our "summer school schedule," the work itself doesn't take that much time. Reading with Aiden might take the most time, simply because we're trying to bring up his skills. But math is more of a review, and history is just listening to our chapter and completing a coloring page during the summer. And art class is fun! There will still be plenty of time for the pool, hikes, VBS, time with friends, and lazy days of summer  :)

I'm so thankful for another successful homeschool year!

The End of an Era

It seems like the Lord has me in a season of goodbyes. Yesterday was my last day at Independent Financial. After almost 13 years of working as an Executive Assistant for the bank, I said goodbye to a company I have loved. 

My original name tag!

My first business cards from the bank

I started at the bank in March of 2012. I had previously been working in the insurance industry, and at the time, I had a pretty brutal commute. I was leaving the house at 5am to beat the Dallas traffic and ride into work with a kind co-worker. So Mike and I had been praying for a change. I was applying for jobs closer to home, and he was helping in any way he could, by passing around my resume. He had passed my resume to a ministry friend of his, Eric, who had several connections in the McKinney area {where we were living at the time}.

Mike was working at Starbucks, and he had a lot of regular customers. One in particular was so kind to ask him how she could be praying for him, and he mentioned that we could use prayer for God to provide a new job for me, closer to home. True to her word, she did pray for us, but she also went home to her husband and suggested that I take a look at my resume. Her husband, a little unsure of who she was talking about {just the random wife of Mike the barista at Starbucks haha}, said that he was already setting up an interview with the person whose resume he received from Eric...and as they say, the rest is history  :)

I tell this story, because it is only the very beginning of how the Lord used my job at the bank to show His provision and grace in our lives over the past decade. I have absolutely loved working for Dan and the other executives, and it could not have been a better place to work. I got to watch men with integrity run a company and care for their employees. From a small community bank to going public and trading on NASDAQ and expanding our footprint across Texas and into Colorado. 

When my health forced me to step back in 2015, I was incredibly sad to leave. I loved my job, and it was such a hard decision. But again, the Lord was working and ready to show His grace and kindness to us. While I had every intention of stepping back fully, in the transition, we realized that there were some things that I could continue doing on a part time basis. Because we were in the middle of our embryo adoption process, we knew that I would need the flexibility to be at home, and Dan graciously granted me that opportunity. So in June of 2015, I started my new role, working part time from home. 

That new scenario allowed me the flexibility to manage my health well, and it allowed me the chance to become a mom and stay home with my babies. The Lord knew the exact provision that we needed when we needed it; the set up kept working, so I kept working! 

When we knew we were moving to Virginia in 2020, I figured that would be my time to move on. While I had already been remote for 5 years, I had still only been down the road, so I could pop into the office if needed. And I had occasionally done just that. Moving across the country, however, would make that impossible. So when I went to talk to Dan, I was surprised to learn that he had no problem with letting me stay, if I wanted to continue working. I truly believe the opportunity was open to me because of COVID. Now that everyone was working from home, the idea of me moving to Virginia and working from home wasn't as big of a deal. So we decided to give it a try, to see if it still worked. And it worked just fine for the past 4 years...  :)

With the increased cost of living in Virginia, again, the Lord knew that I would need this job. Really, for almost 13 years, this job has been an incredible provision for our family. The only reason I am not continuing in this role, is because there is no role for me anymore. The bank has merged with SouthState Bank, and there is no Independent Financial anymore. It truly is the end of an era.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't sad about it all. Not many people get to say that they love where they work. That they love what they do. Or that they truly love the people they work with and for. I recognize the incredible privilege it has been that I have been able to say all of those things for so long. That I have been given the opportunity to have such an incredible work-life balance, raising my family, working around my kids, still providing for my family. It's hard to say goodbye to something that has been so good for so long.

But in a way, it is fitting that I get to say goodbye to my coworkers as the Independent Financial era comes to a close. While some will continue on with the new bank, many will go on to other places, and things just won't be the same as we have all known them. It has truly been a special place to work, and I will forever be grateful for all of the opportunities I was given during my time at the bank. The Lord has been incredibly kind to me, and I have no doubt incredibly kind to my believing boss, and I give God all the glory for the past 12+ years of provision and grace.

Thank you, Lord for Eric passing my resume to Dan. Thank you, Lord for the kind customer asking Mike how she could pray, and for her boldness in recommending me to her husband. Thank you, Lord for Dan. For him taking a chance on my resume, for his kindness and generosity to me over the years. For the man of integrity he is, for how he has cared for all of his employees over the years, always working as unto You. Thank you, Lord for all of the executives at Independent Financial, that I got to witness integrity and hard work that I could respect each and every day. Thank you, Lord for co-workers that I love, some who have become dear friends. Thank you, Lord for a place that I enjoyed working. Thank you, Lord for the provision you have granted our family all these years. For allowing me to build my work around my family and balance all that I had to do with your grace and strength.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Walk With Me Through 2024...

2024 was quite a year. It will easily be marked as one of the hardest, though I wouldn't have expected it, with how it started and all that seem to lay ahead. But each year is a gift, and as I look back over the years and sift through family photos, I am thankful for all the memories and the ways the Lord has provided for us. I will be going into 2025 with a heavy heart and new outlook, but I know that the Lord is kind and good. He will walk with me the same way He has so faithfully done year over year.

Past reviews: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023

January started with some fun snow days! The kids got to enjoy sledding and snowmen and snowball fights, and it was the perfect way to kick off the year. It was even more fun that Granny came to visit in the middle of the snow, so she got to enjoy it with us. I continued with our Acts Bible study, we had Mr. Jesse over for dinner, the kids and I made a trip to the National Gallery of Art, and Eli changed from navy to brown glasses. We got to enjoy some trains at a church members' house, the kids started helping more in the kitchen, and we finished up our swim lessons at Goldfish Swim School.

For Valentine's Day in February, we made some fun homemade valentines. Grandma and Papa came to visit, and we spent the time playing at the playground, visiting the Natural History Museum, playing games, watching the Super Bowl {Aiden's personal favorite}, and catching snowflakes on our tongues. We were also plugging away at school, working on bug projects, reading, spelling, and visiting the library. Eli was losing teeth right and left! Mike and I got to go on a double date with the Parkers for a marriage comedy night, which was fun.

In March, I was busy prepping for our When You Pray Bible study, and we were definitely looking forward to Spring weather. The kids were happy helpers in the yard, and we were enjoying as much warm, outside time as we could, though we still had some days in the 20s. Eli did get a new big boy bike, and he just could not have been beaming any bigger :)  Maddie and I got to go to the consignment sale and enjoy lunch together, and Aiden was my little laundry helper. Also in March, Uncle Michael and Miss Vi asked the kids to play a special role in their wedding: flower girl, ring bearer, and ring security!

We celebrated Easter in April. We made resurrection rolls, Eli drew his own Easter story book, and of course we rejoiced with our church family. We made another trip to Udvar-Hazy to see the new planes on display, and we got to see several planes land at Dulles airport from the observation deck. We also got to witness the partial solar eclipse, since we had 88% coverage. Mr. David was in town visiting, so he got to enjoy the event with us, special eclipse glasses and all. I reached a milestone in my migraine journey, marking 1 year since I first saw my neurologist. Eli got to spend time with Daddy building rockets at Boys Brigade, the kids started their soccer season again, and we got to pray over Mr. Jesse and Ms. Linda for their engagement. April is when they made the public announcement that Mike would be taking the role of Lead Pastor in the Fall.

In May, we celebrated Mother's Day with sweet homemade cards from the kiddos. We also finished up our second year of homeschooling! We got to spend some sweet time with Mr. Jesse before his big move to Hawaii, I wrapped up our women's ministry year with our spring brunch, and led a hike through the Bull Run Occoquan Trail. We had our annual church picnic, complete with the Fairfax County Fire Department spraying water for the kids, and Eli created his own board game. We also squeezed in a trip to Wegmeyer Farms to pick strawberries! I didn't blog about it, but May was also when we learned about the merger at work, and the possibility of my job changing became the forefront of our prayers.

June meant Texas, wedding, and anniversary festivities! We traveled to Texas to be with family for Michael and Vi's wedding, which was just a fun week, packed with all the wedding things. Maddie was a beautiful flower girl, and the boys were on top of their ring duties. My parents beamed with pride watching my brother marry his love, and Aiden had the best night of his life on the dance floor. After the newlyweds headed off to their honeymoon, we headed over to be with Mike's family to celebrate Tom and Susan's 50th wedding anniversary. It was a fast and furious week, but it was full of family and fun, and we are so thankful for the time we had. When we arrived back in Texas, Mike ended up with Covid, but thankfully he was better fairly quickly. The kids had their soccer field day, and then the Lilleys were in town to visit D.C., and it was so fun to spend time with their family. We celebrated Father's Day with kid-designed socks for Daddy, discovered raspberries growing in our backyard, and Aiden lost his first tooth. We started spending time at the pool, our deer came back, and our women's summer book club kicked off!

For the 4th of July, we celebrated with our neighbors with a fun cul-de-sac party, complete with sparklers. Mike and I got to enjoy a sweet anniversary dinner out at Capital Grille, thanks to kind and gracious babysitters. We discovered bird eggs in our birdhouse, and got to wait for them to hatch. We also got to enjoy VBS at church! We hosted our Catalyst young adults group, which was really fun to connect with them, and the boys really started to enjoy playing chess. Maddie took a tumble while running through the house, and poor girl chipped her front {permanent} tooth. Thankfully, we were able to get it repaired and not too much of the root was exposed. There was a lot of blood and it was pretty scary, but she was SO brave!

We wrapped up our summer reading in August {nothing like a little ice cream to motivate haha}. I also was able to make a solo trip to Texas to visit my grandparents in San Antonio. Because I flew into Dallas and drove to SA, I was able to have dinner with Michael and Vi and the girls, and now looking back, I am so, so thankful I was able to give Michael a hug then. We celebrated Aiden's 6th birthday with a knight-themed birthday. And then we kicked off our 2nd grade and 1st grade year of homeschool! Mike got to spend a week in Colorado for his annual pastor's retreat, and the kids and I got to do fun things at home like visit Udvar-Hazy. Eli finally graduated from eye-patching, and he got a trip to the LEGO store to celebrate! We spent more time at the pool, and the kids got to hike Great Falls Park with some friends.

By September I had been approved for a new rescue medication for my migraines, but was still trying to work through the right plan for what I was going to use and when. In anticipation of Mike's new role as Lead Pastor, the elders graciously granted him 3 weeks off. We were able to spend some time away as a family at a pastoral retreat center in the Shenandoah Valley for a few days. We got to play games, go on hikes, and visit caverns. We didn't make it to the National Park because we ended up having car trouble, but the Lord kept us safe and provided what we needed to get the car repaired in time to get us home. We had our fall church picnic {complete with dunk-a-pastor}, started reading the Narnia series, had a friend over for pizza and a movie, and visited Great Falls. September is when I received the confirmation that I would not have a position going forward in the merger, that I would finish out my time through the end of the year, and then be done with my role at Independent Financial.

The Great Pooh Exchange happened in October. Aiden was able to let go of his well-loved Pooh bear and exchange it for a brand new one. We did some pumpkin carving, and even baked the seeds {though no one was a fan of them, except me, but I can't eat them}. We did some of our school outside and at the library, and we welcomed Miss Lilly home on her fall break. We hosted our first outdoor movie night, which was so fun! Maddie started Pioneer Girls, and her little extrovert heart is loving it. I got to join our women on our annual women's retreat, and we celebrated the faithful service of Pastor Milt and Val at church. We got to trick or treat with ALL the grandparents, which was extra special and fun!

In November we celebrated Eli and Maddie's 8th birthday with trains and bunnies. Their birthday was extra special this year, because all 4 grandparents were in town to celebrate. In November, Mike officially became the Lead Pastor of Chantilly Bible Church, and our parents were in town for his installation service. Aside from trick-or-treating, birthday, and installation Sunday, we got to do a bonfire, Great Falls, Museum of the Bible, and Cox Farms with the grandparents. The kids were on cloud nine! For Thanksgiving, it was just the 5 of us, but the kids asked for a traditional meal, so we did the turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberries, and rolls. Mike and I got to attend the DTS Centennial celebration dinner with some CBC couples, we watched a squirrel eat through the pumpkins on our porch, and we celebrated Mike's birthday with homemade enchiladas and chocolate cake.

We started December like we usually do, with our Advent countdown. I built robots with my boys, I was wrapping up my last board meeting for work, and we were getting ready for Christmas. And then I got a text message that changed the course of our December. Overnight I found myself in Texas, saying goodbye to my brother, helping my parents plan a funeral, trying to offer words of comfort to my new sister-in-law and nieces. It was by far the longest 9 days of my life. But before I knew it, I was back in Virginia. We were surrounded by our beloved church family at Christmas Eve services, we were opening up gifts on Christmas morning and managing sick kids through the end of the year.

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I looked back at my words from last year: "whatever comes in the new year, we know that the Lord is good, and we are thankful for His constant faithfulness to us."

While my thoughts were on my personal health when I wrote those words, I still believe the words are true for the present circumstances. I want to be a woman of faith that can say, no matter what comes, Lord, You are good. 

Losing my brother was not on my 2024 {or anytime soon} plan. I would not have chosen this. I also would not have chosen my seasons of unemployment, infertility/loss, or health struggles. But every time, God has been faithful. He never left me, He faithfully walked with me. And I know He will do so now. Since I have been in valleys before, I know that I cannot simply rush to the mountaintop. It just doesn't work that way {unfortunately}. He has too much work to do while He's walking alongside me here. And it will be messy and sometimes ugly, and it won't be wrapped up in a nice little bow. But that's the beautiful part of the gospel and His love for us: it doesn't have to be. Because He is what is beautiful and good. And it is in the valley that we get to be led gently by our kind and loving Shepherd.

And so I will still praise Him for all He has done. For His goodness and faithfulness to us in 2024. For how He will walk with us into the new year, no matter what comes. 

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul.

He leads my in paths of righteousness

for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of shadow of death,

I will fear no evil.

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff, 

they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord

forever."

- Psalm 23

 

Last Day of School!

We wrapped up a little early this year {we worked really hard!}, and now we have officially have 2 second graders and a first grader!

Eli did so well this year. He worked hard, improving his language arts skills and making great progress in handwriting and reading. Math is definitely his strength; he grasped the concepts so quickly, and often walked around the house spouting off math equations. He also really loved history and human body science this year!

Maddie also made great progress this year, making huge strides in her reading and is showing great overall fluency. She excelled at spelling and handwriting, often writing little notes for us! Math was not her favorite subject this year, but she persevered, and I am so proud that she didn't give up. She also really loved history and animal science this year!

I am so proud of my Aiden! This kid was technically in Kindergarten, but he had no problem keeping up with his 1st grade siblings! He caused more jealousy because he got to take more breaks than they did, but he also didn't want to be left out of too many things either haha. He hung in there for most of 1st grade math and language arts, and he did history and science right alongside Eli and Maddie. His reading is coming along really well, and he's looking forward to 1st grade {with a little of 2nd grade work sprinkled in!}

This was the first year that I have to show proof of progress for Eli and Maddie. In Virginia, we have the option to test or do an evaluation, and I chose an evaluation. I wasn't quite sure they would be ready for a standardized test yet, based on their current reading levels {thought now that we have made it to the end of the year, I think we might have been ok}. But I also think that spending an entire week on testing is just unnecessary at this age, and we will have plenty of time for it in the future. 

For the evaluation, we had to obtain a letter from a licensed teacher or someone with a Master's degree or higher in an academic discipline. The letter must state the child's educational growth and progress over the academic year. I chose an outside evaluator {someone we didn't know}, a former public school teacher turned homeschool mom/entrepreneur who now offers evaluations, tutoring, educational resources. I submitted a portfolio for each kid ahead of time, that basically showed samples of Eli and Maddie's work throughout the year, our curriculum list, extracurricular activities, etc. And then we had a zoom call to discuss their progress! Eli and Maddie did great; they answered her questions, did a fantastic job reading her a book of their choice, and sharing a few projects with her. 

We got our official letters, finished up our last few days of school, and now we are looking forward to our summer! We actually have some school things planned for the summer {gotta keep up our reading and math skills!}...but we will be taking about a month off, and our summer work will be light. There will still be plenty of time for summer fun! :)

One Year Later :: A Migraine Win!

It has been a full year since I first saw my neurologist, and I have been reflecting on my progress. It has definitely been slow and steady, and I haven't always been convinced that the treatment is working, or is even overall beneficial. 

I still struggle with the fact that I am taking a medication to chase a {different} medication side effect. I thought that maybe with time and improvement that I would get over that, but I haven't found that to be the case. I still feel slightly uncomfortable with it. That's probably because I haven't seen massive improvement in my migraines, and I don't necessarily "have my life back," so it's still sitting as this weird question mark on whether or not I made the right decision. 

I also have not loved how I have felt on this medication {migraines aside}. The neurologist had told me that I could experience side effects from it {lovely}, and while it wasn't too pronounced at first, I am starting to feel it more the longer that I am on it. It has been strange things like paresthesia {random numbness and tingling in my arms and legs}, but it has also included things like memory problems or feeling more emotional or agitated. Right now these side effects are manageable, but I have to work at them; meaning, I have to work harder at focusing and remembering what I am doing, or managing my emotions and my irritability, because I can physically feel it. And while I absolutely have control over those things, it's frustrating that I am now fighting a medication that heightens those things, does that make sense? Sigh. So it's just an added piece that makes things harder. And I have to weigh how beneficial it really is.

When I started taking the maintenance medication, I was experiencing 15-20 headache days a month. Almost immediately, that kicked down to 12-15 headache days, which was a big win, but I have still been getting fairly bad migraines at least once a week. While I will absolutely take that over what I was experiencing before {beggars can't be choosers, right?}, it has still been really tough knowing that I am taking medication to chase a medication side effect, that comes with its own side effects. 

Now, having a rescue medication has made a huge difference because my treatment of Tylenol and an ice pack wasn't really cutting it before. But now I can take my rescue med when I feel a migraine coming on, and it usually knocks out the migraine, and I can be pain free! Also a huge win! The downside is that it has taken some time for me to figure out the right timing on the rescue med, since I can only take so many at a time and in a month. In addition, I have found that I will take my rescue med, the migraine will go away, but as soon as the medicine wears off, the migraine comes raging back. If I take a second pill, the migraine goes away again {which is great}, but if that then wears off, and the migraine comes raging back again, then I'm stuck. I can't take another pill. And that has happened fairly often in the last few months, which is a fairly frustrating process. So then I find myself weighing my schedule and what things are most important and what things I can miss and timing out the pills based on that, and it's kind of a balancing act and just a weird mess. 

I have also learned a ton about all of my new fun migraine triggers. The weather is the main one, and I can't really do much about that. I have an app that gives me a heads up about pressure shifts, and it's pretty accurate and 9 times out of 10, I'll get a migraine at the same time I get a notification. So while I can't prevent the migraine, at least I have a heads up it's coming {or at least I have a confirmation of the pressure building up behind my eyeball haha}.  Also, crying. For some reason, the act of crying triggers a migraine, and that's really frustrating, considering that the migraine maintenance medication has a side effect of making me more emotional...which causes me to cry more than I normally would. So I find myself feeling like I want to cry more than I normally would, but I also find myself trying to suppress that crying because I don't want to trigger a migraine. Make it make sense.

Another big one is certain strong smells- all candles, strong perfumes, food scents, and smoke are out. I catch a whiff and I have to immediately get to fresh air or it will trigger a migraine. Even the smell of smoke on Mike's clothes from a bonfire is enough. It's so sad, and he is so gracious to shower and put his clothes in the washer before he comes upstairs. Also, heat and squinting in the sun {??} is an automatic migraine. I have to be sure I have my sunglasses with me at all times, and I have to actively focus on not squinting or frowning while I'm outside haha. I feel so high maintenance about it now, but it's just not worth the migraine later.

As I type all this out, I realize it sounds ridiculous. Because it is. I know it is, but when you suffer from migraines, you will do anything and everything to avoid them. You will deal with the weird side effects to get some measure of relief...because they are THAT BAD. It's not just a headache. It is so much more than a headache.

So this has been my year. A long, slow journey {not unlike my Crohn's journey, so I guess it's just my overall health journey}. I had been averaging 1 migraine a week, some of them lasting 2-3 days. That seemed to be my new "normal."  

BUT...

My huge migraine win? Is that I went 20 days without a migraine. 20 days! And then on top of that, I took my rescue med, the migraine went away, and it didn't immediately come back! This is a HUGE win! 

Will this repeat? I have no idea. But I just have to pause and recognize this victory for what it is. Because I have not gone that long without a migraine in over 2 years. 2 years. Cue the tears...but not too many ;) 

And that gives me hope, and a little bit of strength to keep fighting the weird and hard side effects. Because that's 20 days of NOT having to manage a migraine. Thank you, Jesus!

Walk With Me Through 2023...

Every year that I sit down to write this review, I am always amazed at how FULL our years are. The years seem to fly by, but I am thankful for the chance to pause and think back over all that has happened, specifically over all that the Lord has done. We have so much to be grateful for!

Past reviews: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022

We kicked off January with a trip to the eye doctor for Aiden. He did great, but it started his eye patching journey, which has not been his favorite this year. Grandma and Papa came into town for a week, which was so fun and special! They came to help with unpacking and to help with the kids, because I had my wisdom teeth out {not fun}, and I was so grateful for the extra hands. The rest of the month was filled with neighborhood walks, dance parties, and trips to the air & space museum!

The remodel was officially finished in February! I was still recovering from my wisdom teeth removal, as I struggled through a dry socket, a tooth infection, and complications from the antibiotic. Since I wasn't feeling my best, our school start was pretty slow, but we did finally get our act together. Aiden started causing some mischief during rest time, making huge messes in his room and the bathroom, trying to flush things down the toilet, and testing this Mama's patience. We had a fun Valentine's Day breakfast and love-day themed school day, and Mrs. Siu brought over fun Valentine cookies to decorate!

In March, I got to go away for a weekend on the Rappahannock River. It was a peaceful and restful getaway, and I was so thankful for the quiet retreat. Even though it still felt like winter, our church hosted their Spring Festival, and our kids had a blast with bounce houses, a petting zoo, crafts, face painting, and food trucks. I got to help decorate the church for spring/Easter, and we wrapped up our Abide Bible study. I also had the fun opportunity to go see Jen Wilkin speak at the Museum of the Bible with a few ladies from our Bible study. The kids started playing soccer, and we hit our 100th day of school! 

We celebrated Easter in April. The kids sang in church on Palm Sunday, we counted down with our countdown wreath, and celebrated with Easter baskets. By God's grace, I was able to see a neurologist several months early to start figuring out what to do with my migraines. We were starting to enjoy the warmer weather and spending more time outside; Mike was working hard on the landscaping. With some staffing changes at work, I was putting in some extra hours. Mike was able to surprise his mom and sneak in a weekend trip to Texas to surprise her for her 70th birthday!

In May, I was finally able to claim symptomatic remission from Crohn's! It had taken 3.5 years, but I had finally made it. Grandma and Papa came into town and it was a week full of parks, the zoo, strawberry picking, foot races, and birthday celebrations. We wrapped up our school year, with Eli and Maddie finishing Kindergarten, and Aiden finishing Pre-K. I got my MRI results back, and learned that there was no indication of a tumor. My prolactin numbers were up again, so I have to monitor that. We took several hikes, celebrated Mother's Day, and practiced riding bikes in the cul-de-sac.

We wrapped up our first soccer season in June. Mike finished up the landscaping at the house, and it looked amazing! We also started our battle with our mama deer, who kept helping herself to the new plants in the yard and making herself at home in our yard :)  I got to spend an evening out in Old Town Alexandria with my friend Beatrice, which was fun to have a fun girls night out. We had a church work day and the kids were great helpers, working hard cleaning our church building. We made a trip to Gravelly Point Park with friends to watch the planes take off from Reagan National Airport, and the kids had a blast! We spent time at our neighborhood pool, celebrated Father's Day, and soaked up the non-scorching hot summer days!

In July, we hopped on the spaceship Galactic Praise for a week of VBS! I volunteered with the 2nd and 3rd graders, and the kids loved the time in their individual groups. Aiden had a small procedure to remove a mucocele from his mouth, and my sweet boy was so brave! Mike and I celebrated 12 years of marriage! The migraine medication that I had started was not showing much improvement, so I was still working through that. I made a trip out to the retreat site with the team for the women's retreat, and was thankful to be a part of our women's summer book club. We also introduced the kids to the game of Uno, and we played non-stop!

The end of July, and into August, we headed to Texas! The kids did great on the flights, and it was so great to be back in Texas to see family and friends. The time was jam-packed, and we didn't get to see everyone we would have liked to, but we are thankful for the time we had. We wrapped up our summer reading; I was so proud of how well the kids did! We had a fun water balloon fight with friends, spent a week at Goldfish Swim Camp, and enjoyed a few hikes. We celebrated Aiden's 5th birthday with a fun army man them, complete with camo and nerf guns. We also kicked off our 2nd year of homeschooling, with Eli and Maddie starting their 1st grade year, and Aiden starting Kindergarten. 

September was filled with school, work, and church activities. We celebrated Labor Day at the pool with our Community Group and enjoyed some a fun foosball lunch with daddy while Mommy worked on women's retreat things. The kids got to enjoy a fun play date with friends while Mike and I attended a wedding. We joined a co-op, so the kids were learning how to sew. We kicked off our women's Bible study in the book of Acts, and Mike was installed as an elder. Our church's fall festival had some fun hands-on science and a chemistry show, and we got to visit the pandas at the National Zoo before they headed back to China.

In October, I was struggling with my second Crohn's flare, which was discouraging, since I was only 5 months into remission. I also switched to a new migraine medication in hopes that I would see more improvement on that front. Grandma and Papa were back in town for a week of fun, and we got to take them to the Cox Farms Fall Festival! My mom also got to come with me to the Women's Retreat, which was really special, since most of my month was filled with preparations for that. We also spent lots of time raking the leaves in our yard! We ended up with colds, so we didn't get to go trick or treating, but we still got to dress up and enjoy some fun Halloween festivities with Grandma and Papa here.

Eli and Maddie turned seven in November, and we celebrated with Pandas and Race Cars. We were still hard at work raking all the leaves in our yard, and it made for some fun family days. We gave Mike his birthday present early, and enjoyed several evenings by the fire pit, some of them roasting marshmallows. I made my first turkey for Thanksgiving this year, and we had a sweet lady from our church over to celebrate. We decorated for Christmas, which we were so excited to do, since we were moving last year, and we celebrated Mike's birthday with some yummy Uncle Julio's.

In December, we used our Advent Blocks and countdown wreath as we looked forward to Christmas. I blogged about how I was struggling in remission; definitely thankful for it, but struggling because I wasn't quite feeling as healthy and like myself as I did when I was in remission last time. Still praying and working through my health, hopeful for 2024. We were busy finishing up co-op and school things, but otherwise, the month was filled with all the Christmas things! We painted nutcrackers, made cotton ball snowmen, saw lots of Christmas lights in our neighborhood, went to the Ross King concert and our Community Group Christmas party, and made gingerbread houses. We had our first snow day, though it only lasted for one day. The kids sang Christmas songs in church, and we attended the Christmas Eve service. We enjoyed a quiet Christmas at home, and ended up celebrating Christmas dinner with friends. We did a zoom Christmas with Mike's side of the family on the 30th, otherwise, the last week of 2023 was spent playing and organizing and getting ready for the new year!

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Praise God for a wonderful year! We are settled in our house, and we are still just so thankful for how He has provided for us in this home. We are constantly reminded of the gift it is, and we don't ever want to take it for granted. We cannot believe how fast the kids are growing, and we are loving this stage of school and personalities and growth. We have a new year of ministry ahead, and will continue to figure out a good rhythm for our family and the best ways to serve our church family. I am praying through ways to better manage my health, hoping for fewer struggles in the coming year. But whatever comes in the new year, we know that the Lord is good, and we are thankful for His constant faithfulness to us. Here's to 2024!