10 Favorites of 2022

Hello, friends and Happy New Year! I'm so glad to be back in this space. I hope to write more in 2023. We'll see if I can get all the words that swim around in my head on the page more often this year. 

I've done quite a bit of reflecting and journaling and looking back on the year. It was one filled with some worry and fear and uncertainty and also a lot of fun and joy and prayers answered. I suppose that's what a life is, right? All the important, more on-top-of-things writers made their "best of" lists earlier. I need more time to process. This list is really for me to look back on some day and of course, there is a lot of private processing in my brain, but maybe you'll enjoy the fun stuff. I'm walking into my 11th year writing about my life and loves and confusion and of course, all my Longhorn sadness here and sure do appreciate those who show up for the rambling. 

Here goes My BEST OF 2022:

1. Best TV Show: Bad Sisters

Of all the series we watched this year, Bad Sisters, the story of five Irish sisters was my very favorite. The saga of the sisters trying to figure out how to get rid of perhaps the worst human alive who happens to be married to one of them is hilarious, compelling and sweet. Loved it.

2. Best Movie: Tie CODA and Top Gun Maverick

Had to make this one a tie because technically, I think CODA came out before 2022, but I didn't see it until this past summer and it might be one of my favorite movies ever. I cried my eyes out. It was just beautiful. And Top Gun Maverick, of course. Because it was every single thing that a night out at the movie theater is supposed to be. We need more Mavericks. I loved it.

3. Best Song: Morgan Wallen's Thought You Should Know

I must have listened to Morgan Wallen's Seven Summers a bazillion times over the past year or so, but when Drew came downstairs one night when I was up late writing and told me that I needed to listen to Thought You Should Know, I took a break from working to listen. And then I sobbed like a lunatic. If you are a mom, it will put you in the bed.

4. Best Moment of Pure Joy: The Virginia State Baseball Championship 

I wrote about it here. I still daydream about the moment it was all over. When I'm in a sad or overwhelmed mood, I pull up the video of the boys running out of the dugout like a bunch of wild animals to pile on top of each other. I'm still incredibly grateful to God and some gifted athletes for giving us those moments. In a world where we know that bitter is often attached to sweet, brutality exists along with beauty, and so many burdens require that we search hard for blessings, it was a straight shot to the veins of every good and perfect thing. Pure happiness doesn't come often and doesn't last long, but we had it for some moments there on June 11th and I am so thankful.

5. Best Travel: All the Visits to Knoxville

College sports is one of my greatest loves. My heart will forever belong to the Texas Longhorns - even through embarrassing losses in football, coaching scandals and changes, and even losing to the darn Aggies in the College World Series. Unfortunately, Austin is a bit too far away for me to find myself amongst my Longhorn brethren very often. Enter the Tennessee Vols and the town of Knoxville which has become one of my favorite places to be. Man, have we had fun visiting Kyle at the University of Tennessee. We've found some favorite restaurants and shops and have loved watching the Vols baseball, basketball and football teams this year. I'll never quite be able to stomach that particular shade of orange, but I'll keep trying. They sure have brought us some good times this year.

6. Best Family Time: E'rybody in the Club

All the boys were home this summer as Joe was working on his masters online and doing some freelance broadcasting for a local college summer baseball team and Kyle had an internship in the area. It had been awhile since I had the house full and this summer proved to be one of the sweetest ever. I've written here before about how much joy I find in this stage of parenting and I keep being surprised by it. The boys make each other laugh and now the "fighting" is all good-natured smack talk - there's  A LOT of it, but the little one is finally able to roll with it (and is quite adept at dishing it out, too) Mamas, of young kids, I've said it before and I'll say it again: "Do not fear the passage of time. Big kids? Yes, big worries. But also, big blessings, strong relationships and a whole lot of laughing."

7. Best Beauty Product: Clarins V Facial Intensive Wrap Mask

I try way too many products and admittedly there aren't many that do everything (or anything) they claim to do. I'll keep trying though. This Clarins V Facial Intensive mask actually works pretty well. Ate too many chips or drank too much wine or you know, just lived your life? This stuff actually depuffs the consequences of a plate of nachos pretty well. It says to leave it on for 20 minutes, but I usually go for an hour because I'm an over achiever - both in the eating of the nachos and in the effort to cancel that out.

8. Best Time with the Girls: A Kappa Alpha Theta Reunion in Austin

In April my sorority sisters and I had a reunion in Austin and it was the best ever. The weather in Austin was perfection. We shopped and ate and visited our sorority house and danced and laughed our butts off. The year had started off with some scary stuff for my family and girl time was just what I needed to remind me that it is important to stay connected to the people that God has brought into your life because I believe He is very intentional about who they are. And He puts them there because they will love you through pain and change and fear. Friends who have known you since you were a dumb 19 year old are a gift you do not want to let go. You will need them and they will need you. I'm so grateful for the ones who still love me after all these years.

9. Best Book I Read: Allie & Bea

This was hard to pick because I didn't read as much as I usually do and I didn't love a lot of what I read. I read Allie & Bea at the very beginning of the year. I really loved the characters and the sweet story. Highly recommend.

10. Best of All: Spreading the Good News & Being Loved & Led by Him

I was so blessed to get the opportunity to speak at various churches this year both on Sundays and at mid week services. Every time I'm asked I wonder if I didn't hear God correctly - if there has been some massive mistake and I worry that I'll miss the message God wants me to relay. Silly, girl. Every single time God shows up. Every single time He is clear with what I'm to say. Every single time I am awed by Him. Talking about Jesus is my very favorite thing to do. I hope He'll keep calling me to do it. I'll keep answering - sometimes kicking and screaming and grumbling - but if He leads, I will follow. He's proven to be worth it over and over and over again.

That's a wrap! I do hope to write more in 2023. This being the year that the last kid leaves, you can bet  your boots that this girl is going to have some feelings to work through. Happy New Year and thanks for stopping by!