This is my 11th annual Year in Review. To read past reviews, click here.

2015 in a nutshell: Adulting.

2015 hasn’t been the easiest year. A lot has changed and I’ve spent a lot of time learning to trust. I’ve struggled to hang onto the the rescued perspective I gained after my divorce, dealing with loss and loneliness, struggling to forgive. While so many of my life experiences have taught me that I need to protect myself, I’ve had the chance to learn to trust Josh who has proved himself to be completely trustworthy. Marriage is proving to be something vastly different (and better) than I’ve ever known.

There have also been a lot of wins this year: we moved into our dream house, I got a new job that I love and life has really stabilized in ways that I haven’t seen in a long time, if ever. When things were so dark for me, I had this small glimpse of what life could be and it became the hope I hung onto. It was a hope that rescued me and got me through. There are so many ways that this hope has become my reality.  In ways that still astound me. The kids are the most stable they’ve been in years and are both really happy and coming into themselves. 2015 feels like it was a good solid step in a direction I’ve been hoping to head for a long, long time.

Travel:
•Josh and I travelled to Denver in March for some much needed time away. We visited the newly remodeled Union Station and, as always, ate our way through Denver.
•Camped along the River in Utah during Spring Break.
•Rafted and camped the Ruby Horsethief section of the Colorado River in May. In the rain.
•Rafted and camped with 63 people in Utah for the 3rd annual Riverpalooza. In the rain.
•Went to Wyoming for our family reunion. Made 6 batches of ice cream.
•Josh and I flew to Venice Beach all by ourselves for a week of laying on the beach.
•Josh and I popped over to Colorado Springs this fall for a quick work trip and a short visit with family and friends.

Me:
•Did a little modeling for Pollux.
•Had some of my hand lettering featured on Style Me Pretty and Wedding Chicks.
•Completed a 16 week diet: the Colorado Diet. It was hard.
•Launched the Curiosity Project.
•Calligraphed envelopes for two weddings.
•Spoke at CMU to a group of students for Entrepreneur Day.
•Started a new job as the Marketing Director for Downtown Grand Junction. Was hired on later as the Co-Executive Director of the Downtown Business Improvement District. Worked crazy amounts of hours until I decided to step back from Tangle, only working there 1 day a week.
•Had surgery to remove a (cancer-free) lump in my breast. Didn’t like having surgery.
•Floated the river with Brooke all by ourselves.
•Hiked my first 14er.
•Celebrated Tangle’s 9th birthday.
•Celebrated my 34th birthday with a Low Country Boil in our new back yard.
•Along with Robin, my fellow Co-Director, presented our 2016 budget to City Council.

Josh:
•Worked.
And Worked.
And Worked.
And Worked.
And then it was June.
•Helped bring GoCode to Grand Junction and coached the teams during the competition.
•Spoke at CMU to a group of students for Entrepreneur Day.
•Created a ticketing system for Monumental Events [insert nerd speak here], sold tickets for Juco, the Fair and lots of other events.
•Hosted a Western Colorado Startup Weekend. Had over 30 participants.
•Turned 34.
•Experienced lots of success with his business, FastPXL.
•Launched an app on the new AppleTV on day one.
•Gained lots of momentum for his non-profit tech organization, LAUNCH West CO.

Eden:
•Travelled to Colorado Springs with the honor choir to perform for CMEA.
•Turned 13. Dyed her hair blue for her birthday (and consequently her skin too.)
•Got braces.
•Was voted Outstanding Choir Student by her peers in choir.
•Graduated 7th Grade and started 8th Grade.
•Decided to whip up a batch of cookie dough because she wanted some. (It’s begun.)

Honor:
•Had a seriously difficult 5th grade year dealing with bullies at school.
•Trekked to the grocery store a mile away with his sister to stock up on candy and soda for their epic, spring break stay-up-all-night movie marathon.
•Graduated 5th grade and started Middle School and flourished.
•Had to take a little trip to the hospital to have a chunk of wood removed from his leg.
•Turned 12.
•Learned to play the Cello.

We:
•Celebrated our 1st anniversary.
•Celebrated 4th of July with Brooke, Brian and fam with a raft trip and fireworks in Lincoln Park.
•Moved to a new house. With lots of space and a pool and 300 lavender plants.
•Celebrated Abigail and Donnie’s wedding and Meghan and Dustin’s wedding.
•Hosted my birthday party, Honor’s Birthday party, the Pumpkin Carving Party, Thanksgiving, Tangle’s teacher Christmas party, THE Christmas Party and Eden’s class Christmas party and Christmas Dinner at our new house.

This year ended with an unbearable sadness. We unexpectedly lost my uncle, at the age of 57, on Christmas night. He has always been such a father figure to us and we’re not really sure what life is going to look like without him. It’s hard to see a purpose in such a senseless loss and the only thing I’m able to take away from this heartache is to hug my people tighter. To take more picture and make more phone calls and to try harder to be present when I get to be with the ones I love. I end this year heartbroken but also so thankful for what I’ve had. I’m lucky to have gotten 30 years with a man who’s held the standard of what a father and husband should be. I’m lucky to have been loved so deeply by someone so very good.

Life is always, always bitter and sweet. And in the darkness I remember that the light will always overcome it. Happy New Year.

Our 2015 in pictures