2014: YEAR IN REVIEW

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Some years you want to look back and review all of the accomplishments and fun adventures while other years you'd like to close that door and never revisit.  2014 was very bittersweet.  So instead of recapping the ups and downs we've gone through this year, I thought I'd answer some questions I found from THIS article which will give me an opportunity to reflect and see some positive things I might have missed.  I've only shared a portion of the questions below because some of the answers should just be kept private.  So come join me, won't you?  And check out the article for the rest of the questions and answer them for yourself!  You never know what you'll learn!

• Who was the #1 go-to person you could always rely on?  My husband.  He really shined this year.
• Which new skills did you learn?  I have been learning more about minimalism, which isn't really a skill, but more of a lifestyle change.
• What, or who, are you most thankful for?  I'm most thankful for Jesus.  He is my rock and my salvation.
• Best news you received?  We're pregnant!
• Something you discovered about yourself?  I'm stronger than I think I am.
• What was the most important lesson you learned in 2014?  No life is perfect.  Every single person has their "something."  And because of that we must give each other grace.  You never know what someone is battling behind closed doors.
• Was there anything you did for the very first time in your life this year?  Floating the Deschutes River with a couple of my girlfriends, cooking our Thanksgiving Turkey, and having dinner at Brasada Ranch!
• Which worries turned out to be completely unnecessary?  The worry that my tumors were cancerous.  Sometimes I think of the worst case scenario so I'm not caught off guard.  But I can't let those thoughts control me!
• What little things did you most enjoy during your day-to-day life?  Enjoying the mountain views while driving around town for work.  We live in such a gorgeous part of the country and feel so very blessed.
• What was your favorite place that you visited in 2014?  Brasada Ranch for dinner to celebrate my birthday.  It was a surprise from hubby and somewhere I'd always wanted to visit!
• What one thing would you do differently and why?  I would NOT buy the queen bed frame I spontaneously purchased without measuring the height of the foot board.  We couldn't even use our box spring because the foot board was too short and so we suffered sleeping on just a mattress for almost nine months!  Plus it would have saved us some money too!
• What was the best gift you received?  It's a tie between my hot pink "Super Julie" cape and the Cal King Tempur-Pedic bed which hubby surprised me with for Christmas.  Seriously, I had no idea.  He saved and saved and planned for months!
• What was the funniest moment of your year, one that still makes it hard not to burst out laughing when you think about it?  The boat trip on the lake with my Mom and I at the coast and getting rescued by my Dad and hubby.  We call it The Great Rescue of 2014.
• What advice would you give your early-2014 self if you could?  Take a deep breath and trust in God.  You will survive.

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• Which habits do you want to change, cultivate or get rid of?  I'd like to cultivate flossing.  I know I know, we all should floss.  It just isn't a habit for me and I'd like to make it a habit.  And I'd like to start drinking a cup of hot water every morning when I first wake up (I hear it helps aid in good digestion, improves blood circulation and premature aging among other things).
• What skills do you want to learn, improve or master?  I'd like to improve upon my cooking skills.  Since we live at 3,500 feet, I always seem to have a problem with adjusting heat and length of time heating/baking for our elevation.  My cooking never seems to be quite as good as the recipe books, so I'm hoping to change that!  Or it could be we have an old oven, who knows!
• What is your number one goal for 2015?  My priority is finishing school by the end of the year.  I said that last year, but it must be done.  No ifs, ands, or buts.

Have you gone to the ARTICLE and answered the questions for yourself?  What did you learn?  What are YOUR goals for 2015?  See how I didn't say resolutions?  I fail at resolutions, but goals, I'm good with goals.