2016... Year In Review

It has been quite the year for Kurtis and me. As I sit and look back on 2016, I have a lot of smiles and a lot of tears.
In February, my grandma passed away unexpectedly. She had been in the hospital for a surgery, and was in recovery when all of a sudden, she collapsed while walking around the ward. Her heart gave out and she was gone after that. It was a hard time for me, but I'm glad that she's able to be with my Grandpa again.      

On Valentine's Day, Kurtis and I found out that we were expecting! We had decided to stop all kinds of birth control because we weren't getting a clear answer in our prayers on when to start a family. Turns out I got pregnant almost immediately, and I am so grateful for that.

In March, we lost Kurtis's granny. Although she had been in poor health for a long time, it was still an extremely hard time for Kurtis. She and Kurtis had been close, so losing her was rough.

In April we found out that our baby was gonna be a girl. It was kind of a shock to us, because we were convinced it was gonna be a boy. However once we started getting some little girl clothes, it made it so much more real to us, and looking back I can't imagine how I ever thought we were gonna have a boy first.

In May, we had yet another death in the family. My great-grandfather passed away at 99 years old. It was a little surprising to me, but seeing how old he was, it wasn't too much of a shock.

In June, Kurtis quit his job at Anvil and in July, started his new job at North Ogden. He enjoys his job there and what he does. I think it's made huge difference to have him working outside. It's made him so happy! I think his favorite part though is his enhanced farmer's tan and calluses.

In September, Kurtis's sister Courtney got married (and to a Courtney!). That was a moment of sunshine for the family. We were so excited to have Court join the family!

However, that happiness didn't last too long, because within two days of Court and Courtney getting married, Kurtis's gramps passed away very unexpectedly. I think this death was the hardest for Kurtis. Gramps was a huge influence in Kurtis's life and I think it hit him hardest.

On October 27th, our sweet daughter Annie was born. She was the highlight of our year, without any question. She brings so much light and joy into our lives, and reminds us to be our best selves.

On Halloween, we had the final death of this year. Kurtis's Grandma Flinn passed away after a year of poor health. Although he wasn't as close to this grandma as he was to his granny, I think this took a toll on Kurtis as he realized that he no longer had any grandparents around.

We spent both Thanksgiving and Christmas with Kurtis's family this year because of them being close to us. Kurtis was on call for both holidays, but was called in on Christmas to help plow snow. That was hard for the both of us to spend the morning and early afternoon apart on the holiday, but luckily they let him go home for the day around 1. I was definitely grateful for that!

Annie's blessing was on December 4th, and I was so lucky to have almost all of my family come. It's hard to have them live so far away, but I'm glad they were able to make it.

If there's one thing that 2016 taught Kurtis and me, it's that life is short. With the 5 different funerals we've been to this year, plus the birth of our baby, it reminds me that this life is temporary. There's so much more than just being here. I'm so grateful for the knowledge that we will see those who have passed again. I know that families are forever.

Goodbye, 2016. I can't say that I'll miss you, but I'm grateful for what I've learned from you.

Hello 2017. :)