2013: Looking Back
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February: Though it’s the month that holds one of the most dreaded holidays in a single woman’s life, I celebrated it by gifting myself a ring that symbolizes what is my foundation and at the center of my heart, my faith.
March: This month held some triumphant, yet solemn events. My church’s worship team (including interpreters) was invited to play at the local area’s hockey game. We practiced for weeks, selecting songs to reach to the non-churched and practiced the different numbers. The game fell on the same day as the burial of a dear friend and inspiration, Randy Stephens after he won the battle against cancer in being called home to live with his Lord and Savior. Since Randy was a huge fan and supporter of the Wheeling Nailers hockey team, they honored him during intermission, which was such a blessing to his family who were in attendance. The game went into double overtime and unfortunately the Nailers lost, so most of the crowd had dispersed by the time we made it on to the ice. It was cold, but it was a great first experience of interpreting in a public venue and an honor for Randy’s memory.
April: My parents’ 40th wedding anniversary was in April. I worked together with Katy from Handmade Escapade to create them some shirts to commemorate the special event. Also in April, I had the privilege to attend the 2nd level of Bringing the Stage to Life, where I worked up the courage to interpret a song in front of those in attendance, 20 plus certified interpreters, in order to receive feedback. They were very supportive and provided a lot of positive critique and great feedback.
May: A lot of big things happened in May. My big sis turned 35. I graduated from my Interpreting Training Program, receiving my third college degree. I started my journey to a more physically fit and healthier version of myself by starting to count calories again and take up Zumba classes. And last but not least, I decided to take my blog to another level and share it with the world. It started by sharing with my friends and family, and now it has grown to an average of 200 readers daily and over 6,000 views a month.
July: When it rains, it sometimes pours and this time it did, from the sky in bucket loads that unfortunately sent half of a tree onto my dad’s car and through the sunroof in the back. This started a trend of car troubles that lasted for months, but praise the Lord, no one was ever hurt by any of the circumstances, only the poor Flex. Despite the excitement from the car, the five of us took our first family vacation in nearly a decade to Ocean City. We took some gorgeous self-photography shots on the beach and enjoyed our time doing nothing of great importance, eating some great food and hanging out poolside.
September: Down 4 pant sizes and 25 pounds and a fun comparative side-by-side photo to prove it! Mandisa read my blog and Pumpkin Spice Late’s were back at Starbucks. With my fun new, slimmed down version of myself, I got a funky pair of Vera Wang glasses and celebrated being a single woman! I attended my first ever pig roast at my the invitation of my brother’s boss. Did some major clean-up at my grandma’s house, in removing tons of vines that had taken over. And also did some research and found out the origination and meaning of my unique 2-charmed necklace that I treasure.
October: I started my first Online Bible Study, reading Renee Swope’s A Confident Heart and immediately fell in love with the stories (both Biblical and her own) that helped me to understand that I’m not alone in my struggles with doubt, fear, lack of confidence and contentment. I also took on the Blog Challenge by The Single Woman to discuss my views of singleness in today’s world and my thoughts on the question, “Why So Single?”. From both the OBS and the blog challenge, I was inspired to write more than I ever have for my blog! I also had the time of my life joining a dear friend of mine by participating in my second 5k, The Color Run! Afterwards, I wrote up a complete guide on how to get cleaned up post Color Run and protect your car on your way home from the race.
December: Wow, what a month! Since Thanksgiving was so late this year, it seemed like no time before Christmas was here, especially with all of the celebrating going on all month long! My mom and I attended the Ladie’s Tea at my church, which was such a special time. I created another comparative side-by-side picture that shows just how much I’ve changed (for the better) in a year’s time. This month, I focused my blog posts this month on creating a Christ Centered Christmas and even shared some tips on how NOT to tip the scale this holiday season. I got to interpret for both Christmas Eve services at C3 and attend with my family at the church I grew up in, singing Silent Night by candlelight. The gifts received were fantastic, but the time spent with family means so much more!
Down four pant sizes, 30 pounds, cute hair cut, fun new glasses, a whole new perspective on life and a confidence that has yet to be shaken! It’s been a season, scratch that, year of blessings and I am so thankful for the opportunity to look back and see how far I’ve come. I can’t wait to do another self-evaluation of my Vision Board that I created a year ago and develop a new one for 2014.
I am also so blessed to have had the opportunity to meet so many inspiring individuals this year that have impacted my life in ways they’ll never know…and that includes you…Yes, YOU (sitting there reading this post). Thank you for taking the time to visit Breething and supporting my vision and mission. May the coming year bless you greatly and be a year where you work to become the best version of yourself!
I love what you’ve done with the blog. I also have a Weebly site, but I get aggravated by the way it looks. Do you have a background in html perhaps?
Anyhow, have a great week!