Reflection

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah...I know it is almost the end of January and y'all have moved on from reflection and new year's resolutions.  I haven't ok.  I have been spending the last few weeks reflecting and thinking on all that 2018 held. 

I know the cool, trendy thing to do these days is to pick a "word for the year"...I'm not into that.  I usually don't make resolutions either.  (Let's be honest, my life is a constant resolution of trying to eat healthy and exercise.) 

Over  my weeks of reflection I feel like I brought two words out of 2018...

BRAVE

and

ADVENTURE

As I was looking over all that 2018 held these two words kept popping up.  Brave may seem obvious...because it is.  I have never in my life had to be more brave than I was in 2018.  Literally getting on a plane with a one way ticket to Idaho was the hardest thing I have ever done.  It wasn't just me that was brave though.  Everyday, still, I am amazed at how brave my kids are.  Just last week I dropped Broderick off at his first day of driving school.  He walked into a classroom full of kids he had never met.  Then 2 days later got behind the wheel of a car to drive for the first time.  (Parents:  if your children are not yet to driving age...prepare yourself.  I don't know if there is anything scarier.)
Not only leaving Ohio took great bravery, but since we've been here there are many days that require great bravery.  Some days just driving I need to be brave.   Ok, maybe not for the average person but for me.  There are roads that I have had to literally close my eyes when we are driving on them.

 Do you see the words at the bottom of my GPS screen? 

 HAHAHA..."Keep Your Eyes Open".  No thanks.

Looks beautiful, right?  And it is.  

Except the road winds up the mountain on the edge with no guardrail.  

BRAVE!

This is just a little (exaggerated...kind of) example.  Seriously though,  I am an extrovert and love getting out and meeting people and doing all sorts of things.  But, this move has stretched me in the area of fear and courage like I could never have imagined.  I am so thankful for the ways God has been with our family and pushed us past the fear to be BRAVE.

Now onto adventure.  Again, the move was a huge adventure and I find that most days there is always a new adventure to be had.  But even looking past that (while the move did consume most of 2018 we did do other things)

Rob and I got to go to Nicaragua with my favorite band NEEDTOBREATHE and serve with a ministry, One World Health.  One of the coolest things I have ever done and probably the most gorgeous place I have ever been.

In May, Rob and I also got to go to Belize.  (My hubby is a rockstar at his job and won an award.  He was 1 of 5 people out of the entire company to get the award.)  

I should also add here that this trip required me to be brave as well...I first had to get on a prop plane and fly to the island...

Then I took a boat ride through the jungle, with all kinds of creatures, with a local man.  I was certain we would never be returning.  (Are you gathering that I am a very fearful person?  I am.  God is growing me though.  Years ago, I would have NEVER even got on the plane or in the boat.)

We have had countless adventures since we've been in Idaho also.  Weekend trips to the mountains, "hiking" (I use that term lightly...hiking to me is different than hiking to native Idahoans), having visitors and showing them around, snowmobiling, driving to the grocery some days is an adventure.  I just never know what each day is going to hold and it has been a ton of fun.

Our family motto for the past few years has been, "On the other side of the hardest yes could be the greatest blessing."  I can definitely say that rang true in 2018.  Had I not gotten on the plane or in the boat I would have missed some of the greatest adventures we had last year.  I don't know what 2019 holds for us but I wait in expectant anticipation.