“How much was a product of our decisions, and how much was in the cards all along?”
Truth be told, I’d rather look ahead than look back. I could write a book about the lessons I learned, the mistakes I made, all the ways that I failed, but in the spirit of #2018bestnine, I’m grateful for these nine “bests.”
The highlight: the news and the birth of our third baby boy and the end of being pregnant. Our favorite getaway: The Beach Lodge. Best financial goal hit: paying off my grad school loan. Best habit: recalibrating with the Intentional Living Worksheet every month. Favorite house project completed: turning our loft into a “movie theater”. Best fitness goal completed: hitting a 60-day Peloton streak while I was 8/9 months pregnant. Best relationship practice: regular date nights and business meetings with my hubs. Favorite family goal: intentional monthly adventures, like Disneyland, with the boys.
… and, of course, the books I finished reading this year (not including the huge stack on my nightstand that I’ve started), my favorites in bold.
A Simplified Life: Tactical Tools for Intentional Living by Emily Ley
Hello Sunshine: A Novel by Laura Dave
Touch by Courtney Maum
Love Your Life, Not Theirs: 7 Money Habits for Living the Life You Want by Rachel Cruze
Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
Our Tiny Useless Hearts by Toni Jordan
The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo
Fitness Junkie by Lucy Sykes & Jo Piazza
Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy
At Home in the World: Reflections on Belonging While Wandering the World by Tsh Oxenreider
An American Marriage: A Novel by Tayari Jones
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
The Path Between Us: An Enneagram Journey to Healthy Relationships by Suzanne Stabile
Reading People by Anne Bogel
You Think It, I’ll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld
Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone by Brene Brown
You are a Writer by Jeff Goins
When Life Gives You Lululemons by Lauren Weisberger
A Lady’s Guide to Selling Out: A Novel by Sally Franson
Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy by Getting More Done by Laura Vanderkam
Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis
The Sacred Enneagram: Finding Your Unique Path to Spiritual Growth by Chris Heuertz
Pilgrimage of a Soul: Contemplative Spirituality for an Active Life by Phileena Heuertz
Come Matter Here: Your Invitation to Be Here in a Getting There World by Hannah Brencher
The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy Keller
How Not to Hate Your Husband After Kids by Jancee Dunn
Be the Gift: Let Your Broken Be Turned Into Abundance by Ann Voskamp
What Comes Next and How to Like It: A Memoir by Abigail Thomas
Begin Again: The Brave Practice of Releasing Hurt and Receiving Rest by Leeana Tankersley
Tell Me More: Stories About the 12 Hardest Things I’m Learning to Say by Kelly Corrigan
The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted by Gary Chapman
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running: A Memoir by Haruki Murakami
The Most Beautiful Thing I’ve Seen: Opening Your Eyes to Wonder by Lisa Gungor
The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile
Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
Uninvited by Lysa TerKeurst
Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I’ve Loved by Kate Bowler
The Bright Hour: A Memoir of Living and Dying by Nina Riggs
Girl Meets God: On the Path to a Spiritual Life by Lauren Winner
Design Your Day: Be More Productive, Set Better Goals, and Live Life on Purpose by Claire Diaz-Ortiz
Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff by Myquillyn Smith
The Hypnotist’s Love Story by Liane Moriarty
We Were Mothers: A Novel by Katie Sise
2018 was beautiful and surprising and I won’t forget it, but I’m also glad it’s almost behind me. I’m already so excited about 2019 and what we have lined up – our annual new year’s family beach retreat, an Exhale writing workshop, the getaway that we just booked for our anniversary this summer, and a new house… maybe? So many things! Here’s to a blank slate and a new chapter. See you in 2019.