As the days keep winding down until Christmas and the New Year, I’ve been thinking a lot more about 2018. It feels like the year flew by, but looking back there was actually so much packed into this one year!

My husband and I celebrated one year of marriage. We’ve worked to make our house feel more like a home, and we even go to host our first guests! We spent quite a bit of time apart, but we also had a lot of amazing moments together. I finally embarked on this blogging journey, and I could not be more grateful for every single one of you that reads my posts!

I’ve never been a big fan of New Year’s resolutions. Why put off until tomorrow what you could start today? Every day is really the best day to start working towards the future and best version of yourself that you can be! It’s not always about achieving the big things all at once, but also the building blocks that make them up.

As I sit and re-read through my journal where I write down three things that brought me joy each day or that I’m thankful for my heart is feeling so incredibly full, and I just have to share! In honor of the twenty-two days left of 2018, here are twenty-two things from the past year that I am so incredibly grateful for!

1. My wonderful husband.

2. Being wrapped up in love from family even though we’re hundreds of miles away.

3. My sweet Aussie pup and the absolute JOY she is in our lives.

4. One year of marriage in the books and all of the lessons learned along the way.

5. This house that we’re making a home out of. We may not own it, but it is just right for us. I definitely agree that love grows best in little houses like ours.

6. Good friends that have become family.

7. Lazy weekends at home with no one to see and nowhere to be,

8. Getting to explore this new state that we live in.

9. Date nights with my love.

10. Our cozy bed that we get to snuggle up in at the end of the day.

11. Coffee, all of the coffee.

12. Having my family a phone call, text, or FaceTime away. I’ve gotten home sick more times that I’d like to admit this past year away, but having a phone to connect helps make it seem not quite as bad.

13. Food in the fridge and pantry, lights, heat/air conditioning, and running water. I’m really trying to be better when it comes to appreciating these things that not everyone has access to!

14. Good health, both mine and my husbands.

15. The Army. As much as I hate it sometimes, it is not lost on me just how much my husband’s job provides for us. I will always be thankful for that aspect of it!

16. My job that allows me to work from where there is Wi-Fi.

17. Having money in our bank accounts. It truly is a blessing to have a safety net, especially when unexpected things come up.

18. All of the lessons that we’ve learned and have grown from in 2018.

19. Seeing just how far we’ve come this year. Looking every day, it didn’t seem like we were getting much closer to the big things we want to achieve. Now looking back over the months, it’s crazy to see just how far we really have come!

20. Realizing that I am capable of handling much more than I used to think.

21. My God. I know I would not be anywhere near where I am now without Him and His faithfulness in my life. The hardest times seemed a little easier knowing I was never truly alone.

22. This blog (and Instagram). It took a leap of faith, but I am so incredibly thankful for this chance to share a little bit of myself with y’all!

As the year draws to a close, what are you thankful for from 2018? Take the time and write them all out; the big and small things. I think it is so important to always remember just how lucky we really are and how much we truly do have to be thankful for and just how many moments of joy there really are in our everyday lives. Do we have any of the same things in common? Let me know down below!

XOXO,
Leah