2022 Monthly Recap

I thought I would do a lot of writing while I was taking a few days off from work in the week between Christmas and New Years. Well, that didn't happen! Here goes with a monthly recap of 2022. . . and this is a RIDICULOUSLY long post.

January:

I forgot that it snowed on January 3 last year!

The biggest thing in January was I became a college student at 63 years old! My boss insisted on taking a "first day of school" picture and I'm so glad he did!

We watched granddaughter #1 cheer for Chelsea basketball!

This same granddaughter learned to ride her bicycle!

I helped host a beautiful tea for a lovely young woman!

We hosted our supper club.

We went to see a show at the historic Lyric theater.

February:

We went to see the Harlem Globetrotters:

Granddaughter #2 and her parents came to visit:

I went to another bridal tea for another beautiful bride:

Granddaughter #1 spent the night and we went to another Chelsea basketball game:

We went on our staff retreat at Camp Sumatanga:

We had a Mardi Gras parade in the neighborhood:

We went to a wedding:

March:

I studied a lot and realized that I actually have to study at 63 (hadn't turned 64 yet!!).

We had another tiny snowfall!

We went to Granddaughter #1's 6th birthday party and celebrated her with family:

2022 was the year we learned about Hibiscus Mead provided and made by a friend:

We went to supper club:

We took granddaughter #1 to the Zoo on her spring break:

April:

Mark and Glenn took granddaughter #1 to the farm:

We continued to host the young adults:

Granddaughter #2 came for a visit:

We took both granddaughters to see the Easter Bunny in our neighborhood:

We celebrated Easter! Hallelujah!

We went to another beautiful wedding:

May:

I took my first final exam and made an A for the semester!!

We had friends over and I made a charcuterie spread:

We celebrated Mother's day:

We went to visit granddaughter #2:

Our office went out to lunch:

Granddaughter #2 came to visit:

June:

Granddaughter #2 came for a day visit while Mommy had a doctor's appointment in town:

We went to another gorgeous wedding:

I went to a baby shower for my great niece . . . the baby would be my great great niece (and she is so cute!)?? Is that right? Or does she become a grand niece?

At above shower, I saw my oldest sister for the first time since before Covid!!!:

I forgot that I had started another semester of school and I had to write a short play and Mark and I had to "perform" it (read it) and I ended up getting SO MAD at him (funny now -- not then):

I celebrated my birthday with lots of fruit "cake":

We departed the U.S. for 14 glorious days in Europe (Italy, Austira, Germany):

This place was gorgeous on the coast of Italy

July:

We flew home from Munich:

We were home less than a week and I got sick, our house burned, and I had emergency surgery:

I can't believe that I am sharing
this picture! This is how swollen
my face was. The doctor had
an "Oh Sh*t" look on his
face when he looked at me!!

We lived in a hotel for 16 days:

Mark went to granddaughter #2's birthday but I had to stay at the hotel (week after major surprise surgery):

We moved into an apartment with rented furniture:

I had double vision even after the surgery (I don't have it anymore!) and had to wear a patch for 3 weeks:

Mark's sister, Susie Sheep, and her husband moved home to Alabama - yay!

August:

Both granddaughters started school - granddaughter #1 in 1st grade and granddaughter #2 in 3K at her momma's school:

Mark went to Alaska on a fishing trip . . .and loved it so much that they have already booked their trip for next August:

While he was in Alaska, I went to the neighborhood picnic and won a big prize:

Demo on the house continued:

While he was gone, I also worked the fall carnival at church:

We started back hosting the Young Adults:

Somewhere along the way in August, I took another final and made another A for the semester.

September:

Another semester began but for the life of me, I can't remember the start date!! I think it was actually in August!!

Granddaughter #1 became a cheerleader for Chelsea football and we went to several of her games:

More demo on the house:

We went to our neighborhood supper club and I made a charcuterie board:

I did a little fall decorating in the apartment which made me a tad happier:

The leaves began to turn here in Alabama:

October:

We had our Women's Retreat and had so much fun!

That is me - I was acting as Sarah - very old (gray
wig) and pregnant with a cane! That is Eve
behind me with her gardening gloves!

We went to Grandparent's day with Granddaughter #1:

We went to a neighbor's house to watch an Auburn football game and "tailgate."

We went to our neighborhood supper club and I took squash casserole and it was yummy!

Mark and I took a tiny weekend trip to Wetumpka to see granddaughter #2 and her mommy and daddy:

While in Wetumpka, we went to Coach's Corner:

And we went to the Pumpkin Patch:

We went to the Parade of Homes and looked at floors, and paint, and lights and I began to feel a glimmer of hope:

We went to supper club and celebrated Dave's birthday:

I had a mammogram (I had my physical back at the end of September but it had not been six weeks since I had my most recent covid booster . . .so I had to go back):

We had a mini staff retreat in town at our other campus:

Granddaughter #1 spent a weeknight because her mommy had a procedure. Pops had to pick her up from school and take her back and it was Neon Day:

The leaves continued to change:

We had our family fish fry:

I sat in front of our burned out house and handed out Halloween Candy:

November:

The Young Adults continued to meet at our house and the group has grown:

Our Out to Eat Supper club went to the Bright Star - yummy:

We signed the official contract with ELM Construction for the rebuilding of our house:

We went to our son's house for dinner:

We went to our neighborhood supper club and I made a gigantic salad:

I went to our daughter's school and helped move her classroom into a new building . . .while she taught!

I finally met Pearl, the school's comfort dog:

I got to surprise granddaughter #2 by picking her up in her classroom after school!!:

We hosted our supper club IN THE APARTMENT - this was a big deal for me:

We celebrated birthdays with our kids:

We kept granddaughter #1 and made Thanksgiving cards for everyone who would be celebrating with us:

We celebrated Thanksgiving:

I met with the builder's designer . . .and felt even more hope:

We went out to dinner with our son, daughter-in-law, granddaughter #1, and friend:

We went to see granddaughter #2 and celebrated our daughter's birthday:

December:

Mark and I both met with the designer and picked out tile for bathrooms and hardwood floor:

I studied and took another final -- 3 semesters under my belt -- 3 A's.

We put up a tiny Christmas tree:

I went to the neighborhood ladies Christmas lunch:

We went to a play -- It's a Wonderful Life - Radio Edition:

I became fascinated with Christmas lights -- I reminded myself that the dark does not win:

We went to a ballet recital for granddaughter #2 and enjoyed spending the day with them:

We had our staff Christmas Party, our Sunday School party, and our Young Adult Party - you can check it out here:

We celebrated Christmas with extended family, immediate family, and even bigger extended family:

The designer and I picked out all of the lighting for the house -- more HOPE (but work has not begun -- the builder does have the permit in hand from the city which is big):

Powder room light - it is so cute!

I did a craft project -- I haven't felt creative since the fire so it was fun to just do something:

We went out to dinner at Ironwood for New Year's Eve with close friends and had a great time.

I finally felt mentally and emotionally strong enough to go to my friend's house and do a clean out of some of the last clothes from our house. All of those rods had clothes on them.

they have had TONS of our stuff stored
in this closet since July. All that is
left is pillows and linens and those
will have to stay until we are back
in our house.

I took three black garbage bags of give
aways!! Isn't her guest bed cute??

Yes, I know that we had some big bumps in the road this year but looking over all of this . . . we have still been so very blessed. I am truly grateful.