Wow! What a year it was. We had some really high highs and some really low lows, but we survived. Dare I say we even thrived this year. 2022 brought a lot of changes to our lives. Mostly good ones, but changes that had a learning curve and took a while to adjust too. Let’s Recap 2022!
2022 brought job changes, promotions, lots of travel, and many new memories. I turned 30, learned a lot about myself, and had a cosmic sized shift in my identity. Maybe for the first time ever I started doing things just for myself. I learned how to recognize when I’m being stretch passed my limits and how to say no. It was very life-giving.
For all the wins and great things 2022 brought, I have to acknowledge the thing that rocked our world. Hurricane Ian hit our city at the end of September and caused major devastation. While we had minor damage, it caused a lot of emotional turmoil. Seeing your friends, family, and neighbors lose everything they own and the place you call home completely destroyed is something I hope you will never know. But that was our reality this year. To be honest, October was pretty much a blur.
But through it all, we had each other. We grew together. Made memories together. And are continuing to build a life we love.
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Recap of 2022
Honestly, so much happened this year that we cannot possible recap all of 2022. So, let’s focus on the highlight reel. Not just the good things though. This isn’t instagram.
My Favorite Memory
My favorite memory of the year was our trip to Niagara Falls. It was monumental on so many levels. This trip was my parents, the kids, and I. It was the first big trip I conquered without Logan. Sure, my parents were there to help, but the responsibility fell solely on me. I was so proud of myself to this trip.
It was also the first vacation I’ve had with my parents since I was a kid. And the first vacation I’ve ever had with them sober. All my memories of vacations growing up are tainted by drunken debacles. It was so sweet to make new, good vacation memories with them.
By far the best part was seeing the amazement and wonder on the kids faces when they saw the falls and explored the state park. Exploring and seeing the world through their eyes is something I’ll never grow tired of.
My Favorite Vacation
Our family traveled to a lot of cool places and had a lot of really great vacations this year. But my favorites of 2022 was our Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel vacations for sentimental reasons.
We didn’t know that this past June would be our last family vacation at our Fort Myers Beach condo. It’s still undecided whether our condo association will rebuild or sell the lot after Hurricane Ian. The memories we have made there over the last seven years are unmatched.
Sanibel is well on their way to rebuilding and opening back up for tourism and we cannot wait to get back over there. In February, my parents stayed on the island for a week and we rented a golf cart to drive around and explore the island.
Stay Tuned for their reopening and book a trip! The islands need the tourism to help them rebuild better than ever.
Biggest Blessings
While there were daily blessings in 2022, two big things come to mind. First, Logan becoming co-owner of Hawley Construction. For 6 years, Logan has worked tirelessly with his Dad to grow the company and be in the position to take over. In February of 2022, Logan officially became an owner! I’m incredibly proud of how hard he worked to get here and the sacrifices we made as a family definitely paid off.
The second, quitting my job and staying home with my kids again. I love teaching. I really do. But teaching these days is soul sucking and absolutely draining. Leaving was the best thing I could do for my mental health. Now I get the privilege of homeschool and spending my days with my kids.
Biggest Challenges
Although my biggest blessing, homeschooling has also been one of my greatest challenges this year. Daily I feel the pressure to not screw up my kids. I’m responsible for their well-being and now their education. That’s a lot on my shoulders.
Hurricane Ian. Enough said. If you live in SWFL, you feel this too. Nothing could’ve prepared us for this storm or the devastation that followed. Not only the physical damage, which was catastrophic, but the mental and emotional trauma.
In the business, we had to navigate replacing lost and broken equipment and keeping our employees working so they could support their families. On top of that, we do marine construction, which became rather dangerous after the hurricane.
Probably the biggest challenge was navigating the aftermath with young kids. We sheltered them from a lot of the devastation. But they picked up on the emotions we were all feeling. They asked questions about the safety of their friends and conditions of our beaches and other places we frequent. It truly broke my heart that seeing piles of debris, damaged buildings, and the loss of places we love was their new reality.
Things We Are Leaving in 2022
Busyness and full schedules are staying in 2022. We did a lot last year. I said yes to things I didn’t want to because I’m a recovering people pleaser. It wasn’t good for our family or my mental health.
Reactive Parenting is also staying in 2022. I have a bad habit of getting overstimulated and responding to my kids out of anger and rashness that has nothing to do with them. It’s how my parents were and their parents before them. It’s time to break that generational curse. This year I’m going to work on responding to my kids with love and patience.
What We Want More of in 2023
We are striving for more budget-friendly travel and intentional family time this year. Sure, we traveled a ton last year. But, if I’m being honest, our pockets took a big hit. Our goals for 2023 don’t allow for that kind of travel this year. So if you’re looking for some budget friendly travel ideas, subscribe to our blog and follow along on Instagram for tips and travel destinations.
Remember, we are leaving those busy schedules in 2022. That means we will have a lot more time and we want to be intentional with it. For me, that looks like waking up earlier to have my quiet time and some me time before the kids wake up. That way I am less distracted and more present with them during the day.
So much came out of 2022 and I’m thankful for the lessons that we’ve learned. The blessings and the challenges help shape us and set our intentions for this new year.
We hope that you will join our family in this little corner of the internet this year. Subscribe to our email list and follow along on social media to find encouragement and way to invest in your family this year.
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