Rose and Her Lily: ✨ 2017✨

(I'm just getting around to sharing my reflection post for last year).

As I've been reflecting over the past year and am anticipating the coming year, I'm amazed at all that can happen in just 12 months time. 2017 has been a doozy of a year, full of much difficulty and much growth too. Even when life sometimes feels like nothing is happening, when you take the time to look back and remember God's faithfulness, you actually see how much He is doing.

On April 14th (Good Friday), my grandmother "Bumma" unexpectedly passed away from an abdominal aortic aneurism. She was healthy and sharp in mind up until the day before her death. This unexpected goodbye left my entire family reeling. With the loss of Bumma, I lost my best friend and my last living grandparent.

Most of my family after Bumma's service in April

My mom and I were entrusted with the sacred task of capturing Bumma's life and legacy in her obituary... what an honor that was.

Bumma was honored in The Hospice of the Piedmont newsletter.

Another loss experienced this year was my mom's best friend since Kindergarten, Ruby, who passed away on February 6th from cancer. We call this "Ruby's sunset," captured on the day of her burial service.

In January, I started a new job with the ministry in Raleigh where I had interned in the Fall of 2016. Then in June, I sadly had to quit this job that seemed so right for me because of circumstances outside of my control, circumstances that were painful and difficult to process.

It seemed God was bringing a guy into my life in the spring which was incredibly exciting, only for it to all unravel and leave me asking so many questions and feeling disappointed.

In the midst of so many hard things this year, I look back and see how God has been using those things to grow my character and to strengthen my heart and trust in Him and dependence upon Him. I am seeing with fresh eyes that He works all things together for good for those who love Him, as He promises to do (Romans 8:28).

There were also many positives from this year...

Lily's 7th birthday was on March 16th. My mom, brother Adam, and I spent her special day at Carolina Beach, North Carolina. The Lord gave such beautiful healing gifts through her birthday season.

My mom, brother Adam, and I taking the ferry to Southport on Lily's birthday

Cookies we took to the nurses at Rex for Lily's birthday

Lily's legacy expanded this year, through different projects done in her honor and opportunities I had to share our story. For one thing, the hospital where she was born got a Cuddle Cot!

Names in the snow project in Lily's honor

Names in the sand project in honor of Lily on her birthday...
I also did a project on flower petals for Mother's Day.

I was honored to have been a finalist in the Author/Blogger International category at The Butterfly Awards.

I was touched by all the people who remembered Lily this year in many ways, from sending cards and gifts, to writing her name in the sand all over the world, to even simply just letting me know they were thinking of her.

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day Wave of Light

Cousins at the Remembrance Walk in October

In July, I spoke at a church in Virginia and got to meet my dear friend, Shannon, who I connected with through my blog. We shared memories and mementos of our beautiful daughters of Heaven.

In July, I also spoke at Camp Joshua North Carolina, which is something I look forward to each summer.

Then I spoke at an Angel of Hope Candlelight Christmas Service in December in Virginia.

In May, my darling niece, Harvest, turned 1! She has grown so much this year and is walking, talking, and getting into all sorts of mischief. ;) That girl absolutely has my heart.

My family :)

I loved taking Harvest's 1-year photos!

I started attending a new church and growth group in Raleigh, which I've loved and has helped me mature in my walk with Christ. I met many new friends there!

I also met other friends that I've grown to treasure, like Shannon (mentioned above) and Ashley.

I had some fun adventures this year... from visiting Lancaster County, Pennsylvania...

Catching up with Jennie, an Ellerslie friend in PA

To visiting the beach with friends in the summer...

Ocean Isle Beach, NC

Wrightsville Beach, NC

To visiting Chicago in the spring for a friend's wedding and to visit my cousin, Daniel...

Wherever I go, there she is too

Yours truly in Chicago... at Navy Pier :)

Reuniting with old friends/roomies in Illinois

Friends getting married!

Chicago cousin time!

Daniel taking me around to do the tourist thing

To visiting Maryland and Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest in Virginia...

I played a mouse named Daisy in the play, Cinderella, in June! That was so much fun.

Cinderella cast!

The animals :)

Mice twins! #OopsieDaisy

Then I was in a Christmas choir as well, also through STP.

I even tried new things with my hair. ;)

Another highlight of the year was when my dear Aussie friend, Lissy, came to visit me in August, and I shared both North Carolina and Virginia with her. :)

Mini Ellerslie reunion!

Another mini Ellerslie reunion!

Taking friends to visit my girl's spot!

My Aussie friend visited Lily's spot!

God has used the painful things to bring beauty... He used Bumma's passing to bring my extended family closer together. He also used it to reconnect me with an old friend who I hadn't spoken to in probably a decade. He used the closed door at the ministry in Raleigh to open another door at a ministry in the Harrisonburg, Virginia area. He's been stirring within me a desire for change and for adventure and now I see he was preparing me for this new job and move. It's been faith-building to see His faithful guidance and how He is in all the details, from the biggest to the smallest. On January 1st, on the first day of the New Year, I moved to a new state for a new job and am so excited to see what God holds for me in 2018. I will share more about this later!

Here are a few other highlights from 2017...