With all the people complaining about what an awful year 2016 was, I thought it would be nice to give you a peek into the highlights of my year. Positivity for the win! : )

Books

I already published my complete book list from 2016, but here are a few of my top favorites. Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss was far more hilarious than I thought a book about punctuation would be. Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist is a memoir/cookbook/can’t-put-it-down kind of read. In fact, we’ve already made a recipe from it, bacon-wrapped cheese-filled dates, and they were a big hit with our guests.

Travel

I returned to some of my favorite haunts, which was loads of fun. I also went to a lot of new places this year, including some that I’d been needing to visit for a long time, and one that I sort of scorned but which ended up being quite diverting. I’ll let you guess which is which.

Harrisonburg, Virginia

The Biltmore Estate

Charleston, South Carolina

North Carolina’s Beach!

Sarasota, Florida

Honduras (which was of course, the best trip of the year)

New York City (Oh yeah!)

And downtown Lancaster City, which has the most excellent coffee and crepes you could want, and that brings me to…

Food

Gracious, did I have some amazing food this past year. But what takes the cake is the meal I had from Mr. Soon Tofu. Noodles fried on cast iron right in front of my table, and mixed with all manner of delicious things. And this was after the most amazing spread of little appetizers that comes with every meal. If you are ever in Flushing, New York, go. You won’t be sorry, except for the rest of the year when you won’t be able to stop thinking about that meal.

Miscellany

I got a new niece last year, bringing the total niece/nephew count to ten. She’s a dork already, and we love her to bits. Also, do you have any idea how much fun it is to have ten kiddos around to love on?

Probably my favorite single moment of the year was at our annual youth retreat. Late one night, we were standing in a cluster at the front of the room, praying for each other and singing We’ve Got the Power with our hands clasped together and held high in the air. The room was full of God and love and unity, and it was amazing. The kind of high that you can only understand if you’ve experienced that kind of thing.

I spent the year living in downtown Mocksville and falling in love with it more and more. Every season has its perks- Christmas lights galore, bed races down Main Street, antique car shows all summer, people decked out for Saint Patrick’s day, and of course our very own and beloved O’Callahan’s and Factory Coffeehouse which I enjoy frequenting. Mocksville is redneck enough to laugh at, and charming enough to make you never want to leave.

Of course, I also have to mention the three weddings I was in last year. While being a bridesmaid can be labor-intensive, it is also a ton of fun, especially when it’s for some of your favoritest people.

So, comment below and tell me what your favorite parts of 2016 were!