One whole year of being a mommy!

I SURVIVED! Yes, we celebrated Parker's first birthday, but I also was secretly celebrating surviving a whole year of being a mommy! Looking back to one whole year ago from this day, January 4th, I honestly did not think I had it in me to be a mom. I mean Parker was there in my arms but I still wasn't prepared for what was to come. What a huge task God had given a clueless 24 year old, am I right? Well I'd like to think I have been pretty successful in the past year. 2018 was a year of some hard realizations .... like really hard. But it was also a year of growing, learning, changing, loving, crying, and the biggest - healing.

1. I became a strong SINGLE mommy.

2. I learned how to care for a newborn.

3. I realized I wanted to have more kids - like A LOT of kiddos.

4. I got to KNOW God and I got to experience Him working in my life.

5. I got a full-time job that I actually enjoy going to every day.

6. I completed my first half marathon.

7. I moved out of my parents house.

8. I bought my first car in my name.

9. This was the first year I was 100% financially stable.

10. I figured out how to enjoy life outside of partying and drinking.

11. I raised this beautiful human being who is so happy & healthy.

12. I became content and happy with being single.

13. I stepped out of my comfort zone and started a kick ass blog.

14. I traveled and laughed with my friends and lived in the moment.

I mean I don't know how you measure success but I don't measure it by how much money you make or how nice your car is. I know I had a successful year because I am happier than I've ever been. Ever. I believe that's all because I decided that you can't change the past - I know, such a cliche but seriously guys, you can not dwell on what could've been. Yes, I could've stayed with my baby's dad and got married and moved to Atlanta but I would have probably lived a very miserable life. That is what could've been and I don't know maybe I would've been happy, who really knows. But what I do know is God is paving the way for my new life that I've found so much joy and happiness in. My future is in His hands and I trust Him 100% to create the person I am supposed to be.

So now with this new perspective on life and understanding my purpose, I've created some New Year Goals to stay focused on for 2019.

1. Be patient with Parker - seems like a no brainer but talk to me when you have a toddler.

2. Become more than just a "single mom".

3. Wash your face every single day.

4. Run 2 half marathons (already singed up for 1)

5. Do your devotional for 365 days.

6. Write a blog at least every 2 weeks.

7. Add to Parker's keepsake box monthly.

8. Pay off all credit card debt (college really got me on this one).

9. Take steps to buying your own home.

10. Grow closer to God.

11. Travel more (already have 3 trips planned this year :))

12. Be the kind of mom that my mom was/is.

If I could sum up 2018 with one word it would be "becoming". I was becoming the person I was intended to be. It took losing myself to find myself. For 2019, I decided to title it before the year even began and I gave it the word "fearless". I will be fearless this year in everything I do.

My 2019 quote I will live by - "Someone else's opinion of you is none of your business" - Rachel Hollis. Shout out to the ones who laughed when they found out I was pregnant or the ones who took pleasure in knowing I was doing it alone. You guys are just fueling the fire and just wait to see what I got coming in 2019.

This pic sums up my 2018 - laughing but crying while Parker doesn't give a F :)

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