Now that Lavender Elizabeth is officially back, it's time to catch you up. I don't know about you, but I feel like 2021 went so quickly. My year was filled with friendships, travels, promotions, parties, and new experiences.  It was a whirlwind, but so incredibly memorable. Keep reading to learn all about how I spent my year away from LE, experiencing as much joy as I could throughout 2021.

 

It's hard to believe 2020 is over. What started as a brand new decade, filled with hope and excitement, quickly turned into one of the strangest years I've been through. I experienced stay-at-home orders, protests, and illness, but also had some of the best moments I could have asked for. I spent time this week reflecting over the past twelve months, reminiscing about the times that made this year special. My top ten moments of 2020 are below! It was a wild year, but a grateful one.

This last year was filled with travel, friendship, and venturing out on my own. Between personal and work trips, I traveled somewhere at least once a month (and in most cases, twice a month), while balancing time spent with family and friends. Below, I'm recapping this crazy/fun year with some of my favorite moments of 2019.

2019 in Review

Mental Health: a person's condition with regards to their emotional, psychological, and social well-being.

With May being National Mental Health Month, I wanted to share a little bit about my own personal journey with mental health. My depression first emerged my freshmen year of high school, when I was just 14; however, it took until my first year of university to really understand what it was and how it affected me.

Today is my ten year anniversary of having my thyroid removed.

In January 2006, right before I turned 14, I caught a stomach flu that never went away. Over the course of the next three years, I would visit countless doctors, have multiple tests, and get my blood drawn more times that I can count. It wasn't until November 2008 that I would receive any answers.

For both summer and fall, I shared the items on my bucket list that I accomplished that season. With today being the first official day of spring, I'm sharing my winter list. From snow days to traveling, I had a wonderful winter.

MY WINTER BUCKET LIST

Today is my 27th birthday (and Lavender Elizabeth's 2nd anniversary)! Usually, when this day hits, I'm shocked and can't believe another year has gone by. This year, however, I'm completely ready for my birthday. I had the realization a couple weeks ago that I felt 27. Where I'm at in my life right now just feels like 27. I'm oddly content about getting another year older and already can't wait to see what this year brings.

Tomorrow is my 27th birthday! It's crazy how fast this last year has gone by. Last year, when I celebrated year 26, I created a list of things I wanted to complete during the year. Looking back at that list, I didn't accomplish everything I wanted to, but still had an amazing year. Below is my recap of my 26 Things to Do at 26.

26 Things to Do at 26: The Results

"I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Psalm 139:14

A couple of years ago, I decided that rather than make "resolutions," I'd prefer to have a word that defines my year. For 2017, I chose the word JOY, and for 2018, INTENTION. This year, the word that's been on my heart is ENOUGH. I've realized over the past few months that I'm starting to compare a lot. Compare my experiences, what kind of events I'm attending, how my photos compare to other bloggers, etc. I'm confident in who I am, but every now and again, I have these moments, and that's when the comparison creeps in. This year, I want to be remember that I am enough.

There were so many changes that occurred this year. Between starting a new job, moving to a new city, and traveling to new places, I experienced some really exciting things. Below, I'm recapping my year, filled with my top 12 moments of 2018.

#1: FOUND MY CORE GROUP OF FRIENDS

Last season, I created a Summer Bucket List that shared at the beginning of fall. I had so much fun recapping the season, that I decided to make one for fall, too. Friday was the first official day of winter, which means it's time to share my complete list!

Back in June, I started putting together a list of things I wanted to do this summer. Now that summer is coming to a close, I thought it'd be fun to share that list with you. From country concerts to exploring new places in Chicago, I had one hell of a summer.

Happy Introduction Friday! There have been a lot of new readers these past couple months, so I thought it'd be fun to re-introduce myself. I've always loved the Cosmo quizzes that the magazine does for its cover stars, so that's exactly what I'm doing today!

Last month for Mother's Day, I shared my top nine activities to do with your mom. This month, I'm sharing the Father's Day edition. My plan for Father's Day - take my dad high speed go-kart racing! Not only do we get to spend time together, but we also get to experience something new. Spending time with my dad is always one of my favorite things to do. We love adventuring, as well as just relaxing and talking. I can't wait to race him around the track during the day, and somehow I just know, end our evening with a bonfire. Below are other ideas to celebrate the amazing dad in your life.

This summer, I'll be moving into my twelfth place. At only 26, that's a lot of different spaces to call "home." I've been lucky enough to live in a multitude of places, in Ontario, Canada, and California, and now Illinois. I spent some time sketching each of the places I've lived, which made me realize just how special each place was. Since I've lived in so many places, I thought it'd be fun to share a little piece of each home with you.

"Truth is, You know what tomorrow brings

There's not a day ahead You have not seen

So let all things be my life and breath

I want what You want Lord and nothing less."

Trust in You by Lauren Daigle

If you've been reading my blog for a little while, you know that I've been in limbo with my job and where I want to start building my life. Back in June, I started a 3-month HR internship at my current company. It was continually extended a month at a time, until January. The team that I was working with thought I'd be offered a full-time role during that month, since I had been in talks about it since December. However, that wasn't the case. I was, instead, offered a 3-month contract.

Throughout my life, I've had the blessing of being surrounded by some really incredible women. Women who have loved me, encouraged me, and shown me what true femininity looks like. Today, in honor of International Women's Day, I'm sharing five of those women with you.