Hello, 2024! Another year has passed, and my summary of 2023 is in the books. Even though these annual posts take me forever-and-a-half to write, reading them back, I’m always filled with wonder and gratitude for the beautiful moments that make up my life. When you’re in the throes of parenting littles, every day can feel like an uphill battle; it’s easy to forget to come up for air long enough to take in the big picture and admire the view. The truth is, there is so much good in our midst, and I’m reminded of the magic of this phase as I conjure up memory after memory.

Ayla is currently in her princess era; she insists on wearing dresses around the clock, belts out “Let It Go” with her eyes closed in the car, and rummages through my makeup drawer any chance she gets. Jude is a tiny gentleman who packs his own lunch, negotiates his bedtime, and says things like, “Girls go first.” Together they are a handful, and also the partners in crime I always dreamed of raising. Someday, they will transform into angsty teenagers who want nothing to do with their dad and me—but for now, we are their entire world, and they are ours. (I’ll take it while I can.)

I asked Scott what word he would choose to sum up 2023, and he quickly responded with “overcome.” At the risk of sounding like we have it all figured out (we don’t), I do think we’ve earned that descriptor this year. We might have a long road ahead to becoming the people and parents we wish to be, but I can’t discount the hurdles we’ve jumped to get to where we are. And where we are, turbulent though it may seem, is a blessing all on its own. In the words of Cory Asbury, these are the days.

That said, here are the events that shaped us in 2023:

We set out on a mission to help Jude thrive.

It’s no secret that Scott and I have struggled to parent our incredibly clever and strong-willed 4-year-old since he became a walking, talking, rule-bending toddler. Family and friends have seen the struggle in action, and I wrote briefly about his defiant nature in this blog post. So, at the end of last year, Scott and I swore that 2023 would be the year we got to the bottom of his behavioral challenges and did everything we could to support his mind, body, and spirit.

To make a long story short, we started working with a neurodevelopment specialist in March and a functional medicine doctor in May—both of whom recommended blood work first to rule out any biomedical factors. Shockingly, his labs revealed major nutrient deficiencies, oxidative stress, low immunity, thalassemia trait (a hereditary condition affecting the size of his red blood cells), and possible gut infections. As a parent and nutritional therapist, I immediately felt guilty. He’d always seemed so vibrant and invincible, but his little body was obviously depleted. It took me a while to grapple with this news, but it also put some of the power back in our hands to hear that a large portion of his dysregulation was within our control to change.

Over the next few months, we prioritized a nutrient-dense diet (not an easy task with a picky eater!), monitored his sleep (THE most important factor, we’ve found), implemented several detox therapies, and put him on a supplement protocol to help replenish vitamins + minerals. All the while, Scott and I did our best to learn and adopt Dr. Becky Bailey’s conscious parenting approach to disciplining toddlers, as a way of encouraging Jude’s emotional intelligence and improving our relationship with him. (This involves a lot of re-parenting ourselves as well, and it’s still a daily process.)

Within a few weeks, we saw a noticeable difference in his demeanor and day-to-day interactions with the world. He’s matured significantly since December 2022, and getting to know this more regulated and cooperative version of our son has been such a joy. As I tell my nutrition clients, healing is not linear; we will for sure continue to experience hills and valleys when it comes to his health—but heading into 2024, I do feel like we accomplished our goal of striking a good balance with Jude.

Our 3rd nephew, Graham, was born in January.

My godson is the cutest, you guys. My brother and his family live in Houston, so I don’t get to see them nearly as often as I’d like, but I greedily devour all of their photos of Graham-a-lam. He looks like my brother’s mini-me, and his toothy grin is the bee’s knees. His first birthday party is in a few weeks, and I can’t wait to shower him with kisses!

March marked the end of Ayla’s breastfeeding journey.

This happened right when I planned, and it was a much smoother transition than I had imagined. To be honest, I think I was more heartbroken about our journey coming to an end than Ayla was. Eighteen months of breastfeeding my baby girl was definitely a highlight of motherhood for me thus far, and I’m beyond grateful that we had the chance to share in that bonding experience for as long as we did.

After struggling with my supply with Jude (which resulted in us calling it quits when he was only 6 months old), I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to exclusively breastfeed any of my children—but Ayla was a different story. She took to breastfeeding immediately and never had much of an issue. I’m not sure if our decision to co-sleep with her as an infant had anything to do with our success in the feeding department, but whatever it was, I’ll forever cherish that year-and-a-half of closeness with Bijou.

The kids and I spent spring break in Rayne.

We typically spend Easter weekend with my family in Louisiana every year, but because of Jude’s preschool schedule, we opted for a Cajun spring break instead. Jude and Ayla had a heck of a time climbing the big oak tree at Lafayette’s Moncus Park with my dad, but the highlights of my week were 1) when Lance unexpectedly showed up at our post-park Dean-O’s date (he knows I’m a sucker for a good surprise!), and 2) meeting baby Graham.

We survived the Great Stomach Bug of 2023.

Not to be overly dramatic, but our first stomach virus as parents was somehow more horrible than we anticipated. I kind of knew it was coming, though, because everyone around us was dropping like flies; when all but two members of Scott’s family came down with it in mid-March, I braced myself for the inevitable. It started in the middle of the night with Ayla, poor babe, but she actually handled it pretty well and was feeling better by sunrise. I sanitized the whole house three times over and prayed the sickness ended with her.

No such luck! Four days later, only minutes before my parents were scheduled to pick me up for an overnight stay at the casino, I was hunched over the toilet for what would be eight hours of vomit-induced misery. It’d been exactly 10 years since I’d last thrown up, and the experience was every bit as painful as I remember. (Is is just me, or are stomach bugs way more excruciating as an adult?) Later that night, I heard Jude cough from his bed and immediately knew he was down for the count. Scott’s turn wasn’t far behind.

Thankfully, we all recovered relatively quickly and were back on our feet for Easter Sunday the following week. Still, this is one experience I’d like to forego in the next year decade or two.

My favorite day of the year was April 29.

April might have been home to our hardest days of 2023 (see above), but it also encompassed our best. I’d like to think that God took pity on our sickly souls after that rough start to the month, because the last weekend was absolute perfection.

On Saturday the 29th, we packed the kids, a picnic blanket, and a couple portable chairs in the car and met up with the Goldblatts (our McKinney besties) for an afternoon at BarnHill Vineyards in Anna, Texas. The weather was crisp and sunny—not yet warm enough to wear shorts, but not cold enough to need a jacket—and the four of us grown-ups lounged on the spacious lawn with a bottle of vino while the four toddlers happily roamed. It occurred to me then how little children actually need to be content; give them a field and some friends, and watch them go. I turned to Scott at one point to express my utter awe and satisfaction in how smooth the day had gone, and before I could finish my thought, he nodded in agreement: “Yeah, this is the life.”

Three hours of (almost) uninterrupted conversation later, we all hungrily headed “downtown” for a bite to eat at The Gar Hole. I figured for sure our luck with the kids would have run out by then, but even dinner was a total delight! We ate burgers and drank Ranch Waters on the back patio of the mom-and-pop bar so the kids could run around and enjoy the early evening breeze. By the time we got home from the day’s escapades, Jude and Ayla were fast asleep in their beds within minutes, and Mom and Dad were still on cloud nine. (More of this in 2024, please!)

The next day, we hit up the Frisco Fair for our second year in a row with Scott’s family. Ayla and Bryce were a bit young to partake in most of the rides, but Jude and Mara took full advantage of the festival’s offerings. We were, however, able to convince Miss Diva to go for a whirl on both the carousel and the Ferris wheel. Can you guess which one she hated? (Hint: There are horses that go up and down—not cool with Ayla.)

Jude was a gymnast.

We can now add gymnastics to the growing list of sports Jude has tried and loved. The kid is a natural on the bars and the balance beam, and he has perfected his frontward roll. I know he’s still young, but I wouldn’t mind if this interest sticks!

I had my second miscarriage.

On the afternoon of May 18, I had a random urge to take a pregnancy test. I was only on Day 28 of my cycle, but something—be it maternal instinct? my body’s innate intelligence? boredom?—told me to pee on a stick ASAP. “This is a waste of 15 bucks,” my mind scoffed, as I gave into my whim and tore open the Clearblue box.

Thirty seconds later, I was staring straight at a bold blue plus sign! Once the initial shock wore off (a January baby, say whaaaat), Scott and I were ecstatic. Almost immediately, we launched into discussions strategizing a plan to comfortably fit a newborn into our already-chaotic lives. (Would we need to buy a bigger car? A new house?) But it wasn’t all logistics: I remember one particularly lighthearted lunch date at Legacy West’s North Italia, where we were starry-eyed just thinking about our life as soon-to-be family of five.

We didn’t tell many people the news, and when I started bleeding two weeks later, it was just easier not to. Unlike my first loss in 2020, this miscarriage unfolded quickly and naturally; I was only six weeks pregnant instead of nine, which meant I hadn’t yet had my first doctor’s appointment or ultrasound. Once a blood test confirmed the pregnancy was unviable, I was upset, of course, but the reality of the situation had never really sunk in to begin with: Two weeks was simply not enough time to fully grasp the idea of us with a newborn in early 2024.

We do want a third baby in the future, and I’ve been working with Jude’s functional medicine doctor these last six months to support my hormones with the intention of maintaining a healthy pregnancy. Miscarriages are a lot, mentally and physically, and I pray that this was our last.

Work took a backseat for the summer.

This 3-month break from my job was a huge gift in 2023, and yet another reason why my boss is amazing. For most of the year, Jude attended preschool at our church 3-4 days a week, and Ayla stayed with our friend Hannah two mornings a week while I worked from a coffee shop. But we knew early on that we wouldn’t have those childcare options during the summer—so I figured, rather than stick them in multiple camps, it would be in their best interest that I embrace the SAHM life. And in hindsight, I’m really glad I did!

From May to August, the three of us adventured out as much as possible in the scorching heat to keep our boredom at bay. A few of our most frequented stops included Frisco’s Snow Cone Lady for a chilly treat, our neighborhood pool (when it wasn’t crowded), McCord Park Splash Pad, Frisco Athletic Center’s giant waterpark, and any indoor playground we could find. Jude and Ayla adored picking ripe blackberries at McKinney’s Sunset Trail Farm with their cousins and digging in the sand at Little Elm Beach with Dad. When all else failed, I simply set up the sprinkler in the backyard and let them run around naked.

Summer in Texas is the season I look forward to the least (I don’t like to sweat), but my hellions made this one a hoot!

We celebrated the Fourth of July at the farm.

On our second trip to Rayne in 2023, we cooled off in blow-up pools, made vanilla ice cream the old-fashioned way, rode a train through the Lafayette Zoo, and hosted a much-needed reunion for our (adult) cousins. Jude caught his first fish, Ayla jumped in the pond with Scott, and my godmother and I bonded over a cup of Joe at Crowley’s cutest coffee house. 10/10, would do it again.

Fun fact: Scott and I got to know one another at his Fourth of July party on Canyon Lake in 2013—and it was there that I pretty much fell head-over-heels for him at first sight. (I’m convinced he felt the same way, because a month later, he showed up at my apartment door in Austin ready to sweep me off my feet.) Anywho, this year marked our 10th year as lovebirds, and I owe it all to ‘Merica.

[While we’re on the topic of love] Scott and I went on so many dates.

This was one of our resolutions as a couple for 2023, and with the help of Scott’s parents, I’d say we knocked it out of the park. Our most memorable dates included an evening at the Perot Museum for his holiday work party in January, a late lunch at Rex’s Seafood Market (before seeing a secret movie), a double date with the Goldblatts at a Hocus Pocus themed pop-up bar (for my 32nd birthday), and drinks at The Adolphus Hotel’s Hot Cocoa Lounge followed by pizza at Partenope Ristorante (for Scott’s 36th birthday).

To commemorate our eighth wedding anniversary in September, we treated ourselves to dinner at Frisco’s Mash’d and then played a round of Monster Mini Golf. (Scott won, but barely.) If we can keep any good habits going in 2024, I hope it’s continuing to seek connection and alone time with each other.

Many good conversations on faith transpired.

This isn’t necessarily unique to 2023 (what can I say, I love to talk about God!), but this was the year that these profound conversations led to a sort of renewal of my own faith. I’ll save the details, but I will say that I feel incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by people who embody Christ’s love and who live by His truth.

I road-tripped to Little Rock for my goddaughter’s baptism.

Speaking of faith, I got to witness the baptism of my goddaughter in August. My soul sister, Kristen, and I have been separated by the Atlantic Ocean for far too long, but now she’s only a 5-hour drive away! Her youngest daughter, Violet, was born in Germany nine months prior, and I still hadn’t met her yet—so you can imagine my excitement to receive an invitation. The privilege of participating in her initiation into the church was something I’ll cherish forever, and I look forward to watching her grow into a little saint.

The whole weekend was a trip down memory lane. Sitting around the dinner table across from Kristen’s parents, siblings, and husband (aka my prom date!) brought me back to high school, when a 2-hour Jones family dinner was a regular weekly occurrence.

The Trio came to Frisco!

Three weeks later, for Labor Day, my two loves and I reunited for the first time since 2021. They were gracious enough to travel to my neck of the woods, and I was thrilled to show them around some of my favorite haunts in Downtown Frisco, the Star, and Historic McKinney, as well as a few places I’d been wanting to try. I didn’t cover our fun-filled weekend on the blog because I plan to pen an entire city guide of Frisco/McKinney in the near future. Stay tuned for that in 2024.

Kristen, Marissa, and I have been inseparable for more than 20 years, and they are truly my soul sisters. The three of us have *literally* gone through everything together, and every moment we share—whether we’re laughing, crying, or a combination of the two—is a little glimpse of heaven.

In true trio fashion, we talked for almost 48 hours straight (who needs sleep?), and by the end of it, we still had more to say. Kristen currently resides in Little Rock and Marissa moved from Dallas to Austin last year, but my ultimate dream is to live next door to one another and raise/homeschool our children side-by-side. Come on, universe, make the stars align!

We got our home inspected for mold and (finally) replaced the carpets with wood floors.

The top two things I’ve been wanting to do to our one-story abode since we moved in in 2017! Thankfully, no mold was found—which meant we could cross that off our list of things that might be impacting Jude’s health. The carpets were original to the house and grody, though, so we finally had those replaced in September. It feels like a whole new place!

These two pictures of my kids have nothing to do with our floor remodel, but I thought they were cute. Let’s continue, shall we?

My love for Mike Flanagan’s TV creations continued.

Back in 2021, Scott and I queued up our October watchlist with Mike Flanagan’s limited series The Haunting of Hill House, followed by Midnight Mass in 2022—equally fantastic if you’re into shows that are both dark and profound. This year, we kept our spooky streak going with The Midnight Club (a tad too Disney Channel for me, to be honest; I wasn’t surprised it was cancelled after the first season) and The Fall of the House of Usher (an insanely brilliant retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories). I still have yet to watch The Haunting of Bly Manor, but 2024 will be the year for that.

Other small screen gems I completed in 2023: Beckham (I’m not a sports fan, but how could I resist?), Scrubs (Scott’s all-time favorite show), Workin’ Moms (hilarious if also a bit raunchy), The Woman in the House Across the Street From the Girl in the Window (Kristen Bell is fantastic in this parody), Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult (a disturbing insider account of the sex cult that brought Smallville’s Allison Mack down), Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (the sweetest Bridgerton love story thus far), A Series of Unfortunate Events (an imaginative adaptation of my most beloved childhood books), and Modern Love (romance based on real life events).

Halloween came and went, but the costumes stuck around.

Ayla wears her unicorn costume at least twice a week, and Spiderman has been spotted on numerous occasions since October.

But the real winners of Halloween were Mara and Bryce’s homemade costumes. Major props to my sister-in-law for her creativity!

I started weight training.

At 32 years old, I’m building some muscle! Turns out, I feel a thousand times better when I strength train than when I push the cardio or stick solely to yoga. Adding more free weights to my workout routine was a semi-recent development, but my proudest moment at the gym this year was squatting 60 pounds for 12 reps. Not super impressive by normal people’s standards, but hey, I couldn’t do that in September.

**We came this close to making a long weekend with the Hartsfields happen.**

We had every intention of trekking to the farm in early November, this time with the redhead, her husband, and their two girls—but only 30 minutes into our drive, Jude threw up all over his carseat. I’m kind of convinced he had Covid, because his last minute illness resulted in the rest of us coming down with a gnarly cough that lasted for months. (I’m still recovering as I type this, and it’s been 6 weeks.) As devastated as I was to miss out on some highly-anticipated quality time with the Hartsfields, I am relieved that it happened when it did!

This was hands down my biggest disappointment of 2023. To cheer ourselves up, we went to the Dallas Zoo instead. (Jude was cold and not amused, but Ayla enjoyed herself.)

Our “travels” for the year included two 36-hour staycations: one in McKinney and another in Gainesville.

Although we didn’t go on any big family trips this year, Scott and I were able to get away for the Friday of Cinco de Mayo and the weekend before Thanksgiving. Our stay at The Grand Hotel in McKinney (to be included in my city guide!) was lovely, but our glamping experience in Gainesville was probably one of the coolest things we’ve ever done as a couple. It actually felt like we were sleeping in a tree house. These child-free nights together in May and November were life-giving and couldn’t have been possible without our generous parents.

I saw The Eras Tour in theaters.

I adore Taylor Swift, but I don’t love concerts enough to deal with the hassle of securing tickets… so this was the ideal compromise. My mother-in-law and Scott’s sister (aka Taylor’s biggest fan) accompanied me to the epic 3-hour show, and it was everything I wanted it to be. My obsession with TayTay began when I was 15 years old with Teardrops on My Guitar, and it’s neat to see how she’s evolved since then. I’m sure most of her fans feel the same way I do: We’ve all grown up together, and every album she’s released throughout the years has encapsulated each new phase of womanhood flawlessly.

The only other two times I visited a theater this year was to see (and support) Angel Studios’ Sound of Freedom and its not-yet-released The Boy Who Cried Witch. From the comfort of my own couch, however, my most enjoyed flicks of 2023 were Begin Again (Keira Knightley can sing!), She Said (the book is a must-read), Nefarious (a different kind of thriller), Smile (creepy as fuck), Knock at the Cabin (M. Night Shyamalan’s latest movie), Fair Play (intense and captivating), and Frozen II (Ayla’s movie night pick).

Ayla turned two and Jude turned four.

Scott and I had somewhat uneventful birthdays this year, but we did manage to go big for both Jude and Ayla’s. To celebrate Ayla, we invited close family over for a “Taco Twosday” themed dinner party. She donned a lil’ muchacha outfit and ate her weight in Chuy’s. My new friend, Nadja, who bakes delectable desserts for a living, made us a huge white chocolate raspberry cake and cream cheese stuffed pumpkin cookies. Talk about YUM. (If you’re in DFW, check out her website and support her small business!)

Jude had the flu last November and didn’t get a party, so we wanted to do something for birthday #4 that we knew he’d be over the moon about. My Gym Frisco is his favorite place to expend energy, and they make hosting birthdays a breeze. On the Sunday before Thanksgiving, eight of Jude’s buddies joined him for a couple hours of adult-led gymnastics, upbeat jams, and HEB Oreo cake. To kick off the finale, he proudly paraded around the room on a Spiderman motorcycle to the beat of Taylor’s “Welcome to New York” as his guests marveled from afar. Judebug still talks about it to this day, and Scott and I fear we may never be able to have his birthday parties anywhere else. The bar has been raised!

Also worth mentioning: My childhood best friend, Matthew, and his family drove in from Forth Worth to attend, and catching up with him was definitely a cherry on top of my year.

Nadja and I put on a European-inspired movie night.

Complete with French hot cocoa, an assortment of meats and cheeses, homemade Christmas cookies, and of the one and only The Holiday. Nadja is from Switzerland, and quality food is her love language. I’m not sure what I did to deserve to be on the receiving end of that love, but I’m endlessly appreciative of her friendship.

I read a total of 10 books!

This is the first year I’ve completed my Goodreads Challenge since 2018. (Fitting, as I became a mom the following year.) Before motherhood, I would typically knock out 20-25 books a year—but now in the trenches of toddlerhood, I’d call 10 a success.

Most notable novel goes to Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah, best non-fiction had to be Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline by Becky Bailey, and the only health-related book I read in 2023 was Eat Right 4 Your Type by Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo.

Jude was King Herod in his Nativity play.

KING HEROD, you guys. As in, the evil king who tries to hunt down the newborn Son of God. 😂 I mean, I can’t make this shit up.

Our dining room photo wall finally materialized.

We haven’t sent out family Christmas cards since 2020 (the shame!), BUT we did manage to finalize the family photo wall we’ve been meaning to put up since Ayla was born. Thanks to the company Mixtiles, which made it insanely simple, I really like the way it turned out! They also offer framed artwork as well. (Let me know if you want me to send you $20 off!)

We were home for the holidays.

I grew up going to back-to-back parties every Thanksgiving and Christmas, and while I do miss the hustle and bustle of being surrounded by crazy Cajuns on the odd years, I can’t deny that our (slower) Texas traditions are becoming closer and closer to my heart.

Jude and Ayla are finally getting to the age where they can appreciate all of the festivities this time of year, and Scott and I took that as our cue to really lean into it. That looked like lighting our Advent candle every Sunday, cozying up to watch all the greatest Christmas movies (Jude loves Elf, Klaus, and the Jim Carrey version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas), driving to NorthPark Mall for Story Time with Santa (twice), sipping hot cocoa at Frisco’s Christmas in the Square, shopping for our church’s Angel Tree, and baking a couple of batches of gluten-free pumpkin and funfetti blondies to leave out for Santa on Christmas Eve.

We even began a new tradition of riding around Deerfield in the back of Papa’s truck to see the fancy Christmas lights. I’ve said this a million times, but I think it bears repeating: Living near Scott’s family these last six years has been invaluable, and it will be the hardest thing to say goodbye to if we ever decide to leave Dallas.

The last week of 2023 was family-filled.

The day after Christmas, we took off to Louisiana for our third and final farm visit this year. My brothers had already gone home (or, in Lance and Neil’s case, to Mexico) by this point, but Scott’s entire family arrived on the 27th to keep us company! For three days, the little ones did nothing but play outside in the 40-degree weather while us less resilient old people stood by shivering. Jude was obsessed with the four-wheeler Santa brought him, and my nephew Bryce couldn’t get enough of the John Deere Gator. Mara and Ayla were never far behind.

We ate my dad’s famous BBQ ribs, roasted s’mores around the fire pit, and saw the Cold Moon light up the night sky. Evenings were reserved for riveting conversation among the adults, and as is typical, sleep was scarce.

The four of us made it home on the 30th, with tired eyes and full hearts, ready to close the door on December and trade it in for a clean slate. New Year’s Eve saw me in bed by 9pm (again), because there’s nothing like going into a brand spankin’ new year rested and refreshed. Here’s to hoping that 2024 holds more of that! ✨

Enjoy this recap? Revisit my reflections on 2022, 2021, and 2020.

Reflecting on 2023.

We set out on a mission to help Jude thrive.

Our 3rd nephew, Graham, was born in January.

March marked the end of Ayla’s breastfeeding journey.

The kids and I spent spring break in Rayne.

We survived the Great Stomach Bug of 2023.