2022 was certainly one for the books. I look back at it with the utmost fondness, and I am so truly grateful for all of the growth that I experienced in it. 2022 breviary, here we goooo…..
Year in numbers…
62 / books read; see my 2022 reading digest 🙂
989 / hours of music listened to … dawg … what … that’s 412 hours up from last year, AM I OKAY??? HAHAHA (tbf it was definitely my lowest year in podcast listening probably ever)
78 / streams given to as it was ffs (harry really threw off all of my wrapped this year lollll)
84 / hours of t swift; i guess i’m a real swiftie now?!
7 / special, new experiences made on my own or with friends. (everything from getting my hair dyed for the first time to flying out of state solo)
3 / big girl trips for this introverted girl who would have probably done these things sooner had c*vid not hit when it did
Entertainment favs/discoveries
Podcasts: as i said earlier, this was my lowest year in podcast listening ever, which is certainly something since I was the biggest podcast girly from 2017-2021. however, i return to you with a beloved favourite that i have mentioned several times before: An Unexpected Podcast. i love the dynamic of Ezra and Lane, and of course, with the premiere of Amazon’s Rings of Power, the boys were back to discuss and break down each episode week by week. and get this…..I got to talk with them about Episode 4!!!!! this was literally a dream come true since i’ve been listening to them religiously since 2019. you can listen to that episode on apple podcasts, spotify, and other places. still not over this special, extraordinary experience from 2022.
Films: Runaway Bride // The Dig // Steel Magnolias (rewatch, so sweet) // Miss Congeniality 1&2 (so fun!) // The Holiday (i watch it every year but this year’s xmas rewatch was just loveliness!) // Little Women (2019) (i had put off watching it until this past year, and IT WAS BEAUTIFUL!!) // Spiderman: No Way Home // also basically all of the Marvel films since i finally got into them <3 // Where the Crawdads Sing
TV shows: Rings of Power (a hot lovely wonderful mess we basically mostly love it here.) // The Crown S5 (don’t know why people were hating on it, ‘twas excellent.) // Anatomy of a Scandal // Rebellion S1 (shame it was cancelled.) // Stranger Things S4 // The Summer I Turned Pretty (maybe I’ll read the books this year?) // the final season of Derry Girls (SOBBING CRYING THROWING UP VIOLENTLY!) // Conversations with Friends // latest szn of Never Have I Ever (my brother’s & my show [is that correct grammar probs not])
I got Youtube Premium, so that was a LOT of fun starting from beginning of May onwards. The downloads feature is god-tier.
Music favs/discoveries
Genres: according to my spotify wrapped, i was an aDvEnTuReR this year, and i love that for me. the genres i delved into more were roots worship, stomp and holler, and outlaw country!!
New Artists: Zach Bryan (wasn’t new to me, but he became one of my absolute favourites this year, love him) // Bleachers // Sarah Sparks <3 // Colter Wall // Natalie Lafourcade (i feel so at peace and comforted by my heritage when i listen to her Cantos por Mexico <3) // Midland (i love them sm) // Morgan Wade // Van Andrew // The Secret Sisters // shop dog (my friend’s band, their music is truly BANGER) // Franz Gordon
New albums by fav artists: A Thousand Shores, Citizens // Harry’s House, Harry Styles // here goes nothing, shop dog // American Heartbreak, Zach Bryan // Home, before and after, Regina Spektor (THE WAY WE HAVE A “Loveology” STUDIO VERSION NOW, I DIE) (also, just the fact that we have a new regina album in the year of our Lord 2022???? heavenly.) // Lavender Days, Caamp // There Is One Gospel, CityAlight // Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven?, Tyler Childers (obsessed, I alr know “Way of the Triune God” is gonna be in my top top songs for next year) // Summer Mixtape, THE DRIVER ERA // Midnights (3 am version), Taylor Swift // this is our Christmas album, Switchfoot (I HAVE WAITED MY ENTIRE LIFE, LITERALLY, FOR THIS) //
again, some special space for my favourite/new worship artists:
Joyful Noise // Sound City Music // Nathan Clark George // Sarah Sparks (yes, twice)
Moments dear to me
sorry, this will be a bit longer than past years—since i did not keep up well with my things i love edits this year, i’d like to document the bullet points of this year here! also, the quarters are a little blurred and not entirely accurate to a quarterly year but it’s fine we move
quarter 1
january was once more a lovely time, still new to that, but glad the theme is continuing! // basketball games with keely // trying the madden turducken LOLZIES iykyk // getting properly into football this year and actually becoming a faithful leicester city fan. picked them for myself back in 2015, two years after becoming interested in the sport, but didn’t really follow along. so happy that changed this year! // the beginning of regular hair trims aka being a big girl // starting work in february <333 // early morning runs and lifts in the months of late winter and early spring //
early mornings before work at tio’s house: espresso there, omelettes, breakfast sandwiches, cuddles with joshie before he left to school, good conversations with tio & tia as they made and ate breakfast together before they left to work // the continued newfound excitement and enjoyment of spring // failing camp, but still writing // melody’s birthday trip to pismo <3 // our easter break trip to scott’s valley & sf for a great but short game with incredible seats //
quarter 2
easter breakfast at tio’s house before church // zakk’s (shopdog’s) concert in may!! // tulips and fresh spring mornings // falling more and more in love with the sweet kids i work for // brianna’s grad <3 // joshua’s first prom 🙁 // megan’s grad <3 // going to denver to visit meg!! // end of term and end of work, glorious rest //
summer ball for joshie // santa barbara for the weekend // watching tsitp as slowly as possible so as to really soak it up. also stranger things — such a fun couple of weeks of just relaxing at home and watching and reading at my own pace // fulfilling one of my little girl dreams of going on a girls trip with my best friends 🙁 <3 the bEST day // pismo!!!! my heart, my joy, my beloved — always better than the year before //
quarter 3
bubbi’s senior pics <33333 crying and throwing up profusely // keely coming hOME FROM NY missed her alllll summer long // lunch with nat before she started nursing far away from me 🙁 // “ironman is the apostle paul; captain america is judas” –pastor brad // burning my finger with scalding hot water LMAOOOO // autumn’s arrival // going on the UNEXPECTED PODCAST OMG OMG OMG still not over it // growing green onion and enjoying exactly one batch of it before i accidentally let it die //
quarter 4
santa barbara, again: getting to see the reagan ranch was the experience of a lifetime. // football games with lauren and hannah! // pumpkin patch day with them too <3 // getting my new laptop, aredhel, i love you // joshua starting his senior year basketball season, NO ONE TALK TO ME I AM EMOTIONAL, and as i write this, it’s just come to a close 🙁 // everyone at work was SO SWEET to me on my birthday; one i’ll never forget for sure
starting my first ever coaching job <3 loved my girls so so much // our first game and our first win IS SO SPECIAL TO ME // thanksgiving break was exceptionally lovely this year // coffee at la boulangerie with my girls // jammies all week // decorating for christmas + seeing the nutcracker all in one day // practises after work, games every friday // daddy dearest getting honoured for his exceptional teaching at a christmassy awards banquet <3333 // mindfully making time to celebrate advent and western christmas trimmings (ie christmas films and such) most days out of december was lovely // christmas lights with maddie, lauren, hannah, and mel // cosy christmas eve eve, warm christmas eve, sweet christmas day // happy betwixtmas days
God’s Providence
going to grace for the first time and finding spiritual rest, discipleship, edifying and biblical corporate worship, and theologically rich preaching <33333 hugest highlight of the year without a doubt. i am forever indebted to the ladies at grace, and our pastor and his family, for their warmth and genuine care for melody and i. it was so special to include joshua and julie as the year went on. i have to keep my words on this to a minimum for a variety of reasons, but i look forward to the day when i can share everything ever about this special place and the journey my siblings, cousins, & i had in getting here!
Fin
2022 was quite the year!! I hope you enjoyed having a scroll through my 2022 breviary. It was so fun to revisit these happy moments. I truly enjoyed so many little joys this year—they made the whole of the year that much lovelier.