Getting to know Me

Looking Back {2015}

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Here we are again! Another year is coming to a close, and boy was it a YEAR! I cannot believe we’re approaching 2016, I don’t even own a flying car ?. I do own a NEW car with a camera.  Sadly, I lost my old Nelly this year.

Soooooo…I was told I got my “Washington card” punched ? #wheninrome

A photo posted by Mrs.AOK (@mrs_aok) on

Last year, I wrote this post in sunny South Carolina, and today I’m writing this post here in not so sunny Washington. Who knew I’d move again this year, I knew a move was in our future, but I never imagined it would be so soon. (We lived in South Carolina for less than two years, I wrote this post there in 2013.)

  A photo posted by Mrs.AOK (@mrs_aok) on

New Year’s Eve Thank You NotesNYE 2014My little lady and IProcessed with VSCOcam with t1 preset At the beginning of this year I chose five words to focus on, was that crazy of me to do, maybe, but I’m sure it has to do more with my inability to be decisive. Don’t ask me where I want to eat, give me two or three options. Sure, I may juggle between the three options, but ultimately I’ll pick one after careful thought. If you give me full range I’ll keep narrowing down my options until your bones are showing and you’ve already set off to raid the fridge. 

  #OnTheBlog: My Words/Goals for 2015 ???✏️?? #LinkInProfile   A video posted by Mrs.AOK (@mrs_aok) on

Let’s see how I did with my words…..

Present

I think I can honestly say I did pretty good at being present. Last November (2014) I began homeschooling, homeschooling helped me be more present with my babes- we had such a great time. Since we moved to Washington the kids have entered public school, I’m an art docent at the school- I think that counts as being present. I’m currently trying to be present in two places, here on my blog and with the familia. This post has actually taken me a few days to finish because I’ve been juggling my time between family and blog. Truth is I should have finished this post before our vacation, but time. My daughters are with me, one is studying, the other one is writing thank you notes, and we’re playing the YouTube game. I play a song, my eldest plays a song, and my youngest daughter picks who won the battle. 🙂  (I may have missed my calling as a DJ ?)

Anyway, my point is I try my hardest to be present in this life, in my kids’ lives, in my marriage, with family and friends, and of course here on my blog. 🙂

Before we left South Carolina, we tried our hardest to soak in all the good that South Carolina had to offer- we were present.

Walking King Street Mrs. AOK, A Work In Progress

Second Sunday Revisted 

The Gold Bug Poe's Tavern Sullivan's Island SC

Poe

July 4th 2015

Mr. July 2015

Me at King Street Cookies

The French Protestant Huguenot Church

Thank You Notes: Mom, Charleston, and M’babe

My babies in the pool

Processed with VSCOcam with a5 preset Processed with VSCOcam with t1 preset

 

Processed with VSCOcam with x1 preset

A lot of people are afraid to say what they want.Madonna Quote That's What She Said

Words We Say {The halfway report on my words of 2015}

Currently.

Thank You Notes|Currently

Love notes in the sand

Currently {JULY}

After our accident in Indiana life just got sweeter. I appreciate every single minute I have on this earth with the people I love. Bad days are better than NO days.

Nelly Holding On

***Road trip update*** We’re alive! And I DO NOT say that lightly. We were in an accident in Indiana on Wednesday- our truck is probably totaled, per our insurance. (Thank goodness for USAA). We were heading to Chicago, but ended up staying in Indiana (the smallest town there) trying to figure out our next step. There was a lot to do before we could leave Indiana: we had to find a car rental (which was 30 min. away),we had to empty our Nelly (my Expedition) and the U-Haul, tie down all our stuff in the only rental that could work for us, a Chevy Silverado, we unloaded at UPS (when we finally found one). And this is us happy to be alive and entering the great state of Illinois! We are excited to be back ? Cue Kayne’s Homecoming?? (Yes we did!) We got into town a little late, so sleep was all we could think about. But today…today will be good & more adventure & life & happiness!!! Sending all of you love & happiness ? Stay safe, m’friends! p.s. Thanks for all the well wishes on our travels, I seriously feel like your love & thoughts (positivity) showered over us while we were traveling. ? #ThankYouNotes #HappyFriday #friyay #abmhappylife

A photo posted by Mrs.AOK (@mrs_aok) on

This just happened. ? I’m so grateful for these four and all the memories we have & ‘will’ have. A photo posted by Mrs.AOK (@mrs_aok) on

      The Furbaby & I {my writing companion} Awake, Alive, and 35 Naperville Road trip across America   Seattle Pike Place Flower Market| Seattle| Thank You Notes|Mrs. AOK, A Work In Progress   My Kiddos in Seattle |Thank You Notes Public Market Center| Seattle| ThankYou Notes

Mount Rushmore Mrs. AOK, A Work In Progress

 Halloween 2015 Dia De Los Muertos| Seattle | Mrs. AOK, A Work In Progress  

Gingerbread Factory Leavenworth, WA

Holiday Concert 2015

 

create

I did okay with creating this year, I’m sure I could have done better. That’s What She Said allowed me weekly to challenge myself, I created posts inspired by the words of women, and sometimes those posts were pretty damn good. 🙂 This year I began art journaling, but my art journaling kind of decreased over time. 🙁 I did however learn how to Zentangle and I’m in love with that, more to come soon. 🙂

Thank You Notes: Jimmy, Family, Hubby

 

Art Journaling:Frida| Mrs. AOK, A Work In Progress Currently {January}   You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have. |Maya Angelou| TWSS| Quotes| Women's Words| Link-up   Create It!   Simple DIY Coconut and Lime Sugar Scrub

Coconut & Lime Sugar Scrub      Mother's Day Monster| DIY |Pinterest Perfect       Simple Chilaquiles using Herdez       Simple Chilaquiles   Cards       Currently {APRIL}   Mrs. AOK, A Work In Progress: Coffee and Crafting   Candy Cane Sugar Scrub

Candy Cane Sugar Scrub

 Positive

This year was filled with so much negativity that at times it was hard to be positive.

I’m hoping 2016 will bring us peace.

Mrs. AOK, a Work in Progress|Life is 10% of what happens to you, and 90% of how YOU react.|People Matter

#TWSS Mother Teresa: If you judge people you have not time to love them.

You be the Judge

Bruce Jenner| If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.

What do YOU See?

It's so loud inside my head with words I should have said Thoughts Mrs. AOK, A Work In Progress

Thoughts

I started to pat myself on the back a little more this year… TWSS: Rosa Parks- Never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right!

Doing It Right!     Brave

This year, I believe, I was a little more brave. Truthfully, I didn’t do all the things I wanted to do. I am proud of how I was able to combat my anxiety this year, and I thank you for helping me! Blogging is a big part of getting out of my own head, I’m able to spill my thoughts here, and in the process I’ve made the most loving and supportive friends. 🙂

I thought it was quite brave of me to cut my own hair!

After. A photo posted by Mrs.AOK (@mrs_aok) on

Parenting got real, which forced me to put my big girl britches on.

Sometimes parenthood is tough| Mrs. AOK, A Work In Progress| Parenthood|Raising a Tween

I wrote a post about being brave, but I wrote it about my daughter.

Show Me How Big Your Brave Is Sara Bareilles|TWSS| Weekly Quote Linkup| writers| bloggers| word lovers| write on| Mrs. AOK, A Work In Progress.com

I wrote about race, which I know isn’t everyone’s favorite topic, but it’s one of those topics we should discuss.

On BlogHer

And lastly, we (my family & I) bravely drove across country to begin our new chapter here in Washington.

Not All Who Wander Are Lost| Mrs. AOK, A Work In Progress

Encourage

It’s pretty safe to say I win the badge for Encourager. I wrote that Brave post for my daughter, but I needed to focus on me being brave, so I wrote a post for me and you. I kinda Oprah’ed myself with this one. 🙂

Wisdom Wednesday advice I got from a fortune cookie

I encouraged you to chase your dreams and wave goodbye to fear. #BYEFearlicia

TWSS: The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Eleanor Roosevelt |Quote| Women's Words| Linkup| Blog Prompt| Writers wanted

 

I encouraged embracing your silly side.

ANDREW DICE CLAY

This year I encouraged anyone who would listen to be the good.

Throw Love & Kindness Out There Like Glitter

 

#TWSS Oprah Winfrey

 

Giving it away! {Kindness}

 

 

 

RandomAOK Challenge| Spread Kindness| Kindness Giveaway| Mrs. AOK, A Work In Progress

 

#RandomAOK Challenge

30 Random Acts of Kindness RandomAOK Mrs. AOK, A Work In Progress|Join the Kindness Challenge!!

 

 

 

30 Acts of Kindness 

12 Days of Kindness| Mrs. AOK, A Work In Progress

12 Days of Kindness

I was a cheerleader cheering on my friends to blog, write books, and tackle their goals. I tried to fill mailboxes with encouraging letters and love notes. 🙂

Currently Making it a point to fill people's mailboxes with love :)

Currently {February}

blogging-sisterhood Book Delight

I Love the Blogging Sisterhood| image credit: Book Delight

 

patience

 

This one was hard for me, I was trying to remain patient with my strides, but still….

Jlo

I started doing Crossfit this year, but with all the ups and downs of life, I didn’t remain consistent, which is why Jennifer No-Pez.

Fight Song Rachel Platten TWSS

My Powers Turned On

Crossfit in socks.

Thank You Notes: All the C’s

In other news I’m impatiently waiting on the world to change.

 

My favorite word Love

What can I say I’m a LOVER.

My Babe in Iraq

Favorite Picture

This post was pretty deep, nothing like I had ever shared on my blog before.

TWSS Quote Take A Lover That Looks At You Like Maybe You Are Magic

I love you!!!

Thanks for a wonderful year.

Happy New Year

 

28 thoughts on “Looking Back {2015}

  1. shelly

    December 31, 2015 at 9:17 am

    Happy New Years Dean! You’ve had quite the full year! I love love love seeing photos of you and your family. The amount of love and kindness rolled into one family is astounding. I hope you continue to give yourself a pat on the back in 2016 because you’re doing a terrific job as a mom, writer, partner, friend, and Earthling! Enjoy your festivities tonight! Love you!

    1. MrsA0K2001

      January 4, 2016 at 3:19 pm

      Happy New Year’s, Shelly!!
      You are the.sweetest!!! Thank you for your kind words, I’m running with them this year. 🙂 Your love is fueling me. I send my love right back to you and your family.
      ::HUGE HUGS:::

  2. Echo

    December 31, 2015 at 9:22 am

    You are an amazing person and I am so happy to know you! I am also extremely Lucky that I get to follow you into the new year! You definitely had a whirlwind of a year, but your positivity, love and that smile brought you through! I just adore you! <3

    1. MrsA0K2001

      January 4, 2016 at 4:05 pm

      Can you just live near me damnit! I want to sip coffee with you and laugh together. I think we would have a great time, you’d just have to get over my :::lowers voice::: snorting. Okay, okay, I snort when I laugh. shhhh….
      I adore you too, Echo!!
      XOXO

      1. Echo

        January 4, 2016 at 4:43 pm

        Oh man, the pair of us would be a hoot together! Especially since I snort too!!!! In fact, I snorted when I read that! We really need to get together some day!

        1. MrsA0K2001

          January 13, 2016 at 10:47 am

          I don’t know how I missed this!! I would love to snort with you…. HAHAHA! That sounded wrong, or illegal. 😀
          XOXO

  3. JC. Maria

    January 1, 2016 at 3:42 am

    Wow, this is also good year for me. Happy New Year!

    1. MrsA0K2001

      January 4, 2016 at 4:17 pm

      Happy New Year!

      XOXO

  4. Kristy Mauna

    January 1, 2016 at 11:24 am

    Happy New Year! I love seeing the photos of you and your family, and I’m glad to see how you managed to accomplish so much, especially by being brave! I know you don’t think you did as much as you would have liked by being braver, but I think just by sharing so much of who you are that you are always being brave!

    I hope you and your family have a fantastic year! xxo

    1. MrsA0K2001

      January 6, 2016 at 9:59 pm

      Happy New Year, Kristy!
      Thank you!! I agree it does take courage to share our stories, I’m not sure us bloggers give ourselves enough credit for that.
      Wishing you & your family a wonderful year!!
      XOXO

  5. Sonya

    January 2, 2016 at 1:59 pm

    Happy New Year!!! You had some great words to work on during 2015. And it seems like you did a good job of reaching your intent with each of them. Hopefully, you will be able to get back into Cross fit this year 🙂

    1. MrsA0K2001

      January 6, 2016 at 10:00 pm

      I’m baaack! We’ve been much better since we set up the gym. During our “vacation” we hit the gym & the football field.
      Wishing you & your family a fantastic new year!!
      XOXO

  6. Tamara

    January 2, 2016 at 7:20 pm

    These end of year posts from my favorite bloggers are fun. Fun that we’ve all survived to cook another year (Food Network reference, I think?), and fun that we’re all in this together.
    Happy New Year to you. It’s been a whirlwind, hasn’t it? And I love the words you worked with. I had one – practice.
    This year it’s consistency.

    1. MrsA0K2001

      January 6, 2016 at 10:02 pm

      I’m consistently happy to see you in my comments! I am glad I got to spend this year getting to know you & your family better this year. I’m so grateful for sweet friends like you.
      Happy New Year, Tamara!!
      XOXO

  7. Bev

    January 3, 2016 at 4:07 pm

    Wow 2015 was quite a year for you! It was my first full year reading your blog, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know you better, through the ups and downs and challenges and awesomeness. I love your attitude about things — I know things have been tough, but I think of you as being so positive. Here’s to a year for of amazing things!

    1. MrsA0K2001

      January 6, 2016 at 10:06 pm

      It has been quite a year, and with awesome friends like you & the best family ever it has been well worth every single second. I’m so very thankful for your friendship!! I’m so glad you have stuck around with me. 🙂
      Cheers to an amazing year for you & I!!
      XOXO

  8. Akaleistar

    January 3, 2016 at 7:32 pm

    What a wonderful look back, and I love your Elsa drawing! Hope your 2016 is off to an awesome start 🙂

    1. MrsA0K2001

      January 6, 2016 at 10:07 pm

      Thank you!!! 2016 has been just fine thus far. 🙂 Wishing you all the best this year & forever!
      XO

  9. BritishMumUSA

    January 3, 2016 at 9:43 pm

    I can say with an honest heart that this is one of the BEST posts I have read from you, and I am glad that it is the first pos that I read this year!!!!

    I cannot express how grateful I am that you all came out of that accident unharmed!!!! HOLY COW!!!!!!

    So spill the beans, how is Washington, it seems so exotic to me, I love the Red Woods, and forests, and I would love to explore there one day…. have you done much exploring yet?

    So good to be back in the game, and to read about your whole journey this year!!!!

    xoxoxo

    OMG Your drawings are beautiful, and the black and white of the hair/girl WOW WOW WOW WOW~~~~~

    1. MrsA0K2001

      January 6, 2016 at 10:14 pm

      Awww thank you, Ray!!
      I’m thankful we walked away, too.
      Washington is beautiful! I wake up each morning in awe of the mountains. I can see the snow caped mountains from my house, it’s amazing. I’m not sure if I’ll ever get use to seeing the mountains, we still stop and point, and I imagine the locals think we’re weird or tourists. ?

      I’m glad to see you are back! I will have to go stalk you. 🙂
      And thank you for the sweet compliment about my drawing!!
      XOXO

  10. Minh

    January 4, 2016 at 6:59 am

    Thanks for sharing such deep insight into your year. Looks like you were very successful with your goals, congratulations – something that I should strive towards for sure. Being present and patience are the two that I think I’ll take away from this to work on for 2016. #MMBH

    1. MrsA0K2001

      January 7, 2016 at 4:54 pm

      Those are two great words to focus on! 🙂
      Wishing you the best this year!
      XOXO

  11. karen

    January 4, 2016 at 10:32 am

    wow, all those amazing memories that will last a lifetime. Lots of luck, joy, and more memories for 2016.

    1. MrsA0K2001

      January 7, 2016 at 5:28 pm

      Thank you, Karen!
      Wishing you the same, sweet lady!!
      XOXO

  12. Nina

    January 5, 2016 at 10:51 am

    Looking through this post, I kept saying, “Oh I remember that!” What a great round up. Love your bit about bad days being better than no days. Seriously. Sometimes it’s all about perspective, right? Sounds like a fulfilling year. Here’s to 2016, Dean!

    1. MrsA0K2001

      January 8, 2016 at 8:53 pm

      That made me smile! Im glad you’ve stuck around, m’friend! I cannot wait to see what wonderful things 2016 has in store for you. Thanks for being a friend.
      XOXO

  13. Regan

    January 11, 2016 at 2:43 pm

    This was such a fun way to do a recap! Thank you so much for sharing, I loved it

    1. MrsA0K2001

      January 13, 2016 at 10:14 am

      Thank you, Regan!
      I’m glad you enjoyed my recap. 😉
      XOXO

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