January 12, 2017
For me 2016 was a crazy amazing year. I have never learned so much about who I am as a person and who I want to be. A word that has always spoken to me has been gratitude, but I have never really felt it until this year. Publicly 2016 didn’t bode too well but privately 2016 and I got along just fine. If you if you go through life without moments of disappointment and failure, you will lack gratitude when your life takes off and shows you all the good God puts in your life.
This is my story of 2016
I moved away for eight months to take a leap of faith on a job. Unfortunately, this meant I had to live three hours away from my husband but I did get to look at the ocean every day. I met amazing people who all welcomed me with open arms, and even though I loved the job I wouldn’t have made it through it without them. People thought we were crazy living apart, but we never let it bother us. We had tough moments but who doesn’t, this move made us stronger, happier, and brought us to where we are today as a couple. We had so much support from our parents, family, and close friends. I would like to send a special thank you to my friend Erica and her family for letting me stay at their beach condo. Now I’m not saying run away to the beach leaving spouses and loved ones behind because that was the hardest thing in the world and you truly don’t realize how much they mean to you and how you depend on them until they aren’t there. Though I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I have never been happier.
Throughout the eight months away I also still had commitments for 15 weddings. I would drive back on the weekends to briefly see my husband, maybe sleep for five hours the whole weekend, and the rest of the time was spent working my tail off creating beautiful arrangements for a bride’s special day as well as working, rehearsals, and 12-hour wedding days, but I loved every minute of it. The joy you feel when you see the happiness on a couple’s face because your hard work has paid off is indescribable.
Finally, in June I moved back home and continued to work in the wedding industry full-time. Larry was offered a teaching job in Culpeper as well as given the opportunity to coach the football team to a winning 12-0 season.
Grandma Pringle moved back to Pennsylvania which is where I am originally from so we of course, helped her move, but before doing so we took her on vacation. She hated the idea but we laughed and drank orange crushes, it was wonderful. We also moved my DeSantis grandparents into a retirement home but since then I have been back to Pennsylvania every other month trying to visit both sets.
I have put so many miles on my car, ha!
In October, at the end of wedding season, with much support, I decided to take a giant leap of faith by starting my own business, “The Posey Detail”. I couldn’t have started this chapter without my family & friends, my previous employer Jessica, my wedding industry friends/mentors, and my husband.
Shortly into the process I realized starting a business the most stressful and most amazing thing in the world. It brings out all kinds of people – including friends and brides who support you so much that they share your post 16 times and write many kind things about you (thanks y’all!). Previous clients who support you so much they’re handing out your card at the doctor’s office. Friends in the industry who have been nonstop supportive by sending referrals. I am so incredibly lucky to have you all!
In addition to all that in 2016 I witnessed my best friends have babies, helped four of them plan weddings, watched as friends purchase their first home, saw Celine Dion in concert, drank too many bottles of wine, tried to bake (still nothing tastes right), saw my first college football game (tailgating is so much more fun), started going back to church, and spent my first Christmas in Virginia.
Though there was all this amazingness that happened, I also missed a lot of important moments in friends and family lives due to my crazy schedule. Which brings me to my goal in 2017. I plan to go the extra mile, and be there for the big moments you can’t get back. I had tears of sorrow, thinking ‘how am I going to get through this?’, laughed until it hurt, and other times couldn’t believe how lucky I was.
2016 was such a good year and I am so blessed to have done so much at 26, but in 2017 I am praying for a healthy year where we can enjoy Our First Home, that we may be lucky to fill it with sweet babies, a successful business, and spend it with the people we LOVE.
Happy New Year!
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