Refresh. Renew. Restore.
CHARLOTTE ANN (8): The leader of the pack, loves having her sisters with her at school and teaching them all the Spanish she's soaking up in her full immersion 2nd grade class. Enjoys playing soccer on the same team with her cousins, gymnastics (sometimes while on the soccer field), and ballet/tap/jazz...but also constantly asking when she can learn to play violin, take horseback riding lessons, start tumbling classes, join a cheerleading team, become a lifeguard, get a cell phone (ha!), learn to drive, and run for President. Dream big, little one! She celebrated her 8th birthday with a swim party in the pouring rain with friends (which turned into a handstand/gymnastics competition in the rain, when the pool ultimately closed...can't rain on this girl's parade!)
THE PEEK PARENTS (aka J.J. and Leigh...): Celebrated 11 years of marriage, resumed marathoning (relay-style ;) for the first time in several years and enjoyed taking occasional lunch break walks together while we both work from home. J.J. finished his 3rd season of coaching our nephew's flag football championship team...and it is such a treat to watch him in his element, always creating new plays and encouraging the young boys (and girl!) on his team. He continues to be our family's head gardener, creative chef, and can braid his girls' hair like a pro.
This year of course also included its share of illness, disappointments, setbacks, and heartache - including the loss of a friend and an uncle...but we find Hope in Jesus who is our sustainer and provider in every situation. Despite living in a weary world, we rejoice in the Joy and Peace He brings.
Photo credits: Gib Park Photography, my talented brother-in-law!
These are the words I had written down at the very beginning of this year, as vision for the blank calendar that lay before me. Counter to the typical New Year's Resolutions that incite doing/becoming/accomplishing things, I felt a deep pull to settle into a season of refreshment, renewal, and restoration for myself and my family.
Now looking back, I can see how these themes played out during our year, and I'm grateful for the ways in which these words were woven into our days...
REFRESH.
During breaks from school and work, our 2022 adventures included things like a winter getaway to Great Wolf Lodge, Spring Break roadtrips around Oklahoma to some of our favorite nostalgic places (like my little hometown), a long weekend on Grand Lake (where the kids enjoyed tubing for the first time with their cousins), and a spontaneous trip to Orange Beach to cap off summer break by the ocean. We also enjoyed many long summer days at the pool and hiking around our favorite State Parks with family and friends.
RENEW.
J.J. and I renewed our passion for racing together, and we ran the OKC Memorial Marathon Relay with friends (the race where it all started for us back in 2006, if you know our love story ;) We also renewed our commitment to overall health, and together we shed a total of 70lb...we feel healthier and more energetic than we have in years! Finally, we renewed our vision for making our "work" fit in around our family priorities (instead of the other way around), which led us to start a new business (more below).
RESTORE.
Perhaps the most wonderful way this word played out in 2022 was in Charlotte's decision to be baptized! God truly restored the joy of salvation for us in seeing this expression of faith, as well as the big questions our girls continue to ask about God and the world around them. Additionally, as we emerged into a post-pandemic world, we restored our rhythms of play, work, and rest in new ways. We learned so much over the past few years of our need for time to recharge amidst our busy schedules, so we tried to be more intentional this year about pausing and making time for restorative rest.
A few highlights for each of us from this year...
LILLIAN COLE (4): The baby of the family detached herself (reluctantly) from Momma and bravely started PreK. It turns out, she loves being at the same school as her sisters, is catching onto Spanish quickly, and has the best stories to tell us each day from her adventures. She has a wild imagination, a great sense of humor, and a love for adventure. She made her debut in soccer (but decided to retire after only 2 games; she'd rather be a Superfan on the sidelines with her momma) and continued to enjoy tap/ballet. She celebrated her 4th birthday with a family swim party.
ADELINE GRACE (6): Informed us she no longer wants to be called Addie Grace, but simply Addie... thriving in Kindergarten and loves having lunch with her little sister each day in the cafeteria and passing her big sister in the hallways at school. Loves all animals/creatures/bugs (but most of all, her best friend Poppy - our Golden Retriever) and is passionate about taking care of the Earth (don't even think about littering or smoking in front of this girl!). She found a love for soccer (and stuck with it all season, despite her favorite teammate retiring early) and continued enjoying ballet/tap. She celebrated her 6th birthday bowling with friends and family.
I served in the role of PTO President at our girls' school, enjoyed blurring the lines between working professional/stay-at-home-mom, and launched a business: Peek Perspectives, PLLC. Through it, I am able to serve as a clinical pharmacy consultant to pediatric provider groups and expand opportunities utilizing my passion for empowering people along their health journeys (while setting my own schedule and being present more with my family!) I still love being your favorite Beautycounter consultant and redefining what it means to be a Mom Who Works (shameless plug for the book a friend wrote and published this year, which I got to contribute to!)
Wishing you a holiday filled with refreshment, renewal, and restoration...and a New Year filled with great adventures!
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