For the most part, it seems that 2017 was a challenging year for everyone across the board. Wildfires and hurricanes wiped people clean of their family treasures and life savings, tension rooting from inequality is present everywhere, and our nation's morale is alarmingly low.

Personally, 2017 was a year of loss.

My PawPaw was promoted to heaven and I purchased a brand new car and then totaled it in a near-death experience just three short months later.

BUT...

Let's not focus on that. 

After all, there's no challenge in seeing the negatives; it's something that seems to come naturally and with great ease. I want to close out the year thinking about the good that came from 2017 and not the bad! Yes, 2017 was a horrible year, but there were some amazing things that happened that deserve some attention and gratitude!

I'd like to share a short and sweet gratitude list for 2017:

1. Bella Started Montessori School

At 28 months old (2 years and 4 months for those of you that struggle with that math), Bella started school at Campbell Montessori School and excelled dramatically. Within three weeks at the school, she was completely potty trained with accidents becoming extremely rare and her confidence sky rocketed. She made a lot of friends and enjoyed painting, playing outside, and story time. I credit much of her independence to her wonderful teachers - their encouragement helped her flourish! 

2. My Work was Accepted by Getty Images

Getty Images is one of those agencies that I always admired but I assumed it would remain from afar. I saw their name on large projects like Planet Earth and Nature and on most of the features on Discovery Channel, National Geographic, and PBS. When I got the notification that my work was accepted, I was filled with joy and gratitude and since then, have submitted more work that has been accepted. Currently, I have a total of 9 pieces on Getty Images and I hope that the number will go up in 2018!

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3. My First Art Display  LRM_EXPORT_20171231_085232

Nevermind that I weirdly developed laryngitis on the three-and-a-half hour trip on the way to Kansas City and couldn't talk most of the day, I still had a fantastic time! I struggle with putting myself out there and I struggle even more with talking to other artists about my work (I've had a few tough encounters with artists trying to intimidate me out of working) so participating in First Fridays at the MOD Gallery was a huge step for me and I loved every second of it! Getting to talk to other creatives and receive constructive feedback on my work was absolutely invaluable and I look forward to more art shows in 2018!

4. We Finally Got Chickens

If you've been keeping up, even slightly, with my journey then you know that not only do I have chickens, but I love them! It's been an insane experience but I absolutely adore them and I love caring for them and watching them grow. We started with five of them and that number has fluctuated drastically (and will continue to do so since we got two roosters in our group of six chickens on the last addition) and now we have eight. From the five, we lost one, gained two, lost one, gained six, and then lost another one. It's been incredibly rewarding watching them grow from day-old chicks to egg-laying hens that have unique personalities!

5. I Bought a Brand New Car 

For a moment, never mind that it is totaled or how that happened - buying a brand new car is an accomplishment and I am proud that my hard work and dedication paid off! There was a lot that went into research for the perfect vehicle and I was absolutely in love with it. It was a 2016 Honda Fit and when I drove it off the lot, it only had 27 miles on it. I decided on the Fit because I knew I wanted something in its class and the crash test results are what ultimately led me to choose the Fit. I was so excited to take it on road trips and photograph some of our country's wonders while sleeping in the back and covering as much ground as possible! Ironically, the exact feature that attracted me most about the car ended up saving my life as well as my fiancé's in a horrible accident and that is something to be thankful for!

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So there it is - a positive post about 2017! Now, let's all move on to 2018 and make this year a great year!

I hope your 2018 is filled with success, happiness, and good health!

What good came from 2017 for you?