Farewell 2018

Ah, 2018. You weren’t easy. This year brought a lot of anxiety, frustration, and heartache. But as I look back on these photos – my Top 9 from Instagram – I am able to smile, as there are also so many beautiful, happy memories.

For those of you that may not know, I lost my dad earlier this month after an 8-year battle with Alzheimer’s. That top middle photo is the sunset I captured from my parents’ backyard on his last day on earth. When I took the photo, I didn’t know that would be it. I knew he wasn’t doing well, but I didn’t expect it to happen so suddenly. A few hours later, he passed.

Daddy with Archer in 2014. Those smiles melt my heart.

Some days are better than others, but I’m often hit by waves of grief so strong that I can’t move, I can’t think. During this really dark time, I’m trying to hold on to and savor the bright spots. And looking at these photos, I realize there were more than a few! In October, Ravi and I celebrated our 10 year  wedding anniversary (and our 15 year anniversary of meeting). We took a trip to Italy and it was as amazing (if not more) than I’d ever dreamed it would be. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely be sharing all the details soon.

Ravi’s parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in November and we surprised them with a family photo shoot and incredible dinner at Capitol Grille at the Hermitage Hotel. Earlier in the year, Ravi’s cousin got married in grand Indian style, giving me the opportunity to wear a sari and to put Archer in one of Ravi’s childhood outfits from the 1970’s (see bottom right corner photo). The wedding was incredibly fun and we’re looking forward to another cousin’s wedding coming up in March.

And then there was work. Boy, did my job bring challenges this year. It’s the source of much anxiety, but hey, it’s chocolate. It can’t be all bad, right?? A conference took me to Anaheim in August for a week, so the guys flew out to meet me and we had a blast at Disneyland before visiting with one of my best friends and her family in the Palisades for a couple of days.

And did I mention I was on TV a few times? My job puts me in front of the camera every now and then, but it seems like this year was particularly eventful. There were a few appearances on Talk of the Town and Today in Nashville, but the highlight of the year was filming Ozzy and Jack’s World Detour for A&E with the Prince of Darkness himself. Yes, I got to hang with Ozzy Osbourne and his family, and could not have been more pleasantly surprised at how sweet they all were!

Life. Love. Family. Farewell, 2018. I’m ready to see what 2019 will bring!