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I don’t know about you, but I love reminiscing. Truly, I do. In fact, oftentimes I have to consciously make sure I am living in the present and looking forward to the future, rather than reliving my favorite memories.

I am also a bit of a Harry Potter nerd. So, it may not come as much of a surprise when I tell you one of my favorite quotes is from Albus Dumbledore. It is council he gives to Harry in the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Dumbledore says,

“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”

While most days I am trying to leave the past in the past and live life as fully as I can, I find that the end of the year is always an important time to reflect on the year and all that has happened. It is important to realize all the things you’ve accomplished and struggled through. It is also equally important to recognize what you have learned from those experiences.

As my husband, Grant, and I were driving in the cold blanket of night, we discussed how our year had gone and all that we had learned. We came up with 18 things in the year 2018. Some of them were funny, others were serious. I wrote each of them down and concluded I would share them here. So, without further ado…

18 things we’ve learned in 2018:

1. England is King… not just because they have a monarchy.

– Poldark

– Downton Abbey

– The Crown

You get the idea.

2. If it’s normal to fight as newlyweds… then we’re not normal! Lol!

3. Boys shower STARK NAKED in front of each other in locker rooms!

4. “Birth control pills are not worth it. Ever.” – Grant

5. Grant CAN surprise Shalee (aka Marriage Proposal)

6. When making candy, don’t scrape the edges of the bowl.

7. Don’t scare Shalee… just don’t.

8. Marry your dance partner – you’ll have the most fun that way!

9. If you’re supposed to have a business license… you should probably have a business license.

10.  “If you don’t like her cooking, try the salt.” – Marriage advice

11.  The school semester before marriage, you’ll probably have the worst grades of your life.

12.  The school semester following marriage, you’ll probably have the best grades of your life!

13.  Once you scuba dive, you’ll never go back to snorkeling.

14.  Long after the sweet taste of a low price is forgotten, the bitter aftertaste of poor quality remains. In other words, it’s worth it to save your money for something nice!

15.  It’s actually possible to NOT hit a deer while driving, and the deer still hit you.

16.  Having a church assignment together is easily the most fun and most rewarding.

17. Attending the temple together consistently has blessed us with peace and a stronger testimony of the gospel.

18.  God is REAL, and miracles are REAL. The fire definitely testified of that this year.

All in all, we’ve had a pretty great year. In 2018, we were engaged and then married. I graduated with my Bachelors in Communications, Public Relations at Brigham Young University, with a Minor in Spanish. Grant and I also started a swing dance instagram account in order to compile all of our dance videos (@kingandqueenofcountryswing). This past year, we experienced pure joy and tremendous fear. Through it all, we have learned a great deal, and we hope to learn even more in 2019.

May we seek to be a little kinder in our words, a little softer in our hearts, and reach out and express gratitude to those we hold dear.

We are grateful for all we have learned in 2018 and we look forward to another beautiful year in 2019. Happy New Year!

Love, Shalee