Rejoice in All Things

My husband and I had an annual tradition of celebrating the high points of the year. This time, he wanted to try something different

- ERYN LYNUM

We were celebrating one of my favorite end-of-year traditions. As we'd done for years, my husband, Grayson, and I had gotten a babysitter for our four children and gone out to dinner at a nice restaurant. But this wasn't just about good food or romance. It was a time for us to look back on the past year and plan for the future.

"Ready?" I said, nudging aside our plates of appetizers and setting my notebook on the table. "What are we most thankful for over the past 12 months?

"We bought a new home," I began.

"That's definitely something to celebrate." I jotted it down.

"We had some great trips to national parks," said Grayson. "The kids loved those."

"Zeke and Ellis both became proficient in reading."

"Completed the house renovation..."