24 Blessings in 2024

And just like that, another year has come and gone.

Ah, January, we meet again. It’s a time for looking back before we look ahead.

You’ve probably seen this style of end-of-year recap before. I’ve never participated in the trend, but I felt compelled to create one this year.

Why? Because my heart needed it.

This may sound too familiar, but my 2024 was hard—capital “H” hard. However, its difficulties can’t snuff out the goodness that’s come from the past year, too.

Rather than allow a melancholic disposition to sneak into the new year, I want to begin by recalling the blessings 2024 gave me.

Because if we don’t look for the lovely, we may not savor it fully.

Welcoming our first niece

We were so excited last year when we heard Evan’s sister was pregnant! As luck would have it, our first niece was born on Valentine’s Day. So, instead of spending the day at a crowded restaurant with overpriced food, we took off from work and raced to Wisconsin to celebrate with Evan’s family in the hospital.

After grieving the loss of my dad and grandma, it felt so special to add to the family this time. As she was placed in my arms, I couldn’t help but envision what “auntie life” could look like. Since we live in Minneapolis and don’t see our niece as often, Evan and I talked about different day trip ideas and sleepover themes we could host as she gets older. The list is a mile long already. What a gift!

Gaining a sister-in-law

In addition to welcoming our niece into the family, we also officially gained a sister-in-law! She’s been a part of the family for as long as I have been. She started dating Evan’s brother a few weeks before Evan and I had our first date, so she’s always been a Mitchell in my eyes. It felt surreal to see them tie the knot while being married ourselves.

Standing by her side as a bridesmaid was one of my favorite moments of 2024. Not only was Evan asked to be the best man, but he also officiated the wedding. He did a wonderful job officiating, but his best-man speech was equally hilarious and tear-jerking. If I could relive this day over and over, I would!

Intergenerational friendships

One of the best blessings of living in our new neighborhood is my unexpected friendship with Tom, my 82-year-old neighbor. He’s proof of a life well lived.

We immediately connected over our love for dogs, but I was fascinated when he talked about co-authoring a book about his mom’s legacy at 81. After reading a gifted copy of the book, I knew Tom would be in my life for a long time. He teaches me so much about contentment and patience, and he expands my perspective on life.

From taking my pup Bailey to the dog park to playing hooky from work to riding in his new sports car to grab hot chocolate, it's a joy to simply be in his presence. If only God could have told me I’d be waiting a little longer during our home search so I could gain a once-in-a-lifetime friendship like this. It’s made the move even more worth it.

Date night wagers

Like most married couples, Evan and I found ourselves falling into a rut with our date nights. Our default was to eat at new restaurants, but after we settled into our home, we decided to shake things up a bit.

We called it the “Mitchell Games” which allowed us to plan four date nights each. After each date night, we’d privately record our ratings in categories like (1) atmosphere, (2) entertainment, (3) service, (4) food, (5) drink, and (6) overall experience.

The winner would get bragging rights and have a chance to double their holiday spending budget for the year—Christmas for me, Halloween for Evan.

While we should’ve put a budget range on the date nights (whoops!), we had a lot of fun with the wager. Life got busy, so we never tallied the scores to see who won, but now I know what we’ll be doing in the new year!

Our 9 ft tall Christmas tree

I’ve always dreamed of having a Christmas tree that’s taller than me. Since Evan and I give ourselves a holiday stipend of $150 every year, I blew almost all of it on a secondhand gorgeous 9 ft tall tree (thanks Facebook Marketplace!).

It is GLORIOUS. The tree lived a past life where it was featured at posh holiday parties for real estate agents and angel investors. Now, it sits in our quiet, humble family room while the fireplace roars. I hope it enjoys its second life here.

Seeing two of my favorite people meet

I’m no stranger to long-distance friendships. While living nearby isn’t a friendship deal-breaker for me, it’s difficult to introduce those you love when you live in different states. But this year, our fall trip to New England allowed my husband to meet one of my closest friends, Emily.

We explored historic downtown Exeter, shopped in Portsmouth, enjoyed the seaside view, and ate our weight in burrito bowls. Evan’s highlight was attending her family’s infamous Halloween party where we dressed up as the Step Brothers. While I’ll be flying back to New Hampshire in March to see Emily again for a work trip, I’ll always cherish this particular trip.

Meeting my long-time friend’s twin boys

I’ve known my friend Katie since eighth grade—yes, while I was still in braces—which makes her my oldest friend. She moved from Minnesota to Texas shortly before announcing she was pregnant with twins, and I couldn’t have been happier for her and her high school sweetheart.

While it’s been tough to be away for many of the milestone moments since we live on opposite sides of the country, I was so blessed to meet her twin boys during their first trip back to Minnesota. I’ve never held two babies at a time, and after only a couple of hours, I had ALL the respect in the world for how well they continue to care for their boys.

Sabbath Fridays

Sabbath Fridays are the best part of my week. It’s been a sacred weekly spiritual practice in my life for the last five years. Sabbath is more than a command from the Old Testament; it’s a holy gift that invites us to rest, delight, worship, and just be.

The simplest definition of Sabbath is to abstain from work, but it’s so much more. If you want to learn more about observing the Sabbath, I recommend starting with these Sabbath Practice videos. I can’t say enough about it, and I’ll likely have more essays dedicated to Sabbath experiences in the future.

Lavender lemonade

This was my official drink of the spring and summer, completed with aromatic lavender sprigs grown in my GreenStalk vertical planter. All that's needed is sparkling lemonade (preferably from Aldi) and lavender syrup (which I source from HomeGoods).

To make it a cocktail, add a shot of triple sec and an optional shot of vodka to make what my mom calls a “LemonEv”—lovingly named after my husband who created it. It's perfect for patio season—or any season, really.

Lasik

It's been one year of glasses-free living thanks to my Lasik surgery. I spent most of my twenties contemplating the surgery, but with the encouragement of Evan, I finally mustered up the courage to go under the laser.

Needless to say, this five-minute procedure has been life-changing! I hardly remember life before Lasik, and the cherry on top has been wearing fun, non-prescriptive sunglasses.

Throwing a second book launch party for my close friend

I believe all of life’s milestones are worth celebrating. While we often throw parties for new couples and new babies—which I LOVE—I try to look for opportunities to celebrate friends in other accomplishments that may otherwise go overlooked.

In 2022, I had the idea of creating a book launch party for my friend Evening to unveil her first book. Since it was so successful, we decided to look for a bigger location to host her second party and launch her new 30-day devotional. I hope to host more of these gatherings and celebrations for years to come.

Accidentally hiking a tall mountain

Wait, how did we do this on accident, you ask? Well, I created a White Mountain Forest travel itinerary that included walking paths, but after Evan expressed interest in hiking his first mountain, we scrapped my plans and quickly found another trail on an easier 2,000+ ft mountain.

We set out on the freshly fallen snow trail with lots of slippery rock scrambling—only to realize we missed our turn and climbed the wrong mountain! At least the view from Mount Jackson’s 4,000+ ft summit was astonishingly beautiful.

My vintage white linen shirt

I’ve been on the hunt for a soft, well-loved linen shirt for years, and I found one this year that feels like an old friend.

It’s even more special that I found it at the Minneapolis Vintage Market with two dear friends of mine. It’s become an instant staple piece in my closet, but it does not travel well in my suitcase. Lesson learned!

Board game nights

I want to be a board game person. There, I said it! Luckily, we have some friends who already love board games and have introduced us to many new ones.

I’m slowly learning what my board game tastes are. I seem to enjoy a mix of cozier and strategy-based games, but Bob Ross: Art of Chill is a recent favorite. We have yet to play Fog of Love—a two-player rom-com-style game that has my name written all over it—so that's an at-home date night idea for this winter.

Temporary office space

I’m currently training Bailey to be a sweet office pup. After working mostly from my laptop so I could keep an eye on her, I had an idea: What if I temporarily moved my office desk to the family room where she loves to perch on the couch?

Now Bailey can watch the wildlife and nap peacefully while I work on client projects and host client calls on my desktop. It's not the home office I originally pictured, but I'm grateful for our flexible spaces!

My first Three MPH photoshoot

I’m embarrassed to admit this, but my last professional headshots were taken back in 2017. Even so, I knew I wanted to capture new photos for Three MPH. As I pinned photo inspiration, a clear concept emerged.

When my client and newfound friend Aly of Aly Cross Photography expressed an interest in working on more branding shoots, it seemed like the perfect opportunity for us to experiment! It felt like Three MPH came to life when I saw the photo gallery for the first time. I’m so grateful for her contribution.

Readathon days

You may have seen the recent 24-hour readathon TikTok trend, but years ago, our readathon tradition was born. It began when my friend Ashley and I spent a 12-hour day silently reading in each other’s company.

Each time, we put a seasonal ambiance video on the TV (like this), read our individually selected books, and take frequent breaks for cooking and chatting. It’s been one of the greatest joys to open our home to more friends for this cozy weekend tradition.

Holiday movies

This year was the first time I put up holiday decorations before Thanksgiving. Since I was in the holiday spirit early on, I watched a LOT of holiday movies—sometimes two or three times each. While I don’t have an official number, I would imagine I watched around 20 holiday movies.

Most of them were the classics—The Grinch, Christmas Vacation, Jingle All the Way (set in Minneapolis!), and The Holiday, to name a few—but this year’s most-watched movie was The Family Stone.

I also hosted a Christmas movie marathon with a close friend, and we’re hoping to make it a new yearly tradition. While I don’t love holiday books, there’s something about holiday movies that seem to scratch an itch!

Vikings games at the US Bank Stadium

Evan won several brownie points when he surprised me with tickets to the Vikings vs. Colts game as an early birthday gift in November. As if it couldn’t have been any better, he made sure my mom and brother were able to join us.

While the first half wasn’t great—and very reminiscent of the 2022 historic comeback game we previously attended together—we had an exciting second half to celebrate. There’s nothing quite like the energy of a live football game!

My Cocktail Hour playlist on Spotify

Some people randomly add songs to their playlists and call it a day. Not me! I thoughtfully assemble my playlists, ensuring every song has a similar vibe and effortlessly flows from one track to the next.

I usually start with an emotion I want to convey through music. In this case, I wanted to capture the feeling you get when playing mixologist during an at-home date night where the only light comes from the fireplace. (See? I get oddly specific.)

The result is this Cocktail Hour playlist. It isn’t finished or perfected, but I’ve been enjoying the journey of crafting it.

The Office on repeat

I can hear Evan’s eyes rolling from the other room as I put this on my list, but it deserves a spot. While I’m no stranger to rewatching sitcoms, The Office will forever be my top comfort show.

In November, I even met Kate Flannery who plays Meredith in the show! Next year, I hope to turn our half-bath into a fun Office-themed bathroom. I promise to keep it (mostly) classy.

Library used book sales

While I have many unread books at home (no judgment zone, right?), I’m still a library enthusiast. One of my favorite events at our local library is the semi-annual used book sale. This year, before Christmas, our library decided to host a gift-quality book sale.

I walked out feeling like I hit the jackpot. I almost didn’t go to the sale because we were hosting a Friendsgiving for dozens of Evan’s coworkers later that night, but he knew I’d be happier and more energized if I went. He was right!

My favorite part of the day was when I met two older women who were also perusing the literary fiction table. They were excited to share their recommendations with me, and one commented that we were creating a little book club right there in the aisle. When I think about my favorite chance encounters of the year, this moment ranks high on the list.

Daily manna

When I’m in slower, more challenging seasons of life, I consider them my “daily manna” seasons. Like the Israelites journeying through the wilderness, we all encounter unexpected hurdles and setbacks in life.

In these drier seasons, we must see what’s in front of us as enough. God gave manna to the Israelites in the desert as a means of provision, even when they grumbled about its plainness (as I have often done this year). In his lovingkindness, he gives us exactly what we need for each day—no more, no less—and invites us not to hoard it out of anxiety or scarcity but to take only what we need for the day ahead.

“Daily manna” seasons are a constant practice in humility, gratitude, and self-denial. But it produces more fruit than the “easy” life I so often crave, so I’m thankful for the ongoing lesson.

This Three MPH community

After over a decade of online community building, this is one of the smallest yet most engaged communities I’ve had the honor of participating in.

I’m so grateful for every comment, newsletter reply, and conversation that has come from these Three MPH essays. If I don’t say it enough, thank you for being here.

What are some of your greatest blessings from 2024—both big and small? Tell me in the comments!