The annual Box-Higdem Christmas Card

Christmas Cards did not get sent out this year. SO consider this your update into the Box-Higdem year...our annual Christmas Card letter as many of you joke about...

As we look back.

2016 was not a good year for a lot of us.
There were so many folks who left us...some "too soon" and some we had not had enough time with. SO many vocal artists, so many film artists, so many folks that we were afraid to turn on the television to see who had died next...it was not the proverbial die in threes...but sixes and sevens...

We had THE MOST NEGATIVE political season we have EVER experienced in American history. And it looks like the negativity is going to continue through the next few years. I am not confident in our current situation but will not get into that on here. Too much drama comes from this and I am going to not surround myself with all of that drama...I have so many other issues to deal with rather than pulling myself into a political discussion shit storm.

Many of you know that I was not happy with the professional direction of my life. It was a negative cesspool and felt like I was just beating my head on a wall trying to build a program and was getting nothing but roadblocks and undermining and hypocrisy. It was time for a change. Change came in the form of a move to Northwest Arkansas and a move to a program that I had tried to emulate in regards to building the NLR Forensics  program. And I have not regretted the decision whatsoever. I am so blessed to be in a district that not only values the arts, but also sets a positive tone and believes in their educators on so many levels. We made the move in August and the fall semester started with hosting our very own Tiger's Eye speech tournament and taking the kiddos to 4 speech tournaments, including a trip to New Orleans for a different tournament experience...more national styled competition. Spring will be much more competitive...we are taking the squad to 6 tournaments, including a trip to Missouri, and if all goes well, beginning of summer will find us taking kiddos to Nationals in Alabama.

Justin was able to relocate to NW Arkansas thankfully through Best Buy. He continues to work towards his accounting degree...one step at a time. He continues to rock it out and actually received a wonderful opportunity towards the end of 2016. He had spent the summer sending job applications up here more focused towards accounting. He was met with so many shut doors. However about 5 weeks ago, he received an email from a company in Fayetteville he had originally interviewed with over the summer to re-interview and possibly fill one of their accounting positions. He got the JOB and began working with them and LOVES IT!!! It is wonderful to see him with a smile on his face when he talks about his job and working in a field that he actually is studying to be a part of...rather than hanging televisions in people's homes. So Blessed!!

Our puppies continue to bring smiles to our faces. They made the transition fairly well. Violet continues to bully Emmy and is slowly settling in and calming down and becoming more cuddly. Emmy continues to be her schnauzer self and be finicky.

We placed our house in Jacksonville, AR on sale in June. We did not sell it until December 14th!!!!! So it was quite the juggle...having to pay mortgage and rent on two residences for almost 5 1/2 months...so 2017 will be super in regards to finances and not having to juggle any longer. We may have thrown a new car in the mix to celebrate...being that we now live in an area that actually gets snow during the winter months depending on the year...wanted to have at least one vehicle that had AWD to prepare for the possibility of winter weather.

I got the chance to play a role of a life time. I was given the opportunity to play the role of ZAZA/ Albin in the Argenta Community Theater's production of La Cage Aux Folles, the musical version of The Birdcage. What an amazing opportunity and so much fun and so moving and a role I hope I can play again in the future. There are shows that I look back on and keep telling myself that I would revisit at ANY time. Neville Craven in The Secret Garden, Younger Brother in Ragtime, Prior Walter in Angels in America, and now ZAZA. Grateful for the opportunity...terribly moved by the entire experience...

And of course, everything pales and seems forgotten when I think about 2016 and the passing of my mother. She was my absolute BEST FRIEND and became the defining source of tone for my entire year. Losing her battle to cancer has been the source of numerous stories on this blog and will continue to be I am sure on here as I continue to process this major loss in my life. I am grateful for all of the outpouring of love and support from my husband, my family and my friends. I have never experienced something this profoundly overwhelming on all levels of my life and have said numerous times that this is the first time I have felt like I had to become an adult and deal with very adult issues and situations. Lord ADULTING sucks sometimes.

So there you go... 2016 can suck it as far as I am concerned...but so many life lessons learned and will be the defining format of 2017 I am sure. 

Much love to each of you!

Merry Christmas to each of you and may the New Year bring you much peace, much love, and much laughter...Lord Knows we need it!