Month in Review: August, 2017

September 7, 2017September 7, 2017

August, where did you go?! Between taking a road trip to view the total solar eclipse, saying farewell to our favorite local spots, and moving to Milwaukee, it feels like August slipped away from us. However, looking over the video clips and photos we captured I’m reminded of how much we accomplished last month.

Early in the month we knew we had to savor our time in De Pere. Ian accepted a job that required us to relocate to the Milwaukee area. Therefore, we quickly jotted down a “farewell bucket list” and we checked items off in-between goodbye parties and boxing up our apartment. One item high up on the list was to put our own love lock on the Sunset Point bridge. Now a small piece of us will always be in De Pere.

While visiting a sunflower field wasn’t on the farewell bucket list, it was one of my summer goals. It was nice to take a break from packing and drive down to Madison to celebrate the August birthdays and dance around the Pope Farm Concervency sunflower field.

From my parents’ house, Ian and I embarked on a 6.5 hour road trip to Hermann, MO. Why, you may ask? To see to total solar eclipse of course! It took a bit of convincing from Ian to get me on board, but it was a breathtaking experience and I’m glad he didn’t stop pestering me to take the trip with him.

Once home from our road trip, there was no denying our time in De Pere was limited. We only had a handful of days left to finish packing and get organized for the move. A few hiccups came along the way, but we are finally settled into our new apartment and I’m looking forward to sharing September’s Month in Review as we start to discover our new neighborhood.

https://youtu.be/nHF0pKOZNGo

Month in Review: July, 2017

August 6, 2017August 7, 2017

As we enter August, I can’t help by feel like the summer has flown by. Evenings have already started to feel cooler and I’m desperately trying to grasp onto summer’s carefree spirit before autumn arrives. With a never-ending to-do list, it can be hard to make time for child-like carelessness, but I made an effort in July to say yes more often. The result – a camera roll full of laughter and beautiful memories.

In the beginning of July, I was hesitant to make plans since I was recovering from surgery. Much to my delight, I was feeling better than expected and was able to travel to visit my family. Anyone who knows my parents will understand relaxation isn’t their strong suit. Therefore, it was no surprise that I quickly put to work pitting cherries. To be honest, I was starting to go a bit stir-crazy by this point and welcomed the small task. Plus, I was treated to a campfire and small firework show that night!

July also marked Parallel 44’s 10-year anniversary! The celebration included horse-drawn wagon rides, live music and wine sampling. It was a gorgeous sunny day so Ian and both donned our straw hats and walked around the property giggling at how silly we must look together. However, neither of us got sunburned – so mission accomplished!

Towards the middle of the month Ian’s family flew up to visit. We spent the weekend at the Osthoff resort kayaking around Lake Elkhart, listening to music on the beach and taking a trip to the Wade House. The weekend flew by, and before we knew it we were making our goodbyes and starting the count down until our next get together.

The following weekend Ian and I experienced a first together – figuring out how to haul a couch home! In the past, I would just call up my parents and they would bring their pick-up truck. However, now that I live 2.5 hours away we needed a new plan and turned towards Menards to help us out! We laughed the whole way to the furniture store as we rode down the highway in our heavily branded rental truck.

At the end of the month, my family got together to cheer on Madison’s baseball team, the Mallards. Highlights included wining a t-shirt, eating stadium food and watching my mom catch a ball thrown into the stands! It was quite a night!

Throughout the month of July Ian and I attended a handful of outdoor concerts. With a picnic basket packed and a blanket in hand, we enjoyed warm summer nights listening to music and enjoying our small town.

Below is a short video that shares one second form every day in July. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/yHyPmQUKyqI

Month in Review: June, 2017

July 10, 2017July 6, 2017

June was an emotional month in a lot of ways. As we celebrated birthdays, hiked nature trails and perused farmers market stalls fear tangled itself within my happiness. Try as I might to push it aside, I fell asleep most nights worrying about my upcoming surgery. Luckily, I had Ian at my side and he continued to push me to enjoy the moment and make the most of each day.

It was easy to follow his advice at the beginning of the month because we celebrated his 26th birthday! Since a lot of our friends live in the Milwaukee area, we decided to drive down for the weekend and let our inner child out at the Dave & Busters arcade.

After our bellies were full of ice cream cake, we packed up the car for another road trip. This time our destination was Mt. Horeb! We spent the weekend catching up with Ian’s family, checking out the renovated museum and playing bingo at the Summer Frolic.

As each week passed I was more aware that my surgery was approaching. To keep my mind off of it, Ian drove me to Whitefish Sand Dunes State Park. We enjoyed a picnic on the beach, hiked out to the caves and danced in the rain.

Then, in the middle of the week Ian and I had the pleasure of showing my parents around the Farmers Market. They were on their way home from Door County and decided to make a pit stop and see us for a night! We had so much fun hearing about their trip and catching up we stayed out until 10pm! I was a bit sleepy when my alarm went off for work the next morning, but it was all worth it!

At last, I couldn’t ignore the date on the calendar. It was surgery day. I could feel all the prayers and well wishes that were sent my way because instead of feeling anxious, I was calm. The surgery went better than expected and I was able to go home that afternoon. While we were confident the tumor was benign, hearing that the test results were negative was a huge relief.

My mind is often my thief of joy, so I was thankful I had supportive friends and family around me this month. They all encouraged me to stay positive and make the most of each moment without shadowing it in fear. Looking back, we had a busy month filled with love and adventure – even with my surgery looming on the calendar. I’m beyond relieved to have it behind me and I’m looking forward to getting back into the swing of things as I reach the end of my recovery time!

https://youtu.be/2mgiQ-ekV44