Month in Review: December, 2016

January 9, 2017January 6, 2017Leave a comment

As I sit down to write these posts each month I think, “We didn’t get up to much this month. What will I write about?” Then I start scrolling through my photos and I’m reminded of all the smiles, adventures and laughter we shared. It’s crazy how moments can slip your mind – especially in the whirlwind of the holiday season!

Therefore, I was shocked by how busy we were in December! I knew we had a full calendar, but looking back over the photos I’m surprised we were able to fit everything in!

To start the month, Ian and I braved warnings of a snow storm and drove to Chicago. It’s been on my list to visit the Christkindlmarket and I was giddy to get my hand on a souvenir mug full of mulled cider! It was a bitter cold day, but experiencing the holiday spirit in the city was worth a few red noses.

We also partook in a glass ornament event at a local museum. The day was filled with hot chocolate, live music and of course – ornament making! Ian was a bit disappointed since his design shifted around in the kiln, but it was one on my favorite ornaments on our tree. I couldn’t help but smile every time I saw it.

In the blink of an eye, Christmas was upon us. A snow storm delayed our trip down to visit family, but eventually we made it. Christmas Eve was spent sledding with my family, then we drove to Ian’s grandma’s house for Christmas dinner and a competitive game of Monopoly.

Then we hopped on a plane and flew to Florida to thaw out for a few days with Ian’s family! It was nice to get outside, take a dip in the pool and work on our bag toss skills.

We ended the month with a road trip to Key West. It was our first time in the Keys and I couldn’t wait to explore! Ian tried the famous Key Lime Pie and we were able to put our feet in two bodies of water at the same time. Definitely, a wonderful way to end the month and start a new year!

Hope you all had a wonderful December!

Month in Review: November, 2016

December 7, 2016December 6, 2016Leave a comment

Oh, November. You were another rollercoaster of emotions.

After seeing a doctor about the pain I was experiencing in October, I was caught in a whirlwind of appointments and phone calls. The end result – I was booked for surgery. Recovery time was estimated to be 48 hours. Not bad, right?! But as I write this post I’m still in pain. Hence my social media blackout and lack of blog posts…

On the plus side?! I’m finally getting my energy back. So I decided to sit down and write my Month in Review. As I scrolled through my photos, I realized that even though this was another difficult month, there were so many moments scattered throughout the weeks to be thankful for. Here are a few of them.

November started off on a high note – my Dad’s birthday! Ian and I drove home for a weekend celebration. First, we tried our hand at frisbee golf. Clearly, we were all newbies. Just look at our frisbee selection! We spent the afternoon in a fit of giggles as we attempted to make our way through the course, hitting trees and all other obstacles in our way.

After our abysmal performance on the frisbee golf course, we drove to Ski Hi to treat ourselves with caramel apples before heading to dinner. Seeing as it was a birthday celebration, eating dessert before dinner seemed acceptable. (But honestly, when is it not?!) Looking back, this weekend was one of my favorite memories from November.

My surgery was booked in for the middle of the month, so my stomach was in knots the days leading up to my appointment. Luckily, I had a wonderful surgeon and everything went smoothly. Ian took a few days off of work to keep me company while I recovered and even surprised me with a mini gingerbread house! While it hurt to laugh at this point, a few giggles snuck out while we were decorating our little masterpiece.

November was also the month that my grandma passed away. Her funeral was bittersweet as we reminisced about her life and took comfort that she is reunited with my grandpa. My grandma loved family gatherings and never passed up the chance to have a bit of fun. Therefore, having her funeral reception at the local bowling alley seemed fitting. Everyone gathered to share a meal, a story and a few laughs to celebrate her life.

Then, in a blink of an eye November came to a close. I usually feel a tinge of sadness while I flip the page over to the next month in our calendar, but to be honest, November was rough. I’m looking forward to setting the reset button and getting lost in December’s holiday spirit. So bring on the Christmas carols, cutout cookies, and twinkle lights!

Catch a glimpse of our month in the video below! We filmed one second every day in November!

Month in Review: October, 2016

November 2, 2016November 1, 2016Leave a comment

I’m not going to lie, October was rough. It was sprinkled with health issues, anxiety over said health problems – but also laughter. I’ve always known the importance of laughter, but it was reiterated this month. So bear with me as I sort through my sparse photos (it’s hard to remember to capture moments when you’re not feeling 100%)

Ian and I welcomed fall with an afternoon trip to an apple orchard. I took full advantage of their free trolley ride and enjoyed a scenic tour around the orchard before picking apples. I had planned on baking apple crisp – but after picking 15 lbs of apples we had a slight change of plan! Co-workers were greeted with cinnamon apple muffins, baked oatmeal and applesauce the next day!

After weeks of planning, I flew up to MN for a girls’ weekend with my college friends! It was refreshing to explore a new city, watch chick flicks, and talk late into the night. So much has changed over the years, but it was heartwarming to know that we all could pick-up from where we left off.

Since I was feeling under the weather for most of the month I opted out of a few social events, namely Packer games. The silver lining? Ian was able to pack in a bunch of quality time with friends. Here is a shot of one of their tailgates!

Fall wouldn’t feel complete without a wandering through dried corn stalks! So Ian and I bundled up spent an afternoon navigating our way through a corn maze. It was the perfect way to say farewell to October!

Looking back, even though October was rough, there are moments I will cherish scattered throughout the month. I know November will have its ups and downs as well, but I’m excited to see what the new month has in store.