2023: A Look Back

I love writing these posts and reminiscing. It's important to reflect on where you've been before deciding where you want to go in the new year, you know?

I've been writing these recaps for ten (!!) years and it's fun to have these glimpses of past years living on the internet to review and see how we've changed (and how much Ella and Bennett have grown up!).

2013 / 2014 / 2015 / 2016 / 2017 / 2018 / 2019 / 2020 / 2021 / 2022.

2023 was a year of growth and a year of grief. This year was difficult in many ways, but there was also joy. This year was brutal and this year was beautiful. 2023 was brutiful as Glennon Doyle would say. 

The brutal: G's mom passed away, my aunt passed away, a mass shooting occurred 15 minutes from our home, and I got hurt, Manny got hurt, and our house got hurt.

The beautiful: a trip to Miami, reading the Bible in a year, meaningful family and friend experiences, mentoring sweet premarital couples, a 40th birthday trip with my besties, and watching my cousin get married. 

What. A. Year.

I'm thankful for the lessons and the growth that comes from being in the valley because they make the mountaintop moments more significant. 

On to the recap!

In January we started The Bible Recap (third time's the charm!), went to G's work party, had a belated family Christmas, and spent time with G's family. I went on my first work trip of the year, had a pedicure, pickled with a friend, and we went to a friends' birthday dinner. G's mom passed away January 20th and we experienced tremendous loss and sadness, and we spent quality time with G's family mourning and remembering his mom. We hung out in Royal Oak with my family before my annual ophthalmology appointment, and then flew to one of our favorite cities. The trip was healing and restful as we soaked up the sun, swam in the ocean, celebrated G's birthday, and ate amazing food. 

In February we soaked up our last few days in Miami, spent time with G's sister and BIL, and went through old family pictures. I had a bestie phone date, lunch with my mentor, we brunched with our mentee couple, and watched the Super Bowl at our neighbors' house. A mass shooting occurred 15 minutes from our house and we will never be the same, I went on a supplier visit, and an ice storm came through. More pickling, my parents came to visit, we had another ice storm, and the sweetest couple were married. 

In March we hosted friends for a game night, I helped make Spartan Strong shirts, went to a class on tea, discovered Whole Foods grocery pick up, and watched Daisy Jones and the Six. I discovered the magic of falafel bowls, drank tea in the afternoons, perfected avocado toast, pickled, and got new kicks. I went to book club, we had a fun family day, G got a promotion at work, we met our friends' sweet new addition, and I took a yoga class. Jess and I took my mom's cookie decorating class and G and I hosted our first supper club with our mentee couples.

In April I tried Body Pump, celebrated Easter with the family, and binged Night Agent. We hosted supper club, had our first paddleboat ride AND first float of the year (!!!), and then it snowed. I flew to Iowa for work, spent some quality time with my parents, and then G and I headed on vacation to eat, drink, and wine taste our way through Traverse City. 

In May I had a girls night out, went on a work trip to Ohio, celebrated my aunt's 80th birthday, and took a charcuterie class. Manny gave us a scare when we found a lump on his chest (that turned out to be nothing), patio sitting weather began, supper club, and a boat ride with our neighbors. My mom and I took Ella to her first musical (Wicked!), showed her around MSU, and I tried Aqua Zumba. I had lunch with my mom before she dropped me off at the airport for an epic trip to Scottsdale with my besties. We shopped, ate good food, and solved all of life's problems at the hotel pool. My parents picked me up from the airport and my sweet mom made my favorite (zucchini pie), I had a few supplier visits, and got hurt at the gym and had to postpone a trip we were supposed to take with friends. 

June was a hard month. My injury didn't allow me to swim in the lake or get in the hot tub the entire month and for someone who loves the water as much as I do it was incredibly difficult. Bless G's heart for all his creative effort trying to get me in water though. I went to book club, was able to start walking Manny again, my mom and I had a day of fun, and I learned a lesson on resiliency. I met my friend's new puppies, lunched with sweet friends, we did a lot of porch sitting, and spent time with the fam. Manny turned ten, I had budget week, supplier dinner, and Tony the Tiger spotting. I went to Indiana for work, continued on my resiliency journey, lunched with my mom and friend I hadn't seen in way too long, and your girl was floating in the water July 1 and all was right with the world.

In July I was making up for lost time and in the lake as much as possible, my parents came to visit, we watched the fireworks, and I went to a work offsite and won the ray of sunshine award. We celebrated Benny's seventh birthday, and I went on my tenth annual girls weekend. It was our first rainy girls weekend, but that didn't stop us from having a fantastic time. We had the locus tree trimmed (not knowing it would fall on the house two months later), went to the farmers' market, and watched the women's world cup. I went to dinner with coworkers, spent lots of time floating and swimming, and soaking up sweet summertime.

In August I turned the big 4-0 and we celebrated with a little weekend getaway to Saugatuck (one of my favorite beach cities). We ate the most delicious food, drank good coffee, had glorious beach days on Lake Michigan, and G spoiled me with gifts. I went to my cousin's bridal shower, went to a girls' night, had a supplier lunch, we reunited with our old neighbors, and spent a day with dear friends. We were touristy in our own town, spent a fun afternoon with my bestie, and had an epic 40th birthday with family. We took a trip to Mackinaw, saw the Mighty Mac and a lovely fireworks show, ate amazing food, and met good people at the community bonfire. We explored Mackinac Island, checked out the fort, gawked at all the yachts and mansions, and ate the best white fish dip. We picked up Manny and realized he had quite the wound on his back, it was infected, and we ended up at the vet for a good cleaning and meds. I hosted my mom and family friend for a lake afternoon, Manny was on the mend, and we soaked up more time on the lake.

In September we hosted old friends on the lake, went up north with our neighbors, explored the farmer's market, played Euchre, brunched, shopped, drove through the Tunnel of Trees, and tried Polish food. I went to a girls night, a supplier lunch, and a tree fell on our house. My cousin got married and we had so much fun dancing and laughing the night away. We had the tree cut down, went to The Friends Experience with the fam, had a team offsite, started the New Testament, and I had lunch with my work mentor.

In October I met a sweet friend for lunch, decorated for fall, and took Manny to the vet for his annual check up. My mom stopped by with a Costco delivery, I went to a girls night, we attended G's work event, and had a fun family day. Manny went to the groomers, we mourned the unexpected passing of my sweet aunt, explored downtown Dearborn, and watched the Beckham documentary. The repairs on the house started and we celebrated South Africa winning the Rugby World Cup.

In November we tried a new meal delivery service, I had a phone date with my besties, we got a new washer and dryer, I met a friend for lunch, and took my mom's cookie decorating class. I visited a supplier, had an in office day complete with a supplier dinner at Kitchen Proper (iykyk), met my bestie for breakfast, and the repairs were completed. I went to Ohio for another supplier visit, hosted Friendsgiving, went back to church, and started Ted Lasso again. We celebrated Thanksgiving with family, went to a game night at our neighbors', Manny got a new sweater, and we went to my parents' church for a Christmas show.

In December I helped plan our team offsite meeting, had the last budget week of the year, and we went to our annual premarital mentor Christmas party. I met G for lunch, lunched with sweet coworkers, had dance parties, hot cocoa, played games and made sweet memories with the kids, and met family for lunch. I came down with a cold, watched all the Christmas movies, and my sweet neighbor brought over chicken noodle soup. I got my hair did, had sushi date with a friend, we hosted a game night with friends, and watched the Barbie movie and it lived up to the hype.

By the numbers:

1 swim in the rain

1 cold

1 Aqua Zumba class

1 overnight with the kiddos

1 charcuterie board class

1 intro to tea class

2 mentee couples married

2 girls weekends

2 cookie decorating classes

3 boat rides

3 paddleboat rides

5 vacations

5 business trips

8 airplane rides

61 books read

754 miles walked

23,034 pages read

Lots of laughter, tears, gratitude, smiles, swimming and pickling

As we begin 2024 I'm hopeful for more mountain top moments. More moments choosing faith over fear. More mindfulness and less distractions. More meaningful time with friends and family and less time scrolling social media. More positive thinking and less negativity. More confidence and less doubting myself. More gratefulness and less comparison. 

Happy New Year friends!