In January I started making one new recipe a week, got my cooking groove back, winter walks with Manny, and started a prayer journal. We spotted our first ice skater on the lake, had lunch with my parents on an outdoor heated patio (since indoor dining was still closed), and we binged season 3 of Ozark. G went back to work again (he hadn't been back since November), we watched Soul, had a family Zoom call and I took off my ornaments and had a "winter tree". We went to Grand Haven for G's birthday and wine tasted in an igloo, sat on a heated patio at our favorite restaurant, saw Lake Michigan, shopped at cute shops, and played Scrabble. We walked Manny on the lake, played Yahtzee, and had our first big snowstorm.
In March we continued to struggle with a leak in our basement, G installed his birthday deck lights, we had a game night with our old neighbors, and my parents were vaccinated. We continued to mentor premarital couples (and love it!), the ice finally melted, we went on weekend hikes, and our neighbors came over for a St. Patrick Day's cocktail. I started going back to the office one day a week so I started shopping at Aldi again, and had to pick up CFA (of course!), had our first Oberon of the year, and continued church online and virtual life group. I also had another virtual girls night, continued cooking, bought an inflatable hot tub, started seeing flowers pop up and our sweet neighbor brought over seafood chowder.
In April we hosted a little socially distanced (outdoor) dinner with friends, I spotted a bald eagle in our backyard (!!), and went on our first boat ride of the year with our neighbors. G and I started reading the Bible in a year, we had our first vaccine (!!), and started spring clean up on the yard. Manny got a pinch collar and it changed my life, I organized the pantry, we played more Scrabble, and we attended our very first mentee couples' wedding. I'm still cooking two to three times a week (and this was a good recipe week!), organized the fridge, hung out on the screened porch, and supported local restaurants.
In May we had our second dose of the vaccine (and were down for about a day lol), went to Ella's soccer game (she killed it as goalie) and had great family time (unmasked! indoors!). We spent the night at my parents', had a lovely Mother's Day brunch, I continued organizing (the freezer and bathroom closet his time), went to a virtual girls' night, and attended my first supplier lunch in over a year. Went to a work picnic, went garage saling, and spent a lovely Saturday afternoon on our neighbor's boat. Organized the hall closet, got my first pedicure of the season, hosted a friend for dinner, and had our last premarital mentee session on their lake. We turned it into a little Grand Rapids getaway and walked around downtown, grabbed coffee, had lunch on a patio (my fave!), and hit Trader Joe's. We went to our neighbors' for dinner, took a cost analysis class, went back to work full time, watched the Friends reunion (and it was everything I wanted) and read a book in a day.
In June we went to our first mentee couples' for dinner and to catch up on married life, had our first girls' night in over a year, floated on the lake, started going on sunrise walks again, and had lunch with a few coworkers. We hosted the sweetest little surprise anniversary party for my parents and had the best day floating on the lake and eating good bbq. We started mentoring our third couple, we watched In the Heights and had Sunday supper with our neighbors. Manny turned eight, had a little dinner and game night with friends, went on my first supplier trip since December 2019, swam in the rain, and saw our second mentee couple get married. We kicked off the month with a long holiday weekend enjoying the lake and all the fireworks, put a TV on he porch and had a nice day with my parents.
In July we kicked off the month with a few vacation days to enjoy the heat wave on the lake, celebrated Bennett's fifth birthday, tackled all the weeds (they are out of control after all the rain!), had my car detailed, hosted our neighbors and hosted old friends we haven't seen in a while. I had a girlfriend over to float, hosted an offsite with my team (and got locked out!), and watched all the Olympics. We hosted our old neighbor gang, had a boat for a day (Manny's favorite day on the lake), and enjoyed summer nights on the porch.
In August we spent my birthday with family, caught up on the Olympics, and a member of our life group was baptized in our backyard. I was on the road again for work, tried paddle boarding without falling off, and color coded my phone apps. We took Fridays off to spent long weekends enjoying the lake, had Ella and Bennett for an overnight, and had a family fun day on the lake. I got an oil change, met G for lunch, did more traveling for work, hosted G's team, and started watching Ted Lasso with our neighbors.
In September we hosted some friends for an evening of floating, kicked off the long weekend with my parents coming out to spend time at the lake, and my neighbor and I continued our swims. I started watching White Lotus, went to Grand Haven to visit a supplier, hosted our newly married mentee couple, my best friend came into town for a visit and I went on my eight annual girls' weekend. We met our new mentee couple, I traveled more for work, and we soaked up the last weekend of floating. I surprised G and cleaned his car, decorated for fall, bundled up for porch sitting with our coffee, watched Nine Perfect Strangers and made a few cozy fall recipes. I was still swimming, eating dinner on the porch, enjoying fall sunsets, and had my first Bloody Mary since March 2020 (it was worth the wait!).
In October I participated in virtual negotiation training, continued swimming, and was interviewing with the company I now work for. We continued premarital mentoring, had another interview and celebrated my new job offer with a fun impromptu afternoon with my parents. We had dinner with our life group, had a supplier lunch (I missed those!), Facetime with my besties, and celebrated my mom's birthday. I had a lovely dinner with some favorites, resigned from my job, went out to dinner with our neighbors, and went to my parents' to visit with family friends in town from California. I swam until October 20th, hosted our first premarital mentor couple, went axe throwing with my team, binged Only Murders in the Building, and met an old friend for lunch.
In November I become obsessed with the enneagram, I made harvest bowls, toured our neighbors' new basement renovation, had our first fire of the season, and picked up my Advent calendar from Aldi. We hosted our premarital couple, I went to sushi with a sweet coworker, shopped for a new wardrobe, tried Popeye's for the first time, I got my hair done and finished working at my old job. We explored the new town I'll be working in, started my new job, watched Impeachment, went out to eat with our supper club, met my new co-worker's for happy hour, and went axe throwing with my new team. G and I made a fun weekend out of it and had the most amazing dinner, raked all the leaves, hosted our mentees, and set up my new home office. We celebrated Thanksgiving with my family, watched UofM beat Ohio State, and started binging Ted Lasso.
In December we started our Aldi Advent wine and cheese calendars, decorated for Christmas, celebrated my dad's birthday, and the Lions won a game. We mentored, flew to St. Louis for work, had quality time with my parents, and had a virtual happy hour with my team. We made a Christmas cocktail, cleaned and organized the kitchen, watched Christmas movies and G started using his new pans. We went to supper club and saw a living nativity on the way, I got my booster, and I hosted a Favorite Things Party. We watched all the Christmas movies, went for a night walk to see all the lights (and saw Santa!), spent Christmas with family, and started the new season of Dexter (and it's so good!). I started preparing for G's big 40th and the countdown to the big day began on Jan 1, we took snowy walks around the lake, and I created my 2022 vision board on Pinterest. We relaxed and rested up so we are ready for the new year with lots of hot tubbing, sleeping in and started The Morning Show.
By the numbers
1 game of ice bocce ball
1 new job
2 colds
1 swim in the rain
1 business trip
2 airplane rides
3 doses of the vaccine
3 mentee couples married
4 weekend getaways
3 meals on heated patios
3 night swims
40 books read
32 hours swimming
156 hours of walking Manny
4,080,204 steps
Countless days floating on the lake
Endless laughs and moments of being brave and creating the life I want
Whew! What a year!
I cannot wait to see what is in store for 2022!
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