These are always my favorite posts to write because I love looking back and reminiscing on all the good that happened.
This year was hard learning a new job (and so many budgets!), but as my therapist likes to remind me: "Who said it's not supposed to be hard? Is that a bad thing? Maybe it's supposed to be hard because that is how we grow, stretch and live in gratitude."
Mind. Blown. Isn't my therapist amazing? :) Going to therapy was the best thing I did this year. Mental health is important and I am proud of myself for doing the work to worry less and be more present in my life.
On to the recap!
In January we enjoyed snowy sunsets, had a sledding party at my parents' house, and celebrated Ella's eighth birthday. I did a fun gift a day countdown to G's birthday, had a nice lunch date with G, and celebrated G's FORTIETH birthday with lunch in an igloo. We spent a few days in Royal Oak at the cutest Airbnb, had my annual ophthalmology appointments, ate good food, and the sweet cashier at Trader Joe's bought G flowers. We ate Thai food and played board games per the birthday boy's request, I ate sushi with a friend, and we enjoyed some new TJ finds.
In February we organized our closets, had a snow storm, and I went out to dinner and drinks with my new work friend. We spent time with family, I decorated our tree for Valentine's Day, and watched all the Olympics. I finished my office bulletin board, we had a puppy play date, and G started building his Manchester United stadium. We celebrated 14 years of marriage, I hosted a cooking class for work, and it was very cold (but the sunsets were pretty!). We watched Encanto, spent time with family, and I had my first presentation at work.
In March I was knee deep in budgets, went to a much needed girls night, the lake started to thaw, and we sat on the porch for the first time this year. We watched Marry Me, enjoyed some good sunsets, the snow came back, and we tried a new Thai restaurant. The weather finally warmed up and I was able to work from the porch, grill, and we went to see Ella play soccer. I went into the office to meet with a supplier, we had our first boat citing of the year, and my SIL stayed with us for a few days and we took her to some of our favorite restaurants.
In April we had a nice family day, I crushed my phone in the couch, went through a heck an ordeal replacing it, had more snow, and pontoons started going into the lake. We spotted a bald eagle, had premarital mentoring, and went to sushi with friends. We spent a week in Traverse City eating delicious food, drinking good wine, relaxing, and spending quality time together. We started the final season of Ozark, lunched with a coworker, fought a nasty cold, and celebrated Easter with the family. I cooked tofu for the first time, got my walking buddy back, and went back into the office. We had spring like weather, I worked from the porch, Manny loved on our mentee couple, and I made breakfast burritos while G tackled the yardwork.
In May we went to dinner with our neighbors, started cooking with Hello Fresh, weeded the beach, and went to karaoke with my coworker. We celebrated Mother's Day with margaritas and a soccer game, had our first boat ride of the year with our neighbors, and I met Tony the Tiger. I had sushi with a friend, had my first swim of the year, and first float of the year. Sunrise walks with Manny started, annual doctor visits, first pedi of the year, purchased kayaks from our neighbors, and met up with good friends for dinner. G tilled the beach for the first time this year, I started therapy, got new kicks, and we had a fun sushi date night with friends.
In June we were on the lake floating and swimming, I burned my Aldi summer candles, and I spent a fun afternoon with my mom. We hosted G's work team, went for a boat ride with our neighbors, watched Top Gun, and continued eating Hello Fresh meals. I spotted a box turtle, lunched with a coworker, and we had a game night with our neighbors. Ella and Benny spent the weekend with us and we went out to lunch, ate ice cream, played Legos, hot tubbed and swam in the lake. A friend came over to float, hosted premarital mentoring, enjoyed the heat wave on the lake, and then got hit with a terrible bug that I was convinced was Covid (but after a trip to urgent care found out it was not). I spent the night at my parents', my mom drove me to the airport, and I spent a few days exploring Iowa, eating good food, and attending a quality audit. I got to see one of my very best friends while she was in town, enjoy a long weekend on the lake grilling and floating, and watched some good neighborhood fireworks.
In July we participated in our neighborhood boat parade, hosted my coworker and her husband for dinner and drinks, spent time on the lake, and celebrated Bennett's sixth birthday. We stocked up at Trader Joe's, worked my way through my summer reading list, went into the office, and went out for a supplier dinner. We went to our sweet mentee couples' wedding, went to sushi with a friend, and I headed up north for the ninth annual girls weekend. G and I started stretching in the mornings together, I went to Illinois for work, G cleaned out the garage, and we went for a boat ride with our neighbors.
In August I turned 39 and to celebrate G took me for cocktails and an epic steak dinner. We headed to Charlevoix for a fun family vacation. We stayed at a beautiful log cabin and spent lovely quality time together playing yard games, floating, chatting around bonfires, eating great food and listening (and watching) the loons. I went to a girls night, made a vision board as my lock screen, did Whole 30, presented 2023 budgets (by far the most stressful part of my job!) and G brought me home flowers for being brave. I went to happy hour with my coworkers to celebrate budgets being over, we started having the landscaping removed around our house, my family came over for a float, watched Elvis, and we jumped off our neighbors' boat to cap off another epic summer.
In September I organized and purged, went up north with our neighbors and we watched good movies, ate amazing food and savored the gorgeous weather. I went on a birthday trip with my mom to the cutest little town, we saw the most epic sunset, shopped until we dropped, swam in Lake Michigan, and ate and drank our way through Three Oaks. We explored New Buffalo, ate ice cream, had another beach day, had an epic sunset dinner, and explored St. Joseph. The landscaping crew finished and I'm still not over how good it looks. I decorated for fall, had margs and a bonfire with a mentee couple, and spent a weekend in the Hocking Hills area in the cutest cabin. We hiked Old Man's Cave, drank Ohio beer, and ate the most delicious loaded tots. We ate and drank our way through Columbus, savored the last few swims of the season, and chopped my hair. Our sweet mentee couple got married at Spartan stadium and it was the most fun day witnessing the most beautiful ceremony (with the most beautiful singing), eating and drinking our way through East Lansing, and dancing the night away.
In October I had my last swim of the year, saw boats leave the lake, added twinkle lights to my office, and finished reading The Worry Cure (life changing!!). We went to our neighbors' house for dinner, I binged RHOBH, Manny got fleas, G got COVID, and I had an all day work event that made me so thankful for my team. I went to lunch with a coworker, we (finally!) finished Ozark, had our first fire of the season, walked and had dinner with a friend. G grilled steaks on a warm evening, had a fun family day drinking margs, laughing, and watching Ella's soccer game. I helped my neighbor splash into 60, went to lunch with a few girls from work, went to our sweet mentee couples' wedding, and handed out full size candy bars.
In November we enjoyed unseasonably warm weather, meal planned and celebrated a great presentation that I was very stressed about. I had dinner with a sweet friend, got the Aldi wine advent calendar, and hosted dinners with mentee couples (have I mentioned how much I love this ministry?). I was reunited with one of my best friends for a fun afternoon together, had our first snowfall, decorated for Christmas, went to sushi with a friend, and celebrated Thanksgiving a little early with family. We went to our neighbors' house on Thanksgiving, hosted my parents, and starting watching The World Cup and White Lotus.
In December I had my last presentation of the year, cheered on the USA in The World Cup, joined a gym, and fell in love with pickleball. We had a movie night with our neighbors, played more pickle ball, made air fryer meals, and I had a productive supplier lunch meeting at the office. I went to a favorite things party, rocked my ugly Christmas sweater, and learned how to play Euchre. We swam, watched the most exciting (and stressful) World Cup final, and drove by Christmas lights. We watched all the Christmas movies, went to a Christmas party, had frigid temperatures and lots of snow. We tried out a new restaurant, made pineapple margaritas, watched The Lost City, and stocked up at Trader Joe's.
By the numbers
1 night swim
2 colds
2 airplane rides
3 business trips
3 mentee couples married
6 vacations
6 games of pickleball
46 books read
702 miles walked
Countless days floating on the lake
Endless laughs and memories made
Many moments of being brave and creating the life I want
What a year! I'm so thankful and so blessed.
Thanks for reading and following along with me, it means more than you'll ever know.
Happiest New Year! Cheers to 2023 and all the magic that's in store for us.
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