2017 Year in Review!!

December 2016

1. What did you do in 2017 that you’d never done before?
Buy a lake house!  Turn 40!

2. What are your New Year's Resolutions?
    (these are more goals for 2018)
work on Gavin's baby book!  (STILL haven't started it!)
Run ONE 5k
Get into a more regular workout regimen

3. What states/countries/cities did you visit?
South Carolina, Oklahoma City, Nebraska, Kansas City, Table Rock Lake, Mexico, Grand Lake, Branson.

4. What dates from 2017 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Gavin starting kindergarten!
Turning 40!
Finding the lake house!

5. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Reading 57 books.

6. What was the best thing you bought?
The lake house!  I anticipate lots of fun memories!

7. What song will always remind you of 2017?
Anything by Thomas Rhett!
Believer-Imagine Dragons
Heartache on the Dance Floor-Jon Pardi
Fix a Drink-Chris Jansen
Hand Clap-Fitz & the Tantrums

8.  What are some favorite memories of 2017 ?
Mexico!
Getting our lake house set up.
Thanksgiving in Omaha

9. What do you wish you’d done more of?
This is exactly my response from 2016.
We struggled this year w/ exercise!  :(  Exercise regularly-we struggled to keep at it.....we slept in a lot, only averaging about 3x/week.
More one on one time with Matt. We did a lot of group activities, and while they were all FUN, we need more time to ourselves for sure.

10. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worrying about friendships.

11. How did you spend Christmas?
In Hutch with Matt's family and my Mom.

12. What was your favorite TV program?
Scandal, Blacklist, Outlander, This is Us, Parenthood (binged during 2017!)

13. What was the best book you read?
Harry Potter!!!!!!  By far. I finally joined the last 20 years and read them and they are so good!

14. What was your favorite film of this year?
The Last Jedi-Not many are sticking out for me......I need to see more movies!!

15. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
40!!!  We were in Mexico with some GREAT and AMAZING friends and I spent the day at the beach/pool then a great mexican dinner complete with mini-oreos.  Perfect!!

16.  What is the greatest lesson learned in 2017?  
Negative energy is going to bring you down and it's okay to take a step back from it.  Friendships take work and effort, but it shouldn't FEEL like work and effort.  I spent a LOT of time and energy thinking and worrying about friendships this year.  There have been some shifts in friendships and that's ok, but still hard.

17.  Captivating news stories of 2017?
Trump's Presidency, Terror attack in Vegas, sexual harassment scandals.

18. Quote a song that sums up your year.
"Fast" by Luke Bryan
Sixty seconds now feels more like thirty
Tick-tock, won't stop, around it goesSand through the glass sure falls in a hurryAnd all you keep trying to do is slow it down, soak it inKeep trying to make the good times last as long as you canBut you can't, manIt just goes too fast

19.  Any final thoughts on 2017? 

It was a great year with lots of good, but looking back, it seems overshadowed somehow by the struggles with friendships.  Shifting friendships are hard and I definitely struggled with it, but hoping to let that go and move on for a good 2018!!  

20. What do you look forward to most for 2018?

Baseball season for the boys!  Trip to SC to see Sherri, lake trips, enjoying this amazing age with the boys.  They're lots of fun right now!  

December 2017

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New Year's Eve at the Lake!

We decided to head to the lake house for the long New Year's weekend.  We still have PLENTY to do, and knew the kids would enjoy some time away.  The sunset that weekend was breathtaking.  

 It was COLD out that weekend; the boys spent plenty of time on the couch watching TV.  

Not all play this trip......we were getting stuff done! 

 New Year's Eve......Chiefs vs Broncos....gotta gear up for the WIN! 

 While the boys watched movies and played games that evening, the grown ups played cards, had cocktails, and were ready to ring in 2018!! 

 Apparently the boys were ready to party too...

 A family picture!  Yay!!  

 What a fun group to bring in the new year!  We had an awesome weekend! 

New Year's morning.....

Here's to 2018....can't wait to see what the new year brings for us! 

Merry Christmas 2017!!

Christmas Eve, we traveled to Hutch to spend the holiday with Matt's family!  Chief's game on in the background.....time to open presents!!  The kids were a little excited!

We were so happy to have Mimi spend the weekend with us as well!  She was able to to teach Canasta to the whole group......we have some card sharks in our midst! 

A family picture.....not a great one, but we did it! 

 The cousins!  <3 p="">

Demi (11), Logan (8), Steele (16), Mason (10), Gavin (5), Bradley (11), Lawson (13)

 Time to hang the stockings by the fire with care!  

 Santa came!!  An xbox one, some games, and other goodies for the boys!   

 Mason delving right into his gift! 

 Gavin slept in, but finally woke up to find his haul! 

Time for cards!!!!  Mason learned how to play poker! 

It was a beautiful holiday and wonderful time with family!!  <3 3="" p="">

Merry Christmas!

If we had sent out cards, this is what it would have looked like.  So there ya go.  :)  

 and had to include the Wreaths Across America at Dad's site. 

Gingerbread houses!

Kindergarten gingerbread houses!  It's always a bit crazy, we were so glad Mimi was able to join us for the fun! I'd love to know the ratio of candy applied to the houses vs ingested.  Sugar em up and send em home! 

 I always buy the boys one to do at home as well......I only buy one, because I want to force them to work together...so here they are planning.  

 aaaaand the finished product. Hmm....pretty sure they went with a minimalist design in order to eat the leftover candy.  Next year, I may just skip the house and buy them candy and frosting?  

 Logan's class chose buildings around the city to create in their gingerbread village. Logan and his partner chose Andover Family Medicine!  

 It turned out so cute!  Then they were able to Skype with a class in Wisconsin and show them around their village!  

Ugly Sweater party, garage woodworking and our 1st Band concert!

Think we nailed the 'ugly' at the ugly sweater party!  

With 1/2 of the winners of 'Best Ugly Sweater!', April!

 The ladies of the evening.  I could NOT stop laughing that night. Sometimes that's the best thing for the soul!  

Jana, Kasa, Andrea, AD, Ashley, Jami

Janiece, April, Me, Brooke, and Kelli

 Matt, Chris, and Kris.  Pretty ugly!  :)  It was a FUN evening with the best of friends! 

 Much of December was spent with Matt in the garage building for the lake house.  Two sets of bunk beds, coffee & sofa tables.......He loved it.  

and we got to see Mason's trombone performance debut!!!  They did a great job!  Considering 3 months ago, we were bringing it home in the backseat....to playing an ACTUAL song!  Great job Mason!

Maggie came back!

Maggie was a little late in her arriving, then it took a while to get a photo of the boys in their jammies....they kept wearing them on different nights!  But here they are:  EMOJI pajamas!  Couldn't get more perfect.  

I tell ya, this Christmas, I feel all out of sorts and behind.  I'm not, really, just feel rushed, and hectic, and like something has to give this year.  It's going to be Christmas cards and baked goods for friends.  I hate giving up cards, because I genuinely love giving and receiving them, but the $$ it will save and we didn't get the chance to take a picture for several weeks.  Anyway, it's ok....I called uncle and did what I could!