Tag Archives: recap

2018

2018.

This year was much quieter than recent years, we didn’t have a baby, or move, or start or leave jobs. Ander had his preschool and he has learned and grown. I’ve really settled in and fallen in love with being at home in this season of life. I love the routine of the weekly grocery trip, mornings at the park, hitting up the McDonald’s play place, and trips to the zoo. We have some great little friends and we get to meet pals at houses and parks. Last year, I had the goal to have more outings as a family, I made it a priority and we had lots of fun.

Travel

NOLA

I hit up New Orleans three times in 2018. My grandma seeing my kids has become something I feel very passionate about. I want them to have memories of their Gigi. She turned 90 this year, and she is still the classiest lady I know.

Greenville, NC

My cousin Ashley got married in February. She and her mom did all the details with my wedding. It was a treat to see how she styled her own Winter Wonderland. Wish I’d taken more pictures.

Perdido Key, FL

My parents, grandma, sister, brother, brother in law, husband and kids all spent a week in Florida. I did yoga at the studio where I did my teacher certification. JMO and I went on a date to the restaurant we had our rehearsal dinner and our first two anniversary dinners. Gretta loved digging the sand, Ander loved the ocean and the pool, and it was just a sunny delight.

Tuscaloosa, AL

Emily was an event coordinator for a nonprofit called Arts and Autism. She planned their art auction and show. My mom and I jumped on a plane and went to her event. Seeing Emily be a boss babe was thrilling, my baby sis is a real grown up and running the show. She just moved back to Texas and I am so grateful that we will get more time with her.

Dallas, TX

3 times? I think I’ve lost count. Having a niece is just a pull north. Baby Blakely is adorable and we love her parents oh so much (JMO’s brother and his wife).

 

San Antonio, TX 

These kids gotta see their grandparents. We went a few times, I have no idea how many times…

Home

Toys everywhere, but it’s nice here.

Didn’t fully realize how much we had traveled until I started typing!

Fitness

I put my yoga pants on and stretched my limbs. I’ve been doing more barre lately because the times work better for me. The best way for me to get in a workout seems to be before the rest of my family wakes up. Movement and stretching are needed in my life, grateful they are back.

 

It was a lovely year. Adios 2018.

2017

2016

2015

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2013

2012

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2010

2009

2008

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2017

2017

This is the 10th year of JMO and I have done a yearly recap. His can be found at jmo.me.

In the news, this year has been rough. At my home, this year has been beautiful. Our baby girl was born at the end of March. Gretta is happy and makes us all smile. Ander loves to take toys from her and give toys to her. Ander has become quite the hilarious child, at 2, he loves to recite the alphabet and sing songs. We read lots of books, go on walks, play at the park, and rock puzzles.

Staying home

I decided to stay home with the kids this year. I worked a little over a year in a school library, I know when I go back to work, that is where I want to be. This season of little ones is incredibly short. Gretta was a frequent flyer at the Children’s Hospital in her first few months, that has thankfully slowed down. She’s pretty good right now, but I want to be the one who goes to appointments with her. Ander is doing Mother’s Day Out, it is fun pick him up and see what he is up to. He’s seriously a little sponge and loves his school.

Family

My little sister graduated college this year. Being ten years older, I’ve gotten to watch her grow up. I’m quite proud of that girl. I gained a sister-in-law and a niece this year, its pretty awesome to have more girls on JMO’s side, his mom and I were outnumbered for quite some time. I’m eager to watch our kids grow up together and am thankful for wonderful family role models for our kids. We were able to have Gretta meet her namesake (my amazing grandmother) in June. And were able to see my grandmother again over Thanksgiving when we went to my brother’s. We feel very lucky in the family department.

Fitness

I’m back at yoga. I love it. I don’t go several times a week like I did before kids, but getting to go once a week is a treat right now. I’m running some…. mostly stopping the stroller at the park, but I gotta start back somewhere.

In 2018…

Now that I’ve been home a few months, I feel like I’ve gotten into a bit of a groove. Gretta is bigger and Ander is in need of more adventures! I’ve got a list of parks and museums I want to hit up in the next year. I’d like to plan ahead and go on more dates with my husband and make an effort to have more family outings. We love playing with toys at home and in our backyard, but we need a little adventure too! Maybe I’ll run some more too, we’ll see how the year goes.

 

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

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2016 Recap

2016

This is the 9th year of JMO and I have done a yearly recap. His can be found at jmo.me. Looking back, I’m sad to see my last post was my 2015 recap. I love that I have my recaps and stories saved in one place, hopefully I will be compelled to write more stories in the future!

In the last year…

Work

I got a call out of the blue for a librarian job at a nearby elementary school. I wasn’t expecting to go back last spring, but the opportunity wasn’t one I could pass up. The position had been vacant for a chunk of the school year, so it has been quite an adventure cleaning up the library. But, I’ve really been able to make it my own. Ander’s Bebe, retired last year too. Ander gets to spend his days with his dad and grandmother.

Grandparents

My grandfather passed away early this year. He was always someone I wanted to impress. I loved his enthusiasm for anything I cooked or baked. I’m grateful for a childhood full of visits where he took me to the pool, bowling, museums and wherever else he thought kids might like. He lived a long life, had a wonderful family, and went on amazing adventures. My grandma now lives in New Orleans. It is a little closer than Florida, so we’ve been able to scoot over there every few months.

Ander turned 1

Ander is one hilarious child. He is so eager to explore, make messes, and get hugs. He never has time to sit and snuggle, there is to much to be done. It is hard to remember life before parenthood.

Brother’s Wedding

My brother got married this past summer. My brother is loved by everyone who meets him, so meeting many of his friends at the wedding was a lot of fun. There is something amazing about interacting with people that all traveled to watch two people we all love for different reasons come together. JMO, Ander, and I were all in the wedding. Timing naps around wedding events was something I had never pondered before having a one year old!

 

Family

We had lots and lots of family time this year! My family took a trip to Florida, we went to Galveston for a few days with JMO’s family. We travelled to my brother’s wedding and we travelled to my brother’s for Thanksgiving. Ander had both sets of grandparents and all his uncles at his first birthday. There were lots of weekend visits from my parents and lots of meals with JMO’s parents. We are very grateful for our loving and generous families!

In 2017…

Baby #2

We are expecting our daughter at the end of March. I can’t wait to see Ander’s reactions to having a sibling. I’m excited to meet our newest family member. I’m sure 2017 will be full of diapers, toddler chasing, and time at home!

2015

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2013

2012

2011

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2015

2015. This is the 8th year JMO and I have done a yearly recap. JMO’s is on his blog jmo.me. Every year I feel grateful for all that has transpired the previous year. Every year I feel like a lot happened, this year is no different, it was a glorious year.

ANDER!

IMG_5008We had the best baby boy in the whole world on June 24, 2015. Holding Ander in my arms is the most satisfying thing I have ever done. The feelings of parenthood are hard to convey, he has brought us so much joy. I love watching JMO with him, both of their faces light up when they look at each other. It is incredible to watch our families with Ander too. He just brings out the best in everyone!

Yoga Teacher Certified

While living in Florida, I completed a 200 hour yoga teacher certification through Navarre Living Yoga. I loved this studio and these women. There were certain postures I couldn’t do while pregnant, but I think the amount of yoga I did during made for a pretty easy pregnancy.

Masters in Library Science

I’m so ready to have my own library. Cross your fingers some lady retires soon!

Bought a house & moved back to Texas

Our time in Florida was unforgettable. I miss the waves and our balcony and running my hand through the sand. We came back in early August, and ping ponged between both our parents house until the house was ready at the end of October. It took longer than we expected, sharing a room with our baby was challenging at times. But, it was nice to have dinner nightly with our families and have extra hands to help with our new guy.

Grandpa turned 90

Being able to have our 5 week old son attend my grandfather’s 90th birthday was amazing. If we’d been in Texas, we probably wouldn’t have made the trip. Grandpa’s 90 years, 5 kids, 15 grandkids, and 3 great grand children is something to marvel at. If only we all might be so lucky.

This year was amazing. Things have been good.

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

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2014 was pretty glorious

For the last few years, JMO and I have sat down and reflected and blogged about the previous year. JMO’s post for this year is right here. He has pretty good things to say. At the end of the year, it always seems surprising to acknowledge how much really happened!

  • I took some time off from teaching. In June, I packed up my classroom to prepare for our move. I really loved the school where I worked, and it was hard to leave. But, I know I’ll have a home there if I have the chance to go back!
  • Took a trip to Fredericksburg with my good gal pals in the spring. It was an escape from life and a chance at quality friend time before life changes for all of us.
  • IMG_3184We moved to the beach in June! JMO and I rented a condo in Navarre, Florida. We see my grandparents every week. We had company most of the summer and have really enjoyed getting to be part of our friends and families vacations. The view is wonderful and the town is small and quiet. JMO and I get to spend lots of time together and lots of quality time with my grandparents and family that comes to see them.
  • IMG_4214I was able to put my feet in the Pacific Ocean and visit the Jackson’s in Oregon. It was a relaxing and outdoorsy week with my oldest friend.
  • IMG_3958I turned 30. It was pretty fab, great weekend in New Orleans with great friends. I think I’ve done pretty well in my first 30 years.
  • IMG_4043I interned at a middle school and a primary school library this fall. Two more classes and I’ll have a master’s degree in May.
  • JMO and I are having a baby. I’m loving getting to talk to my grandparents so much and share part of this experience with them.

IMG_4459This year was a little different for us, but I’m extremely grateful for this chance to spend quality time with family and my husband. Life will be very different again this time next year, as was 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, and 2008.

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2013: A year of joyous occasions

2013 was a year filled with change and fun. Over the last several years, December 31st has become a day of reflection. It is a great day in which I look at years worth of pictures and feel lucky. In the past, I’d spend sometime looking at blog posts, but my blog did not get a lot of action this year. There wasn’t much time for sitting still this year, and I hope to make more time for that next year.

Getting married was a HUGE part of this year. I was able to spend lots of time with those  I love in preparation for the wedding. Two of my good friends also got married in 2013, so the year was filled with showers, bachelorette parties, and quality friend time. So here it goes, the BEST of 2013!

  • Lauren’s wedding was so lovely. We had a fantastic time on a girl’s weekend in Fredericksburg, we went out on the town in Houston, and her wedding was perfect. 
  • I got to spend Spring Break in Florida with my mom, JMO’s mom,  sister, aunt, and cousin planning out our wedding. We rented a little house and visited the church, looked at flowers, met photographers, and ate cake. My Aunt Rhonda and Ashley had a lovely vision for my wedding. It was really wonderful to spend so much time with these women. 
  • Our friend Caren took beautiful engagement photos of us that we will cherish for a lifetime. 
  • Abra and Mike got married! We were able to spend the weekend in Austin and got some quality time with our pal Mikhail too!
  • My baby sister graduated high school! 
  • Bachelorette Weekend!! I love my friends. They are the best of friends. We had a phenomenal time. Thank you ladies!
  • OUR WEDDING! Best part of this fantastic year. We rented a beach house and our friends all stopped by for visits!
  • Emily tagged the graffiti bridge!
  • We had a little BBQ at the house for everyone who had made it to town. It was good to see everyone early.
  • The rehearsal and rehearsal dinner were both pretty surreal. It is such a strange feeling to have people from all parts of life together. It was hard to not be overwhelmed by how far everyone had traveled to be there. 
  • The wedding itself was a whirlwind. It was such a joyous day. We have some pretty fantastic people in our lives. 
  • The honeymoon in Jamaica was a great trip. We ate lots, and swam, and drove dune buggies. It was a really really really great trip. I’m ready to go back tomorrow. 
  • Leah’s bachelorette weekend in Gruene was a great time with friends.
  • Leah’s wedding party was a pretty fantastic time too! 
  • Emily went off to the University of Alabama and I was able to journey with my parents to get her moved in. 
  • We moved to a house closer to my school. I’ll miss our place in Midtown, but it is nice to spend less time in the car. 
  • We went back to Florida for Thanksgiving. That was a lot of quality time with family.
  • Michael graduated nursing school. 
  • I’m made it through another semester of graduate school. I learned again that 6 hours plus a full time job is a lot to take on.
  • I made it to Christmas break! 

And I just realized why I was so run down for the last leg of 2013. I did a lot this year! This year was absolutely unforgettable. Now as I rest and recuperate and enjoy the rest of my break, I can reflect upon how lucky I’ve been. 

 

Recaps from the past: 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, and 2008

 

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