2015 Year in Review

Last year I started my end of year round up post noting that I started the post months ago and that I was sick. Seems like nothing changes because I could say the same thing this year as well. Looking back at last year's post and reviewing items for this post seems so far away. Was that really just last year? As far as this year, it's been a good one. Sure there have been some ups and downs, but I have no complaints. The year has reminded me that I am grateful for all that I have in my life. Life is good.

Health

It only seems fitting that I would start 2015 out trying to recover from an illness that lasted forever, to ending it with the stomach flu. Yay me! Luckily, this year wasn't all about being sick, well except for that virus in September with the lingering cough that lasted for a good two plus months afterwards. Meh, I was healthy for three quarters of the year which is about on par for me. Jesse and Riley also had their share of viruses, but over all stayed pretty healthy.

In other health news, I finally got connected to a dry eye specialist this past year. He provided me with a lot of answers, and a little relief. No miracles here, but it's nice to have some new options to try on my eyes. He also had me tested for Sjogrens (again) and turns out I still don't have it so that's good.

Loss

We had a few losses this year and I'd like to be able to avoid this category in the future, but since I have a lot of older relatives I'm guessing there's always the chance someone will pass away. My uncle, Barney, actually passed away on Christmas Eve of 2014, but he wasn't buried until March when the weather was better. We had a great celebration of his life with family and friends from MN, WY, and CA.

My neighbor and a long time friend of my dad's passed away. It hit both my dad and I in a scary way since it was so sudden. Denny had his health issues, ones we though might take him, but in the end it was his heart that gave way (after being sent home by the hospital saying he was ok). A reminder that life can change so fast.

And finally, my cat buddy, Diablo, died at the age of 17. I had a feeling this would be the year, but it was still hard to deal with. I can't tell if our other cat, Lucy, is better as a single cat or if she misses the companionship. She still poops all over, but she's taken over my lap for cuddling and will now sleep right next to me - all things that Diablo did and she didn't when he was around. Diablo was just a big presence in our daily lives and it's weird to not hear his motor purr or his little squeaks. That guy is missed big time.

Milestones

Riley celebrated her 5th birthday with 13 of her school friends. It was fun, but not something I want to do again. I don't mind big gatherings, but would rather not be outnumbered by small, wild children.

Riley also 'graduated' from preschool...

...and started kindergarten. We miss her old school, but she transitioned to kindergarten without any issues. Looking forward to the years to come in 'big kid's' school.

Another big moment this year was when Riley lost her 1st and 2nd tooth.

 Celebrations

The usual: Birthdays, Easter, Mother and Father's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas...

 Adventures

Probably my favorite 'big' adventure of the year was going to the Black Hills. Neither Jesse, nor Riley, had ever been so it was exciting to take this iconic trip with them - something I remember fondly from my childhood.

We also went to the North Shore...

... and had a visit from our Luxembourg family.

Smaller adventures included a visit to the Arboretum, the MN Zoo, Paddle boating at Centennial Lakes, and going to the State Fair with my company.

Extra curricular's

Riley started the year in dance, had a recital, and then switched gears to swimming classes. It was a rough start, but after two classes, and a shot of confidence, she loves swim classes and wants to grow up to be a swim teacher.

Photography

This was the year I started my project 52 where I took a picture each week - not something that's too hard for me, but it was intended to challenge me and it did. I also went on two photo walks with strangers which was completely out of my comfort zone, but I loved it and can't wait to do it again.

 

I did some practice photo shoots and also had some people hire me to take their pictures which was great, but confirmed to me that I like to take picture for fun and can't see myself ever going into business doing so (never mind that I still have much to perfect in terms of skill). Over all this has been another year of growth for this hobby of mine.

Other random stuff

I got rid of my smartphone and have absolutely no regrets. I live in the glory that my current phone can stay charged for 12 whole days instead of 12 hours. We had a leak fixed in our roof/deck door which led to redoing the deck altogether. We signed up for our first CSA which introduced us to some items we might not normally purchase. However, there were a number of items that we just never got to so it felt like we were wasting some food. Jury is out if we will do it again next year. I saw my friend, Ryann, after not seeing her for 9 years and it was like no time had gone by at all. Our sewer backed up three times and in the end, we were able to fix it after having a company come out twice and not resolve the issue. Oh, and we went to Disney on ice.

It was a good year, indeed. Looking forward to what 2016 has to bring.

New Year's Eve

We didn't have child care for Riley on Christmas Eve so I ended up taking the day off of work. Jesse had to work so Riley and I got some one on one time for a big chunk of the day.

We went outside even though it was quite cold. I thought Riley would start whining about the cold, but she loved playing outside. I pulled out her sand toys and she made winter soup and surprise winter meat. Num.

After our snow dinner we walked down to the ice rink. They are still working on the layers, but it was fun to slide around on in our boots. And even more fun to crack the ice, when possible.

That night we all went out to eat at what seems to be our New Years's Eve place, Christos. Some years we pick up take out, but this year we ate there.  Either way, it's always delicious. When we came home we read through our Feel Good jar. Surprisingly, our cat had a couple entrees and our Luxembourg family snuck in a couple which was a great treat. I feel like the jar has less items in it each year we do it, but I see that as a good thing as it started during a year I was struggling. It was a way to remind myself of the positive things in life. However, Riley's at the age where she totally embraces this and wants to share all the things that make her feel good. That, I can appreciate.

Obviously, the winter wasn't as brutal as the year before as there were waaaaaay less comments about how wonderful it was for spring to finally arrive. Surprisingly, there were a lot of comments about Diablo. Of, course I wrote most of them, but I just don't remember doing so and it's always heartwarming to hear Jesse write about our old cat. But my favorite comments were those from Riley... especially those in which she talks about Jesse and I. Such a special girl, that one.

Project 52 - The end - Week 52

52/52

I made it! I finished each and every week and I did it by the last day of the year (even if I didn't post by the last day of the year). I was debating about committing to another year of this as I wasn't sure I wanted to have to take a picture each week, but when I looked back at the pictures from this project, I realized that they pushed me to try new things and document life in a new way.

This week, I had an idea of capturing Riley throwing snow in the air. I didn't have the off camera flash I needed to capture this the way I wanted to, but I think there are still some awesome things I learned from doing this. My inspiration came from Kellie Bieser. Check out her Instagram for some of her pictures and a short video of her set up. Obviously, my pictures look nothing like her's, but ya gotta start somewhere.

First off, I learned it's possible to take a picture in front of my open garage and get a black background. Ok, it didn't start out that way, but between some in camera settings and some editing (think cloning out our bikes, etc) I was able to get the look I wanted without having to invest in a black background.

I also tried this with real snow and fake plastic snow. If I ever get that flash, I'll pull out the fake snow again. Real snow worked fine, but I liked the look that the fake snow provided. Glitter would also be fun even if it would leave a mess. I know Riley would totally be on board. Plus, it was freaking cold out this day. If I used fake snow or glitter, I could take this picture whenever I wanted.

And the best part was that Riley was a willing participant once again. That girl is such a trooper and I certainly wouldn't have finished this yearly project without her. That girl's the best.