“Life is amazing. And then it’s awful, And then it’s amazing again. And in between the amazing and the awful, it’s ordinary and mundane and routine. Breathe in the amazing, hold on through the awful and relax an exhale during the ordinary. That’s just living heartbreaking, soul healing, amazing, awful ordinary life. And it’s breathtakingly beautiful.” – L.  R. Knost

I have been working to get a yearend wrap up post done for oh, ever since the year ended. But as life would have it –I haven’t been able to line up brain function and time to work in my favor. Instead I have only had time to think –because even if you don’t have time to do anything else, you always have time to think…and think I have.

2015, I know, was not a favorite for everyone. There were a lot of ups and downs and a lot that happened that for many people that made the year one that wasn’t good at all. I am not ignorant enough to believe that it was a good year for everyone –but for me, 2015 was one of my favorite years in history. Of course, it is easy to say that now that it is behind us. But regardless of the pits and downfalls of the year, it turned out to be a pretty great year.

Earlier today I read the quote I posted at the top and had to agree. That quote right there sums up 2015, and well, 2016 so far. We are in the middle of holding on through some of those moments. Even though we are only a short 12 days into the year, things have been somewhat tough. But back to 2015.

The year of my dreams. The thing that made it most awesome, I think can be contributed to the fact that I visited seven different countries this year. I went to one country twice. Did two international road trips. Hung out with some of my favorite people. Made new friends. Traveled with said friends. I also had layovers in an additional country that I didn’t include on my list, and of course –frequented the good Ol’ USA.   I have seen some flat out amazing places. Visited some awesome country and seen things that I never dreamed of seeing.

To sum the year up I would simply use words. Worse such as awesome. Or perhaps names. Names such as Singapore, Australia, England, Italy, Ireland, Germany, Italy (again!), France.

Then of course I had to sort through my billion and one pictures that I took this year, because even though hardly any of them are frame worthy, and a lot of them aren’t even mine –there are some awesome memories summed up in pictures. As I sorted I relieved moments and memories and finally had to narrow my choices down to those which made me feel something. Those pictures that aren’t frame worthy yet sum up the moments, the year, the memories so well that I can take myself back to the very moment and drink it in.

Here are just a few of those amazing, mundane, ordinary and routine images that sum 2015 up so well.

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I miss my red hair!

These peeps made my year too!

These peeps!

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This picture easily ranks as one of my favorites

This picture easily ranks as one of my favorites

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This one made the Christmas card

Oh, this picture.

Oh, this picture.

Yes, 2015 you were good to us

Yes, 2015 you were good to us

This guy is all about the laughing...

This guy is all about the laughing…

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This was from Italy the second time. Venice, to be exact. While the picture itself isn't the best -the location will always be etched into my mind.

This was from Italy the second time. Venice, to be exact. While the picture itself isn’t the best -the location will always be etched into my mind.

The Fam

The Fam

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Carousels were a big hit with me in 2015

Carousels were a big hit with me in 2015

Ireland, Fat Face and Shades all in one photo!

Ireland, FatFace Apparel and Shades all in one photo!

 

A “Man named Earl” lived in a castle that Morgan and I visited. To quote Morgan: “Earl probably died falling down these steps!”

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Ah, 2015.  You were indeed, a wild ride.  I miss you already!

Categories: Life

I got back the 10th of December. Just in time to throw myself haphazardly into the festivities that surround this time of year. It has been pretty much nonstop Christmas since I got back and by the time the day actually did arrive? I think we were all pretty much ready to call it quits. Ok, maybe it wasn’t that bad. But still!

I started house sitting the night I got back. There was baking with friends. Shopping for relatives. Addressing 305,434,431 cards. Shopping for family. Trying to assemble the dinner, and breakfast…and then there was life, too. Still waiting to be had. And the fact that I hadn’t seen my family here for the past three months and everything was just one big ball of…stuff.

We got our tree up just in time (Christmas eve) and it will probably stay up until all the needles fall off and be haul a bare tree out to the woods.

My motto this year (and I believe last year too) was “Tis the season!” It was my answer to pretty much everything and anything. Computer deleting six months of business data? Tis the season! Let’s all be jolly!

My screen cap

My screen cap

The other day while talking to Amanda across the internet –I stumbled upon Google who was, apparently, all decked out for the holidays as well…but the phrase? “Tis the season!” I found it funny so took a screen cap to send to Amanda –who at the very same time was taking a screen cap of Google over in England. We both sent the files to each other at the same time…

Amanda's screen cap

Amanda’s screen cap

Tis the season indeed!

Same thing, same time

Same thing, same time

Christmas day was {mostly} uneventful. We had coffee, presents and all the holly jolly we could muster.

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Yoshi unwrapped a stuffed groundhog toy that sounded like a pig -she loves her some pigs.

It took her about five minutes to have the thing unwrapped and un-stuffed…

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But she hopes everyone got a groundhog to un-stuff!

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Mom pretty much has the best reaction ever when she opens presents.  It doesn’t matter what it is.

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Say what?  I was scared to open any more gifts after this one…worried that the second part of “Our” would pop out from under the tree.  Thankfully mom said she hadn’t seen the words -only the penguins.

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You can’t really tell from the pictures -but there is about ten inches of snow under Yoshi.  She took one look at the snow and turned and ran for the office.  Girl doesn’t like the snow this year!

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Yoshi and pig making a break for it.

…and now? It is all about trying to find that happy middle ground somewhere beneath ten inches of snow and ice. Trying to regain my footing here without losing my mind and trying to remember just what it was I did here before I left nearly four months ago. Ah, indeed.

‘Tis the season!

 

Morgan invited me to see her soccer game this evening -and I invited Nik along…

Me and sports don’t really get along.  Anytime a ball comes flying my way I tend to scream and duck…I played Volleyball earlier this year -that is the closest to playing sports as I have ever gotten.  I sat in the bleachers and attempted not to scream when the ball went whipping through the bleachers (because yes it did!)

I didn’t really know what I was looking at, but it sure was impressive…

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The last soccer game I was at were a bunch of three year old’s running around.  This game was a bit different!

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Even though I really had no idea what they were doing (I was doing good to remember whose goal was whose!) It was quite amazing to watch all their fancy foot work…

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I am not a big fan of watching sports -but if I had to pick one to watch it would probably be soccer.

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Of course, it could have something to do with the fact that I knew over half the players…but still!  The game was fun.

This was one of the few shots where a majority of the players were actually facing my way…of course it was also somewhat nerving because they were all running towards the bleachers!  Do I duck? Run?  Snap?

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I originally went to watch Morgan play (green team) but I knew half the players on the other (pink) team too…

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Of course it was also fun to watch Morgan get into it!

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In the end, the score was 5-1 with the pink team coming out on top.

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Well played, green (and pink) team!

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Sometimes,  you step into a random photo booth armed with a paper mustache and an empty popcorn container.  You don the popcorn container as a hat, put your ‘stache on and smile -you give it all you’ve got…and then you laugh for days to come.

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Upper left: The teeth.  Oh.  The teeth.  I will laugh for years to come. 

Upper right: That horrible moment when your popcorn hat falls off minutes before the camera snaps the picture.

Lower left: We got this.  We can behave.  Mustaches and all!

Lower right: …and then your sister’s popcorn hat falls off moments before the camera takes the picture, but she is more graceful and managed to prop it up while you dissolve into a pile of laughter because her hat fell off just like yours did.  

I think we rock the mustache!  The paper one, that is.

“We want to go for a bike ride” they said “It won’t be muddy at all!” they said.

It was a beautiful fall day -with the leaves blowing and all.  It wasn’t raining.  They secured a babysitter and away we went.

It was a little muddy -because that’s what you get the end of October!  There were some cows, some nettles (blasted things) and some conversations.  There was a quick lunch at a garden center -and then the dreaded ride home…because apparently -what goes down?  Must come up.  At least when you are biking.

It was a fun ride, however.  Yay for bike rides in the country!

See?  Not muddy at all!  Ha!

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Amazing views!

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Great place for some autumn portraits!

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Pulling some dangerous stunts and taking selfies while riding!

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Biking pictures

 

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And those blasted nettles…I rolled my jean keg up so it wouldn’t get caught in the chain.  It didn’t get caught in the chain, but I rode past a patch of nettles -and got a bunch of stings.  Eeks!

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…and of course, a crazy video…