2019 year-in-review
I’m really amazed at how much we did this year! I blogged a lot of our highlights already but wanted to share a quick list of our favorite things from 2019. Happy new year (and new decade)!
JANUARY
We Konmari’d most of our house
Eric and I had a date night to Winter Jam
FEBRUARY
We went to the Needtobreathe acoustic concert in Ames and enjoyed dinner beforehand with our friends Jeff and Ashleigh. Needtobreathe is our favorite band of the past decade, and we have even been lucky enough to meet them a few times.
We went sledding as a family and had a blast!
I did another round of Whole30!
Tried hot yoga for the first time
Eric and I saw the musical Dear Evan Hansen. We loved it — it’s definitely in my top five. We still listen to the soundtrack regularly!
Rooney and Eric went to the Daddy Daughter Dance. Eric even braided her hair for the special night!
MARCH
For Rooney’s 7th birthday she invited a few friends for a sleepover at a hotel
We took a big spring break trip to Charleston (our kids’ first plane rides and first time at the beach!) to visit our friends Garrett and Lauren. It was a highlight of our year!
Unfortunately Eric broke his foot during our trip while playing basketball — his first broken bone!
APRIL
I heard about the curly girl method and decided it was time to embrace my curly hair. No one in our house uses shampoo anymore! This may not seem like a big deal, but it is probably the best, biggest change in my life this year!
Rooney and I ran a one-mile race together
We did our annual hotel water park weekend at King’s Pointe in Storm Lake. Always a fun time!
MAY
Eric and I were supposed to go to Omaha for the weekend but he got sick so his mom and I took the kids to Tulip Time. I’ve seen less people at Disney World but would do it all over again just for the poffertjes!
Walked in the MS Walk
Finch learned to ride a bike
Got a new rug, couch and fire pit for the deck
Sold our old minivan and bought a car for Eric — with cash!
Spent Memorial Day Weekend in Okoboji
JUNE
Went to an Iowa Cubs baseball game for Finch’s 4th birthday
Finch played t-ball
Cousin swim day in Ames
Rooney learned to ride a bike, which made family bike rides a lot faster and more fun!
Took our annual time capsule family photo
Went to my cousin Courtney’s epic wedding at the Iowa State Fairgrounds
I spent a girls’ weekend in Okoboji with my mom and sister
Eric biked 100 miles in one day for Bike MS (and 2,000 total miles this year)
Eric and I spent a weekend in Minneapolis — we saw our friends Joa and Andy, shopped at IKEA and the Mall of America, and went to Armchair Expert Live
JULY
We spent the Fourth of July and following few days in Okoboji while Rooney attended church camp for two nights. Our kids spent three hours one day swimming at the dock while we sat and watched…glorious!
Celebrated Eric’s grandma’s 80th birthday, then attended her funeral later that same week :(
We went camping with Eric’s dad — my favorite is tubing down the river!
AUGUST
Possibly my favorite event of the whole summer: National Balloon Classic
Spent nine nights in Okoboji for our official family vacation. We tried stand up paddle boarding for the first time and fell in love!
Had an amazing day at the Iowa State Fair
Rooney joined her first softball team
Rooney broke her wrist and spent a few weeks in a brace
Greater Grotewold Open (family golf tournament)
SEPTEMBER
I took the kids to the Omaha Children’s Museum
Eric and I saw the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team play in the World Cup Victory Tour in St. Paul. They are my favorite team since 1999!
Favorite family bike day: We biked 5.5 miles from home to lunch to a garage sale to a park to the ice cream shoppe and back home. I love that we are able to do this even though we live in the suburbs!
OCTOBER
Went to the pumpkin patch/apple orchard with my family
Eric and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary with a trip to Austin + Waco
Eric went on a guys’ trip to Green Bay with his brothers-in-law
Hay rack ride with friends
Pulled off our first family Halloween costume
Completed a whole year of intermittent fasting
NOVEMBER
We discovered we love family hikes — made it 2.6 miles without carrying anyone!
Jester Park weekend
Eric and I went rock climbing
Got a new dining room table and chairs
Hosted our first Friendsgiving
Eric passed three tests this year toward his CFP
Both kids passed a level in swimming lessons
DECEMBER
Had our annual family meeting
Wore matching family pajamas
Celebrated Christmas Day in our home for the first time ever