a look back on 2018

A new house, a two-year-old, and a trip to Hawaii were our big highlights of the year! Take a look back on our favorite moments from 2018.

Top Row (left to right): Our brand new house; a weekend getaway to the Big Apple; welcoming our nephew Archer to the family; and celebrating an unforgettable St. Patrick's Day

Middle Row: Celebrating Dad's retirement; finishing my first (and probably last) marathon; celebrating Mae's 2nd birthday; and celebrating Kevin and Kelsey's graduations

Bottom Row: Our once-in-a-lifetime family trip to Hawaii; spending some quality time with GranE and Batman at the beach; wearing our silly Moana-themed Halloween costumes; and making magical Christmas memories!

We just got back home today after 10 days of travel! We spent the last 5 days visiting Dan's family, and we are very glad to be back home after a stressful, rainy drive. We had a great time with GranE, Batman, Tim, David, and Colleen! We arrived Thursday afternoon and spent the evening opening Christmas gifts and enjoying a delicious dinner. Mae was very excited about her new books and her easel! She spent the rest of the visit creating masterpieces on the chalkboard. She also had to try on her new Batman shirt right away.

On Friday, GranE and Batman hosted a big party for the aunts, uncles, and cousins. Mae was sooo excited for the party and greeted everyone with a hug and a "Hello!! Merry Christmas!!" She also announced that she was going to do a "Nutcracker ballet show" for everyone. Dan commented that we probably have lots of unfortunate children's theater shows in our future. At least she had an audience of Hallmark snowmen for a while.

On Saturday, we went to the home of our former trivia buddies Kierston and Alan (and their two kids) for a pizza lunch. They moved away back in 2016 and it was so fun to see how their kids have grown and how they've settled into their new home! In the evening, we left Mae with GranE and Batman and went out for dinner and drinks with Tim, David, and Colleen. It was a fun evening!

Mae has been a little skittish (ok, terrified) around dogs recently, so we were interested to see how she would act around Pepper. While she still prone to tears when startled by Pepper's howls, she did warm up to her throughout the trip!

Sunday was our last full day before traveling, so we went to the zoo. We spent a long time watching the penguins, and of course had to see the giraffes (GranE's favorite) and the bird house (my favorite). Mae was absolutely fearless climbing at the playground and even went down the super tall slide by herself.

Thanks for a great trip to end the year, GranE, Batman, Tim, David, and Colleen!!