Year in Review / 2013

Another year in the books. It may have not been as eventful as last year when we bought a house, got married and honeymooned. But, it was still a year of many blessings. I thought I’d take some time to reflect on the adventures, challenges and the little moments in between of 2013.

New York City . March

Jess, Paige, Mom and I decided to take a little spring break trip to New York City. It was a great time experiencing all the sights, sounds, smells (the good ones anyway!) and tastes of the Big Apple with some of my favorite people.

Congratulations, Jessica & Paige . May

In May, both of my sisters entered the real world! Jessica graduated with honors from Drake University Law School. Paige graduated from University of Northern Iowa with a degree in Public Relations. We celebrated with some good food and libations. I am proud of them both!

Races . June & August

In June, I ran my second Dam to Dam. The training this spring was not desirable. Wet, cold and windy weather coupled with closed trails made it a little harder than last year. However, it all paid off in the end with a good run. I ran 1:53:01 last year and improved my time to 1:51:20 this year. Not a monumental improvement but I'll take it! I really love the course and atmosphere of this race.

In September, I ran my first 10K as part of Cedar Falls' Park-to-Park race series. When training for longer races, I often find my pace for 6-mile runs to be the same as my pace for 12-mile runs. I wanted to prove to myself that I could run a faster pace for a shorter race. I prepped with some 400-sprint training. It sure brought back some memories to be back on a track running sprints. I’m a little slower this time around, however! I believe the hard work paid off as I ran a 8:41-mile pace for a time of 53:57. 10K races are hard to come by, but I think I'll continue to seek them out in the future.

A hug from Keith . November

On a last-minute whim, Mom decided to look for tickets to the Keith Urban concert in Des Moines. What she ended up finding was three, second-row, first section seats. So, to Keith we (Jess, Mom and myself) went! This was my fourth time seeing him and their fifth. Why see a musician so many times you may ask? Well, whether or not you are a Keith fan, there is no denying he is a great performer. He really puts it all out there in order to give his fans one helluva show. My favorite part is watching him work over those guitars of his!

Since we've been to Keith so many times, and the sequence of Keith's shows tend to stay the same, we generally knew where he was going and when. So, when we saw Keith begin to depart the stage and make his way to the back of the arena, we knew this was our opportunity to get up-close-and-personal with him. And, boy, did we ever... Keith ended up giving all three of us big hugs. Not just hugs...but BIG, bear-like HUGS! It was pretty awesome! Because Keith is so good to his fans, I'm a fan for life.

Kyle's Transplant . November

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my friends Kyle and Stephanie had a life-changing event happen to them this year. Kyle received a double lung and kidney transplant in November. The journey to recovery will be long, but he is a fighter, and I'm confident he will soon again be his healthy self. I am so happy he received this second chance at life. Kyle and Stephanie are never far from my thoughts.

Summer Trips

Typically our summers are filled with weddings. This year, we didn't have a single one. And, to be honest, it was kinda nice. With our free weekends, we were able to take a few trips here and there. Below is a recap of the places we went and the things we did.

Minneapolis . June

In the past, my family has typically gone to Minneapolis for one of two reasons – the Mall of America or Valley Fair (or sometimes both!). A few years ago, Uncle Nick and Aunt Jodi moved to a suburb of the cities. Since we don't get to see them often and always enjoy when we do – Ryan and I decided to take a trip up there to see them. While there, we took in a Twins game. Although the Twins lost, and it rained on us, it was still a good time.

We also went to Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers in concert. One thing I've never been ashamed to share with the world is my love for Tom Petty. I love, love his music. Mom used to jam to TP while we were growing up, so there really wasn’t a chance that I wasn’t going to be a fan. At the concert, the stage set-up and lighting was simple … but there was no need for special effects or videos, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were all we needed. And they did not disappoint. The performance rocked!

The weekend ended with brunch on Sunday with Ryan's aunts and uncles, Laurie, Connie, Paul and Rick. It was great being able to see all our Minnesota-based extended family in one weekend! We hope to visit again soon.

Fishing Trips . August

Ryan, Mom, Dad and I decided to go on a long-weekend fishing trip to Lost Island near Ruthven, Iowa. We rented a cabin, borrowed Uncle Jim's boat and prepped our fishing poles. We were ready to catch some fish! Unfortunately, the fish didn't get the memo. Not only did we not catch any keepers, we hardly got any bites! The locals said that the fish had stopped biting about two weeks prior to our stay. Bummer. We weren't going to let this damper our trip. Instead, we kept ourselves busy with other activities. We played yard games and cards and Mom and I went on a run. We even returned to civilization to enjoy a steak dinner and miniature golf. All in all, it was a great time with family.

Ryan and Dad also went on their annual fishing trip to Lake Pickerel, South Dakota, with a group of their friends. They had a lot more luck than we had – catching their limit most days. The group is planning to have a fish fry of their catch in January. Can't wait to eat some of that yummy Walleye!

Our first anniversary . September

In case you didn't catch our anniversary trip details, check out this post. The trip was a fun and relaxing way to celebrate our first year of marriage. The first year was a happy one. Many blessings and laughter.

Denver . September

Ryan and I ventured to Denver to enjoy a Broncos game with our friends, Kara and Cam. It was a great long weekend away! I'm now anxious to see how the Broncos do this playoff season.

Other happenings

Babies!

We found out that Ryan and I will have another niece or nephew come April. Jessica and Brian are expecting baby #3. The whole family is excited, especially big brother Will and soon-to-be big sister Mya. They aren’t finding out the gender, so it will be a surprise for all. My bets are on a boy!

Our close friends, Craig and Jacque, Matt and Trina, Dustin and Sarah and Ryan and Melissa, each had a baby this year. Quinn was born in January, August in May, Zooey in October and Lillian in December. There will be babies to meet in 2014 as well with Craig and Jacque, Steve and Abby and Matt and Lindsay, each expecting their second. Congrats to all!

Fitness

This winter I've decided to take a break from running. It will probably be the longest break I've taken in more than 10 years. I hate treadmills and running on an indoor 50-meter track isn't really cutting it for me anymore, so I decided to try something new. I've been doing some cardio fitness classes along with hot yoga. The hot yoga isn't an advanced version so it suits me just right. I really do like it. I usually end up sweaty – yet relaxed. Once the weather gets warmer, I'll hit the trails again. But until then, I'm enjoying these new challenges.

Speaking of challenges, Ryan has been doing the P90X workouts for several months now. He has been dedicated, rarely missing a workout. And it is paying off. I'm enjoying this firmer, stronger version of my husband!

Happy New Year!

We are blessed to have another healthy, happy and eventful year behind us. Looking forward to what 2014 will bring! Happy New Year to you and yours!