January started off our year with some seriously cold weather (nothing like we're finishing 2015 with). We had a pretty quiet January, spending a lot of time at home. Eric's Dad improved enough to be discharged from the hospital about mid January so we spent a lot of time getting him settled. We capped off the month with Eric's 31st birthday.
I think we must have gone into hibernation until the end of February when things heated up with my 30th birthday and our ski trip to Gatlinburg where we got stuck in an ice storm on the way up and had to spend my birthday night in a hotel in Fort Payne, AL playing cards and other games with our group of friends we were with. February also started my
At the foot of Ober Mountain in Gatlinburg
We stayed busy nearly every weekend in March. It was the height of Eric's crappie fishing season and I spent almost every weekend cheering on my dancers at competitions around the area.
The weather finally got pretty again in April and we took full advantage of it heading down to the beach to spend "Spring Break" with my aunt and uncle and cousins as well as his brother and family on the Gulf Coast (Part 1, Part 2). The water may have been a bit chilly while were there, but the sunshine made everything alright. We also made the decision to plant a backyard garden, which Eric dug in less than 5 mins.
He had plenty of supervision =)
We finally got the pool opened the first of May and started enjoying a little hint of summer. I had my dance recital the second weekend and then things heated up with softball. We finished up the month with Memorial Day in Panama City Beach with Mom and Dad and a few days in Orange Beach to see Eric's brother and his family.
June came and went quickly, starting with a work trip for me to Dallas, Texas. Our little garden that we planted was starting to take off this month, so I was able to share a few recipes we made with fresh produce that we grew (1, 2). The month ended with an addition (temporarily) to our house and a permanent addition to my parents' house as we picked up sweet little Maggie Sue.
In July, we said see you soon to Maggie Sue and sent her to her new home with my parents. We spent a very soggy 4th of July at the lake, but I finally got to paddleboard so I was excited! A couple of weeks later my Mom's entire family descended on my grandparents' house in Indiana for a fantastic weekend together and one of my most favorite places in the entire world. We capped off our July with our 5th Wedding Anniversary and an absolutely delicious dinner at Acre.
In August we (literally) kicked off another football season with our football family with our third annual cookout at our house before the season started. Eric trekked to Colorado with his brother for his first antelope hunt and brought home a trophy, while I stayed inside most of the month, trying to stay cool.
September was a tough month for us, and one in which I did very little posting on this blog. I had a lot to say but a lot going on and just couldn't find the time or words to say what I wanted to say. We lost my sweet Grandma Kathryn in mid-September, so I made the trip to Arkansas to be with my family for a few days and say good-bye. It was a tough trip, but really wonderful at the same time. It had been years since my Dad's family had all been together, and it was so great to see them all again. We spent an entire night sitting in the family room we'd spent so much time in as kids, telling stories and favorite memories about my grandparents.
The day of my grandma's funeral I got a call from Eric saying he was going to the doctor because he thought he had appendicitis. Eric never goes to the doctor so I knew it was pretty serious, I ended up coming home a day early to be with him. The doctor sent him home with antibiotics, but a week later he was back at the hospital having it removed. Lucky for us, it had not ruptured and he was back on his feet after a couple of weeks.
Enjoying the game at our old stomping grounds.
December was spent prepping for the holidays. Eric duck hunted the first couple of weekends in December, giving me plenty of time to get the house decorated. I got tacky at my work Christmas Party, and we ended the year with 3 different Christmas celebrations (Round 1, Round 2, Round 3), having a blast spending lots of time with both of our families.
Who doesn't love a family clad in plaid?
I don't want to say that 2015 was a rocky year for us because there were so many wonderful things that we go to see and do this year, but this year certainly had its fair share of trials and tribulations. I am excited to see what 2016 holds for us! Looking ahead I feel like it has a lot of potential to be absolutely wonderful and I hope that holds true!
Happy New Year and here's to 2016!
