{the new year}

The start of a new year always makes me reminisce of the year that just passed. Tim and I didn't have any huge projects, crazy vacations, or ridiculously exciting events, but we did have one heck of a year. In 2010 we laid low, going on small vacations, working on that beautiful yard, and hanging out with our favorite people. We had a few weddings to celebrate and babies to welcome. We have had in the past "the year of adulthood (2008)" and "the year of home improvement (2009)." I would call 2010 "the year of enjoyment." We were able to fully enjoy all of the hard work we had put into our home and our gardens.

I am hopeful that the new year will be as fulfilling as the last. Tim and I have a lot to look forward to. We jumped on the "Total Money Makeover" bandwagon. So far, we have successfully created a budget, an emergency fund, and at the end of this month, we'll be paying off our first loan. If we stay on track, we should have our loans paid off within the next year and a half. It's going to be tough, but it's something both of us are really excited about. !!!SPOILER ALERT!!! More exciting than our money makeover is the prospect of having a baby. We have been trying for about six months now and are more ready than ever to start our family. It's hard to really even put into words how excited we are.

On that note, let's take a look back at the past year so that we can begin to think about our future...

Our trip to Chicago last winter - the windy city is even windier in the middle of winter.

 Tim turned 27 and the boys from OC came to celebrate!

 

 Four our two-year anniversary we went to Hermann - one of our favorite places to go!

This time we stayed at the Hermanhoff Inn. We had a room with a wrap-around porch. 

The weather was beautiful, the wine was tasty, and the company was perfect.   

 

 Before we knew it, plants were popping up everywhere. Tim started his own greenhouse in the basement and grew SO MANY plants. (Honestly, I didn't think it would work, but he proved me wrong!) One of our favorite summer activities is soaking up sun on the patio with
the music playing and a good magazine or book in our hands.

 

 Neither Tim or I had ever been to Arkansas, so when we had a wedding to attend there, 

we thought we would make a road trip out of it. The part of Arkansas we went to 

wasn't very pretty, but the Ozark Mountains on the way were beautiful.

We spent Fourth of July at the lake with our family. Although we will never watch fireworks 

on the boat again (EVER), it was a Fourth of July that we will never forget. When we got home, I picked Mason up from the kennel and noticed he was sick. Long story short, he had bloat. We addressed it just in time and he recovered nicely, but it was a pretty scary moment for the two of us.

 

Tim sold his car and bought a scooter. It has to be the best and most fun investment we made all year.

We went to visit Carrie in August. This was our big vacation of the year. We had a blast - 

camping, hiking, and exploring. For Christmas, Tim got some camping gear and 

we're already planning our next trip.

We must drink a lot of wine. This is at a local winery (Lexington) where we ended up 

crashing a wedding. Unfortunately, we actually knew a few people in the wedding, 

so we couldn't pretend we were guests. 

We went with he Lozanos to Weston this fall. We went to the Big Red Barn and picked 

out pumpkins and then went on a brewery tour that ended in the amazing pub above. 

It was four (maybe it was five) stories underground.

 Tim see's Halloween as a time for dress-up, I see it as a time for decorating. 

I think Tim executed his Dos Equis man costume perfectly!