Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Eff Yeah 2013

In keeping with tradition, I am sitting down on December 31 to look back on 2013. (Take a look back at 2011 and 2012 if you wish) For a few months now I have been thinking I cannot wait for 2013 to be over. Lots of hard things have happened in the last few months and I have just been dying for a breath of fresh air. Here's to hoping 2014 has exactly that and much more in store! That said, there was a lot of awesome that took place in 2013 and one of my goals was to keep track of things all year long (thus making this list much easier to write!), so here it is, straight from my iPhone notes to you lovely people.

Eff Yeah 2013 
January

  • Housewarming Party
  • Successful no unnecessary spending month (ALL the dollars saved!!) 
  • Joined a (short-lived) book club
  • Passed my Praxis 3 pedagogy tests to obtain my five year Minnesota teaching license

February

  • Successful no alcohol month (many dollars saved!!)
  • Winter trip to Ilse's cabin in Nisswa, Minnesota
  • Minnesota Restaurant Week 
  • Indeed Brewery tour

March

  • Summit Brewery tour on St. Patrick's Day morning
  • MALLasana - giant yoga class in the rotunda at the Mall of America with Maria
  • Weekend in Sheboygan with Joe and Michael for March Madness

April

  • National Council of Teachers of Mathematics conference in Denver 
  • Long weekend in Denver with Aunt Susie
  • Organized a 20 person summer kickball team at Lake Nokomis
  • Accepted to and attended first ever Cities 97 Singles Mixer with Jess
  • Got my financial life in order, acted like an adult and met with a financial planner
  • Surly Brewing tour with Mom and Dad
  • Twin Cities Ultimate Frisbee spring league with Ilse

May

  • Needtobreathe in concert at the Orpheum Theater
  • Sara Bareilles in concert at Cedar Cultural Center
  • Run or Dye 5K with Liz and Joe
  • Bought a new bike!! Hello Twin Cities bike trails :) 
  • Learned to operate a grill without blowing anything/anyone up
  • Kenny Chesney and Eric Church in concert at Miller Park with Joe, Megan and Katie

June

  • Started grad school for a Masters in Education at Hamline University 
  • Grand Ole Day with the family 
  • Danny's high school graduation and open house
  • Music in Mears Park on Thursday nights
  • Minneapolis movies in the park

July

  • Impromptu Fourth of July trip to Las Vegas
  • John Mayer in concert (for the first time in years) with Katie and Evan at Summerfest
  • Week with the family at Madden's in Brainerd, Minnesota 
  • Rented a pontoon and spent the day on Gull Lake for Michael's 21st birthday
  • Worked the Basilica Block Party beer tent with Mom and met Oake and Keri
  • Matt Nathanson at Basilica Block Party with Mom
  • River Falls Days with Tim, Jamie and Andrew
  • Brett Young in concert in Santa Monica with Kelsi, Sam and Aaron
  • Birthday party with friends and a princess castle in our backyard
  • Second birthday party with California friends
  • Two week road trip with Kelsi along West Coast - California, Oregon and Washington
  • THREE new baseball stadiums visited - Los Angeles Angels, Oakland As, San Francisco Giants
  • Drove through the Redwood Forest
  • Hiked the Columbia River Gorge
  • Dinner in the Space Needle with Papa and Paula
August

  • Baseball road trip with Joe to Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals, and Chicago White Sox
  • Successful no coffee month (many more dollars saved!!)
  • PLC Workshop with three coworkers in Lincolnshire, Illinois

September

  • Year five of teaching!!! 
  • Worked as a SIOP instructional coach and PLC leader at school 
  • Celebrated Jenny and Justin's wedding
  • Organized the first school "night out" of the year at a Twins game
  • Overnight with all students and staff at Camp Courage to kick off the school year
  • North Shore weekend with the family
  • Purple Ride Twin Cities to raise money for pancreatic cancer research

October

  • Celebrated Tim and Jamie's wedding
  • Halloween weekend in Madison with all three brothers
  • Started Soup Club at school

November

  • Two back-to-back nights of Matt Nathanson concerts with Nicole and Mom
  • Thanksgiving weekend with all the brothers in town
  • Meals on Wheels with Mom and Joe
  • John Mayer in concert at Target Center
  • Katie and Evan come to visit for the weekend 

December

  • Bachelorette party with coworkers
  • Holidazzle parade with the family
  • Visited Allison and Jesse in Duluth with Bridget
  • Skiing with all three brothers at Welch Village
  • Christmas with both extended families
  • Libby comes to visit for the weekend