2015 - Year in Review

January
*We started the year off with a birthday lunch date with our sweet friend Abby.
*I started my Disney vacation planning business. 
*J and I had a kid free weekend that turned into a sick mama weekend.  :(

February
*Jonathan went to the west coast for work for a week.
*I turned 33 with a lunch date with girlfriends and a new chair.  Adulting!
*Bren had a Valentines date with her Daddy.  
*We got enough snow to play outside.
*We had a family girl's birthday lunch in Davidson for me, Bren, mom, and Sissy.  
*We visited Sheri at her house and the kids got their last Christmas gifts of the year.

March
*I celebrated Dr Seuss's birthday with church staff reading at a local elementary shook.
*We celebrated Brenna's fifth birthday with a Ninja Turtle themed birthday party at our house with lots of friends and family.
*The kids spent a weekend with Neena and Pa Bill while we celebrated a very, very belated Valentine's Day dinner out.
*Brenna and Davin started the new soccer season at the Y.

April
*I got to have a surprise dinner with Sheri when she was passing through town.
*We hunted Easter eggs with Brenna's class.
*We celebrated Easter at The Cove - where J got to ride in the helicopter that dropped the eggs for the  egg hunt.
*Bren and I flew to Missouri to spend time with Hainrihars.  It was Brenna's first plane ride.  She loved catching up with the boys and I loved being in town when Heather found out she was pregnant!
*I hosted a bridal shower for Lauren in Virginia.

May
*Davin started tball and Brenna started coach pitch baseball.
*We celebrated my sixth Mother's Day.
*The kids and I went to VA for Jayla's birthday party and got to watch Brady's tball game too. 
*J and his dad painted our huge living room.
*We celebrated Lauren and Katlin's marriage. The kids did great once again as flower girl and ring bearer.
*Brenna graduated from Pre-K at NMP.
*Bren also had her kindergarten screening done.
*Jonathan started playing with the CVC worship team.

June
*Davin turned three and we celebrated with a farm themed party "tractor birthday"
*Sheri completely surprised me by walking in my front door as the first guest to D's party!!
*We started Go Bananas 2015 by feeding a local community lunch 3x a week for 10 weeks.
*The kids and I helped serve lunch at the local soup kitchen.
*Bren and Dav enjoyed Cove Kids Camp.
*J and I actually got a date night while they were at camp!
*Jonathan, Mom, and I left for a week in Honduras.  The kids begin a 10 day stay with Neena and Pa Bill.

July
*We returned safely from Honduras.  We picked up the kids in Independence at the 4th of July parade.  We visited with Grandpa Halsey before coming back home.
*The kids and I saw Inside Out at the theater.
*We celebrated Cow Appreciation Day at CFA.
*I held a ridiculously long snake around my neck and survived.
*I finally got brave enough to brave the pool with the kids by myself.  We spent a lot of days there this summer.
*Brenna mastered riding her bike without training wheels.
*I spent 4 days in NYC with my college besties.  Much, much needed!!
*We celebrated our anniversary out to dinner with friends and at the Outcry Tour the following night with the Stricklands.  The kids spent a few more days with Neena and Pa Bill.

August
*The kids and I had our first trip to Tweetsie as our family joined Pine Mountain Church Sunday School classes for the day.  It was a blast.
*We got to see the Crawdads play.
*We wrapped up Go Bananas 2015 with 2 back to school bashes.  Such a success!
*Brenna started kindergarten at Startown Elementary with Mrs. Bechtol and Mrs. Apjohn.  She loved it from day 1!

September
*Davin started preschool at Newton Methodist with Mrs. Laura.  He also loves it - especially being in class with his best buddy Marshall.  
*Davin played fall soccer.
*We spent Labor Day with Jonathan's family - had a dinner with his extended family.  Then the kids and I spent the next day with Sheri and Lisa in Pearisburg and Jonathan went golfing with Brandan.
*We joined Brenna's class on a field trip to the apple orchard.
*The kids and Jonathan celebrated Pirate Day at Krispy Kreme.
*Jonathan spent a week in Nashville for work.
*We celebrated with the Cove CVC worship/production team at the Carneys' house.
*We spent a weekend in Pigeon Forge with my family.  We went to Dollywood and hung out at our huge cabin.

October
*Jonathan's dad came to visit and joined us at the Startown Spectacular.
*I was super sick almost the entire month.
*Bren had fire week at school and was scared to go to sleep for a week!
*We went to the balloon festival in Statesville with Neena, Pa Bill, and the Strickland girls.
*The kids spent a weekend with Neena and Pa Bill - Jonathan and I had a date to church and dinner in Charlotte.
*We went to Abingdon to celebrate my grandma's 85th birthday.
*Brenna really began reading full books - so, so exciting for all of us.
*I helped volunteer in Brenna's class.
*We went trunk-or-treating at Christ Church in Hickory - the kids were a Navy pilot and a racecar driver.
*I took the kids to DefyGravity in Charlotte where the loved the American Ninja Warrior course.
*Jonathan turned 34!
*My outreach team helped serve a pregame meal to the NCHS football players and then gave out candy and cowbells at the football game that night.
*We trick-or-treated in our neighborhood - the kids were Snoopy and Woodstock.

November
*Frank Beamer announced his retirement and I cried real tears.
*I got to have dinner at Sheri's with Sheri, Lisa, Sara and their kids.  And I finally got to snuggle baby Ella Kate.
*Jonathan had to go to Atlanta for work so the kids and I joined him.  We explored Olympic park, went to the aquarium, and did a little shopping.  I also drove in Atlanta traffic.
*Brenna won a character award for the first 9 week assembly.  We are so proud of her!  (She also kissed a boy on the playground on this day.  Notsoproud of that.)
*Sissy and I took the kids to the Renaissance festival where all they wanted to do was eat!
*Both kids started basketball.
*Bren nailed her two speaking parts in the kindergarten Thanksgiving program.
*Jonathan enjoyed Davin's school Thanksgiving lunch while I served at The Corner Table.
*We spent two days in Bristol and two days in Wytheville celebrating Thanksgiving.
*Jonathan deep fried in his first turkey!*We cut down our Christmas tree in Hillsville, VA on our way back from Thanksgiving.

December
*The Cove CVC Outreach team served dinner at our local soup kitchen for our community.
*We enjoyed Charlie Brown's Christmas musical at the N-C Auditorium.
*We had family pictures made in downtown Hickory by the fabulous Courtney Abernathy.
*Brenna threw up at school but recovered quickly.
*Davin got a little stage fright at his preschool Christmas program.  We clapped like crazy anyway!
*We pulled off our CVC Christmas at the Cove Toy Store and it was AMAZING!
*We FINALLY got a new sofa!
*We had our annual Christmas party complete with caroling in our neighborhood.
*We saw Santa at the mall.
*I joined Brenna and her class on their field trip to the mall to see Santa, ride the carousel, and eat CFA.
*I baked like a crazy person for teachers, friends, and neighbors.
*Jonathan had a sinus infection and a terrible cold.
*Davin had a sinus infection and ear infection.
*I finger painted with 22 kindergarteners at Brenna's Christmas party at school.
*Brenna and I enjoyed watching the Nutcracker ballet.
*Santa came to visit us on Saturday, December 19.  Brenna's three big gifts were a dog with a "cage", a drum set, and a tumbling mat.  Davin's were a teepee, a firehouse (like a dollhouse for boys), and a new orange bike.
*I got strep throat. (Do you see a pattern here?)
*We were all packed up ready to leave town on the 23rd and the car wouldn't start.  8 hours later Jonathan finally had it fixed.
*We spent Christmas Eve with Jonathan's family and the next 2 days with my family.  
*We visited Jonathan's dad at his house on the 27th and then took the kids back to Neena and Pa Bill's.
*Jonathan and I spent 3 days in Massanutten.  We stopped for a quick lunch and Bubblecake with Sheri on the way back home.
*We finally made it back home on the 30th.  
*We spent New Year's Eve playing with new toys, unpacking, and watching Inside Out while eating ice cream all together on the couch.  (Oh, and with another trip to Urgent Care for me!)

2015 was awesome and our kids grew so much!  I can't wait to see what adventures await us in 2016!