P H A I N

This has been a pretty amazing year. I love looking back at what I've done in the past year and looking forward to what's to come. This Year I... -Traveled to Chicago with Matthew We both were sick but we made some amazing memories, getting to be in the Willis building after dark, eating lots of pizza, exploring all over town and going to Medieval Times! -Opened an Etsy store Which I haven't done well with updates but I have made a couple of sales which just blows me away! -Bought a new camera It's a little silly how much I enjoy it. -Made 3 trips to Branson for much needed chill time It's Matt and I's go-to place when we need to just not worry about anything, even if it's only for a day or two.     -Took a big 2 week long trip to Yellowstone with several family members! While there I saw a moose, a bear, explored a ghost town, saw breathtaking scenery, ramb

I have seriously been slacking. This time of year it seems I take on more while simultaneously taking it easy, if that makes sense. This Month I... -Started attending a Bible Study It's on Hosea and has really made me examine myself closely. It hasn't been comfortable and that's probably the biggest recommendation I can give. You don't grow when you're comfortable! - Saw Knives Out Truly one of the more enjoyable movies I've seen in recent months! Clever, well-made, and kept me guessing the entire time. 10/10 would highly recommend! -Celebrated Thanksgiving This year we didn't get around to doing a puzzle but everyone brought games and was such a good time! Good food, good company, and a full day of family fun. And most importantly, I won both games of Settlers of Catan.  I'm sure more happened but it has all been eclipsed with rushing around followed by bouts of abso

You guys! This month went by so quick! And since we got snow at the end of the month, it felt more like winter than fall. October, while busy, was a little more sedate, settling into work rhythms and taking some down time. This month I... -Turned 30 I celebrated with a little get together with friends indulging in pizza, apple pie, and games, I believe a pretty good time was had by all. I hope this year will be one of the best yet, I have lots planned and hope I don't let it overwhelm me, it's all about balance and growth.  - Settled into a new church home Matt and I have been visiting a new church for several months now and we both feel like we're very welcomed and are excited to be part of this new community and beginnings of new friendships. - Hit up some amazing estate sales Seriously, it's one of our new favorite pastimes. We went to a sale in Atchison, MO, in a house built in the 1890's. We both fell in love with the house! So much charac

Day 1 & 2 Yellowstone. Probably the most diverse scenery I've seen in the span of 2 weeks. I had planned on going to Yellowstone in 2018 with Samantha, on the way back from California, but ended up coming straight home from San Francisco. So, of course, I started planning for a trip specifically to see Yellowstone. I threw out the suggestion to my family that we should all go, and most of them agreed! Having 9 of us go introduced some difficulties but ultimately we got it all worked out and started planning what all we wanted to see along the way. The first day was just driving, we headed to Sioux Falls, SD. Day 2 was jam packed full of sights! The first stop being the Corn Palace. About half of us had been there before, but it never ceases to a-maize! (See what I did there? Eh? No? Too corny? Ahem...moving on.) Next was a ghost town in Okaton. Abandoned places isn't everybody's thing, I know, but since it was right off the highway, we stopped and