November & December 2017

Two month recap here for you as these last two months completely flew by!  They have been filled with family, friends, baking, new adventures, and good times making memories.

November Highlights:

The month kicked off with the biggest event of the year at my day job at Boynton Health - Make Time to PAWS.  Along with other fabulous coworkers, we turn a large space on campus into a park for an event focused on stress relieving activities for University of Minnesota students.  The event is full of trees, setting up quite spaces, animals, and lots of moving pieces!  

          

I got together with family members to have an all day cookie baking day at my cousin's house.  The day was full of laughs and good times - and lots and lots of cookies!!  We made 5 different types, including frosted sugar cookies, in preparation for the holiday season.

                   

This November 3rd marked one year since we said good-bye to my grandma, Ba.  Mom and I went out to the cemetery to visit the plot and look at how the fall colors had changed since we were last out there in the spring. 

The month included other fun activities including a baby shower for a dear friend, a fun Target trip with my mom, and lots of holiday card making! We celebrated Thanksgiving with my parents at their house on Thanksgiving Day with a yummy turkey dinner with all the sides! We celebrated with Shawn's family later in the weekend and had a good time with the nieces and nephew.  

          

  

The end of the month brought one of my favorite days of the year - the day we can put up Christmas decorations!  I love everything there is about Christmas and love decorating our home with lights, our little tree and ornaments, cute Christmas decorations that we've accumulated over the years (including ones that we had as children that our parents have given us).  

         

 

December Highlights:

The first weekend of December brought all of my mom's side together for a gathering in remembrance of one year since Ba's funeral.  We gathered at my parents house in their garage for food, games and good times.  

           

Frankie started getting lots of cards from all of his bull terrier friends as he is part of a bull terrier mailing group that sends out holiday cards to each other.  It's a fun way for bull terrier owners across the world (including Australia, France, England, New Zealand, South Africa and more!) to connect with one another and send fun holiday photos of our little fur babies.  In total this year there were 75 families part of the holiday card exchange!

            

Dad and I had our annual lefse making day.  We've done this for a number of years now and it's a tradition that I truly look forward to each holiday season. Dad makes the mix the night before and then is in charge of the last minute mixing the day of and cutting it into the appropriate sized pieces.  I roll it out and put it on the griddle. We make right around 30 pieces and I love to have it around throughout the rest of the month.

        

Lots of time was spent with family for dinners, coffee and fun times.  I got together with Shawn's mom and sister for a day of cookie baking.  I tried a new recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction - White Chocolate Chai Cookies.  We had a very full day of baking!

        

December brought big changes for me professionally as I said good-bye to my position at Boynton Health at the University of Minnesota (and some amazing coworkers).  Having been there almost 4 years I had the opportunity to work with so many wonderful coworkers and develop many great friendships over time.  I am now in a new role at the University of Minnesota as Operations Administrative Associate at the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences on the St. Paul Campus.  I am very excited about this new role and look forward to new opportunities with this position.

  

Christmas time always brings close friends back to MN for visits with family.  I'm always lucky to spend time with two close friends, Paul and Franny, who I've known since grade school.  I love that we are all able to connect with one another and see each other during the holiday season. 

    

Shawn and I, with some of his friends, checked out Can Can Wonderland for an evening of mini golf.  It's a fun place with lots of great design!  Each hole was designed by a different artist and has it's own unique challenges as you play the course.  Afterwards we got some apps and drinks and played some of the old style arcade games.

               

I once again participated in the Santa and the Gift Shoppe event at Amy's Cupcake Shoppe in Hopkins.  It's always such a bustling morning fully of excited kids getting their picture taken with Santa.  This was the only in person card sale I did this year and I loved being able to talk to so many people about my product!  Thanks to all of you that stopped by!

        

Christmas weekend was a full weekend of family, food and fun.  Christmas Eve we went to an open house annually hosted by family friends for food, laughter and drinks.  We went to my parents on Christmas Day for a yummy brunch and time around the fireplace.  We had our Christmas celebration with Shawn's family the day after Christmas for a yummy Pad Thai meal and fun with the nieces and nephew.

              

        

This was a busy end of the year for card making too and orders were shipped out to shop locations and many customers!

       

 

 

Wishing you the best for 2018!

 

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