New Year's Eve 2018

We celebrated New Year's Eve with the Susongs again this year, and as tradition would have it, our night involved two lanes of galaxy bowling and a family style Chinese dinner to follow.  A small, intimate gathering with good friends is right up my alley (no pun intended) on this last holiday of the year and we are thankful for this sweet family to celebrate with.     

One of my favorite additions to our night this year was a pile of questions I put in the middle of our big table over dinner.  The questions covered all kinds of topics to reflect on from the year behind us, along with some good questions to get us thinking ahead to 2019.  The kids LOVED doing this and it was so cute to hear them share their favorite accomplishments from the year, proudest moments, and best memories.  I loved when Sam talked about his basketball coach and what a great mentor he was to him this year, when Mila said she was most proud of being a good friend at school, when Cruz talked about how much he loved learning to play football, and when Molly shared that her absolute favorite memory was seeing Hamilton in Chicago (in a British accent of course).  The kids talked our ears off and while us adults didn't get many opportunities to dig in too deep, I couldn't help but think we were planting some seeds for some good reflective thinkers in our future.  There are few things I love more than a big ole table and all the fellowship that happens around it.  

I shoved the question cards in my pocket before we left and have been meaning to include a few notable responses here.  A little 2018 yearbook for the taking...

1. Best purchased this year.  Our kayaks.

2. Best binge-worthy show this year. Hands down, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.  We finished Season 2 in two days and are so sad we have to wait a year for the next one.

3. Hardest you laughed this year. Playing salad bowl in our basement for Friendsgiving.  Oh my gosh, we laughed SO HARD that night.  

4. Favorite news event of the year. The royal wedding.  I got up at 5 am on a Saturday and made scones and everything.  I'm sure watching that beautiful wedding on the couch with Mila will be something we always talk about, like the way Mom still remembers watching Princess Di's wedding.  

5. Best place visited this year. I think I've gotta go with London.  I loved this city and its energy, culture, and class.  

6. A new friend you made this year.  So many!  I loved getting the chance to lead a Bible study with sweet, Courtney, have been so thankful for new couple friends through our small group, and have a feeling we'll be spending more time with Beau's new manager and his great family in the new year.

7. Best conversation you had this year.  I'm just going to sum this up and say every chance I get to be in the real with Kate.  We put in hours of conversation on Voxer each week, but when we invest in some good quality hours together, we have lots to catch up on.  Conversations over snowy outdoor fires and whisky in March, Decorah camping trips and pizza farm talks, and post-Ray LaMontagne and divey diner breakfast chats this fall.  

8. An unexpected surprise this year. After eight months of doctor's visits and tests, my dad finally found out he had chronic appendicitis after a long and stressful day at the hospital in November.  It was a rather scary experience for us all, but there was much beauty at the same time.  Dad was well taken care of with some wonderful doctors and nurses and we spent one long and late night with mom in the waiting room drawing near to each other and one ever present God.  

9. Favorite song you heard this year. There are lots, but our date night with Wild Rivers in Iowa City was definitely a music highlight of our year.  

10. Day this past year you'd live over and over.  Waking up in that cabin in Decorah this fall, or our long kayak float this summer, or that night in Sausalito, ordering sushi takeout, playing games with the kids, and telling all the silly and scary stories.  

11. Best holiday memory this year. Sitting in Wilbos on Black Friday and running over to Peekaboo to grab a game for us to play.  Or Jorgensen Top Chef night.  Or Christmas Eve candlelight.    

12. Best movie of the year.  Is it bad to say Wreck-It-Ralph Breaks the Internet?! ;)  Still waiting to see A Star is Born...

13. Something new I tried this year. Joywheel Cycling.  It's the most fun I've ever had working out.

14. Most excited for this next year.  More bike rides. More adventures.  More people around our table.  And...HAWAII.

15. Best lesson learned this year.  Hebrews 12:2 - HE is greater than ME 

Just a few long lost pictures from our January...