Goodbye 2014, Hello 2015!

As good as my intentions were over Christmas and most of school break, they did not come to fruition. Yikes! It's already NYE 2014! Where did time go?!

So today is the day where I finally post for the last time in 2014. It's been a fun year and a growing year. I'm sure most of you didn't start reading until May-ish...or after. And as much as I write for others, I write for myself too.

See, I've never been good a writing in a journal. Sure...I've kept one off and on since I was probably 10. But it wasn't until Freshmen year of college, that I had a strong desire to write. Some of my sweet friend bought me a journal...it was a small journal and it lasted my entire college career and single life. I started my second journal right before (or was it after...no matter) Kyle and I got married. It was a good time to transition from my college journal to my grown-up wife journal. Since we've been married, we've moved twice and I've lost misplaced my journal.

"Why is she telling us all of this??"

All of this to say, that this journal blog has been a great outlet for me over the last 14 months-ish. I love words, reading, and writing. And for me to have a place to write and have a creative outlet has been phenomenal. So, a big "Thank you!" is reserved for each and every one of you who reads in this little space.

Now, on to the good stuff. No, I'm not going to do a recap of this last year. I think I will save that for sometime in January when I'm just itching to recap.

But today...today is the final day in 2014 where I put in a plug for you to join Aubrey and myself on our book club journey! The Second Chance Book Club officially begins tomorrow! Wahoo!

It doesn't matter where you're at, if you have a blog or not, if you've read it before...we want you to join us! Follow the link above to see the list for the year. But to kick us off...we're starting with:

Night by Elie Wiesel 

Please join us in reading and come back on the last Thursday of the month (Jan. 29) for our discussion! I'm hosting Night this month, so come back here to get your discussion questions sometime the week before. (I hope to have the questions up by Jan. 22....please hold me to that!)

Now, go and enjoy your NYE2014 and we'll see you all in 2015!

A house, you say?

You may recall reading this post and possibly this too. Well, I can officially say that we

OWN A HOUSE!

I know, I know...Kyle is shaking his head right now saying, "Well, technically the bank owns it because of our mortgage and we'll be making payments on that." That's true. BUT! We do have a house, we have the keys and we have a place to call our own.

One day I'll write the whole saga of our house hunting horrors (alliteration, anyone?). And in reality, it wasn't that bad. We didn't start out on the right foot, so that was a bit of a let down for us. Once we found the realtor, the house, and the lender, everything fell into place and happened extremely fast. Praise the Lord for some fabulous people to work with.

*More on our realtor and our banker later. But if you need someone...seriously...look them up.*
*Read about our awesome realtor here*

We put in an offer at the beginning of November and we closed December 15. Everything was super condensed and we wouldn't have been able to do it without support. Our parents play a huge role in our lives and we are so thankful for them. 

*Again, more about that later*

All of this to say, again, that we own a house. Our very own house that we hope to soon call a home. So, if you're in our neck of the woods this Saturday (from 11-2ish)...please stop by and say "Hi!" and maybe carry in a box or two. 

Twin Cities Favorites!

Kyle and I just returned from a conference in Bloomington, MN. While we were there, we spent time with family, met some new friends, and ate some good food. We had a good time and we look forward to returning to the MSP area soon.

We always say that--but we really do mean it!

While we were in the Twin Cities (and 'burbs), I kept thinking back to my time at NWC UNWSP. I spent one year of my college career in St. Paul and I fell in love with some places in the area. Granted...I wasn't there quite long enough to find all of the hidden gems in the bustling metro, I did quickly find my favorites. It also feels like I find a new favorite almost every time we venture back. So here are my:

5 Places You Should Visit When in MSP:

Brit's Pub
Do you like: Lawn bowling? Great food? A fun atmosphere?
If you answered yes to any of these three questions, check out Brit's Pub in the Nicollet Mall.

Tea Gardens
I fell in love with this place during college. My beverage of choice: their signature Iced Royal Tea with Pearls

Target Field
Any Twins fans in the house? Even if you're not a Twins fan...maybe you're rooting for their opponents. Even still...check out the brand new stadium. It's an experience all ages can enjoy.

Minneapolis Institute of Art
One of my favorite locations in Minneapolis is MIA. This museum is FREE every day and the pieces are phenomenal! They've got exhibits which rotate and certain exhibits I count on seeing every time I'm there. Plus...it's one of the best date places! *Did I mention it's free??

Walker Art Center & Sculpture Gardens
During the winter months this location might not be at the top of your list...but during any of the warmer months (basically not late Nov-early March), you'll have a fun time!

Book Club starts soon!

How in the world can it be December already?! It feels like this school year was just beginning. And not long after Kyle and I spent time in Duluth.

Just this last weekend we celebrated Thanksgiving with family. Now we've got both feet into December and there's no looking back. Before we know it, we will be ringing in the new year in a new house, hopefully!

I know you've been waiting for a house update. I don't want anything to fall through, so once it's finalized, you'll be the first to hear. Honest!

You may've noticed that I added a new tab to the top of my blog last week. Aubrey and I are teaming up to bring .... "The Second Chance Book Club"  to a computer/phone/tablet screen near you!

Take a look at it. We are really excited to have a "second chance" to read books that weren't taught in high school or we read but didn't fully appreciate the first time around. We'd love to have you join us. We've even created a button for you to put on your blog when you join up with us!

The plan is to take turns leading the discussion every month. Hopefully you won't get sick of either one of us by then!

Stay tuned, because we'll be posting more about it in the next month leading up to 2015!!! Crazy!