Dive deep into the present moment and be delighted by the joy you find.

 Happy 2021! I’m not sure I’ve ever been more excited to see the turning of a new year. Typically, this review really contains lists of highlights from the year, but I want to be very clear that not all of these are our favorite moments. But these moments are the reality of trying to count the blessings in a year where that didn’t always come easy.

January

• We rang in the new year with the pups in bed before Kevin headed to Denver.
• I kicked off the year with my one little word, open.
• We celebrated Chloe’s 6th birthday!
• I went to the Bachelor Premier watch party at Andrew and Alexa’s – they do it big!
• I saw Little Women at Ragtag with small group friends.
• We had an amazing work retreat to kick of 2020!
• We went to Hamilton, MO to celebrate Kersten’s wedding and both pups enjoyed a little vacation at Creekside.
• I got the iPhone 11 Max (photo game changer)
• Lots of snow.
• Mom and Dad got a new pup, Ester.
• A global health emergency is declared and travel restrictions start.
• Books Read: It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way by Lysa TerKeurst and Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

February

• I hosted a Superbowl party for our small group while Kevin was out of town.
• Taylor, Brittany and I had a girls weekend in Kansas City! Such a blast.
• I started doing 75 Hard a challenge for 90 minutes of exercise a day, diet, and 1 gallon of water (among other things).
• Sarah made a last minute trip to Columbia to spend time with me and I was so freaking thankful.
• The US saw the first COVID-19 death and additional travel restrictions.
• Books Read: The Enneagram Type 8: The Protective Challenger by Beth McCord, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, All Along You Were Blooming by Morgan Harper Nichols, An Edited Life: Simple Steps to Streamlining Your Life, at Work and at Home by Anna Newton Looking for Lovely by Annie F. Downs and Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely by Lysa TerKeurst

March

• I completed 31 days of 90 minute work outs, which I was so proud of.
• Kevin and I celebrated 5 years of marriage!
• We made the most out of social distancing by staying at home, supporting our favorite local business, and cuddling with the pups.
• I create a Quarantine To Do List (of course).
• A national emergency is declared for COVID-19.
• MO starts stay at home orders, and I move to work from home.
• The Olympics are delayed.
• President Trump signs a stimulus package.
• There is a toilet paper shortage (wut?)
• Books Read: Lethal White by Robert Galbraith, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, and When Less Becomes More by Emily Ley

April

• Ellie and Eric closed on their house and got a puppy!
• I completed 30 more days of 90 minute workouts.
• Face masks are encouraged.
• We celebrate Easter from home and join our families via FaceTime.
• Kevin starts FinalVibe.
• We have a friends hangout on Zoom and play Quiplash.
• I re-mulched the front flower beds.
• We both worked from home for the entire month.
• Books Read: Liturgy of the Ordinary by Tish Harrison Warren, Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport, A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas, A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas, and Growing Up Amish by Ira Wagler

May

• Our friends, Tony and Alex became parents!
• COMO starts to open back up – the stay at home order was lifted.
• I took a week off work!
• I completed a half marathon and finished 75 hard.
• We bought a new bed and mattress (a very huge win for 2020).
• Kevin’s uncle passed away and we were thankful to be able to celebrate and remember his life in person at his funeral.
• Books Read: Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God by Timothy J. Keller, Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki, Reading People: How Seeing the World through the Lens of Personality Changes Everything by Anne Bogel, 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam, The Path Made Clear: Discovering Your Life’s Direction and Purpose by Oprah Winfrey, Decluttering at the Speed of LIfe: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff by Dana K. White, and Garden City: Work, Rest, and the Art of Being Human by John Mark Comer

June

• I went back to the office after working at home for almost 2 months.
• My best friend, Brittany, had their sweet girl.
• It’s officially 10 years since high school graduation (and I was secretly happy not to have to deal with a reunion).
• Kevin launched FinalVibe!
• We met up with Adam and Kaylin for a little social distanced dinner in Arrow Rock.
• We masked up and went to IKEA to buy a full room of furniture for the FinalVibe podcast studio.
• Kevin went to the Lake of the Ozarks for the weekend and I spent time with Mom and Dad in St. Louis.
• My garden produced 6 cherry tomatoes.
• Books Read: N/A

July

• FinalVibe got t-shirts!
• We spent 4th of July weekend in Hamilton and it was everything I needed and then some.
• A mask order went into effect in Columbia, that is still going strong as of 12/31/2020.
• My aunt Marcy passed away. Not being able to hug family and friends at the funeral was hard, but we were thankful to be able to celebrate her life together.
• We hung out with Kevin’s family at the lake.
• Books Read: So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins, This Is Where You Belong: The Art and Science of Loving the Place You Live by Melody Warnick, Dare to Lead by Brene Brown, and The Selection by Kiera Cass

August

• I celebrated my 29th Birthday and my people loved on me so well.
• My family spent a relaxing weekend at the lake.
• Kevin rode over 70 miles on his bike.
• I went to a sunflower field for the first time with Alexa and it was everything I ever dreamed of.
• I started Phase One of the Live Hard program.
• We brought home some new plants from Helmi’s.
• Books Read: The Elite by Kiera Cass, The One by Kiera Cass, The Heir by Kiera Cass, The Queen by Kiera Cass, The Crown by Kiera Cass, The Prince by Kiera Cass, The Guard by Kiera Cass, The Favorite by Kiera Cass, Leave Your Legacy by Ben Newman, and Chasing Vines: Finding Your Way to an Immensely Fruitful Life by Beth Moore

September

• Our sweet friends, Sarah and Cole, became parents!
• We did lots of vlogging.
• We had a tree removed from our yard.
• I met my family in Fulton for a day at Serenity Valley Winery.
• I painted an accent wall in our bedroom. The color is “Naval” by Sherwin Williams.
• I was a guest on the FinalVibe podcast.
• Books Read:Try Softer: A Fresh Approach to Move Us out of Anxiety, Stress, and Survival Mode – and into a Life of Connection and Joy by Aundi Kolber, and The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living like the World’s Healthiest People by Dan Buettner

October

• Our friends Jeff and Taylor welcome their baby boy into the world.
• I started Orange Theory workouts.
• Kevin went on a 100 mile bike ride, which ended a little to early with a crash and a trip to the ER with a collar bone fracture.
• We go pumpkin picking.
• We spend a weekend in Hamilton and I get all the baby cuddles.
• Books Read: The Minimalist Home: A Room-by-Room Guide to a Decluttered, Refocused Life by Joshua Becker, and Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff by Myquillyn Smith

November

• I got a COVID test due to a potential exposure, but ended up testing negative (thank goodness)!
• We voted.
• My best friend, Taylor, got engaged!!
• We tried Hello Fresh for the first time and LOVE it.
• We got professional photos taken (below) by Molly Pasternock.
• We decorated for Christmas way too early, because 2020.
• We celebrated Thanksgiving, just the two of us.
• Books Read: The 9 Types of Leadership: Mastering the Art of People in the 21st Century Workplace by Beatrice Chestnut, The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory, Less by Andrew Sean Greer, The Next Right Thing: A Simple, Soulful Practice for Making Life Decisions by Emily P. Freeman, Outer Order, Inner Calm: Decultter & Organize to Make More Room for Happiness by Gretchen Rubin, and A Day in the Life of a Minimalist by Joshua Fields Millburn

December

• I went to STL for the weekend and we went to Wild Lights at the STL Zoo.
• I worked from home and quarantined for two weeks leading up to Christmas so I could spend time with family.
• VU Christmas Party was a hit – even from home.
• Kevin turned 29 and we celebrated with CC’s.
• I hit 300 days of exercise in 2020 and could not have been more proud of myself.
• [Edited to Add]: We got a positive pregnancy test and kept the huge secret from our families.
• Books Read: The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory, A Million Little Ways: Uncover the Art You Were Made to Live by Emily P. Freeman, The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz, Scenes of the Kingdom by Bill Victor, and Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.

You can read previous posts here: 2019 Year in Review, 2018 Year in Review, 2017 Year in Review, 2016 Year in Review, 2015 Year in Review, 2014 Year in Review

Cheers to 2021!