10 FAMILY MEMORIES FROM 2017
I’ve already started reflecting on the past year as we head towards 2018, and as I continue the “10 Things” series, I thought a list of 10 family memories from 2017 would be a fun way to organize some of my highlights, and be able to share it with you at the same time.
01. EMET'S FIRST BIRTHDAY
We celebrated Emet’s first birthday in February. Even at a year old he had a favorite color and loved all things orange - orange shirts, orange toys, everything. So that became the theme for his birthday and we decorated everything using different shades of orange. He also got his first taste of cake and absolutely loved it! It was a wonderful day together as a family - people aren’t kidding when they say to stop and soak up these moments; they come and go too quickly.
02. EMET'S FIRST STEPS
Emet took his first steps soon after he turned one. He’d been pulling himself up and toying around with the idea of walking for a while, and shortly after his birthday he took his first few steps across our living room without holding on to anything - I remember the look of sheer excitement on his face as he discovered this new mode of transportation, and remember realizing that our lives would never be the same.
03. TRIPS TO DISNEY
Living just over 2 hours from Orlando made day trips down to Disney super easy. Calvin is a huge Disney fan and his excitement is definitely infectious. It was really fun to see Emet’s interest grow over the year we were passholders. He went from sitting in stroller most of the day to running around and exploring. I will treasure the great moments we had, both as a family and with dear friends - like watching Emet’s eyes light up as he took in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride for the first time.
04. BEACH DAYS
I love the shore! I feel like it’s a part of me. The smell of the salty air, the warm sun, the sand in my toes; all of it. Growing up near the beach definitely encouraged this addiction. I’m very glad we got to go back to Florida for a year and a half to live near it and introduce Emet to all its glory. It was our favorite place to go whether we were with friends, or it was just Emet and me. My dream would be to live somewhere new on the shore someday.
05. ABAGAIL'S WEDDING
My sister-in-law, Abagail, got married while we lived back in Florida and I’m so glad it happened while we were there. I was honored to have a special opportunity to share in her day in a special way. From hosting her bridal shower, to planning and coordinating the wedding, to creating the bouquets, I’m so thankful for all the ways I could be involved, and for the memories we made together - and can't wait to share more with you soon.
06. GOOD DOUGH
I’m laughing at myself for including this as one of my *top 10* from this year, but it’s definitely earned a place on this list. I knew I liked donuts but had no idea how much until I experienced Good Dough. It changed my world! I wanted to eat them all of the time! They were the happiest pick-me-up on any given day and I always found a reason to need one. Basically, that’s all you need to know.
07. TRIPS TO THE ZOO
The Jacksonville zoo is like no other zoo I’ve ever experienced. It’s a garden in addition to being a zoo, with thousands of plants mixed in with the animals, making it a magical, immersive experience from start to finish. The plant life alone is enough for me to look at and enjoy returning for multiple visits - it was a frequent stop with Emet. The Asian Bamboo Garden right next to the Komodo dragon exhibit was one of my favorites; I wish I could live in it. I miss the Jacksonville zoo already - if you’re visiting the city it’s definitely a recommended stop - let me know if you’re ever there and I’ll share more of my favorites!
08. COLORADO
This past spring, Calvin, Emet and I traveled to Colorado and spent some extended time in the Denver Area. We spent a full day in Boulder, with all the trappings of a quaint mountain town, with so many opportunities for fun and recreation. You can read about some of our favorites, like the Dushanbe Teahouse and Gold Hill, on the AFTERNOON IN BOULDER, CO blog. We also took a day at the end of the trip to explore Waterton Canyon, a beautiful 6 mile hike showcasing the beauty and wildlife of Colorado. Getting caught in the rain on the hike back was one of the more memorable moments of the trip - you can get the full story on the JOURNEY THROUGH WATERTON CANYON, CO blog.
09. CALIFORNIA
We also traveled as a family back to California, in September. Calvin was there for work, but he worked hard to get ahead (waking up at 3am to get in a 10 hour workday and still have time for sightseeing!) so we were able to sneak away and see a few sights during his downtime. I can’t believe how much we got in. We pushed Emet hard, but he handled it so well, and it ended up being such a special trip for our family - we all grew closer from our time together. I’ve blogged about our visit to the Abbot Kinney district - stay tuned for two more blogs from California, coming out next year!
10. MOVING TO LOUISVILLE
Calvin was approached for a potential job opening as general manager of a hotel in Louisville this year, while we were in Jacksonville. He officially accepted the job over the summer with a November 1st start date, so in mid-October, right after Calvin's biggest conference of the year, we packed up our home into storage pods, and squeezed our family (including Monica!), suitcases, pots and pans, and essentials into our car and made the trek back to Louisville to live in temporary housing while we make the transition to Kentucky. We had even more transition than we initially anticipated when Calvin was approached again for a different position in the same company, during the first week of the new job. He's now a director of event productions and technology.
Knowing what we know now, we wouldn’t have made any different decisions. This last year and a half taught and grew us even more. It provided many opportunities and allowed us to come back and invest in and grow relationships in Jacksonville. Though our time in Jacksonville was short, we are so very thankful for the time we had there. We are truly excited about this next season and our return to Louisville.
| Credits: Author - Jacintha Payne; Photography - Ali Marsh, Abigail Cavanaugh, and Jacintha and Calvin Payne. |