Reflecting on the past year...

The entire internet is complaining about how crap 2017 was.
And yeah... bad things happened to all of us this year. But bad things happen to everyone every year.
I think that if you focus so much of your energy on all the crap that has happened to you, you will fill your memories up with nothing but bad things you want to forget.
I love doing this blog. Honestly I write it for noone but us. Its cool if other people read it and stay updated with our life. But mostly I just use it to log our memories, and print it off every year to have a keepsake book of memories.
I only write the good stuff, the positive, the things I never want to forget.
I don't record the negative, or the struggles, or bad experiences.
When I get old and start to lose my memories, I want to be able to re-read my life storie, but only the good pages. Only the happy stories. And feel blessed, not regretful.

2017 has been a good year for us.

We have traveled more. Took the long route just to see something new. Been more adventurous. Gone with the flow. We went to Jamestown to see the Worlds Largest buffalo. We went on trips to Bismark and Fargo. We traveled down to Rapid City and Keystone South Dakota. Went and saw Mount Rushmore. Traveled down to Colorado. Went to Steamboat and saw where my dad grew up. Went through Craig and Meeker. Spent time visiting family, some of which we hadn't seen in 5 years.

We made a YouTube Channel and started Vloging. We don't do it for views or attention. We are simply making our own family videos that we cherish. And since starting our vlogs sometimes we go places or do things just for the sake of making a video about it. I think "What cool things would I want to show my family, since they cant come here?" and then we vlog about. This pushes us to go out and find adventures or activities we probably would have never tried otherwise.

We have worked hard. Both Michael and I have been progressing and improving in our jobs. We have our eyes on our goals and we are making great progress towards our plans for the future.

We have learned that while it is important to put your responsibilities as a priority. It is also important to invest in yourself. You cant live every day because you have to. Sometimes you just have to put yourself first, and trust that every little thing will be alright in the end. So doing small things once in awhile just to make yourself happy is a Must. You should always have something to be excited about, and always looking forward.

Our only "Resolution" for the New Year- is to be Happy Every Day.

There is always room for self improvement. There are always things you can do better.
But the real goal- is just to live a happy life. So do something every day just to make yourself happy. Focus on the positive. And be grateful for the things you have to enjoy in life.

So cheers 2017.
Thanks for the memories!

Minot Christmas 2017🎄

This is the first year since we've moved here that we have really celebrated Christmas in all its glory.
We set up a tree. Decorated the house. Mailed out Christmas Cards. Baked Cookies. Wrapped Gifts. Even cooked a Christmas feast, right down to the turkey.
It was really a Perfect Christmas.

This years Family Christmas Photo in front of our All Gold decore Christmas Tree. 

Wesley & Radar were less than thrilled about thier new Christmas sweaters, but Buddy eagerly joined the Photo.

 

Heres a better picture with the boys in thier Santa Sweaters. 

The cookies we made.

AppleSauce, and Cowboy cookies. Moms old recipes we've made every year since I was a kid. 

Our Stockings this year. Reese's are the offical candy of all hollidays.

Every Christmas Morning while we are away we wake up early and watch the kids open thier gifts over Skype. This year I recorded it from our laptop. You can watch that video here:

We also made a Vlog this year to save some of our day. You can watch that here:

Every detail of Christmas this year was perfect. We are so blessed.

We hope everyone had as special of a Holliday as we did!

Cheers to 3 years of Marriage 🥂

My dearest Love. I am so thankful that in the last 3 years we have been married,  I have been able to truly get to know you.

I know who you are.
When you're tired, or hungry, or sad.
When you're depressed and distant.
When you're frustrated and angry.
I know how tough you can be, in times of pain or grief. How brave and strong you are when the need arises.
I know who you are when you're snuggly and sappy
I know how cute and gentle you can be. When you cuddle the dogs or comfort me. Or how sweet you are to animals and little kids.
I know how silly and wild you can be. When you do weird things in public to get a rise out of me. Or make jokes about things that should never be joked about. When you make me smile every day.
I know who you are when you're the happiest. When you feel accomplished. When you tell me your hopes and dreams.
I know who you are when you sleep, when you reach out and wrap yourself around me whenever I roll away. Even when it's hot.
I know how you are when you think no ones watching.
You're the guy who stops for broken down cars. Shovels the walks for elderly people. Opens all the doors, not just for me but for everyone. Takes down the neighbors trash with ours just to be nice. And gives the dogs just a few too many treats.
You always go the extra mile, and notice the little things. You never realize how far you've come or feel like you're enough.
But you are.
You are my love. You are my life.
And you are the greatest Man I know.
And out of all of the souls in the universe, I'm glad you are the one I get to call mine.

 -Love your Crazy Wife

 -Amber

Hello 23!! 🎉

Today Amber turns 23!

We celebrated her birthday as well as our upcoming Anniversary by booking a Suite at the Hyatt.

We had dinner. Went to the Lights in the Park. And enjoyed the 4 layer Devils food cake Amber spend hours preparing.

 Then the next morning we went to Breakfast and spent the day together with the rest of our local family. 

Her family from home called to wish her a Happy year ahead.

It was her "Picture Perfect" birthday.

The "Last fun birthday you actually celebrate" she calls it.

So heres to 23!

Our new Tree

When we moved out here I told Michael there was no point in buying a tree, because we would only be staying for 1 Christmas. 

Then the next year rolled around and I insisted that we were not decorating because we would be moving soon and I didnt want more to pack.

Well this is our Third Christmas in North Dakota, and we finally got a Christmas Tree.

We set it up and decorated it tonight. All gold lights and ornimants because I think colored lights and random colored orniments are tacky. 

I asked Michael to help me and this was the result. 

I said "No they cant touch!"

To which he replied "Its Christmas Balls!!"

... He is now no longer alowed to touch the tree 😂 

We hung the stockings. One for each of us, and one for each of the dogs.

I tried to prestuff the stockings with a few things but the dogs quickly learned that these were full of goodies and would not stay out of them. So they got some Christmas toys a little early this year.

Because this is the first tree in 3 years, Radar has never seen a tree before. He liked playing with the decorations while we were setting it up. But after we had it set and it was just standing in the corner challenging him, he kinda freaked out 😆 

Im very excited about Christmas this year and getting to spend it with our little family.