Well I have decided now is the best time as ever to get back in the swing with documenting our life to look back on in years to come and reminisce about our simple lives way back when. It has been a year, yeah... get off my back. I got lazy and bored of it but I miss it, okay? I am actually astonished I didn't come running back sooner. It has been a great year full of questions of the future and excitements of the present. Where did I leave off? I think we were just about ready to go to Klinge kamping. We did our annual adventure to Klinge camping down in Iowa, Coralville to be exact. It was a flood zone there so the fishing was downright terrible but the time together was sure enjoyable. It did rain an entire day so we went to a Children's museum to entertain the littles and to stay dry. I remember Oren being super cute, Paisley falling and bonking her tooth, Kendall squirting all things with the squirt bottle and then giggling herself silly, Della showing off her toothless self for the first time in public, and Miles rocking the boys in frisbee golf and catch.
My baby nieces did make a brave appearance to Chicago shortly after these photos and stayed for three nights. We loved to spoil them while mom and dad went missing for a couple days. They were such good girls for us and we wish this was a yearly tradition, I think I could maybe convince Beth if I tried.
I did go on a girls weekend to NYC the first weekend in August with my mom which was so fun. We walked all over the place and enjoyed two broadway shows. I think it was the most fun I had had with my mom in a long while. Being married is the best thing that has ever happened to me but being with my mom and just my mom again was truly something I will cherish for a long time.
Next stop on the Klinge train of memories is going to Dunbar with my mom, grandma, and cousins Ezra and Eben. Man did we have a blast. The cousins hadn't been up there yet and my motherlies hadn't been there in over 10 years. We went to waterfalls and reminisced about the years ago as we enjoyed just being able to relax in the beauty of the outdoors. I stinking love that place more than I ever thought I would.
My mom then came to Chicago a couple weeks later and we ran a 5k together through the Magnifcent Mile for the Women's 5k. It was 1) just so great to run with my mom in a race for women's health but 2) the most fun to celebrate my mom's victory of weight loss and to see firsthand the pride she has in herself, her body, and her refreshed view on life. I am so proud her of in a new way for taking her life back and accomplishing a goal she would not have been able to do months prior.
Caleb and his fellow classmates won a Chicago-wide softball championship at the end of August that he is very proud of. It was so fun to cheer every Wednesday for him and the team and to meet those people in his daily life that he talked so much about. If you ever question this victory, Caleb will be happy to show you his shirt that he received on the winning night.
Caleb and I obviously had birthdays that have come and gone and were not taken accounted for here. Mine was obviously a month long celebration per usual and Caleb did get his week of picking out meals and opening his presents on Birthday morning. I however did miss out accidentally for the continous time the use of the special plate. This is a Klinge tradition of using the red plate that says, "you are special today" on a special day that when it is my turn to partake in, is missed. Have no fear, I did get it for my half birthday 6 months later so I do know the satisfaction that the plate does bring to a grown child's face.
A goal in Caleb's life is for him to attend a new baseball field once a year until the time is complete so last year we visited Dallas, TX for a Rangers vs. Oakland game. It was a last minute flight decision for us as we procrastinated until the literal final series of the year but we made it, it was a blast, and the A's lost... bummer. It was still a very fun trip.
For our anniversary in October, we went camping in Rockford, IL at Rock Cut State Park. This was a lot of fun for the two of us but quite cold and damp at night. Something about doing things on the spur of the moment for the two of us is way more fun than having to plan out something elaborate to do. We are made for each other peeps, there is nothing more to it. We just have fun being in each other's presence, there is nothing more to it. Sappy, sappy.
Caleb's favorite season has come and gone... you guessed it, Christmas. I hit the jackpot in gifts but Caleb got spoiled with treasures too. Lucky rats we are. We spent a good amount of time with each family and had a great time being together and celebrating each other and Jesus' birth.
Adaptive adventure is something that we volunteered for this winter that was very enjoyable to be apart of. This is an organization that teaches and coaches those with mental and physical disabilities to ski and snowboard. This may be veterans of war or those that were born with something that is a little different from us. It was life giving to learn from them something about life as we taught them something about snowboarding.
Baby Cypress was born to Paisley and Della SyWassink in February and are they proud big sisters. If you were to ask them anything about her, they would love to gloat about her in all aspects. It is completely adorable to hear there perspective on her. She is quite cute and we were able to meet her when she was just days old and we are very fortunate to have her in our big family where no one is forgotten but we are all a single piece of the big family picture. I love you, Baby Cypie.
Caleb graduated from his program in April and I am very proud of him. He officially has his Master's in Prosthetics and Orthotics from Northwestern University. Wow, baby, that sounds so awesome. He had a small ceremony and is still waiting to receive his diploma. I will believe the grades he got when I see the transcript. My husband is pretty smart peeps so call him up if you lose a limb or need some shoe inserts, he is your guy. We did get a residency too! We will be moving to Wausau, WI at the end of June to see what this next season of life has to offer us kids. We are looking forward to it and promise to keep you in the loop.
Caleb got a sweet job working for the Chicago Cubs MLB team as grounds crew and is loving being near the players and adding this to his life's resume. I am still at Ameriprise where I have been since day three in Chicago. They treat me well and I will be saddened to leave but I am ready for a new Ameriprise or something completely different... we shall see. :)
That brings us practically to now other than a huge, semi-secret trip we took which will be the basis of the next blogs to come. Stay Tuned!
Caleb and I have been married for a little over 2.5 years, we are wrapping up our time in Chicago. We certainly did this city our own way and have loved the memories we have made here. By no means do we want to leave so we will drag our toes until the moving truck pulls into Northern Wisconsin but we are happy to have found such a great church to call our home for 1.5 years and a church family in our Thursday night Growth Group.
Too long of a blog... I really dived in with this one, didn't I? Sorry, not sorry. Talk again in a little under a week!
