I have never neglected my memory keeping quite as badly as I have with this blog over the past few months! As I look back to my last post (in October!), I am stunned with how much has happened and all of the memories that I need to record. Undoubtedly, there will be things left out and many simple moments I have already forgotten.

To help myself remember as much as possible about these last few months, I am relying on my camera reel which thankfully is always full. Here is a wrap-up post to that amazing last quarter of 2016.

Halloween:
Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. I love the ambiance of October and the playfulness in dressing up. Wyet and I hosted a get-together with some close friends to celebrate. It just goes to show that you are never too old to have fun.

Kevin clearly had the most comfortable costume of the party!

Jarrod and Shay

Whit and Alex

Have you ever seen a more authentic get-up? I loved that Wyet chose to dress up as Jareth the Golbin King from one of our favorite movies The Labyrinth!

My costume was less involved than Wyet's, but I had a great time dressing up as my favorite character Velma from Scooby Doo!

Perhaps the best family photo we have ever taken.

Not only did we dress up for the party, but we even dressed up again the following Monday for the trick-or-treaters! We finally live in a neighbor that celebrates the holiday, and we loved every visit.

Thanksgiving:
I actually began writing a post back in December about the many things I am thankful for. To be honest, it all comes back to one central point: the people in my life. I may not have dozens of friends that I see regularly, but I know that the friends I do have aren't going anywhere. The people in my life are staples that have been there all along and will continue to be forever.

The incredible family that I was both born and married in to couldn't be better. We aren't perfect. We are real, and for that alone, I am blessed beyond measure.

The Chef who handled Thanksgiving like a professional!

My parents {and a great selfie happening in the background}

Good food, great people, amazing holiday!

The mama's as we get ready to Yahtzee!

We had so much fun playing and laughing together. 

Christmas:
This Christmas was truly magical. It was our first Christmas together in our home, and it felt just like a house should during the holidays: busy and cozy. We really splurged and purchased a Griswold tree {truthfully, it touched the ceiling}, and Wyet had to get a ladder to finish putting the lights on.

As always, we saw A Christmas Carol with my family and then went to dinner. Hendryx captured everyone's attention with his silly sense of humor and contagious laugh. JC, Alexsis, Hendryx and I went to the "North Pole" where we learned that Santa Claus is still terrifying, but hot chocolate on a cold night can make it all better.

We spent countless nights at home enjoying nothing but the glow of the tree and choo of the train that was given to us by Wyet's dad. We went light on the gift-giving and huge on the love. It was a perfect way to end a very blessed year.

Opening Christmas Eve gifts!

Wyet gives the best presents! I was so surprised by these handmade easels he built! This was the perfect gift as our newest hobby goal has been to learn to oil paint.

The happiest Bob Ross student ever!

As always, we went up to my parents for Christmas Day brunch.

The best Christmas morning picture: messy hair, wrinkled pajamas and perhaps the happiest {most spoiled} doggies who ever lived.

Oh Autumn

I always feel a bit of relief when summer comes to and end. Not that I don't fully enjoy the summer months, but there is a sort of pressure that is associated with it. I always feel the need to take full advantage of the sunny days {have an immaculate garden, get a tan, do as much as possible}, and with the first breath of autumn, that all fades away.

Maybe that is one of the main reasons that autumn is my favorite time of year. In the fall, it's fine to spend an entire weekend inside your house tinkering around {maybe in your sweatpants all day}, without the guilt that you should be out doing something.

To commemorate the busy days of summer turning in to the lazy days of fall, we went on one final hike to our favorite spot. Unlike our summertime adventures, this one felt particularly un-rushed and serene. Maybe it was the cooler air and the changing colors, or maybe it was the fact the we took a nap in the leaves. Regardless, it was the perfect way to end a fun-filled season and to enjoy the start of a more mellow one.

Salt Creek Trail 

The babies enjoying all the smells!

#dogmom

& #dogdad!

We made it back to our very special spot.

Because I will never get tired of cheesy kissing pictures!

Carving a tally mark in to our tree - something we plan on doing every year.

Truthfully - we napped here for quite some time!

Our view

Until next year!

Campouts

Wyet and I always make it a point to explore new places together. This past summer, even though we were kept incredibly busy, we still made a bit of time to explore our beautiful state. It's amazing to me that we have both lived here our entire lives, and there is still so much to see. Below are some recaps of the two big camping adventures we went on this year.

Cleveland Reservoir
July 16-17
While we have been here before {it's been a couple of years}, this felt like a completely new experience. We finally took our little raft out on the open water - with the dogs in tow! At first I was a little nervous, but quickly enough I realized that the dogs aren't afraid of water in the slightest. So I sat back and enjoyed the ride as Wyet rowed us about.

The first night we were there {and in to the next day} the weather was a little rough. That didn't stop us from enjoying ourselves! 

Enjoying my morning coffee and trying to learn a little something about this amazing place we live in.

There is nothing quite like the happiness this guy gets when he catches a fish!

Rafting!

Wyet doing all the hard work.

Exploring the other side of the reservoir.

Thousand Lake Mountain
Labor Day Weekend
This getaway was definitely one of the most planned out camping trips we have been on. We knew we needed to go somewhere remote as Labor Day weekend is always filled with campers. We also knew that the weather was likely to turn on us. Regardless, we were determined to spend some time enjoying nature before the end of summer. We made the two and a half hour drive to our destination and had one of the most memorable camp trips to date.

Tis the time for pumpkin spice everything!

Our tent looks like a space shuttle! The temperatures were supposed to drop in to the 30s at night so we definitely planned ahead and lined our tent in space blankets! #determined

As it was a long journey, we flew solo this time and let the pups sleepover at grandma's. 

Sitting around a fire in the evening is one of the most relaxing ways to end a day! 

Breakfast time! I failed and forgot to bring the coffee press.

On our second day, we decided to set out on an adventure. We decided to hike to Neff's Reservoir and do some fishing. The trail-head said it was only 2 miles and could easily be done on foot. 

The views on the way there were pretty spectacular. 

However, it was definitely an ATV trail and not meant to be taken on foot. It took us way longer than anticipated to arrive.

By the time we finally made it, it was already approaching sunset. We stayed just long enough to take in the beauty, catch one little fish and get back on the trail.

The look of pure relief when you finally make it back to camp before sunset! {It only took running the whole way back.} Once back to camp, we rewarded ourselves with a lovely fire, and a nice stiff drink for our efforts.