2015 In Review

It's been almost two years since we moved to Indiana, and I can honestly say that it really feels like "home". Even more so than Chicago ever did. I'm not sure if that has more to do with the fact that we have purchased an actual house here and have spent most of Cormac's life so far here (since he was 5 months old... and he's now two), or maybe just the fact that I am more a country girl than a city girl. Living in Chicago was always fun -- the fast pace was exciting and we definitely stayed busy with work and other cool stuff around the city. But here in Indiana, I feel more settled. More myself, and certainly more attuned to my vocation which, right now, involves motherhood, freelance design work, and homemaking. All things that I love and enjoy. :)

2015 has been a year of adjusting, finding routine, learning, wondering, enjoying, and rejoicing. We are truly blessed and, as we begin this new year, it's the perfect time to reflect on all my favorites from the previous year...

Best Trips

• Ormond Beach, Florida to visit McCarthy family
• Atlanta, Georgia for my youngest sister's wedding
• Callaway Gardens (Pine Mountain, GA) for our annual family reunion
• South Haven, Michigan for sister-in-laws bachelorette party
• Boca Grande, Florida for my sister-in-law's wedding
• Canton, Georgia for Thanksgiving

This was definitely a year of wedding travel for us, with the farthest destination being Boca Grande, Florida (far south, near the Keys, on the Gulf side) and a couple trips to Georgia for special occasions and holidays. I love that we are able to travel to see family and celebrate special times with them, although we are quickly learning that traveling with children is a very different experience than sans-children. Keeping to a routine is so important for young ones, and this is very easily disrupted during the travel experience. We had a few sleepless nights during (and after) all of our trips in 2015 and I expect that this will come heavily into consideration when planning travel in the future, especially once baby #2 arrives!

Best Books 

• Anything by Grace Livingston Hill
• The Little White Horse, Elizabeth Goudge
• North and South, Elizabeth Gaskell
• The Seventh World Trilogy, Rachel Starr Thompson

As in 2014, one of my favorite authors--Grace Livingston Hill--played a large part in my recreational reading this year. Her prolific authorship means that I started reading her books in 2012 and have yet to finish all of them 3 years later! Her books are encouraging Christian "romance" stories (not like the cheap romance novels you can buy at the grocery store... there are about true Romance) that I find engrossing and easy to get through, even if I'm just reading 5 minutes at a time. I also re-read a favorite: St. Elmo by Augusta Jane Evans.

Best Recipes

• Apple Cake
• Pumpkin Bread
• Taiwanese Three Cup Chicken (Blue Apron)
• Homemade Pizza (ingredients vary!)

Big Achievements 

• Featured Artist in the September 2015 Elkhart ArtWalk and getting back into painting with several classes at the Elkhart Art League
• Completing a whole year of monthly Desktop Calendars...sometimes a little late
• Successfully surviving another year as a freelance graphic designer -- self-employment is no easy task!
• Participating on two local nonprofit boards (Elkhart Art League, Premier Arts) and one social/philanthropic group
• Planning, coordinating and successfully pulling off two art shows with the Elkhart Art League
• Taking on a new project that involved traveling to both Boston and Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, the project didn't end as well as I hoped, but it was a good learning experience.

Big Events/Happenings

• Baby #2 is on the way! Although we discovered a second baby was on the way in June, we held off on announcing until we found out in September that we will be welcoming a baby GIRL come February.
• As mentioned above, plenty of family and friend weddings to celebrate, both near and far
• Cormac turned 2, got his first haircut (by yours truly) and transitioned to his "big boy" room