I am a little late but here is my 2023 year in review in pictures ...
It had its ups and downs, but we plowed through it and came out better for all we experienced.
So here is my year in review. January started with a lot of snow! It was so pretty and fun to have snow to walk in and cross-country ski. Rick and I got to go out several times.
We had our Becker Family Christmas in January.
Winter Archery season started in January. Rick is teaching JOAD classes again and was so happy that Liam and Josie were both in it.
In February we saw more snow
Morgan had enough of snow and winter by February
The squirrels discovered how to open the bird feeder and spent the rest of the winter cleaning it out.
More cross-country skiing and spending time playing in the snow
Otis being Otis...
March brought my birthday and when I asked Rick to make me a cake he delivered! It was the best cake he had ever made, a Guinness, chocolate cake.
In April we did our first-ever winter camping trip. We went to Jay Cooke State Park. We had so much fun!!
April was a big month for us. Rick was inducted into the Minnesota Archery Hall of Fame. I am so proud of him. He was very humbled and honored to be inducted.
Also in April, I did something that I had never done before. A friend contacted me and said she had an extra ticket for Hamilton that was being performed at the Orpheum in Minneapolis. I had been to the area many times with other people but I had never driven up by myself. I was a little nervous about it but I managed to find parking, walk to the restaurant to meet my friend and get back home without getting lost. It was such a great show. I was very happy she invited me and I said yes.
May brought another camping trip with friends. We went to Camden State Park. We had perfect spring weather and a great time was had by all.
May also brought family time. We celebrated Mom's 84th birthday by taking family pictures and then having a party.
I look at this picture and it brings me such joy. Mom was so happy that day. It was a perfect day. She kept saying she could not have asked for a better day.
We celebrated Memorial Day with a cookout with family.
In June we managed to get two camping trips in. The first was for an archery tournament. We camped out at Crow Wing State Park for the weekend.
For our second camping trip in June, we went to Pettibone Resort on the Mississippi River in LaCrosse, WI with all the kids and grandkids.
In July we went to Big Bog State Park and did some fishing on Red Lake. This ended up being our last camping trip of the year.
Otis tore his ACL in July so he was not supposed to walk on his bad leg. He enjoyed being carried around when we went on our hikes.
After our camping trip to Red Lake, I spend the rest of July at my parent's house. We had a huge estate sale and I brought the camper van there to help with the massive undertaking. It was heartbreaking, exhausting, and joyful all at the same time.
In August we put our house on the market and sold it in 4 days!
I also went to the Orchestra Hall with Cassie, Amy, and Carey to see Dessa. It was great!
The school district decided that all the Para's had to take a test to show that we were Highly Qualified. It was so stressful for me. It had things on it that I had not done since I was in high school over 40 years ago. I had to study hard. In the end, I managed to pass it. I was proud of myself.
September Rick got a nice Northern while fishing on Clear Lake.
We celebrated Labor Day in the 90-degree heat at a local brewery listening to a band and enjoying some pizza, beer, and root beer.
One last time on the water for me.
October was filled with grief. It was so hard to say goodbye to Mom.....
On October 21 Dad turned 88 and Christa turned 37. Every year we take their picture together. This year it was only two days after Mom had died. It was also one day after we moved Dad into Memory Care. It was so hard for him and all of us. But we got to see his smile when Christa asked to take a picture with him.
On October 30 we finally moved into our new house. We are so happy here.
I found that I did not take hardly any pictures in November. We were so busy unpacking and just trying to come to terms with the past few months.
My huge Christmas Cactus survived the move and was in full bloom at the beginning of November.
I finally hit my 2023 miles in December. It was the longest it has taken me to do it since I started doing the challenge in 2020. I walked all of my miles this year, no running for me.
Mom gave me all her Christmas ornaments that she had when she first got married. I had them all on my Christmas tree. I was home with COVID feeling sorry for myself when I noticed one of the ornaments was moving. I thought it was odd because nothing else was moving. This ornament moved back and forth for hours. And then suddenly another of her ornaments started to move. It also kept moving for about an hour. I think Mom was stopping by to let me know everything was going to be okay and to tell me Merry Christmas.
I have a video of it moving but I can't get it to upload.
If you made it to the end of this long post congratulations... I tried to concentrate on all the good that we had in 2023. We had so much joy mixed in with the sadness. Camping, family time, fishing, wearing all of mom's clothes and jewelry, moving into our new house, fishing being with friends, and reconnecting with people and lots and lots of hugs.
One of the things that really brought me joy this year was the big group text we started with my sisters, kids, spouses, nieces, and nephews. We started it when we had the big estate sale for my parents as a way to communicate with each other while the sale was going on. When it was all done we just kept it going. Now every week or so someone will put a text out there. I love getting a random text from someone in the group. I think we all became so much closer this past year.
So what I learned this year is that even in great sadness we can find joy.
Go find some joy...
Sharon
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