I love a good recap post. It is such a fun way to look back over the year and see all of the memories that were made, the people I spent my year with and all of the adventures that were had! I have already shared recap posts for my business and all of the Lifestyle sessions , Engagement sessions and Weddings from 2020, and now it’s time for my personal recap of the year!
This year was tough on so many levels (for obvious reasons), but it was also probably the greatest year of my life! I am so happy and thankful that I pulled some sort of camera out for all of these images in this post because I now have a visual representation of what 2020 looked like for us, and I will cherish these memories forever! This is why I think it’s so important to document your every day! Not to make a highlight blog post at the end of every year, but so that I have these images to look back on and reflect and see that 2020 had some really GOOD things alongside the hard and challenging things that this pandemic has brought us. Seeing photos from the BIG things like celebrating our 3rd wedding anniversary and our 10th dating anniversary, all of the birthdays and holidays are kind of a given for me. But it’s the everyday joys and the little moments that made up our days, these are special! (not any more or less than the big stuff!) But they are just as special as the big things. Even though this post is going up in February lol I’m excited to finally finish it to have and look back on for years to come! Don’t worry, this blog post is not the only place these memories will live. I am also working on printing our 2020 Family Yearbook so I can hold these memories in my hands! More on that coming soon! But until then… here is a peek into 2020 on my little side of the internet! :)
- JANUARY -
Brian and I had a little city getaway and stayed downtown for the weekend when I was invited to photograph the Chez wedding pop-up event! We also visited the giant Starbucks on Michigan Ave and it was so dreamy! ^peep my store manager when I worked at Starbucks back in the day! :) Miss you Mags!
-FEBRUARY-
Brian’s family has a ton of February birthdays (including both of us!) and it is a tradition every year that we gather for the “February birthdays party”!
Road trip to FLORIDA to help my best friend move into her new house!
Yaaaay golden birthday celebration!!
Weekend getaway to Michigan for both of our birthdays!
- MARCH -
The start of when things were getting crazy in the beginning of the Covid pandemic. This was inside a Trader Joe’s and almost every shelf and cooler was empty. EXCEPT- they left me allll the macarons! ;)
The first of many FaceTime and Zoom calls!
- APRIL -
Documenting the first time I wore a face covering inside of a grocery store.
One of the best things that came out of quarantine…. whipped coffee! SO GOOD!
- MAY -
My first Zoom wedding ceremony and it was SO sweet! I came prepared with champagne and the dress I would of wore to photograph their day! I can’t wait to celebrate with you guys in September this year, Kellie and Kevin!!
The first of many truck bed dinner picnics (which was actually one of my favorite things from 2020) and nothing better to start this weird pandemic tradition than with Olive Garden!!
Quarantine also turned me into a baker! WHAT! I was gifted a KitchenAid mixer for Christmas from Brian’s grandma like 6 years ago and I used it more in 2020 than the entire time I had the thing! This turned into such a fun hobby and creative outlet for me that has continued into 2021! (if you saw my Instagram post from this past weekend, you would of seen the adorable heart sugar cookies I made!)
Another creative outlet for me in 2020, getting my hands dirty with gardening!!! I made this “MOM” planter for both of our moms and I was so proud with how they turned out!! Then a few short weeks later, we started our raised garden beds! This was a HUGE thing that brought so much joy to me and you’ll see why!
- JUNE -
Loooots of dry by showers and parties in May and June! We were all so thankful for warmer weather finally where we can see our people but still keep a safe distance outside!
A new tradition that me and my momma created this summer (and something I’ve always wanted to check off my bucket list!!) and that was strawberry picking!! Ughhhh I wish I could of bottled up the scent of that field! It was such a sweet memory with her that I’m already counting down the days for strawberry season to go again this year!
Annnnd WITH all of those strawberries we picked, we decided to do a recipe swap!! We both made our own strawberry treat and we had a little picnic while we ate them and swapped the recipes! Definitely one of my favorite memories from the summer!
- JULY -
Zoey girls first beach day!!
First bundle of flowers from the cut flower garden!!!
Remember when I said I turned into a baker in 2020? I baked my mom the sweet little flower birthday cake that was two shades of green- her favorite color! And gave her my first garden bouquet! :)
Celebrated our 10 year dating anniversary with a…. you guessed it! A picnic! Haha 2020 was definitely the year of the picnics! I spent a few weeks gathering every single photo that we’ve ever taken together and made a “10 Years of Us” photo book and it’s one of my favorite things ever ever ever! I wrote a blog post about it HERE if you wanted to see more of the inside!
First wedding back after quarantine (and after MANY of my couples had to reschedule for next year. boooo) called for wearing one of my fav shirts while I prepped and packed!
Getting Covid tested for the first time. (came back negative!! I was in the clear to shoot the next wedding!)
My little brother is no so little anymore and moved into his house!
- AUGUST -
We surprised my brother the morning of his birthday with donuts, coffee and his front yard filled with balloons! Haha! I also was at it again with the KitchenAid and baked him a red and gold music themed cake and made a special cake topper that was a photo of him with one of his guitars! He is SO talented with his music career and you should totes check him out HERE !
Photographed a sweet proposal- and she said YES!
Annual family camping trip!!
FALL IS BACK AT STARBUCKS! And I was so excited that I went twice to get my two favorite drinks! Haha! Salted caramel white mocha, and pumpkin cream cold brew! YUMMM
- SEPTEMBER -
This sweet little muffin turned TWO and had the prettiest little outdoor colorful flower party!
IT’S THE MOOOOOOOST WONDERFUL TIIIIIME OF THE YEEEEEAR! Getting the fall decor bins out!
More baking! :)
- OCTOBER -
October 5th we celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary at the very place where we said our I Do’s! And during a pandemic where we couldn’t go out to celebrate, we went to the next best thing and had a picnic under the giant oak tree where our ceremony was! We ordered take out of the food we had at our reception, popped some bubbly and made such sweet memories I’ll cherish forever! I think this was WAY better than going to any ole’ restaurant in my opinion! We also shared a slow dance to “I Get To Love You” under the pavilion with a blanket wrapped around us before we left. Ohhhhh the tears that fell that day haha!
I was SO happy that our town didn’t cancel trick or treating and I decided to create a little something fun for the kiddos! I made a candy shoot to keep people 8 feet away!! Everyone got a kick out of it and to my surprise I wasn’t the only one that had a shoot in our neighborhood! It was so fun seeing how everyone made creative ways to celebrate Halloween and give out candy in a safe way!
- NOVEMBER -
It was the end of an era and I dyed my hair back to my natural color and it feels so good to be me again!
First holiday cup at Starbucks of the season and 3-4 hour hikes with my sweet Jilly!
Another tradition that I hope me and my mom can continue every year which was a winter greenery workshop at our local greenhouse! THIIIISSSSS was sooooo fun and the perfect way to kick off the holiday season!
- DECEMBER -
Christmas shopping in 2020!
First time trying eggnog and was pleasantly surprised how yummy it was!!
This year was filled with SO MANY firsts including my first (we actually went through two this season!) drive through lights display! These were SO magical and will definitely be added to my holiday bucket lists every year! I also highly recommend going in a pick up truck and filling the bed with pillows and blankets to get the best view and experience! Also, don’t forget the hot cocoa!
Probably my favorite thing I baked all year (ughhhh wait it’s a tough tie!) and that is gingerbread cookies! Oh my GOSH these were so fun to make and was also on my bucket list for a long time!
My Dad’s side of the family always gets together a few weekends before Christmas and this year we obviously didn’t gather. Instead, one of my cousins (there’s 9 of us all together!!) had the idea that all of us cousins do a cookie exchange and we each have to make our own cookie! THIS was soooo fun and I swapped my gingerbread cookies for this!
Yaaaay matching Christmas PJ’s!!! (another first for us!!, even Zoey played along!)
LOL the most 90’s and cringy-est family Christmas photo ever and I love it hahahah!
We rang in the new year at home and welcomed 2021 with open arms! I know there were a lot of hard things, moments that tested us and challenged us, but I also think 2020 was one of the best years of my life for so many reasons. I found myself again. I was able to enjoy hobbies I haven’t “had time” to do in so long and I made new hobbies that sparked my creativity and joy! I reconnected and got closer with both of my families during a year where we were supposed to be distant with the ones we love. My mental health has improved tremendously and overall it was an incredible year for me. I’m so glad I have all of these photos of the memories that I will cherish forever! Even though this pandemic is still present in our world today, I am excited for what 2021 will look like and all of the memories that are ahead!
If you enjoyed this post, you might also love:
My "Why" and Love for Documenting Life