2015 in Review

A lot happened over the past 365 days and I’d be remiss if I didn’t catalog it here since much of it was captured on lgsmash.com, when this blog was just a twinkle in my little brain. 2015 was challenging but a lot of great things happened too! Putting this together helped me put it in better perspective. Despite the change, it was a pretty darn good year.

JANUARY

2015 in Review - January // lynnepetre.com

We kicked off the new year with great friends in Ouray, CO, where we ice climbed for the first time. Later in January, we took an ice climbing class with the Colorado Mountain Club and added it to the list of ‘really fun things to do in winter’.

FEBRUARY

2015 in Review - February // lynnepetre.com

Annual ski trip with our friends! Each year, we pick a new mountain and all rendez-vous for a long weekend of skiing, laughter and great food (one friend is a 4-star executive chef!). This year, we skied at Park City, UT and despite low snow conditions, we had a blast.

MARCH

2015 in Review - March // lynnepetre.com

Rang in the last year of my 20s with Korean BBQ and my youngest brother spent his spring break from teaching in Denver, visiting me. During March Madness, Alex went to Vegas for the first time (and made a bet that the Bengals will win the Super Bowl. What seemed far-fetched at the time has at least a glimmer of a possibility this year!).

APRIL

2015 in Review - April // lynnepetre.com

Ventured to Pittsburgh for the second time for CMU’s Welcome Weekend. Made the decision to move with Alex and proposed a ‘working remotely’ situation with my company.

MAY

2015 in Review - May // lynnepetre.com

I spent many of my mornings with a standing climbing dates with my girlfriends. For Memorial Day, Alex and I drove out to Salt Lake City to spend the weekend with a good friend and I ventured out to Red Rocks for pre-work workouts with the Bold Betties gals a few times.

JUNE

2015 in Review - June // lynnepetre.com

Spending as much time in Denver with friends as possible before moving. Happy hours, dinners, afternoons at the park and a concert at Red Rocks (Ryan Adams – a dream come true!). Camped a weekend at the Sand Dunes with Lucas, Nancy an our dogs. Time felt fleeting.

JULY

2015 in Review - July // lynnepetre.com

Alex quit his job at the beginning of the month and we wrapped up all loose ends. After packing our apartment, we went to our last show at Red Rocks – the Avett Brothers. Over the past 5 years, we attended the Avett Brothers show every summer – the first year was our engagement weekend! – so it was a perfectly bittersweet way to say goodbye close our Colorado chapter. We said goodbye to great friends and coworkers and hit the road for 2 weeks of road tripping.

AUGUST

2015 in Review - August // lynnepetre.com

We arrived in Pittsburgh and I began working remotely. Alex started school mid-August and we worked hard to adjust our new schedules and lifestyle. August included a few trips to IKEA, meeting new friends and MANY wrong turns across Pittsburgh’s thousand bridges.

SEPTEMBER

2015 in Review - September // lynnepetre.com

I tried my first OrangeTheory class and was immediately hooked. Traveled to Breckenridge to celebrate the upcoming wedding of my oldest friend, Sarah, and traveled to Cincinnati to stand up in another friend’s wedding. Struggled a lot, emotionally, this month.

OCTOBER

2015 in Review - October // lynnepetre.com

Really appreciated my proximity to Cincinnati and remote working situation when my mom had her first of 2 knee replacements and I spent a week at home, helping around the house. Alex and I ventured to Florida for Sarah’s wedding and enjoyed an afternoon on the beach between rehearsal and wedding festivities. Alex thrived in school and I started to get the hang of working remotely.

NOVEMBER

2015 in Review - November // lynnepetre.com

Watched the Bengals beat the Steelers at Heinz Field. I did an unlimited 30-day trial at a nearby yoga studio and notice a positive shift in my mental/emotional wellbeing. Why am I not doing this every day of my life?! Alex and I spent Thanksgiving home in Cincinnati, our first Thanksgiving ‘home’ in 4 years, and I ran a 10k with my youngest brother.

DECEMBER

2015 in Review - December // lynnepetre.com

My mom had her second knee replaced. I spent a week in Denver for work and skiing and then we spent a week with our families for Christmas. I’ve spent much of the past few months cultivating friendships in Pittsburgh and as the year ends, I’m feeling grateful for the ladies in my life – both near and far.

Looking back, there are a lot of great memories and I’m thankful for the experiences 2015 brought – both happy and sad. Without the low, the highs don’t mean much, right?

But, I’m looking forward to more smiles and less tears in 2016, no matter how much the tears and low points mean for personal growth. 🙂

Cheers to smiles and 365 more days ahead of us!

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