2017 was a BIG traveling year for us! We did SO many exciting things! We also had a lot of friends/family have milestones in their lives too as far as getting married or having kids. I have a list of high lights below, they aren't exactly in chronological order... my process for writing these types blogs is looking through my pictures for the year, and then thinking back on things... so I kind of write about it as it comes back to me/fits in with something else that I'm writing about.
In 2017, I went to my first trip to Minnesota on a business trip to see 3M's headquarters. Holy amazing!!! It was so big, modern, and impressive! Speaking of big and impressive... I also got to stop off at the Mall of America for the first time. This mall is massive! It is 4 stories high and has amusement park in the middle!!
Cody and I went on Carnival's brand new ship Vista in Feburary! We also got to stay in one of their Havana rooms, and got private access to their Havana area. The Havana area is my most favorite area on any cruise ship that we've ever been! We went to Grand Turk, Puerto Rico, St Kitts, and St Maarten on this cruise.
We went on a kayaking tour in the Grand Turk.
We got to go to Puerto Rico for the first time.
We went zip lining in St. Kitts
We went to St. Maarten's and got to watch the planes fly over the beach.
Over Memorial Day weekend, we went on the Norwegian Escape. Yes this was our second cruise for the year. :) We went to Roatan, Belize, Costa Maya, and Cozumel on this trip.
We went zip lining twice this year, because we ended up going on a zip line and eco-tour in Roatan.
We fell in love with the giant pool on Norwegian's private island. I think was one of our most fun days on the cruise.
I also joined the Cleveland Photographic Society this year, and I took their photography basics course. It has been a dream of mine for years to get a good camera and then to take a class to learn how to use it, so I can cross this one off my bucket list. I am so excited for my photography journey, and I can't wait to learn more in 2018. This picture actually took 2nd place in my first photo competition that I entered. :)
Cody was in Tony and Erica's wedding this year on 6/16/17.
Shawn and Katelynn had their baby, Suzie, on 3/20/17.
Hannah and Kyle found out that they are having a baby girl towards the end of March (maybe April?) 2018. I can't wait to be an auntie again!!
Speaking of becoming an auntie again... our niece, Amelia Patricia Charles, was born on 10/15/18.
Aaron and Jacqueline had their little boy, Jackson, juuuust barely in 2017 on 12/30/17.
Becky and Bobby got engaged this year. They also let me take their engagement pictures, and they asked me to be in their wedding next year!!
The Budweiser Clydesdales came to North Ridgeville this year, and my mom LOVES the Clydesdales. So even though it was a crappy rainy day, we still went and got to take a picture with one of them.
This was also my first mother's day away from my momma. We were in New York this year for Mother's Day and spent the day with Cody's family.
We were in Hancock then, because Cody's grandma, Patricia O'Boyle, died on May 5th, and we were able to go back to Hancock for her funeral.
http://www.hbfuneralchapel.com/index.cfm/public:obituaries/view/fh_id/14583/id/4218172/lud/D2F68E7FDF72559D4FC1DD9BDCC09328
Krista and the kids came out to visit us, and we were also able to take Kelsie and Davey to their first professional baseball game.
Cody and I went to the Rock and Roll Hall of fame for the first time with his mom and her boyfriend, Neil.
2017 was the year of my 10 year high school reunion!! Holy crap! I can't believe it's been 10 years already!!!
Ahhh!! Speaking of things that make me feel old... Sam graduated high school this year and started college at Kent State!
I took Christmas pictures for Shawn, Katelynn, and Suzie this year, and then I took what is probably my favorite picture of Cosmo ever!! Look at my cute boy!! Poor Cosmo has hurt paws this year, and we are working with the vet to try to get him fixed back up.
Cody and I went on our BIG trip to Maui this year! We've been talking about this for a couple of years, and we absolutely loved our resort. This was also the first time that either of us took 2 full weeks off from work since either one of us started working. Visiting Maui was an item I was able to cross off my bucket list this year. We did SO many fun things in Hawaii!
We went to the best luau in Maui! This was Cody's first luau.
We went to the top of Haleakala to watch the sunrise.
We went on a stunning helicopter tour in Maui! Another thing that I can cross of my bucket list.
Rappelling down a waterfall in Hawaii wasn't on my bucket list... but it should have been! This is the most exciting/thrilling/scary/adrenaline rush thing that we've ever done. I am SO excited that we decided to try this.
We went on a sunset dinner cruise and whale watching tour in Maui.
We also went on a snorkeling tour with our new full face snorkeling masks that Cody bought me for my birthday.
Yep! It's true! Cody some how got me to go back to Vegas with him this year. We stopped their for a few days on the front end and back end of our Maui trip to break up the traveling/flights. We went to the Vegas Strong benefit concert this year.
We went back to Hancock this year over New Year's and got to meet our new little niece, Amelia, and got to spend a bit of time with the family.
We had what is probably going to be our best year of traveling EVER in 2017. We are so blessed to be able to do and see so many amazing things. We are also so excited for the people in our lives who have had great things happen to them in 2017 as well.
