Looking Back at 2015
√ We rang in the 2015 New Year with my family in Miami, followed by an incredible Caribbean getaway to St. Thomas.
 |
| Exploring the baths of Virgin Gorda, January 2015 |
 |
| New Year's Eve at the pool in Miami |
 |
| Paradise discovered in St. Thomas |
 |
| Our very own suburban botanical garden! |
√ I discovered that even with zero experience or knowledge, my determined husband developed a surprising flair + interest in D.I.Y. landscaping. After many trips together to Home Depot + Menards, he did quite the bang up job lining our front lawn into a pretty landscape with a mixture of beautiful flowers, wood chips, mulch and brick pavers. In an effort to save some cash (and not wait around for our unreliable landscapers), he took matters into his own hands and together we found a new fun hobby for the spring/summer months that we can enjoy together.
√ I made a new career change. After many years of temporary/short-term freelance graphic design gigs, I accepted a job as a Production Artist in September 2014 at a small family-owned manufacturing printing company. While I only worked for the company for about 11 months, I learned new skills, worked with some quite interesting people, and learned some useful things about the manufacturing services industry. I also discovered that no job or amount of $$ is worth it if you are just going to wake up every day unhappy and unsatisfied. While I struggled with this idea for quite some time, in the end I made the right decision for me.
√ I was lucky enough to check out several amazing Chicago Blackhawks playoff games live in action at the United Center with my sports-obsessed other half. One game even went to TRIPLE overtime and we didn't leave until 1:30 am. Sure enough, as soon as we got in the car, the Hawks scored the winning goal to end the game. To this day, my husband STILL gets mad at me that we left this game a few minutes early! |
| Chicago Blackhawks Game with these clowns |
√ We took a weekend getaway to scenic Palm Desert + Palm Springs, California in May. The highlight of the trip was taking a drive to Mt. St. Jacinto State Park and riding up an elevation of 8,516 ft. on the Palm Springs Aerial Tram, the world's largest rotating tramcar. Cheesy? Yes. Tourist trap? Sure. But once we took a hike thru the wilderness and breathed in that mountain air, all our worries melted away ...
 |
| JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa • Palm Desert, California |
 |
| Taking a speedboat for the day in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin! |
√ I met up with the hubs in Amelia Island, right off the coast of Northeast Florida, for a quick weekend in June. With 13 miles of beautiful beaches + sand dunes, combined with a stay at the swanky Ritz Carlton, it was a lovely getaway!
 |
| July 4th on the Lake Michigan |
 |
| Amelia Island, Florida |
√ We took a fun boat ride with my husband and brother-in-law on the Chicago Lakefront over the July 4th weekend. We even crashed a huge rooftop party!
√ We traveled back to beautiful Aruba on Labor Day Weekend 2015. This was a very special trip for the hubs + I, as this was the site of our very first vacation together out of the country 7 years ago. Fun fact: we had only known each other at the time for 3 months!
 |
| ♥ Aruba Lovers, Labor Day Weekend 2015 ♥ |
√ As always, we had lots of memorable fun family time (including bowling, baking + sleepovers!) with our twin nieces Sammie + Maddie!
 |
| Always ♥ hanging out with these ladies! |
 |
| Lincoln Park Zoo Lights, December 2015 |
√ They say when one door closes, another one opens. As we closed the books on 2015, we brought in the 2016 New Year in style - where else but the beach, of course? - in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico!
 |
| Ringing in the 2016 New Year in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico |
What are some of YOUR top memories of 2015? Please share your highlights in the comments section!
~ Carrie, aka The CB Diaries
