Lately, my Instagram feed has been filling up with people’s best nine Instagram’s of the year, based on number of likes, as a way to recap the year that they had. Six out of my best nine, all revolved around one major day I had this year – my wedding day! As big of a day as that was (and how fun it was!) I felt like there was so much more to my 2016. So I wanted to share my top nine highlights of the year (in chronological order), based on my own favorite moments from 2016.

1. In February, my husband (then fiancé) and I escaped a grey Northwest winter and met up with his family in Maui! It was the first time I had joined the Yamaka clan for a family vacation and it was so fun. We happened to be there the same time our wedding photographer was there and she did an engagement shoot with us on the beach! And we got to see lots of whales! It was a great vacation.
2. In March, my sister and brother-in-law brought home their first puppy! Her name is Sage and she is a schnauzer-poodle or a schnoodle. When they first got her she was so little and looked just like a stuffed animal. She has grown quite a bit since then, but is just as snuggly and soft.
   

   

   
3. 5.29.16 – Wedding day! After a quick and crazy six-month engagement, Kevin and I got married over Memorial Day weekend!! It was the best day. Everything turned out so beautiful and we both had so much fun at the wedding. I wish we could re-live the day over and over again.

   

4. Our wedding was amazing, and the honeymoon was equally as awesome. We went to Jamaica for a week and stayed at an all-inclusive resort for the first time. It was perfect for the type of vacation we were after – laying at the beach and eating great food. All day. Every. Day. Lots of jerk chicken and banana smoothie-like cocktails.

   

5. Not long after we returned from our honeymoon we moved into a new apartment. We gained extra living space in our new place as well as our favorite feature – a nice size patio! It was a fun process to move-in together and figure out how to turn this apartment into our first home.

   

6. Between the wedding, honeymoon, and moving, we had a crazy summer! We topped it off with a vacation to Eastern Washington with my side of the family. This trip has become a new tradition for my family. We rent a big house to hold the 16 adults and 9 kids and spend each day around the pool, playing, and enjoying each other’s company.
   

   

   Our view of Autzen Stadium
7. We are a football family! We have season tickets to Oregon football games (our alma mater) that were passed down to us from Kevin’s grandparents. His family have been going to games for 25+ years and I got hooked on it as a college student. The trek from Seattle to Eugene gets longer as the season goes on, but its too fun when we get to see family and friends every other weekend!
   

   A rainy 5k!

   

   Beautiful day for a ride!
8. Thanksgiving this year was unusually active. We spent the holiday at my parent’s house on Bainbridge Island with my sister and brother-in-law. More family and friends came over for the grand meal, but before we ate us “kids” ran the Turkey Trot 5k. It was the first 5k I have ever ran and I’m proud to say I was able to run the whole thing! Slowly for sure, but ran every step of the way. It was also raining the whole time and the four of us were a muddy mess by the end of the race. Then, the next day the whole family went on a 12 mile bike ride! 
9. Lastly, Christmas was definitely a highlight of the year. Kevin and I have been together for six years now and this was the first time we had spent Christmas Day together. We were down in Oregon with his family and although I did tear up a little in the morning – I missed my family and it felt a little strange to be without them on this holiday for the first time in 26 years – I had a great time doing Christmas with Kevin’s side of the family, my new family!

Hope you have a great New Year!