2016: Year in Review

2016 has been a surprising, fun-filled year!
Here are some pictures of the things that happened.

• In January, we saw many different politicians in the run up to the Iowa Caucus, including Ted Cruz, John Kasich, Rick Santorum, and Hillary Clinton. Carly Fiorina, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, and Chris Christie, and even Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. Our kids had fun playing in the snow and playing with trains at my parents' house. Hannah got some badges at Rainbows, and we hosted our third hors d'oeuvre party. There was also sushi.
• In February, we had a Snow Day and took the kids sledding. We watched the Superbowl with the family, had a fish fry with the Mills, and welcomed their newest family member, Gabriel. Twin Valley Church got a new pastor and helped him move in, Jack and Donna had an anniversary, and Vivian and I celebrated Valentine's Day at James Arthur Vineyards in Lincoln. The kids went to Lincoln to get Lost in Fun and have pizza, went to the circus, and visited park after park after park. I also learned how to lose at Rummy.
• In March, we said goodbye to our sweet cockatiel, Flappy. We had another fish fry with two tables of friends, had a reunion with the Rietjens, and I got to meet economist Stephen Moore. Vivian and I had dinner with the Folkens, visited a park with Lexi's kids, danced to a live band at JNO, and ate pizza for Uncle Jonny's birthday. We also celebrated Resurrection Sunday with egg-dyeing, Easter dinner, and new Easter clothes.
• In April, Vivian and I participated in a literary murder mystery and went to see Phantom of the Opera. Hannah and I had a daddy/daughter dance, and we brought Pig Pig home for the weekend. We also surprised Dennis for his 40th birthday.
• In May, we celebrated birthdays with Kody, Jen, and Jessica. We visited Lauritzen Gardens with my parents and the Mills, attended the Cinco de Mayo parade, and ate some quiche and ribs on Mother's Day Weekend. Franklin Graham had a prayer rally on the steps of the Capitol Building in Lincoln. We also saw the return of the Prairie Cats at JNO (with a cameo by Tom Becka) and we celebrated Good Times with Kool & the Gang at Loessfest.
• In June, we went to the drive-in, Tamra and Ryan got married, and Aunt Nancy and Uncle Andy came to visit. We took the kids to a Jitterbugs Mom Prom, we visited the Bohemian Cafe one last time, and I celebrated Father's Day. We saw Taming of the Shrew at Shakespeare on the Green. Aaron also turned two and took his first dip in a pool.
• In July, we celebrated Independence Day with Kenny Loggins, Paper Lanterns, Pizza, Fireworks, and a Parade. We saw Macbeth (along with the Governor), and I rubbed elbows with Dr. Forrester and TV's Frank and some guys from Sesame Street at O Comic Con. Some of Vivian's family came to celebrate Donna's 70th birthday in Omaha, and Vivian and I had celebrated our eighth wedding anniversary at a B&B in the country. Hannah also won another cake award, and I caught a glimpse of Jimmy B's last performance at the Sokol.
• In August, we spent some time with our friends Jessica and Kate (and Kate's kids). Ben and Venche (finally) got married, Mrs. B retired, and Vivian shot some arrows. We also had a family night at JNO, took the kids to Lake Louisville, and I had a pizza-riffic birthday. Also Mike Pence.
• In September, Vivian and I both celebrated birthdays in our fun, respective ways. We had ribs and s'mores with my folks for Labor Day, took the kids to Lauritzen Gardens to see flowers in the fall, and I bought a new bike. Gifford Farm had a fall festival, Nebraska City had an Applejack Festival, and we got to watch some balloons fly at Ditmar's Orchard. The Jitterbugs had Cowtown at the Sokol with a corn-eating contest and Prairie Cats back at the Eagles Lodge. Johnny Boyd and his band paid a visit at the end of the month, and I also brushed shoulders with Donald Trump, Jill Stein, Don Bacon, and Rudy Giuliani as the 2016 election refused to end.
• In October, we had game nights with Kate and Tamra and a campfire with Twin Valley Church. Welcome school had a Daddy's Night and we took the kids to visit Vala's. The kids went to Costco and the park and saw the beauty of autumn along the Keystone Trail and in the Fontenelle Forest. We had a picnic with Don Bacon and a rally with Mike Pence. My dad also made brats, and both the kids and the grown-ups got to celebrate Halloween (with fava beans).
• In November, Donald Trump was elected President, and we celebrated the end of the election with free food at Fazoli's. It was (still) warm enough for a trip to a park or two (with pumpkin bread), and Hannah and Aaron had leafy fun with friends. We had another game night at Kate's, birthdays for Phil and Deena, and Hannah turned five with a tea party, Rapunzel, and a Christmas Castle Cake. There was also a trip to the Children's Museum, Thanksgiving and Christmas at Union Station, and a Winter Wonderland in Papillion (with chili).
• In December, we saw Santa and Elsa at the Children's Museum. Vivian and I had dim sum with friends, saw Tom and Jeff at the Kaneko, and made a breakfast casserole for my parents' birthdays. We had Christmas Parties with friends and co-workers, had carols and soup at church, and we drove around to look at Christmas lights. Vivian and I celebrated ten years since our First Date. Then, we had a lovely Christmas Eve and Day — followed shortly by New Year's Eve celebrations at our local library and at Twin Valley Church.

What new adventures will 2017 bring? We'll just have to wait and see!

Ten years of traditions

It was a whole decade ago, back in 2006, that I first started a humble little blog over on blogspot.com. This was back before the age of social media, so telling friends and family what you were up to was done via blog post back then rather than via status updates. As such, I'd found many of the new friends I'd made swing dancing had blogs of their own, including a lady named Vivian I had been trying to get to know better. So, I signed up to have a blog of my own, and I've been updating it regularly ever since, documenting my entire relationship with Vivian in the process. So, to commemorate these past ten years, here is a list of my top ten favorite traditions that have come about in my life since I started this little blog. Enjoy!

1. The Applejack Festival: It seems the only time we get down to Nebraska City is when thousands of other people are jamming the roads to watch the parade or buy caramel apples around town during the Applejack Festival. We always start our visit by getting pancakes from the Pancake Man down at the fire house. Then we might check out the used book sale at the library before taking in a parade, sampling apple wine down at the Arbor Day Farm, or picking apples up at Kimmel Orchard. Hannah and Aaron have gone every year of their lives (so far).
2. Vala's Pumpkin Patch: The pumpkin patch / amusement park out in Gretna is a tradition for anyone with kids or who are kids at heart. The jumping pillows, go carts, the mechanical dragon, and acres and acres of play areas are a draw for us and lots of other people each year. The price of admission goes up every year, but I have a whole blog entry to help you save money.
3. Shakespeare on the Green: Nebraska Shakespeare puts on a comedy and tragedy at Elmwood Park every year for free (with donations), so we usually make a day of it coming early to lay down a blanket and then hang out on the green with our friends, a bunch of snacks, and a bottle or two of wine.
4. Friday Fish Fries during Lent: I have to credit Eric/Onion-Boy with introducing me to the uniquely Midwestern (and Catholic) tradition of standing in line for hours drinking beer and then gorging on fried fish, all inside a church. St. John Vianney has been our Fishy Friday destination for years, not just for the assortment of beige, carb-laden food, but also for the live music, raffles, bake sales, and more. Good times never seemed so good. (So good! So good!)
5. The Cheese Party / Hors D'oeuvres Party: We hold one of these every year, alternating between the two themes. Vivian and I love food, and having some kind of party / competition with our friends has been a great way to break through the gloomy months of winter, post-Christmas.
6. Christmas at Union Station: Kicking off the holidays wouldn't be complete without a trip to Union Station. Vivian and I go with the River City Confectioners to help visitors decorate cookies while Hannah and Aaron see Santa. Then we'll join the crowd as everyone sings along with a Christmas carol or two before watching the Mayor of Omaha light up the tree.
7. Concerts at Memorial Park & Loessfest: every year, a couple well-known bands come to give free concerts in the metro area, and I always look forward to seeing who they'll be. We've seen Kenny Loggins, Kool & the Gang, Joan Jett, Eddie Money, Chicago, Three Dog Night, Loverboy, Pat Benatar, Smash Mouth, Uncle Cracker, Sugar Ray, Styx, Foreigner, and even the Beach Boys with John Stamos, and we usually bring the kids along for the ride.
8. The Sushi Anniversary: When Vivian and I made our dating relationship "official," it was immediately after a trip to Sakura Bana for sushi with friends on January 26, 2007. Every year, we mark the occasion by having sushi someplace. It's usually in Omaha, but we once celebrated at the Rio's seafood buffet in Las Vegas.
9. First Date Anniversary: Vivian and I went to the (now closed) French Cafe for our first official date (before we made it "official") back on Dec. 23, 2006. Every year, we mark the occasion with dinner — often in the Old Market — and then a brief walk in the bitter cold to see the Christmas lights at the Gene Leahy Mall. We also buy some Christmas fudge down at the Old Market Candy Shoppe.
10. Wedding Anniversary and Comic: Every year on July 19, Vivian and I have a tradition of celebrating our anniversary by going someplace (usually with a swimming pool or a water park). Sometimes it's a trip to Kansas City, a road trip to Mount Rushmore and back, or just a drive across the river to Des Monies. We finish the day with a lobster dinner to commemorate our honeymoon in Bar Harbor, Maine, and I present Vivian with a comic illustration of our year together.