My 16 from ’16!

For the past five years, in January I’ve posted my favorites from the prior year, and it’s become the New Years’ activity I like best of all! (Prior years are here: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.) I’m relieved that less than half this year are iPhone pics (all the square ones), as I rarely use my dSLR these days. I say this all the time, but I really need to be more intentional about picking up my “real” camera, and about posting them, too! (I am inherently lazy, and though I definitely can take better photos with my real camera, for the past couple of years the ease and instantaneousness with which I can take, edit, and post photos all with my phone has been an irresistible draw. But on the plus side, at least my iPhone abilities are improving!) (For now, you’ll have to go to my IG feed for more consistent updates on our ordinary but extraordinary life…) 2016 was a bit of a crazy year for us: I had my 4th (and I’m hoping final!) knee surgery; we visited Disneyland (twice!), Minnesota, and New York; and Em got her driver’s license, put on an entire play at school by herself, and applied for college (gulp—I don’t even see how that can be possible).

During our February trip to Disneyland with my sister-in-law and her sweet little family, it poured one afternoon/evening. While it wasn’t ideal for rides (though we got a hilarious ride photo from it!) or even walking around (where I slipped and fell spectacularly—in a dress, nonetheless), the reflections were mesmerizing!

I take a lot of flower photos, but I can’t help myself—I find the whole process so peaceful and relaxing. Ranunculus are among my favorites…

Total bliss…

Every Mother’s Day I try to remember to get Tom to take a picture of us—sooner than I like, I may not be able to spend that day with my beloved girl!

One of my favorites this year was from Emily’s junior prom! I just adored the light. (It’s a bummer that we were in our driveway and I had to cut off Emily’s selfie or else also include our truck, but I love the photo and the joy of the girls just the same!)

We had a wonderful visit this summer with my niece from D.C. We live so far apart that we don’t get to see her much, but that made the visit that much more special! We loved getting to do touristy stuff with her that we normally don’t make time for…

This was from Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, where they were all patient with me while I played with a slow-shutter-ish app on my phone—still need to perfect it, but the results were fun nonetheless!

We had such gorgeous visit to Minnesota this summer to visit my inlaws!

And as part of our Pokéhunting, we visited so many places we definitely wouldn’t have seen otherwise, even just locally! At a little park in Campbell was this pretty little fountain, and I couldn’t resist the jeweled tones sparkling beneath the ripples:

Went on a little photography day trip with my sister to Capitola. I hope it was the first of many!

And another walk in a nearby park, where I fell in love with the braid-like trail this one duck made:

Playing in the back yard after a rain…

From a day trip with my family to San Francisco, and Treasure Island!

And my annual holiday photo of my sweet girl…

2017 brings some big things for us; I admit I am at once apprehensive and excited!