2023 Year in Review

 

In 2023, we stayed busy with lots of family trips, concerts, sports and activities, and quality time with family & friends.

We continued our annual Whistler trip with the Barths and Kauai trip with the Reeders, visited the Halleran family in Seabrook twice, and took the boys to Orlando for their first Disney World/Universal Studios experience. We also took the boys to Vancouver B.C. for the first time over Corey's birthday weekend, to see Ed Sheeran.  Corey and Cole went to Vegas (which Cole had been dreaming of for years) for a gymnastics competition. Over the summer, the boys had an opportunity to camp with my dad, and Jackson and my dad backpacked for a few days.

Corey and I traveled to Walla Walla with the Reeders to celebrate our anniversary and Lisa's birthday, to Lake Tahoe for Sara's 40th, and to Vegas with the Hallerans to celebrate Ryan's 40th. I also had the opportunity to get away for a girls weekend, to visit Gina in Boise, and ended the year with a trip to Phuket, Thailand with my parents, for my brother's wedding, which was amazing.  

Other concerts we saw this year included Ava Max, Macklemore, and the much anticipated Taylor Swift.

Jackson ran track and cross country again and is thriving in 7th grade. He enjoys BOTS (tech support for peers & teachers) and ASB.  After a year of competitive gymnastics, Cole decided to scale back to a recreational program in order explore additional interested, including sewing classes and aerial silks (which he LOVES).  He's doing well in 4th grade and is involved in safety patrol and choir.

After 15 years at T-Mobile, I changed careers and am enjoying my new role as a professional organizer for The Orderly Space. I found more time to read, surpassing any other year with 98 books read (36K+ pages!).  Corey and HMG continue to be successful in all things marketing, and he enjoyed being a Mariners season ticket holder.  He's hopeful that some day, he'll also have Seahawks season tickets.

We're in the midst of planning a June trip to London and Paris, and are looking forward to everything else that 2024 has in store for us.  In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this quick look back at 2023, and wish you all the best in 2024!

You can check out our prior recaps here: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009.

2022 Year in Review

 

2022 felt a bit more like "normal" and with that came many more adventures - trips, concerts, and best of all, time with friends and family.

We took family trips to Suncadia with the Barths, spent spring break in Washington DC & NYC with the Reeders, enjoyed 4th of July with the Hallerans at their new home in Seabrook, spent time in Sandpoint, ID and Silverwood with my parents, and made it to Oahu (with the Gossetts) & Kauai (with the Reeders) before the boys went back to school.  

We took several kid-free trips, too! Corey and I enjoyed Palm Springs, Vegas and even had the chance to celebrate my 40th with childhood and college besties in Cabo.  And I squeezed in a girls' trip to San Diego with my two of my work friends last month.

The boys continued to stay busy, and keep us on our toes.  

Cole is in third grade and played baseball this spring and then joined the competitive boys gymnastics team at his gym over the summer. It's been a big transition for him as it's a year-round commitment and meant moving a one hour/week rec class to three hour practices three times per week, but he's getting really strong and improving every day.  He enjoys reading graphic novels, playing with and styling Barbies (and their hair) and is completely obsessed with all things Halloween and Christmas. 

Jackson graduated from 5th grade in the spring and made a flawless transition into middle school this fall and is loving the added responsibility and independence that comes with it. He has received praise from numerous teachers already, and had straight As in his first trimester.  Jackson participated and competed in Destination Imagination earlier this year, and ran cross country this fall. He even ran his first 5K, placing 4th in the boys 10-14 age group.  He continues to love reading and LEGOs, all thrill rides, and has become quite the chef this year.

As a family, we spent lots of quality time together skiing & snowboarding, hiking & biking, playing Four Square & board/card games, and we never turn down an opportunity for a movie and popcorn night at home.

Other highlights included: visits from my brother (home from Thailand for the first time since 2019!), Corey's brother Elliott, my Aunt Karen, Spence & Renata, the McNeill fam; saw AJR, OneRepublic and Elton John in concert; attended a Cliff Avril Charity dinner.

COVID hit our house in early June, but luckily all mild cases and the boys were both able to return to school in time for their end of year activities.

We're all looking forward to 2023 and some big plans in the works, including a family trip to Disney World over spring break.  In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this quick look back at our 2022.  Cheers to '23!

You can check out our prior recaps here: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009.

2021 Year in Review

2021 felt a bit like 2020 extended, but we made the most of it!

We took family trips to Scottsdale and Maui, Corey and I enjoyed an adults' weekend in Vegas with the Reeders and Barths, and I joined some of my besties in Palm Springs.

The boys stayed active and busy, and most importantly are back in school as of February (Cole) and March (Jackson). Jackson is now in 5th grade and is over five feet tall. He enjoyed track, cross country and mountain biking this year.  He continues to love reading - he read over 70 books this year, totaling more than 18,000 pages!  He loves to cook and bake, and has been a big helper around the house making dinner all by himself and helping fold laundry.  

Cole is in 2nd grade and ran track, played baseball and soccer, and recently resumed gymnastics. He's very into styling Barbie hair and searching for, buying and making holiday decor (our house was literally covered in homemade crafts, and we even ended up purchasing a 5' tall Santa just before Christmas).  

Professionally, this has been a big year for me!  I had the opportunity to join my manager and co-worker in a Project Management certification course, and after hours of studying and an exhausting exam, I'm happy to report that I am now a certified Project Management Professional.  And earlier this month, I was promoted from a Sr. Program Manager to a Group Project Manager.  

This year Corey spent a lot of time on his bike and I'm proud to report that he completed his 2021 resolution to ride 1,000 miles in 12 months (though he overdelivered, completing this in just over 9 months). For one of his last rides, the Reeders joined us for a fun ~30 mile ride from our house to Mark Ryan Winery in Woodinville (and back). It was a fun way to log some miles and enjoy the last of the summer sun with friends.  Corey also learned to snowboard and proved himself to be a natural.  As a family, we made good use of our first-ever season passes to Snoqualmie.

From a COVID perspective, Corey and I received our vaccines in the spring and our boosters earlier this month. And the boys are now fully vaccinated as well. Feels like we are finally taking some good steps forward.

In some sad news, on December 1, we lost my grandma at nearly 99-1/2 years old. She truly was one of the kindest and classiest women I know. The boys adored her and I'm so glad they were able to see her so frequently over the years. She and Cole had an extra special bond, and we'd often find him chatting with her in her room when we visited my family. I will always remember a special summer in college, when I had the pleasure of living with her during an internship I had in California. She was so special and we will all miss her dearly.

We're all eager to see what 2022 brings. But in the meantime, here's a quick look at our year in photos. Happy 2022, friends!

You can check out our prior recaps here: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009.

2020 Year in Review

What. A. Year.  It's still hard to believe that this time last year, COVID (and everything else that 2020 brought us) was not even on our radar.

From canceled trips to Japan and Hawaii, to remote learning for six weeks (which of course has been extended indefinitely), working from home for the last nine months, called off sports, sleep issues, and a completely unexpected Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis for me, 2020 is definitely not the year we were expecting.

But the silver linings outweigh all the challenges - we enjoyed a slower pace of life with lots of quality family time at home and on our bikes, celebrated birthdays in unique and fun ways, spent tons of time outdoors with friends, set up backyard movie nights, met and became good friends with several neighbor families, made more dinners together, and were even able to take a few more local trips.  

We started the year off with our annual trip to Whistler with the Barth family, and the boys continued to improve their skiing skills.  We look forward to this trip every winter, and unfortunately we likely won't be able to take the trip this year since the border has been closed.  But in the meantime, we've picked up Snoqualmie season passes and were even able to convince Corey to take up snowboarding!  We've already been up a few times and look forward to lots more trips together in the coming months.

Corey and I had a trip planned to Tokyo and Kyoto with friends to celebrate a 40th birthday in early March, but due to COVID it became a last minute trip to Miami instead.  While very different than the trip we'd planned, it was a blast relaxing poolside and on the beach, and eating so many delicious dinners out on the town.  It was a a great way to spend our last week before the shutdown.  

In June, we enjoyed a Chelan trip with Reeders, where we spent lots of time in the sun at the pool and on the lake (we even rented a boat one afternoon!).  And in July, we headed to Sunriver with my parents for a few days, and even had the chance to see one of my besties while we were there (their trip just happened to overlap ours!)

Cole enjoyed a Tae Kwon Do birthday party with friends this year, just weeks before everything shut down.  He continues to enjoy superheroes, Barbies, art/drawing, writing chapter books, and has been blessed with the world's BEST first grade teacher, who he absolutely adores.  He's reading really well and seems to do well with math.  Cole lost two teeth early this year and then another three right before Christmas.

Jackson is becoming a much more avid reader and loves to listen to audio books while working on puzzles, diamond paintings, or knitting a scarf.  He still loves LEGOs and all things space, with the rocket launch back in June a big highlight for him this year.  Jackson also enjoys cooking and has learned how to make scrambled eggs and just this week (thanks to a cookbook he received for Christmas), he made a one pot pasta dish for dinner and homemade pancakes. He's gotten to be quite the biker and enjoys rides with Corey.

Distance learning has gone surprisingly well for both boys, though they both miss their friends.  Cole also has been known to get distracted occasionally by browsing on Amazon and drawing on his face/hands (though I guess in first grade, after hours on the computer, you're allowed some slack...).  It is nice to have them home and be able to interact with them throughout the day and at lunch. With that said, we're all looking forward to their return to school so they can see their friends and teachers.

Corey's taken up biking and snowboarding this year, and we've enjoyed having more time with him while he's working from home.  This has also allowed him to get out on lots of quick rides throughout the week, when his meeting schedule and the weather allows.

This summer, I was diagnosed with T1D, after a few weeks of rapid weight loss and excessive thirst.  While it was a shock to us all, I have a great Endocrinologist at UW and have been able to use a continuous glucose monitor which is has been a huge help in managing things.  Luckily I haven't had to change my diet much and things seem to be under control.  In addition, I've been able to continue (and even increase) my home workouts, thanks to the home gym Corey set up for me in our garage for my birthday!

In other exciting news, the T-Mobile/Sprint merger officially completed on April 1, and as part of that, I had an opportunity to join a new team (still within the same org), which I love.  (I'll also be able to continue working from home indefinitely in this role!)  It's still crazy to think that the merger completed in the midst of a pandemic, while nearly all employees were working from home.

We're all looking forward to hopefully a little less unexpected in 2021!

And in case you're interested in previous recaps, you can check them out here: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009.

2019 Year in Review

While I'm not blogging these days, it definitely does not mean we're not making lots of memories.  It was another amazing year, and again, I'm shocked at how quickly it flew by.

Looking back at our year, one word that comes to mind is ADVENTURE.  Whether we were local or on one of many trips, we were living our best lives and enjoying fun adventures.  We made our annual trip to Whistler with the Barths in January, Southern California (San Diego and Disneyland) for spring break in April, annual Kauai trip with the Reeders in May, two adults only trips in July (Walla Walla for the 4th, and Vegas with the Reeders to celebrate Lisa's 40th), and a staycation before school started that included the fair, a ferry ride, Wild Waves, a Mt. Rainier hike with the Shinns, and the boys' first trip to The Melting Pot (which Cole is still talking about).  And Corey visited Curtis in in Santa Rosa in June, went to a friend's wedding in Spokane and enjoyed a guys' trip to Portland in September.  And we sprinkled a few trips to Yakima sprinkled throughout.

Cole joined Jackson at Creekside Elementary school this year, and oh my goodness, it's so nice to have both boys at one school! Cole is LOVING Kindergarten.  He has made lots of friends (most girls), including a few fifth grade lady friends, is reading and seems to enjoy math. While he isn't dressing up in costumes quite as much these days, he has a passion for sequins, unicorns, mermaids, and well, just about anything sparkly.  He's really into art, and has been taking drawing classes, becoming a wonderful artist.  He has great handwriting, is a good speller (or at least sounding things out phonetically), and loves to write and illustrate stories.  He took a few rounds of swimming lessons (he's right on the cusp of swimming on his own), played Sammamish Little League t-ball, learned to ride his bike , and began Tae Kwon Do with Jackson.  While he may not always remember all the steps they're learning, or the board as quickly as Jackson and some of the other kids, his perseverance is amazing.  And in Whistler, he took ski lessons, which he really seemed to enjoy.

Jackson started third grade this year and continues to do well. His writing is getting neater (sometimes), continues to love math (recently moved into times tables).  He wrapped up his first and last season of basketball (not a huge fan), did another season of baseball, and another season of soccer.  He lost four teeth this year, none of which grew in very quickly, making for a jack-o-lantern smile for about six months.  While both boys enjoy TKD, Jackson especially seems to love it - his focus and confidence is pretty amazing.  Jackson and I skied/snowboarded in Whistler earlier this year and then at Snoqualmie last week, and I'm amazed how well he is doing after taking lessons just once a few years back. He went some some beginner and intermediate runs and looks forward to lessons this winter at Snoqualmie with Cole.

In other family news, Corey and I both hit 12 years at HMG and T-Mobile respectively, my dad (semi) retired in March and my mom retired in September.  And after nearly 40 years of dreaming about it, my dad did the Everest base camp hike last month.  They also built a new home, resulting in the sale of the home I lived in throughout my teen years.  We were able to see my brother this holiday season, our first time seeing him since his move to Thailand last August.  And I can't forget seeing The Who with my dad (one of his all times faves) and the Jonas Brothers with Jen on back-to-back weekends this fall.

Here's a visual look back at our 2019 adventures! (The second song was per Cole's request, as it's one of his favorites right now.)

And in case you're interested in previous recaps, you can check them out here: 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009.

2018 Year in Review

It's hard to believe another year is coming to a close.  While I didn't blog at all this year (Instagram seems to be my documenting tool of choice these days), I couldn't give up my annual year in review/video recap.  It's always fun to look back on everything we did throughout the year, and the boys love seeing the photos and listening to the music.

We enjoyed numerous trips this year, including Whistler with the Barths in February, Vegas with the Reeders, Gossetts, and Barths in May, Kauai in July with my parents and Joan, Chelan in August with the Reeders, and several trips to Yakima. We also had a few staycations in Bellevue - a parents night out on NYE, my mom and I had a girls weekend in April, and we stayed as a family last weekend and enjoyed a dinner out, seeing Snowflake Lane and swimming in the hotel pool.  We were able to visit with Curtis on his trip up here back in January, and with Elliott over the holidays this past week.

Cole, who has been anxiously awaiting his 5th birthday next month (for just the last 6 months or so), is doing really well in Pre-K and cannot wait to join Jackson at school next fall. With Pre-K came no more naps at school so now on the weekends, we give him the choice. He usually skips them (though may snag a catnap in the car) but every once in awhile, he'll choose a nap, or even put himself down for one, which I think is the cutest thing ever.  He has many friends at school but especially enjoys his girl friends.  He still loves dressing up in princess costumes, drawing and coloring (which he's actually quite good at!), playing outside, and riding his bike or scooter.  He's the free spirit of the family, and continues to make us laugh with this jokes and enthusiastic jazz hands.  I wish I could bottle up his energy and use it myself.

At age seven, Jackson is in 2nd grade and is doing really well.  He especially loves math (didn't get that from me!) and science.  At recess, he loves playing on the bars and apparently can go forwards or backwards over 30 times in a row. He enjoys playing with lots of friends, including our neighbor girl, who recently moved from Thailand (and whom he'd met briefly in our cul-de-sac and then started playing with her at recess, without realizing it was the same girl).  He tried baseball for the first time, deeming it his favorite sport, played soccer, and ran cross country again in the spring and fall through school.  He's been taking swimming lessons and both boys are taking gymnastics on the weekend.  This winter, he'll give basketball a try.  He lost his first two teeth mid-year, and has five partially wiggly ones.  He continues to be a very curious, respectful, responsible, organized, sweet boy and older brother.

Corey celebrated 11 years at HMG, while I reached 10 at T-Mobile.  I completed a half marathon over labor day with my goal time, and was thrilled to have the boys, Corey and the Reeders and Gossetts cheering me on.

Our year included hospital visits for two of us (one planned and one unplanned).  Cole had tubes put in his ears in August, to help with numerous ear infections, and I made an unplanned emergency visit back in February, after a run in with the cheese grater (my thumb is fully healed, but I've gotta be honest - I still get the chills thinking about it, and haven't used a grater since).

In sad news, we had to say goodbye to our Roxy girl in August.  She celebrated her 10th birthday in June but over the course of the next few months, her health rapidly declined after already running into some health challenges, and we had to make one of the toughest decisions ever.  In the end, we made the call that would avoid continuing to put her through surgeries that her poor body wouldn't be able to handle well, and that wouldn't result in a better quality of life. Nothing can prepare you for saying goodbye to a pet, especially your first baby - you think you've prepared yourself, but it's so so much harder than you imagine. Luckily Corey and I were able to say goodbye to her, and be with her until the end.   The boys took things well, and we still think of her often and talk about her as a family.

Here's a look back at our year, set to music.  And if you're interested in previously recaps, you can check them out here: 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009.

Cheers!

2017 Year in Review

Looking back, our theme for 2017 was TRAVEL! With a trip of some sort nearly every month this year, it was a BIG year for us in terms of trips and adventures.  Trips included Disneyland with my parents (January), Whistler with the Barths (February), a girls' trip to Portland (March), Kauai with the Reeders (May), adults only Ibiza/Amsterdam getaway (June), an Alaskan cruise (Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Victoria B.C.) with my family to celebrate my grandma’s 95^th birthday (July), a boys camping trip at La Wis Wis (August), a parents-gone-wild trip Nashville with the Barths (September), a girls' trip to Vegas (October), and Corey visited his dad in Santa Rosa (December)! 

In other news, Cole turned 3, became potty trained, and officially started Preschool.  There, his teacher finds him very independent, happy and is impressed with his writing and drawing control.  He continues to be a clown, always finding ways to make us laugh, and to have tons of enthusiasm and zest for life which he conveys through his endless amounts of energy, excitement over everything, BIG hugs, and our favorite – jazz hands.  He enjoys costumes/dressing up (he has a special appreciation for dresses that “twirl” and capes), playing outside, doing puzzles, and playing with his kitchen toys/food. Some oral testing earlier this year deemed him no longer allergic to peanuts or almonds, and he has been loving all the new food options now available to him. Currently he’s looking forward to his 4^th birthday next month.

2017 was a big year for Jackson, who turned 6.  He graduated Kindergarten at Evergreen Academy (queue the mama tears!) and started 1^st grade at Creekside Elementary. He rocked the transition from a small school where he was among the oldest and knew all the kids and teachers, to a school of over 750 kids (!!!) in grades K-5. Seriously, he made it look like no big deal and here I was a nervous wreck over it for weeks leading up the switch.  He's in the before-and-after school care program there, and has seemed to enjoy that and all the activities and (summer) field trips it provides.  He continues to love school (especially math), enjoyed cross country at school and soccer through Arena Sports, and is looking forward to playing baseball for the first time come Spring.  He learned to swim, and was thrilled to pass the swim test at the YMCA which allows him to go on the water slide.  He continues to be (extremely) curious, sweet and kind, and his teacher and caregivers all talk about what a great, responsible and helpful kiddo he is.  He loves going to the movies and the arcade (his top pick when he earns enough poker chips through his behavior chart).  

After this year, we'll be slowing our travel schedule down a bit, but not completely.  We've got Whistler, Vegas and Kauai trips planned, and my mom and I will be returning to Palm Springs for a quick mother/daughter getaway in the spring.  I'm hoping to run another half marathon.

Here's a look back at some of our 2017 highlights. And if you're interested in previous yearly recaps, you can check them out here: 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009.

We wish you all the best in 2018!

We Heart Nashville

Yes, it's been almost two months since we actually went to Nashville, and like four months since I've blogged, but this post has been on my to do list and I really, really want to cross it off...so here you go!

Back in September, Corey and I headed to Nashville to the weekend with the Barths. We'd talked about tacking it on to one of my Chattanooga work trips, but that didn't ever work out, but then when the Seahawks schedule was published and included a game in Nashville, we decided it was time to pull the trigger.  Luckily Joan and Elliott agreed to watch the boys so that we could go (thanks again for taking such great care of them!)

We arrived around midnight on a Friday and were greeted with very hot and humid temps, and an incredible nightlife. We literally wheeled our suitcases down streets busting with crowds.  I've never seen anything like it outside of Vegas (though on a much smaller scale of course - the main drag in Nashville is only about three blocks long).

Our hotel was right in the middle of all the action, and we enjoyed some amazing food at Etch, Silo and Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint.  Even though some of the places we ate were in other neighborhoods, it's an easy city to get around in quickly with Uber or on foot.  We did some shopping, enjoyed lots (and lots) of cocktails, and stayed up way too late enjoying all the live music Nashville had to offer. Seriously, every bar was several floors and each floor had a different live band.  And then most bars had a rooftop deck, which would also showcase live music.  We loved it and just couldn't get enough.

On game day, it was just a short walk over the river from our hotel to the stadium.  Prior to the game, we hit up a Seahawks tailgate. It was fun to see so many Hawks fan so far from Seattle; however, it was HOT.  I think the temps were in the mid-90s and it was SO humid.  In just shorts and jerseys, we were dripped sweat before the game even started.  Titans fans were very friendly and didn't do a lot of trash talking (minus the 10-year old boys behind us), which we appreciated, considering the Hawks lost. 

Despite the loss, we had a wonderful time with highlights being the food, going to a Hawks away game, Alex singing karaoke (!!!), and the music.  Our three day was definitely not enough and we hope to make another trip out there again sometime!

Alaskan Cruise

We just returned home from a great getaway with my family aboard the Norwegian Jewel. Our party of 11 planned our trip to help my grandma celebrate her recent 95th birthday - my parents, brother, sister-in-law, uncle, aunt, Corey, the boys, and I all joined in the fun.

We sailed out of Seattle last Saturday and stopped in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, and Victoria. And in the middle of the Alaskan stops, we were able to see some icebergs and a 500 year old glacier.  In port, we typically wandered around a bit and did souvenir shopping, and in Juneau, we did a gold mine shore excursion at the AJ Mine with my dad.

Overall, the weather in Alaska was gray and on the cool side (60s) but we did get a bit of sun in Ketchikan, and luckily no rain.  The cool weather didn't stop us from enjoying a few hot tub outings on the ship, or the boys from enjoying the water slide (and since you had to be 42" to ride it, my dad and I got to enjoy a few freezing cold slide rides with Cole - ha!)

The boys seemed to enjoy cruising, with highlights being running in the wind on the upper decks, the arcade, activities at Splash Academy (NCL's kids club), evening shows, whale (tail & spouting) spotting, and mining for gold in Juneau.  Corey and I were able to enjoy drinks alone several evenings, and some adult only dinners with my family.

The room was pretty small but the boys slept well.  Keeping them quiet and from jumping around was tough at times during the day, but we did our best.  Cole napped like a champ, cuddling with us (something we never get to enjoy during naps at home anymore!) and falling asleep almost instantly. 

The restaurants on board were really good, but with such a big party, various schedules at play, and kids in tow, it meant more meals at the buffet than we all probably preferred. But convenience and large selection often won out and we ended up there for several breakfasts and most lunches.  We did all enjoy a few nice meals together at the steakhouse and Benihana-like restaurant on board.

While we liked the posts in Alaska, our favorite was Victoria and we hope to return for a long weekend sometime.

Here are some photos from our week at sea!

Seattle & Around the Ship

 

 

The boys LOVED the Benihana-style dinner we all went to.

 

Tablet time before bed...

 

Sunset somewhere between Ketchikan and Juneau

 

They both loved virgin strawberry daiquiris

 

 

 

 

The boys thoroughly enjoyed the evening entertainment - especially the dancers and singers. 

Ketchikan

 

Souvenir (aka "pretty rock") shopping

 

Juneau

 

Jackson got to be the mine tour guide's "boss" and loved every minute of it (it being shining a flashlight where the guide needed him to)

 

  

 

 

 

Ice, Ice Baby

Skagway

 

Victoria

 

Shoulder rides and songs sung by this boy made for fun walks back to the ship

 

Passed a park on our walk, so we HAD to stop!

 Had fun playing around with the 'pano' setting on my phone

 

As much as I normally do not appreciate gray skies, I could not get enough of these - they were amazing; truly looked like a painting in person.