For the first time in a couple of years, Sean and I were home to celebrate Thanksgiving and all of its deliciousness. We spent Thursday with Sean's family and Friday with mine.


The Doyles take food very seriously and there were menus for each meal tacked up on the fridge. Breakfast: sausage and egg casserole, pancakes, coffee, and mimosas. Appetizers: deviled eggs, stuffed mushrooms and drinks. Lunch: turkey (cooked on a charcoal grill), honey-baked ham, rolls, mashed potatoes and gravy, yams, carrots, green bean casserole, cranberries, jello and stuffing. Dessert: apple pie, pumpkin pie, lemon meringue pie, berry pie and ice cream. YUM!


There were about 16 of us in all for dinner and we had a good meal and a relaxing day catching up, napping and watching football.


The next day we took a hike to the lake with my parents and then after another nice dinner spent the evening playing games (Cribbage and Farkle) in front of the fire.


This past year has been full with returning from China, getting married and doing NOLS. As we try to figure out what is next for us, we are thankful to be happy, healthy and surrounded by family and friends. Happy Thanksgiving!

Sean and I finally got around to developing the film from our disposable underwater cameras that we used on our vacation in Bali and the Philippines. As the weather turns colder here in Michigan and there is actually snow predicted for Friday, it's nice to think of the tropical weather we had about a year ago half a world away.


Some of the pictures are when Sean and Daniel went snorkeling in Bali. They were taken out in a boat and given lots of food to attract and feed the fish that swarmed around them.


The gray blob with spots are the best pictures we could get of snorkeling with whale sharks near Legaspi, in the Philippines. Trying to swim along with a huge fish who was moving pretty quickly while simultaneously trying to snap pictures didn't work out so well. Here's a picture of what the whale sharks really looked like.


The other pictures are of me and Sean snorkeling and swimming while we stayed on the island of Palawan. For most of the days we took boat tours around to hidden coves and lagoons and were able to snorkel in really clear water.


Sitting here in my sweats and wrapped in a blanket in the Doyle basement, it's hard to remember being that warm and carefree. Developing these pictures brought back some good memories - I hope we are able to make it to New Zealand while it's still summer.

Contrary to what some people might think, there actually is quite a few fun ways to experience art and music in Holland and Grand Rapids. One of the coolest way to check out some art is Art Prize. Art Prize is a relatively new way to experience art around Grand Rapids. It's rapidly growing in popularity not only because it's fun to traipse around the city and join in the festivities but also because there are so many different artists and types of art displayed. Anyone can enter and there are prizes for different categories.



This year, Sean and my parents and I went the day after we got back from our trip out West. It was gorgeous weather and we had fun walking around and looking at all of the art. Though we spent the whole day at the event, we didn't even see half of all of the entries. My favorites were some of the huge sculptures, paper cuttings and all of the creative art which involved things ranging from magnifying lenses to recycled materials. The winner was a huge mosaic with a Christian theme.

A month later in Holland, there is an event called Groove Walk which takes place down town. Groove Walk is when ten different bands play in various bars and restaurants off 8th street. With one wristband you can sample lots of different genres and groups for the whole night. This year, because of great weather, all the venues were packed and people were in high spirits. I went with my friends Becky, Emily and Misha - we had a great times!

A couple of weekends ago I got to go on a retreat with my friend Emily's accounting firm. It was a lot of fun and really cool to meet everyone that Emily works with and at the same time a really relaxing and delightful getaway!



The retreat was held at a really nice lodge a few hours north of here. The lodge was homey and cozy, sat overlooking a lake and was surrounded by miles of trails in the woods. The great room had a huge fireplace and lots of comfy places to hang out on. The rooms had their own little fireplace, kitchen and dining room - it was pretty deluxe!


The retreat started off with a group trail run followed by a cornhole tournament. After that, everyone moved inside for a really nice dinner cooked by the resident chef of the lodge. In the evening we made s'mores in the outdoor fire pit and then played games when we got too overloaded on sugar and cold.


Breakfast the next day was pretty fabulous and nobody seemed to want to leave after that. It was a weekend of luxury at the lodge and I was happy that I got to hang out with Emily. If anyone else wants a buddy for a weekend retreat just let me know - I'd be happy to oblige!