the Artists

Aunt Amy and Niece Kaelyn spent several hours of Christmas vacation making art together.

Year-End

As an accountant, a generous part of my career is focused on year-end. Recently, along with all the brainwork I've been investing in final 2015 spreadsheets and communication, I've also been processing my personal year-end.

2015 was a good, rewarding, fulfilling, rejuvenating year. It was a year full of transition and many beautiful, happy memories.

Once upon a time you may remember me sharing the SPICE life acronym. At the start of 2015, I drafted my annual goals using the SPICE model. Here are some ways I experienced SPICE stimulation and health throughout the past year:

S piritual

• participating in weekly church meetings (English and Spanish)
• teaching Sunday school once a month
• joining the Wednesday noon prayer group that meets in my office building
• reading the entire Old Testament (and some of the New)

P hysical

• participating in a variety of exercise classes each week-- PiYo and Boot Camp are two of my favorites
• running a 5k in July
• cycling with Malinda
• hiking-- a handful of times on the Appalachian Trail, once to Flat Rock, and once on the White Rocks trail
• participating in the monthly wellness challenges at work
• eating ice cream-- Ashby's Michigan Pot Hole was the highlight of the year :), though Turkey Hill's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup was also a hit [and, yes, this is supposed to be entered under the Physical category!]

I ntellectual

• projects at work including prepping payroll, filing a few FBARs, researching IRS rules, attending a conference for ministry administrators, creating and resourcing QuickBooks company files for remote financial tracking, building Excel spreadsheets, communicating with global employees, running database reports, transitioning bosses, switching COLA providers, spending a multitude of hours (okay, actually only four months...) preparing 2016 budget detail, and... maybe a few other things too...

C reative

• decorating the house-- sewing curtains for my bedroom 
• experimenting with new recipes-- maple syrup, coconut oil, and King Arthur white whole wheat flour have been three of my favorite 2015 ingredients
• picking fresh strawberries and helping friends/family with canning
• making little projects here and there-- like literary Christmas ornaments at the library, and MWC wall hangings for international guests in July
• shopping at Farmer's Market
• hosting new friends and old in our half-a-house

E motional

• weekly 2 hour phone chat with Amy (Sunday mornings)
• monthly dinner out with roomies
• quiet times-- walking and jogging through the nearby cemetery
• drinking tea
• praying before I walk into the office in the morning
• $3 bouquets of fresh flowers at a local roadside stand
• listening to the Susquehanna Chorale's spring concert
• traveling-- to Canada (twice), Florida (twice), Colorado, Indiana, the Atlantic Ocean, Washington DC, Philadelphia, and Michigan (five times)

Saturday Visit

Last Saturday, Amy and I drove north to Clare to spend a few hours with our friend Lydia. Since a snowstorm cancelled our original plans to get together Monday, we were especially happy to meet up before I returned to Pennsylvania. 

After enjoying hot drinks at the adorable 505 Cafe, we drove out in the country for some shopping at the bulk food store, and then found our way back downtown for a lovely lunch at the historic Herrick House. 

Before we parted company, we meandered through the downtown shops, including a stop at the internationally famous Cops and Doughnuts (where Amy purchased a big box of doughnuts... the brothers were tickled!).

reunion

a handful of Bylers sharing a song at Bethel Sunday morning

I wasn't the only one who traveled home for Christmas.

Christmas Eve

what an exciting evening, eh?!

Amy and I continued our tradition of hosting the family for Christmas Eve.

The menu was spinach, pomegranate, apple salad,

crusty garlic bread,

Amy's homemade lasagna (veggie and regular),

and peppermint stick and mint chip ice cream for dessert.

sisters are BEST

I've been soaking in sister time these past few days in Michigan. On Tuesday, Amy, Betsy, and I had lunch together at Grand Traverse Pie Co. Then, we went to grocery shopping at Kroger and Jack's Fruit & Meat Market.

(ha. we are obviously grown up... how boring to go grocery shopping for a date!)

Sisters

Susanna and Sharon