My 5 Favorite Memories of 2019

Since it's the end of the year and all, I wanted to share my top 5 favorite memories from 2019, with corresponding photos…OF COURSE!

#1 Published Breath of French Air…finally!

I've mentioned before that when Neal and I lived in France, we had a blog together. He wrote most of the posts, and I contributed the photos. It was so much fun, and it was an incredible chronicle of our adventure. My plan was to make a book of all our blog posts and photos. I didn't figure it would be something I would sell, more just for a personal remembrance kind of thing. It was MUCH more complicated than I would have guessed and took me MUCH longer than I ever imaged. Well in January, I finally saw the printed copy. And I was THRILLED! It was exactly what I wanted for us to memorialize our adventures. It's a beautifully printed book, which is for sale. But because of the print-on-demand costs, it's fairly pricey. You're welcome to check it out here. So I also did an e-book version for family and friends who didn't want to shell out the money for the printed version. That one is available here.

#2 Celebration of International Women's Day with Dining for Women

I've always wanted to work with social causes I believe in. But for whatever reason…too "busy", didn't know which one, didn't know how to connect…I didn't. But then a few years ago I found the organization Dining for Women, and there it was. The perfect organization for me to connect with. Common beliefs, interesting/kind/generous/brilliant women, and social causes that I wholeheartedly support and believe in. So every month(ish) I meet with my fellow DFW members and we discuss a different grantee that the organization chooses to support. We bring a dish to share, discuss the organization that received the grant, and connect with each other. I love these women.

Then came March 8th - International Women's Day. Ingrid, our fearless leader, suggested we go all out with a celebration. We invited other chapters of DFW, Grantee speakers, women leaders in the community. It was so powerful to be around that many diverse, intelligent, accomplished, kind WOMEN! I was the photographer for the event. I flitted around like a hummingbird (a really big hummingbird) and tried to capture the moments, emotions, interactions. It really was an amazing evening. The energy, the power, the collaboration. I'll say it again - I love these women!

The amazing flavors from around the world

Our fearless leader, Ingrid Rosten

DFW local chapters and guests of International Women’s Day

#3 Trip to Santa Fe with Kelly

I've always had a thing for the Southwest. I don't know exactly what it is, but it feels like home to me. Well my friend, Kelly, and I decided to take a few days and head to Santa Fe last May. The brilliant blue skies, the air, the art. Oh, and the food. Oh my, that Santa Fe cuisine. Café Pasqual's is one of our favorites. Local and organic are their guiding principles. Delicious and ‘can't wait to come back’ are what you experience with every meal. We even found a delectable French bakery there, Clafoutis. Yes, it's true. I'm not making that up. I'm not saying we went there EVERY morning for breakfast, but…

Taos Pueblo

Taos Pueblo

#4 Trip to Denver with Chris

When my sister, Chris, said "hey I have a conference in Denver, want to meet me there?", my initial reaction was something like I don't have time…I'm too busy. And then I decided oh what the hell, I need a few days off. And so to Denver I went. Now to give you a little context, Neal and I met in Denver - at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) to be exact. About a year after we met, we got married in Breckenridge, and then lived downtown Denver for our first year of marriage. So I looked at the trip as a retrospective. A trip down memory lane of Neal & Diane. I went to the MCA where we first met, where we had drinks. To the Denver Art Museum, where we frequented for dates. To our favorite restaurants, our first apartment…you get the picture. And I photographed it all. And what did I do with the photos? Well I created a slideshow of course! (if you haven't guess by now, I do love a slideshow. I mean photos set to sappy music…always a tearjerker!) AND not only did I get to stroll back down memory lane, BUT I got a chance to hang out with my sis, and reconnect with some Denver friends. Good times!

The new and modernized Union Station in Denver

#5 Family Thanksgiving

Let me qualify this memory by saying that I haven't spent Thanksgiving with my extended family for at least 20 years. It's just not a time of year I want to travel. And Neal doesn’t like to travel, so he's certainly not going with me. Therefore our tradition has been to either go out for our meal, or now to have a little Thanksgiving dinner with friends. Low key. Quiet. That's not how I would describe Thanksgiving this year. My parents, 2 sisters, their husbands, 4 nieces, 1 nephew, and a boyfriend (of one of my nieces). Whew! Quite a change from my normal.

But it was so much fun to be around everybody. To really get a chance to catch up, to hear what's going on, just to be a part of it. And then the pictures came out. Yep, my sister, Chris, had taken boxes of old photos and had them scanned and digitized. This has raised her rank from sister to superhero. Seriously. I don't have the energy, patience, or stamina for that kind of project. But it was AMAZING to be able to look at them all together and hear all the stories from Mom & Dad. And what do you think I did with all those digital files?? That's right, you really DO know me! I created a slideshow. And then we could share all Chris' hard work with aunts, uncles, cousins… Who all loved the old photos also.

It was a long trip down memory lane. Which can sometimes be a little rocky. But this time, I was in such a good place, that I skipped and giggled on down that lane, enjoying every minute of it.

The turkey cooking method of choice for the Evans family - burying it in a hole with heated coals. They have refined the method over the years, and yes I know it sounds weird but BEST TURKEY EVER!

Evans Family - the early years. Oh I love those ponchos, crocheted with love by Mom. That’s Chris on the left, me in the middle and Stacy on the right.

Me at 3. To give a little perspective on the hair journey. Mom was a little baffled and so combed it like other moms did. It took me a while to figure out what to do with it, and there were definitely some awkward years getting there. Here’s where they all begin…

Okay, there you have it. My favorite memories (and photos!) from 2019. Now it's YOUR turn! I would love to get your comments below. Also come on over to our Facebook Group to post your photos and memories.

Here's to an AMAZING 2020!!