By the time I walk into my office, I will be officially be 26.  Oh hey, start of my late 20′s!

It’s ok.  I’m bringing these beauties in to share with my fabulous co-dietitians and co-diabetes center coworkers.

I haven’t baked something indulgent since Easter.  It was time!

My last day of 25 went out with being playfully kicked and hit by a 3 year old.  It’s cool.  I was able to talk to his parent which is all a healthcare worker really wants.  Just please don’t touch my plastic food.  I have to sanitize it after little fingers and tongues have grazed the surface.

Here was my 25th year:

A second beagle came into my life!  I still adore my childhood beagle and Aaron sparked that beagle love again.

Benjamin Franklin may be stuffed, but we sadly have too much fun with him.  Don’t ask.

We rang in New Years Eve with a Social dinner that only had us counting down till the next New Year’s Eve rather than to midnight.  It was that good.

And I fell asleep 3 minutes after midnight!

Sprecher Brewery tour in Milwaukee!

We toured and had a beer and cheese tasting.

We ate more delicious food at Paul Kahan restaurants in Chicago.  The trip started off with watching the sunset on the top floor of the John Hancock Building.

I saw my first Second City comedy show.  You know the salesman actor in the US Cellular commercials?  He was part of the cast back then!

I was able to start running consistently again!

I threw myself into running once I lost my grandmother.

I found amazing World War 2 artifacts!

We went back into Chicago for Aaron’s birthday.

It was a beer and Paul Kahan kind of weekend.  I bought us tickets for the Chicago Beer Experience Tour.  We trekked to 3-4 neighborhood bars/liquor shops.  The bacon and beer tasting blew my mind!

There was a work step challenge.

I cheered on my 9 other teammates of The Pacemakers to walk 10,000 steps daily!  I was so happy when it was all over!

I began eating Great Harvest bread all week, picking up SugarJones cupcakes on Saturdays, and making pizza every Friday night.

We ate garden fresh herbs, arugula, and tomatoes throughout the summer and early fall.

I rocked the Madison Mini Marathon!

This girl made her comeback to running!  I finished the half marathon in 1:59:27.  I proceeded to gulp down chocolate milk and bite my medal like an Olympic gold medalist.

We spent the weekend in Madison which involved the best scone in the world.  Rosemary cheddar bacon scone!

I participated in my last Screw City Beer Fest.  I will be volunteering from now on.

A month later I showed up to another Aaron event-Bacon Fest!  Love me some pork belly!

Half marathon round 2 was along the Chicago shore.  I PRed at the Monster Dash!  I ran it in 1:55:12.

How’d I follow that up?  Paul Kahan of course!  Publican brunch.  This brunch makes my heart flutter.

November was spent with West Coast family.  Aaron and I flew to San Francisco where we watched sea lions bark, toured Alcatraz, ate all day, drank beer, and ran to Golden Gate.

San Francisco was followed up with a drive down to Fresno where I fell in love with my new niece!

We played with my nephews, held Emily, cooked breakfasts and dinners for my family, and visited Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park.  I had to see the big trees to believe it!

Thanks for sticking around this past year.  Onward with year 26!