As I prepped my 2023 year in review, one thing became clear– 2023 has been one heck of a year! Come along with me as I share all the things that 2023 held!
I shared on this IG post, my three goals for 2023. One for my mental health, one for my physical health, and one for my business.
👉🏻 My mental health goal was to read at least one book a month (or listen on audible because #momlife).
👉🏻 My physical health goal was to ride at least 200 rides on my Peloton
👉🏻 My business goal was to get back into blogging with a blog post twice a week and post on social media 3-5 times including 2 reels!
And as of December 28, 2023 – I’ve not only accomplished those goals, I SURPASSED THEM!
Here’s a snapshot:
January
I started off strong, reading SIX books this month! I also got the blog up and running with dreamy engagement sessions, an amazing wedding, and the one year celebration of the Utah magazine feature!
I also captured some of the day to day in the Bakken fam, here’s a glimpse:
Year in Review: February
For being the shortest month of the year, it held so many adventures!
- The girls trip I took to California with my mom and sister, just the three of us, was AMAZING. It was relaxing too since we were sans kids and hubbies this time around and we had so much fun. We laughed and talked for hours.
- Brady won his baseball tournament in Vegas
- Charlee won her tournament in Vegas
- Blaine made his very first travel ball baseball team this month.
- Parent/teacher conferences were filled with good remarks AND grades! Our student athletes are THRIVING and it does my mama heart good.
March
We went from the shortest month to what felt like the longest, most busiest month! March was exhausting and I had lots and lots of tacos to make it better!
- I hit 350 rides – not just from this year, or even this month – but TOTAL from the time I’ve purchased my bike. I did however complete 23 classes this month! 🥳
- Blaine started his serial casting treatments this month and handled them like a champ! There is nothing this kid can’t overcome.
- Charlee girl and I had a GNO, complete with pizza and a movie. It was so much fun to spend one on one time with her. 💗
- Brady boy’s team played in HOUSTON! They barely missed the playoffs, but he made the All Tournament team!
- I started coaching our girl’s middle school soccer team and we had 25 girls tryout. We had ten last year so this was a HUGE difference!
Year in Review: April
This was the coldest April I can remember in Utah, but aside from the gloomy weather, there were a lot of firsts that happened!
- Blaine’s first time playing kid pitch (and pitching to other kids). He got 5K’s in two innings! He was a little stud just like we knew he would be.
- Blaine also had his first double header/late night at the ball field that didn’t include watching his older brother (insert all the feels here!)
- I did SEVEN pull-ups for the first time in YEARS without using a band! My goal is to reach 10 by my 40th birthday.
- I am coaching Spring Girls Soccer for the Reagan Academy team. And because it’s our eternal winter, it’s been the world’s coldest spring season, but we are currently in the playoffs and having fun!
- Blaine had himself a weekend sleepover with just mom- his FAVORITE! This kid loves to snuggle, and by snuggle I mean literally lay on top of me.
- Charlee ran in the Springville Elementary School Track Meet and took 5th place in the 100m and the softball throw!
- Brady had a month full of baseball, baseball, and MORE BASEBALL! We had two trips, to Vegas and Mesquite!
May
May brought a jam-packed schedule to the Bakken household, but when is it ever calm?!
- Brady played baseball against his BFF – they’ve literally been friends from the womb!
- I hit 400 rides on the Peloton, which means I am still on track for 500 by December! 👏🏻
- Brady and I had a date for some much needed one on one time.
- We celebrated Mother’s Day, and I LOVED being tagged in all the pictures by my clients. 🥰
- Coached our middle school soccer team and made it to the Semi’s in the playoffs!
- I was surprised when I found out I won the BEST OF UTAH VALLEY in Photography – cue the waterworks! 😭
- Completed an 8 week challenge and lost 4lbs. gained 2lbs. of muscle and dropped 3% BF!
- Brady won the Mother’s Day “All In” Tournament
- Motherhood Mini sessions were a HUGE hit!!!
- Had a visit with my sweet momma!
- Cheered Blaine on in the craziest weather in his double header!
- Had 8th grade graduation for my soccer girlies
- Took the last day of school photos and compared them to the first day of school this year – again, the waterworks! 😭
- And wrapped it up with Memorial Day Tournament Champs!
Year in Review: June
June was a BIG MONTH!
- Michael and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary in New York, which we brought the kids to because we headed to Cooperstown for Brady’s weeklong baseball tournament. Brady’s team made it to the last round of 8 out of 86 teams.
- Michael and I took the littles to Canada and we saw Niagara Falls. I was not expecting to love Canada and the falls as much as I did. And then to top off June, I officially have a teenager as Brady turned THIRTEEN!
- Between all of that I also got to capture a proposal for a friend, and it was the perfect execution if I do say so myself! Then spent a day in the sun on a boat with friends after capturing a beautiful wedding in New Jersey.
July
- We spent the 4th of July in California. And in case you didn’t know– it’s actually my FAVORITE holiday of the whole year!
- There was lots and lots of family time and beach time, which you all know I’m a sucker for.
- Blaine attended surf camp with his cousin Drew this year
- I hit the 450 rides in July, bringing me so close to my goal for the year.
August & September – Year in Review
August and September were a blur, if I’m being completely honest.
- We had tons of Lake time with the cousins.
- Brady went back to Cooperstown and made it to the FINALS!
- And the kids had their first day of school – where the heck does time go?
Meanwhile in September…
- I took a little R&R trip to Mexico with my man.
- Charlee turned 11.
- I took a trip to NJ and got to shoot and hang out with a beautiful friend.
- There were lots and lots of football fun
- I shot the Utah Valley Bride magazine editorial shoot, which was a BLAST!
August was also the month I jumped into a business pivot and decided to add an additional (passive) income stream. (Interested? Find out all about it here, and no, it’s not an MLM!)
October
October didn’t slow down at all– which is to be expected. It’s the month I fully started talking about that additional passive income stream, and it PAID OFF!
- We also hopped a plane to surprise my mom for her 70th birthday.
- My beautiful friend from college found her person and got married this month, and I was so honored to capture it for her.
- We had our annual CA and Knott’s trip and it did not disappoint, we also went on walks on the beach which I LOVE.
- And of course HALLOWEEN! We’ve been all done with the family costumes for a while now, but at least I still got to match with Charlee!
- Oh and because I really can put a number to how busy October was, I shot TWENTY-FIVE family sessions this month… it was BUSY!
November & December
When the holiday months hit, blogging took a little bit of a back seat, but that was to be expected because the holiday months are always busier!
- Blaine turned EIGHT! My mom surprised him for his birthday and flew in to celebrate!
- Charlee and I were avid BYU women’s soccer fans and attended EVERY play off game through the ELITE 8 until they went to North Carolina to compete in the final 4. We screamed our heads off in THE MOST INCREDIBLE WIN in program history as they ended up beating UNC in the last minute by 4-3!
- Charlee and I also celebrated Turkey day by getting our Beast Mode before Feast Mode on!
- I flew to NJ to shoot my last wedding of the year and was able to celebrate an early birthday and Christmas with my girl Kaitlin (and her hubby who is the best 3rd wheel 😉
- We did ALL things Holidays like hot chocolate bombs, decorate the tree, hide the elf, decorate gingerbread houses, a Christmas concert with Blaine and an orchestra concert with Charlee and Brady!
- Charlee completed her wax museum book report of Princess Diana and SLAYYYYED when it came to dressing up like her and reporting the facts (to perfect strangers just like a true wax museum!)
- Charlee also competed in Mesquite to earn a spot on the Utah Olympic development soccer team and will be traveling to Arizona to compete on a multi regional level against other girl athletes her age.
- I drove 20 hours (round trip) to CA to bring home our newest member of the Bakken family: A yellow Lab we lovingly named Murphy. HE IS PERFECT! Everyone is smitten!
- We celebrated Christmas in our home as a family and this year was able to have my Dad to add to the celebration. Everyone was happy, I stayed (somewhat) within budget 😂 and we are ending the year full of gratitude and love in our hearts for the year 2023 was to our family!
And that’s been my 2023 year in review! Like I said, it’s been an absolutely AMAZING year! I’d love to hear about your year, so comment below, or send me a message on IG letting me know your accomplishments from this past year!
I can’t wait to see what 2024 will hold!
P.s. Looking for my audible list? Here it is below!
