A Year in Review - Moving to Charlotte

2.01.2014

Even though we are a week into 2014, I thought it would make sense to post a "year in review" of 2013 in order to kick-start the blog.  2013 was an eventful year for my little family (my husband, Ryan, and dog, Jack).  Near the end of 2013, my husband was offered a promotion that required a move to Charlotte, North Carolina.  The decision to move was long and hard as we loved our friends and family in Florida.  But, we decided to move from Tampa, FL to Charlotte in January 2013, excited for our new adventure.


January

Charlotte, NC: Southpark area townhome, Madison Park
Charlotte, NC: Southpark area townhome
My husband and I visited Charlotte to find a place to live (and rent).  We knew little to nothing about the area prior to our relocation, but thankfully Ryan's counterpart at the company was able to provide some suggestions on places to look.  We lucked out and found a beautiful townhome to rent in a great close-in location.  

February

Snow in Charlotte, NC, North Carolina
Snow in Charlotte, NC
We move to Charlotte!  The second weekend we lived in Charlotte, Charlotte had its only snow of the season.  Everyone told us it snows once a year in Charlotte, and we were here for it.
March

US National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, NC
US National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, NC
One of our sweet neighbors invited us to the Whitewater Center for St. Patrick's Day.  It is an awesome sports complex.  You can see a whitewater raft and someone kayaking in the photo.  They dyed the water green for the event.  I definitely want to try whitewater rafting next summer (when the water isn't green).
April


Sugar Creek in Charlotte, NC: Freedom Park
Sugar Creek in Charlotte, NC: Freedom Park
Charlotte offers many ways to enjoy the outdoors including Freedom Park.


Wisteria
Wisteria
Spring is a beautiful season to watch come to life. 

May


North Carolina Mountains
North Carolina Mountains
One of the great things about Charlotte is the proximity to both the mountains and the beach.  We live two hours from my parents' second home near Asheville, NC and enjoyed a weekend with them there in May.


Charlotte Skyline
Charlotte Skyline
We continued to enjoy the weather and our new city in May.  Here is a picture of the Charlotte skyline on May 31 taken at Vivace.

June










June brought some more great weather to enjoy.  We love to ride our bikes on the Little Sugar Creek Greenway.


July

Lake Norman Sandbar
Lake Norman Sandbar

Great boating weather! My girls and I on Lake Norman, the largest man-made lake.

August





Charlotte is just 3 hours from Atlanta, where we have a few friends.  Thanks to how close we are to Atlanta, we were able to see Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band, and Eli Young Band at the Georgia Dome.

September

Windy Hill Orchard and Cidery
Windy Hill Orchard and Cidery
In September the weather started to cool down, but we were still able to enjoy outdoor activities.  Windy Hill Orchard in South Carolina offers apple picking, hard cider tastings, and hot and fresh cider donuts.






































September also means fire and football.  My husband redid the patio of our townhome, and we have used it for entertaining many times. 

October

Fall in Charlotte NC Plaza Midwood
A tree in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood of Charlotte
Fall is absolutely beautiful in Charlotte and it's nice to have the change of seasons.

pumpkin carving party
Pumpkin Carving Party
I hosted a pumpkin carving party as a Junior League social event.



The mountains are beautiful to visit in the fall.

November

Fall in Charlotte
Fall in Charlotte, NC

The leaves really did hold on until the very end of November.


Heist Brewery Charlotte NoDa
Heist Brewery in Charlotte's NoDa






































We did a "brewery day" with some friends to explore Charlotte's breweries.

The green uptown charlotte directional sign
The Green, Uptown Charlotte






































My youngest sister and her boyfriend visited before Thanksgiving.


fall in charlotte nc
Late Fall in Charlotte

This tree became my favorite one to drive by and held on to its leaves long into the fall.  Here it is on November 23.

December

queen city christmas tree charlotte crown
Queen City Christmas Tree

One thing I love about Charlotte is the branding the city has done as "The Queen City."  Even the garbage cans have crowns on them.  For our Christmas tree this year, I purchased a crown tree topper from Restoration Hardware (it's currently on sale)!

2013 was a great year and we have grown to love our new home even though we will always be missing friends and family we left in Florida. 

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