Farewell 2010

It's that time of year again... where we start reflecting back over the past 12 months and looking at what we've accomplished and where we fell short. This year is a little different for me. Usually I'm always ready for the year to end and another to begin. Christmas is a great way to wrap up the year, but the New Year always offers a new beginning and a chance to start over. I'm a big fan of starting over. I like that feeling of moving into the next phase fresh and with a clean slate, and that's what the New Year has always brought. But this year, I'm going to be sad to see 2010 go. This has by far been the most monumental year of my life. So many of those major life events happened in the past 52 weeks. So here's my TOP 10 OF 2010:

 

1. I got engaged on February 13, 2010 to the most amazing guy.

2. We bought a house together

3. I spent a weekend in the hospital

4. I moved... twice!

5. Jarrod graduated from NCSU

6. I planned a wedding in 5 months.

7. I married the love of my life on July 24, 2010

8. I moved in with a boy!

9. We started a family with our puppy, Rylie

10. I learned what it's really like to be an adult.

 

I don't think you can get much more packed into 1 year than that!

 

I've been on my own for over 2 years now, but this year taught me a lot about responsibility. I've had to deal with a real budget and learn how to live within those means. I've had to take into consideration that pretty much all of my decisions now not only affect me, but affect my husband as well. I've had to balance family and friends and puppies!

 

But now, I'm sad to see such an amazing year of excitement and celebration and growth move into the past. At the same time, it makes me excited to see what 2011 will bring. I've already got a lot to be excited about: my sister's wedding, 25th birthday (ok, maybe "excited" isn't the right word), 1st anniversary, my puppy no longer being such a puppy. I like to go into each year planning for it to be better than the last, although 2010 is going to be pretty tough to beat, but I'm gonna give it my best shot!

 

So from our house to yours, Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas! and a Happy New Year!

A Christmas Picture is Worth... Everything!

So this will be the first year of possibly my whole life where my family won't have a Christmas card picture. OK, so since I decided to write this blog I've realized that's not true and apparently a few years back we didn't do one for a couple of years, but you get the idea.

It's funny, because for the past couple of years of kept thinking, "Really? We're doing this again?? I thought once I graduated college that we'd move on." But now that we're not going to have one, I'm not really sure how I feel about it. I think taking the pictures have always meant a lot because it's been a constant marker at the end of the year and a great way to keep a chronology of my and my sisters' lives.

We had a wonderful time last year when we took part in one of Nancy Ray's portrait parties.

2009

It was really nice having the opportunity to get the whole family together in the picture and have it professionally done. I think the last time we had one professionally taken with all of us was 1990... seriously. We took this one out at Meredith College.

1991

You gotta love the early '90's hair!

And here's my very first Christmas card picture ever!

1986

We have so many fun and crazy memories from taking these pictures, such as last year when Beka and I showed up in the same shirt! And in each of these below, my mom actually made the outfits (at least the sweaters).

1995

1993

 

1992

I remember taking this picture, because I was in the worst mood and didn't want to do the pictures, yet somehow, it turned out alright

1998

I love this picture because I feel like it's when we all really started growing up.

1996

And this one, while definitely not a "favorite" picture, is very special since we weren't sure I'd even be able to be a part of a Christmas card picture that year. I had just been released from the hospital after spending about 4 weeks there in October. You can tell I was still taking a lot of medication at the time.

1999

I had actually considered doing one of Jarrod and me and Rylie (and surprisingly, Jarrod was OK with this), but I'm not sure if I didn't just feel a little too cheesy doing that. I guess I'll end up saving that for my kids. I would, however, like to document this year some how. (As if I don't have enough pictures from this year, with the engagement shots and everything from the wedding!) But Christmas has always been a very special time for me, and I love tradition! I guess tradition in this case more often involves a family member taking the pictures and the whole process taking entirely too long.

Here are a couple more pictures for you to enjoy! Merry Christmas!

1990

1987

1989

1994

1997

2006

2007

Predators: BEWARE!

So I'm basically Annie Oakley... or Sarah Palin, whatever. A bunch of us went out to the gun range this weekend to fire off a few rounds. I've been asking Jarrod and his brother Josh to take me out there for a while now, just to find out what it's like since I had never fired a gun in my life. So Josh let me shoot his Springfield XD45, which basically means (at least to me) that it's got really big bullets and packs quite a quick! 

So you can enjoy my first gun shooting experience...

Not bad for a girl in heels, huh??

There's Magic in the Air

It's finally here! The most wonderful time of the year!

I have this thing about celebrating more than one holiday at once (You will NEVER see me with Christmas decorations up before Thanksgiving!) But once Thanksgiving is past, I'm totally good with putting up the tree and turning on the holiday music. But once it finally hits December, I'm ready to kick it into full swing! I'm actually a little disappointed that my house isn't fully ready for the holidays at this point, but considering it's my first year of having my own home to decorate and prepare, I guess I'm doing alright.

This is the time of year where I revert back to being a little kid. But it's not about Santa and surprises and presents, especially since I never grew up believing in Santa (don't feel sorry for me, I turned out just fine). It's about a kind of magic that seems to enter the world as Christmas nears, where everything just seems brighter and happier. I don't think it could ever matter what's going on in my life, once December comes, I just feel happier and more joyful. The world seems to step away from whatever problems it has and makes the time to be friendly and smile more. For me, it's about pulling out old decorations that I remember as a kid and feeling the same excitement of figuring out where to put them and making up stories involving them. It's about wanting to spend the afternoon baking cookies with my mom or curling up on the couch with my dad. It's about wanting to spend my morning sipping coffee in front of the fire and just enjoy the lights on the tree and decorations around the room (OK, so I didn't drink coffee as a kid, but you get the idea).

And I don't understand those people out there who don't really care for Christmas. Yes, I know that society has twisted it into a consumerist holiday, all about "an exchange of money," but I choose to look past that. So there's no longer that feeling of waking up Christmas morning and running downstairs to see what you got (because Jarrod and I already know what we're getting each other and we're actually getting them a week and a half early), but I always love an excuse to give a present (not to mention getting one in return!)

But getting now to the monthly goals, I'm gonna be honest, between getting my wisdom teeth out, getting sick and Thanksgiving, I didn't get a whole lot done. I did some Christmas shopping and some organizing, and I did have a fabulous Thanksgiving with my family, but everything else sorta fell to the side, and I'm OK with that for now. But this is why I don't want to set a bunch of unrealistic goals for myself for this month, because I know there's just not going to be the time (or the energy) to get them done. I want to enjoy the holiday season and spend some time relaxing and letting the magic of the season sweep me away.

Happy Thanksgiving!

You know, it's easy to be upset that you have to work at 4am on a holiday. I sometimes wish I didn't have the type of job where I have to worry about working on holidays. But of all days, Thanksgiving makes me take a step back and realize how thankful I am that I have a job today. I know where my next paycheck is coming from and I don't have to worry about losing my home or not being able to afford to buy Christmas presents for the people I care about. And sitting here at 6am makes me think of all of the other blessings that I have in my life:

• I have an amazing husband who loves me and who I'm crazy about. I know he'll always be there for me and I'm so excited about our future together.
• I have the greatest family in the world (actually familIES now), and they both live right around the corner, so Jarrod and I don't have to worry about traveling or splitting up the holidays. We just get a chance to spend these special days with the people that we love.
• I have a great house that's not falling apart or so tiny that we don't have enough room to live in.
• I have the cutest puppy who drives me nuts, but in the nearly 3 months we've had her hasn't eaten any of my shoes or Coach purses (just one Mac cable that my husband spliced back together. He's so handy!)
• I had a beautiful wedding this year that was everything I'd dreamed of.
• Although I may not have the perfect bill of health that others have, I'm alive, I'm able to have a normal life, I don't spend my days in the hospital or hooked up to machines or eating a really disgusting diet.
• I have great friends that I know I can count on.
• I live in a country that has it's share of problems, but I don't have to worry about hiding my faith in God or fear that my government may hurt me or my family and I get to keep the money I earn and work for (well, most of it, at least).
• I get to enjoy the most fabulous Thanksgiving meal this evening, and I can't wait!

I really don't think I could ask for more, and if this is at good as it gets... then I'm good with that. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! God bless!