It's 2015!

Hello...is anyone there? Goodness gracious, how I've been denying this little space of mine so badly! I am seriously the worst blogger in the history of bloggers. To be honest, I've had "blog" on my list of things to do for months now but just keep putting it off. Once you go so long without writing, it feels a little overwhelming trying to recount all that's happened in the past six months so rather than just stopping long enough to jot down a few thoughts, I've been putting it off and letting more and more things happen so that I am even further behind in recording all that's been going on. Makes sense, huh? ;)

Well, I'm done putting it off and am extending myself a little grace in the ol' blogging department. I really just like to blog as a way to document what I'm learning so I can look back on it later. I don't think I say anything very insightful but I do hope that somehow the Lord will use my random thoughts and lessons to encourage you in some small way! Let's see. What shall we talk about? Seriously, I don't even know where to begin. Being that it's 2015, let's look back real quick on some of the highlights from 2014. Here's a little month to month recap...

A look back...
January: In January, we visited our friends, Keith and Leah, in Memphis, TN! We had a great time with them and wish Memphis and Louisville weren't so far apart!

February: In February, I began my first "big girl" job as the 3rd/4th/5th Grade Bible Study Associate at Southeast Christian Church! This job was an answer to so many prayers!

March: In March, we celebrated Emi and Darin's engagement!

April: At the end of April, Dad and I ran in the Louisville Half-Marathon! We also celebrated Jeremy's 23rd birthday on April 29th.

May: On May 18th, we celebrated our first wedding anniversary! We ate a fancy dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and spent a night at the Seelbach Hotel downtown.

June: In June, we traveled to Lake Pickwick and spent time with the Kay's! I also got to be the Maid of Honor at Lauren and Jordan's wedding in Orlando, as well as, a bridesmaid in Erin and Travis' wedding. June was an incredibly fun and busy month!

July: In July, we vacation to Maui and Kauai with my family for two weeks! It was seriously the best and I miss Hawaii every single day!!! We also celebrated my 24th birthday on July 28th.

August: During the month of August, Jeremy was in Budapest, Hungary as part of his ITLP program. Though we were sad to be apart, Nanny kept me company and Jeremy had a wonderful experience! He's ready to go back to beautiful Budapest...and this time, I want to come too!

September: In September, we took a little trip to Chicago and had the best time! It was freezing cold but we had a blast and walked until our legs ached. We also had a bridal shower for Emi!

October: In October, we did the traditional "fall" things and enjoyed some time at Cherokee Park during a quick visit from Joe and McCall.

November: We had a great Thanksgiving with the fam and even snapped a full family photo using the good ol' tripod and self-timer!

December: So much excitement during December with Emi and Darin's wedding AND Christmas! This month went by way too quickly but was so very sweet.

And now let's pick up with the "big" things since I last blogged...

Our Condo...

Jeremy and I moved into my aunt and uncle's condo back in September. They're so very graciously allowing us to rent it from them and we couldn't be more thankful. We absolutely LOVE living here and feel so content. I think we originally had the itch (just like every other newlywed couple) of wanting to own a house and feeling like only then would we be "real adults" haha. Well...our perspective has changed and we love the condo life. We've learned we don't need to be "keeping up with the Jones'" and we're very content here. We love living 12 minutes away from both our jobs (how great is that?!) and can get to Nanny's in just 5 minutes. It is suiting our needs perfectly and we couldn't be happier to live here!

Emi's Wedding...

Emi and Darin's wedding was definitely one of the highlights of the past 6 months, if not THE highlight! Oh my goodness, the day was absolutely perfect and so special for our family. Ever since they got engaged last March, we'd been counting down the days until their winter wedding. Well, the day finally arrived and it really couldn't have gone any better or been any more beautiful. Emi looked like a princess, the church was decorated in perfect Christmas fashion, the barn was stunning, and having all our closest friends and family gathered together in one place was the BEST! I realized that weddings and funerals really are the only places where everyone you love is all in the same spot and obviously funerals aren't exactly a cause for you to celebrate being together. That being said, I really tried to "soak up" having everyone all in one place and always just wish we had more time!

Christmas...

This Christmas was sweet but different from "usual" because of the wedding. I had a blast decorating our condo, sending out Christmas cards, and doing as many "Christmasy" things as possible. The month went by really fast, especially since all our eyes were fixed on the wedding (just five days before Christmas!)! One of my favorite things we did this Christmas season was see "Elf" at the Aronoff as a family. As a Christmas gift, mom and dad treated the six of us to a wonderful night consisting of PF Chang's and the show. We've all come to agree that shared experiences are far more valuable than physical gifts so this was the perfect present! We had a great time together and the show was phenomenal! Speaking of shared experiences, another highlight was going to the UK vs. U of L basketball game with Jeremy. I surprised him with tickets (he was actually surprised for once!) and we had a great time rooting on our CATS in "enemy territory." It was definitely a treat and a once in a lifetime experience that I'm so thankful we got to share together! Oh and how could I forget about our trip to the Opryland Hotel?! That was another shared experience that was a highlight for us this Christmas season! We had the best time seeing the Opryland Hotel decorated for Christmas and literally spent hours just walking around and looking at all the pretty lights and trees. It was sweet to get away for a night and we really enjoyed our quality time together!

My job...

Things with work are going really well! This weekend is the official launch of SE!KIDS University, the program they hired me last February to dream of and implement. I've spent MONTHS planning for this and can't believe it's actually here. I'd love your prayers for this weekend, specifically that things will go smoothly and that kids would be excited about these new opportunities. Above all, pray the Lord is glorified, magnified, and lifted high! I want our kids to encounter Him like they never have before and to know how real He is and how much He loves them. I also pray our kiddos will be instilled with a passion to serve and not be a complacent bunch of "pew-dwellers." Instead, I pray they'll be world-changers and people-lovers who leak Jesus to everyone around them!

*You can read more about SE!KIDS University here: http://www.southeastoutlook.org/news/top_stories/article_640e852c-807f-11e4-98fe-1fb18147926c.html

Looking ahead...

Jeremy and I are in the best spot right now. Life is so sweet and so simple. I know things won't always be like this so we're really trying to bask in it and be grateful for it. We're in a healthy rhythm of working hard, saving money, living simply, and loving well (or at least, trying our hardest). We feel content and are enjoying a quiet, easy pace of life. I have so much to be thankful for and my and every day as I drive to and from work, I just spend time thanking God for all He's blessed us with and for this sweet place we're in. I'm thankful for our cozy condo and the fact that I don't have to drive on the highway to get to and from work. I'm thankful that I get to work at an awesome church with some incredible people. I'm thankful we live close to family and get to see them often. I'm thankful for a sweet, doting, and faithful husband who is always looking for ways to serve me and help me. I'm thankful we have a routine of eating Papa Murphy's pizza and watching UK basketball games with sweet Nannyo. I'm thankful for the great group of teachers and volunteers I get to work with every weekend at church. I'm thankful for our friends, even though so many of them don't live near us. I'm thankful for iPhones and text messaging. I'm thankful for my mom and dad who bless us so richly and are always there to encourage me. I'm thankful for the mentors God has placed in our path and for people who inspire us and make us want to be "extra" ordinary like they are. I'm thankful for good health, an able body, and the ability to run, workout, and simply move without any pain! Honestly, I have so much to be thankful for and really nothing to complain about. Well, I take it back. There is ONE thing I tend to often complain about...WINTER! I seriously despise the winter and will take 90 degrees over 20 degrees ANY DAY! That being said, I am thankful we haven't had any snow (yet) and am just trying to trudge through January (my least favorite month of the entire year). I'm encouraged that today is already the 16th and we're on the downhill slide, racing towards February (my second least favorite month haha) which will be followed by March when Spring will start to come alive and everything will get better! Every day that's not 0 degrees is a good day and when the sun is out, I have so much more energy and a much more positive attitude! I'm thankful for sunshine, that is a definite!

2015 goals...

I'm not really one to write out a bunch of goals because if I write them down, I feel obligated to do them and then I feel pressure/disappointment if I don't accomplish them haha. That being said, here are five goals I think I can actually attain and hope to stick to in this coming year...

1. Practice being still.
• Give Jeremy more of my undivided attention. Sometimes my sweet boy gets the shaft when I get busy accomplishing the things on my "to do" list. I am so task-oriented that it's easy to always be going. This year, I'd really like to practice "being still." I need to slow down and stop always having a running list of things to do. With work, with home, with life in general, I want God to be the master of my "to do" list and am praying each day that I'll accomplish what He has set out for me to do that day, not what I think I need to accomplish. He should be the Author of my day and I need to make room for divine interruptions rather than be so focused on all I think I need to do.
2. Read more.
• This year, I'd like to spend more time studying God's Word. I'd also like to spend more time reading in general. I've found that through different seasons of life, some of the best times are when I'm spending a lot of time reading and learning. I kind of get on kicks with reading and read a whole bunch or none at all. I'd like to spend more time with my nose in a book...if I can accomplish goal number one of being still. See, there's the rub! ;)
3. Exercise more and eat well.
• I've been trying to workout after work. I know this is good for me for so many reasons and am trying to get into a healthy rhythm of working out after work. It takes some serious motivation to go after a long day at work but I'm always happy after I go! Let's see if I can keep it up...I think I can, I think I can, I think I can! ;)
4. Love the people around me.
• I want to love others well. I want to encourage them well. I want to be intentional. I want to pray for the people I say I'm going to pray for and I want to follow-up with them and see how I can help them. I want to love the people God has placed in my path right now...my husband, my family, my co-workers, my neighbors. I want to extend love to the people I interact with, whether they be at a restaurant, the grocery store, or the mall. I want to radiate God's love to those around me so that when they see me, they see Him!
5. Travel.
• This is just one of my favorite things ever and though it's not necessarily a goal, it's something I want to do in this coming year! It's definitely challenging to do a lot of traveling when either myself or Jeremy is working every single day of the week (I'm only off on Friday's and he's off Saturday's and Sunday's). Even still, I'm hopeful we'll get to do some traveling this year and make some sweet memories.

Dear Summer...

I can't believe how fast this summer is flying by! Seriously, how is it already the end of July? Ahhh my very favorite time of the year is passing by way too quickly and I wish it were possible to just press the pause button. I can't get enough of these gorgeous summer days...I all but worship the sun and could soak in it for hours! I despise the winter with a passion (oh how I want to be a snowbird one day and not have to deal with these terrible Kentucky winters...a girl can dream, right?) and I love summer so very much! That being said, this summer has been wonderful and I'm trying to savor every moment of it and do as many "summer things" as humanly possible! I've found that having a full-time job definitely gives summers a whole new meaning and I'm missing my lazy days reading by the pool. Even still, I'm so thankful for a job that I really like and though it's hard adjusting to life as a "grown-up," I feel extremely blessed and thankful. And hey, now I treasure my time in the sun even more than I used to.

A few weeks ago, we got back from the most incredible family vacation! The six of us (mom, dad, me, Jeremy, Emi, and Darin) all went to Hawaii for nearly two weeks. We spent the first half of our trip on Maui and the second half in Kauai. It was truly the trip of a lifetime and we made so many sweet memories. I absolutely cherish the time the six of us get to spend together and I loved being unplugged, taking a break from our normal routines, and just being surrounded by God's beautiful creation! Hawaii is the best place in the whole wide world (if you ask me!) and being there with my family was a true gift. We snorkeled, splashed in the ocean (the boys played in some giant waves!), soaked up the sun, ate some delicious shave ice, drove all over the place, and saw some gorgeous sites. We saw the sunrise at Haleakala (we woke up at 2 a.m.), snorkeled at Molokini and Lehua,  and saw sea turtles, dolphin, monk seals, and tons of tropical fish. We went to Costco early on our trip and stocked up on plenty of lunch meat and ready-made dinners! The only thing we didn't do too much of was relax because we were just too busy with all there was to see and do haha. You can't go all that way and sit by the pool...I can do that in Louisville!

After returning from Hawaii, I hit the ground running and went to Elementary camp with church. I spent Monday-Thursday with a bunch of 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. We had a great time learning about  worship by studying the life of David. Camp was great and I loved leading a group of 13 kiddos...it's always fun to watch their different personalities and get to know each of them. Our little team was really sweet and we had a fun time doing all the camp things including swing of faith, zip line, lake, pool, and several fun games! Most of all, it was cool to worship with the kids and help them learn more about worshiping Jesus. I think the kids really "got it" and I know that lives were eternally changed as a result of our time together at camp!

Since Hawaii and camp, life has slowed down a bit and I feel like we're just now getting into a normal summer rhythm...too bad summer's more than half over! How in the world is it almost time for the kids to be back in school? Seriously, I don't even get it! Anyways, like it or not, time is flying so I guess I better embrace reality and go with it :)

Here's a quick look at what's coming up for us:

Currently, mom is coming out of shoulder surgery (literally, I'm in the waiting room as I type this). She did great but had a LOT of work done and it's going to be a long road to recovery. It's unfortunate that it's her right shoulder (she's right-handed) so once she gets past the initial days of recovery, her biggest struggle will be adapting to life as a lefty! Please keep her in your prayers and feel free to encourage her as she walks down this long road. Momma is SO amazing at taking care of everyone around her and I know it's going to be tough for her to accept help from people. She's always the giver and never the taker but you know what I think? I think this is a great opportunity to bless her back for all the things she does for our family and so many others! I just wish she didn't have to hurt and that I could take away her pain. I know she'll be better soon though and am thankful the surgery part is behind her and now she can focus on healing!

In other news, Jeremy and I are still living with Nanny and loving our time with her SO much. She's totally going to have to kick us out because we're way too happy ha! Jeremy leaves for Budapest, Hungary for work on August 8th and will be gone for three weeks. He's really looking forward to traveling in Europe and I know he'll be challenged (and do great!) while he's there. Lucky for me, I won't be too terribly lonely because I'm going to stay with Nanny while he's gone and then we'll move out in the beginning of September. Such perfect timing all the way around!

That's about all I know/you probably don't really care and I'm simply thinking out loud as a way to pass time and document what's going on in our lives right now. Honestly, I just feel so thankful for all that I've been blessed with. My amazing husband and family, job, church, friends, and so much more. Thank you, Lord, for such sweet blessings. I am so unworthy.

Oh and I'm celebrating my 24th birthday on Monday! Wooo, I love birthdays! Now I have to get used to saying 24 when people ask how old I am! I'm trying to decide if 24 is old or young...obviously, I know it's super young in the grand scheme of life but 24 just seems kinda old too! I think I like it though. 24 is going to be a good year! :)

Sweet Summertime!

It's been WAY too long since I've last blogged and to be honest, I've been putting off writing this because so much time has passed that I don't really know where to begin! Sheeesh...we're ridiculosly busy but a very good busy! In an effort to document things before too much of this summer flies by, I think I'll just start with a few of the wonderful things we've been up to recently. Here goes...

Summer is in full swing which means that it's my absolute favorite time of the year and I just want to freeze time and soak up these long summer days as best as I can! I seriously love summer and crave it during the entire rest of the year haha. These hot summer days are the best and you won't ever hear me complaining about the heat. I'll take this over the freezing cold and snow all day long, every day! ;) Not only do I love summer time but I love my friends and I love LOVE! Combine these things and you've got one happy girl...summer, friends, family, and weddings. Things here truly are so very sweet and I want to savor this precious time.

In the past week, I have had three of my very dearest friends go from Miss to Mrs! These girls are so near and dear to my heart and seeing them marry the man of their dreams has been so sweet! Last weekend, my family traveled down to Florida to watch my beautiful sisterbear, Lauren, marry Jordan! Oh gosh, this trip was such a whirlwind and was SO much fun! Lauren was absolutely stunning (shocking, right?!) and Jordan is adorable. Her rehearsal dinner was awesome and the wedding day was so sweet. Lauren made me feel so special (I got to be her Matron of Honor) and it truly was such an honor. I cried praying for Lauren the night before, I cried during the ceremony, and I cried during my speech. Let's just say...the emotions were real because the love is deep! My heart was heavy as we left Florida on Sunday simply because I hate the fact that one of my very best friends lives about a million miles away (or so it feels). I wish we lived closer and that we could do life together on a regular basis! Even still, I love that our friendship has lasted all these miles and years apart! Lauren is such a blessing to me and I am so very thankful for her! I'm glad she has Jordan and know he'll take great care of her and love her even better than I can :) And hey, we have some pretty sweet double dates to look forward to! #roadtrip #yesplease

Just yesterday, two of our best friends married each other! Erin is an absolute answer to prayer and I'm so thankful for her! I had no idea when I moved into Patterson Hall at UK that the girl living in the room across the hall would become one of my very best friends. Erin and Travis have loved me even before Jeremy entered the picture and they always made me feel welcomed and included. I can't even begin to count the number of times they let me tag along on their dates and not once did they ever make me feel like I was intruding or a third-wheel. They were a great example to me of a healthy, Christ-centered relationship and they truly helped shape my relationship with Jeremy. It's awesome that Jeremy and Trav are good friends too and now that we're all in Louisville, the double dates are limitless (well, the desire is at least. Time doesn't seem to be on our side right now with such busy schedules but it just makes my heart happy to know that we're all in the same city at least haha). We are so happy for Erin and Trav and know the Lord is going to continue to be magnified through their relationship, now as husband and wife! They are so special to us and we love them both dearly!

After Erin and Trav's wedding, we raced off to catch the last little bit of Macie and Drew's reception. Precious Macie girl married her Drew boy last night and I had told Macie that we would do our best to catch some of their reception but didn't know for sure if we'd be able to make it in time! Of course, she was gracious as always and said that she completely understood and would catch us when they got back from their honeymoon. Well...I just couldn't bare the thought of not seeing Macie on her wedding day so we left Erin and Trav's reception a bit early and raced off to catch the last little bit of Macie and Drew's! When we got to the big white tent, there was a lot of dancing going on and we just kinda snuck in. Macie was talking to a friend and looked up to see us standing there watching her. She literally squealed and came running towards us with tears in her eyes! Oh my goodness, her reaction was SO worth it and I was thrilled we made it in time! Ahhh just the sweetest ever! Macie and I have only really known each other for a year and yet, I feel like we've been friends since we were little! We really just get each other and I am constantly encouraged by this sweet friend. She has such a great attitude and is always pointing me closer to the Lord! Jeremy and I prayed that Mace and Drew would move to Louisville and God faithfully answered our prayers! Thank you, Jesus! We are so happy to have these two in the same city as us and can't wait to do life alongside them. Gahhh, I get giddy just thinking of all the fun that lies ahead!

Not only have we been celebrating the marriage of several of our dearest friends, we've also been celebrating the love in our own home. Jeremy and I shared our first wedding anniversary on May 18! We had a gift card to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse (Jeremy earned it through an award with work...we would never spend our own money on such expensive food! Goodness gracious!) so we totally splurged and had an oh so fancy date night! The following weekend, we enjoyed a little "stay-cation" at the Seelbach Hotel downtown and had a great time eating at the Old Spaghetti Factory and walking ALL over Louisville (we walked 7 miles...in sandals I might add!). I can't believe we've already been married a year now and look back at all the sweet memories we've made, lessons we've learned, and hard times that we've endured together (mainly with me and my job search). Jeremy is such a blessing to me and the way he constantly loves and serves me humbles me to the point of tears most days. Really, I feel like I fall short of being a "good" wife SO many times (more times than not) and yet, he loves me so well and is always there to help, encourage, and support me. I don't deserve him but I sure am thankful! I'm excited for the many years that are to come and am savoring these sweet days of being newlyweds. Though I'm definitely looking forward to the days of owning a home and chasing babies, I'm quite content right now and we're loving this time where it's just the two of us. It's fun not having a lot of responsibilities and being able to focus on our marriage and friendships without the stress of a family to take care of! Everything in it's proper time, right? :)

Speaking of savoring sweet times, we're just loving living with Nanny and truly can't express the gratitude we feel towards her. Every single time we pull down the street, I stop and say, "Nanny's seriously the best! I can't believe we get to live here!" We are loving her sweet company and it always makes me so happy to hug and kiss her before I leave for work each morning and again before we go to bed each night. We have fun cooking suppers for each other and look forward to watching So You Think You Can Dance on Wednesday nights. Nanny is always looking for ways to bless us and it just makes us want to be a blessing to everyone else. Nanny's example, hospitality, and selfless love truly are inspiring and we are so thankful for this opportunity to live with her and learn from her. We joke that she'll have to kick us out once it's time to move into the condo because we don't ever want to leave! #roommatesfalife ;)

Well, that's the best I can do for now! There's still so much left unsaid but at least I got a few words out haha. Basically, life is sweet and God is good! We're loving summer, loving living with Nanny, loving being in/going to a million weddings, and feeling extremely blessed and so very undeserving! Just as we are blessed, I pray we can be a blessing to those around us and hope that even in the inadequacy I feel, I hope the Lord will use me and that Jesus' love will radiate through me! I'd appreciate your prayers for that as well and hope to write again soon! Xo :)