Hello, friends.

// Hip-hip hooray for a brand new year. I'm actually quite excited for this one, mainly because I am going to nursing school (in like, one week, ahhh.) and I cannot wait. Another cool thing is that Nathan starts diesel mechanic school in June, so three cheers for school.

// Mainly I'm thrilled about some change, I was getting burnt out and needed to head a different direction and feel like I've finally found that direction.

// A not cool thing about the new year is the gym for like.. the next 3 weeks. There is a wall of sweat that accumulates and drips down on all the windows from all the extra sweaty bodies. Ick.  I'm just going to sit quietly in my home until all the new year's resolution-ers fall of the wagon. Am I a terrible human for saying that?

// I am getting a new couch today. It is like this rust colored velvety number that used to belong to my great grandparents. So in reality it's actually a very old couch, but I'm excited about. Our current couch, as lovely and plaid as it is, is in need of replacement.

// This friday is my last day at my job as a therapy aid! It is bittersweet. I am going to really miss all the old people that I work with and love, and I'll miss my coworkers as well. I mean I've been there for almost two years now, and I've grown rather attached. But it's simply time to move on.

Wishing you all the best of Saturdays.

Peace Out.

2 Years

Two years ago, on December 29th, 2012, Nathan and I were wed. Since that time, we've been on lots of different adventures together.

We've lived in two different states, two different homes, and have had several different jobs. We've both been in and out of school, we've shed lots of tears, and lots of kisses too. 

When I look back on this time I can't believe how quickly it has gone, but I am grateful for every single one of those seconds I've spent as a married person.

In the past two years I've realized that I have big weaknesses that I never even knew about before, but Nathan is the most patient man on the planet to put up with them! I have also learned that he is the only one I'd ever want to share this life with. He is a sweetheart, and is always thinking of others, and me. He brings out the good in me, and helps me be a better person. I love that man with all of my heart.

A lot has changed in these two wonderful years, and I am so excited to see what other changes life has in store for us in the years to come.

Being married is the best, guys. It's tough sometimes, but it is so worth it.

Eventful Holiday Shtuff

// It is really much too late to compose any sort of an organized post, so here's a nice bulleted list for ya.

// Last weekend my parents took a bunch of us to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert. I have been to several of these over the years and I must say this one was my favorite. The Sesame Street Muppets came and performed with the choir. I mean who doesn't love Elmo, ya know?

// It's my birthday today. I'm officially 22 years old and honestly I have no clue how I feel about it. Get back to me in the morning and maybe then I will have some idea.

// I feel like there is always one person every Christmas who totally stumps me and I am left with no idea what present to buy them. It happens to be this same person every year that I struggle with, too. What do you get someone who already has everything they want, huh? Does anyone else out there know how I feel on this particular matter?

// I really like blue Christmas lights. They are my favorite flavor. Or color. Whichever. It's late.

// Ooo! I bought a new bedspread, and I am extremely thrilled about it. We've had this big IKEA giftcard sitting around for the past two years and I only just decided today to put it to good use.

nighty night.

Tradition

This will only be the third Christmas Nathan and I have shared together, so I mean it's not like we have developed too many solid holiday traditions yet. One thing we have been consistent about though, and something that I want to continue, is we each pick out one new ornament for our tree each year!

If you are from the Utah County area - we went to a Color Me Mine-esque place called Creativity by the University Mall this year for our ornament-pickin'. To you non-Utahns, it's essentially this little ceramics place where you can go and glaze cool stuff and they'll fire it for you and you take it home. It's pretty much awesome.

So TA-DA! The above are our 2014 ornaments. Nathan's is the lovely little tree on the left and mine is the blue thing on the right. Cool eh?

Nathan got really into it, which I found quite endearing. He's not one for 'art' usually, you see.

Now tell me, is it wrong that my favorite Christmas song is the Chipmunk Song? Please tell me this is ok. I cannot stop listening to it.

Well I sincerely hope that all of your guys' holiday celebrating is going as fabulously as mine! Next week is my birthday and I will be 22.... AH. Any suggestions as to where I should go out to eat for my birthday dinner?

peace.

Oh, Hi December

Whelp December snuck up on me rather quickly, but I am glad it's here.

In December I have quite the plethora of big events to look forward to. For one, my birthday. Two, Christmas (durrr), and three, my anniversary! And you know what's absolutely crazy? All those things occur within ten days.

Yep. My birthday, Christmas, and my anniversary all in basically the same week.

Sadly I had no control over the timing of two of those events, and why on earth I chose to get married like four days after Christmas is beyond me.

So pretty much December is a super exciting month in my life.

The above photo is of my grandmother's Christmas 'Shelves'. Which, if she were a normal human being that would be a Christmas Tree. She is the only person who I know on this earth that owns one, and I have put it up for her every single year since the age of 13. Every inch of tinsel and lights must be thumb tacked, and then we set up whichever of her eight million nativity sets she wants on the shelves.

It's quite the affair, setting it up. But after it's all said and done, and my thumbs are throbbing from all of the thumb-tacking, it really does get me pumped up for the holidays. It's kind of weird, albeit unconventional, untraditional, and according to my uncle Bean, completely ugly, but I like that tree (shelves? whatever it is). It symbolizes Christmas to me, and I have been setting it up for so long that I can't imagine a year without it.

A couple of exciting things....

//I got a new wedding band! Shveet huh! You like? I have been wanting one for ages, and we've been looking around for a long time, but I never could find one I liked. This past week when we went up to Idaho though I finally found it! Eventually I want to do more of a stacked look and maybe get one or two more thin bands, but that obviously will have to happen over time. Money don't grow on trees, peeps.

//I got into nursing school!! I feel so blessed and grateful for this opportunity, and I have to say I honestly did not foresee my life taking this particular turn. But I am SO excited, and also a bit scared. That's normal, right?

I Jumped the Gun

Typically, I profess to stick to the old 'wait until after thanksgiving' rule when it comes to Christmas decor, and music listening. I should probably just stop holding myself to such unrealistic expectations though because the last two years I have totally not even come close to that. Like, I set this baby up last week. We're six weeks out from Christmas and I'm already drinking egg nog and blasting Bing Crosby in the car.

What can I say, I'm a sucker for Christmas?

It all started with the first snow storm we had here in Utah last week. I couldn't help it. It made me feel so... cheery. Then I went to Target and heaven knows they had all their Santa Claus crap out and jingle bells was blasting throughout the store and before I knew it I had spent like $200 on assorted Christmas items! It was kind of like being brainwashed, actually.

So I'm sorry if I ever condemned anyone for setting up their holiday stuff before Thanksgiving because I'm going to go eat my words now.

I decided to go with the brown wrapping paper this year. Although I'm not a huge fan the gold sharpie actually (maybe if I had better hand writing?) so I bought some tags to go on the rest of the gifts.

I've been pinterest-ing up like crazy mad. Christmas pins everywhere. It's terrible. I have all sorts of ideas and only limited funds to execute them.

Help me.

Tell me I'm not the only one who has been suckered into this Christmas madness.

Flower Girl

There was a time in my life, long ago, when I aspired to be a florist. Things changed though, as they often do, and I set my sights on a different path, however I still love ALL things flowers and so I gotta little crazy this weekend and made about 2398487 flower crowns for my young womens class.

So behold the fruits of my labor.

I feel like just this past summer floral crowns boomed in popularity for weddings and I SO wish this was as big of a trend when I got married! Because I mean, who doesn't want to feel like a flower queen and wear a big fat crown of blooms on their head?

Does anyone else out there watch Once Upon a Time? My seester and I are mega fans but we don't know anyone else who watches it. Therefore I never have anyone else to discuss the craziness that is happening in that show! If you are a fan please raise your hand so I can see you, and let's talk. Thank you.

I hope you all have a great week, and don't forget to be awesome.