Where Did January Go?!?!

I tend to lose track of time. Not in a "wow, it is already 5:00" kind of way, but more like a "holy crap! It is already February!" kind of way. We have had such a busy fall and winter that the past few months have absolutely flown by. So much has happened that I felt a mini-rundown was in order.

I spent my 29th birthday participating in my first mud-run. I had a blast running with some awesome friends, and was extremely appreciative of the beer you got upon completion! I did manage to lock my cousin and myself out of my car (I switched the last two numbers on the lock keypad and then once I had the wrong code in my head, nothing else mattered) but thanks to roadside assistance we survived and made it to Flip's patio for birthday beers in all of our muddy glory.

In October, our amazing friends Lacie and Matt Bullard hosted an engagement party in our honor. We had such a fun time with all of our friends! The party had a stock-the-bar theme and we received more liquor then we will ever consume. It was incredible! Not only is our liquor cabinet full, the entire top shelf of our pantry is also stocked. The entire night reminded Nick and I how lucky we are to have such great friends. The Bullards threw a fabulous party, and we are so thankful for everyone who was able to attend.

We also had our engagement pictures taken by the amazingly talented Sarah Rizy from Lightly Photography. We met Sarah on a rather chilly morning in Grapevine and took pictures up and down Main Street, in front of Willhoite's (where we met), and at the old train depot. Nick was a little hesitant about getting his picture taken for two hours (he is a little camera shy) but we ended up having so much fun that the morning flew by. Here are just a few of my favorite, but you can also check out their blog here: Lightly Photography

You might have heard a little about all of the earthquakes that we got here in Oklahoma... The little town of Prague (just a few miles east of Oklahoma City) was the epicenter of tons of earthquakes this fall. Most of them were small enough that only the people surrounding the epicenter could feel it, but there were a few that we could definitely feel. One in particular was especially scary. It was the Saturday night of LSU v Alabama (round one) and we had just gotten home from dinner when we felt our first major earthquake. We could hear it first; it sounded like a train was headed right towards our bedroom. All of the sudden the room started to shake and everything not attached was swaying back and forth. We were a little panicked, if only because we had no idea how to react. Everything swayed for a good minute before it was over. It was a little surreal, and Nick and I just looked at each other, like "did this really just happen?" I checked Facebook later that night and found that this earthquake was felt all over the place, down into Texas and up in Kansas and Nebraska. We expected tornadoes and crazy winters when we moved to Oklahoma, but earthquakes were not part of the deal!

With November came the always crazy holiday season. This year was especially hairy as we coordinated travel from Oklahoma and made sure to get our quality time in with everyone. Nick and I also worked with his brothers to fly their mom in from Kentucky for her birthday. It was so great to see her and to spend a long weekend together. The weekend culminated with a party at Boomer Jack's so that all of her friends could come together. We had a blast, and were so sorry to see her go.

Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I love the smells, the lights, the decorations, everything! I love buying Christmas presents, and I love gathering together with my family. We always spend Christmas Eve with my dad. Christmas Eve will always be a little bittersweet to me, as this was the night that I would spend with my parents. My mom would make an extravagant dinner, we lay around watching Christmas movies in front of the fire, and always try and convince my dad to let us open our presents early. Even after I grew up and lived on my own, I always spent the night at my parent's house. These past six years without my mom have been hard. We still spend Christmas Eve together, but naturally it wasn't the same. This year, however, was a little different. Nick and I were staying with my dad for the long weekend, and once the house started to fill up with my brother, sister, and their spouses, it really felt more like Christmas. We were also joined by a very special guest, my dad's girlfriend. Things got loud, people were laughing and teasing, my dad tried his had (unsuccessfully) at bartending; it was everything that I loved about Christmas. As I grow older, I find that I will spend time reminiscing about how things used to be. I was talking about this with my dad, and he very wisely said that you could always hold on to those memories but also start to make your own. As we start our own family, Nick and I will start our own traditions. We will make Christmas whatever we want, and then work with our families to strike that perfect balance. It is nice to have such a reasonable and wise father... :-)

After Christmas, Nick and I flew up to Michigan to join his family. Nick's cousin got married on December 30th outside of Detroit. It was so nice to see his grandpa and all of his aunts and uncles and cousins! I told Nick that we needed to start flying up there more often, especially after we all start having kids. I love how close Nick and his brothers are with their cousins, even though they have lived in separate parts of the country their entire lives. We had a blast the entire time, and the wedding was absolutely gorgeous. Have you ever seen My Fair Wedding with David Tutera? This wedding put his to shame. The bride's family owns a bridal shop, so they clearly knew what they were doing. Every single detail was carefully thought out and executed to perfection. It was so beautiful, and we were so grateful to be a part of such an amazing day.

Which brings us to today. Nick and I are busy working, and planning all of the last minute details for our own wedding. We leave for Mexico in about two months. Holy cow! Where did all of the time go? I am so happy that we decided on a destination wedding, because I do not think that I could handle the stress of planning a big Texas shindig from Oklahoma. Everything is starting to fall into place, and now we can look forward to all of the fun stuff! Showers! Bachelorette Party! Cupcake Tasting!! I have a feeling that the next two months are going to fly by, but I think that I am just going to go with the flow.

As I look at what I want to accomplish in 2012, it comes down to the simple things. I want to be happy. I want to be a good wife (that's exciting to say!), a good friend, a good sister, and a good daughter. I want to work hard, to play hard, and to enjoy whatever life throws our way. I am not going to be perfect, but I can certainly try my hardest to be the best that I can be. It isn't really a resolution, but rather something to strive for.

I have a feeling that 2012 is going to be a great year!