Oh boy, oh boy. I can’t believe this year is already over. I feel like I say this every year, but life only seems to be moving faster and I find myself soaking in ever fleeting moment as much as I possibly can whether it’s sipping my latte extra slowly or taking a little cat nap with the two scruffy pups. This year was a good one – one for the record books and it left my kind of in awe of the life I am lucky enough to call my own. This was a major year of growth both personally and professionally. I feel like I found my voice and my groove and I learned that in order to reach your goals you have to go after them with reckless abandon. I was able to travel the world, work with amazing couples, and spend a lot of time enjoying our new home in the little town of Johnson Creek! Today I am going to attempt to narrow down my favorite memories of 2013 to five simple bullet points (wish me luck, you know I love writing novels.)
1.) Travel, travel, and more travel. This year was the first year I ever caught a plane alone, over 15 plane rides later, I am a girl who is obsessed with traveling as often as I can seriously manage. My bags just might always be packed. I went to Seattle (twice), Jacksonville, the Dominican Republic, and Dallas. I made tons of amazing memories and fell in love with some new cities that stole a piece of my heart while away. Whether we escaped to the cabin up north for a weekend or I was on the road for weddings, travel was a huge theme in our year. I also made some of the dearest friends on these adventures… you will never, ever regret travel adventures, I promise.
2.) Stonefield Drive. We weren’t planning on moving or even buying a home, to be honest it wasn’t even on our radar but here I sit in our living room of our first home feeling so thankful that we took that leap this last year. Having a home that is ours has proved to be an amazing thing. We have had a blast decorating and making it ours while we spending countless evenings on the deck with a glass of wine and a glorious sunset. We absolutely love our home and enjoy using it as a space to gather with our friends and clients. We also gained an incredible group of neighbors that we wouldn’t trade for the world, it’s amazing the feeling you get when you finally plant your roots… we are in love! Come visit!
3.) Love stories galore. This year I was blessed to shoot 27 amazing weddings all over the Midwest, this year held some of the most intimate, memorable, fun weddings that I have ever been a part of and my couples proved to be THE best. I made so many friends along the way and experienced so many intimate and special moments that wedding days always hold, I don’t know how I was able to pull this whole thing off – but the fact that I get paid to do what I love is something I will never, ever take for granted. I am so thankful for my clients (both old and new) and definitely have been blessed this year with the stories they have allowed me to tell and the lives they welcomed me into with open arms.
4.) Love and marriage. Whether it’s nights in playing guitar hero or nights at the pub with our friends, I am so thankful for the time Drew and I have spent together this last year. New Years marked our five year anniversary and it’s crazy to think we have shared so much life together. Life is a big balancing act that we are constantly learning through but no matter where I go, he is always right there. He pushes me, supports me, encourages me, laughs at my stupid jokes, makes me run marathons, and is my number one fan. We have spent time with our dear families and made memories as a whole. Another year of marriage has proved to be a fun adventure and the things we have gotten to do as a team this year make it one of the best years yet.
5.) CrossFit. It sounds silly but CrossFit literally changed my life. My one year anniversary is right around the corner and for the past year I have showed up 5 days a week, every single week unless I have been out of state. It gave me a routine, got me back into shape, and allowed me to meet the most incredible group of friends a girl could ask for. Honestly, I don’t think we would be half as happy as we are without our friends that come from CFFA. It’s a tight knit group that will always have our backs and keeps us laughing every single day. They welcomed us into their families and community and have been my favorite thing that 2013 brought me. Oh, and I can do things like climb ropes and do pull ups… that’s always a plus too!
What was your favorite thing about 2013?
But wait, there’s way more:
