2013: I'm Still Standing.

I started 2013 like this...

The only thing I still have in my life from these photos is that watch... that girl, she doesn't even exist anymore, she's a different person completely.

Let me show you what got me through this year, alive & still standing...

And so many more...

Endlessly thankful for amazing friends and family. Always.

{tacky} Christmas Light Tour

Friday night some of our friends came over and we went on an impromptu {tacky} lights Christmas tour. We had a blast... until my 4:45am wake up time killed me and I fell asleep in the car. #I'mOld

I really loved this Santa made out of hay bales! 

Mark is a smart man, picked the best seat in the car!

No Light Tour is complete without WINE! 

The last weekend of July, Babe & I finally had our first official "guest" to come spend the weekend at our house. It only took 2.5 years (that is what happens when you never leave "home" & all of your friends parents still live here). After the long awaited arrival of our first weekend guest, all I can say is we <3 having guests come visit.

My friend from JMU, Maddi, came to visit and we had a blast. We hiked, we played at the river, we went wine tasting, had brunch and EVEN milked a cow by hand... we know how to plan a weekend. Heck, we even ran 2X while she was here (I'm running the half marathon with her in September!).

We loved it and can't wait for our next guests (or for Maddi to hurry up and come back again!!).

Thanks to Maddi for the awesome photos! 

At the top of Humpback Rocks Hike

Milking a cow by hand!

Drinking Raw Milk - yum!!!

Roasting Marshmallows

Wine @ Barren Ridge Vineyards

Little Reminders

There are little reminders in life that I’m exactly where I should be. One day it’s babe grabbing me and kissing me the moment I walk in the door, another day it might be words of encouragement from co-workers, reminding me I’m right where I’m supposed to be. This weekend I had a similar moment in the midst of my nephew’s belated thirteenth birthday party. We had family in from multiple parts of WV and VA to my mom’s house – we had family and friends that hadn’t all been together in one place since my grandmother passed away. We were still missing lots of our extended family, but when the entire family came together to pray & then devour amazing food in the beautiful sunshine, I realized this was exactly where I was supposed to be. And it was also exactly what I needed. I needed to see my little cousin Logan calling my nephews his “brothers”. I needed to see my cousin & uncle playing kickball with all the kids. I needed to say that prayer, thankful for everyone being brought together. 

Family Kick Ball Tournament

 

I looked at my mom and said Grandma would love this, she’s so happy I know. Because my grandmother lived for a house full of people, lived to cook wayyy to much food and make a homemade birthday cake. Well my mom’s house was definitely full of people. There was wayyyyy to much food and my sister made a homemade red velvet cake… even if it did take two tries to get that icing perfect. 

Cutting that AMAZING red velvet cake my sister made

As I cut slices of that amazing cake, passing around plates, I smiled at the new role we had all taken. There’s a new generation of “kids” and a new generation of “adults” to pitch in. It may not have been grandma’s house in WV… but it was just what I needed. 

Jammed Pack Days...

Last post was chocked full of what I've been up to. This post is what the next few weeks has in store...

This Saturday night we have a wedding, my work Christmas party and an engagement party. Since we love everyone - I decided to RSVP yes to all 3. It's going to be a whirlwind of a night... think I can count it as my workout? AND I get to wear my new dress that's been hanging in the closet for the last month or so. YAY!

Then I finally get to have dinner with some amazing girls who I have been missing so much lately:

They make my heart smile :)

Then it's Andy's work Christmas dinner. Last year he had been at the station for about a month when we went to the Christmas dinner... that feels like forever ago!

Then this not so little guy has an Orf Concert at school!

Then I'll be furiously wrapping presents before I head off to Philadelphia (my first time, other than the airport) for work. I'll be meeting with some venues for an event I'm planning in May there. It will be a jam packed 2 days AND {another first} we're taking the train {to avoid the ridiculousness that has now become air travel + it has WIFI so we can get work done!}. 

When I get back on the 21st I'll be off until January 3rd (also my 1 year work anniversary). 

It's going to be jammed pack -- and I LOVE it.

Time is Flying...

A month ago I made a quick but busy trip to RI for work. The reason for that trip was to take a gazillion (okay more like hundreds) photos of our products for a new catalog I was designing for the company. Thankfully, I was not responsible for the actual taking of the photos or the tedious process of making them transparent (I'm lucky our analyst knows photoshop!).

Then I got back from RI and dropped off the face of the earth as I designed the catalog... which went to the printers the day before thanksgiving. That's when I promptly headed to the bar for this:

 

Oh Fat Tire, how I love thee. And in the most non-diet friendly decision I went for a second and some fries. It was glorious and necessary.

Of course it was off to the races after that... the crazyness that is the start of the holidays. I cooked for the PD on Thanksgiving... my first time making banana pudding!

The cupcakes with cookie dough center were quite the hit too! Sadly, no photo, but they looked like normal cupcakes but with a surprise center!

We then made the trek to find a Christmas Tree --- first time without my parents & my brother. It was interesting.... for a brief moment at Christmas Tree Farm #2 we considered just not getting a tree. But we finally just caved and made it work.... not quite as tall as we had hoped but it'll do. Even though we couldn't get it straight by ourselves... and it's still leaning today.

Then of course it was time for our 2nd Annual Thanksgiving Bash with friends. The best thing about living "at home" (aka Valley) is when people come home to visit family they visit you too!!!

Oh yeah - and at some point in the mix I became a brunette for the winter season. 

And then I went on Christmas Tree Hunt #2 w/ my parents & the boys. I must be crazy.

And somewhere in the mix I managed to make a couple meals... (and some delicious bread that I managed to not get photos of!). 

 Life is just getting crazier by the moment, but stay tuned, I'll be back... or at least I'll try!