2012: Change

January
Just the usual. Cold, dark, laziness, and work. Nothing too exciting, but just being married and loving each other!

February
This is the month that put our plan to buy a house into motion. Our neighbor got robbed (even with all of his bars over the windows and security doors) The next day we had our bed and some necessities moved into my old bedroom at my parents house. It took us about a week to get everything packed up and put into storage. There was no way I was staying there one more day. This adventure turned out to be a very interesting and kinda fun time!

Our lovely living arrangements. So. Much. Stuff.

March
I quit my very easy and relaxed job at the city, said goodbye to some great girls, and decided to start subbing full time to get my foot in the door somewhere. This was a super scary decision, but when God wants you to do something you just have to do it! I miss those sweet girls and the fun we had in the office, but I needed to see where God would take me. And since we were living with my parents, this was the perfect time to change our financial situation.

This is also the month that my grandpa passed away. I can't believe it's been almost a year... my heart still aches for things to b e the same, for him to be watching sports in his chair or reading the paper at the kitchen table. But it's God's timing, not mine.



April
I started subbing full time. I had every single day booked. I absolutely LOVED subbing! Everyday was new and different. New kids, new ages groups, new lessons to teach ( that I did NOT have to write) It was such a blessing to be able to sub and learn different things about each school district and teacher. I am so grateful tot Steven for letting me do this!

We also signed a contract on a house that took way too long to fall through... 3 months of excitement and disappointment. Silly house. After i realized it might be a while before we lived somewhere, I reorganized all of our things and tried to make our space a little more bearable. It helped

May
Steven got offered a job at Boeing. This was such a huge thing for him! Being 23 and working at one of the companies on his top 5 list. Lots of prayer and thought went into the decision to take the job. It was more money and closer than the FFA, so we were very excited!

I also got offered a teaching job at a charter school in OKC where I had subbed a couple of times. But more on that adventure later!

Since we both had some time off between jobs, we decided to make the most of it and hang out with our friends and go to a couple of play off games!

June
Steven officially starts working at Boeing and I officially become a jobless bum. School was out and my teaching job didn't start until August. I got to help with an art camp that was being put on by my mentor teacher at the high school. I loved it so much!

July
Oh July...
Some of my friends planned a river trip for a birthday celebration and since mine was at the beginning of July we decided to tag along! This was also the month that Steven dislocated his ankle playing basketball, making the next few months very interesting. I am so glad we lived with my parents and had their help with dinner and just keeping Steven off his foot.

 

We also celebrated our 1 year anniversary! It flew by so fast and our first year was absolutely wonderful! I couldn't have imagined a better year. So many adventures together and learning about each other!

I used this time to start focusing on my curriculum and classroom decor. At the time I wished I would've had more time to plan and get ready, but nothing would prepare me for the teaching semester ahead.

August
In service for new teachers began on the 6th and school started on the 23rd. In service was two weeks of being overwhelmed and realizing I had no idea what I was about to do. But I did get to decorate my classroom!

The day school started I had my out fit all picked out and ready to go, I showered the night before so I could get there early, I got to my classroom and waited in fear for the first bell to ring. Someday I still dread that bell. That just means my day is about to get crazy!

I successfully survived my first day, got a speeding ticket on the way home, and was welcomed by fresh first day of school flowers. I was ready to retire and was super sad I had to go back the next day.



We also closed on the second house we had a contract on. And after two weeks of intense remodel and painting and moving, we were officially moved in before the first day of school!

We're home owners!

September
September was filled with figuring out how to be a teacher, memorial day, and trying to convince myself I could make it to fall break. I was really excited when I had all my plans thought of for the weeks leading up to the glorious first break.

We were loving our first home and spending time with each other.

October
My first official break as a teacher! I work really hard the week before so I wouldn't have to take work home with me over the break. We went out of town with my parents and was away from technology, the demands of being homeowners and seeing every little thing that needs to be fixed, and most importantly children. It was such a beautiful weekend with adults!

We both have crazy hair, we were lettin' loose! ha!

We also had our annual Halloween party, which sadly enough, I don't have very many pictures of.

November
Josie rose came into our lives one Friday evening and we have fallen in love more each day! She is a complete brat, but still has polite manners. Why have something if you can't spoil it a little, right?

 The day I brought her home, She was so little!

After fall break I was on the count down to Thanksgiving, 5 whole days off from school! I can see myself becoming better at teaching and dealing with the everyday of being at a charter school. But things are still tough and I am still exhausted. We are both just trying to make it to Thanksgiving without having a mental break down. I am happy to report that we made it! I went black Friday shopping for the first time ever and I am really hoping my girlfriends and I have started a new tradition!

Steven also decided it was time for a new car. So one night we went to look at them, and surprise surprise we came home with one! It was one of the biggest decisions we've ever made, but the security of knowing we will always have a running vehicle is priceless! 

We have house insurance, our own health insurance, and 3 vehicles on auto insurance, I think we are grown ups now!

December
December all I could think about was...you guessed it, Christmas break! This meant I had survived my first semester of teaching ( although I'm not sure how well I survived it, but that's not what's important)

We decorated our home for Christmas, but up and decorated the tree, and had lots of snugly nights watching t.v. and playing with our Josie Rose.

We are having a fantastic 2 weeks off from school and work. Just lounging around and being lazy/productive at the same time. We have loved spending time with family and friends and not having any real plans. We rarely just get to wing it and It really has been nice! I think that will be one of my new years resolutions again. We have even done a few home projects! My favorite one is the new craft station Steven made me... I'm in love!








As I write this the snow is falling, Steven is lounging, and Josie is fast asleep curled up in my lap. 2012 has been quite a year for us and we've been through so many changes with our lives. I couldn't imagine what I would do without the love and support of my husband, my family, and my real friends.

I am interested to see what 2013 has in store!

2011

If you've visted any blog lately you know that reviewing the past year in pictures isn't a new idea, but I liked it so much that I decided to do it too! What a great excuse to look back and see how greatly I"ve been blessed in this past year. What a year it was!

 January- Steven and I got engaged! It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and he took me to a bunch of little local art shops in the Plaza District that I had been wanting to go to. We got coffee and hot chocolate at the coffee shop and he even let me shop around the thrift stores down there. We went looking for the Mesta Park/Heritage Hills neighborhoods because that is my all time favorite place to drive around and waste a nice Saturday afternoon with the windows down. There just so happened to be a house empty and for sale so we decided to get out and take a look around. As we were coming back to the front we stopped under this arch covered with vines and before I knew it he was on one knee with a ring in his hand! Even though Steven had absolutely nothing really planned it turned out to be the best engagement day ever.

February- This marked the crazy beginning of wedding planning, moving back to Choctaw and leaving Steven in Weatherford to finish school, and preparing to student teach for the next twelve weeks. We were all so busy with life that our annual girls Valentine's night turned into cupcakes and coffee, which was just what we needed.





March/April- Student teaching was in full swing. Six weeks at the high school with three clay classes and one drawing class and six weeks at the middle school with two classes of 6th graders, one 7th grade class, and one 8th grade class. The picture is from a girl in my 9th grade class. We learned about line and movement and the students did yarn paintings. Luckily they really got into them! This was the absolute best experience ever! I loved the kids so much and had a blast teaching them...most of the time.



 May- Graduation time! Me and Steven also officially got "grown up jobs" which helped seal the decision to move the wedding up to July instead of September. Planning mania to say the least! We also had to say goodbye to some of our best friends who was sent to Abilene by the air force. Such a bittersweet month.

June- Steven moves into our first house! Luckily our friends were just moving out as we were needing a place to live. God is so good and works in amazing ways! We were able to move into our house in the middle of June which gave me plenty of time to add my touch to it before I officially lived there. Let me just say 1.5 months until the wedding, new grown up jobs, and all of our stuff into a new house makes for one busy summer!

 July- What a busy month! My birthday, lots of showers and parties and finally the big day! It was the hottest, dryest summer I have ever experienced and this was the month we decided to have our wedding with an outdoor reception.... crazy? Absolutely. But it was everything I had dreamed of from the table cloths to the twinkle lights to the desserts. Perfect. Happiest day of my life!

August- Honeymoon time! This was our first vacation with just the two of us. We just took a long weekend to down town grapevine since we didn't have much vacation leave built up. So. much. fun! We stayed in this bed and breakfast on main street and just got to hang out and spend some quality quiet time together. There was no agenda whatsoever so we just decided to do all the things we never have time for. We saw two movies, ate delicious food, went to the most amazing movie theatre ever and an aquarium in the mall! It was a great first vacation. We will definitely be going back.

September- The first day of september brought a strange into our house. We called to police after realizing what all they got away with. What an absolutely terrible feeling knowing that someone brought evil into your house that you have worked so hard to make a safe haven. After things started dying down I decided to throw my sweet mama a surprise party which was so much fun! All kinds of finger foods surrounded by shades of purple, her favorite color. She was so surprised and the best part was the fact that she was the center of attention even if it was for a just a little while.

 October- The weather finally started to cool down. We took advantage of it and spent one weekend at the lake with my parents for my dad's birthday. Then it was time to get ready for our Halloween party! I loved getting everything ready and decorating our little house. Me and Steven were Shaggy and Velma... love.

 November- My parents got Longhorns and we survived our first thanksgiving! This was also the month that I had to make two of the hardest decisions ever, to get Hank and then to sell him back a week later. I felt like getting him maybe wasn't the best idea and I knew I should've listed to my gut when Steven's truck broke the day after we got him. God is so mysterious though and makes great things out of everything I mess up. A lady I work with fell in love with Hank and bought him and all the things we had bought for him, leaving us out only the gas money which was amazing since fixing the truck cost almost exactly as much as Hank did. I'm positive it wasn't a coincidence. What an amazing learning experience!

December- Busy, busy, busy! Work parties, friend parties, Christmas shopping, spending tons of time with family. I think the hardest part for us was not getting a Christmas break like in college. Not going to lie.... being a "grown up" kind of stinks. But we made it through to our first Christmas together! Morning donuts and presents and lounging together started off the day. Since we did most of our family things on Christmas eve our Christmas day was pretty relaxing. This also kicked off the start of Thunder basketball! Thank the lord.

What a crazy, crazy year! I have experienced the happiest and saddest and most anxious and most peaceful feelings throughout 2011, but overall it was wonderful! I know that 2012 will definitely surpass what 2011 gave us, I can just feel it!

I can not wait to see what God has in store for us and our lives. I know without a doubt that it will be wonderful and just what we need to make us stronger, wiser, and more like Him.

Happy 2012 everyone! It's going to rock!