2017: A Year in Review

2017.  It's end is almost here, & I'm looking forward to the new.  But 1st here's a peek at what happened this year...

January - February:
▼ We celebrate our 1st New Year's together + our 1st New Year's kiss.

▼ We visit lovely Callaway Gardens.

▼ Our 1st married Valentine's Day arrives + my 1st time ever bowling!

March:
▼ I surprise Dan with a picnic at the "Secret Garden" for our 1/2 year anniversary.

▼ We celebrate our 1st St. Patrick's Day together.

▼ I go to my 1st ever hockey game + I love it!

▼ We hike at the "Little Grand Canyon" in Georgia.

April:
▼ We hike 4+ miles on the Pine Mtn. trail + then visit the "Little White House" in nearby Warm Springs, GA!

▼ We visit the world's largest Lunchbox Museum + have an impromptu arcade date night.

▼ Help hide hundreds {& I do mean hundreds} of eggs at our church's Easter egg hunt.

▼ I have the in-laws over for Easter lunch {+ it goes well}!

May:
▼ Finish up my last day as a school librarian.  This unexpected long term sub job lasts almost an entire year & is such a blessing from God!

▼ Summer break begins for me & we celebrate by heading to the Georgia Aquarium + Atlanta's World of Coke {my 1st time to both of these}!

▼ Explore a couple of cemeteries this month + other unusual places around town.

▼ Have our 1st of many snow cone summer dates.

▼ Teach the children's Wednesday night Bible study at our church together this month.  {With help from the kids, Dan puts on the armor of God one night, which in this case, is represented by aluminum foil!}

June:
▼ Go on our 1st married double date with sweet friends.

▼ Dress up as Bible characters to help with our church's VBS.

▼ Explore the most epic + sprawling antique store I have ever seen.  Ever.

▼ Swim at our apartment pools {pretty much all the summer months + once on an unusually warm February day}.

▼ Celebrate my nephew's 2nd b-day up in Chattanooga.

▼ Explore old abandoned bunkers in Chattanooga + make all the funny echo noises we can think of in them.

July:
▼ Celebrate our 1st married Fourth of July + send up a patriotic Chinese lantern {which I make a secret wish + prayer on as it disappears from sight} + celebrate with friends.

▼ More long hikes!

▼ Finally get a washing machine!  Yay!  No more trips to the laundry mat for us!

▼ My nephew comes & stays with us for a long weekend of summer fun!

August:
▼ Lots of doctor visits after Dan has an eye scare.  {While it is better (Praise God!), he still has some problems with it.}

▼ I start the school year off with a long term sub position as a music teacher, of all things!

September:

▼ We go out west for an Arizona anniversary adventure + make countless memories there!

▼ We celebrate our 1st year of marriage!

▼ Take a day trip to Macon, GA to explore the Ocmulgee National Monument.

▼ Start a Star Wars movie night tradition with new church friends.

October:
▼ I accept a long term sub position at a rough school {it was only in 1st grade + the teacher assured me she had no major behavior problems}, but I last 6 days... & let me tell you those 6 days were full of prayers + tears + 1 screaming/cursing parent on just the 2nd day.

▼ Visit family back in TN + explore Prater's Mill Country Fair + kiss on a tractor + view stunning Cloudland Canyon + stay a night in my mom's cabin.

▼ Host Star Wars movie night at our place {+ I cook dinner - which seems miraculous for this girl who was afraid to turn on her oven for over a year when she got her 1st apartment}!

▼ Dan & I help out with a game station at our church's fall festival + we dress up for the 1st time together {we're an Oreo cookie}!

▼ We celebrate Dan's birthday with a fancy dress-up date at a new restaurant downtown.

November:
▼ We celebrate my birthday with a day trip to Pine Mountain.

▼ Finally take the wedding pics I had been dreaming of for over a year + we make memories I won't soon forget.

▼ I start yet another long term sub position {this time at a great school (Thank You, Jesus!)} as a 5th grade reading / language arts teacher.

▼ Enjoy our annual 2 Thanksgivings - 1st with Dan's parents & then with my family.

▼ Continue our tradition of going to see the lights twinkle & glow at Rock City's Enchanted Garden of Lights.

December:
▼ Dan & I attend a holiday brass concert + a beautifully magical luminary walk at our city's Botanical Gardens.

▼ We get the call that my littlest nephew is in the children's hospital in Chattanooga with a major health scare.  This is one of the hardest things about not living where the rest of your family does, because I so wanted to be right there.  I cry so many tears + pray so many prayers for this sweet little boy of mine.  It felt like we literally asked everyone we could think of to pray for him, & I'm here to testify that prayer changes things & that our God is good & mighty!  Little Miles is now home + healthy!

▼ Dan & I get our tree + decorate it all up.

▼ We continue our annual tradition & ride the Jolly Trolley to see all the sparkle/shine at Callaway Garden's Fantasy in Lights.

▼ Host our 2nd annual Christmas Open House get-together.

▼ Turn the giant elk statue at our apartment complex into a red-nosed reindeer for the 2nd year running!

▼ Enjoy Christmas a little early with Dan's parents & then head up to TN to spend time with my family.

▼ Put up a tent in our living room {next to our now undecorated real Christmas tree for a little authenticity} & "camp" in so we can check the last thing off our 1 year bucket list.

My Top Favorite Posts of 2017:

In Which I Find a Secret Garden

Our Love Story {In 5+ Parts}

How I Said "Yes" to my {eBay} Wedding Dress!

Our Honeymoon Adventures

Our Arizona Anniversary Adventure

DIY Vacation Memory Jar

The Day the Eggs Made Me Smile

The Gifts in My Marriage

This is Just for Me {& Just Maybe You}

Little Letters // November 2017

Once Upon an Autumn Day

When Baby Fever Hits & You Don't Have a Baby

Thanks for being a reader!  Happy New Year's Eve!

Monthly Recap // December 2017

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➵ Attended a holiday brass concert downtown together + a beautifully magical luminary walk at our city's Botanical Gardens {both free things we found to do this month}!

➵ We got the call that my littlest nephew was in the children's hospital in Chattanooga with a major health scare.  This is one of the hardest things about not living where the rest of your family does, because I so wanted to be right there.  I cried so many tears + prayed so many prayers for this sweet little boy of mine.  It felt like we literally asked everyone we could think of to pray for him, & I'm here to testify that prayer changes things & that our God is good & mighty!  After a few days in the PICU he was well enough to go to a regular room & then finally be released!  Thank You, Lord!!!

➵ Dan & I got our tree + decorated it all up.

➵ Continued our annual tradition & rode the Jolly Trolley & saw all the holiday sparkle/shine at Callaway Garden's Fantasy in Lights.  Boy, was it cold this year!

➵ It snowed way down here in Georgia this month!  While it didn't last long {only the morning, really}, we still managed to get out in it + made 2 little wonky snowmen on top of Dan's car + took a nice long while snowflakes were still falling.  It's the 1st time I've ever seen it snow here!

➵ Hosted our 2nd annual Christmas Open House get-together + had a good turn out.

➵ Turned our giant elk statue at our apartment complex into a red-nosed reindeer for the 2nd year running!

➵ Enjoyed Christmas a little early with Dan's parents & then headed up to TN to spend time with my family.

The Night We Made Some Christmas Magic

It was last Christmas.  Our 1st married one.  My 1st in a new city + state + away from my family & friends.  It was a hard one for me. {Can I just be honest & admit?} It was way harder than I imagined, but there were bits + moments of magic, too, {& grace upon grace upon grace from that little baby who came to save us}.  This was one such moment of merry magic.  Let me tell you about it...

★

It was Christmas Eve 2016, but the plan had been hatched weeks before.  A few days time had passed since I had gone out & bought some bright red fuzzy yarn + made a humongous pom-pom ball out of it... all for tonight.  Armed with the wonky red pom-pom + a thing of Scotch tape, Dan & I set out on foot {under cover of darkness} to the big elk statue that guards the entrance to our apartment complex.  This was it.  Operation Rudolph was underway.

We taped that nose on good, even though we kept being interrupted by passing cars - which made us jump down from the statue base & duck down behind it or scurry to an adjacent bench & try to look inconspicuous, because this was a secret mission, after all, & had to remain so.

After it was complete, we stood back & admired our handiwork with silly secret agent grins, not knowing how long it would last {'cause it was Scotch tape & not Gorilla Glue, people}.  Mission complete!

Each day after, the 1st one who happened to drive past the entrance + red-nosed elk statue first would report back to the other if the nose was still there {all of a sudden I want to belt out a Christmas version of the Star Spangled Banner}.  Funny thing was, that thing stayed on for days & days after!  {We did use a lot of tape.}  Finally, a big wind storm came & the nose was no more.

★

Little did we know, that we unknowingly began a tradition in our house that night - the night we made some Christmas magic.

Our Christmas Traditions

These are the traditions Dan & I have been keeping since we became a family last year...

★ Celebrate the true reason for the season with our homemade scripture advent calendar!

★ Gift each other a special ornament.

★ Put up + decorate 2 trees.  A real one in the living room + a faux one in our bedroom.

★ Place a nativity scene under one of our decorated trees to remember Jesus is the best gift ever given.

★ See all the sparkly lights at Rock City's Enchanted Garden of Lights + Callaway Garden's Fantasy in Lights.

★ Tour all the decorated trees they put up downtown.

★ Host a Christmas open house party at our place.

★ Drive around & look at all the Christmas lights we can find on Christmas Eve.

★ Attend our church's candlelight Christmas Eve service.

★ Secretly turn the giant elk statue at our apartment complex into a red-nosed reindeer!

★ Spend Christmas Eve with Dan's parents, enjoy our own little Christmas morning time together, + then drive up to spend Christmas day with my family.

1st Snowfall

Did you by chance read the 3rd little letter I posted yesterday?  The one that started, "Dear Snow..."?  Well, I didn't have to wait long before I got a response in the form of swirling, fat, glorious flakes early this morning!  It's the 1st time I've ever seen it snow here!

❆❅❄

Dan had been peeking out the window periodically throughout the night, like an excited school boy, occasionally waking me up with a loud sigh over the lack of snowfall + his rustling of the curtains + blinds.

Finally, early this morning I'm awakened yet again by a giddy husband whose getting dressed faster than I've ever seen {except maybe that one time he overslept for work 😉 }.  It was actually snowing!  Way down here in our city in Georgia!

❆❅❄

We made a miniature snow couple on top of Dan's car + caught flakes on our tongue + took a nice long walk out in it.  And while I'm typing this mid-morning, with the snow all but melted away {sorry for those who overslept today in Columbus - you likely missed it all}, I will never forget this 1st snowfall in my new city way down south.

Now, I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know...

Little Letters // December 2017

Dear 5th Graders,

The letters you put in my Christmas stocking turned mailbox warm my heart + make me smile.  From your drawings, notes, & funny Christmas questions {like the one above about Santa & his "slay"}... I treasure each & every one & I'll never forget them or you.

❤ Your Teacher,

Mrs. W.

✉ ⏩

Dear Christmas Break,

Please hurry!

XOXO,

Frazzled Teacher

✉ ⏩

Dear Snow,

Could you head our way soon?  Please, oh, please!  We know you don't often travel this far down south, but we miss you terribly.  It's been a long time.

Signed,

Wishing + Waiting

✉ ⏩

Dear Dan,

I know last December had some rough patches.  Being away from my family + friends + hometown for the 1st time during the holidays wasn't an easy adjustment for me.  Thank you for your patient, steadfast love for me through it all.  I feel better prepared this year.  I love you forever.  Let's make this our best Christmas yet!

All My Love,

Laura

P.S.: Meet me under the mistletoe!

✉ ⏩

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for coming down into our messy world & giving us all the sweetest hope ever.  I love You forever!

Your Daughter,

Laura

✉ ⏩

Currently {December 2017}

Enjoying... lots of free Christmas things to do in our city.  We've already been to a free brass holiday concert, viewed all the decorated trees they put up each year downtown, + went to a beautiful lighted luminary walk / open house at the local Botanical Gardens.  If your city has an online calendar, be sure to check it out + keep your eyes peeled for free events this time of year!

Decorating... the apartment up for Christmas!  We got our tree the other day & it's now all sparkly & glowing {still more to do, though}.

Praising Him... for the best gift ever given... Jesus!

Eating... lots of sweets!

Excited... that Christmas break is coming soon!  I've been subbing as a 5th grade language arts / reading teacher for someone on maternity leave.  I love the kiddos truly {some of the sweetest kids ever}, but this is always a challenging time of year.  Any teachers out there hearing me on that one?  {Teacher Confession: Once, when I taught 2nd grade I legit pretended to call Santa in the middle of class & told him he might just need to do a fly over & not stop at my naughty kiddos' homes.  Surprisingly enough some of 'em shaped up after that.  A teacher's got to do what a teacher's got to do.}

Listening... to all the Christmas tunes.

Wearing... cozy stuff, because it suddenly decided to go from 70s to 40s in a day's time.  Say what!?

Holiday Entertaining Tips

▲ Have a designated place to corral coats, etc. This has been tricky in our apt., but where there's a will there's a way.  Create a place/space before guests arrive.

▲ Serve stuff you can make ahead of time & reheat easily!  I made this mistake once when we hosted a dinner/movie night.  We were watching 2 movies {both I had never seen before}, & I decided to serve something that I was actually going to have to cook after the guests arrived.  I missed some of the 1st movie because of this!

▲ Ask about allergies.  It's no fun for the peanut - dairy - gluten free-ers out there if they've not been considered.  Just leave a note on the invitations for guests to text you any food issues they may have. I have a friend who has the unfortunate pumpkin allergy; it's definitely something I'm glad I know considering all the pumpkin-y treats around the autumn/winter!

▲ Make sure your home smells inviting!  I'm a fan of Bath & Body Work's Wallflower Plugs, myself {this one is currently permeating our place + they have sweet holiday-themed plugs}.  For more ideas, Country Living has 18 DIY scent projects you can find here.

▲ Don't have a fireplace?  Turn your TV into one!  There are fireplace DVDs you can find this time of year or look up a video of one on YouTube.  We did this last Christmas & it definitely made things more festive & cozy at our get-together.

▲ Here's a bonus tip!  Looking for a party theme this year?  Click here for a dozen!

Christmas Wish List

1. That Girl Season 5 DVD Set - This is my all-time favorite retro TV show + this is the only season I don't have on DVD!

2. 'The Best is Yet to Come' Bracelet - This is a sweet reminder of not only my eternal promise in Christ, but the hope I have for Dan & I & the adventures God has still in store for us.  I'd love this little reminder to wear on my wrist & remember always in my ❤.

3. A Journaling Bible - I've been wanting to get into this for awhile now, but never have.  I'm not necessarily particular on the type of journaling Bible {except I'd prefer one with blank sides for my own creativity over pre-made coloring spots}.  {Dan, I think I may have even seen some at Ollie's.}

4. Coconut Mint Drop Shower Gel - I'm a Bath & Body Works fan + have wanted to try this new seasonal scent!  {Dan, I have a coupon for you! 😉}

5. Surprises - Last year was our very 1st married Christmas & I knew almost all of my gifts because I was with Dan when he bought them.  I want some surprises this year!

Date Night Ideas // December 2017

💑 Bake Christmas cookies together + eat while watching some of your favorite Christmas flicks.

💑 Drive around & see all the best Christmas lights in your area!  Try Googling where the top spots are before you go.  FYI, a thermos of hot cocoa for the drive never hurt, either.  Oh, & don't forget to turn up the Christmas tunes!

💑 Start a new tradition together.  Even before kiddos hit the picture, it's important for married couples to begin creating their own special ways of marking holidays.  Two of ours for this time of year are reading daily from our scripture advent calendar & gifting each other a special ornament each year.

💑 Go to a candlelight Christmas Eve service & joyously celebrate the true reason for the season together.

💑 Design & construct a gingerbread house together!

💑 Purchase gifts together for a family in need.  The Angel Tree project, the Salvation Army, & Toys for Tots are 3 of many organizations that you might donate to this season.

When Baby Fever Hits & You Don't Have a Baby...

You head to Target like usual, with a few things on your list, yet somehow wind up in the baby section.  Next thing you know you're inwardly cooing at the cuteness of some crocheted unicorn bonnet complete with little gold horn + fluffy pink mane. {Be still my ❤!}  You pick it up.  It's only $7.99 {& you have a gift card, after all}.  You put it back.  You pick it up...  Eventually, you find yourself at the checkout with the hat + matching slippers tucked {*cough cough* hidden} under other purchases, because you know, you've lost it, & you're just hoping the cashier doesn't ask who it's for...

Because, honestly, you don't know yet.  You don't know how that prayer in your heart will be answered & when, & you're waiting & praying & doing crazy things, because this possible-one-day baby - this God-made miracle - means so much... even long before conception.

To all you sisters out there who find baby paraphernalia in your carts {+ subsequently hidden in your closets} long before the baby's in your belly, please know this, God answers prayers + His timing is perfect + He has a good plan + He loves you more than words express...  I know that may seem like fluff right now, but it's really not, because we serve a God who keeps His promises, & while no where in scripture does He promise every believing woman a child, He does tell us all things work together for good for us who belong to Him {Romans 8:28} & His ways are perfect {Deuteronomy 32:4}...  In the waiting, I'm holding on to that.  I hope you do, too.

Monthly Recap // November 2017

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➵ Celebrated my 31st b-day!

➵ Went on a little mini day trip to Pine Mountain & explored the charming shops {for the 1st time} + a few of our favorite overlooks.

➵ Hosted our 1st dinner + game night!

➵ Took the wedding pics I had been dreaming of for over a year.  Read more about the craziness of that wild little day here, & see a few of the photos here.

➵ I started a new long term sub job as a 5th grade reading/language arts/writing teacher at a great school.  Definitely a praise!  Thank You, Lord!

➵ Enjoyed giving thanks + food a day early with Dan's parents & then drove up to be with my family on Thanksgiving Day in TN for yet another feast!  Pumpkin pie, you are all mine!  Dan & I worked it off, though, taking our 2 nephews to the playground the next day & wearing ourselves completely out trying to keep up with those little guys!

➵ Continued our tradition of going to Rock City's Enchanted Garden of Lights.  The chill {i.e.: downright cold} let Dan make use of his trapper hat Christmas gift from last year.  And, no, we don't really have matching hats, I just found that 1 in the gift shop & put it on for a quick pic. 😉