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xoxox

February | Goals

Here's a quick recap of January goals:
1. Clean out my computer in preparation for a new one!!
2. Take two social media free days per week.
3. Wedding plan.
4. Wedding plan.
5. Celebrate others through my first bridal shower!

I love January. It may be gloomy and feel like it lasts forever, but it brings so much newness. I have always loved that about January. I do feel like there is something great about January 1, despite the hype that there isn't. I love the brand new start that the a new beginning brings. January 1 makes your feel like you can accomplish anything, and be your best self. 

Then February comes and so does the back sliding.All these goals we set on January 1 slowly start to fade from our eyes and we revert to old ways. 

That is why I love monthly goals. We don't just get a "1" on the calendar once a year, but twelve times. We get to completely start fresh twelve times. Really, we can start fresh 365 times a year, but there is something really special to me about the prospect of a whole new month! It is magical, y'all.

(I'm going to start doing some more monthly goals that relate to my 2015 goal domains. I'll number them accordingly, then go one from there. So, my list may say 13 even though I only have six goals, if that makes sense!)

1 & 8. Join a Women's Bible Study that I love and feel called to be a part of.

2. Plan a last dating hurrah with TB.

3. Continue to send thank-you cards promptly, and prepare to love on my bridesmaids this month.

4. Do at least one date day or night with my mom.

5.Turn off social media at 10PM. Blog one time per week. (Baby steps, people!)

9. Continue to go to the gym at least 3 times/week.

10. Move into our apartment! Organize, organize, organize. 

Here's to a purposeful February! 

Hayley & Cameron | Engaged

I am so excited to share some pictures I've been hiding with you today! As many of you know, Hayley is my best friend of over ten years. She is the sweetest person to ever grace this earth, MOH in my wedding, and got engaged to her semi-high school sweetheart (ha!) in June! They are planning their big day on their five year dating anniversary on July 15, 2016 so I offered to take a few pictures of them with the beautiful fall leaves before they get their professional pictures done! I mainly was just happy to have human subjects rather than the flower-candle-coffee mug pictures I usually find myself taking ;) I was so excited Hayley and Cameron agreed to let me be the most awkward photographer EVER for them for a couple hours! I really love snapping photos on my "fancy" camera and look forward to hopefully learning more and doing more of this in the future!!  It was such a fun time, and they even treated me to Mexican after! Win.

Enjoy!

J&H Wedding Weekend

So, for today I had planned to share all of the pictures from my cousin's wedding weekend. Well, typical me, I came back with ZERO pictures. Always the sign of the best weekends. (I stole the ones about from her insta, holla!)

My mom and I traveled up to Cincinnati for nails and to host the bridal luncheon at Cooper's Hawk on Friday. We then had the rehearsal at 21C that night, where we indulged in sliders, wine, macaroons, cupcakes, and so much more delicious food. Seriously y'all. THE FOOD.

Saturday came and we spent the morning with the best donuts from Holtman's, before heading to Knockback Nat's for the game. Basically, we ate all weekend.

Once UK pulled out a win, it was wedding time. The wedding was at The Phoenix, and the venue was stunning. Jessica's black and white theme was gorgeous and perfectly done. We were greeted with champagne as we walked into the ceremony, had "Bride & Groom" cocktails during cocktail hour, and then headed upstairs for a fabulous meal and a fabulous party, complete with my tipsy uncle's twenty-five minute speech. Tyler and I, in our usual style, did not leave the dance floor once. Nope, that's not an exaggeration. We had to work off all the food somehow right!?

It was such a sweet weekend and I am so excited for Jessica and Heath! Wishing them a lifetime of happiness! I wish I had a single picture to share, but hey, you know what they say...

The Best Goal Setting Resources

Lara Casey: Goal Setting Series

Nancy Ray:Goals

Bloom:2015 Goals

Em for Marvelous: Goal Setting Systems

Jess Connolly: How To Do New Years

January | GOALS

1. Clean out my computer in preparation for a new one!!
2. Take two social media free days per week.
3. Wedding plan.
4. Wedding plan.
5. Celebrate others through my first bridal shower!

That's it. January, I think I can.

2015 | GOALS

I have been patiently waiting for the time to spend a few hours at Starbucks alone to really look back at 2014 and dream for 2015, and the Lord so graciously has provided me with that time! 2014 was a good, good year. My life went from college student dating a boy, to engaged college graduate quickly and I am still in disbelief at how the Lord blessed me this year. While it certainly has a lot to live up to, I am certain 2015 will be a terrific year. I know that in thirty years I will look back at 2014-2015 and be amazed at all the change that took place.

While there are some known changes happening (!!), some things are still up in the air. From December 2014 to December 2015 here's a little run down of life:
1. Graduate college
2. Move to Louisville
3. Move into an apartment
4. Get married
5. Get a teaching job?
6. Buy a house?
7. Get a dog?

Ha! Okay so maybe some of the uncertain aren't necessities, but this will certainly be a time of change and growth in my life, and with that, I will be giving myself TONS of GRACE in 2015. Grace might be a cliche word, but it is most definitely going to be my word of 2015.

"May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord" 2 Peter 1:2

"And God is able to make all grace abound in you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8

These are my verses of the year. I couldn't pick just one! I pray that I would fee more peach and grace as I grow in knowledge of God and Jesus. This grace will not come from a finished to-do list or a productive morning, it will come straight from the Holy Spirit that lives inside of me- that's the kind of grace that's really life changing. That's the kind of grace that's worth it. Also, I know the second verse is about giving financially, but I think it applies to giving anything we've got- time, resources, or money. It is God that will make this grace abound in me so that I may accomplish these goals. "Grace" isn't just my catch word because it's cute, all over blog land, and "sweet". Grace is messy and grace is real, but grace isn't really grace unless it stems from Jesus, the giver of life and the giver of grace.

So, onto my goals! I did them in themes and I kept them simple. I plan to keep up with monthly goals that are a lot more specific and that will (hopefully) fall under some of these bigger categories.
1. Spiritual Life: develop patterns and routines for my daily time with Jesus, do a daily devotional with Tyler once we are married, continue to keep a gratitude/prayer journal
2. Tyler: serve Tyler well, make him my first Earthly priority 
3. Others: Love others well, celebrate others, thank others
4. Family: make spending time with our families a priority
5. Self-care & Rest: Develop patterns and routines for self-care, make it a priority 
6. Work: Work as though I was working for the Lord. Learn to turn work OFF and focus on what matters most. 
7. Adventure:Be spontaneous . Make memories. Have fun
8. Community: Get plugged in with our church, join a community group, find ways to get involved 
9. Health & Wellness: Take care of myself and Tyler with exercise and food that will fuel us
10.Home: Keep our home clean & organized to keep our minds clear. Host others often. See our house at not our own. 

So, they might be a little vague, but there are my domains for the year:
Spiritual Life, Tyler, Others, Family, Self-care, Work, Adventure, Community, Wellness, Home. Here's to bettering all of these areas, and giving myself a whole lotta grace while doing so in 2015.

Let's do this 2015!
xox