2013 in Review

As the new year approaches, I thought it was only appropriate to look back and re-experience all of the fantastic memories this past year has brought me, and what a fantastic whirlwind 2013 has been!

At times, January 2013 seems like light years away, and in rare moments it seems like it was just yesterday. I planned a wedding, got married to my best friend, moved into a new home, traveled all over the US, watched friends get married, and met some chubby, adorable newborns.

One thing I know, is that I am so thankful for this daily diary that my humble little blog is to me. Years from now, I can't wait to go back and comb through the lessons I've learned, seen how I've grown and changed, and re-visit some of my favorite memories. It will help me remember to appreciate the tiniest moments, and to be grateful for the small things in life.

Feel free to join me as I look back on 2013...


January

- The most beautiful wedding shower brunch was thrown for me by several of my mom's closest friends, and I will always cherish how special they made me feel that day. To be in one room with all of your favorite ladies makes life great. What a way to kick off the new year!

- My parents also took the leap and moved to Kansas City! It was perfect timing, as I moved in with them leading up to the wedding. They were okay roommates, I guess! ;)


February

- I was starting to actually feel like I was wrapping up the final touches of wedding planning (it's shocking how much free time I have now!). The dress, the makeup, the personal touches, the workouts... It was starting to get tiring, but looking back, It was a once in a lifetime experience that I will cherish forever. You should be proud of yourself when you totally don't lose your sanity, right?

March

- Oh March, I swear I never thought I would see your sweet, sweet face. A week before our beautiful spring wedding, we got a record breaking amount of snow, which simply meant we had to roll with the punches. Farewell outdoor photos! But you know what? It was gorgeous anyway.

- And then on March 9th, I married my best friend in a beautiful white chapel with all of the people we love most experiencing our joy with us. It didn't matter what color the napkins were, or if the baker placed our cake topper on just right. What mattered most was feeling the love and blessings wash over the two of us as we promised each other forever. And in that moment all was perfect. 

- After the wedding, we peaced out for the lovely tropical island of Antigua, where we had the most relaxing honeymoon ever. And then we got back and realized we had lost the memory card that had all of our trip memories on it.. and I cried for 3 days. Then I realized that we will always remember our beautiful private thatched roof cottage and how good those pina coladas tasted by the pool. And then I told Adam that he would just have to take me back again. ;)

- If that wasn't enough fun to last a whole lifetime, we celebrated Adam's 29th birthday in the best way we know how... waffles. Lots of waffles.

April

- We started to finally get settled into "our" home after I moved in post-wedding. Project "Cutify" was underway as I thoroughly enjoyed nesting and making our house a home.

- Party hardy! We celebrated Easter with both of our families combined, and also threw a baby shower for some dear friends. It was so fun hosting our first party as a married couple.

- I hit the road for my beloved Oklahoma to stand by my bestie's side as she became a Mrs! There were lots of fun bachelorette shenanigans leading up to the big day, but April 20th was gorgeous. She walked down the aisle to the most beautiful gazebo ever crafted (they did it themselves - the ultimate DIY!) and I cried like a baby when she said "I do". It was the perfect day.

 May

 - Adam and I started relishing the ample amount of free time that we had since wedding planning and traveling for weddings was over. We had lots of local adventures, including a date night at a nearby winery. We sipped tasty bevies, camped out picnic style, and enjoyed live music and each other's company as the sun set over the vineyard.

- We got to spend lots of time with our families eating and giggling... and eating some more. Our Cinco de Mayo party was insanely fun and these pictures made us laugh so hard our bellies ached.

June

- I was offered a new role as Assistant Director at the same national non-profit I've worked at for more than 4+ years. It's definitely a dream job for me, and my new job is such a perfect fit - lots more time working with cancer patients and their families!

- We took our first weekend vacation adventure to Omaha! We stayed in a fancy hotel that fed us way too many cookies at the late night snack buffet, went to see Monsters U (we're total kids), wined & dined, visited our furry friends at the zoo, and explored the whole city.

July

- Over the 4th of July holiday, we took several days off to spend time with friends and family at the cabin. We played cards, enjoyed leisurely breakfasts on the patio, talked smack during Bocce ball, and laughed at the boys as they did their ritual dunk in the 50 degree pond.

- We jumped right in to the major overhaul of our extremely ugly 1970's kitchen. Adam and I handpicked everything, brainstormed the look and feel of the remodel, and then watched the remodel come to life with the help of highly knowledgeable professionals (aka: thanks Dad!). A total team effort that we love and appreciate every single day.

August

- Adam was starting to travel to Washington a lot for work, so I kept my time busy with multiple girls nights, a visit from Miss Lindsey, and a Favorite Things Party (that I never posted about!).

- I spent my Sundays hanging with my favorite 4th grade girls at church, as per the weekly usual. We learned a lot, giggled a lot, and tackled some fun service projects for kids in need. I sure love their hearts.

- It was a gorgeous month to spend time with friends and family, go see outdoor musicals at Starlight, and hang out on our patio sipping beers and playing with Beast.

September

- We flew out to the East coast for an awesome Boston/Cape Cod vacay with my in-laws! Such a complete blast. Saw the city, explored Fenway, frollicked on the beach, and ate our weight in lobster rolls...

...oh, the lobster rolls!

- At the end of the month, we went down to Oklahoma for Benji & Davina's gorgeous family wedding at an amazing historical mansion. It was so much fun to see everyone and dance the night away with the Evans clan!


October

- We celebrated another wedding of some of our closest friends - Ian & Sarah! We danced the night away, laughed with our friends, and had no less than two pieces of wedding cake.

- After months of anticipation, I finally got to meet my cousin's little girl, Miss Norah Emmie, in person. What a sweet, sweet little newborn! And she didn't stay little for long... I crocheted a chevron blanket for her a few months later and was shocked by how much she grew already!

- Halloween made for a good time as I dressed up for work (twice!), turning our little Beast into a dinosaur, spent time with friends, and had Nerf wars throughout the house

November

- I checked two new states off of my travel list! Adam had been spending a lot of time at the new Spokane, Washington plant for work, so my MIL, Sarah, and I decided to go visit Adam and Bryan (my father-in law... family companies are the best!).

Most of the time the guys were hard at work, so we kept out of their hair by shopping and exploring. We also made a weekend trip up to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho to stay at a breathtaking resort with amazing views!

- I kicked off my 27th birthday celebration with mom and sister pamper time during the day, a delicious dinner outing, and then my awesome hubby threw me a hilarious geriatric birthday party!

- Thanksgiving was our first time splitting holidays, which is kind of a weird feeling at first. Luckily, I absolutely love my in-laws, so we had 4 days of crazy fun times with Meredith and Kyle in town. As you can tell, Beast loves Auntie Mere and Grandma Sarah! :)

- My gorgeous little sis, Linds, was my model for a photoshoot for my Cozy Couture Etsy shop. The photos turned out great, and we had a riot trying to take "serious photos".

December

- My bestie, Courtney from Honeycomb Creative Co., came up for a vintage shopping weekend extravaganza. We shopped the Kansas City West Bottoms for great finds, sipped dark chocolate mochas, ate greek food, and got pedicures while we watched JTT Christmas movies. #winning

- Later in the month, I hosted a little girls night get together that was full of yoga pants, sweets, wine, and silly games. Oh! And did I mention the cocoa bar? It was a super fun treat right before the holidays - love those girls!

- We made and sent our first ever family Christmas cards and started a new tradition of writing a little letter inside to share with family and friends!

- We've enjoyed being in the same state together for more than a weekend!

- Bella Beast ate Twinkle the elf... after we had only had him for less than 24 hours. 

And then she redeemed herself by sitting all cute in front of the blazing fire like a stuffed animal. OH! And Beast is moving up in the world... you can now find her wild adventures and cute floppy photos on Instagram!

- We celebrated our first ever Christmas spent together, and it was heavenly! We even hosted Christmas Eve / Christmas Day at our house, so that's one heck of a first Christmas. And then we slept for 10 hours straight and enjoyed our quiet little house. :)

Welp, on that note I am completely exhausted, but 110% grateful for such an incredible year. Looking forward to many exciting things to come in 2014, both with Life of Meg and really with life in general.

Annnndddd... if you stuck with me after the world's longest post, you deserve a tall fancy glass of sangria (tiny umbrella included) and a puppy with an extra wiggly nubbin' tail (like our Beastie).

You guys are the best. Thanks for being you.


PS - Brand spanking new Facebook page has finally launched (it's about time, right?!). Keep up with Life of Meg via Facebook HERE!


Wishing you and yours a very happy 2014!