Happy New Year

It is so hard to believe that 2011 is over and we have moved in to 2012.  Since I've been a horrible blogger, I'll recap you on 2011.

Early in the year, Alex and I went to Black Mountain to celebrate our birthdays.  We spent the day shopping around downtown Black Mountain and Asheville.  It was a great get-a-way to just spend time together and focus on each other.

February marked a year from our engagement and a year that we bought out house.  We were fortunate enough to qualify for the first time home buyers tax credit.  The kicker was we applied for the credit in April of 2010 and had been waiting for the credit since then.  Like clockwork, we received a letter from the IRS stating that they were reviewing our case and we would hear from them in 30 days.  Finally, Alex called and found out they had made an error while processing us and that we would be receiving the credit and would be hearing from them "soon".  Our plan was to take the credit and put it directly on our house to take a good chunk out of our mortgage.  Come April, we still hadn't received anything.

Spring brought a broken ankle for Alex on Good Friday.  I was at a photo shoot and Alex was mountain biking with Chris.  I got a call that he was in the ER waiting for xrays on his ankle.  I left my shoot and met him and Chris at the ER.  He had a hairline fracture in his ankle and had to be put on light duty at work for 6 weeks.  The Lord was so sovereign to us during this time.  Alex's job was able to flexible with his hours so I could take him in before work and pick him up in the afternoon.  He didn't have to have a cast, just an air pump cast that he could remove in the evenings.  Soon enough, the bills started coming in and we did not have enough in our accounts to cover the costs.   The biggest shock was right after the bills started coming in (and I was freaking out about how we were going to pay said bills) was our tax credit came in.  We had totally put it in the back of our minds, we had forgotten about it.  I just opened it and started crying.  Had we received that money any other time it would have gone straight into our mortgage, but the timing was so perfect.  We were able to pay off all of the doctor bills with no worries about how we were going to pay the other bills.  We truly were blessed during this time and I was shown to really lean on the Lord during our time of need.

June finished out my first year of teaching.  I learned so much during my first year.  I made some amazing friends and I wouldn't have changed anything from my first year.

July was spent driving back and forth to my hometown for our friends Chris and Anna's wedding.  The girls spent a weekend at the beach for Anna's bachelorette while the boys did a weekend at Kill Devil Hills for Chris' bachelor party weekend.  Once the wedding was past, Alex and I got to focus on our one-year anniversary.  God really blessed us in our first year of marriage.  We spent a weekend in Charleston, SC.  It was filled with the final Harry Potter movie with my project roomie, Mindy, good food, shopping, and being tourists :).  We really enjoyed spending time with Mindy and James, but were not huge fans of Charleston.  I think we would enjoy it more in the off season.

August started back another school year at LSHS.  I had some great kids and an awesome team with the other freshman math teachers.  In November I heard about an opening at another school.  I didn't really want to leave during the middle of the school year.  I didn't want to do that to my coworkers or to my students.  I began to pray about the position and the Lord led to me call about the position.  I called and they set up an interview for that afternoon.  I wasn't exactly sure about all of this, but I gave it over to the Lord.  After 2 weeks, I found out I received the job.  I was so sad to leave LSHS.  I loved my kids and coworkers, but I knew I had to move on to where there Lord was leading me.  I accepted the position and started at South Davidson High School the Monday after Thanksgiving.  It was definitely a difficult transition.  I was used to things at LSHS.  I knew just about everyone, we were a family.  I was now the new person again and coming in half way through the year with students who have had 3 teachers was not easy at all.  I didn't know any of the policies or procedures, I didn't know the students, I didn't have keys to the building or my room (and 2 months later, I still don't), it was all different and new.  Now that I've been there a while, I'm really starting to enjoy it.  I love starting the day earlier and being done at 3.  Since there is a remedial period built in to the schedule, there isn't much need for staying after school for tutoring, so most days I am home by 3:30.

November started travel time again for Alex and I.  My brother's wedding shower was the week before Thanksgiving so we went home for that special occasion.  We went home for Thanksgiving, since Alex was off.  The first week of December was spent in Marathon, Florida (in the Fl Keys) for my brother's wedding.  It was such a special time to spend together with our family and getting to know Kris' family.  The week after coming home, we went back east to celebrate Christmas with my parents and brother.  It was the only time the 6 of us would be able to celebrate Christmas together.  Dad fried a turkey and we just enjoyed spending time together.  Back home to work the last few days before Christmas break.  Alex had to work Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this year (again) so I went back to my parents so I can see my grandparents and aunts and uncles for the holidays.  (Thankfully, next year Alex has Christmas Eve and Christmas day off.)  Christmas day, I left my Mama's around 3 to head back to Lexington to celebrate Christmas with Alex's family.  Although I hate the travel, I feel very fortunate to be able to celebrate Christmas with both my family and Alex's.

New Years Eve we got to hang out with the Smiths.  Chris and Anna have made the big move to High Point, NC (just 25 minutes from us) and his family came up to visit this weekend.  We met them at Hanging Rock near Winston to do some hiking, followed by dinner at Mellow Mushroom.  It's so awesome having great friends so close to us that enjoy doing some of the same things we do.

This year was definitely a year of celebration.  We had numerous friends get married this year.  Jenny and Bridgman were married in March, Lauren and Jim in May, Chris and Anna in July, Brooke and Marvin in December.  Alex and I (as well as other friends) celebrated our first anniversary together.  I was so excited to find out Alex and Mary Beth are FINALLY engaged after what seems like an eternity.  We are so excited about what the Lord is going to do in their lives.  Enjoy this time of engagement, it is so sweet and enjoyable and passes by so quickly.  Marriage will definitely look good on you two!  I am also very excited to become Aunt Gigi in August (no, not my brother).  One of my best friends from college is expecting her first child.  I was so excited when she called and told me her and Jim were expecting.  I am looking forward to getting to photograph the growth of this child.  Lauren and Jim, y'all are going to be great parents and your child is so lucky to be yours.

I have really enjoyed my time off for Christmas.  I have had the chance to really get my house cleaned some and just relax.  Alex and I have both spent a lot of our break playing XBox 360 Kinnect (an awesome gift from Mom and Dad), eating dinner with friends and family, and just relaxing.  I know the dogs have really enjoyed their free time since I've been home every day.

I thought (after this ridiculously long post) I would post some goals for 2012.

First and foremost, I want to spend more time in prayer and the scriptures. We also really want to get more involved in our church.
Blog more, at least a couple of times a month.
Paint the following: kitchen cabinets, entryway to house, dining room, finish painting master bath, guest bath, and trim work
Declutter and organize and get rid of our extra junk, clothes, etc.
Continue to be crafty due to Pinterest :)
Take more pictures of Alex and I (this always gets pushed aside due to my photography) and post said pictures.
Decorate my house and make it more homey
Work more on my photography

I also hope to post monthly goals (hoping that this will help with the whole blogging more) to help us keep up with things in our lives.

Well, I think I'm going to hit the kitchen to get our dinner going in the crock pot.  Hopefully you'll be reading from me soon!

Happy 2012!