it's been quite the year, people

i knew this day would come.

the day when i'd glance back at this year and just sigh with a 'wow'.

so far, in 2013 we: 

were engaged

completed another full semester of college

finished my thesis

completed an internship

both graduated with our bachelor's degrees

applied to the credential program

travelled to europe

attended several weddings

planned our own wedding

moved out

moved in to our new apartment

spent almost a month in china

vacationed in hawaii

spent several weekends/weeks up north

quit a job

changed jobs

GOT MARRIED

honeymooned

moved in together

and we have consumed probably 413 cups of coffee, shed many tears, laughed our hearts out, adventured together, and learned more about life, each other, and our Jesus than ever before.

and there are still four months left in 2013. it has been and will be without a doubt one of the most transformational, challenging, rewarding, and unforgettable years of our life.

this week has been the first week of our 'new routine' and we love it, absolutely love it. when we were engaged, people would often ask what we were most looking forward to about marriage (besides the obvious!) and we would always tell them that we were so excited to just do life together - to wake up next to each other every day and start the day as a team, to merge everything we had as individuals into our new together life, and to end every day side by side. and that has been, without a doubt, the best part. last night was the first time we were out with a group of people and then got to drive home together, without having to say goodnight - i was ridiculously excited about it. 

but a new routine also means lots of change - good change, but lots of it. it's things like figuring out a house-cleaning routine, tackling projects together, being together but not really being together, discussing everything with each other - plans, time, finances, purchases, our home - finding time to rest but still finding time to be intentional with each other and those around us. i know that it will take a while to settle in to everything, and there is no one i'd rather navigate this new chapter with. 

above all, God has been good, so good to us. He provides when we seem to have run out of resources, He unexpectedly showers us with blessings, He has surrounded us with a strong community, and He loves us. that in itself is all we could ever need. even if He took everything away, we would still have love - for each other, and for Him. 

so here we are, married, head over heels in love, and so ready to embrace the days, months, and years that still lie ahead of us.

and to all of you that have carried us up to this point, all of you who have filled us with encouragement, wisdom, guidance, and support, those of you who made our wedding day more magical than we could have ever hoped, and all of you who are behind us, praying for us, and believing in us - thank you. 

7th grade flashback

this semester, as part of my application to the teaching program at CSULB, i need to complete 45 hours of classroom observation. 45 hours is a-freaking-lot, but it has been so fun to be back in the classroom!

yesterday, i observed my first middle school history class - 6th and 7th graders. we played jeapordy and built bottle rockets (isn't history fun?!), and i almost passed out from their overwhelming energy, but it was fun. after 6 periods, as the final bell was about to ring and the students were packing their backpacks and milling about, i suddenly realized that when i was in 7th grade, anxiously anticipating spring break, my dad was living his last few days here.

it's been almost 9 years, to the exact day, and time has healed those wounds...most of the time. all the 'why' questions have faded away with the knowledge that God is our Father, our Provider, our Comforter, and our Lord. i used to fall asleep at night, worrying about my wedding day and what i'd do because my dad wouldn't be there to walk me down the while. actually, in the last few years, that has been the one trigger: weddings. i see daughters, beaming and glowing in their wedding gown, swaying back and forth in the arms of their dads. and i miss him. most of the time, i just sit there, next to the dance floor, squeeze Travis' hand, and choke back the tears. i want to embrace that precious bride and her father and tell them that they are so lucky to have each other, and i want to remind her of how blessed she is to have her dad with her, at that moment, how fortunate she is to have that memory to hold on to. and i pray she will always cherish it.

 now, less than 5 months away from my own wedding, i know that there will be an inevitable hole in our wedding day. people might wonder where he is, where he went. he won't be there to walk me down the aisle. there will be no father-daughter dance. but there will be one big family dance, i'm sure, as we celebrate the man who brought us all here and shaped us into who we are. we will miss him, and there will be a little heartache, but most of all, we will celebrate him and celebrate the life that we are so lucky to live. and i will pray that we each continue to live it to the fullest.

i hope you had kleenex nearby...sorry, i should have warned you.

so there i was, looking at those young seventh graders and i thought about even just one of them losing a parent at this moment in their life. and my heart broke over the thought. and then i realized that i was that girl. surrounded by friends, busy with my fun 12-year-old life, unaware that everything would change in just a few short days. and somehow, i survived. i went to school the day after the funeral, even though a lot of those memories are fuzzy now. maybe i was in shock. but we moved along and we continued living, remembering my dad's last words which i penned in my yellow pleather journal just days later...that we shouldn't cry or be sad, but that we should know without a doubt, that we would all see each other again one day.

more than anything, the last 9 years have taught me how good our God is, how Jesus sustains us, how His love is all we need. and He truly makes all things work out for our good.

ending fall 2011

i just submitted my 12 page take-home final to my history professor.
my harry potter paper is all wrapped up.
i knocked out two finals yesterday.
as of this moment, i have washed my hands of fall 2011 - until grades are posted in a few weeks...

i've been sitting in front of the computer for at least 5 hours today and i'm on the verge of going cross-eyed, but still i need to/want to reflect and blog...so here i am!

can you believe another semester/year is already over?! it truly doesn't feel like it. the first day of the semester seems like yesterday. i remember going in with lifted spirits, ready to turn things around after i had absolutely drained myself the semester before. i started the semester with a few goals, after learning some hard lessons over the summer:

say NO to things and balance my time.
give 100% to my commitments - church, leadership, school, work, my relationship with T, my friendships.
allow for some "me" time, especially me & God time.

i remember sitting outside by the pool with T during our first few weeks of school amazed at how relaxed  i felt. i worked as much as i needed to. no, i'm not living glamorously or excessively, but the Lord constantly provides. i planned coffee dates with my girlfriends and reclaimed those friendships i had slacked on earlier this year. the Lord allowed me to start regular get-togethers for the college group ladies, along with Erin's help - and i have seen His blessing and faithfulness in that. i made time to do little mundane things, like laundry and grocery shopping, cleaning and cooking, budgeting and organizing, and because i made time for them, those chores were so much more enjoyable!

and through it all, the Lord is constantly teaching me to lean on Him and live out of His strength, not mine. if i had to name two spiritual lessons for this past semester that would be one of them. the other would be making time for a sabbath. even Jesus escaped from the crowds to rest and refresh as He spent time with His father. in the past few weeks, it's been easy to let that habit slip away again. fellowship with others and enjoying some time doing the things i love are my forms of refreshment, and as soon as i let that slip away, i can feel the edge. sabbath sabbath sabbath - it is SO important!

i always love going back through my photos and reflecting on all the fun adventures i've had - i guess you could say my photography is a journal of sorts for me. here are some of my favorite snapshots & memories!

fall briefing @ forest home / sep 2011

surprise visit for Kim  / sep 2011

girl's night / sep 2011

leadership retreat / signal hill, sep 2011

sunday dates / malibu, nov 2011

birthday celebrating with the bestie / norcal, nov 2011

happy halloween! / oct 2011

my first hockey game - go ducks! / anaheim, nov 2011

women's retreat / murietta springs, oct 2011

home / apple hill, nov 2011

thanksgiving with the gilley's / nov 2011

snowboarding @ big bear / nov 2011

sprinkle in weekly tuesdates, regular coffee dates, roomie dates with melmel, decorating & furnishing our new apt, and a million other fun things, i'd say this was a pretty fabulous past few months - and i am SO thankful!

now i'm all ready to enjoy 5 school-free weeks...can i get an amen?!