Cheers new year!

So, I haven't even had a chance to talk about Christmas yet, and here I have all these new year thoughts bumping around in my head taking up space- so since 2014 is already here, lets talk about that first.

It seems so hard to believe that another year is already beginning, when this last year was just packed full with happenings! We loved 2013. I have nothing but great things to say about it, and it will definitely go down in the books for Jared and I as a year of growth. And as the months went on by, we continued to see how faithful the Lord is in our daily life, and in our relationships. We have so many things to be excited for in this coming year. Good grief, I feel like I could write a whole blog about what all is coming up, but I won't. :)

So, to take things in order here, a look back in pictures. How blessed we were these past 12 months. To be surrounded by great friends and family, to see new parts of the country, and to keep enjoying each others company. :)

January
We welcomed a sweet, calm, smiley nephew into our family at the end of the month. Oh, Carter. He brings us so much joy, and we love every second we get to spend time with him. And kiss his cheeks. 

February
It was a beautiful early winter, and we spent a lot of time outside - happy to say that Jared learned to skate backwards and hockey stop all in the same day. :)

March
I had some time off around Easter, and we spent time with both our families in Storden over Easter weekend. We are so thankful that our families enjoy each others company.

April
The winter that never seemed to end turned into an indescribably beautiful snowstorm the last week of the month. My complaining went out the window when our backyard was turned into a wonderland for a few weeks. 

May
We had the privilege of traveling to Vancouver, British Columbia and Seattle for an extended vacation and we had a blast. The pacific northwest totally won us over and we would go back in a heartbeat!

June
Another trip for us! Combining my 25th birthday and our 3rd anniversary we took off to Florida to treat ourselves to some sun (which ironically, we were ready for with such a long winter that had barely ended by this trip). We loved loved loved Disney, Universal studios, Hollywood studios - but visiting Hogwarts and Hogsmeade village stole the show for us!

July
We spent a good amount of time outdoors and with our friends celebrating the 4th, and just celebrating the weekends. :) But the highlight was the guys annual camping trip up to the boundary waters. We are always thankful they come home in one piece. They usually smell a little ripe, but nothing has been broken yet so I'll take it. :)

August
Our annual state fair rendezvous with Mike, Kait, and Ryland left nothing to be desired again this year! We upped our ante and left having tried more new food than old food. Heaven. I still never get my fill of the fried pickles though. 

September
I ran my first race! It was a 10K and I had family by my side, my mom, my inlaws, uncle Dan and running with my friend Grace was just what I needed. What a blessing to be at the finish line with all of them!

October
September's 10K was the buildup for the big guy - the Twin Cities 10 mile. Oh, the Lord's faithfulness.... this could potentially be my "best of show" for the year award. The Lord sustained me and showed me that I could accomplish this! And I never thought I could. :)

November
Ok, so the absolute best part of this month was our trip up to northwoods Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michigan with our friends Matt and Amanda. Canoeing, fires, food, flannel, hiking...this is the second year of going up to their cabin and we look forward to many more!

December
Was an awesome month. We saw so much of our family, we didn't start winter until the second week, we had a few Christmas celebrations (one still to be had), played lots of games, saw lots of friends, had a good chunk of time off work, bought a car(eek!), and welcomed in the new year with a great celebration. What a cap off.

As we move into 2014, we continue to stand on the promises of our God. That He is ever present, ever faithful, and always loving, even if the immediate circumstances seem a little outside of our plan. We are so undeserving of what this last year has given us, but so thankful. 

We have goals for this coming year, yes, but our bigger goal is this: to trust God, and to love others. In our work relationships, in our friendships, in our daily outward expression of what the Lord is doing in our life. This passage in 1 John was brought to my attention the other day by another blogger, and hit a chord with what Jared and I have been refining for our new year. 

"...And friends, once that’s taken care of and we’re no longer accusing or condemning ourselves, we’re bold and free before God! We’re able to stretch our hands out and receive what we asked for because we’re doing what he said, doing what pleases him. Again, this is God’s command: to believe in his personally named Son, Jesus Christ. He told us to love each other, in line with the original command. As we keep his commands, we live deeply and surely in him, and he lives in us. And this is how we experience his deep and abiding presence in us: by the Spirit he gave us." 

Cheers to a new year filled with love and growth!

our story | part 1

we truly "met" over a coffee date. it was a long coffee date, that included a long walk, and many shared interests that were developing months before we even knew we were interested in each other. greatest coffee date ever. But a friendship starts before that. Some of you are very familiar with our story. Some of you aren't. Some know all the details, some only a few. So let me fill in the gaps, and remember some of the greatest months of my life. If you're up for it, read on....
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My freshman year of college at Northwestern was marked by being busy. I was playing volleyball, spending more time at the gym or on a bus than anything else, and when I wasn't doing that, I was managing about 3 separate friend groups... each semester. Trying to find my place. 

At that time a friendship was being formed. One that I didn't know about yet. It's Fall of my freshman year, 2006. My very good friend (since kindergarten!), Nick, had taken a work study job within the athletic department at NWC doing some broadcasting and statistics for the volleyball games. His desk mate was this guy named Jared Johnson - and these two were a bit intimidated by each other at first... each thinking the other was this hot-shot on campus, both trying to impress their boss, and not really knowing how to act together. After a few games, it was made obvious that Nick knew me. He talked about me, he greeted my parents, and from what I hear, this made Jared even more intimidated, as he had noticed me. As they worked more and more together, (and Nick continued to try and correct Jared on how to pronounce my last name...)friendship began to form.
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Volleyball takes up a large part of the "pie graph" of my life. It was a passion. A lifestyle for me. An emotional feeling every time I stepped onto the court. Heck, every time I even look at at a net I get a surge of memories and emotion. Jared says that in those games and moments he watched me play while he was broadcasting, he was drawn to me. My passion for my game, my joy when I was playing, my joy when I was cheering on the sideline, my competitiveness... he says there was something about the way in which he was "introduced" to me (watching me live my passion) that made him know he wanted to get to know me. All of this he thought silently...
____________

Months went by. About 6 to be exact. I continued to float around friend groups, be busy, and have no clue who Jared was. Around March, I met this girl named Toni - who had an established mixed friend group - and we hit it off fast and furious. I melded into this group like it was my job. I was with these friends 18 hours a day, practically. Toni, Skyler, Sydney & Ashley. And the guys? Well, their names were Nick, Jared, and Ryan. :) God knew.

But let's backtrack first. One day, I walked into the dorm building to see my new best friend studying with this guy. And he was..... bald. Completely bald. Yep, freshly shaved head shinin' in the light of day. Of course I went over to talk to Toni, and she introduced me to Jared. A friend from one of her classes that also "..was, like, best friends, with Nick, Sky! You know Nick, right?!?" Nick. Of course I did, and anyone that is friends with Nick, I can be friends with. Now, from what I hear, this was thee moment Jared had been waiting for for like, 6 months. To be introduced to me. And we later laughed over how ironic it was that God chose that moment - right after Jared had, on a whim with some guys, bicked his head. Makes you chuckle a little bit over God having some fun with teenage relationships. :)

My memory is a bit foggy over the details of this interaction, but I do remember one thing. One thing Jared probably wishes I didn't remember. I got a pickup line. Toni laughed, Jared tensely laughed, I laughed - probably only because I thought it was unbelievable he just did that, and he was cute, even with with a shaved head... and as funny as it is to say; that's how I first was introduced to my husband. With a bald head and a pickup line. 

This group continued to grow... we spent as much time as we could all together, and my memories of my spring semester of my freshman year of college go untouched in my mind as some of the happiest days of my life. Big statement, but it's true. And within that bigger group, a more intentional relationship began to form.....
_________

part II coming soon.

let's flashback, shall we?

i don't know whether this is making me feel any better, but at least it's giving me a little chuckle. let's venture back. 
april. 2012.

moving forward. april. 2013.

whoa, nellie. back to may 2012, please.

aaah, that's better. 

i'm so ready for some deck time. but unfortunately, we must flash forward. may 2013.

eek - but at least our snow is gone! we got some more yesterday, but it melted off once it started raining. it's still pretty dismal around here. and i can't end on a picture like this... some more may 2012 for me. 

i refuse to show you a flash forward version of this picture. :) up until all the snow melted yesterday, what stands here still looked quite applicable, however! Spruce tips, my friends, dried up and partially dead, spruce tips. Feel free to judge away.

Spring (or summer) we're ready and waiting. 

us in review.

WARNING: this post is sappy. And long. And about my best friend Jena. It was her birthday this week. Aside from the fact that I see her weekly, she is special and birthdays are to be celebrated in a special way. So... behold a {fraction} of our friendship in pictures. Now, I quickly realized (with a huge smile on my face) HOW many pictures we have together and how many memories they bring up. It was no small feat narrowing these down to an appropriate amount for blogging. (*Appropriate* in this case meaning completely over the top.) Now, I do realize not all of you love Jena as much as I do, and hence, if you're already bored reading this, I suggest you look no further. But these pictures to me, make my heart hurt good. Friends are priceless.

The first day of the THE EPIC SUMMER - 2007. Best summer of my life.

Junior year of high school after a formal.. just chatting it up in a window sill.

Senior year homecoming week. Class of '06!

"THE epic summer" - 2007. From here on out referred to as "TES" for convenience sake.  Just our usual day at the neighbors pool. Yes, that's right... the neighbors pool.

Senior skip day 2006 at Minnehaha Falls. Overdramatizing being in the river. A favorite trait for us.

Last Saturday. The first real day of summer at the beach!

One of our many drives. At this point I believe we had just finished McDonalds and were driving to Mora, MN. Hopefully not on the real road.

Graduating high school. A classic.

Obviously a formal. Junior year of high school? Such fun.

"TES." When our days of pooling and laughing were appropriately balanced out by watching FRIENDS in the gazebo. With our pillows.

Our favorite flip flops. At the beach last Saturday.

Engagement party #2. November 2011... my heart is happy!

Naturally wearing the same outfit.

Throwback day Junior year of high school. Yikes.

Engagement party #1. When she flew in from Michigan to celebrate with us. :)

"TES." And again with the matchy matchy.

"TES." I'm so glad we stopped taking these kind of pictures. Boccee ball day at Minnehaha falls with Jared and Nick, circa 2007.

"TES." Same day as the insane car picture. And somehow we match. Hmm. Go figure that one.

Visiting us in West Virginia. What a treat she was. Eating at Fat Patty's Pub.

In our comfies. Probably watching friends.

Last Saturday. This summer is going to be marked by sweet tea. And the beach, not the pool. Oh, and a wedding. :)

Cheers to you, dear friend!! You have been such a special part of my life. Thanks for sticking with me through high school, thanks for having my back. Thanks for all the laughs, and even more the serious times. Thanks for your spontenaity, and your joy, for always listening, and even more for being ridiculous with me. This handful of pictures doesn't do us justice, nor convey fully how amazing of a woman you are. :) Every person needs a friend like you. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Ps. if you're still reading this... you deserve an A+ for effort. Props.

twenty four

Well, 23 years and 8 months to be exact. That's how long Alison and I have been "friends." As much as 3 and 4 month olds can be friends. But we like to think we were. I snagged this picture from Alison's facebook page. Not sure how old we were, but it's a favorite of ours. That's our friend Katie in the middle (hope you could have figured that one out. ;)

Our group celebrated Alison this past weekend, as she welcomed year 24. It was a fun get together at Crave... I enjoyed a grape, apple, and honey flatbread pizza (yum!) and Jared got endless prime rib. Which pretty much meant he could take a plate for the road... this place is so great. We had this killer round booth, that had curtains on one side that we could pull shut. Turning it into our own private and little (but swanky) den. We had some good laughs over everything from mafia meetings to who knows what when we first pulled them shut.

Side note: you never think you look old until you put a picture like this following a baby picture. It's almost shocking. But I digress. Anyway, it was quite the fun weekend. All the girls had just seen each other the day before at Kelly's shower, but we didn't get sick of each other. :) Just made the weekend more enjoyable!

I know I talk about this a lot, but it still gets to me every time. I feel so blessed that the friends we have are so close, and (for me at least) go so far back. I have an older client at work, who knows pretty much everything about our group and what we like to do, etc etc, because we're just that talkative, and every time I fill him in on the new happenings, he just keeps reminding me and telling me how lucky I am that I have such long term friends. I don't think it gets much longer than 23.8 years, huh Al?! I'm so thankful to have you in my life, along with every other one of you!

Such a beautiful birthday girl, inside and out!

Better than any birthday cake we could have baked her, that's for sure! Dustin, you sure put together a fun evening for your lady. She's very blessed to have you! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET FRIEND! You are a wonderful constant in my life, and God delights over you!

Zephaniah 3:17 "... He will take delight in you with gladness, and He will rejoice over you with joyful songs..."