so long '13.

Guys, the end is here.  Again. 

It’s amazing to think that 365 days have just flown by me us in what feels like a blink of an eye.  Gosh, it’s true what those old people say, isn’t it?  Now I feel like an old person.  I am already PUMPED for 2014 (it’s destined to be my jam), I thought it’d be a great cliché idea to look back at ’13 for just a second, to say goodbye and to remember all the good times that really did happen.

January:

We rang in the New Year with friends at our place.  My sister was still in town and when everyone gets together it’s always fun. 

I started my last semester of college (before student teaching) and observed in a 6^th grade class in a very urban elementary school and holy cow, it was an eye-opening experience for this small town girl.  (Like kids getting in fights, running away, smokin’ weed, stabbing each other with pencils…uh, say what?)

I also helped my grandpa and dad deliver a calf on the family farm.  It took two days of intense cow watching, some subtle cow chasing, and a heroic father to the rescue to pull that calf out in three seconds flat.  Best story of my life.

February:

I turned 23.  Dang, son.

We saw the Avett Brothers in Ft. Wayne on Valentine's Day! 

March:

I had my last college spring break…in which I did nothing, just like every other college spring break I’ve ever had.

I drove this beast successfully!

Passed three parts of the Praxis (only one to go!)

April:

I finished Block 3, passed the entire Praxis, and prepared to move on to student teaching.  I learned to love a whole lot of people and found “my crew”.

May:

I got my tattoo finished in Chicago (at Insight Studios).  So, so painful but so, so awesome. 

We roadtripped to Detroit to Ikea, Zingerman's Deli, and to see Vampire Weekend.  

My dude and I saw the Avett Brothers in Columbus for the fifth time.  Favorite town of all time.  Favorite band of all time.  Favorite show of all time.

I celebrated one year of marriage with my dude.  In Ohio.  Because…where else?

June:

We attended my five-year reunion.  We all got kicked out of the restaurant.  We stole some glasses as retaliation.

This...did not happen.

July:

We all celebrated the 4^th of July waiting in a hospital for the coolest kid on the planet to be born (aka lil baby E).  He’s the cutest thing ever and our (extended) family got ten times more awesome because of his arrival.

August:

I started student teaching (in first grade) at an amazing elementary school with my BFF.  I got to realize that “Holy shit, this is the end.”

Coffee shop closed forever and ever (it was the end of an era).

September:

My dude and I saw the Avett Brothers (time number six, yo) in Cleveland.  We ate at Melt Bar and Grilled.  And we were still lovin’ Ohio.

I got new glasses.  I get complemented on them daily.

October:

I switched to third grade for the last half of my student teaching placement.  I didn’t think I’d love them as much as my first graders but in reality those kids had my heart from day one.

My grandma had surgery, was super out of it for a while, and fell down one morning which was one of the biggest scares of my life.  We figured out she was hopped up on pain meds and Ambien and had a bladder infection - talk about a triple threat.  (She’s better than ever now, because I know you’re on the edge of your seat.)

The little long dog Simon threw up for 10 days straight.  We thought the world was ending.  Thankfully, on the day that surgery was going to be necessary, he straightened that shiz out.  Thank tha LAWD!

November:

Student teaching came to an end.  Talk about a whirlwind of emotions.  And a lot of autographs – I’m like a celebrity!

December:

I got a job for a medical leave at an elementary school nearby.

I celebrated eight years of making out with my dude.

My college career officially ended with a Bachelors in Elementary Education and a concentration in English (which will do nothing for me in life, I’m sure.  Thanks REPA).  Boom city!

We rang in the new year with awesome people and this total cutie!

Minor details...

+ Started Project Life.

+ Had Photoshop revelations.

+ Got new furniture and renovated my craft room.

+ Enjoyed the little moments in life with my dude and fur babes. 

So long 2013, you definitely weren’t the worst year but you sure weren’t the best.  2014, I welcome you.  I’m ready to have my socks rocked off. 

first day.

yesterday was the first day of the new semester.  i am in Block One, when we really dive into elementary education stuff.  lots of lesson plans and projects and what have you.  but all i came away with yesterday (besides a freakish overwhelmed feeling) was that i want these sweaters.

 like, a lot.  please and thank you.

(both from old navy!)

oh, wednesday...

i'm still working on trying to change my blogging habits from non-existent to somewhat-existent to full on blogger (i feel like i can't make the leap all at once; that's too much to ask, ha).

so many things have been happening.  the spring semester has started and i have forced myself into a routine of going to south bend mondays, tuesdays, and thursdays.  this semester i am taking geology, an english class about heroes and myths, and linguistics.  i took a lighter load to give myself a bit of a break and i'm really enjoying the schedule.  

also, our little shiner bot schnauzer friend has turned one!  his birthday was on the fifteenth and he spent the day throwing up :(.  i don't know what his deal was... maybe the new treats?  anyway, it wasn't fun to clean up, that's for sure.  

also also, i got my entire craft room clean and organized and have been having giant urges to scrapbook.  so i think i just might.  

also also also, i've joined a bible study (we're studying the book of ruth) and it has been amazing, to say the least.  i LOVE these ladies.  they all mean so much to me and i can feel their support and prayer all through the week, when we aren't together.  to that i say, THANK YOU JESUS!

also also also, lee and i have set a year!  (i can't say date yet.)  we've been engaged since february of 2010 and, being the inconsistent and indecisive people we are, never really set a date or started to plan or anything.  this was something future lee and aubrey to deal with.  well, that time is here, folks.  let the wedding planning begin.  we will be getting married sometime between the months of may and october of 2010 and yes, that's as far as we've got.  but we're on the same page, so that's always good :).  if any one has any wedding input, let me know.  i am, without a doubt, CLUELESS about everything wedding related.  thank you very much.  

so far, this has been an awesome week.  i am praying it keeps on keeping on.  i will be back later to catch you up on my 365 project and other random pictures from the week.  

just another wednesday.

i forced myself to go to all of my classes today (it really should not be that hard, there is ONLY four of them) and because i did, my new sweet friend alanna and i went downtown to chicory cafe and had ourselves some iced lattes (white chocolate + raspberry for her and coconut for me).  it was delicious and got me through my music class, the last class of the day.

and now i am home, scouring the internet while lee plays video games.  i made lots of lists today.  i need to revise them (i am a hardcore rewriter) and put them into action.  a photodump is in the works :) (oh, i LOVE photodumps).

the first of many.

i'm not really sure how to go about this whole blogging business, so i'm just going to dive right in.  that's the first step, right?

first off, so everyone is aware this blog is somewhat of a personal blog (day to day ramblings that i'm sure will creep in), a crafting blog (sort of to keep track where i am at and where i am going) which will (hopefully) turn into somewhat of a business blog, if that ever gets off the ground.
i'm in a very wishywashy state of my life (at the ripe age of twenty); a "where in the hell is my life going?" sort of phase that some days has me very stressed out and some days has me very relieved.  i come from a family of dreamers but live with my very grounded someday-husband and that sometimes is hard to handle (for both of us - we battle about keeping heads in the clouds and feet on the ground).

as of right now, this is my life...
monday - college, tuesday - odds and ends (which consists of homework, cleaning, errands, etc.), wednesday - college, thursday - babysit raina (as i'm sure through the blogs i will reiterate that she is the best. niece. ever!), friday - odds and ends, saturday - normally work, although it is getting more and more sparse as the winter months approach, and sunday - back to odds and ends (which most definitely means homework because most likely i have put everything off until 7pm where it seems to much to do so once again, i don't do it).
anyway, the point of this is... i need to re-prioritize and work on my time management so my free time goes to crafting and creating and working on that side of my life that fulfills me (school does not).  this leads me to think about what i could do with a semester off and how much i could accomplish and all the wonderful dreams i have but... i have to listen to my daddio - if i don't make time for what i love doing now, what says i will if i don't go to school.  my step-momma is an amazing, AMAZING quilter and has built up her repertoire for over twenty five years, doing this while raising a hellion of a son (but one hell of a dad) and working full time.  and to this day, she still loves what she does (to the point that she wakes up at four in the morning to get some work time in before she goes to work at a factory).  if i don't have that kind of dedication now, what says i ever will?  and then... what will be the point of taking a semester off if i don't make the best of it, craft-wise?  after thinking about this, i just tell myself to keep plugging away at school as annoying as it may seem (don't get me wrong, i enjoy my classes for the most part - i'm even beginning to wish i took more science classes in high school ((wtf!)) but i just hate being there when i could be so many other places, learning so many other things...) and get my elementary education degree and figure life out from there.

but, but, but. . . i don't wanna do that!  i wanna be awesome and crafty NOW!  damnit.

okay, enough rambling.  but now you see where i am coming from and a little bit of how i perceive the world.

and in spite of all of this, i really do love life.  like, a lot.