hello.

yes. yes. yes. yes. yes times infinity!

i can't wait to meet you 2014!

merry christmas from our house to yours.

staying true to me, here is my very, very, very late christmas post. 

i hope you & yours had the merriest of christmases! i can't seem to get over my love for this time of year & have not been able to wipe the smile of my face since! christmas definitely left just as quickly as it came, but as i write this there is still a sparkly christmas tree in front of me so i'm not ready to say goodbye quite yet! 

this christmas was spent at my house as always with my grandparents, aunt, uncle & cousins. this has been the tradition for as long as i can remember. this year though, my sister's fiancé (i refer to him as my brother) joined us for the festivities & i couldn't help but think that this is how it will be for the rest of my life! can't wait for them to tie the knot! i just get giddy thinking about it. as my grandma's memory is slowly slipping away, i cherish the times that we are able to have the family together in the same place.  

i hope you keep the spirit of christmas alive in your heart for the whole year.  it truly is a wonderful life. 

^^ my sister's a babe. ^^ 

the year in review.

wow. the year is almost over? already?! i feel like we say the same thing every year & i do in almost every post, but man they really do fly by!

as i think back on this year, it's all kind of a blur. it came as fast as it's leaving! so many fun, crazy, & happy things happened! of course this year came with it's struggles. my strength & faith was tested more than years past, but i do believe this is all god's plan for something greater than i could ever imagine or plan. which brings me so much peace.

here's my year in review to the best of my memory's capabilities:

january: rang in the new year with some very good friends. also had a fun winter photoshoot with mom. it's crazy how much i've changed in a year.

february: this was a hard one. my then boyfriend's dad passed away of cancer which was a very emotional time for him & his family. it was so hard to watch someone that i loved go through something so painful. in the short months that i knew frankie, he proved to be a true inspiration. i'll always keep the "orange" (the color of his fight) in my life & only try to live life like he did.

march: i turned 18! i'm officially an adult! my cute dad bought me roses! love him.

april: here come the "lasts." my last prom was perfect. i had the best time with the best people & i absolutely loved my dress! i'd wear it everyday if i could. (ps: notice the snow on the ground?! that's wisconsin for you)

may: the last dance recital. this was especially a sad one for me. dance has been such a fun thing to look forward to for the past eleven years. our dance teacher also announced that she was retiring which made it extra special to be her last class.

june: i graduated. (what?!) it still seems strange that high school is now a thing of the past. as much as i wanted school to be over with, i do miss kinda miss it. (wouldn't go back even for a day, though.)

july: i died my hair! i know this isn't huge news, but it was for me. i've never done something that drastic to my hair before. it was liberating.

 august: i went to college! i was so nervous, but even after the first night i knew mankato was the right decision for me. college is so fun. here is a messy shot of my desk right after move in.

september: adjusting to college life is what mainly took place this month. i was lucky that it happened quickly. i spent this month enjoying meeting new people & figuring out how "to do" college.

october: halloween was the big event. i'd say forrest & jenny won for creativity. that may just be biased though.

november: i was able to spend thanksgiving at home with my family. it was a nice little break from the hustle of school & it was so nice to have a delicious home cooked meal. the food from the caf just doesn't cut it for me.

december: well this month is halfway over and i already accomplished my first semester of college! i'd day this was my biggest feat of the year. currently i'm enjoying my month off from school relaxing at home. it truly is the best time of year. here's one of my favorites from my photoshoot in the park with my best friend.

2013, you sure did bring your a-game. i was given my fair share of trials & tribulations but i can definitely say they made me into a stronger & happier person. i can't wait to see where 2014 takes me. i hope you'll join me for the ride.

all my love, xo

today.

hi to all ya'll night owls! i always seem to write these in the wee hours of the morning!

do you ever have those days that are filled with so much joy & fun you can't even take it?! well, that was today!

for christmas this year kayla (my bestest friend in the whole world) & i decided to have a photoshoot as a present to each other! there's nothing more girls love than getting dressed up for fun! which is exactly what we did! kayla came over & curled my hair before because i lack in this department & we put on our matching red lips and dresses! my friend ali who took these pictures had the same dress i had & she was nice enough to let kayla borrow it. we were a little concerned how cheesy matching dresses would look, but they couldn't be cuter.

we went to the park to get our models on & boy was it cold! wisconsin sure doesn't joke around in the winter! walking in the snow in heels is hard enough as it is but add in numb feet & you've got yourself a real struggle. i'd say we at least managed to smile through the pain.

ali is still working her magic on these, so i'll only share a few for now! much more to come later! but this was such a fun day & we'll cherish these for a long time.

life is much better with a best friend.

 ^^ dancing, because what else do you do in the middle of the road? ^^ 

ketchup.

i have been mia this past two weeks because of one word: finals.

i have never studied that hard in my whole entire life. hard work does pay off though! i can count my first semester off college in the books! the first semester has flown by & i can't imagine how fast the next three years will. college has definitely been an adjustment, but also one of the biggest blessings. 

i can't begin to describe how much i love college life. i have been blessed with meeting some of the greatest people who are already showing to be life long friends. i've also learned a lot about myself. as cheesy as it sounds, you do find out who you are in college. school is a job in itself, but the study breaks & fun times on the weekends make it all worth it. 

 i'm ready to enjoy a month off break before the craziness of school starts up again. i can't wait to spend the holidays with my family and friends. most of whom i haven't seen for months.

here's the view from my room on the last night before break. so peaceful. god is good.