I’m a planner. I’m not a fly by the seat of my pants kind of girl.  I like schedules, to-do lists, and often have my calendars filled out months in advance.  I find shopping for Post-it’s, file folders and organizers thrilling.  And don’t get me started on the intense anxiety I feel if I am even a minute or two late for a meeting or appointment.  A bit of a control freak?  Yes.  But I embrace my quirks and the best thing I can do is learn how to deal when things don’t go as planned.

Enter the year 2010.  The year where the the unexpected kept happening.  The year that kept throwing curveball after curveball at us.  Some good and some bad.  It was the first year in a long time where I felt that I wasn’t in the driver’s seat. And seeing as I like things planned out, I’m not the type to just roll with punches.  It’s more like duck and cover and wait for the storm to pass.  Adjusting to change is hard.  Dealing with it head on without fear is even harder.  But fear gets you nowhere and going through the hard times makes the good times even that much better.

And as the year 2010 comes to a close, I’m content.  It wasn’t the year I thought it would be and that’s ok.  It was a year of learning and a year of growth.  A year of appreciating the smaller things in life.  The important things.  The things that really matter.  As I write down my goals and hopes for the next year, I know some may not happen or occur the way I want them to, but dangnabbit, I’ll keep trying.  I’ll be a little more ready for the curveballs that may come my way.  And next year, I’m determined to hit a few of them way out of the park.

I can’t thank you all enough for your support this past year!  Wishing each and every one of you a very happy, healthy and wonderful 2011. Cheers!

Christmas Eve day is here!  Let the baking and decorating dozens of cookies, singing Christmas carols, movie watchin’ and family time begin!  I treasure this time of year with my family and am looking forward to a few days of relaxing and celebrating with the ones I love the most!  And most importantly, remembering that Jesus is the reason for this Christmas season.  Wishing you every blessing as we celebrate the birth of Jesus – our Lord, our Savior, our all.

From our festive family to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

We’ve been friends for 13 years or so.  The three of us met back in high school when we were figuring out who we were and what we wanted to become.  And as we’ve grown up, we’ve grown closer.  We all went off to different colleges after graduating high school but our friendship remained strong.  In fact, it’s only gotten stronger.  It’s hard to picture my life today without two of my favorite girls, Lauren and Jen.  Our schedules are busy and life is often crazy, but we always find time for just us.  Our girl time.  Since they both live out of town, our girl time has turned into girl’s weekends.  And I love them.  Since we don’t get to see each other as often as we would like to, its a time of catching up, swapping stories and bonding.

A few weeks ago, we were due for another girl’s weekend.  We headed to Apple Hill for a day of fun.  We’ve all never been and wanted to try something new.  And Apple Hill did not disappoint.  First off, it’s huge!  There are tons of different stops and we only made it to a few – High Hill Ranch, Fudge Factory Farm, Madrona Vineyards and Jack Russell Farm Brewery.  But we did get to experience a little bit of everything Apple Hill had to offer.

So many sweets, so little time.  The apple donuts were perfection.  And I loved watching how they made the carmel apples.

We had lunch at High Hill Ranch.  I loved the character and feel of this place.  A bit old-fashioned and simple.

And it wouldn’t be Apple Hill without boxes and boxes of apples.

We were referred to as the “boot girls” at High Hill Ranch.

My girls.  ♥

Next we headed to Madrona Vineyards.

If you are ever in the area, you must go to Madrona Vineyards.  They were so friendly and offer such a wonderful wine tasting.  Cheers!

Happy Friday!

For the first time in 5 years, I won’t be cooking thanksgiving dinner.  It’s a break in tradition that I’m not crazy about but trying hard to embrace.  It’s a smaller group of family attending this year so we’ll be going out to dinner instead.  Which means no melt-in-your-mouth stuffing or creamy whipped sweet potatoes.  They may just have to make a special appearance this year at Christmas instead.  On the plus side, no sink full of dishes to wash or getting up at 6:30 am to start the cooking process.  And next year, it will definitely be back to tradition as usual.

Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday of the year.  I love taking time out of the hustle and bustle of everyday life to reflect on what I am thankful for.  For those of you who are close to Matt and I, it’s no secret that it has been a rough year on us as far as losing jobs, changing careers and trying to manage financially.  But with a roof over our heads, food on our table and lots of love, I consider ourselves very lucky.  And here are just a few things that I am giving thanks for this year.

• My husband. My Matt. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…I’m crazy about him.  I’m thankful for his positive outlook on life even when the chips are down, his willingness to help me out even if he’s tired and the way he laughs because no one’s chuckle is as contagious as his.
• My family.  I’m thankful for their unending support, their words of encouragement and their wisdom and advice.  I treasure this time of year with my family.  November is a month of special birthdays and Thanksgiving followed by December with more birthdays and Christmas.  Lots of family time and I love every minute of it.
• I’m thankful for my dog, Chloe.  Oh, how I love her and unconditional love and snuggles.
• My friends, both old and new. I’m thankful to have friends that are always there for me through the good and the bad.  Friends that I can always depend on no matter what.  And of course, I’m thankful for all the fun times we’ve shared.
• I’m thankful for the lessons I’ve learned this year, even the hard ones.  Learning to let go and let God.  Trusting in my faith and the path that I have chosen.  Becoming a person of action and not just talk.  And realizing that inner strength goes a long way.

Happy Thanksgiving!  Wishing you all a wonderful holiday weekend!  ♥