Happy New Year Everyone!!!!
Well we have made it, it is now the year 2016, where did 2015 go?? Not sure if others feel the same as I do but I was kinda sad to see 2015 go. 2015 was a good year to me, but I am also very excited to see what 2016 has in store. 2015 brought me lots of new and exciting adventures. First off, I finally accomplished a goal I had been working on since 2012 of going back to school and finishing with a new degree. Not only did I finish but I like to think I finished well. Lets face it, school the first time around was nothing exciting. I mean I was young and didn't care as much about going to class let alone studying. Yes I did graduate, with a Bachelors Degree, but I will admit I barely got by. So going back to school for another degree was not just hard, especially since it had been years since I had been in school, but I also had a lot to prove to myself. I didn't just want to go back and learn a new skill, I wanted to master that skill the best I could. I put all I had into school. I studied every single day for hours, no joke. So you guessed it, my social life was pretty nonexistent at times but I wouldn't change a thing. I want people to know, you are never too old to go back to school. Never too old to start a new career. Never too old to chase your dreams and prove to yourself that you have what it takes to make those dreams happen. With graduating from school it brought me another great accomplishment of 2015, a new career and job. I am very blessed to have such a rewarding career. I work now as Respiratory Therapist, working with neonates to adults, from critical situations to not so critical. I am very lucky to work in a great hospital system that lets me get to know my patients, I get to spend time with them, talk to them, even pray with them. Everyday is a new task, new people, new situations, and yes more stress but I love what I do and at the end of the day even if I go home tired as a dog I like to think that I made someone feel special that day from the care that I gave them. With graduating and getting a new job though I had to leave old things behind. I truly miss my classmates that I got to know over 2 years, the ones I spent more time with than my own family. I also miss my old job and the people that were like another family to me. Who knew accomplishing goals, even though rewarding, could also be so hard to move on. 2015 brought me other accomplishments of buying a home, traveling, great health, and new friendships. Last but certainly not least, I ended 2015 with getting engaged to a man that I knew from Day 1 was the one I was meant to spend the rest of my life with. I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful person by my side and can't wait to call myself his wife and grow old and wrinkly with him.
Well from my last post I blogged about my Christmas decorations and how I was getting in the spirit of the holidays and planning activities to celebrate the season. I absolutely love Christmas lights so most of my holiday activities will include them in some way! I had the opportunity to go to Santa's Wonderland in College Station with my family a few years ago and knew it was a place I wanted to visit again. I had to beg the fiancé ( Can you believe it, I have a fiancé I just love saying that!! ) to go with me, I don't think he was as thrilled as myself at first but I think at the end of the night he enjoyed himself just as much as I did. The place truly can put the worst humbug into the Christmas spirit. You get to take a nice little hayride through all the lights they have set up, and they do an awesome job on their light displays! And if you want something more romantic you can take a carriage ride through the lights! Other than lights they have so many other activities, shopping, food, bonfires with s'mores, holiday movies to watch, and all kinds of other activities for the kiddos. They also have a winery for the ones without the kiddos! I snagged up a few Christmas presents and even got a few ornaments for our tree! I was very happy with our outting out there because it was actually a cold night, and since we didn't get too many of those during the holidays it actually made the experience feel more like a Winter Wonderland! Just typing these things makes my heart melt, because I am so sad that Christmas is over and already counting down the days until next Christmas.
Christmas time is the perfect time to bake! I had baked cookies for us at the house but wanted something nice to share for the ones that fiancé and I work with. I spent an entire morning one day baking cookies and fudge. I didn't realize just how much of a task it was before taking it on, my kitchen became overloaded with cookies!! I baked enough cookies and fudge for 4 fire stations and for all the people working that night on my shift. I may not be baking for awhile after all that! I loaded all the goodies into tins that I got from Hobby Lobby and sent them on their way with each one of us to take to work. I am so mad at myself for not getting a photo of the tins and how I decorated them, they turned out so well but I was so exhausted that I plain and simply forgot, Bummer!
On a side note I also like the drinks that come with Christmas. I went on a rant in my last blog about gingerbread but there are many other holiday drinks out there too and Egg Nog and Cider are great drinks to have alone or spiked. Last year before Christmas we took a road trip to visit my sister in East Tennessee. Everyone knows that Moonshine is made up there in the Smoky Mountains. We went to a few places to try some out and even came home with some too. Two we really liked came from Sugarlands Distilling Company. We got the Appalachian Apple Pie and the Southern Sweet Tea. Talk about yummy!!! We still had some Apple Pie left over so I was trying to find something to do with it! Mixing this with Warm Apple Cider is absolutely amazing!! Now I know its apple flavored but I added it to Egg Nog as well and it definitely did not disappoint. I tasted no apple. It just tasted good.
On Christmas Eve I was truly blessed just to have the holiday off from work. I got to spend the evening with my fiancé and my parents. We were able to go to dinner and open presents with my Mom and Dad. After the parents left though, it was time to throw on the Christmas Jammies and go drive around and look at Christmas lights then come back home for some Christmas movie watching. I usually always go through the Green Tee neighborhood in Pearland to see the lights. So many houses do such a great job that it usually never disappoints, I am always impressed, even if I have seen the same houses and lights a 100 times, I still get just as excited! It's such an awesome feeling to be snuggled up in the truck with your pjs on listening to Christmas music and seeing the joy on the fiancé's face as he drives around loving all the lights too, well maybe he doesn't get as excited as I do, but I like to think he does. The things he does for me, what a guy! Now as far as Christmas Movies go, I don't know what everyone else likes to watch for Christmas but my favorite movies usually include: National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, Home Alone 1 and 2, and 4 Christmases. I make sure to watch every single one of those at some point in the month of December. The fiancé absolutely loves A Christmas Story so I get drugged into watching it too.
Since this year was our first year in the new house together, I really wanted to try to start some sort of traditions that were true to our household, hence all the activities we were up to. I was excited to get up Christmas morning, like I said I was truly happy just to wake up and know that I get to spend the holiday with family, friends and loved ones and not have to go to work. Zach and I woke up early that morning, I could tell he was a little different but I didnt think much of it, he asked if I was ready to open up gifts and of course I was ready, I mean who doesn't like gifts?? I thought I was truly blessed with all the gifts he gave me, but out of nowhere he pulls out this bag after all the gifts were open, and lets me know that what is inside this bag is a gift that truly means a lot to him. I was nervous, and excited all at once. Once I looked inside the bag and saw the box my heart hit the floor. Tears started in my eyes, I had never been so nervous to open something my entire life. Once I opened that little box and saw the ring, the ring that the man I will spend the rest of my life with picked out for me, the tears flowed more down my face. I couldn't of been more excited, happy and truly amazed by this wonderful man. He got down on one knee said some of the sweetest most meaningful words I have ever heard and proposed to me. Yes he was nervous, I was nervous too. And without a doubt in my mind, I said Yes!! So thats why today I get to throw the word fiance around and I truly love doing so! I finally understand what most of you already out there have experienced. Its truly an amazing feeling to know you will have someone to go hand in hand in this world with, to experience all life has to offer together and make memories that will always stay so dear to your heart.
After that wonderful morning I couldn't wait to celebrate with all our family. It was so nice because we were able to spend Christmas with both our families. Everyone was just as excited as we were and I am excited for the family that I will officially join and the opportunity to watch the already family I have grow! Christmas 2016 was such a special day and special moment that will stay in my heart forever.
Christmas night we had some close friends over for holiday drinks and games. What better way to end such a special day with Cranium, Dominoes and Beer!
Since I was talking a little bit about Moonshine earlier I wanted to share a place that the fiancé and I tried the day after Christmas. A little place called Moonshiners in Downtown Houston. They offer a few moonshine cocktails along with wine, Houston Craft Beers, and great food! Such a nice place and not to mention the drinks were really great! I had the Strawberry Moon, Ole' Smokey Strawberry Lightnin' infused Moonshine, cream of Coconut, Demarara syrup, mint leaves and fresh lime. I am not ashamed to admit that I had two of these things because they were so good! The fiancé had The Porch Sipper, American Born Sweet Tea infused Moonshine, with fresh blackberries, lemon juice and Demarara syrup. I tried his too and it was yummy! This is a really great place to try and we keep talking about going back soon.
Well 2015, you were good to me, I truly thank God for such an amazing year and I pray that he continues to bless me throughout 2016! One goal I have for sure is to keep up with this blog, so look for new and exciting entries to come your way and again thank you for following me and learning a little bit of what makes me love this crazy thing called life!
