OVER and over again the Lord reminds His people to remember. remember what He has done. remember His promises. remember His faithfulness. remember His Truth. and to live in the light of His past faithfulness – for it provides Hope for the future. Hope that He will fulfill His promises. Hope that He will provide. and Hope that He will come again.
JANUARY
as i entered 2013, i was excited to have the first whole year of my life as a Mayberry. in lieu of new year’s resolutions, i picked two words to be the theme of 2013 – established & daring. i cut my own bangs new girl style and tried new starbucks drinks. that was only the beginning. i had so many plans for the little house on the corner and i was going to make this place our home. i also got serious about spending time with Jesus daily – i need to get back into that.
FEBRUARY
with news of one of my best friend’s, i wrote a note on perfection. the first months of our marriage i really struggled with trying too hard to be perfect. to cook, clean, bake, work full-time, to get ready, to work out, to be spontaneous, to be organized…. ah! it can drive you crazy. i was just falling into a rhythm of prioritizing and getting to know Bruce better. and i was excited to share hope with my best friend. we also went to chick-fil-a on Valentine’s day to avoid crowds and ended up in a crowd of our own! it was a lovely mistake!
MARCH
my husband convinced me to do the whole30 for our health and i resolved to learn a bit about cooking! one of my favorite meals we ate on that diet was guacamole bacon burgers and i was thoroughly impressed with my skills. we both lots weight (that we still have not gained back!) and felt so much better. we have not eaten dairy since because it was one of the things we realized was making our bodies not work very well. i cannot believe we have been drinking rice milk since then! it also was the best thing that could happen for my cooking skills. i am much more confident in the kitchen and make veggie/ meat based meals on the regular!
APRIL
Bruce and i had been married over a year and a half but we were still meeting regularly with the couple who had done our premarital. i created a card system to remember to keep my husband in my prayer. and we also spent time talking about our goals and dreams as individuals and as a couple. it was a good layer of intentionality to add to our marriage. we also went to the zoo all the time. everyone thought my niece was my daughter because i was her nanny. and megs came to Colorado to hang with us.
MAY
i turned 25 and officially became a girl in her mid-twenties. i was overwhelmed by how old yet how young i was. my childhood me couldn’t believe i was so old but the adult side of me reassured me that i was still so young. the thought of babies became a possibility in the next five years. the Boston Marathon bombings and the Gosnell trial were all over the news covering the country with heartbreak, fear, and sadness. it was also the time for Life Network’s annual Walk for Life and i celebrated hope as many of you helped me raise over $2000 to donate to Life Network.
JUNE
summer came to Colorado and i spent many Saturday mornings at the local farmers market. we spent summer nights with friends drinking eco friendly boxed wine and playing sand volley ball. we brought the first plants into our home and believe it or not, they are still alive! i also did my first ever outfit post and everyone wanted me to keep it up! i was thoroughly surprised!
JULY
this month brought another devastating fire to Colorado Springs. in 2012 we thought the Waldo Canyon Fire was the worst that could happen. it took homes, lives, and the city by shock! but the Black Forest Fire claimed even more homes and brought just as much destruction. i served with my coworkers and Samaritan’s Purse to help clean up the destruction. the city united just like it did in the past and i felt blessed to be a part of this community. oh, and i also cut 11 inches of my hair off! it was liberating!
AUGUST
we celebrated our one year anniversary – but i was half way across the world in Norway standing with one of my best friend’s as she got married! it was my first trip to Norway and i loved every minute of it. i’ll be back and next time i’ll bring my sweet Norwegian husband! my little sister also turned 23 (yikes) and my parents celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary!
we celebrated our one year anniversary – but i was half way across the world in Norway standing with one of my best friend’s as she got married! it was my first trip to Norway and i loved every minute of it. i’ll be back and next time i’ll bring my sweet Norwegian husband! my little sister also turned 23 (yikes) and my parents celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary!
SEPTEMBER
Oak + Oats was revealed as i went through a whole blog rebranding after reading Blog Inc. i wanted this place to be a place where we all could be rooted and nourished in Truth. i celebrated all the opportunities that the Lord has given me though this blog and also confronted some heart issues. we spent every weekend helping our older brother & sister-in-law move their family of six into a new house! i was on Aunt Beth duty the whole time and loved it!OCTOBER
our community group became more and more like family as we attended each other’s events (like my Gala & Silent Auction) and gathered on the weekends. i talked about why i celebrate Halloween and bought Gryffindor scarves for our costume! Samantha and i introduced the Great Christmas Exchange and we were floored by how many of you signed up to participate! the Lord also opened a door to a full-time position at Life Network and i finally was able to quit all my part time jobs!
Oak + Oats was revealed as i went through a whole blog rebranding after reading Blog Inc. i wanted this place to be a place where we all could be rooted and nourished in Truth. i celebrated all the opportunities that the Lord has given me though this blog and also confronted some heart issues. we spent every weekend helping our older brother & sister-in-law move their family of six into a new house! i was on Aunt Beth duty the whole time and loved it!OCTOBER
our community group became more and more like family as we attended each other’s events (like my Gala & Silent Auction) and gathered on the weekends. i talked about why i celebrate Halloween and bought Gryffindor scarves for our costume! Samantha and i introduced the Great Christmas Exchange and we were floored by how many of you signed up to participate! the Lord also opened a door to a full-time position at Life Network and i finally was able to quit all my part time jobs!
NOVEMBER
we celebrated my husband’s 25th birthday practically the whole month and his sister Greta made him the best harry potter birthday cake! we gathered with friends and family and celebrated Thanksgiving! there were so many things to be thankful for (including having megan stay with us Thanksgiving week!) i saw Frozen and instantly fell in love!
we celebrated my husband’s 25th birthday practically the whole month and his sister Greta made him the best harry potter birthday cake! we gathered with friends and family and celebrated Thanksgiving! there were so many things to be thankful for (including having megan stay with us Thanksgiving week!) i saw Frozen and instantly fell in love!
DECEMBER
our community group took a getaway to Breckenridge and stayed all together in a giant house. we had so much fun we all slightly considered selling our houses and moving in together. i sent my package for the Great Christmas Exchange and so many of you rushed to the post offices as well. a hundred packages were being sent through the mail and twitter/ instagram blew up with #greatchristmas2013. we celebrated with both families and reflected on our blessing. the advent calendar by naptime diaries was a beautiful reminder of the reason of the season even though it is so easy to get distracted by all the pretty things this holiday brings.what a year. what an adventure. just the other day Bruce and i were talking and we both expressed that we are content. CONTENT. that is not something that i can say i am too often. we don’t have enough money to do everything we want but we have enough money to do the things we need. we have wonderful friends. understanding and supportive families. community. purpose. hope. dreams. we have things we look forward to in the future and we rejoice in the moments of the everyday. what a blessing to remember the Lord’s faithfulness. and what hope that gives us as we walk into 2014…
our community group took a getaway to Breckenridge and stayed all together in a giant house. we had so much fun we all slightly considered selling our houses and moving in together. i sent my package for the Great Christmas Exchange and so many of you rushed to the post offices as well. a hundred packages were being sent through the mail and twitter/ instagram blew up with #greatchristmas2013. we celebrated with both families and reflected on our blessing. the advent calendar by naptime diaries was a beautiful reminder of the reason of the season even though it is so easy to get distracted by all the pretty things this holiday brings.what a year. what an adventure. just the other day Bruce and i were talking and we both expressed that we are content. CONTENT. that is not something that i can say i am too often. we don’t have enough money to do everything we want but we have enough money to do the things we need. we have wonderful friends. understanding and supportive families. community. purpose. hope. dreams. we have things we look forward to in the future and we rejoice in the moments of the everyday. what a blessing to remember the Lord’s faithfulness. and what hope that gives us as we walk into 2014…
what memories do you need to hold onto?
eek! i loved the new girl bangs. but i could not handle the upkeep and commitment! i hope you love them!!! i also love that word 🙂 so inspirational!
Thanks, Beth! I think it's fixed now!
it sure is!!! great 🙂