Looking Back...

You know, A LOT happened this past year (or so) of my life...

We planned our wedding, first shooting for March 2009 but quickly setting our sights on October 19, 2008.

I started a new job in April, learned a lot and grew professionally.

We bought our first home on June 27, 2008. A blessing and a curse!

We survived a hurricane on September 13, actually, not just "a hurricane" but Hurricane Ike. More importantly, our house survived Hurricane Ike, just 2 months and 17 days after we bought it.

36 days later, we got married. New location, new food, new music, new cakes, new flowers... honestly, this was the MOST STRESSFUL TIME OF MY LIFE and I hope to never experience anything like it ever again. It wasn't just the superficial wedding re-planning stuff; it was the heart-wrenching reality of what had happened to the place we had just decided to call home, it was the fear that maybe we had lost all of our belongings, that people we loved, cared about, worked with and shared our lives with had lost all of their belongings, it was trying to balance feeling good/moving forward and feeling angry, guilty, defeated and overwhelmed. Mostly overwhelmed.

We decided to sacrifice in many areas and just be thankful that we can still get married to one another on the day we had picked out so arbitrarily almost a year earlier. We focused on going on our dream vacation to Maui. And we accepted everything else for what it was.

As things settled back into normal, or at least what was to become a new normal, we added another four legged family member to the household. We treasured what a special case she was (and is) and took pride in the fact that we could provide her a home that was safe and nurturing, and that allowed her to open up and reach her full potential. Okay, so we're still working on that "full potential" thing... but something that I find so special about myself and Brian is our capacity for love, be it for each other, our friends/family, or animals. And I look forward to watching all that this love can accomplish in years to come.

I have no idea where time has gone since 2009 began. It has been a whirlwind, that's for sure. We became Aunt and Uncle in March. We have tackled various projects around our home, from landscaping that has already been scorched by this unbelievable drought to painting. We hosted a fun "one year in our home housewarming party" in June, and we've made some new friends.

As I cut into my birthday cake at work today, I fell in love with the bright pink icing. I think I'll color my 24th year "hot pink"... it's time to be bold, a little daring, brave when I want to be weak, and of course, have fun!