2013

2013 -- Wow, what a year! I can honestly say it was probably the best year of my life thus far. So many memories and milestones. A year filled with lessons and firsts. My heart is full just thinking about the blessings I experienced this year.

~The year started out with getting to marry my best friend -- it was the most perfect day being surrounded by family and friends who came together to celebrate our love for each other. I cherished having each person I loved in the same room. It was such a special day. AND -- I became Mrs. Joshua Gale which is by far the best title I have ever held :)

~We went on a cruise to Mexico for our honeymoon and got a much needed vacation. 

   (Cafe Du Monde at our port in NOLA)

~I learned more about cooking, cleaning, and other wifely duties. 

~I cut 10 inches of my hair off and donated it to Locks of Love. 

~Cedric became OUR dog -- I love him!

~Josh and I went away for the weekend to Nashville. It was the first time we had ever gone and we had a blast. 

          (Country Music Hall of Fame)

~We went to birthday parties, cookouts, and pool parties.

~We attended my brother's graduation from college!

~We went to the beach with the Gale family.

~I went to lots of weddings, bridal showers, and bachelorette parties.

~Josh and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary since we started dating.

~I celebrated my best friend's time in Georgia and went to a special Going Away Party for her.

~I went to a New Kid's on the Block and 98 Degrees Concert with my sister-in-laws -- so much fun!

~We celebrated the Fourth of July with Samuel, Emma, and Sophia.

~I ran -- a lot!

~Some of my friends had babies :)

~Josh and I coached a kid's soccer team at our church.

~We joined Mountain View UMC and Josh became the Youth Pastor there.

~We went to the fair.

~I went apple picking with all of my nieces and nephews and sister-in-laws.

~Josh and I went to Helen for the day and went back to the spot where we got engaged.

~We celebrated my 25th birthday and Josh's 24th birthday.

~I crafted this year and actually tried Pinterest creations.

~We enjoyed Thanksgiving in Savannah.

~I said goodbye to my brother who moved to Texas for an awesome job.

~We participated in Bethlehem Walk.

~We moved from our basement apartment into our own home!

~We celebrated our first Christmas as a married couple.

~We hosted the Hailey family Christmas at our new house.

~Josh preached throughout this year and did an amazing job!

~I had a wonderful year with my friends!

~I spent a lot of time with my mom, dad, and brother this year -- more thankful and appreciative for them as each year passes. Grateful for everything my parents do for me!

~I joined the Gale family and I love being a part of their family!

~I started this blog back in August. It's something I've always wanted to do and I've really enjoyed getting back into writing!

~To top off the whole year, Josh and I have experienced more generosity and love this year than ever before. We are so blessed to be surrounded by an amazing group of family, friends, and church family who constantly give, help, support, and shower us with love. I have never witnessed so many selfless acts before and I am blown away that many of them were towards my family. It is truly humbling and encouraging.

I am beyond grateful for everyone in my life who has helped make 2013 such a success. Thanks to my husband for putting up with me during this crazy year and for an amazing first year of marriage. I can't wait to see what 2014 has in store for us! See you next year folks!

A Little R&R

Last week was one of the busiest weeks of my life. I had something going on every night and was barely sleeping trying to fit it all in. Needless to say by Friday night, I actually had to take a nap at 7pm because I just couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. Tired and irritable probably described me pretty well by the end of the week. I had taken no time to rest throughout the week and it showed.

Saturday, we had our Gale Family Christmas and it was lots of fun! A day filled with family, kids, food, presents and giving. My favorite part of the day was when we went around to different people in the community who were going through a rough time or who didn't have much family to spend time with during the holidays and we gave them a tin of goodies, an ornament, and a Christmas card. We also sang Christmas carols to them upon request. It was a great reminder that the Christmas season is not only about getting but more importantly about giving. It was a good way to refocus after a chaotic week. We enjoyed our visit to Irwinton although it was very short. We were only there 12 hours and didn't get home till 2am because we wanted to stay down there as long as possible.

I was completely wiped Sunday morning after my hectic week and long Saturday. So on Sunday, I did something that I rarely do. I took a break. I am always doing something and going somewhere. I never slow down, stop, and rest. It was so great doing almost nothing yesterday. I slept in, did a devotional with Josh, rested on the couch and watched movies, took a nap, went through some boxes, finished Christmas presents and folded laundry. All things that were very low key and that needed to be done, but I was never home long enough to do them. It was amazing what a little rest and relaxation did for me. I felt renewed and refreshed while getting up this morning, ready for a new week!

My day of rest was such a good reminder of what I need to be doing more often. I make a conscious effort to get everything else done in my life, but I never make an effort to take the time to relax. I am slowly realizing that it doesn't mean I am lazy or being unproductive with my time. Rest is good for the body and good for the soul. If I want to get everything done on my To Do List, it is necessary for me to slow down. It's so easy to get caught up in the hustle bustle of the holiday season, and when that happens, it is especially important to get away. Josh and I spent some time yesterday reading the Christmas story with no phones, computers or TV on. All we had were the glowing lights of our tree and the beautiful words of Jesus' birth to focus on. In that moment, I understood why it was so important for Jesus himself to get away sometimes. The silence, the stillness and the time to focus on what really matters is so much more fulfilling than staying busy ever could be.

Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28

What's "Supposed" To Be

It's been a crazy few weeks. Between Christmas, packing, moving, unpacking, Christmas parties, decorating, cooking, buying/crafting gifts and working full time...I have barely been able to keep it all together. Somehow I have managed to get to the right thing at the right time and most everything is put away at our new house. I consider this an accomplishment! Although this is the holiday season and we have a new home, I feel like we are holding on by a thread trying to make it all work and keep it all together. It's not exactly the picture perfect season that I had imagined. And that bugs me.

I don't know why, but we get these flawless images in our minds of what these transitions or phases of life should look like...and that just isn't reality. I recently read a quote that stuck with me and I felt like I could really identify with these words: "What screws us up most in life is the picture in our head of how it's supposed to be."

I remember moving into our small basement apartment almost a year ago and thinking about how "imperfect" it was. It lacked basic things like a dishwasher, oven, and kitchen. It was functional but bare. I felt like this was somehow going to taint our first year of marriage because it wasn't the house I have envisioned as what a young married couple should live in. I had this perfect little picture in my head of what was supposed to be, and this didn't fit. That dinky little space quickly became more than just our residence or a pain in the butt. It became our home. We made it cozy and comfy. We made it ours. It had everything that we really needed, not wanted but needed. I thought so poorly of that place in the beginning, but through that not so glamorous situation, I began to see beauty unfold. When we packed it all up on Friday afternoon, I stood in each room and was reminded of how small our place actually was, how simple and unsophisticated each room was, and how the only things that actually filled this place were us and our things. All it really was were 2 empty rooms and a single bathroom. Yet, it was everything that wasn't supposed to be gone right.

I was surprised at how sad I was to leave it. We had spent our first year of marriage between those walls. We had so many great times and memories there. A lot of difficult, but very valuable lessons were taught through that place. I grew very fond of our little basement apartment despite how different it was from where I originally thought we were "supposed" to live. In that moment, I realized it wasn't about the place. It wasn't about the imperfections. It wasn't about the expectations of what I thought a newlywed home should look like. It was about us making this past year our own, in our own way, in our own place, and in our own time. It didn't have to look a certain way to be considered a successful year full of love, laughter, and growth.

Letting go of that vision of what we believe our lives are supposed to be is the best thing we can do for ourselves. Forget the timeline, forget what's considered "normal", forget the expectations, and learn to appreciate what's right in front of your eyes. Focusing on how we believe a situation should look like takes away from how great the reality might be. So my life doesn't always appear exactly like I think it should...who cares? That little basement apartment taught me the lesson of throwing that perfect picture of what's "supposed" to be out the window and opening my eyes up to how beautiful what isn't supposed to be really is.

The memories captured in that little place will last a lifetime: