A day of firsts.

Today began in a somewhat undesirable manner. I had to go to the doctor's office to continue Marfan's tests. After leaving aggravated and behind schedule for the day, I think I know have relief when I look at the bigger picture. I'm frustrated that all of this is so in depth and ongoing but i'm also happy that I am surrounded by people who really want what's best for me. 

I spent a good portion of my afternoon at the Heb's house. My two best friends, Sam and Emily, just got back from a week in Germany. It was fun to listen to Sam's stories and eat German chocolates while I listened. 

This is baby Collin. I think that he is the first baby I have every really bonded with. He's cool with me putting stickers on his forehead and he doesn't cry when I try to hold him. I think i'm officially past my anti-baby fetish. 

Sam and I spent a good 20 minutes bookmarking every other page of the Cupcake cookbook Taylor got me for Christmas. Today, after an hour of mixing and my total flop with the frosting, we had 12 lovely, delicious Banana Carmel cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. This is easily in my top 5 favorite desserts now because of its zesty flavor and rich topping. This winter break i've baked a lot. I think i'm slowly beginning to realize all of the flavor benefits you get when you cook from scratch.  I'm definitely making these again soon.

The Pilots won big tonight and I was glad I got to see it. I had lots of fun talking with Erin about different players and hearing aids, as well as listening to my grandma talk about Taylor's points being scored for her. 

After a long meal at BDubs with the Kolbus family, Taylor and I went back to Bethel where I learned how to play Eucher thanks to Tay and his teammates. 

Lastly, I came home to this little glittery surprise for Snowball: 

I wish everyday were as fulfilling as today. I love a day when I get to try new things, especially like today when they end up being a great little surprise. 

"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." 

Have a happy Wednesday! 

Planning.

Today was such a simple yet lovely day. Here's why I loved it. 

1. I woke up to homemade banana muffins and coffee. I guess good things happen when you wake up at 9:30.  Plus, house hunters was on and it was a couple looking for old houses. And It was snowing outside. Honestly, can you get more cozy than that? 

2. I had a new Starbucks today. Salted Carmel Mocha. I'm a sucker for Salted Carmel anything so it was such a wonderful treat. 

3. I got to talk to Kristina a ton today about details for our trip to the lake house this weekend. We talked about food and clothes to pack and movies and crafts and shopping. It will be such a fun time. 

4. I found oodles of new crafts and recipes on Pinterest. 

I also found this watch. I've been looking for a new one for a long time and I finally found the perfect one at Urban Outfitters! 

5. I had a great practice tonight. I am always surprised at what a small, scrappy team we are and how we work with every ounce of talent we are blessed with. I know this season will be much different than most i've had but I'm every bit excited of it. 

That's about all that happened today. As simple as it seems, a day that mixed productivity and laziness is always a good one. Sometimes, it's amazing how many things you can forget that you are thankful for. I am continuously reminded of all of the wonderful people and opportunities I have been associated with so far. I think it's important to spend a little time each day (maybe during our not-so-happy moments) and take a look at the bigger picture. That way, we can focus on our positive perspective and move forward with the  concept of how blessed we are in the back our minds. 

Have a lovely Tuesday. 

Jan. 1st- Taylor.

This is Taylor. 

Taylor is my boyfriend (yes, he's tall too! 6'7" to be exact). We met when he was a senior in high school, and started dating around the holidays. We are lucky enough to have just celebrated our 2 year anniversary together. 

I promise I won't be that girl who won't shut up about her boyfriend. However, he'll be on here a lot. 

Words can't describe how much I appreciate him. If you've ever met Taylor, I think you'd understand what i'm saying. Taylor is such a blessing to me.

 He is nice. He is outgoing. He is hilariously funny. He smells good. He is responsible and trustworthy. He has a great head on his shoulders, and has a wonderful plan for what he wants to do with his life. He's motivated. He's supportive. He has great morals and values and is such a gentlemen. 

Day 1 on 2012: Taylor and I stayed in and cooked. I made spaghetti and he made the breadsticks. We danced around the kitchen and set the table and lit a candle. When the food was ready, Taylor put Italian music on Pandora and we talked in Italian accents. 

We made nutella cupcakes after dinner. They were AMAZING. I highly recommend them! Our evening was capped off by 6 WHOLE HOURS of our favorite show How I Met Your Mother . I am proud to say I have now seen every single episode of all six seasons and am 10000000% ready for season 7 TONIGHT! 

Overall, Taylor is such a great person, friend, and boyfriend to have. I don't know how I got so lucky in finding someone so fun and caring, but i'm sure glad I did. 

Happy New Year!

2012.

Have you ever set a New Years Resolution? 

Usually, I tend to set goals that begin with high hopes and good intentions. Unfortunately, they tend to end up lost sometime throughout the year. As I get older, I think it's important to set goals that are more realistic in the sense that they are achievable and memorable, as opposed to recognizable. That's why this year, my New Years resolution is to write. Write as often as possible. Document every single day. That way, can take a good, hard look at where i'm at, where i've been, and where I want to be when I enter 2013. 

2012 brings a year of changes. I will celebrate 2 lovely years with a fantastic boyfriend & best friend. I will graduate. I will work another year at the best job a girl could ask for. I will watch my brother marry not only his 6th grade girlfriend, high school sweetheart, and next door neighbor. I will move out in the fall and attend a wonderful University and have the opportunity to be apart of one of the best collegiate volleyball teams in the nation.

These changes are welcomed with opened arms and excitement. On the flip side, other changes will come in a not so welcomed manner.

 With that said, I think it's important to live with our faith bigger than our fear, and welcome 2012 with an open, loving, fearless perspective.