Once, we were engaged

In honor of our Anniversary Week (the big day is Wednesday) I thought I'd post a small sampling of our engagement photos, because I don't think I've ever shared them on ze blog. Our photos were taken by Breanna of Powerhouse Studios in Denton, TX in the fall of 2010. These were taken mostly on the square, although we did sneak over to the UNT campus. We look so much younger in these photos! Freakin' BABIES.

Also, there's a decent amount of kissing. SORRY. Anniversary Week, I do what I want!

Why yes, we are the kind of people who take professional photos with their uncooperative cats. Are you surprised?

Farewell 2011

2011 was a good GREAT year. It brought some of the most wonderful moments of my life, but also some of the roughest. There were definitely highs and lows (although mostly highs), but you take the bad with the good and I am so grateful for all that has happened this year. I truly have never been happier. It's strange to think of where we were and who we were a year ago. So much can change in a year. Let's talk a walk down memory lane via a ridiculous amount of pictures shall we?

 

New Years Eve 2010. What's wrong with my face? (Champagne probably.)

January:

January was an exciting month for us because we had both just graduated and had a whole semester to just work, play, and wedding plan. Well, mainly I did the wedding planning. We had so much in this next year to look forward to, it was like the calm before the storm.

 Post interview at UT, already a longhorn he just didn't know it yet.

Oh and a certain someone had interviews at pharmacy schools. In January he had his first interview at UT, obviously it went well. I had a panic attack while Brendon was interviewing (alone, outside, next to the student union if you're wondering), we wanted this so badly! After I calmed down a bit, I explored the campus (for a good 5 hours) and walked along the drag, who knew I would end up working there in half a year?

February:

February was really cold. We had lots of snow and Denton shut down for a week. Well, except for our respective employers, we still had to go to work of course. I had to get a ride to work everyday since I couldn't get my poor car out of the parking lot.

Snowpocolypse 2011

We also had a little road trip to Houston so Brendon could interview at U of H (where he was also accepted!!! sorry, I'm a proud wife). We extended our trip a bit and stopped by Galveston for a night. Unfortunately it was Mardi Gras weekend and it was insane. We were clueless. A lovely fog also rolled in just as we checked into our room and stayed for the duration of our trip. You could literally not see across the street at some points.

 In Galveston after Brendon's Houston interview. Cute fog huh?

 Why are we so weird?

 Also, Brendon turned 23! What an old fart!

March:

Along with March began the craziness that was our last three months in Denton. SO MUCH GOING ON. I turned 23, we saw friends get married, we worked a lot, oh and wedding planning, wedding planning, wedding planning.

These love birds tied the knot a month before we did!

At the riverwalk pretending we're fancy! If you haven't noticed, we love to pretend we're fancy.

April:

The month of the wedding. Craziest but most fun month ever. So much goodness. Also at some point we found out that Brendon got into UT and that we were moving to Austin! I told him when he found out to call me wherever I was no matter what. He called me at work one day and I was like, "uh whats up?" totally clueless and like why are you bothering me I'm trying to make that money (jk), and he said, "Remember that thing you told me to call you immediately about?" and then I started screaming and jumping up and down and crying. At work. Next to the front door. April was a good month. Also the month I started blogging! (So from this point, most everything has been covered in more detail in past posts, feel free to check them out if this run through of the year is not quite enough for you. Ha ha.)

 My wedding shower with my beautiful ladies! Oh how I miss you all so much!!

 Bachelorette party! I have no idea why half of us are making sad faces. But this is the only picture of all of us (and the soberest). Also, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING SUCH BADASSES. LOVE YOU!

A little Kennedy turned 1! And ate the crap out of/bathed in that cake.

Oh and this happened:

Reading my vows. Not as well as Brendon read his.

We got married! I bet y'all forgot huh? (kidding) Hands down the most awesome day ever. EVER. Blew all of my expectations out of the water. It was perfect. Getting married is so much fun. One day I'll make a proper blog post about it. There is just so much to say! And so many beautiful pictures thanks to Breanna!

May:

I don't know which month was crazier, April or May. We started off May by spending two weeks on our honeymoon in Vancouver and Alaska. Basically the coolest trip ever with the best new husband ever. And when we got home we had a couple weeks to work, pack up our Denton lives, and spend as much time as possible with our friends before we headed down to Austin.

Alaska is wild and it is beautiful.

 Our fabulous seats after a rain delay at the Rangers game!

 Our cake our sweet friends surprised us with!

Leaving Denton was hard. One of the hardest things I've ever done. I still miss it so much.

June:

June was a toughy. Our first month in Austin was anything but smooth. I spent the whole month unemployed. In hindsight a month is really not that long, but at the time everyday seemed to last eternity. Not only was being unemployed incredibly hard financially, I was also left alone while Brendon was working 75% of the time. I was sad. I might even go as far to say depressed. I was away from all my friends, spent most of my time alone, and unable to find a job. And then I got pneumonia. That was the pinnacle of the terribleness. I thought I was going to die (and could have haha, thank god for doctors. And pharmacists of course!). It was a ROUGH month. BUT, I got a job, even while interviewing with pneumonia. Honestly I was tripping so bad on a fever I barely remember the interview. But my sweet boss must have had pity on me and hired me. I kid, I kid. Once I knew I was going to be working, things got better. Also, being close to family helped A LOT.

 Even though I might have hated it at first, I had to admit, Austin is pretty.

I kinda look like a hot mess huh? That's because I WAS.

July:

There are not very many pictures of July. I started working, hallelujah. It was HOT. Hottest and driest summer I've ever experienced. I did a lot of hanging out in ac and by the pool. And I baked a lot.

Irish oatmeal bread. Pretty damn good.

August:

August was very similar to July. It was unbelievably hot outside and I worked as much as a could. We had a wonderful visit from family and Brendon started pharmacy school!

My sweet sister-in-law Lisa and my niece Gracelyn stayed with us for a few days! Miss y'all!!

 Brendon after being "White-Coated", in 105 degree weather. Little did he know what he was getting into.

September:

September became the month of sewing! I decided to get back into sewing and lined myself up with a few projects for the upcoming months. September also became the month of pharmacy school is hard. It was a big adjustment for both of us. I had to learn not to be a whiny wife and Brendon had to just be a badass all the time, which is obviously stressful and tiring.

I'm sure this looks familiar.

October:

This spooky month flew by! I honestly can't remember most of it. I went to work and Brendon went to school. We carved pumpkins with family and I went to work dressed up like a fool on Halloween.

Pumpkin carvin' creeper.

Marie Antoinette will be your barista today.

November:

This month we dressed up a lot. It was a fun month. I stole Brendon away from school for a weekend which was perfect because from then on out until the end of the semester he was basically dead to the world. Pharmacy school is evil! We also got some good family time in and ate way too much food on Thanksgiving. Which I think is my new favorite holiday. Sorry Christmas! I still love you a lot!

Scottish lad and lass.

Couple of Germans this time. We're good at this sort of pose.

FEAST!

December:

This last month has been very good to us. Brendon finished up his first semester of pharmacy school with wonderful grades and we were actually able to hang out like normal married people. I got a promotion at work and moved to a new store, which I love. And of course with December comes the holidays! Our many Christmases were wonderful, full of family and food.

Hey! It's the Christmas card version of us!

Things about 2011 that are not pictured but need to be mentioned; My lovely family being there for me and us through all the craziness 2011 brought. I love you all and am so lucky to have you. I cannot say that enough. I am so glad to be closer to you all. My cats for being fat, lazy, and endlessly entertaining all year. My northern Texan friends for making my last months in Denton so good and making it so hard to leave, I miss you so much. I promise to visit soon. And of course my dear Brendon. You have been so good to me all year, as you always are. I don't know how it's possible to love someone more and more everyday after all these years, but you've got me hooked (ahem, possible UT reference). Thank you for marrying me.

So here we are on the last day of 2011. So surreal how quickly it has flown by and how much has happened. What a wild year it has been! Am I sad to see it go? Nope. It was a wonderful year full of changes and growing, but since every year seems to get better than the last I am excited to see what 2012 holds for us. Another year full of life, love, and who knows what else. 2012 brings us another adventure!

Wishing for a winter wonderland

It's been hot lately. Like 80-something degrees out. Ridiculous. It's November! I don't care if we live in Texas, I want cold weather! I want to be able to wear a scarf! Or maybe even a jacket. So while dreaming of cooler temps, I've been reminiscing about our crazy snowpocalypse we had this winter in Denton. We always got a good few days of decent snow every year, but this past winter we were graced with extra wintery precipitation. One week in particular was intense. I loved it (I'm a snow fanatic), but I couldn't get my car out of the parking lot for like 5 days. Texans don't function normally with snow around. It really wouldn't have been so bad, but it rained first, then it turned to sleet, then it snowed for a couple days. So underneath all the pretty snow was a lovely layer of very slick ice. No one could get anywhere and if they did they slid around a lot. At work we had to run a shift that week with just three of us. Oh and Brendon slid into a ditch coming to pick me up, thankfully he and his jeep were fine.

This is a little 25 second video Brendon made on what I think was the first day of that lovely week of snow and ice in February. It's short, and crappy, and for some reason really narrow. But there's some pretty snow action. And Brendon is weird.

I am really going to miss the snow this winter. I'm pretty sure snow doesn't happen in Austin. I miss Denton. Sometimes all I want to do is be back there in our old apartment living our previous simple lives. But that's silly! We have wonderful things going on here and I am thankful everyday that we're where we are. Austin has grown on me, although I could seriously do without the traffic. Now if it would only snow...

Keeping that chin up

If you've been reading this blog for any amount of time, I'm sure you're aware that lately life has been a little less than perfect lately. We moved to Austin weeks after returning from our honeymoon, and basically exhausted all our resources between the honeymoon, moving, and paying deposits on the new place. Then I had the hardest time ever finding a job. I decided to not transfer to Hooters down here in Austin because I badly wanted to depart from the company. Now, I see that as something kind of selfish and reckless of me. Although I was very ready to be done working there, it would have been a good income right away and we would not be in the situation we're in now (although Hooters is a black hole and I know I'd get sucked in for a while which is exactly why I didn't transfer). So I was unemployed for a month that I like to think of as my month of housewifery. And then I got pneumonia, which was stupid expensive. Thankfully I got the job at Coffee Bean, which has helped, but I'm not getting the hours I need and the pay is significantly less than what I was making at the hoot. Now that our new store is open I am hoping to get more hours.

Through all this Brendon has been unbelievably supportive and wonderful and just the best ever. He is amazing and I am so thankful for him. He is behind me no matter what, telling me it will be okay. And it will, I know it will. This is just a rough spot, we'll get through it and be stronger for it. And smarter.

We had it made in Denton, we just didn't know it. We blew money like crazy, going out all the time, shopping, doing god knows what else but definitely not saving. This was a reality check for sure. We've had to make major changes. We basically don't go out if it requires spending money. And if we do, we're smart about it. A matinee movie is our favorite date. We've found free things to do around Austin, unfortunately many of them are outside and it's hot as hades out there, but they're fun and help us to get to know our new city. We've gotten creative with cooking, and in the process have found some pretty dang good recipes to add to our repertoire. We spend a lot of time watching movies, hanging out on the couch, playing domino's or cards, etc. It's definitely not an exciting lifestyle, but I don't care. It's me, Brendon, and the cats. And we have fun. Sometimes we get down, but not for long. We're good at cheering each other up, if one of us is especially pouty the other will set them straight. We really have no room to gripe. We have a roof over our heads, food on the table, jobs, and each other. That's a lot more than so many people have. These past months have been eye opening and I think we're infinitely better for it. Live and learn y'all.

And since that was a little on the down side, I'll leave you with this photo that always makes me smile and laugh and be so grateful for this amazing life we lead.

Yep. Bringing it back. Dancing with Brendon is my favorite. We're both terrible dancers (if you were at the wedding, you know and I apologize for sorrily busted moves), but we have a blast doing it. I am thankful for this. Thankful for Brendon. Thankful for this crazy good life we have together and everyone who is a part of it. And thankful for the fantastic Led Zeppelin that I am listening to.

Denton, TX

I miss Denton. A lot. I am glad we are in Austin and it's everything we've wanted for years and years, but I really really really miss Denton. I miss how small it is, not being able to go anywhere without seeing someone you know. I miss the laid back vibe. How weird it is. I know, I know, Austin you're the "capital" of weirdness, but Denton is pretty weird too. I miss the food; Mr. Chopsticks, Roosters, Greenhouse (I'm drooling now). I miss UNT, more than words can describe; the late nights in the studio, meeting Brendon between classes for lunch, sleeping in the GAB. I miss the lack of traffic, all the back roads, and short cuts. I miss how spread out everything is, yet how you can still get across town in 10 minutes. I miss the weather, which doesn't exist in Austin. No more crazy storms, tornado alarms, or snow days. I miss that ghetto gross Applebees that for some reason everyone flocks to. I miss afternoons on the square, eating Beth Marie's and people watching. I miss wandering around Recycled Books and Records and that crazy giant antique mall. I miss our old apartment, good old 4022 with your beautiful caramel walls and your wonky stairs. And of course most of all, I miss the people. I met so many amazing people in Denton and I miss them so so much. It hurts my heart to be so far away from you all. Move to Austin please?

When I think of home, I think of Denton. My five years there shaped me into who I am today. I think I feel so connected to Denton because I "grew up" there. When I left New Braunfels I was a mess and had no idea what I was doing. But I figured it out. And when Brendon moved up a year later we started our own life there. There are so many good memories connected to that town that makes perfect sense to miss it.

I know we'll learn to love Austin. I moved to Denton all alone and hated it at first. But it grew on me, and I'm sure Austin will too. This is the next chapter of our lives and I'm sure we'll look back on our time here just as fondly as our time in Denton. Although these last months have been hard, everyday here gets a little easier and I feel more at home. But Denton, you will always hold a special place in my heart. And today, I really miss you.

Sophie decides to be cute and we attempt to get the heck out of Dodge (Denton)

This is a rare moment for Miss Sophie and I. Not only am I home and able to cuddle, but she's being friendly enough to do so! If that makes her sound like a grumpy old sourpuss, it's only half true. She's very sweet when she wants to be, but it usually has to be her idea. So, I take what I can get and am typing over and around a plump little kitty while she purrs and looks cute. :)

And please excuse the wildness that is my hair, apparently I ate something no bueno last night and spent the majority of my usual sleepy time being very sick. Totally lame, but after about 5 hours of being sick (that Brendon somehow managed to sleep through) I finally was able to snooze off, and thankfully I got to sleep in this morning. So I am semi-rested and ready for the move-a-thon.

In other news, my left shift key isn't working properly! What a pain! Seriously though, we're just about all packed up (like no silverware for breakfast this morning because it's in a box) and ready to head to Austin. We're loading up the uhaul tomorrow and heading down Wednesday morning. Ahhh! So crazy! Yesterday was my last shift at work, after 4 years at one company it's surreal to say the least. I was ready to leave but it's definitely going to take some getting used to. Can't believe it's all really happening!