13 in '13

So this was my mini bucket list for 2013 and how I did.

1. Go back to Mexico.  Even if it's just for a weekend like last time, I'd love to spend some more time there!

2. Write more.  Maybe even write a novel?  That means a 50,000 word document according to my friends at Nanowrimo.  That's just kinda my goal.  Who knows if anyone will ever see it, but I think it'd be cool to have written something that long.  I have something now that's at about 38,000 words, and I honestly cannot imagine writing anything longer than that since that took just about everything I had in me!  So the goal's to write more, but it'd be nice if I could conquer 50,000 words.  As of December, I haven't really completed anything, but I have been writing more.  So at least it's getting out.  Every once in awhile I have a sudden strike of inspiration and have some word vomit for about two days...and then it's gone.  Lol. ;)

3. Run a mile.  Rachel has this app called Zombie Run that might help inspire me.  The zombies are right behind you--runnnnnn!

4. Go to a wedding.  I'm not sure if this'll happen since no one I know seems very close to marriage...  Maybe I'll just crash a stranger's wedding. ;D 7/20/13 and 11/23/13.  Turned out to actually be someone I know!

5. Figure out where the heck I'm transferring to!  Check...let's go to Las Cruces!  Moving to NMSU--8/18/13.

6. Contribute to my church more through preludes, participating in leading worship, helping with the little kids' Sunday school, maybe even youth group? Started joint-leading a Sunday school class for 4th and 5th graders with Rachel in February.

7. Get a job. 4/6/13.

8. Share the gospel with someone.

9. Reach 60 followers on this leetle blog.  3/16/13!

10. Have at least three or four sister dates with Chloe.  We both love those times together. #1: 3/14/13.

11. Start a savings account...and actually keep money in that thing.

12. Live to be 20.  See?  Easily attainable.  Also...I'm having a really hard time thinking of these goals. Check, 8/24/13.

13. Do something reckless and unexpected.  I am not a spontaneous person--totally stresses me out--but I'd like to try and branch out from that this year.  Maybe I'll go skydiving.  Or bungee jumping.  Or get a tattoo.  Or...not any of those.  But I'm sure I can think of something. :) 11/16/13.

this is: 2013

1 // At the beginning of the year I attempted a 365 photography project.  It didn't last very long, but I like looking back at some of the pics I took.
2 // Chloe had a big party for her 7th birthday!
3 // I battled my way through my second class on teaching math.  And in February my dog died. :(
4 // In March I figured out how to make my own candles.
5 // Rachel, Ellie, Chloe, and I spent the day at the zoo together.
6 // In April Rachel and I went to San Francisco to visit Jorge.  It was the first time either of us had ever flown before!
7 // We walked across the Golden Gate Bridge, visited the beach, Alcatraz, and Chinatown, and had an adventure.
8 // We explored a lot of downtown SF.
9 // During the summer Jorge came to visit us for a month.  We rode the tram up to the top of the Sandias.  And in July I got two cartilage piercings in my right ear!
10 // Toward the end of Jorge's visit he, Rachel, Ellie, and I drove up to Carlsbad Caverns for the day.
11 // At the end of August I moved to Las Cruces to go to NMSU!
12 // September 14, I bought my first car.
13 // I also went to my first football game!
14 // In October I went to a conference in Colorado with RUF (Reformed University Fellowship), the large Bible study group I've joined at NMSU.
15 // That month I also went to Angel Fire for a weekend with my family, and also pierced my nose.
16 // In November I hiked Tortugas Mountain in Las Cruces!
17 // I also went to the ABQ aquarium.
18 // And Jorge visited us for Thanksgiving.
19 // December 12th I finished up my classes for my first semester at NMSU and came home for a whole month!
20 // One of the things I did on my break was go with Rachel to the graduation of one of our closest friends.

At the end of 2012, I honestly had no idea all this would have happened in the span of just 12 months.  I visited NMSU for the first time in March, with the sole purpose of waiting to transfer til Spring 2014, and somehow got everything together in order to transfer Fall 2013 instead.  It's been an incredible journey!  God is so good.

Here's to 2014!

Christmas break

Though I promised myself I would meticulously document my 10 days of Thanksgiving break, these are the only pics I managed to take.

 Aww.  They're just so cute. :)

And now...I am finally on break!!!!!

Everyone just join with me for a moment of enthusiastic rejoicing.  After having 10 days off for Thanksgiving, the last thing in the entire world I wanted to do was go back for 10 measly days, take finals, and then come home again.  But I decided maybe taking my finals would be a good idea and headed back to NMSU.

Those 10 days honestly felt like the longest of my entire life.  Anticipation is really horrible because it makes time drag by.  Plus my finals weren't really that hard so I was bored out of my mind.  Here's some of what happened.

 

I took a bunch of selfies, and my hair sort of went crazy.  Seriously, where did all this curl come from all of a sudden?

I painted my nails a lot.  And then made myself sick off the fumes because the ventilation in my dorm room is not great.

 

I read a lot.

Some actual studying did happen in the middle of all that.  I also went out to lunch with my aunt, uncle, and cousins, who I haven't seen in awhile.  It was great to spend time with them!  Then I went to dinner with my grandparents.  And finally, I took care of finals, packed up, and came home.

Yesterday Rachel and I went to the graduation of a close friend of ours that we've known for eleven years now.  And today I reread a book that I used to love when I was about ten.

It was still just as good. :)

And now I'm so glad to be home for an entire month!  I'm going to try and get a ton done--hopefully lots of reading, I have an insane idea to try and teach myself to knit (again), and also enjoying Christmas, New Year's, and Chloe's 8th birthday (how did she get so old?!).  It's so nice to be home, both with my family and church family.  I forget how awesome they all are until I go away for awhile. :)

There will possibly be more updating on this dusty old blog while I'm on break, but I'm not promising anything.  At the very least I'll put up my resolutions for 2014 and maybe go over some of my favorite books that I read this year. :)

Merry Christmas!