The most wonderful time

It's been a year and a half since I've touched this blog. My life has been incredibly full. In lieu of a long-winded recap, here are some highlights.

In October, my sweetheart proposed! It was sweet and simple. He gave me a beautiful ring remade from one of his grandmother's rings. I cried a lot.  Here we are a few weeks later at a friend's wedding.

My last semester of college was a whirlwind. I was planning a wedding, getting ready to graduate and hunting for a job. I needed an outlet, so I took a floral design class. It was so fun. This bouquet was my favorite project.

I graduated in May. It was bittersweet. College was awesome but I had great things to look forward too. I don't have any pictures from graduation (both my family and my sweetheart forgot their cameras...) so here is a photo from my bachelorette in April.

Then in June, Sam and I were married. I couldn't have been happier. We have such wonderful family and friends. I was so serene and joyful. It was a wonderful day. (Allison Garrett did our wedding photography, she was great.)

We honeymooned in New York state in the Finger Lakes region. It was the perfect week. We canoed around the lake, went on a wine tasting, spent a day at the spa and toured the thousand islands. We ate so much seafood. It was better than we could have dreamed.

After our trip to NY, we settled in to our new apartment. Sam is an avid camper and we got some awesome gear as wedding gifts. Of course we were quick to try it out. While Sam is an eagle scout, I am learning to be outdoorsy. In our six months of marriage we've been camping together twice, its been fun to see Sam in his element. I am starting to like campfire cuisine.

Our summer weekends were devoted to weddings (I think we went to 12.) I became more sentimental after my own wedding. I could care less what kind of cake or flowers the bride chose, I was just so happy that others got to experience the joy and fullness Sam and I felt.  The summer of weddings culminated with Sam's sister's DIY block party reception. The whole family came together to make it happen. I got to use my floral design skills. The couple planned a parade from the church to to the reception and Sam's nephews wore "Just" and "Married" on their backs. It was charming.

Everyday life has been so different. I am still not used to no homework. I sometimes wake up panicked that I need to write an essay. Sam and I have been staying busy but it is a new kind of busy for me. I am falling in love with the simple things. Walks together, board games, and cooking experiments keep us laughing. As cliche as it may be, the little things are so much sweeter together. We have also gone on two spontaneous trips, to Santa Cruz, CA and Northfield, MN, to visit two of Sam's brothers. It was fun to throw our stuff into a suitcase and just take off.

Now it's Christmas time. I love having two families to celebrate with. My siblings are still young and so excited and wide eyed. Sam's family is fun and boisterous. It really is the most wonderful time and it has been a most wonderful year. I don't think I have ever been this excited for the New Year. I have no idea what next year holds. I do know that whatever it is, I will have Sam by my side.