What a life-changing year this thirty sixth year has been. I think every year has had it's changes but this year was filled with the most surreal change... the dream that I've been praying about for the last several years finally came true and brought about so many life changes in the process. My thirty-sixth year was such a good year - a great year - and I cannot wait to see what thirty-seven brings!
Thirty-Six in Review
October was filled with a weekend long birthday celebration taking in all my favorite places: Culpeper, Virginia, Sperryville & the Copper Fox, brunch in DC and the National Arboretum and a spa day in West Virginia before dinner at Hunter's Head Tavern! The rest of the month was filled with Autumnal outings and a very Happy (although socially distanced) Halloween. A good start to thirty-six for sure!
The highlight of my November was going to the United Kingdom for eighteen days! The world as a whole was still in the grips of the pandemic (aren't we kind of still...) and so for a large portion of the trip we stayed near my sister's house - but I saw so much of the English countryside, small English villages and churches - and when my quarantine lifted, I got to see Cambridge, Ipswich, the North Sea and so much more. I had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family friends - November was a great month!
December was one for the books - although I don't know if I mean that in a great way. There were plenty of good times as the month kicked off but about ten days in, my Dad got sick and we got the dreaded results - he'd tested positive for COVID-19. We powered through the next two weeks leading up to Christmas with an arsenal of over-the-counter medicines, a thermometer and a pulse oximeter - and I was never so glad to see my sister then when she arrived for Christmas!
January was snow-filled and very chill. I always feel like January is a slow month packed with chilly days and not too many things on the calendar and this year was no different. We went to a family friend's wedding early in the month and my hats and jackets got plenty of use as below freezing temperatures combined with whipping wind to make for some bitterly chilly January days!
February was another pretty frigid month and filled with all sorts of romantic pursuits - I ended up going on three dates in one week during the first two weeks of February but nothing much came from them. I celebrated Valentine's Day with my parents and lamented yet again my single status. The day after Valentine's Day I expanded my eHarmony parameters to include Pennsylvania and was almost immediately matched with a handsome guy named Ryan... and spent the rest of the month talking to him daily and making plans to meet in person.
The change of seasons also brought a complete life change for me - I met Ryan in person on March 6, 2021 and the rest is history. I was fairly certain from our phone calls that he was something special but after we met, I knew he was it for me. We became official and I officially became more bold when I drove to Pennsylvania on my own, to spend time with his family friends (and him) even though I'd barely met them. I also got a hole in one in goofy golf - just like I told Ryan I would.
Oh April - what a month! I was surprised with a visit from Ryan and we celebrated my Dad's birthday and retirement with a surprise dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. I got both doses of my COVID-19 vaccine and blessedly had no side effects beyond a sore arm for about 24-48 hours after - thank goodness! I went to a Zach Brown Band concert and spent some time in PA as well. We also spent the final weekend of April in Gettysburg and had the absolute best time exploring the little town. It was another wonderful month and I welcomed Spring temperatures!
So much happened in May and it was such a good month! Ryan traveled with us to Mississippi to meet family and attend my cousin Colton's wedding and we had such a great time. We ended up stopping in Gatlinburg for about 36 hours on the way home from Mississippi and I loved introducing Ryan to a place that I have spent so much time as I grew up. I also spent a chilly Spring weekend in Pennsylvania and we hiked, explored the Turkey Hill Experience and had a great time.
The month of June saw a dream come true - but I'm getting ahead of myself, ha-ha! Ryan visited Virginia for a weekend in early June and we explored nearby Luray, even finding a place called Stoneyman Valley Ranch... a place that would be perfect for a wedding. *wink* Ryan proposed to me on June 12th and I emphatically said "YES" to him and we began planning for our future. My future MIL visited the last week of June and I decided I might have won the MIL Jackpot where she's concerned.
August arrived and with it, Ryan also arrived in Virginia! Ryan moved to Virginia the first weekend in August and our long distance relationship became long distance no more! We enjoyed going on dates and spending time together pretty much whenever it suited us since he was now in Virginia and it was awesome! We hopped a plane to Florida later in the month to visit his Mom and had a wonderful time at Islands of Adventure, NASA, the beach and so much more. It was such an excellent time and we made some wonderful memories!
Another month filled with blessings and beautiful memories - September was when the wedding planning really took off, booking the caterer and baker (tasting all the food was so fun). We also spent a weekend in DC and I got to finally take Ryan to a Nationals game, introduce him to Gravelly Park and show him around DC (he has been before... but still...). The final weekend of the month was Lavish Women's Conference and I had such a wonderful time with my friends, worshipping and learning about the Lord.
What a Year!
Here's to a thirty-seventh year that's filled with just as much goodness (if not more) and growth and becoming even more the person that the Lord has meant for me to be.
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