I think it's safe to say that 2021 was a life-changing year! Every year has those moments that are memorable and each year brings change to your life, but I think this year brought some of the most life-changing moments of my life. I mean - 2021 brought me the love of my life - a man I've been waiting on for a very long time.
It was a wonderful year that started with snow, was filled with new experiences and wonderful life changes and closed out with Ryan and I preparing to buy our first home!
JANUARY
January was filled with snow and brisk temperatures! Watson got to wear his lovely coat with fuzz balls on the hood more than once; especially on the weekend where the temperatures dipped to about 15 degrees in the sunshine... at 12 noon... It was cold y'all. Face masks were still pretty common; I am wearing one in every picture that was taken indoors, so there's that. January was good - but cold - and was the last month I lived my life without knowing my future husband. *sighs* Unbeknownst to me, 2021 was about to become a life changing year...
FEBRUARY
February was filled with snow... and romance! I shoveled plenty of snow and went on several chilly walks with Watson. I went on a couple less than thrilling dates in the earlier parts of February (and one that was thrilling in all the wrong ways) and celebrated Valentine's Day with my parents at a lovely brunch in Martinsburg, WV. And then... on February 15th I was matched with a man named Ryan on eHarmony - and proceeded to talk to him every day for the rest of the month. I felt like he was something special from the moment I saw his face and our evening phone conversations became the highlight of my days.
MARCH
March arrived with blustery days, brisk temperature and a very special boy to meet the first weekend of the month. It was a chilly day but I don't know if I even felt the cold walking around Greenfield Park with Ryan on the 6th of March - I was too wrapped up in getting to know him. We became official that day and the rest - as they say - is history. Elsewhere in the month, my friends Meridith and Danielle and I conquered an Adult Easter Egg Hunt and I started spending time in Pennsylvania on a regular basis. I may not have won at our first game of goofy golf... but I did get a hole in one, just like I said I would!
APRIL
Ryan surprised me at the start of the month, showing up at the house to celebrate my Dad's birthday, his retirement and Easter with the family! April brought Spring and time spent traveling to and from Virginia to Pennsylvania to spend time with my wonderful boyfriend. I spent plenty of time outdoors enjoying the wonderful Spring weather, went to a Zach Williams concert with my ladies group and closed out the month with a weekend in Gettysburg with Ryan. I also squeezed in my first and second COVID vaccinations - JAB! JAB!
MAY
Wedding bells rang in May - Ryan joined my family as we traveled to Mississippi to see my cousin Colton get married; Ryan got the chance to meet a ton of the family. We also introduced him to the Deep South, where macaroni and cheese is a vegetable and everyone says "y'all". We made a quick 24 hour stop in Gatlinburg to show Ryan around (he was ready to go back as soon as we left), I finally got to go to a Nationals game again (wearing a face mask) and we closed out the month in Pennsylvania for Memorial Day Weekend.
JUNE
Another major life change in June? Ryan asked me to marry him and I immediately said "YES" - if there was ever a question I knew the answer to without hesitation or the need to over think, it was that YES was and will always be my answer. Ryan spent some time in Virginia and we found our wedding venue at Stoneyman Valley Ranch... we also spent some time in Pennsylvania (that's where Ryan proposed) and I was able to meet Ryan's Mom for the first time. I also spent time with friends throughout the month, enjoying time with my ladies group, a make-up party with friends from work and catching up with my friend Katie over Mexican food - it was a great start to the Summer!
JULY
Talk about a stellar month - I headed for the UK on July 2nd and shortly after celebrating the Fourth of July in my sister's very English garden, we headed for Scotland. We spent ten days exploring Scotland from Inverness to Glencoe, Stirling to Edinburgh and so many places in between - and I can honestly say Scotland is one of the most stunning places I've ever been in my life. We closed out the trip with a weekend in London and I can truly say it was a dream trip! I headed home and eagerly awaited the final weekend of July and getting to see my fiancé after almost a month apart! The family caught a Nationals game at the end of the month - this time mask free!
AUGUST
Ryan moved to Virginia the first weekend in August and I could not have been more thrilled! We were able to enjoy date nights and chatting face to face after work instead of via Face Time - it was absolutely the best! Halfway through the month we hopped on a plane and headed to Florida to spend five days with his Mom - we had the best time enjoying the sunshine, exploring Islands of Adventure and The Kennedy Center and just being able to spend time with his Mom! I was finally able to meet my friend Katie's baby girl (COVID... ugh) at the end of the month! (And I accidentally included some September pictures in my collage... oops!)
SEPTEMBER
September was another wonderful month! Ryan and I explored his new home state of Virginia; we hiked around the lake and I took him all over the mountains in the Shenandoah National Park (I may have taken a wrong turn but that's okay...). I also finally got a chance to take him to a Nationals game and show him Gravelly Park in DC! The end of the month was filled with the Lavish Women's Conference at our church, joining a couples Bible Study group and asking two sweet little ladies to be our flower girls!
OCTOBER
What a whirlwind of a month - if I can be honest - I feel like once October arrived, the last three months of the year passed in a blur. A blur of goodness, but a blur all the same. I turned 37 and Ryan just kept the surprises coming: cooking me a special dinner on my birthday, spoiling me with gifts and then, when I thought the surprises were done, I came home to a house filled with friends to celebrate me! We got the chance to head to Fredericksburg mid-month to an event at Northern VA Teen Challenge, we had some beautiful engagement pictures made and rounded out the month with Ryan's Mom making a surprise visit to hear him speak at church! And my co-workers and I crushed our Schitt's Creek costumes on Halloween!
NOVEMBER
Another month that felt like it sped by on wings... The first weekend of the month was focused on things at home, the second weekend my family and I went to Lancaster to attend a Lauren Daigle concert and experience Sight & Sound Theater. The third weekend of the month I went wedding dress shopping and said YES to the dress - it was such an incredible experience! We closed out the month spending Thanksgiving in Charleston with my parents, Ryan's Mom and her BF Doc - we had a wonderful time and got to spend a few days together in a new city (new to me at least).
DECEMBER
Blink and you'll miss it - that's what I felt like this entire month! I took part in a Christmas bazaar at church and we continued the house hunt (which started in October; I may have failed to mention that). I celebrated Christmas with my ladies group and we celebrated with our Couple's Group, I got my COVID booster and took in the lights and sights around the area. We celebrated Christmas with one set of friends and then celebrated Christmas with my parents the third weekend in December - opening gifts and taking in Enchanted in DC! Ryan and I celebrated out first Christmas together and we also celebrated his birthday the day after Christmas (he's the gift that keeps on giving, ha-ha).
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I have seen so many people talking about what a downer of a year 2021 has been - but I can't say that for myself - I think 2021 will go down as one of the best years of my life! I spoke openly with my ladies group and shared that all the things I'd prayed about and waited for were all arriving at once and it was a whirlwind to experience - I certainly didn't mean that in a bad way - but it's true; so many prayers answered in the span of a year (or less).
There are only a few more hours left in 2021 and I'll likely close out this year a little differently than last - no glamorous parties or fireworks at midnight, but I do have someone to kiss at midnight this year and for the rest of our lives. And 2022 will being the year we are married - and who knows what else?
I'm looking forward to this new year - to learning to embrace peace and gratitude for all the blessings I've been given. I hope this New Year will bring joy and peace to a weary world.
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