20!4

Man, this year can be summed up as BUSY and CRAZY! It also held some sad times and some very happy times. But I think I'll really enjoy looking back at these year wrap ups. So here's my 2014 …

What did you do this year that you had never done before?

I provided therapy to clients!! Graduate school really ruled all my time in 2014 & learning to confidently and competently provide therapy to clients was by far my biggest accomplishment. Before January of 2014, I had never actually administered speech-language therapy, and now I have over 400 clinical clock hours!

I got engaged!!

I spent my summer in Boone! In the 4 years I'd spent in Boone, I had never stayed during the summer months. It was absolutely wonderful and I loved it!! Even if I had to have class and clinic, I'm glad I got to experience a Boone summer :)

Did anyone close to you give birth?

My cousin Joel and his wife Annette had their second child, William Joel just days before Christmas on December 23rd! I can't wait to meet my 6th 2nd cousin!

Did anyone close to you die?

My sweet namesake, Mama Faye, passed away on February 21st. She was my first grandparent to pass away and I still can't believe she's with Jesus. Dementia was beginning to take away her independence and I know that she would not have wanted anyone waiting on/taking care of her! It has been comforting to know that she is healed in Heaven and I will surely see her again. 

What dates from 2013 will remain etched in your memory?

I will always remember March 11th as the day Andy and I got engaged!! I will also always remember the day my Mama Faye passed away, February 21st.

Did you suffer any illness or injury?

Oh goodness, my immune system took a hit this year. I know my stress level and lack of sleep played a major role. But the day after spring semester ended and the day after summer semester ended I got sick. In May, I had a week long sinus infection and in August, I got the stomach bug. 

What was the best thing you bought?

If you ever want to feel broke as a joke, go to graduate school. Ha ha I don't think I purchased anything of value this year. Having no time to work meant no money for me! Let's hope 2015 brings employment and a little more money ;) 

Where did most of your money go?

Gas and groceries. I had some long commutes to my clinical placements. Therefore, any time I had a tiny amount of time to babysit or work a shift at the daycare, my money went to gas or food. 

What songs will remind you of 2014?
My roommate Meghan and I got really into an app called vine this year. Vines are hilarious, relatable 6 minute video clips which usually put something funny to popular music. This made a few popular songs get etched in my head, along with lots of laughs. "Turn down for what" "Clubs goin' up on a Tuesday" "About a week ago" "You got a bae, or nah?" "Talk Dirty to Me"

What do you wish you would have done more of?

This is hard because I dont like regret but I definitely should have worked out & exercised more. I wish I would have been in the word more too- it helps me immesely and I've let the business of life become an excuse for not reading my Bible like I neec to.
My answer from last year still rings true. I feel closer to God than I was last year and I am exercising more and eating better, but you can always have more Jesus and exercise, am I right? 

What was your favorite tv program?

Big Bang Theory and Dance Moms. Last Christmas, my sisters and I got all the seasons of Big Bang Theory and I've loved watching all of them consecutively. I also got really into Dance Moms and watched it over the summer from the beginning of season one. I still love the Bachelor, but Juan Pablo and Andi from this year were not my favorites. 

What is the best book you read this year?

Unfortunately, I didn't do ANY reading for fun. I started reading a few books but didn't get to finish them. This makes me really sad, as I love to read for fun. So, another thing I wish I would have done more of? Read for fun. Maybe next year?

What did you do on your birthday?

You know you didn't do anything too exciting when you have to look up your own blog post to see what you did on your birthday. Ha! At 23, I learned that having a birthday in graduate school humbles you. I had a super busy day, as usual. But I did end the day having dinner at Casa Rustica with Meghan, Mindy, and Lauren. We then went to the movies to see "The Other Woman." I believe I was in bed by 10:00pm. I'm officially getting old ;) 

Where did you travel?

West Jefferson
at Tyler's family's cabin with Amy, Tyler, and Andy

Salemburg

 to be with family for my Mama Faye's services

Ocean Isle Beach
for Spring Break, where I got engaged :)

Ocean Isle Beach
for the 4th of July with the Royals

Myrtle Beach
with Nana, Papa, and Darlene

Ocean Isle Beach
for beach week with family

Greenville 

for some Pirate football

Chapel Hill and Raleigh 

to visit my internship site and go to the state fair

West Virginia 

for Halloween and Andy's 25th birthday

Salemburg and Wilmington

for Thanksgiving

Wilmington and Salemburg

for Christmas 

What a year! I'm so glad I preserved so many memories this year on my blog. I plan to keep it up in 2015!!

Here's to the year where I get to marry the love of my life, get to watch my brother and my best friend marry theirs, and graduate with a master's degree!!

Happy New Year! 

Buzz City Baby!

The Hornet's returning to Charlotte has been nostalgic for every 90s kid who grew up in Charlotte! Phil took Anna, Faith, and I to a game one of the first nights I was home and it was fun being downtown and enjoying the game! We grabbed dinner at Wild Wing cafe and then headed to the arena!

We joked about our nosebleed seats, but I thought it was cool we had such a good view of the skyline on the scoreboard! I spotted the City Club! :)

The Hornets ended up losing, but it was a fun family night with Phil and my seesters! 

Boone "See Ya Laters" {Not Goodbyes}

Let's just leave out the fact that, once I finished up my class assignments, I basically spent most of my waking hours studying for the Praxis during my last week in Boone. INSTEAD, I'd like to remember my last week of fun with my favorite Boonies!

{Friday Dec 5th}

LAST DAY OF CLASS EVER!!!! I've been waiting since senior year to be able to post this. I cannot believe I am done with class, forever!! Despite the major celebration, it was bittersweet walking through campus one last time as a student going to class!

{Wednesday Dec 10th}

Meghan and I went out for dinner & some drinks with my little Allie! We ate at Cilantros then went to Macados.  It has been so FUN hanging out with these crazy two. I just had to leave in all of these pictures because they make me smile :)

 Laughs were thanks to a crazy guy sitting at the bar who took our pictures Ha ha

{Friday Dec 12th}

Mindy officially moved out. I have been so thankful for our friendship since day 1 at ECU. I'm so glad we got to live together twice!! It was sad to say goodbye to being roommates, but we are both moving on to do great things!! Plus, I'll definitely be seeing her frequently over the next year anyways :)

Mindy may have had to move out all of our living room furniture, but Meghan and I kept Christmas up and enjoyed a Christmas movie with take-out Hokkaido… in our lawn chairs ;) Ha ha

{Saturday Dec 13th} 

One of my favorite speechies, Emily, got married to the love of her life, Zac!! It was such a beautiful wedding. It was also the perfect place to say "see you soon" to my speech girls. I would have never gotten through this past year and a half without these ladies. I'm SO thankful for our friendship! I'm sad to be going our separate ways for internship but we will be seeing each other again soon for graduation and the other TWO weddings we have coming up :)

(boo blurry iPhone pictures!)

{Sunday Dec 14th}

Meghan officially moved out. It has been so fun living with this girl! I loved always having someone to talk to that understood any of my clinic venting or victories but who I also just had fun with when we didn't want to talk about speech!! Haha I'm going to miss being able to talk across the living room to one another but we will be giving each other constant updates during internship I'm sure :)

Since I was all by my lonesome, in a (mostly) empty apartment, I decided to pack some to make my move out day a little less stressful ;) When I organized these two shelves I had in my closet, I realized this was pretty much my graduate school in a box Ha ha Textbooks, binders, and my homemade therapy materials

{Monday Dec 15th}

I had dinner with my Katybug!! This girl will always be one of my absolute favorite Boonies. Living with her was some of the most fun two years of my life. We had the greatest times at East Village!!! I'm sad Britt couldn't be with us but she had to go home sooner than expected. I'm gonna miss them crazy cool kids sooo much, but I've already made promises to come back soon to visit ;)

{Tuesday Dec 16th}

taken on my way to the test…

I PASSED THE SLP PRAXIS!!!! I was soooo nervous but all my crazy, hard studying paid off when that score popped up on the screen and I realized I passed. What an amazing way to end the semester!!

Afterwards, I stopped by the CDC to say goodbye to my favorite Boone babies and coworkers. My CDC family is definitely one of the things I will miss the most about Boone. It was such a huge blessing to have the women, who I worked for, in my life throughout my college years. It was also so fun to get to know the sweet families and love on their precious babies. I can't say enough about how much I will miss them!! Such sweet, sweet memories

Well, without getting too overly sappy, I wrapped up my last weeks in Boone. My family is going up with me this weekend to move out the rest of my furniture. But, other than that, it's off to Chapel Hill I go! (after break of course ;)

I love you Boone, I must say goodbye to finish out my degree, but a piece of my heart will always remain in the high country <3