2013

So, I'm going to deviate from my normal, artsy-type posts and do a Christmas newsletter type thing, in case people are interested in knowing what I've been up to all year... So here goes! I'll go month by month, and put in lots of pictures.

So, in January, I started my first full year as a married woman, and I also became an aunt! I have the cutest little nephew. He's super smiley, and I love him a ton. On a sillier note, I also managed to lose a game of checkers to my husband without taking even one of his pieces. That has given us a lot of good laughs all year long.

Handsomeface and Cuteface
(a.k.a. Husband and Nephew)

In February, I discovered that my husband is a sleep-talker, another thing that's given us lots of laughs.
A few quotes of his, while he slept :
"Just... stick with it... everybody... keep going!"
"You don't know about deserts at all, do you?"
"It's all right... I'm okay... Let's time warp!"

In March, Husband and I built a snow dragon together. It was epic. Also, for the first time ever, I went on a run just because I wanted to. It was a big leap for a completely non-athletic art nerd like me!

Me and the snow dragon.

Michael and the snow dragon!

In April, I got to rub a baby alligator's tummy, and my lighthouse painting made it into an art show! A very exciting month, to be sure.

In May, Michael and I moved from our first apartment into our second, which was much bigger, with a really great yard. I had a birthday party, and made rainbow Jell-o. Lots of people came, even though it was on Memorial day weekend! It was super cool.

The backyard at apartment #2.

In June, I got a summer job, went to a family reunion, and saw lots of wildlife, including the Tiniest Treefrog.

The Tiniest Treefrog!

In July, I started the 30-day drawing challenge, which I still haven't finished. Oops. Also, I quit that summer job I started in June. It was weird, and sad, and unexpected, but good in some ways too. It was the first time I'd quit a job for any reason besides the beginning or end of a school year, so it made a big impact on me... so strange.

 




In August, my little sister got engaged! I'm so happy for her! Shortly after that thrilling event, I went on vacation with my family, but without Michael. It was a lot of fun, but hard to be without my Handsomeface for a week. I started back at my usual job as an elementary school assistant.

My dearest sisterling

and her fiancé, who also

happens to be a Michael.

Me at the Silver Lake sand dunes in MI.

In September, we moved again, since the people we'd been renting from decided to sell their house. Apt. #3 since we got married. Lots of cleaning and not much else happened during this month of the year.

In October, Michael and I celebrated our 1st anniversary. In honor of the event, Michael got me a kitten! His name is Batman, and he's adorable. On a sadder note, my car died. Things in the engine melted. It was no fun.

Batman is super fierce.

Well... not always, I guess.

He helped my warm my hands up
after our car died. Wasn't that
nice of him?

In November, we moved again to escape bad neighbors. We moved in above some friends from our church, who helped us a ton throughout the moving process and made us feel very welcome in their lives.

Apartment #4! Our landlord let us paint a chalkboard on the wall. It's rad.

In December, I made some money sketching portraits at a school/community event. It was so much fun! I started out feeling very self-conscious, like I was doing an awful job, but everybody who saw me drawing thought it was super cool, so that helped me feel better. Coworkers showed lots of generosity and goodwill toward me and Michael as Christmas came up, we had more and more good times with our downstairs neighbors, and our families also dumped buckets of love on us all year. We had a very merry Christmas, and that's about where we are now! To the friends and family reading this, Michael and I love you, and God bless!

A bountiful Christmas for Handsomeface and me.
Thanks be to God for such a blessed year!