2012 in Review

Thankful for a great year and so grateful for the hope of 2013.

Now for 2012 in IPhone pictures.....

*** January ***

rang in the New Year watching the Demon Deacons play in Nashville

*** February ***

took a trip to Dallas to visit this bestie, then Sugarland, TX with my love

*** March ***

 ate some of this pretty wedding cake in Atlanta and celebrated a bestie's birthday

*** April ***

watched Serena Williams play in Charleston, SC, witnessed this beauty get hitched and 
saw Scotty McCreery in concert

*** May ***

family cookouts and engagement parties

*** June ***

golf with my love and Nashville for a bachelorette party

*** July ***

relaxed on the beaches of Antigua with my love and watched my best friend say I do

*** August ***

late night swims and family vacations

*** September ***

watched another best friend say sweet "I do's" and another sweet family vacation

*** October ***

celebrated my love's birthday with sweet friends in Baltimore (newly engaged friends might I add!) then a much needed girls trip back to Dallas

*** November ***

Wolfpack football first, then to Blacksburg for some Hokie ball.

 

*** December ***

birthdays, Christmas, family and friends.  

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE SWEET FRIENDS!

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Part 4 - Tis the Season of Gratitude

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!  Mine was filled with family, friends and good food.  Pictures later this week!  

Christmas Eve was the 4th post of our link-up series - Tis the Season of Gratitude.  So even though it's a few days late, I hope you will head over and see what Sheila has to say!

Also - hop over and say hello to Susan and Kelley too!!

 Sheila is posting today!! GO READ IT! It's SO GOOD!

<a href="http://gratefullyinspired.com/"><img border="0" src="http://<a href="http://s1078.photobucket.com/albums/w495/deniselopatka/?action=view¤t=244953667203988033_plZwNd1t_c-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1078.photobucket.com/albums/w495/deniselopatka/244953667203988033_plZwNd1t_c-1.jpg" border="0" alt="244953667203988033_plZwNd1t_c-1"></a>"/></a>

Tis the Season for Gratitude: A monthly series dedicated to spreading a little bit of joy and gratitude around blogland.  A gentle reminder that a grateful heart is what this season is all about!  We hope you join us this month to help spread the Holiday cheer as we share stories, crafts, photos, and even a giveaway! :)

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Hope and Silence

Some of you may have noticed that lately my posts have been sparse.  There are a few reasons for this notion, some of them being

New job

Process of buying a house 

(yay – more deats on that one to come)

Family stuff

Holiday Season

But those aren’t the only reasons for the silence.  Mostly, yes, I have been so busy lately with life and as I’ve said on here before, this blog will never be a to-do or an obligation.  But my thoughts have been consumed with other stuff as of late.  That thing that happened last Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary School.  One week ago today.  I still can’t shake it, as I’m sure most of you can’t either.  The unimaginable.  Completely inhuman.  I’ve been filled with disgust, anger, even hatred over the last week, but mostly utter despair.  Total sadness and brokenness for the families that lost a piece of their heart.  The community that asks why.  And teachers who hug their babies a little tighter as they sent them off for Christmas break.   

I’m not going to try and make sense of any of it because that’s impossible.  It is simply senseless.  All I can do and have been doing is clinging.  Clinging to the one thing that is good and pure – Jesus.  He is the only thing in this life that is sure.  And I know with my all of my heart and my tear-soaked face that He is holding those babies in Heaven, tighter than ever. 

Over the past few days, a lot of my favorite blogs have offered encouragement and ways to help but it was Amanda’s post that spoke so much truth to me.  Offered a little more hope.  So before I start rambling, I’m just going to ask all of you to click the link below and read my sweet friend Amanda’s post.  Her heart is pure and she loves Jesus.  The rest of her blog is pretty amazing as well, so stay awhile if you want….

A Note of Hope

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Blogger Ornament Swap!

A few weeks ago, the lovely Meg decided she would host a blogger ornament swap!  Sounds fun right?  I was so in.  So I signed up over on Henning Love and boom - I got an email with my new blogger friend/ornament swap partner!  Not only did I receive the cutest little Gingerbread man of an ornament but I made a new friend and found a new blog!  So y'all head over to Courtney's blog and see what I sent her :)

My adorable ornament! (my apologies for the IPhone photos!)

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Tis the Season of Gratitude Part 3!

Today is the third post of our link-up series - Tis the Season of Gratitude.  Want to participate?  Copy and paste the button below on your Holiday Post and leave a comment below so we can come find you!!

Also - hop over and say hello to Sheila, Susan and Kelley!!

Susan is posting today!! GO READ IT! It's SO GOOD!

<a href="http://gratefullyinspired.com/"><img border="0" src="http://<a href="http://s1078.photobucket.com/albums/w495/deniselopatka/?action=view¤t=244953667203988033_plZwNd1t_c-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1078.photobucket.com/albums/w495/deniselopatka/244953667203988033_plZwNd1t_c-1.jpg" border="0" alt="244953667203988033_plZwNd1t_c-1"></a>"/></a>

Tis the Season for Gratitude: A monthly series dedicated to spreading a little bit of joy and gratitude around blogland.  A gentle reminder that a grateful heart is what this season is all about!  We hope you join us this month to help spread the Holiday cheer as we share stories, crafts, photos, and even a giveaway! :)

Find me here: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | Subscribe