Here's a recap of what our year looked like:
January
The year started with some major ups and downs. I had been long-term substituting at a middle school, and the day that I found out that job would be ending, I received a call from Ascension, asking if I would be interested in a job starting February 2nd. It was the definition of perfect timing, and the job provided me with a salary and benefits (something I was learning is pretty important for a real adult job). Meanwhile, while I was reading books and teaching crazy children, Jeromy was beginning his first tax season at DSGF. We had not planned even one thing for the wedding.
February
February marks my first month at Ascension, and life improved drastically for us when I started working there. For one, I had a lot more time to read. I was also not crying every day. Positive steps all around! Busy season was in full swing, and Jeromy was working late most nights, which left lots of time for me and the pup to hang out. Jeromy and I had a great date night for Valentine's day at Social, and Jer gave me this cute little bird with Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poem "How Do I Love Thee?" printed on it. I also began helping coach the cheerleaders, which was a challenge for me, the dancer-not-cheerleader. The month really flew by, and we had yet to plan anything for the wedding (except agreeing on having a dessert table instead of just a cake... because of course that's the first decision we agreed on.)
March
March was such a fun and busy month! Nicole, our new sister-in-law, had her wedding shower, where I got to visit and hang out with the women in my family. I also attended two bridal expos, one big one and one hosted by our future venue. At the one at The Victorian, I won a free night's stay there, a free bridal shoot, and other goodies. It felt like I was finally getting some traction under our feet in planning!
April
April is consistently my favorite month. It always has been because of my birthday, but now it has the added pleasure of April 15th and the end of busy season. I turned 26 (and got health insurance!), and Jeromy and I finally got out of the house and went to Festival Internationale, where I tried my first crawfish boat and died from wonderful. I also attended Nicole's bachelorette party, and my new little nephew Caddox Elliot Broussard was born! We also started wading into venue searching, and tentatively talking about what we wanted in a ceremony and reception.
May
May was one hell of a month. It started off well, but one Saturday evening, while Jeromy and I were outside working in the yard, he received a call from my mother. My dad had a heart attack and was being rushed to Lafayette. It was a scary and eye-opening weekend for us, but I've never been more sure of our relationship than in that moment. Dad pulled through and made it out of the hospital, thank goodness. Two weeks later, we celebrated Eric and Nicole's wedding with just a bit more to be thankful for.
June
June was full of fun work things for me, and lots of down time, camping, and recovering from tax season for Jeromy. I took 29 cheerleaders to cheer camp the first week of June, then spontaneously attended iPadpallooza in Austin, Texas at the end of June. Dad had open heart surgery, and mom stayed at our house for a week while he was in recovery. I hung out at the hospital a lot and helped keep mom sane. Also, this month we picked a venue for our wedding!
July
July was another fun month for us. We spent the weekend after the Fourth of July in Shreveport, watching one of Jeromy's closest friends from college tie the knot. After celebrating Logan and Caroline's wedding one weekend, we parted ways the next. I drove up to Memphis to visit my grad school friend Laura Leigh (listening to Serial the whole way there and back), and Jeromy went camping with the guys. The following week, I booked our photographer and bought my dress! We also began the process on buying a house, which was terrifying and wonderful experience.
August
We closed on our house on August 31! I was two weeks into school, already drowning in papers needed to be graded and lessons to be planned, but we moved in that week and started making the house our own. We also spent one weekend at Eunice High's alumni tournament, and Jeromy spent another weekend in Toledo Bend with all of his college friends. Between school starting, packing and preparing for the house, and having commitments almost every weekend, August was a blur.
September
September was a hectic month! We moved into the house, painted rooms, tore down trees and a playhouse, and I spent a week in New Orleans at a conference. There were weddings and our -1 year wedding anniversary. Also, I took over the cheerleading squad as the sole sponsor, which killed my Friday nights but brought me joy in so many unexplainable ways.
October
October was a busy month for me, with cheerleading preparations for the Homecoming pep rally, closing out quarter one at school, and trying to finish unpacking and setting up the house. Jeromy took it all in stride, coming home early from work to see about Arthur and clearing out so much of the backyard overgrowth. Homecoming landed on Halloween, and it was the perfect way to wrap up my busiest time of year.
November
November was wonderful because life really slowed down for me and I was able to hang out with my friends for the first time since August. Jeromy and I continued working on the house, and I got to meet my newest baby cousin Aaron for the first time. We celebrated Pawpee's 75th birthday, and spent Thanksgiving at Jeromy's Aunt Jackie's house, where Arthur wished he was a country dog with lots of fields to run through.
December
December was a phenomenal month, and it was the perfect way to wrap up 2015. We had Christmas parties every weekend (DSGF, Ascension, Book Club), and we even got to take a spontaneous road trip to New Orleans to see the Celebration in the Oaks. We celebrated Smith Family Christmas on the Saturday before Christmas, and it was so great to see the family. I painted rooms in the house and we finally hung up a few of our paintings and artwork on the walls. Also, for the first time ever, we didn't have Christmas day presents at my parents' house. Eric was offshore, so we had a belated Christmas. It just meant more free food and awesome presents, and it was great. We wrapped up 2015 with a New Year's Eve party at our house, and it was the perfect send off for a crazy year.
2016, you will bring new rings and a fun dance party, and I am so excited to see how the year goes!
