Goals for 2016

With a New Year almost 1 week away, I have been doing some thinking about my goals heading into 2016. This is always a great time to write down some things you want to work towards, begin doing, quit doing, etc. A new year, a fresh start. 2016 will bring some huge changes for me [new job!], which is both scary and exciting. Today will be my last day posting until 2016. I am going to relax and enjoy Christmas with my family then hubs and I leave for Antigua and we won't be back until after New Years. So today I wanted to document some of the things I am praying for in 2016 so that I can take a look back and see how God blesses me.

-Pass the PANCE (the national board exam for PA's)

-Begin my new job on February 1st with an open mind, confidence and enthusiasm

-Send out a few letters via snail mail to family and friends each month

-Get preggo [more on this to come]

-Pray more

-More frequent date nights with G [at least every other week]

-Stop worrying about things that don't matter/decrease the amount of stress in my life

-Be more faithful about tithing to our church

-Cook more often/learn to be a better cook
-Listen more, talk less
-Be present [put down my phone, laptop, etc.]
-Go to the gym 3-4 days a week

What are your goals for 2016?! Hope you have a great Christmas and New Year! See you guys in 2016! [Linking up with Jenn and Jessi]

2015 Christmas card

To be very honest, our Christmas card this year wasn't my favorite. I felt so rushed and couldn't find a single picture of us that I liked. And I'm sad that Bella isn't in it :( Next year I vow to hire a professional to take some pictures of us!! However, Minted was amazing to work with, as always. 

Our 2014 Christmas card. First married Christmas is SO easy! Why can't I use a wedding picture every year?!

This makes my heart so happy! One of my very favorite parts of Christmas is receiving all these beautiful cards. I was going to try to find some Pinterest-y thing to do with them but honestly I love where they are. Every time I walk in the kitchen I smile!

Can you believe Christmas is 3 days away?! Blowing my mind! Linking up with Jess and Pinky today!

Graduation party

My mom is the Queen of throwing parties. And she did it again for my graduation last Saturday night! We had about 60 of my closest friends and family over for food and drinks and it was the best time. Mom's house was decorated to a T. She had the food catered to cut down on the stress but boy was it delicious. We had sushi, anti-pasta skewers, stuffed peppers and mushrooms, ham biscuits, crab and shrimp dip, and snap peas with homemade wasabi sauce. The wine and champagne were flowing… a little too much. Can't hang like I used to. But hey, you're allowed to have way too many glasses of champagne after PA school graduation. Enjoy this photo dump!

Cheers!

Linking up with Amanda and April

Graduation from PA school

Happy Thursday friends! I am currently quarantined in my bed with the flu. Yep, it sucks majorly. Fever, body aches, sore throat, headache, basically feeling like death. I have officially decided that I have the worst luck ever… I catch everything. Looking on the bright side though… better now than next week.

+++

For the past 27 months my life has revolved around PA school. I cannot tell you how many hours I have spent in our study or in the library, just counting the minutes until graduation. I have sacrificed so many things, said "no" to so many get togethers, and been a less than pleasant person (sorry honey). Thankfully, that is all OVER because I am DONE! Officially Owen Davis, Physician Assistant. I'm pretty sure my husband is even more excited than I am, bless him. 

Graduation was such a happy time where me and my 29 classmates celebrated all our hard work, blood, sweat, and tears (so many tears). We got our long white coats (!!). It was quite surreal and I was so thankful to have my family there to celebrate with me.

I am very hard on myself and am constantly pushing myself to be more, to be better. It is not often that I am satisfied with my achievements… bad quality that I am constantly working on. But this time, I am truly proud of myself. My dad always told me that I can be or do anything I set my mind to. And though I doubted this so many times of the last 2.5 years, I am so proud of myself for pushing through and achieving my goals!!

 Special thank you to my amazing mom who has spent countless hours praying for me during this difficult journey. Constant words of encouragement. I never would have made it without her support!

Congratulations, ECU PA Class of 2015! We did it!

Linking up with Joey today

Anniversary gifts

With our 2nd anniversary in just 2 weeks (!!), I have been thinking about what to get hubs. We are going to Antigua for our anniversary but I still want to give him a little something. These are the traditional anniversary gifts:

1st anni-- paper

2nd anni-- cotton

3rd anni-- leather

4th anni-- fruit/flowers

5th anni-- wood

For our first anniversary, G followed the rules and got me the most amazing gift I've ever received: a painting of my wedding gown. And the fact that he came up with the idea and found someone to do it all by himself made it even better! Gosh, he is just the absolute best. We got it framed and it now hangs in our living room.

So now I need your help… what did you get your guy for your 2nd anni? I am struggling with "cotton" because I don't want to get something as ordinary as clothes. What has been your favorite anni gift?!

Linking up with Jenn and Jessi

Christmas ornament tradition

When G and I got married we decided to start a "tradition" of buying a Christmas ornament from every place we travel to together. It has been so fun collecting these ornaments and re-living all the memories. We plan to keep this tradition up even after we have kids! I encourage you to start some kind of Christmas tradition like this. It makes me so excited to decorate the tree and remember all the places we have been. For example, when G hung our ornament from our honeymoon in Mexico, his first thought was: "Remember when we ordered room service and got one of every single thing on the menu?" Yes, babe, I do #welovefood

Here are some of the places we have been:

Riviera Maya, Mexico (honeymoon) 

Nashville, TN 

Vail, CO 

Charleston, SC 

New York City 

Key West, FL

Linking up with Jess and Pinky today!