Happy New Year!

I may be part of the unpopular opinion, but I really don't like the new year.  The new year involves a lot of reflection for all.  And for me, I don't get down because of the unreached goals, the broken would have's or useless should have's.  I don't like the new year because I reflect on all the great things that happened in the year, and why would I want to leave that?  I think back to the past year and I feel like nothing could ever be better than it is right now.

A year ago, I had just gotten engaged to my best friend and was looking at 2014 with bright eyes.  It was sure to be the best year ever, and I wanted to savor every minute of it.

But I blinked and all of a sudden I was experiencing the best day of my life.  It was my wedding day and all my family and friends were around and I was married to my best friend and ready to face any and all challenges that came our way!  We celebrated in California and then went on the best honeymoon ever!  I wanted to freeze time and relive those 10 days over and over again.

Family + Friends at the temple

Our faces after we finished parasailing on Catalina Island.

Matching t-shirts and happy faces at Disneyland!

But the days and months marched on and all of a sudden the summer was over, and I was on a plane heading back to Hawaii for what was surely to be the most exciting, hard, crazy adventure yet!  I didn't want to let the summer (or my family and Utah life) go!

"our" new puppy!

Puppy naps with Ellie!

24th of July Fireworks

But I blinked again, and it was Christmas.  It was a year of firsts! Our first apartment, our first few tough situations (who knew marriage was hard?! ;)  ), our first Thanksgiving, our first birthday celebrations together, our first Thanksgiving, and now Christmas.  Only another week and it would be the new year!

Smiles at Carissa's wedding

The birthday boy!

Our Thanksgiving decoration

temple trip!

Our first Christmas tree

And that week passed.  So here I am thinking about 2014.  I laughed, I cried (probably more than I should have), I was sad and scared, I was angry and frustrated, and I was happy and excited.  I wonder how anything could be as good as 2014, but then again, I've said that ever year.

So, I'm facing 2015 with a solid amount of hope (and a bit of fear of the unknown) that it will be as good as the years past! Here's to you 2015!  Let's see what you bring. :)

We survived 2014!