Christmas Goodies, Family, and New Memories.

 

^^^^Our beautiful Christmas tree...

Katy unwrapping her presents (on the left), and me unwrapping mine (on the right). We both got some awesome gifts this year, I don't think either one of us can complain, really :)

 

 Dad, Me, Aunt Jerry - my hair looks so red in this photo above! But I like it!

 Katy, Uncle Story (#1) // Aunt Jerry, Gran, Uncle Story (#2) // Dad & Mom (#3)

 Aunt Jerry (And Alice, of course), Mom, Gran // Katy, Gran, Uncle Story, Me

We're just one good lookin' family that's for sure ;)

...and me with Alice. She's such a strange dog, but she really is cute when you're holding her, I gotta give her that. She's got a little squished nose and her barks are barely audible (which I'm sure my aunt and uncle don't mind). But Alice really is a sweetie - I'm surprised she looked at the camera for this :) We make a good pair, don't cha think?

Anyways, Christmas is officially gone...It's now 1:04 in the a.m. as I type up this blog on my bran spankin' new laptop. Woo baby, am I happy with this computer. Granted I don't have my microsoft applications downloaded and bought yet, buuuut I'm just pleased that I even have a computer! Let alone one as nice as this one. I'm a happy gal. Overall, my presents rocked this year - aside from this awesome computer, I got a book from my mom, a poster & owl decorative stand from my sis, 20$ from my grandma, and from my aunt and uncle I got a stuffed owl pillow, a handmade angel (it's beautiful, pics to come), a new music writing notebook (which I plan on taking full advantage of ASAP), and a pair of cute snowmen socks. Honestly, it's the small things like the previously mentioned that make me most happy. My interests are simple...skittles, owls, guitar/music, running, and my favorite color is green...get me any one of those things  or something in that color and you've put a smile on my face.

Christmas was wonderful, that's for sure. We had a lovely lunch/dinner (linner...?) at my grandma's house today, and it was my family plus my aunt and uncle altogether. I think the sweet potato casserole and the honey baked ham were my favorite parts about dinner..sooo yummy! My uncle and mom prepared the food while I sat and talked with my aunt, grandma, and sister...I can't really remember what my dad was doing at this time..oh well...but we had a good chat while the food was being prepared. I've recently unveiled developments in potential career moves, so I was busy explaining that to my aunt as she listened to what I wanted to do with my life.

Overall, the day was a beautiful one today. I might not consider myself super religious (granted I did grow up Episcopalian, aka Catholic Lite), I do find myself very grateful to have the family I have and to have spent all of today in their company. As my grandma grows older every day (She's in her 80s...woah!), I really do appreciate all the moments I get to spend with her. She's the last one I've got so it's going to be sad and strange when she finally leaves this earth for a better place. But aside from that, the day was nice, the food was delicious, the love was strong. Couldn't really ask for anything more, honestly.

So in saying that, I hope you all had a beautiful holiday, and continue to enjoy the rest of your holiday season in joy and happiness, surrounded by those you love and by those who love YOU! I'm grateful for a lot, including the chance to let new opportunities grow and blossom in this year..what are you thankful for, hmmm?

Good night, Merry Christmas, enjoy your presents and family!

xo

Jardin

All I Want for Christmas....Is Us.

Enjoy lovelies! A beautiful rendition by a beautiful (former) couple - Tristan Prettyman and Jason Mraz. Unfortunately they broke up back in June, but this song is still lovely and I feel like in the spirit of Christmas, it needs to be shown :) Enjoy everyone! Once again, Merry Christmas and to all a good night!

xo
Jardin

New computer, Christmas Eve, smiles all around!

So, I know it's been a while since I've blogged. My posts have been far and few. But I just wanted to give a quick update that as seeing as I opened a Christmas present early, my beautiful new MacBook Air, I will now have more access and time to devote to (at least) a blog at week, if not more! It's Christmas Eve, 2011, and I couldn't be happier! I think of starting this blog back in January, and how much of a wreck I was. I think of everything I've accomplished and achieved, all the people I've met, the opportunities I've had...and wonder how I was ever in such a low place to begin with. Life is so beautiful, and I still realize that daily. Merry Christmas to all of you lovely people :) Please enjoy your time with your friends, family, loved ones, and have a safe and blessed Sunday! Hope you made the nice list this year ;) Ho ho ho!

-Jardin

Halloween in November

So I know my posts are far and few, and Halloween 2011 has come and gone..but just thought I'd post some photos of my Halloweekend for yall's viewing pleasure :) Enjoy lovelies!

 

Me: White She Devil

Chris: Undercover Brother

I'd say our costumes came together pretty good for the evening ;) After a long week of thrift store hunting, clothes looking, paint buying (and applying), and the nervousness that we might not complete our costumes in time..we actually somehow managed to pull it together and get our stuff done. Amazing. And we looked pretty dang good doing it, not gunna lie.

 

We went with Anuja and Marshall, two of Chris' friends from school. We. had. a. BLAST. Literally... I don't think I've had that much alcohol flowing through my blood stream in quite some time, but this was truly one of the greatest evenings I've had all semester, and I wouldn't have wanted to go with anyone else or do anything other than what we do. Good friends, good evening indeed :)

We Will Rise.

I really miss playing music. And I love this song. And Alysse Fischer's voice is so beautiful. Andddd this makes me want to skip out on writing my Capstone paper or studying for my French Revolution exam tomorrow and sit in my room and write songs until all hours of the night.

"We will rise,
I don't care what the papers say,
Miracles happen every day,
And through this darkness, a fire blazes,
We will rise, we will rise."

Universal Truths.

(I wrote this Jan. 28th, 2011...sometimes you just have to close your eyes and let the words flow)

And the stars fell fast,
One by one they dropped out of the sky.
Light racing, rushing, floating across billions of years of galaxy.
Engulfed in the light of the moon,
Captured in the heat of the sun.
The stars fell into spaces unknown,
A rhythm so beautiful, so soft.
Can you hear the songs they whisper?
Into my ear, into my ear.
I can hear these little balls of gas humming, as if in unison.
Sighing, breathlessly. Words unheard,
words unspoken, thoughts left unquestioned.
My heart raced, skipped a beat,
as I watched my mind lose itself amongst the universe.

I just got chills. I want to sing and play like him. I have always, always loved him, and I don't think I'll ever stop. He's given me such a fuel and passion for my own music, that I feel I'll always look to him for musical inspiration. How can I not?

"To be right where you are, how old is your soul?
I won't give up on us, even if the skies get rough,
I'm giving you all my love, I'm still looking up.

And when you're needing your space, to do some navigating,
I'll be here patiently waiting, to see what you find...

Cuz even the stars they burn, some even fall to the earth,
We got a lot to learn, but God knows we're worth it.

No I won't give up...."


...and God knows we're worth it.
I've been through heartache, breakups, tears, and grey skies, but through all of it, I never gave up. I can't ever give up on myself, and you can never give up on yourself either. Love is so much bigger then any one of us can ever understand. Even now in my current relationship there are times where I just have to stop and take a step back and think, "Woah. This love thing isn't always the easiest. I've gotta work at this. But it's worth it. Because love is so big..and amazing..and awesome." Love is so complex, and through a heartbreak or heart make, love never goes away, ever. It's there when you're born, and will be there until you die.

You're worth it.

So, so worth it.

xo
Jardin

Days go by..

I feel that this blog is slowly becoming more of a photo blog, with tidbits here and there about what's been going on in my life. When I last left off, I was trying to vaguely explain how I was going through somewhat of a "rough patch" in my life...while that's quickly blowing over, it's still something that will leave permanent scars in my mind. However, because of everything that's been going on, I might have gotten a more permanent reminder on my skin as well...a tattoo to remind myself that I have the courage an strength within me to continue on in my life as normal. So, in saying that, here's a little new addition to my foot as of last Wednesday...

"God does not take away trials or carry us over them, but strengthens us through them."

 I couldn't be happier with my new addition :) I love it and I think that because of its permanency that I will never forget how to stay strong. I may have my moments, but the tattoo will always be a reminder to me that when I'm looking down, and I see my foot, to keep my head up and my eyes straight ahead, focused on the road ahead of me. Life's too beautiful to look anywhere else than forward :)

xo
Jardin

"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand.  It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.  You rarely win, but sometimes you do."  ~Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird


Courage is something that I'm learning to lean on a lot right now. Waiting waiting waiting. Just a little longer and I'll be able to figure things out and get on with my life. Until then, I remain courageous.


xo
Jardin

Difficult Roads Lie Ahead:

Sometimes when life hands you lemons (really disgusting, sour, awful lemons), you just gotta make some damn lemonade, even if you might feel like drinking wine. The point of the post of this, regardless of how much shit you might be going through, everything will be okay. And sometimes you just have to play the card you're dealt. For me, that's exactly what I'm dealing with right now.

In future posts I might feel brave enough to really open up as to what's been going on in my life these past few days, but for now, I'll stick to my somewhat "shady" posts. It's not that I don't want to talk about it..but... well, maybe I really don't want to talk about it right now. It's a touchy subject. And I'm waiting for a phone call right now that's going to make me feel anxiety all day until I actually hear my phone ring. Yikes. I hate waiting when it's something that could literally change your life forever.

A week and a half ago, I would have never thought I'd be wearing the shoes I am now. Seriously. Funny how some things can change in an instant. Of course, I could be blowing much of this out of proportion, but honestly I just need to wait for that stupid phone call before I can come to any final conclusions. It's been a rough week though, that's for sure. Lots of tears cried, head held low...it's one of those weeks where I wish I could go invisible. Which of course is nearly impossible because: A) it's the first week back to classes, and I've seen about a million and ten people already, and B) I'm an RA on campus, which means even if I don't want to be happy, I kind of have to. I'm constantly surrounded by my residents, and when all I want to do is crawl myself up into the tiniest hole ever and bury myself, I don't really have that option. It's tough, but I'm somehow trying to get through it in one piece.

I don't have much more to say, but for those who might be going through a difficult time like I am, just know that you WILL be okay. I promise you. It might take time to heal, but in the end, know that you'll be alright. And if whatever happens with me today doesn't quite come out the way I want, I promised myself that within the week I will be getting 1 of these 2 tattoos, or maybe even both:

"We may hurt, but we will heal - there's beauty in our scars."
"God does not take away trials or carry us over them, but strengthens us through them."

Both are reminders to keep my heads up during these difficult moments, because I know I'll be taken care of throughout it all. And trust me, so will you :)

xo
Jardin

Cats in tanks...duh.

What makes for better entertainment than a Catpocalypse type of video? Enjoy lovely people :) Happy Monday! PS. at :35 seconds...best part.

xo

Jardin

Happy First day of School! :)

It's the first day of my last year of college. Senior year...I can't believe it's already come so quickly. It's weird to think that at one point I was scared of coming to Austin, afraid I wouldn't meet any new people and I'd be too shy to try any new activities. Of course all of that wasn't true, and I've come to meet some of the most wonderful people in the world here at St. Edward's, as well as join probably the most social aspect of campus: as an RA working for Residence Life.

St. Edward's has changed my life in more ways than one, and more specifically coming to Austin has changed my life drastically over the past few years. I came to Austin on a completely different wave length, and I'll be leaving with a very different frame of mind. I'm more open to change, diversity, life... more so than I ever was in my earlier high school years. I'm happier, more optimistic, and I actually have somewhat of a plan for my future.

I've come to meet the man of my dreams, and I have my job as an RA to thank for that. I'm thankful everything with that worked out as perfectly as I could have imagined, and it didn't turn into a sticky mess. I'm happier than ever with this boy, and I couldn't have asked for a better relationship:

I don't think there was anything anyone could have told me to truly prepare me for my journey to college. I've had to learn everything through myself, through simply living and experiencing...from old friends to new, past lovers to the the best one yet, I've come to realize that there really are no moments that I can take for granted. These past three (going on 4) years have been the best ones of my life to date, no doubt about it. 

As I walked into my first class this morning, bright and early at 9am, it was strange to think that the classroom I was in was the place where I had my freshman orientation, where I took my freshman studies course, and where I'd be sitting for the entirety of the semester in my International Organizations class this current semester. I hadn't taken a class in Jones Auditorium since my freshman year. Strange. 

I'm ready for this year, and I finally believe that I'm ready for my life as well. These past few years are only the beginning, and the awesomely vast amounts of opportunities out there are just waiting for me to come find them. I'm living this day, this week, this year, this life...to the absolute fullest, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Cheers to your life, make it what you will :)

xo

Jardin

Sweet Dreams! This RA is off to finish folding my laundry and then bed. Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite...

xo
Jardin

Sweet Summer, Gone Already...

So. It's been a while since my last post...about three and a half months to be exact. But, hopefully I'll now have more regular access to a computer and finally start blogging a little bit more. My computer crashed right before the summer (I will NEVER buy a PC again..ughh..4th one in three years! Lame sauce.), which really wasn't super convenient..at all, and so I've been computerless all summer, which also meant no blogging. Tsk tsk.


So, in saying all this, I'm simply going to dedicate this post to a summary of photos from this summer, all memories of good times, my friends, my days spent in the sun, indoors, and everywhere in between. So, to begin with...

 I helped celebrate birthdays.

 I watched the sun disappear into the sea.

I watched my best friend graduate college.

 I met newborn baby goats.

 I had breakfast with friends.

 I drank delicious margaritas. 

 I had drinks with my best friend in Austin.

 I got to dress up like a cow. Moooo.

 I met new friends, new faces.

 I spent the night at the Ritz in Dallas.

I saw my last Harry Potter film ever. 

 I let my hair grow longer.

 I helped my man enjoy a memorable 21st birthday.

 I met new friends, and hung out with old.

 I swam.

 I visited home.

 I met new kitties...

I took too many pictures with my brown bunny.

 

I missed the beach.

I collected many, many shells.

I watched a sunset over a beachhouse.

I enjoyed coffee in Dallas.

I drank the yummiest of Sangria.

I put on makeup and did my hair.

I traveled on a ferry, for the first time in my life.

All of this and more, I did...I know it's a lot, but the photos are all the memories of the past few months. I also celebrated my 6 month anniversary with Chris, and we're still as happy as ever. It feels like February came and gone years ago...it seems like our time together has been endless. I'm more in love and happy with him then I've ever been. I am a lucky girl, because nice guys are hard to find these days it seems. But, 6 (now almost 7) months later, we're as strong and as in love as ever.

This summer has been one of the most enjoyable I've had in a while, and I look forward to the coming months ahead, filled with school, work, and an everyday sense of routine.

Laissez les bon temps roulez...because is there really anything else you can do?

xo

Jardin