2014 - The Year of Rejuventation

I can hardly believe today is the first day in 2015. This past year just flew by. I imagine that every year will feel like it's going by faster than the last. As usually, this year was really busy for us, but I'm also naming it the Year of Rejuvenation! I still need to add some of Alex's pictures, but here's a recap of what we've been up to the last six months.

As of my last posting in May (wow, I am ashamed of myself), Alex had recently graduated from his MBA program. He suddenly had all of this time back on his hands and he used it to focus on taking care of himself and continuing on his path of learning. This time he zeroed in on real estate investing, which was a topic he had already been researching in his sparse spare time.

Something must have stuck, because before we knew it we were knee deep in renovating a house in Cleveland. It was an amazing feeling to take a place that had been neglected and breath some new life into it. Alex loves the number crunching side of things and I get to flex my creative muscles. We make a darn good team, but none of it would've been possible without my father-in-law who runs the projects through his contracting business. The project kicked off in July right in the middle of our summer travels. {To see more photos visit my facebook page, OrganizeDesign by LPJ} During the 4th of July we were able to visit and do a little hands-on painting at the house. We had fun exploring Edgewater Park with the Janesz clan too. 

In June, Alex and I ended up in Chicago over the same weekend for some of our friends' pre-wedding activities. I found myself back in Chicago later that month to celebrate another friend. Bachelorette and bachelor parties are a great excuse to get together with friends and let loose.

Girl's Weekend for my College Roommate Erin

Lucky in Love Cocktails!

Bachelorette Party for my friend Michelle

We had three weddings in July, two in Cleveland and one in Hocking Hills. One of our Cleveland weddings was the wedding of Alex's high school friend Matt Stricker to his lovely bride Laura. Matt and Alex spent their baseball playing days together. The same day we also had Michelle and Chase's wedding, who are our friends that we met through Alex's other high school friends from St. Ignatius. The last wedding was my college roommate Erin! I met her when I was a freshman and then we lived together for three years. After college we even worked together at the same company in Human Resources!

Alex and I at Michelle and Chase's Wedding July 19th

Michelle and Chase Gardner!

College Roommates with the Bride-to-Be, July 25th

Erin & Tim Ruark, July 26th

Alex and I at the Ruark Wedding!

In August we had a wedding in Murray, KY for Alex's friend Pete from his MBA program. Pete's wife Jenny and I would have dinner together occasionally while they were at class. It made the weekdays not quite so lonely!

We made a little weekend of the wedding and stayed in this quaint little cabin on a small lake nearby. I think that was officially the only time we have driven south for a wedding! Although it was a short weekend away for the two of us it was very peaceful and a wonderful break from our hectic lives. There was even a community dog that took walks with us and rested on our porch while we had breakfast, which we both really enjoyed. It was great to get away from technology a little bit and get some fresh air!

Alex and I at our Cabin Getaway in Bumpus Mills, TN

Jenny & Pete Thackston, August 2nd

He can't resist dancing at a wedding

Favorite picture session of the year!

MBA Guys with the Groom

The rest of August went by in a blur! One weekend we drove up to Springfield, OH to participate in the Happy Marathon organized by my college roommate's boyfriend. Another weekend there was a golf tournament through our church that Alex participated in. I helped set up the mixer/dinner the evening before, and we ended up bidding on a trip to Myrtle Beach during the silent auction {we'll be heading there with both families this upcoming June}. We celebrated my mom's birthday in Cincinnati, went to Cleveland for a weekend and celebrated Labor Day with a pool party at my parent's house!

My parents and I out for my mom's birthday

In September Alex traveled to Denver for a long weekend to celebrate another friend's last few months as a bachelor. While he was there I took the opportunity to travel to Columbus to spend some time with my college roommate Karleya.  In September the official RCIA classes at our church started up on Monday nights. Alex has been attending with me as my co-sponsor. He and I also took over the coordination for a volunteer activity the RCIA group does together once a month. We go to the Catholic Action Center near downtown Lexington loaded up with all sorts of hot food and we feed everyone breakfast. It's such a rewarding experience.

Along with CAC, since joining our new church earlier in the Spring there have been numerous opportunities to get involved. These opportunities and the church community have had a profound effect on rejuvenating our spiritual lives. And a bonus, it's right around the corner from our house so we can walk to church when the weather cooperates! We headed up to Cincinnati to take in a Red's game with my parents for my Dad's birthday and that final weekend Alex drove up to Cleveland to partake in his family's Annual Par 4 Golf Weekend.  He was so excited to spend time with the guy's in his family because he hadn't been able to attend in a couple years due to school. 

Mom and I at a Red's Game

In October we hosted some family and friends for a weekend at Keeneland Race Course. We rented a party bus and had a little too much fun. It always feels good to host our loved ones and just laugh for an entire weekend. Laughter is definitely a cure for what ails you. At the end of the month Alex took part in a weekend retreat at our church called CRHP (Christ Renews His Parish). It was a men's only retreat and he thoroughly enjoyed the experience. He had not been to a retreat since high school; it was spiritually enlightening, but also provided a superb opportunity to meet some more people at our church.

At Keeneland

Following Alex's retreat I traveled to California for the first time ever with my work. When I got off the plane in Ontario, CA (near Pasadena, north of LA) I was struck by the beauty of the mountains. And the weather. There was so much sunshine and a gentle breeze. It's a great place to visit, but I still love the Midwest! I need Seasons! And greenery! It was a wonderful time of year to visit and I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Santa Anita Race Track. Our purpose for traveling to California was to host an awards luncheon to recognize three people in the horse industry. One had saved a jockeys life and the other two had committed themselves to bettering life on the backside.

Santa Anita Race Track, Arcadia, CA

(Side note: the backside is the area of a horse racing track that you don't normally see if you're just in the grandstands. There are many people that live on the backside and they work 7 days a week doing hard labor. It can be very dangerous, there is a lot of negative temptation (drinking, drugs, gambling) and the accommodations are usually very run down. They don't always have reliable transportation, they are sometimes without their families and many do not speak English. Our organization supports Chaplains on these race tracks, who minister specifically to this community of people. They hold bible studies, they perform baptisms, coordinate counseling sessions and all of the other activities that a pastor in a church would do. They also have programs for the children, ESL classes and free dinners etc.)

From California I flew directly to Pittsburgh, PA for our last wedding of the year, a past co-worker of Alex's. Alex met me at the airport and we went straight to UPS to get the closing paperwork for our flip notarized. The house had only been on the market for 6 days before we received a full price offer! What an amazing first experience, we got to work on flip #2 immediately. (It's about 2 weeks away from completion right now). Again, to follow our flips and see photos you can check out my facebook page, Organize Design by LPJ. We had an awesome time in Pittsburgh celebrating our friends.

Myself and the LDP Ladies

Pete & Chrissy Steele, November 2nd

Alex and I outside St. Bernard in Pittsburgh, PA

It was a relief to only have 5 weddings this year instead of 10 like the two years prior! It was a lot of fun to have one to look forward to in November. Usually they all seem to be back to back. This year Alex and I celebrated our four year anniversary (Oct 2). The groom and a few of the other people at the wedding had also been at ours so we had fun reminiscing over all the times we've been together. They live in Houston, TX and Pittsburgh, PA so we do not see them all the time. 

For Thanksgiving we decided to take it easy and keep our travels limited to Cincinnati, Many years we've celebrated in both Cincinnati and Cleveland which is quite exhausting. It was very refreshing to stay in the same city and we even went home early so we could have a day to relax.

Dad, Alex and I outside the Incline Public House, Cincinnati, OH

In December we tried to take it easy in preparation for the hectic holidays. One weekend we did take an impromptu trip down to the Abbey at Gesthemani. It was beautiful scenery and learning about the monks is quite inspiring. It's difficult to put it into words, but if you ever have the opportunity I would encourage you to visit a monastery for yourself. Unfortunately, we weren't able to take in a service while we were there, but we did catch the tail end of one. Just down the road from the Abbey is Maker's Mark Distillery so we extended our day trip to take it all in. One thing we've really loved about Kentucky is all of the history and how Kentucky is still known for the same things today {like bourbon and thoroughbred horses}. 

Abbey at Gesthemani

Maker's Mark Distillery

For Christmas we did spend time in multiple cities, but we had the full week off so it ended up being very relaxing as well. We did not want it to end! We started off in Cincinnati with my parents. We saw my friends from college and Alex's mom's side of the family as well. On Christmas Eve we drove through Toledo to visit my mom's mom before making it to Cleveland. We stayed in Cleveland until Sunday morning and then stopped in Cincinnati for a Christmas meal with my dad's side of the family.

A few of the Harshman Grandkids, Cincinnati, OH

The Janesz Clan at St. Stanislaus Church, Cleveland, OH

It was definitely challenging going to work this past Monday, but it was so worth it. We had such a peaceful and enjoyable time over the break. It was nice to get away from our house and our to-do lists.  And last night, New Year's Eve, we stayed home together and went to bed early. It was fabulous. At the end of the day, Alex and I just want to be together no matter what we're doing and we've had a heck of a year of adventures doing just that.

Cheers to 2015! May you have a happy and healthy new year!

"May he grant all your heart's desires and make your plans succeed." Psalm 20:44

Merry Christmas 2013! {xoxo}

This year I had trouble deciding what to send out for a Christmas card. I contemplated ordering a photo card because I felt behind schedule {thanks a lot late Thanksgiving} and there was a lot going on, but ultimately I decided I had to take the time to create something unique {and my lovely husband may have encouraged me because he knows I would've regretted it if I hadn't made them}.

Earlier this summer I opened a shop on Etsy to sell stationery and I have been working on adding more items to my shop; anytime I can exercise a little creativity I find that it usually leads to even more good ideas! I had a friend order some stationery sets to give as gifts this year and they included hand-drawn personalized icons, which is what gave me the idea for our Christmas card {they are not on Etsy yet, but I can do custom orders}! Thank you Maria! The stationery set I made for her birthday this year was one of my very first projects, so it's fitting that I would end the year with projects for her.

If you've read my blog before, you know that I like to write. That can be challenging when confronted with an itty bitty card that you're printing in a large quantity. My goals were that it would tell a story, spread Christmas cheer and the good news of Jesus' birth, be appealing to the eye and also appropriate for everyone receiving it. While I am creative at heart, that doesn't necessarily mean I am the best artist. I tried. If I had allowed my perfectionist side to come out during the making of this Christmas card I probably wouldn't have gotten it in the mail before Christmas day. Anyways, enough about my "creative" process. 

Here's the tree and the legend that were printed on the outside of the card {the tree was on the front, and the key on the back so you could lay the card flat and see them side by side as seen below}. 

And as I copy and paste the content from the card to expand on it, I notice a few misspellings. I guess that's what I get when I stay up until the wee hours of the morning... Oops!

HORSESHOE- Our home sweet home in Lexington and Lauren's brand new job. Lexington is considered the "Horse Capital of the World." Here's a brief background from Wikipedia: 

Lexington has been known as a major center for Thoroughbred breeding since the late 18th century due to the high calcium content in the soils of the InnerBluegrass Region, which leads to stronger bones and greater durability in horses. 

The city is home to two horse racing tracks, Keeneland and the The Red Mile harness track. Keeneland, sporting live races in April and October, is steeped in tradition; little has changed since the track's opening in 1936. The Red Mile Harness Track is the oldest horse racing track in the city and the second oldest in the nation. There you can see horses pull two-wheeled carts called sulkies while racing, also known as harness racing. 

The Kentucky Horse Park, located along scenic Iron Works Pike in northern Fayette County, is a comparative late-comer to Lexington, opening in 1978. Although commonly known as a tourist attraction and museum, it is also a museum and working horse farm with a farrier and famous retired horses such as Cigar and 2003Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide. The Since its opening in April 1978, the Kentucky Horse Park has hosted the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event, which is one of the top 3 annual equestrian eventing competitions in the world and held immediately before the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville. In September and October 2010, Lexington hosted the World Equestrian Games,^[50] the first time the games were held outside of Europe. Since October/November 2011, the Kentucky Horse Park has hosted the National Horse Show.

The week of Thanksgiving I started a new job with the Race Track Chaplaincy of America {National Service Center}. It is an inter-denominational Christian organization aimed at ministering and meeting the spiritual, emotional, physical, social, and educational needs of people working in the racing industry. {That's the short version, here's a great article about our organization that provides a larger picture}. I am blessed to have this new opportunity. 

ST. LOUIS ARCH- St. Louis & Kansas City road trip. In late April Alex and I drove West to Kansas City for the wedding of one of his former co-workers. Along the way, we stopped over in St. Louis! It was my first time visiting both cities and I was pleasantly surprised. I thought they were quite wonderful and it was an amazing trip, even though it was short! {Read more: http://www.thejaneszfamily.com/2013/05/nothing-like-road-trip-to-kick-off.html}

LOBSTER- Road trip to Maine and the East Coast. We took an extended Labor Day holiday in order to drive East for the wedding of Alex's college roommate. Once again, I visited quite a few places I have never been. It was an exorbitant amount of driving, but we saw so many loved ones along the way and had a chance to spend some quality time together and just relax. I would love to go back to Maine one day, and Rehoboth Beach, DE. {Read more: http://www.thejaneszfamily.com/2013/09/east-coast-road-trip-alexs-bday.html}

UK- Alex completed his third semester of his MBA program at the University of Kentucky. After finishing some prerequisite classes last summer, Alex started his MBA program in August 2012. Since then he has had class three days a week from 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. {summers off!}. With his work schedule requiring a lot of after hours office time and traveling, it's been a grueling schedule. It was extremely challenging at first to adjust, but somehow we made it work. As I write this he's finishing up his last assignment for this semester and then he'll be done until Jan 15! I can hardly believe he'll be starting his last semester already; the time flew by and I am so proud of him. 

#3 CANDLE- We celebrated three years of marriage. Talk about time flying by! It's been a wonderful adventure so far and I am so thankful that we found one another. With Alex having a crazy schedule, we had a low key anniversary this year and spent the following weekend with his family who came in to visit {Read more: http://www.thejaneszfamily.com/2013/10/september-celebrating.html}

WEDDING CAKE- Lots of beautiful "I do's". Last year and this year have been that time in our lives when everyone we know is getting married. It's so exciting to celebrate with them and reminisce about what it felt like to get married. We had eight or nine weddings this year! Congratulations to all of our friends and family members that tied the knot this past year! Here's a few blog posts about them:

• {from above: http://www.thejaneszfamily.com/2013/05/nothing-like-road-trip-to-kick-off.html, http://www.thejaneszfamily.com/2013/09/east-coast-road-trip-alexs-bday.html}
• http://www.thejaneszfamily.com/2013_08_01_archive.html

WELCOME MAT- Friends and family came to visit. We had a few visit from friends and family this year. It's surprising we had that many visitors considering how often we were out of town. Pat Janesz wins the award for being our most frequent visitor! Visitors are always welcome, so let us know if you'd like to come down for a visit or even just a stopover. We are not far from Cincinnati and are on the way to quite a few warm weather destinations!

• Cousin Fran & My College Roommates: http://www.thejaneszfamily.com/2013_04_01_archive.html
• My Mom and Her Friend, Denise {from High School} http://www.thejaneszfamily.com/2013/07/girls-weekend-in-lex.html
• Janesz Fam: {posted above} http://www.thejaneszfamily.com/2013/10/september-celebrating.html

BEER- Alex attended the Siebel Institute of Technology for a course,  "Starting your own Brewery." Life has just been flying by and as a result Alex and I try to take advantage of every opportunity that we can. Alex's dream is to one day open a brewery, so he took advantage of his summer break by heading to Chicago to attend a three day course at the Siebel Institute of Technology which is America's oldest brewing school {more history here}. They had instructors from various breweries and drank beer during class {for learning purposes of course haha}. Here was the curriculum: 

• Brewery Process and Design:
  • Anatomy of a Commercial Brewery
  • Buying Brewing Equipment & Fermentation Capacity
  • Buying and Starting Up Packaging Equipment
  • Site Selection and Practical Considerations in Building a Brewery
  • Utilities, Waste Water & Regulations
• Restaurant Operations
  • Restaurant Components and their Management
  • Steps in Creating a Successful Restaurant
  • Site Selection and Real Estate Considerations
• Marketing Your Venture
  • Public Relations and Events
  • Packaging Design and Point-of-Sale Materials
• Distribution
  • Finding a Distributor
  • Franchise Laws
  • Working with Distributors
• Business Plan Creation
  • Financial Measures and Statements
  • Anatomy of a Business Plan
  • Researching and Writing Your Business Plan

P.S. It's taking place June 9-11th, 2014 if you want to go!

OHIO OUTLINE- Cincy, Columbus, Cleveland. Repeat. I was very tempted to go through our calendar and count all of the weekends we were in each city, but I got tired just by thinking about it. We are lucky to be close to my family and some of Alex's extended family in Cincinnati, so we make that trip frequently. Sometimes we even just go up for the day. We also drive to Cleveland once every month or two, and whenever we do, we usually stop by Cincinnati for dinner with my family on our way back; it helps break up the drive! Two of my best friends from college are in Columbus, along with Alex's youngest brother at OSU, so we usually end up visiting there every so often as well.  

• Last Christmas: http://www.thejaneszfamily.com/2013_01_01_archive.html
• May/June: http://www.thejaneszfamily.com/2013_06_01_archive.html
• http://www.thejaneszfamily.com/2013/07/add-another-c-city-to-list.html
• July/August {posted above}: http://www.thejaneszfamily.com/2013/08/first-comes-love-then-comes-marriage.html
• Sept {posted above}: http://www.thejaneszfamily.com/2013/09/east-coast-road-trip-alexs-bday.html}
• October: http://www.thejaneszfamily.com/2013/11/seeing-blue-scarlet-just-plain-clearer.html

BLOCK O- Columbus + Football Festivities. Alex won us football tickets through the alumni lottery so we went up for the San Diego State game which happened to be on his birthday. We went back up in October just to tailgate. Alex's former co-worker and Buckeye came in from Texas so we had a little gathering of old friends and new friends. It's surreal to walk around campus, because I feel so old, yet my experiences all comes rushing back to me when I'm there and it feels like yesterday.

• Sept {posted above}:  http://www.thejaneszfamily.com/2013/09/east-coast-road-trip-alexs-bday.html
• October {posted above}:  http://www.thejaneszfamily.com/2013/11/seeing-blue-scarlet-just-plain-clearer.html

WPJH- The initials of our families' surnames together. I am so incredibly thankful to have married into such a wonderful family and that my family adores Alex as well. Our families have a tradition of going out for drinks and appetizers every time the Janesz clan is in Cincinnati {usually Christmas and Memorial Day}. My parents are always welcome at the Janesz Family Sausage Making during Easter in Cleveland and the Harshman Memorial Day picnic. My caring in-laws came to Toledo for my Grandpa Wagoner's funeral this past March to show their support for my family. Our parents even spend time together when we are not there! I couldn't imagine our lives without all of them. There might even be a Peterson-Janesz family vaca in the future even...

• Last Christmas {posted above}:  http://www.thejaneszfamily.com/2013_01_01_archive.html
• Easter:  http://www.thejaneszfamily.com/2013_04_01_archive.html
• Memorial Day:  http://www.thejaneszfamily.com/2013_06_01_archive.html

CANNED GOODS- Our Power for Life Food Drive. Alex was inspired to coordinate a food drive this past summer to help give back to the community {more here: https://www.facebook.com/PowerforLifeFoodDrive}. I also helped with some of the coordination, along with one of our friends, Amy, that also works in the electrical industry. After all of our hard work it was so rewarding to drop off all of the food together and discover that we had brought in over 700 pounds of food! Not bad for our first effort! Hopefully, we will be able to do it again next year.

PALM TREE- A trip to Charleston, SC for 4th of July. My lovely friend and my first college roommate, Karleya, invited us to join her and her husband on a road trip to Charleston, SC. Her parents moved there within the past couple years. The only time I had been to Charleston previously was to have dinner and pick up a cruise ship during my senior year of college. It was beautiful weather and company with no shortage of delicious food and drinks. Her parents are fantastic hosts and it's always nice to see them. I would go back without a doubt!

{Read more: http://www.thejaneszfamily.com/2013/07/add-another-c-city-to-list.html}

BRIEFCASE- Alex started a new job in April. During one of Alex's college courses Spring Semester 2012 his professor encouraged them to always be open to other opportunities. He took his professor's advice just as a learning opportunity and the next thing he knew he was starting a new job. It is always bittersweet to move on, especially when you still love your job, but his new job has been an amazing learning opportunity. It has provided him with the chance to learn more about the inner workings of a business as a whole and how to build a business. 

HAMMER & NAILS- Home improvements; all new ceiling fans & exterior lights, plus a garage overhaul! It seems like we are finally done with upgrades to the house for now. I still need to paint my back doors and we're hoping to update our small guest bathroom, but we are satisfied for now! Over the past two and a half years we have put a lot of sweat equity into this place and it's nice to see it come together. This year our biggest projects were replacing all of the ceiling fans and the exterior lights as well as overhauling our garage. A lot of the smaller projects I have done on my own, but these were two projects that Alex and I did together and I always love how well we work as a team. 

• Laundry Room: http://www.thejaneszfamily.com/2013_02_01_archive.html
• Fan/lighting replacements: http://www.thejaneszfamily.com/2013/05/being-homebod-and-traveler-is-not.html, 
• To see the front porch railing and the garage overhaul visit my Facebook page, www.facebook.com/organizedesignbylpj. There are also lots of mini projects posted there too!

It's crazy to look back on the past year and remember everything that's happened. Sadly, my blog and my facebook pictures actually help me keep track of it all! It makes me very excited for what's to come next year. Now we just have to wrap up the rest of our week and then it's time to celebrate Christmas with our families. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! And now to close, the most important part of our Christmas tree.

It's 2013 Already?

This year I starting thinking about buying Christmas gifts in September. I planned out when I would order my Christmas cards and updated my excel document of addresses for easy mailing in advance. The next thing I know, the decorations are up and Alex and I are already attending holiday parties.

Planning in advance this year definitely allowed me to enjoy the holidays more because I had more time to focus on the important moments while they were happening instead of getting caught up in all of the minute details. Okay, let's be real, I was still a stress ball. One of the most overwhelming things about the holidays is planning all of our travels! Somehow, everything always ends up working out in the end.

My work holiday party

The first two weekends in December we spent with our coworkers at our respective holiday parties. The Friday before Christmas we drove up to Cleveland. We went to the Janesz family Christmas party and then to a holiday party hosted by our friends. The remainder of the holiday was spent mostly in comfy clothes relaxing. I read and watched countless movies. Alex made beer with his dad and gamed with his siblings. We went to church a couple times. That's the short version, but all in all it was a visit filled with lots of R&R and quality time with family and friends.

We headed back to Lexington in a blizzard the day after Christmas. I went into the office for a couple days to get caught up on a few work things and send out the payroll checks. After unpacking we promptly repacked for a long weekend in Cincinnati. We enjoyed dinner and a gift exchange with my parents. The next day we spent with Alex's family and members of the Harshman clan at his Grandpa's house. That evening we met back up with my parents for our traditional Peterson-Janesz Cock and Bull English Pub gathering. As always it proved to be an enjoyable evening.

It's such a wonderful feeling to have a tradition that brings our two families together! We have a little too much fun I think...

The next day we went to my parent's church and had the pleasure of seeing my mom play handbells during the service. It was an interesting experience because it was also the first time we had seen the renovated sanctuary. My entire life (or as long as I can remember) it's been the same, and now it's not. As much as we move on in our lives, sometimes it's still surprising when the things from our past change too.

That afternoon we partook in another Christmas tradition - Swedish pancakes, at my Aunt and Uncle's house. Since I was in elementary school we have always made Swedish pancakes for our Christmas meal with my dad's side of the family. My dad has Swedish roots on both sides of his family. They are less cakey and have the consistency of a crepe. We make small sand dollar size ones in a griddle and then you top them with lingonberries {or lingonberry sauce}, which have a similar flavor to cranberries. When my cousins and I were young we would have contests to see who could eat the most. I still love them. They're delicious, but they also remind me of many happy memories.

That evening I met up with a few of my college roommates for dinner. As always, we had so much to talk about and there never seems to be enough time. It was great to catch up with them. We've been through so many different situations with one another, and it's special to see where we've all ended up knowing everyone's back stories and hardships. Love them!

New Year's Eve we went to the Newport Aquarium with my parents and explored. We had a late lunch and just enjoyed the afternoon. That evening Alex and I had a low key New Year's Eve with some close friends. A perfect close to a hectic holiday! It felt like our second visit was over before it even started. I hate that feeling when a trip, a weekend or a holiday finally comes to an end. I just feel disappointed that I can't spend every waking minute hanging out with my family and friends. The fact that I can't though, is what makes it that much more enjoyable and special when we are together.

Now we're both back to work, our resolutions are hanging on the fridge and our calendar is filling up for the next few months. It's almost half way through January already! Alex has started his second semester at UK and it looks like this year it's going to be just as busy as last year. Phew. Life is crazy, but oh so good.

'Tis The Season To Be Jolly

I'm quite jolly that I am finally getting around to blogging this morning. It's Sunday morning, and I woke up to a heavy rain outside my window. I left Alex sleeping and I am making myself some coffee and am curled up on the couch in front of our Christmas tree. I love the way the lights twinkle and the ornaments reflect the light. Our Christmas tree gives off such a warm glow and evokes happy thoughts, which stem from a childhood of Merry Christmases. Once I put the tree up, I never want to take it down.

The past two months have flown by. I had so many thoughts for a blog posting and just never gave myself enough time to sit down and do it. Even though I blog for fun, it's still a creative process for me and I have to be in the right state of mind so that it doesn't start to feel like another chore on my to do list.

{A little sidebar on my found love for blogging: I have always loved to read and write. I would devour books when I was younger and still love to read. I would keep a diary when I was in elementary school and gradually got into writing through my classes at school. I had a pen pal in England that I wrote to for years. I was in an advanced reading class and still read for pleasure every night before bed, whenever I wasn't talking to a boy on the phone. I loved to write poetry in my spare time and for class. I eventually became an Editor for a poetry group through the Cincinnati Library as well as the Co-Head Editor of my high school yearbook. I considered starting a novel and even saved a few beginnings on my computer.

I took a cue from my mom and corresponded with both of my grandmothers the old fashioned way once I moved away for college. Although I considered applying to Ohio University's Journalism Program, I somehow wound up at Ohio State in the Business Program focusing on Marketing, which also relies heavily on words. Somewhere between graduating from high school and college I was introduce to the world of blogging. I always loved scrapbooking and taking pictures so it seemed to be a natural fit. Now it's a way for me to express my creativity and keep in touch with everyone. I still think it would be fun to write a children's book with my mom, but I am still trying to figure out my true passion}

October included two more beautiful weddings which concluded the wedding season for 2012.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Cincinnati and our weekend trip to Chattanooga, but there is truly no place like home! The last weekend in October we made a day trip to Elk Creek Winery to meet up with my parents to celebrate my Dad's birthday. Although it was slightly chilly weather we had a great day together and it was fun to explore somewhere new.

In November we enjoyed some down time, but also had some visitors to Lexington. Pat and our friends Rob and Tricia came in for a weekend and we visited the Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versailles, KY. The weather was absolutely perfect for our adventure. The men also had some business to attend to with their new venture, One Twenty Properties. Since then, things have been progressing smoothly with their first rental property, but I'll leave that to Alex to share. I am so proud of all of the hard work they've done so far, but mostly I am so ecstatic to see one of Alex's dreams becoming a reality. He's such an inspiration to me.

Tricia snapped a picture of us at Woodford that became our Christmas card for this year!

The following weekend we finally bought a washer and dryer after a year and a half without one! It's taken quite a while, but our house finally feels like a completely home, although the projects will never end. As excited as I was to get a washer and dryer it was a little bittersweet. Alex and I would go to the laundromat every other Sunday before church. We'd let the clothes dry while we went to church right now the street. Then we'd come back and fold everything together. It was married teamwork at it's finest. It's one of the moments I think I'll always remember as part of our journey as newlyweds.

We then spent Thanksgiving with my family in Toledo, and Alex's family in Cleveland. It was also a nice chance to see many of our friends in Cleveland. I love that we can always count on our friends to get together for the holidays. The following weekend it was time to switch months and holidays and go to my work Christmas party. This weekend we did a little Christmas shopping and gift wrapping. Alex is spending today studying for his finals which come up in a few days. I'll be finishing up all our of Christmas cards and doing some things around the house, maybe even letting myself watch a cheesy holiday flick while I am at it.

I can't believe Alex is almost done with his first semester at UK! It was a challenge from the start for both of us, but we've adapted pretty well and it should get easier from here. It seems like as soon as you adapt to your set of circumstances everything changes, and you have to start again. I've been keeping myself busy with a book club, work out classes and plenty of chores and errands. I am always signing myself up for more home improvements too. They never end! After Alex's finals this week, we'll be heading to Louisville for his work Christmas party. It'll be a great chance to unwind and have a little fun. After that it'll be time for Christmas in Cleveland and then another round in Cincinnati. Phew! It can be an exhausting, stressful time of year, but I have made every attempt to keep it simple this year and just remember 'tis the season to be jolly for so many reasons. 

Merry Christmas with Love

Christmas has been quite peaceful this year for Alex and I. Last weekend we celebrated the holiday at our next door neighbors' house. The night was full of tacky holiday garb (see pictures below), food & drinks, music & charades and also a White Elephant/Dirty Santa gift exchange. We've been truly blessed to have moved in next door to such a great couple. I always hoped that I would be good friends with my next door neighbors once I had a house. 

Earlier this week we drove up to Cincinnati to spend a couple days with the Harshman side of Alex's family. I finally made the bourbon balls and gave them to the family as a little mini gift and token of our love. We also had our third annual Christmas gathering at the Cock and Bull Restaurant & Pub with Alex's immediate family and my parents. It gives me such a warm happy feeling to see Alex's family and mine conversing and enjoying each others' company. 

Lighted Message on a Building off I-75

It was a peaceful mid-week getaway and an early Christmas celebration. While we were in Cincinnati Alex and I also picked up our Christmas present. Well, we really decided that this year we wouldn't do Christmas presents, but instead we would buy a piece of bedroom furniture. You know you're getting old when that happens... It's a nice change of pace around the holiday and I think it's taken more of our focus off of the gifts and put it into the meaning for the season and the spirit of the holiday.

Bourbon Balls

Bourbon Balls from the Flavors of Kentucky Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped pecans

• 4 tablespoons bourbon

• 1 stick butter, softened

• 1 pound powdered sugar

• 14 oz. package chocolate-flavored candy melts (or you can use semi-sweet chocolate chips & shortening)

Directions:

• Combine the pecans and bourbon in a bowl. Refrigerate, to allow the flavors to blend, for 3 hours or overnight.   

• Cream the butter and the powdered sugar using an electric mixer. Add the pecan mixture. Roll the mixture into small balls and chill.

• Melt the candy melts in the microwave according to the package directions. Dip the balls in the melted chocolate using a fork. Place the balls on waxed paper to harden. Top each candy with a pecan half while the chocolate is still wet (I skipped this step!). 

Wednesday evening we finished putting together the dresser as Karleya and Bryan arrived in town. They were on their way down to spend Christmas in Asheville with the rest of the Sommer Family. We munched on Christmas cookies that Karleya had made and also had bacon-wrapped dates. Yummmm... 

Bacon-Wrapped Dates adapted from a recipe in The Best 1001 Short, Easy Recipes Cookbook
Ingredients:

• 1 package of dates

• 1 package of bacon

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with foil. Turn up the sides of the foil to catch the grease from the bacon.

1. Cut the bacon into halves or even thirds. Wrap a piece of bacon around the date. Place it with the seam down on the foil. Continue wrapping dates until you reach the amount of appetizers you would like. (You can base this on how many dates are in a bag).

1. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip halfway through. Bake until bacon is done. Drain and serve hot. 

Thursday morning I made a pastry for breakfast and we had a lazy morning. I'm thankful to have had the chance to see Karleya and Bryan for the short visit even though I would've loved to have had more time with them. Alex worked for the rest of the day while I got in a little Christmas shopping and present wrapping. 

Yummy Breakfast Pastry from Seasoned to Taste: City of Chattanooga Official Cookbook 

Ingredients:

• 1 (12-count) can refrigerated original breadsticks

• 6 oz. cream cheese softened (I personally think you could get away with using even less)

• 1 medium egg yolk

• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

• 3/4 cup blueberries (or any other fruit)

• Egg Wash: 1 medium egg white & 2 tsp. water 

• Glaze: 1 cup confectioners' sugar & 2 tbsp orange juice

Directions:

• Unroll the breadstick dough lengthwise on a 10x15 baking pan lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Pinch the center seam of the dough to seal. Beat the cream cheese, egg yolk and confectioners' sugar in a mixing bowl until smooth. Spread down the center of the dough. Top with the blueberries.
• Starting at the top, bring each bread stick alternately towards the center in criss-cross fashion to cover the filling, braiding the dough all the way down. 
• Brush with a mixture of the egg white and water. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20 minutes. 
• Beat the confectioners' sugar and orange juice in a bowl until smooth. Spread over the pastry. 

Later that evening we prepped for our Friendsmas. I baked a glazed ham, made old-fashioned sweet potatoes and steamed green beans. Alex made a cranberry apple pie based on a recipe I found. I was impressed by his handiwork. It was fun to be able to cook in the kitchen in sync with him. I suppose that made up for his lack of help with the Christmas cookies! Although, it wasn't on the same scale as our Friendsgiving in Cleveland it was still a wonderful evening with our friends Dan & Jasmine. It amazes me to think that we have already known them for a year. I can't imagine Lexington without them.
To thank all of our friendly visitors this week we sent them off with a 6-pack of homemade beer. 

"Friendsmas" Recipes:  

Brown Sugar Glaze for Baked Ham from food.com

• 1 cup finely packed brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons flour

• 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard or 1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard

• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

• 3 tablespoons vinegar

• 3 tablespoons water

Directions:

• Combine 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, 1/2 teaspoons dry or prepared mustard, 1/8 tsp cinnamon, 3 tablespoons vinegar and 3 tablespoons water.

• Mix well and spread on ham, before putting it into oven.

Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole from the Taste of Home Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds sweet potatoes (about 5 large)< peeled and cubed

• 1 cup milk

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

• 6 tbsp butter, softened

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• 1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 3/4 tsp ground allspice

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

• 18 large marshmellows

Directions:

• Place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until tender. Drain.
• In a large mixing bowl, mash the potatoes. Add the milk, brown sugar, butter, egg, cinnamon, vanilla, allspice, salt and nutmeg; beat until smooth. Transfer to a greased shallow 2-1/2 qt. baking dish. Bake uncovered, at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until heated through.
• Top with marshmellows. bake 5-10 minutes longer or just until marshmellows begin to brown.

Cranberry Apple Pie from Disney Family Fun 

Ingredients:

• 1 refrigerated pie pastry

• 2 cups apples, peeled, cored, and quartered

• 2 cups fresh cranberries (thawed if frozen)

• 2/3 cup sugar

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour

• CRUMB TOPPING:

• 1/2 cup flour

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

• 4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

Directions: 

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 9-inch standard (not deep-dish) pie pan with the pastry, fluting the edge.
• Thinly slice the apples crosswise and combine them in a large bowl with the cranberries. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and flour, mixing well. Transfer the filling to the pie shell, smoothing the top of the fruit. Bake for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and cinnamon for the topping. Add the butter, rubbing it into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• After 30 minutes, remove the pie from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375 degrees. Spread the topping over the pie and bake it for another 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden and the fruit thickens and bubbles around the edges. Allow the pie to cool for 2 hours before serving. Serves 8.

This morning I finished my Christmas shopping, but have a few things to wrap still. I love wrapping gifts, it's somehow therapeutic for me and I always feel a large amount of satisfaction when I admire the final product.  Tomorrow my parents will come in town to spend Christmas Eve and part of Christmas day with us. I am looking forward to hosting them at our house and letting them relax for a change! Alex and I might not have a large space to entertain, but I think we've got it down at this point. 

Monday evening we will drive up to Cleveland and will stay through New Years Day. We'll have the opportunity to exchange gifts with Alex's immediate family and spend time with our friends as well. It's like a mini-vacation (minus warm weather). 

New Years Eve we'll spend the evening with 50 of our closest friends at a bar that we've rented out in Lakewood. I can't wait to see so many familiar faces in one place! We're blessed to have such an extended network of friends in Cleveland.

Family, Friends & Food; that's the remainder of 2011 in a nutshell. 

While I would have loved to be able to send a Christmas card to every single person I know (and I certainly try), it's just not feasible. Therefore, I'd like to share our Christmas card message here as well: 

December 2011

MERRY CHRISTMAS WITH LOVE FROM OUR HOUSE TO YOURS

We have been incredibly blessed this year as we’ve celebrated our first anniversary of marriage and moved into our first home together. For many of the moments in-between check out our blog: www.alexandlauren.blogspot.com. (obviously you already know this, because you're reading this blog post!)

The New Year is sure to bring us just as many adventures with trips, weddings and home improvements, just to name a few! We hope you and your family have a beautiful holiday season and a new year of peace and happiness.

                         

 - with joy & love -

   Lauren & Alex

'And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not:

'Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy

which will be to all people,

Unto you is born this day

a Savior which is Christ the Lord.'

Luke 2:10-11