February: A few of my classmates & I had the honor of being in the JA Charity Ball. I am by no means the dress up type, but it was neat to go & be a part of that with the classmates of mine who had parents that served in JA. Softball started, and it was freezing cold. I tried to remind myself that I would miss it, so being cold for a few hours a day wouldn't seem so bad. Sometimes it worked, other times - not so much. We attended the Dixie Nationals, and we saw Chris Young in concert. He was flawless. We saw Eric Church in Starkville, and we loved it so much!!
March: Megan & I went to Luke Bryan in Starkville, and loved it too! We sold my truck, and it was an excitingly devastating time for me. I loved my truck. I considered it my "first vehicle", and so many memories were made in it. The interior of that truck holds more secrets than I could probably ever muster up the remembrance of. Baseball games started, and I was coming to a realization that this was the last time we (as upperclassmen) would be a part of these things. I can remember savoring those moments and squeezing all the details out of them. I'm so scared of forgetting things like the way I felt in a certain moment, the sound of the crowd cheering, the rush of emotions when a ball meets a bat, the crisp air meeting hot breath - causing a flood of smoke to exceed from your mouth, and the smell of sweet hot chocolate in the stands with a fleece blanket bundled up around you and two other friends.
I also learned a few lessons in March about people who I thought needed to be in my life, and really - they didn't. I ended up hurting someone that I do/have love(d). Lessons will be learned either way, right? I just always seem to choose the hard way. Getting to know someone is fun initially, but once you've figured them out - and they're not a person who wants to change (when they SHOULD want to change), something has to happen. Walking away was the best option, but it was one I was stubborn about in the beginning.
April: Easter - I wore a yellow dress. I would consider this a notable experience. I fixed my childhood best friend's sister's hair for her 8th grade banquet. I tagged along with Ashia to photograph a birthday party. I attended my last high school prom & gave a responsive speech (that I totally slaughtered). We had an amazing after party with a band, and we danced all night. The senior girls were honored at our last home slowpitch softball game. I went on an afternoon ride with my Daddy because he wanted to show me a place that he thought would be a perfect photograph. He talked to me about the days while he grew up. We had the perfect day, and the photograph he told me about? Just so happened to win my first (ever) photography competition. That photo is special to me, not only because of the beauty it holds - but because of the story it tells when I look at it.
May: We threw Senior parties. We wrapped up sporting events. We ate crawfish. We reminisced on backroads. We stayed up way too late only to get up way too early. We rode four-wheelers down mainstreet and ate breakfast on the highway. We got stuck mud riding, and we danced on piers. We watched the sun go down & come back up. We lived. We loved. We laughed a lot. We were stars in a play. We went on a scavenger hunt. We had a tea party. We were high school Seniors, and we spent most ever minute together.
Most of all, a door was closed for me, a door of my past. It closed the door of relationships with 16 individuals that, for the most part, won't ever be the same. I won't see all of their smiling faces five days a week anymore. We won't argue with each other at the lunch table, or whisper behind the teachers backs during English class. We won't all understand inside jokes together, as a class. We - more than likely - won't all be in one room to laugh together or cry together again. We made so many memories over the course of 13 years. We lost a few people along the way, but we all held it together for each other during the good times and the bad times. From dusty overalls on the playground to caps & gowns in the gym - we were there for each other. From ratty ponytails & grass stains, we loved each other in a different way. From skinned knees to our first broken hearts, we stood beside each other, held each others hand, and picked each other up from a fall. We weren't only a class, we were a family. We didn't have any other choice BUT to be a family. Small town, tight-knit communities demand it, and we were okay with that. We knew each others secrets, and they were safe among us. That's the way we were, and that's the way I'll always remember it.
June: I went to the beach, and I got to take photos of the beginning of the Oil Spill. It was a humbling experience for me to see that with my own eyes and feel it under my own feet. I took engagement photos, and I relaxed & enjoyed my first month of summer other than being sick. I got sick the week after graduation, and I was sick until the third week in June. I went to the doctor 6 times, got 4 shots, and my finger was pricked so many times that you could confuse it with a pin cushion. The doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong. I would wake up at night to remind myself to breathe. My throat was swollen almost shut for weeks, and I was too tired to sleep. It was miserable. Finally, they wrote it off as mono. I had to consult my childhood Pediatrician to get that answer, but at that point - I was willing to do whatever to feel better.
July: We went to the fair. We saw Clay Walker in concert in Jackson, and we spent the night there! Started a new tradition with my two best friends. We cook for whomever has a birthday, and we give gifts too. This is Hollie's birthday month, and we gathered at Megan's to celebrate. Megan brought home my niece, Kenlee, and we spent a day in Crawford fishing & riding the golf carts around dirt roads - just like we did when we were kids. It was an amazing month. Relaxing and memorable. Clint came home, and I ate lunch with he & his family for the Fourth of July!
August: We started college. It wasn't as life changing as I had maybe anticipated, but it definitely is no comparison to high school. There is no drama. It's "come and go". I think it's more relaxed than high school, or right now it is anyway! I turned 19 years old. I had tickets to see the Eli Young Band (aka: my most favorite music other than -theOneAndOnly Garth Brooks...melt my heart) & plans fell through because of an Ambassador meeting we had to attend. I was devastated. The concert was ON MY BIRTHDAY. It was fate. Or so I thought.
September: Megan came right up behind me & turned 19 as well. We went to our Starkville concert to see Corey Smith, but he took forever to play, so we left. I photographed my first wedding (with some help, of course). Baby A turned ONE! Clint came home for a leave, and we had dinner at our local Mexican restaurant.
October: We went to countless football games - home & away. We loved traveling together to see the boys play, as well as watching them play once we got there. I started a 30 Day Blog Challenge, and I firmly believe that it enhanced my "want" to blog. I realized that there are people who care about my boring life (ha), and I am thankful for those of you who read my ramblings! I killed my first deer with a bow. I had a photoshoot with my precious Marlee, and last - but definitely not least - our church was able to provide our Honduras family with a new vehicle for them to allow their mission work to be a tad bit easier in their rural area. It was a sweet thing to watch unfold.
November: I went on the most amazing trip I have ever been on. I experienced drastic weather changes, beautiful snow filled atmospheres, a plane ride (or 6), and I was given the opportunity to kill a deer through all of that. I saw more things, animals mainly, there then i've ever seen in my life. My eyes were opened to an entirely different, yet almost the same lifestyle. The passion for hunting is the same for all people, and even if you come from totally different parts of the country - if you love to hunt, you can pretty much get along on that common ground. I missed Thanksgiving day with my family (aside from Daddy) for the first time in 19 years. They made it up to us once we got home :)
December: Relationships rekindled as always. I wrapped up my first semester in college with a 4.0. I stayed up too late. I watched Lifetime Movie Network for more hours than I want to admit. I took so many photos over the course of the last 5 months, and I wrapped that all up. I spent a week away from one of my best friends while she skied in West Virginia. I had an amazing Christmas with my sweet family. I made promises to myself that are harder than I thought to keep. I had fun, and I did everything feeling free & alive. I spent the last night of the year with my favorite people, and some of those I graduated with. It's always fun for us to be under the same roof together. I weathered a tornado (literally) with my two best friends, and we made it home alive. :) The Lord had His hand on us, and my poor Mamma was a basketcase. December 31, 2010 marked the 365 day mark for my "Only Water" resolution, and I stuck with it the entire time. Thank you to all who have encouraged me! Clint came home, and we got to catch up on the last few months!
2010: has been one of THE MOST memorable years of my life. My heart has been mended & broken in a year. My life has moved forward in the direction of my future. I realized that people you THINK you can trust are not always trustworthy, but the people who are will trust you the same. I've learned that no matter what, I'm going to always do what I want and follow my heart and gut feeling. I am beginning to put into perspective just how important the time with my family & friends really is because time is limited. Time is not a gift that can be given BACK. It can only be taken away. 2010 has been a landmark year in my life, and I can't wait to see what the future holds in 2011.
To read last years recap, click here.
Happy New Year
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