On A [Christmas Card] Year in Review.

A virtual Christmas Card to You and Yours from Us and Ours,

What a year for us! 20bakersdoz turned out to be just as eventful as expected.

We started off 2013 by parting ways. Adam had just got a job on the Oregon Coast, and I flew back to Missouri to tie up loose ends at my job, sell most of my belongings, and move back to Oregon after over 7 years in the Midwest.

We picked out our apartment after only looking at a couple places, and Adam moved in the first of January with only a mattress given to us by friends.

Before I headed back West, I went south to Galveston for the wedding of my college and post-college roommate, Bethany. We had so much fun playing in the ocean the week leading up to their gorgeous outdoor wedding.

I got to Oregon in early April, and the next 6 weeks were full of wedding prep, pre-marital counseling, and finally having real dates with Adam. My family was amazing in helping so much with the wedding, especially since I was out of state for the majority of the time leading up to it. My sister, Janey, through me an amazing French-themed bachelorette party.

photo by Mason Photography

Finally, May 11 came and we GOT MARRIED! We went to the San Juan Islands for our honeymoon, where we could finally exhale. We also ate some great food and made tons of amazing memories, like kayaking in the ocean with the first Orcas of the season!

Photo by Katie Shroy Photography

Kayak tour by San Juan Kayak Expeditions with our awesome guides AJ and Gina.

June, July and August flew by with youth camps, FINALLY finding a new job, and exploring all around our new little town. We picked a LOT of fresh fruit and berries, and I even caught a fish! I turned 25, finishing up my 25 before 25 list.

Blueberries!

In early October, we flew out to Baltimore to visit family for Adam's dad's retirement. We had such a fun time, and I loved that I was able to see some places Adam lived and worked before he knew me.

We had a super fun Thanksgiving with friends, and are looking forward to a wonderful Christmas with family. We could not have asked for a better year to start our lives together. Happy Christmas!

On Gift Pacts and Christmas Tags.

This is our first married Christmas together, so we are having tons of fun coming up with our own traditions.

We made a gift pact, which basically goes a little like this: only buy gifts that don't hurt other people. This translates that we are trying to only buy from local artists and/or companies that are committed to treating their employees ethically. 

To make things even simpler, we decided to get each other four gifts: something you want, something you need, something you wear, something you read. 

I had so much fun choosing gifts for Adam, though I did have a moment where I semi-panicked that he wouldn't like one of his gifts. Then he sent me a direct link to that exact thing...so I guess that means he will like it. (He sent me lots of links, so maybe he won't be able to figure out what I'm talking about here...lol.)

People often complain that men are hard to shop for, but I find it to be the opposite with Adam. The problem I run into is limiting what I get him (or getting it for him before he gets it for himself!). 

I wrapped up his prezzies, and found myself in possession of zero gift tags. Luckily, I had reached the end of the wrapping paper roll...which was just thick brown paper and not a real roll. I cut little rectangles out and made my own tags. Add a sharpie and some ribbon and voila. Christmas magic.

On [the possibility of] Something New.

Because knowing you are loved feels like jumping on colorful pillows in the heart of Paris.

As far back as I can remember, I've found great peace in the solitary act of taking scissors to the pages of unwanted magazines. I find joy in the hunt for a word printed in a cool font, or a breath-taking photo on glossy paper. I find hope in the possibility of something new.

I never set out knowing what the end result will be. It's about the journey, the practice, the art. It's about waiting for the puzzles pieces I didn't know had shapes to form by way of my hands and dull scissors.

Once my fingers ache from holding the scissors a little too tight (the way we hold our dreams), I lay everything I've found out around me (it is my safe circle, like in A Little Princess).

Most of the items never get used. They are swept into the trash or a "next time" folder. The lucky few articles I want to used are layered and glued and re-cut to lose what it was and become something new. Always something new.

Today I made that collage above.

What does it feel like to know that you are fully and completely loved? It feels like jumping on colorful pillows in the heart of Paris. Let me tell you, that's how it feels.