2013 Recap: Highs, Lows, and becoming an Aunt

Every year, my only New Year's resolution is to have the best year of my life. Fortunately, every year, I successfully complete it. It's such a joy to know that my life is getting more full every year. Since 2013 is coming to a close, I'd like to highlight some moments of the year that were especially memorable...

1. Stephanie's wedding- This was a bittersweet event. The joining of Steph and Philip was so beautiful, but also very sad because the marriage meant that my sis would be moving far away (aka 5 hours). The whole thing was really fun and wonderful and grace-filled. Everything went (almost) perfectly, but in the end, my whole family grew closer because of it.

The wedding party (L to R)

Brandon (honor attendant), Me (Bridesmaid), Jacob (groomsman)

Jordan (Maid-of-honor), Stephanie (the Bride!) Rebecca (Flower Girl)

Philip (Groom), Mark (Best Man), Elizabeth (Bridesmaid), Eric (Groomsman)

Putting on the veil before the ceremony... *sigh* So pretty!

2. Becoming an aunt- This seriously takes the cake for best memory EVER (I wanted to put this as #1, but the wedding came first, so I had to get it in order :)! Stephanie and Philip were going to announce at Thanksgiving, but because they were so sick, they had to wait until Christmas (when she was already 9 weeks along). BTW, I am laughing really hard because I accidentally just wrote "9 months" instead of "9 weeks." But even though she isn't THAT far along, she is already starting to show! Welcome to the family, Baby Vander Veen.

3. Turning 16- Which of course means getting my license. Definitely a good thing to happen because I needed to drive myself to school every day. And other places... like parties. And doctor's appointments. Among other things. And of course, having my Sweet 16 means having a big birthday bash. Complete with hay bales, cowgirl attire, dancing, and stick horses (oh dear. If it sounds dangerous, it is). My inner country girl shines through.

Too many people to name. If you don't recognize someone, it's ok.

I don't either :)

It's not uncommon for me to not know people at my birthday parties.

Seriously.

4. Being in a play for the first time since I was 10- Not such a good memory, but it was so embarrassing, I will never forget it. Everyone knew their lines, but the acting/script was so cheesy, we all cringe every time we think about it. The characters were just awkard: my friend Lizzy and I were supposed to "fight" (scary), my friend Eric was supposed to be my husband (scarier), and my friend Jacob was supposed to be my dad (scariest). I am groaning as I think that we actually did that in front of people... yikes. And no, I am not posting pictures of this one!

5. Starting college- Kind-of a big deal. I did really well my first quarter, earning a spot on the President's List (which is hopefully a permanent thing :). In all honestly, college is a lot harder than high school, but also very rewarding. I am so thankful to my mom for making sure I got a good education, because some of the things I learned in my courses at CBC were actually easier than my home-school work! But I still learned a lot this quarter, and I'm hoping to do just as well next quarter, which starts in approximately 6 days.

 The first day at Columbia Basin College

My friend Eric M. and I carpooled when I was in 6th and 7th grade.

Now we are carpooling for college :)

6. Montana/Spokane trip to drop of Lizzy- When we dropped of Lizzy in Montana (which was a LOT of hours in the car, btw), we stayed the night then headed back to Spokane for a few days. Then we met up with our good friends the Diaz's at Silverwood, which was fun but also very scary. I tried the new ride (Spin Cycle), lived through the Sky Diver (which I'd always been to scared to try before), and my harness was making weird noises on Aftershock. I am very happy I lived through it :)

 

On our way to Spokane from Montana.

As you can see, the kids are fooling around in the back :)

It was a loooooong drive.

 7. SEARCH Retreat- Life changer for SURE. The three day weekend for confirmation-prep was so amazing! It was hilarious, surprising, and totally filled with love. This retreat is something I will never forget- the things that happened there were great reminders of what God is all about.

8. Saying goodbye to the year- An event that happens every year. It's always hard, but I know I have something to look forward to. I love the moments when I look back on my life and remember all the hardships, blessings, and excitement that happened throughout the year. I am content with how my year turned out, and I can't wait to see what next year brings. Now it's time to wave goodbye to the past and step foot into the unknown of the future.

I'm wishing you all a Happy New Year filled with God's blessings and love!

May 2014 be filled with more growth, new experiences, and increased laughter.

And may I always be the person God created me to be. 

Even if that's a little cheesy at times :)

"“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain

 

Simple Christmas

This year, we did Christmas a little bit differently: We did all of our presents over the weekend. And I'm thankful for that because now I can focus on the true meaning of Christmas instead of the superficial traditions.

Sometimes I get so buried in the presents, food, stockings, family time, mirror time (gotta look good for those pictures), Christmas cards, snow, apparel, excitement, and activities that I forget. I forget why it's called Christ-mas Day. I get so wrapped up in Christmas shopping and decking-the-halls that I forget why I am celebrating and what- the birth of Jesus Christ, my Savior.

I myself have had some pretty extravagant birthday parties, but in the end, I often wonder if people actually came to celebrate me and my life, or if they only came for the good food. I betcha God feels the same way... I bet He just wishes we could stop worrying about the tablecloths and wreaths and everything and just focus on the glory, mystery, and humility of the Nativity.

I had an opportunity to go to the Living Nativity production put on by a local church. I sat in awe as I watched, shivering outside in the cold as I'm sure the Holy Family did. I watched as the soldiers galloped with their flaming torches down the steep and treacherous hill to terrorize the shepherds and village people. I saw a donkey carry the Mother of the Christ Child into a stable filled with hay and a manger to lay the newborn baby. I witnessed the camels and horses that carried the Magi to the foot of the only true King. I saw the shepherds leave their warm fires when they saw the angel, to trek in the darkness to the resting place of the Child Jesus. I saw them all bow in homage to Him, and I realized the blessed sacrifice and glory that took place in that stable.

Yes, I know they were all acting. But the reenactment of the Nativity made me realize the splendor of that cold Christmas night. That God chose the humblest and crudest surroundings for the most joyous and glorious event to take place. Yet I am so focused on the celebration and hoop-lah of it all, that I miss the point.

God didn't want the materialistic celebration- He could've chosen a palace for the King to be born, with robes of gold and jewels to wrap Him in, a proper welcome for royalty. He could've had servants to bathe Him, to lather Him with oils and perfumes instead of the stench of barn animals. He could've had entire Kingdoms bow before Him. He is God, after all.

But instead He chose the shepherds. He chose the Magi to bring gold, frankincense, and myrrh, but not even those gifts could compare to the welcome He deserved. But it was perfect. It was exactly how it was meant to be.

And that is how I should celebrate His birth- simple, yet full of love. Focused entirely on Him and nothing else. My heart should bow in homage to the King in the manger, and remember the true meaning of Christmas.

Remember how the story goes,
God's gift was wrapped in swaddling clothes,
Beneath the star, one great and holy night.
The shepherds heard the angels sing,
The wise man brought an offering,
Peace on Earth began in Bethelethm
Have we lost the reason that we celebrate each year?
What is Christmas?
If there never was a Savior wrapped in a manger.
What is Christmas?
If the angels never sang 'Glory to the new born king?'
What is Christmas without Christ? Kutless

Christmas Sweaters 101

Its that time of year again- time to pull out the nativity scene, deck the halls... AND retrieve the ugly Christmas sweaters. It's the one time of the year that wearing over-size, teddy bear t-shirts is in. And I am taking advantage of it, ladies and gents. I done went on a shopping spree.

I would like to share with thee the wonders of my ugly sweater wardrobe (which my mother does NOT think fits the "ugly sweater" criteria. However, Mom, I will not give up! I have plans in the near future that may involve some gluing of tinsel and poking holes with ornaments...I DO have a Christmas party this weekend.) For comparison purposes, I have matched up my sweaters with other famous people who wear the same type.

#1: The "Brandon Heath" Sweater

 

This type of sweater is one that you can't decide if it is normal or not.

It signifies the fine line between "nerd" and "cool-kid"

In my case, the sweater equals nerd.

Look at my face- and the tassle on the zipper- and the TURTLENECK!

Yikes. 

Definitely an ugly sweater in my book :) 

Although you may see me wearing it in public.

 

See? I am telling you, there is a resemblance between Brandon and me :)

 

#2: The "Stuart" Sweater

 

 This is one of those not-so-cute sweaters that you wear because, well... it's comfy!

Just make sure the guy you like doesn't see you in it because it'll look like you've gained 20 lbs :)

Nevertheless, this sweater is a must because it shows you don't place your value in how you dress.

And wearing this sweater (which I am right now) makes me feel a sense of power.

Because, as Stuart says, "Today, I've decided to take a risk, and wear a new sweater"

 

 

Stuart from "Stuart Saves His Family."

If you haven't seen it, don't.

If you have, you are probably laughing hysterically right now.

 

#3: The Sandra Bullock Sweater

 

Anyone who has ever seen "While You Were Sleeping" KNOWS that this is one of those sweaters.

One of those that coaxes out the, "Hey Luce, I like your... uh... sweater."

Five sizes to big, but comfortable as nobody's business.  

While I admit my face looks a little more like Joe Junior than Sandra, you can't deny the fact that this sweater is practically the essence of the whole plot of that movie.

 

This is a really bad pic, but the only one I could find that remotely captures

 the sweaters Lucy wears in the movie. 

 Of course, there are many more types of ugly Christmas sweaters (including the "looking-at-you-hurts-me" type)"... If you have one and want to show me, please send me a pic! I'd love to see it :) If you don't have one, you better get one. There's no other time where you can look like an idiot but completely normal at the same time. Take advantage of the few weeks left where people will accept the weird things you never get to wear otherwise. Go out, and get yo-self a Christmas sweata!

"Code of Elves- #4. The second best way to spread Christmas cheer is wearing ugly sweaters this time of year!" Buddy the Elf*

*How many of you are going to go watch "Elf" to see if that was legit? :) LOL, anyone who has seen it in the last year know I am on the Naughty list for this one. Sadly, the quote is false :( I just made it up. There is no #4 in the Code of Elves, but IF there was, that would be it.

Busted

It's dark. Someone knocks on the window. All I can see is the flashing of lights in my rear-view mirror. Panic surges through me as I search for my wallet. Gulp.

I got pulled over for the first time. Let me repeat myself for emphasis-- I GOT PULLED OVER.

I was on the way home from my first basketball game of the season (we won, by the way, 26-25 against CK). Before I knew what was happening, I saw those dreaded colored lights. No, not a decorated Christmas house way over done (you know what I'm talking about). It was a policeman. Actually, not one, but two.

This is how the conversation went:

(Officer knocks on window)

Officer: I'm going to need to see your license, insurance, and registration please (Oh shoot, what does registration papers look like again??). How old are you?

Me: Umm... 16?

Officer: Are those you're siblings?

Me: Uh, yeah, this is Jacob and Becky (I really hope he believes me because I have no proof, other than the fact that they kind-of look like me)

Officer: (looking at my card) Do you know why I pulled you over? (silence) I pulled you over because you didn't turn on your signal soon enough, and you didn't fully stop at the stop sign. Is there a reason why you didn't stop?

Me: (shoot. Don't really have a good reason.) I just wanted to get home, I guess.

Officer: If I send you with a warning, will you turn your signal on sooner next time and stop completely next time? (HECK TO THE YES).

Me: I said something like, "ABSOLUTELY," probably stuttering a lot trying to convince the officer that PLEASE! I am a good person! I follow the law (most of the time) and don't deserve to have my criminal record forever tainted in the eyes of the law!

The officer asked me a couple more questions regarding my sisters age (booster seat inquiary), and it was then I noticed another officer diligently examining my car with his flashlight outside my sister's window... Scary!

After they both left, I just started doing that "I-just-saw-a-spider" scream because WHAT just happened? I got pulled over, that's what! When they let me off the hook, I just starting praying for them to be blessed because I did NOT want a ticket, and they didn't give me one. No siree.

I think they were really out for a drug bust or drunk driving or something. I am SO glad right now to be a good little Christian girl who was going home from a church basketball game. No drugs, no alcohol, no weapons (that I'm aware of... who knows when deodorant will become the next pepper spray?) no license rules broken. Thank God I am a rule-follower...most of the time.

I'm just glad I got out of this one alive. I probably looked really sketchy, with my sweaty hair strewn about, my make-up all sweated off, and smelling like who-knows-what. I probably had a deer-in-the-headlights look, and I did do a California stop after all. One of my friends jokingly mentioned that driving like that could land me jail. It's funny now, but you never know what could happen with me. So be saving some bail money for me, dear friends.

"A good friend would visit you in jail. A great friend would bail you out. I would be in the next cell."

All I want for Christmas

Today is the first day of December, and people have already been asking me what I want for Christmas. And until today, I had no idea.

At first, I was really practical about it, thinking, "Okay, so how about Mom pays for my tuition as a Christmas present? Or maybe some self-help books, cause I could probably use those..." However, my mom shot my ideas down from the sky. She said that Christmas gifts should come from the heart and shouldn't just be a roll-over of something she was already going to give me anyway. Yeah, yeah I see the point. I guess it wouldn't really be very special- it's like getting white socks for Christmas. It's never happened to me, but I imagine it would not be very exciting... Getting underwear is fun though :)

ANYWAYS, today I figured out what I want. And it all started with a hairdo.

I am going through a phase (some may say an identity crisis) where I am super into old school. The past couple weeks, I've been rocking the nerd glasses and leggings. So tonight for church, I styled my hair like I was straight out of Full House. I've never felt so free!

 

Finally, when I was driving the clan home tonight, it hit me. "Mom," I said. "All I want for Christmas is leg warmers."

And I'm not even kidding. I think I may have discombobulated Mom a little bit... I keep telling her all the old stuff is back in again, but she shakes her head and tells me that she lived through the "old stuff" and it was NOT cool. Denial.

Anyways, leg-warmers are on the top of my wish list, for all you who were wondering. And who knows, maybe when you see me wearing them, I'll look like the lovely chic below. You all know I would, too :)