Goodbye 2010: A Year in Review

Wow, can you believe this year is over already?

Its been a good year for the Oakes family this year. After all, we started our family in April of this year.

We welcomed a new member to the family in June:

Started looking for a new home in July, only to decide to stay in our current home. Yes we are full of drama around here.

In October we did a major decluttering of our home in our (then) effort to sell our house. We might have decided to call the whole thing off, but let me tell you, decluttering is something you will never regret.

And then before we knew it Christmas was here! Our first married Christmas, and let me tell you, hubs blew it out of the park in the present department:

Sorry bad quality. Its actually my right hand I wear it on, my Mac flipped it backwards when I took the pic

He knew I loved the Princess Diana/Kate ring and I'm in love with this princess inspired ring.

And so tonight we will watch our Gamecocks play in the Chick-Fil-A bowl and then ring in 2011 with the family. Can't wait!

What was the best part about your 2010??

See you next year!

Quote of the Day

Last night, among my other usual internet surfing, I ended up doing a little New Year's Resolutions research. My "research" consisted of going to good-ole-google and typing in "how to find something you're passionate about." Yes, I'm clearly having a little trouble dealing with my resolutions this year.

But I found this great quote:

"Find something you're passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it" -Julia Child

So I've determined that finding a passion can be as easy (or not) as choosing a topic, activity, whatever, and becoming interested in it. Learn all you can about it, become a self professed amateur-professional.

Sounds easy, right? I'm telling myself that anyway.

What are you passionate about? How did you become so?

Top Two Tuesday: New Year's Resolutions

These resolutions have been something I've been giving a lot of thought to. Its the same every year for me (and I'm sure I'm not alone); you have these great ideas and plans that sound so wonderful but are just downright hard to pull off and stick to. This year I'm hoping to complete a few goals that are on a bigger scale and more of a "whole year" goal, rather than a "right now" goal.


1. Find something I'm passionate about

For years I've always struggled with never really having a hobby. There are things I like to do of course, but I've always put more of my time and energy into my friends, school, work, whatever; and less time on something that I enjoy just for me. I'm thinking it maybe could be photography (I've been eying all of the DSLR cameras out there) or who knows what else. I've always been so jealous of my husband -his "thing" is fishing. He goes to the lake whenever he can and he will tell you he isn't the best at it but it just makes him happy. Its my goal to try some new things this year and find something that I can do every once and awhile that will bring me joy.

2. Making a point of remembering birthdays

This past year was a doozie in this department for me. I've got 8 new nieces and nephews, and countless new in-laws whose birthdays passed without me having any clue. Its not such a big deal for the adults, but I would really like to remember to send a card or small gift anytime one of the kids has a birthday.

What are your resolutions this year? Go on over to Taylor's blog to share your top two!

Unto Us a Child is Born...

Well, our first Christmas as husband and wife is down in the books, and it was extra special this year getting to spend the whole day with my husband and both of our families. And to top off our special day, the southeast was hit with a "snow storm." I say "snow storm" because of course the maybe inch of snow we got doesn't begin to compare to other areas of the country that will be hit with snow in the next few days, but being from the south, it was definitely a storm for us. I think I heard that it has been 50 years since our area has had a white Christmas.

Call me a scrooge, but I would be just fine if it hadn't snowed. I don't exactly like being cooped up inside the house because no one in SC knows how to drive in snow and ice, and I wasn't about to be another bad driver out on the roads. But the snowfall is slowly stopping and its already melting off of the ground, so I hope we will be snow/ice free in a day or so.

Its that time of year again, thinking of New Year's resolutions I might actually be able to stick to. Doesn't like 4 out of 5 resolutions fail by February (I may or may not have just made that statistic up)? I'm trying to think of things that are actually do-able.

Anyone else have trouble sticking with New Year's resolutions? Do you even bother trying them in the first place?

Thursday Five

So its been a looong,  long time since I've blogged. Life has taken over the past few weeks, and we have been keeping busy. Who isn't busy this time of year anyway?

But anyway, onto Thursday Five! Its something I'm doing for the first time.







1. I'm excited for my Christmas present from hubs to finally be here. It won't be here until after Christmas, but it will totally be worth the wait!

2. I am joyful about this time of year. I wasn't so into the Christmas spirit for a few reasons, but I think I've finally come around.

3. I am thankful for my gracious and loving husband who never gives up on me, no matter how crazy I can be!

4. I am happy to see my wonderful step-sons next week and have them stay for Christmas.

5. I'm pumped that it is almost the weekend!