Happy Saturday everyone! What have you got planned for the week-end? As some of you may know I am still sick, this bug just won't bug off (bad Saturday joke for you). Since I am still ill and since the weather has turned VERY cold (yesterday felt like -20 degrees Celsius! Yowzers!), I think we will just stay home where it nice and warm and have a bit of a movie marathon (Chris is currently having a football (soccer) marathon. Nelly decided this morning that my bra would make a great toy. I think she is having a naughty marathon!
I thought it would be quite fun to look back at 2013 and share some of my highlights for the year. It's a great way for me to remember all of my adventures and I get to create a mini time capsule of sorts!
JANUARY
2 major life changing things happened this month...
The first major thing was that Chris and I moved in together at the very end of January! I moved in to his place, and it was a major decision. I have only lived with one other boyfriend, so I don't make this decision lightly. I knew it was the right thing to do though because Chris is amazing, and we both wanted to move our relationship to the next level. I personally don't think there are any rules for 'moving in'; every situation is unique and different. Your friends and family may have their opinions, but at the end of the day, you need to do what is right for you and your partner, not them. Listen to your gut!
The second major thing was that I resigned from my Marketing / Communications job. After working crazy days (sometimes 9am to 3am and then starting again at 9am), never seeing anyone, running my body into the ground, I decided that it was time for a major change career wise (I had been working in Marketing for over 8 years). I gave notice and I signed up to return to University. It was a huge step and I felt amazing! It was as if a huge weight had lifted off of me. If you're not happy with your job, I recommend making a plan to change things. I'm definitely not saying that you should just quit your job (I am extremely lucky to have Chris' support), but eventually with the right plan you can do anything that you want! Life is short, so grab it by the horns and pull!
FEBRUARY
Chris and I had our very first Valentine's Day together this month. I remember thinking how lucky I was to have found someone so amazing, and how happy I was that I had found my perfect man. He's a keeper!
This was also a great month for concerts!
Concert #1: Chris, my brother, my brother's wife, and I all went to the Bon Jovi concert this month (don't make fun). We had random seats behind the stage, which wasn't an issue for the most part because he would turn and sing in all directions.
Concert #2: Then my brother's wife and I went to see Maroon 5. I got to see my second husband Adam Levine, and we had a blast singing and dancing.
I also had a lot of visits with babies this month. I got to hang out with two friends and their little ones on separate occasions, which was so nice because I don't get to see them very often due to lack of time, or life getting in the way.
MARCH
This month we had a very special guest stay with us. Nelly Bellie's fur Uncle, Uncle Alfie. Alfie stayed with us for about a week I think, because we wanted to see how life would be with a dog around full-time. I highly recommend doing this if you are thinking of getting a puppy or dog. It's a great test, and if it doesn't work out, that's ok, you can always just be a dog sitter from time to time.
Who doesn't like surprise flowers? Chris brought me home a lovely bunch of flowers this month, just because. A definite highlight for me!
APRIL
April was a great month because Chris and I flew to Vancouver. It was the first time he met my parents, my sister and her husband, and my niece and nephew. It was also the first time he met a bunch of my west coast friends including my bezzie mate Amanda. My parents and I also got to meet Chris' aunt and uncle and their kids and grandchildren. Not only did we have amazing family bonding time, but we also got to see lots of the beautiful scenic sights that I miss so much (I lived in Vancouver for about 9 years). Everyone loved Chris (how could you not), which is always a bonus.
I also got my first pair of glasses this month. I had been in denial for a while that distances were starting to get a bit blurry, so I bit the bullet when I saw that ClearlyContacts were going to give me my first pair of glasses for free! Who doesn't love free stuff?
MAY
School starts for Summer. School starts forever. I started my new journey of being an elementary school teacher in May, with my first round of full-time classes. I was definitely nervous (it's been a long time since I've been in University!), but I soon got in to the swing of things.
Lovely Laura also moved back to Canada this month from Ireland. Even though I haven't got to see her a lot this year (due to school craziness, etc) it's so nice having her back. She is one of my closest friends, she always puts a smile on my face, and she has been there for me a lot. We actually met in New Zealand and then randomly ended up moving to Canada at the same time! That is friendship fate if you ask me!
JUNE
This month Chris and I decided that we definitely wanted to get a Westie puppy. After doing lots of research we found the perfect place and they had a new litter! We went for our first visit this month, and while we aren't exactly sure which puppy is Nelly Bellie (as they all look like tiny polar bears), I feel that the one I ended up holding had to be her!
Chris and I also celebrated his birthday this month at our favourite restaurant! We actually had our second date there, and we always go back for special occasions.
JULY
July 26, 2013 was the day that we brought Nelly Bellie home! She was shaking like a leaf and very quiet when we first got her, boy did that change fast! We were so happy to finally have her, and slowly our family began to grow.
AUGUST
This month was great because I got to see my Sista, her hubby, and my niece and nephew. They came out this way for a bit of a vacation, and even though I didn't get to spend a lot of time with them (I had final exams) it still meant the world to see them! I miss them a lot!
I had 5 final exams this month! Ouch! I did pretty well, especially considering it was my first semester back at school. It might have been because of the blueberries I ate. My mum and dad watched a British documentary that basically proved that if you eat blueberries at least 3 hours before your exams, that you will get a higher mark. Give it a go! A Nelly Bellie family tip right here!
Once my final exams were done we packed Nelly Bellie and all our camping gear up in the truck and headed out on a major east coast road trip. Went to New Brunswick, Nova Scotia (including Cape Breton Island), and Quebec. Initially, we met up with my brother and his wife (they happened to be out that way that the same time). Such good luck! After we left them we made our way to the very top of beautiful Cape Breton Island and stayed at the most gorgeous campsite in the world. We were literally camping on a cliff, overlooking the ocean. We could hear the waves crashing on the rocks, and in the morning we got to hear a pod of whales travelling by. It was truly magical! The entire trip was so much fun, and we definitely saw some of the most amazing scenery that I have ever seen in my life (and that's pretty big considering I lived in New Zealand). We ate seafood galore, and Nelly Bellie was so good in the truck (which is a miracle because she now gets car sick every time we travel). She loved camping because she got to meet lots of new dogs and puppies. We had a blast and I will never forget that trip!
SEPTEMBER
A HUGE highlight this month, was our 1-year anniversary. I feel like I have known Chris my whole life. He is my best friend, and I am so lucky to have him. He treats me like a Princess, and we have so much fun together. I always thought I knew what love was, but I know now that I hadn't truly been in love before I met him.
A new semester of school also started for me in September. I was quite excited because all of my courses were Education courses (I am going to be an elementary school teacher). However, I was a bit apprehensive about my law class, but I ended up getting amazing marks. Maybe I should be a lawyer?
OCTOBER
I turned 3# this month :) and was very spoilt by Chris. He got me a Samsung Galaxy 3 tablet, and I use it every day! He also arranged a nice dinner with my brother, his wife, and some of our friends. We ate amazing food at an awesome gastro pub, and I found out that my sister-in-law was taking me to see Pink! Yeah baby! My nephew has the same birthday as me (minus the year of course) which always makes my birthday extra special. How cool is that?!
NOVEMBER
I started my blog on November 25, 2013 (click here for my very first blog post). I have to say that it feels a lot longer than that (in a great way). I am having so much fun blogging and vlogging and I look forward to doing this for years to come! I have picked two of my favourite blog posts. I really enjoyed doing my 'Tuesday's Treats & Truths' post where I answered 50 fun questions, and I also enjoyed posting my 'Fridays : Finals : Food : Festivities : Fashion : Fur-daughter' posts.
We welcomed our new niece Grace this month. She is so adorable, and I am looking forward to spoiling her.
Nelly Bellie celebrated her birthday this month. She turned 6 months. If she was 18 months it wouldn't be a big deal, but half way to 1 comes with some major changes in the world of puppies. The most major change was that she got spayed this month. Poor Nelly Bellie. She hated wearing her cone, but everything went well and her stitches have healed nicely.
Nelly also met her new fur-cousin Betty this month and she got a taste of her own medicine. She always loves to bug her fur-aunt and fur-uncle (who are both Westies) so she wasn't used to a younger pup chasing her around non-stop. She got a tad annoyed to put it lightly.
DECEMBER
This month I got taken to see Pink by my sister-in-law, and it was ah-may-zing. Boy, does she put on a great show! She was literally somersaulting through the air while singing.
I had another round of final exams this month and rocked them! My final grades were 82, 92, 93, and 96. My best marks ever and I am proud. :)
We hosted our annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party before Christmas and it was tons of fun. I won't repeat myself, so here is my blog about that, click here.
Chris and I also went to his work Christmas party this month, and I met some new awesome friends. Again, I won't regurgitate but I held a vote for what dress I should wear that night. Here is the video showing the options, and here is the result.
Chris and I spent our second Christmas together, but it was our first Christmas with Nelly Bellie. We have decided that Christmas Eve and Christmas morning we are going to start our own family tradition, but after the morning is done, it's family time. After all, that's what Christmas is all about!
Let me know below what some of your 2013 highlights were! Have a great week-end everyone!
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"Scratch a dog and you'll find a permanent job." ~ Franklin P. Jones
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