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Goals for 2016

I used to make New Year resolutions, but then like the majority of the population who does, they never lasted.  The last few years, though, I’ve been making goals for the New Year.  They fit my personality more–because I’m more optimistic, I like to strive toward something, but it’s also okay if I don’t achieve it they way I had planned.  For me, resolutions were something for me to eventually let myself down because I couldn’t achieve whatever it was I wanted to change.

This year, I have one main goal for the first half of the year (graduating), and then I feel like life every goal after that begins once I accomplish graduating.

2016 Goals

-Know the Lord more
This is a forever goal for me, but through my study of the Bible, prayer, worship, and relationships with other believers, I hope to know and enjoy God even more this year.  I’ve had a rough few months lately, and I hope that by knowing God more intimately, that I can truly find joy in Him and not in my circumstances.

-Graduate with my masters in May
This is my one goal for the beginning of the year and will be my one main focus until I achieve it.  I’m cramming everything I have left with grad school (classes, internship, and the work that goes with internship) into 5 short months, so don’t be shocked when my blogging becomes irregular.  My goal is to blog 2-3 times a week until I graduate–then I’m celebrating like crazy!!!

-Expand my blog
My passion has always been baking and I’m hoping to really incorporate that into my blog somehow, and expand my regular blog writing.  First and foremost, this blog serves as my scrapbook (that I’ll be printing each year), and I hope that it always reflects who I am.

-Enjoy the little things in life
This is something that I hope to do while I’m in the midst of grad school but also the whole year.  I don’t want to overlook the little things because I’m so focused on myself–or even my phone!  

Linking up with Biana today!

Favorite Posts of 2015

Don’t forget to make plans to link up your book reviews and/or recommendations on Thursday, January 14!  It’s time we create our reading list for 2016!

Yesterday I blogged my 2015 Year in Review (click here), and I had so much fun going back and trying to highlight each month in just a couple of pictures.  I had forgotten that it snowed in February (I thought January), got to look back at the building progress each month on our home, and really see how much we have to celebrate and be thankful for.

Because I’m linking up today for a Favorites 2015 Edition, I wanted to pick out my 5 FAVORITE posts of 2015!  These were not picked because of page views–although each of them did have a lot.  These are my favorite posts that I’ve written this year.  (Click on each title to read the post.)

Number FIVE


This post was so important to me because I felt that it was so important for people to attend a Secret Church simulcast.  Because I post my blog posts to my personal Facebook page, I knew this post would reach a lot of people from my town.  David Platt was going to be covering topics from his book Counter Culture, and I knew how imperative (and it still is!!) that Christians understand we are called to act on topics like abortion, orphans and widows, sex slavery, poverty–not just the topic of homosexuality that lots seem to only focus on.  I hope my post from February encourages you to attend a 2016 simulcast!


Number FOUR



This post detailed a normal work day for me.  Nothing special but still special at the same time.


Number THREE



You can tell from this post how much my wedding was like Kristen Saban’s–except not!  I had fun writing this–I laughed when I proofed it–and I think it made other people laugh as well!  It’s a great comparison between a “celebrity” wedding (I use that term loosely based on where you’re from) and a normal wedding.


Number TWO




I started a new blog series in August and my friend Kristi let me do her home first!  This series has become my most popular, and I really think that it’s because there are lots of people out there like me–people who like looking into other people’s homes to get decorating ideas and tips!  I will take a break in January from this series but I will pick back up in February!


Number ONE




The first six months of marriage were a learning curve and now the first year and a half is still a learning curve!  I still need grace and need to learn how to give grace, and I know that’s something I’ll be learning my whole life.  I’m just thankful I have a great guy to do life with.

2015: A Year in Review

2015 was a BIG year for us–we built a house, celebrated one year of marriage, and Dustin started a new position at his work.  It hasn’t been an easy year, but regardless, my joy is found in the Lord.
Rejoice in the Lord always.  
Philippians 4:4

January

A picture of me from our wedding day was published in a magazine!

Mom took me to tour the Jack Daniels Distillery–so interesting–and then we ate lunch at the local boarding house restaurant–not my fav.
February

We went to Nashville to attend a Valentine’s Day wedding at an Elvis wedding chapel.  A homeless man tried to lecture Dustin on love.

We announced our plans to build a house!  We were so ready for them to begin building…

…and then it snowed multiple days and delayed our house building.  Dustin still had to work, and school was cancelled for me.
March

I started grad school–no pictures here because they would all be of me crying haha!

They laid the footer on our home.  I loved learning about the building process and everything that goes into building a house.  Way more than I ever could have imagined!

First floor framing was completed.  And you can see a little of our neighbor’s home being bricked.
April

We nixed the typical Easter outfit and instead wore a shirt where proceeds went to feeding those in third world countries.  It’s a campaign called Forget the Frock.

Our bathtub was installed!

We enjoyed fishing on my mom’s and stepdad’s land.

Our church hosted a Secret Church simulcast for the first time–it was so great that I hope we do it again.  
Fun fact: my friend, Sarah, is pregnant here and we didn’t know until early the next morning when she texted me a picture of her positive test during a layover on their trip to NYC!  And now her baby boy is a week old!

May

Mom benefitted from my Lilly Target purchase because it was way too short on me–and a little snug.  I stayed up past midnight and this was the only thing I was able to buy–and it didn’t even fit 🙁  I was not a fan and really disappointed in the quality of Lilly.

Our house started to really look like a house.

It was exciting to get doors!

We came to visit the house every. single. day.  I was over it toward the end since some days no progress was made, but of course, we still had to come…

Shaneyfelt beach trip to Gulf Shores!
June

Finishing touches being made!!!! 

My BFFs and I hung out in Tuscaloosa for a day and reminisced about college.  And then we freaked out at how much Tuscaloosa has changed since we graduated.  And then we felt really old!  We’re eating Summer Snow.  It’s shaved ice, but not really–it’s more like heaven in a cup.

Dustin stripped and re-stained a table and chair set we bought off of Craigslist before we got married.  The dark brown is way better than the cherry finish it was.
WE MOVED!!!!!  I would like to note that Dustin was on nights this whole moving process, and so I put everything away in our house by myself.  (And it went exactly where I wanted it to haha!)
July

Dustin turned the big 3-0 and we celebrated with a surprise party–in our NEW house!

One day after he turned 30, we celebrated one whole year of marriage!
August

Lots of time was spent cheering on the First Baptist Hartselle men’s softball team.
September

We enjoyed a beautiful opening day of dove season.  It was my first time to ever do that, and I have to say that I really enjoyed it.  The weather was perfect, and it was fun seeing everyone get so anxious for the 12 PM start time.  Once noon hit, we heart gunshots all over.

We got a selfie stick.

Dustin dropped me off at church and I left for a few days for a women’s conference in Indianapolis.
October

We enjoyed going to home football games together.

October is a big month for birthdays in my family.  My sister’s is the 10th and mine is the 25th, so we celebrated all month!
We took Christmas card pictures.
November

Thanksgiving rolled around and we had 4 meals to attend in 2 days!  I hated food by lunch on Thanksgiving day.

Mom and I left to go Black Friday shopping before 5 AM!  We racked up on our purchases.  Actually, mom bought more for herself than anything else haha!  Oh, and my debit card was cut off because of the amount of purchases I did that day…..
Dustin started his new position at work!  We are still so happy about it!

December

We went on our 2nd annual Shaneyfelt Christmas Light Drive By.  But this time I can change the name to Christmas Light Creep By since Shaneyfelt learned how to drive slower when looking at lights.

Dustin had to work on Christmas day so we had Christmas at 3:30 AM.  It was different, but we know how blessed we are that he has a job.  (It also rained so much this day that areas flooded that I didn’t even know would flood.)

Christmas night–you can see what my mom has to put up with!

Linking up with Jenn today!