2015 in Review

2015 was whirlwind of a year filled with a lot of changes. In 2015 I laughed, I cried, I had one of the best days of my life, I grew up (just a little though, I never want to actually grow up!) I was excited, I was disappointed, I moved, I got married. So much has happened and I wanted to use this blog post to post some of the most memorable moments throughout the last year. All photos are from my instagram account: samantha.swartzzz

I spent a lot of the earlier part of 2015 in the dance studio. I took hip hop and jazz, as well as choreographed Footloose the musical for Twin Valley High School! 

Josh proposed in 2014, but we got our engagement photos done in the winter of 2015

I spent Easter with my future in-laws. My sisters were wearing heels, don't let their height fool you

My friends also had some great life changing moments in 2015. In the spring I got to help my friend Staci paint her new place!

I FINALLY got to see Matilda on Broadway! It was all I ever could have hoped and dreamed it would be! 

Josh received his undergrad from LBC! I was so proud of all of his hard work and accomplishments!

Chrissy got married! I loved being a part of her big day.

Josh and I celebrated the marriage of friends Catie and Travis! We love you guys! 

I danced in what is possibly my last dance recital with Signature Dance Studio (insert sad face here) I am right in the center.

I spent some time in my favorite place in the whole wide world (Avalon, NJ) with my Mom, Dana, and Thalia. 

While house sitting, we filled Kim and Randy's shower to the top with Balloons. This is what you get for going on vacation without us ;) 

Dana and my Mom pulled off the best bridal shower ever! I loved the Breakfast at Tiffany's theme, I got to be Audrey Hepburn for a day and I loved how my guests and my bridal party also played the part, Thank you to everyone who was involved!

I got my father in the dance studio! I made him take a dance lesson for our father daughter dance.

I got to watch Hayley give her mom away as she married my cousin John on the beach in Avalon. 

My favorite little Princess turned 2! I love you Audrina! 

We made the next step towards marriage by getting our Marriage License! Only a few more weeks to go! :) 

Dana set up the best Bachelorette Party I could have ever asked for! Aerial Yoga, Painting with a Twist and Mexican Food! :) 

We celebrated Felicia's birthday by going to the Baltimore Aquarium. The sharks are always my favorite, I could watch them swim around for hours! 

Just one week before our big day we celebrated the marriage of our friends Sam and Jess! 

WE GOT MARRIED! 

 

this watch belonged to my Great Grandmother, I was so blessed to wear it on my big day

We Honeymooned in Disney World!

I spent my 24th Birthday eating Cake in our Little Mermaid Hotel Room and hanging out in Epcot! 

We celebrated the marriage of our friends Tyler and Shyanne. This was our first wedding as a married couple!

We moved into our own place together! 

We took advantage of the warm fall weather by walking through the park and taking photos

Dana, my mom and I spent a weekend going to Open Houses in Avalon, Sea Isle and Ocean City just because we could!

I got to see Matilda the Broadway Tour in Hershey (3 times!)

We took my Dad on Chocolate World for the first time! 

I started my first full time job (on the same day that would have been Josh and I's 5 year dating anniversary)

Thanksgiving Morning I got to play a few holes of golf with my Dad

Josh and I got to decorate our house and cut down our tree for our first Christmas

Josh took me to Christmas Candy Lane at Hershey Park. A date night was exactly what I needed after a stressful week

My mom, grandmother and I went to go see Elf the musical at the Fulton. One of the things we have a lot in common is our love for theater.

Josh and I celebrated our first Christmas as a married couple. Traditions may have changed a little for the both of us, but we enjoyed our day with family!

Josh ended out the New Year by preaching a sermon on the last Sunday of 2015. He is so talented and such a strong man of Christ. I couldn't be more proud of him. 

2015 was an incredibly memorable year. As you saw all the highlights in this post, remember that these are the highlights. I think Steven Furtick (Pastor of Elevation Church) put it well when he said "Don't compare your behind the scenes to someone else's highlight reel" there was a lot of other things that happened in my life that was "behind the scenes." Things I didn't choose to include in my highlights of 2015. 

I think it is amazing how much of a roller coaster life is. We have so many ups and downs. We may only advertise the ups on social media, but the downs will always be there. But what matters is how we handle those downs. Do we succumb to them or do we face them head on with a positive attitude? I challenge you to face all your downs in the coming year with a positive attitude. Don't let those negative emotions or circumstances get the best of you, your attitude is up to you. Remember that as you start a new year.  Have a very Happy New Year! 

My Knight in Shining Armor

December 23, 2014 started off like any other day. I didn't have much going on so I decided to sleep in a little and then head to the dance studio and work on some choreography. I was finishing up and about to head home when Katie walked through the door. Usually she is happy to see me, but she seemed concerned. I figured maybe something happened that day that was bother her so I just shrugged it off and went home to shower and relax for the rest of the day.

At some point after my shower my mom asked if I could come out and help her bring some presents in from the barn so she can wrap them. I agreed, but thought it was slightly suspicious how she asked. Once we got to the barn we started walking up the stairs to the storage area, but I could see something was different this time. I could see Christmas lights coming from the top of the stairs, and all I could think of was "is this the moment? Is Josh going to be at the top of these stairs?"

And there he was. standing in a cove of white material plastered with photos of us and Christmas lights all around.

Afterward his family was downstairs waiting, and we had a big family dinner together. It was such a memorable day and now here we are one year later, married! A lot can happen in 365 days.

So I want to dedicate this blog post to Josh. The most loving, caring and talented person I know. He is such a strong man of God, he is a great husband and he is so handsome to top it all off! He has dealt with my crazy emotions, and my episodes of depression. He has taken me on adventures, he has held me tight when I needed it most and he has done the dishes when I was too busy to get to them. I am so blessed to have Josh in my life and I thank God that he has brought us together.

I also want to thank Josh for choosing me to be his partner in life. I stated in my vows that "being married to me might not always be easy, but I promise it will be worth it." that got a few giggles from our family and friends, but it is true. He is stuck with me for better or for worse and I truly thank him for making that covenant to me. I wouldn't want to spend my life with anyone else.

I love you Joshua!

Stay in Bed and Dream.

Mornings. Let's talk about mornings. The worst time of the day. Now don't get me wrong, I don't mind mornings once I am awake but it is that dreaded moment of peeling away those warm covers and stepping out into the world to start your day, that is the struggle. 

Most people are either morning people, or night owls. As I am turning into an adult, I am finding that I am neither. I enjoy going to bed at a decent time and I hate getting out of bed in the morning. I know there are a lot of people who struggle with getting up, but I wanted to share my experience. I feel as though all you darn morning people just don't seem to understand! 

On weekdays I aim to be at work by 7:20. So I set an alarm at 6, one at 6:10 and one at 6:15. When that first alarm goes off all I want to do is scream profanities, throw my phone up against the wall and reject all responsibilities for the day. I don't do this, however I continually push snooze until around 6:25- when I pick up my phone and try to wake myself up by blurrily (is that a word?) starring at facebook, instagram or twitter to get my brain and eyes awake. Around 6:35 I force myself to put my phone and down, remove the toasty warm covers and head over to the bathroom while gazing over at my still peacefully sleeping husband. Don't get me wrong, I am not mad or jealous that he gets to sleep a little longer than me in the mornings, he just looks so cute all wrapped up in a blanket cocoon. But I guess in my still half asleep state it doesn't seem quite fair that he's still all snuggled in bed while I am trying to get myself to look as good as possible with as little effort as possible. After I am dressed and ready I drag myself into the kitchen, throw some leftovers or a sandwich into my lunch box, grab a bottle of water and a granola bar, then head out the door. 

I always dreamed of being able to be awake early enough to fit in a run or a trip to the gym or even to shower (I am a night time shower-er) or to be up and sitting at my kitchen table with a cup of coffee and reading the news. This will simply never happen. I can dream of being up early enough to be productive before work, but let's face it, I'd much rather just stay in bed and dream. 

Welcome.

Hello, welcome to my blog! I have tried to keep up a blog before but never succeeded at keeping it updated. I am hoping to use this blog to document my life adventures, recipes I like, DIY projects I have done, etc. I hope you enjoy this blog and check back for updates soon. But for now, I will tell you a bit about myself. My name is Samantha Swartz and I am married to an incredible man, Josh Swartz who I met fall of 2009. I was at a friend's concert when his band was playing as well. We started dating in the fall of 2010 and in the summer of 2015 we got married. I am 24 years old and live in Pennsylvania. I love Jesus, cats, chick flicks, popcorn, hot chocolate, graphic design, photography, music, dancing, summer weather, the beach, road trips, airplanes, hugs and of course my husband.

Photo by Olivia Rae Photography