It’s the last day of 2015, and I can’t help but feeling a bit nostalgic. This has truly been the most amazing year of my life, and probably always will be. So many things happened in 2015, and they all happened so fast.

I remember vividly sitting on my couch one year ago, eating McDonalds and watching Spider Man with Randy. Then it was 11:59 and we started the countdown. I remember thinking “This is it. This is OUR year” and it has been.

So let’s quickly reminisce like every single other person in the world, over the past year.

-I became an anchor for BYU Eleven News. I reported. produced, and then spent a semester anchoring on live TV. It was pretty sweet.
-I spent the weekends writing for even more TV news at KSL. Except this one was broadcast to more than my mom and grandma. So that was also cool.
-I got engaged to the love of my life on February 2nd. It was perfect and magical and ya’ll don’t want to hear the story again.
-I planned a wedding. Which was fun and also stressful and wonderful.
-I graduated Magna Cum Laude, from BYU.
-I landed a job at Ken Garff, THEEE greatest place ever to work. There I met my work besties Becky and Jordyn, and continually have an amazing time with them.
-I got married to my best friend on May 30th. I had been waiting SO long for this day, and to say it was the highlight of my 2015 is a complete understatement. It’s something that I can’t possibly explain. To sit in the temple with the love of my life, and know that I never have to be apart from him, was the most amazing moment of my whole life. And I think it always will be.
-We traveled to Vegas, California, and Idaho. Plus ran around Utah, hiking and discovering like crazy people.
-We watched other friends get engaged, married, and start their lives together along side us. We watched other friends take on school, go on missions, come home from missions, have babies, and all of us are growing up. It’s crazy, but so fun!
-We moved to a brand new apartment which we are obsessed with. We love our apartment, our neighbors, our ward, the city, everything.
-I spent a wholeeee bunch of time with my best friends. We have game nights, I trek down to Provo to spend time, and a few of them finally returned to me from being gone for far too long. 2015 felt like a settling period, where I adjusted and got settled into these amazing friendships.
-I got a new niece. The first niece. And she is perfection. I will spoil her absolutely rotten and I don’t care if she turns out like a crazy.
-I spent SO much time with my wonderful family, and Randy’s wonderful family. My family has come to mean more to me this year than ever before. They took Randy in as a son, and brother. And I am SO thankful for that. They supported, helped, and loved me through every moment of this year. I can’t thank them or share my love for them adequately. Joining Randy’s family was a wonderful adventure, and I am loving spending time with his brothers, chatting with his parents, getting close to my sister-in-law, and spending lots of time with extended family. We are so blessed to be in such wonderful families.
-Randy got called to be the Elders Quorum Secretary, and I’m teaching all the youths in Sunday School. It’s been a roller coaster, but I wouldn’t change a single thing about it.
-I blogged, worked, did freelance work, while Randy tackled full time school and a full time job. We were busy bees, but it was so wonderful to get to be busy together.
-We were happy. This year has been full of major changes, serious decisions, and huge adjustments. But there isn’t one single thing that I would redo, take back, or change.

I am so thankful for 2015. It’s been the best year of my life. Now, bring on 2016!

Christmas 2015 was WONDERFUL. I honestly don’t think it could have been any better!

Let’s talk about how it all went. (disclaimer* I didn’t take very many pictures. Shame on me. That’s one of my goals for this year, to find the balance between living in the moment and capturing it!)

Christmas Eve, Randy had to work:( BUT he didn’t have to go in for very long and I got to help my mom prep everything, I got to spend time with my sisters, run around and go shopping, and we had a very unfortunate mix-up in the Smith’s parking lot (like getting into the wrong car mix-up)

We then headed over to my family Christmas Eve get together which was too fun! Cousins running around, my new niece meeting everyone, and lots of yummy food. Then it was over to Randy’s parents house for their Christmas Eve dinner (lamb, turkey, potatoes, gravy, rolls, the works!) We had a blast hanging out with both our families that day.

Christmas Eve night at my parents house meant opening a new book, surprising our parents with matching “thug” PJs, and staying up reading the Christmas story. We finally got to bed, anticipating Santa’s arrival!

Christmas morning was with my parents and my siblings, and was amazing. We sang a hymn, read a story, dove into some awesome presents, and Randy and my family nailed my Christmas gifts. It’s so fun to watch everyone open their gifts, get excited and happy, know that you made someone else happy. It was wonderful to see my niece laugh, and then sleep through most of Christmas. Quiche, candy, and lots of laughs.

Randy and I then raced over to the Low’s house for Christmas morning there, where they were WAY too sweet to us. We really have the best families ever! Pancakes, Japanese omelettes, and video games with all the boys were some highlights. Then it was BACK to my parent’s house for Christmas Day Lunch (prime rib, rice, potatoes, green beans, THE WORKS)

We were really well fed this year.

Then, back to the Low family Christmas Day gathering. White Elephant, MORE FOOD (I swear to you I gained six pounds this year) laughs and some wonderful gifts surrounded us.

Randy and I have felt so blessed to have two wonderful families who made our first Christmas together wonderful. I can’t even explain how perfect it was to hear my first “Merry Christmas” of the day from my cute husband, still half asleep.

The day after Christmas was more running around between families, hanging out with cousins and playing games, singing songs, and watching movies.

And then Sunday, my beautiful niece was blessed! Lots of people at our house, a delicious soup bar, and a beautiful little girl to celebrate. Hanging out with my cousins was a blast, and we love spending time with my big family.

Randy was worn out LOLZ

This season it’s always easy to get caught up in the details. My family has a tradition where we read a scripture each night to count down to Christmas. My mom decides a theme for our family, and then the scriptures all relate to that theme. This year, the theme was courage. On Christmas Eve, we talked about all the courageous things that our family has done this year. Moving far away, college, jobs, marriage, babies. It was really wonderful to reflect on those things, and how the Savior helped us to have the courage to make all these big and important decisions. I couldn’t help but think how much courage it to Mary and Joseph to welcome the Son of God into their home. It took Christ courage to take this important first step that would ultimately lead to being away from his Father, and eventually lead to the Atonement and his death. It takes all of us courage to have faith, and to rely on him. Christmas is a wonderful time to think about the gift He gave to us that day. I got to spend some time thinking about Him this year, and I hope you did too.

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas, and I wish you all a Happy New Year!

The weeks have been FLYING by. I blink and I haven’t blogged in almost 10 days! So much has happened so let’s catch up!

Sister Rada is home!!! It was so wonderful to see her after a long 18 months. I have missed my best friend more than I can say, and having her home and texting her and snapchatting her all day has been SO amazing.

We celebrated Randy finishing his finals with some Japanese food! It was good food, but Randy wasn’t super impressed with the waitress not really knowing anything about the food she was serving! I had a GIANT squid and it was wonderful

Our office Christmas party was a fancy lunch at the Grand America, so of course the entire marketing department wore ugly sweaters. High class, let me tell ya. I just love my job, my coworkers, and that I work at such a wonderful place!

The fam-bam hit up Soldier Hollow for a great day of tubing and snow ball throwing and fun. It’s be so awesome to have Ben and Kim and little Candece here with us for Christmas! My family is wonderful!

We also had family pictures with the amazing Dan Page. He did a fantastic job and I can’t wait to share more!!! Also, Randy is kinda amazing:)

Getting all glammed up for pics!

Last night Randy and I dragged Courtney around Salt Lake with us and it was wonderful. We may have decided to go through with an adult adoption so Court can officially be part of our family.

It was pretty much a stellar night.

And to finish off Christmas Adam, this little chick and I took some selfies and discussed the importance of penguin vs. raccoon PJs.

Have a wonderful Christmas Eve my friends!

Hola my friends!

Let’s recap:

Friday, Randy and I went to Kaysville and hung out with my fam/did homework/worked. It was wonderful though!

Saturday was more studying, shopping, and time with the Lows.

And then Saturday night, was killer. We had White Elefriend (a play on white elephant if you couldn’t tell) and an ugly sweater party with our friend group. And it was fantastic. There were some crazy gifts (including a squash and two bags of potatoes, a baby doll and a picture of Hough) and some awesome gifts (nerf guns, an ABBA CD…)

And mostly just time hanging out with my BFFs.

Then we had to go back to real life and go teach our classes and prepare for finals week and that was less fun.

But still, life is wonderful and we are very happy, and very lucky.

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Also. T-minus ONE DAY UNTIL MY BOO COURTNEY COMES HOME.

AHHHHH

GUYS.

I met my niece!!!

Just three months after she was born, but whatever!

AUNT VICKI FOR THE WIN. She is adorable and amazing and I love her SO much. Randy is SUCH a good uncle already, I think we’ve pretty much nailed the position of favorite aunt and uncle. Also I’m trying to get my family on board for only calling me Aunt Vicki instead of Maddy, so I’ll keep you updated on that. (If you aren’t getting the Aunt Vicki reference, click here.)

Also in between hours of studying, I made Randy get all Christmas-y with me and decorate gingerbread men and women! YES I baked them and cut them out, and we decorated them and I happen to love them.

Randy’s Sumo one was his favorite of the night.

And lastly, today at work was a small tragedy. We moved around desks, and that means I no longer sit by my BFF and work wife. It was a hard day, so if you could all feel really bad for me I’d appreciate it.

But we will find a way to cope.

Happy Friday everyone, happy weekend, and happy getting ready for finals! (BLECK)

I am always behind on blogging. And this post is INCREDIBLY sappy about Randy. So if that’s not your thing, just skip this one.

So sorry my friends.

SO.

We hit a semi decent sized landmark the other day. 6 months of marriage!! (HOLY COW)

Time has been FLYING.

Here’s a little look at what the last six months have held for us:

https://player.vimeo.com/video/115237909