2012 in REVIEW

dear twenty-twelve,

you were good to me.   …let’s see why!

i started the year off in ITALIA with my mom. an unforgettable trip of a lifetime that i wouldn’t want to spend with anyone else.

here she is in Florence:

here i am in Rome:

We made it to Venice as well:

….and Siena and Sorrento. and ate and ate and ate. took a cooking class in Florence. fell in love with the land. and had, case in point, the greatest time! perfect start for 2012 if you ask me!

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NEXT…march 2012.    …and i stole the first hug from this certain Gossling boy who came home from his mission in Argentina…

…i went to the beach!…

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that Gossling boy and i became pretty close and enjoyed spring together in GA…

i moved to UTAH in April and became roommates with this crazy fun blonde bombshell…

…and reunited with this blonde bombshell….

…i turned 25! and a certain Gossling boy flew out to surprise me!…

…Summer 2012, i flew home to GA and that Gossling boy and i road-tripped back out to UT together…

…long story short…that Gossling boy proposed,  and we started planning a party…and our forever together…

…the DMOPC family grew…our family at work….

…the big party happened in September…(Elissa turned 26 on our big weekend!)…

…even my Grandparents came from Mexico!…

…married life began. it treated us right. then the husband and i road tripped to California for Thanksgiving to visit family…

…we had fun on the way home stopping in VEGAS with our friends, Lora & Dan Grady (who made the road trip with us! so fun!)…we pinballed and dinner dated!…

…2012 brought new friends…we are so blessed to have…

…in 2012…Gossling Farms was established (best idea ever, Michael & June!)…which allowed for a kick-A wedding reception and for this to happen….woohoo!…

 

…December brought family, friends, and fun as well with Christmas and New Year’s in Georgia….but that will get its own separate post. As well as a well-overdue post with more wedding pictures if I ever get around to it. 2013 in preview also to come…

so yes, 2012, you were good to me. thank you!

 

love, whit

p.s. – as it’s a new year…i decided to align my text to the left for Dave.

OH em GEE – 17 days til the wedding!!!!!

…not that i’m counting or anything.

: )

but, with only 17 days left… it’s kind of “crunch time”

we are SOOO blessed by all the help we’ve been getting. i know back in Georgia, Lana is going above and beyond making sure the reception will be beautiful and everything we envisioned. Mom tells me how beautiful it’s going to be from what she’s seen so far and that Lana has figured out how to incorporate all of my ideas. Lana is the best!

Mom’s been busy making sure the food/catering is taken care of…doing shopping trips with Lana for decor…and getting everything for the pinatas in order. And i’m sure stressing plenty about the herd of people coming in town in just a couple weeks.

We really are getting immense amounts of help! My sister, Dacy, is going to make a fabulous wedding cake. James’ sister, Carrie, is going to make a GREAT groom’s cake (which i can’t wait to see!). Future mommy-in-law, Sheree, is pulling together a wonderful post-wedding luncheon. I’ve asked favors of my other sisters. And who knows how many people Michael has helping get the property prepped for the reception. Just the fact that we’re having it at SUCH a beautiful place makes us grateful enough. I know the Gossling men will figure out the parking, which is appreciated! We even have my future Aunt Lisa who is talented in flower arranging and will be making my bouquets and boutonnieres. Family is such a beautiful thing!

Let’s not forget DAVE and how awesome he is to take charge of our “out of town guest entertainment and lodging”…haha! He’s been great to make sure we all have a fun night in downtown Atlanta before the big event!

It amazes me how willing everyone is to offer a hand when needed. Not with just the “wedding”, but with our becoming a newly-wed couple soon…there are just a lot of things to deal with…and we have amazing friends and family on our side supporting.

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i have few close girlfriends out here in Utah, so i said that no “party” or anything would be necessary.

but look what “the new mrs. chelsea hoer” and elissa have done…

…they make me feel special! (ps – need invites designed? go to chelsea)

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i have also come to LOVE Lora Grady… my favorite photographer/new-found friend! She will be shooting us this weekend again for our Bridals! We cannot thank her enough!!!

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which means i need to get my veil made STAT!

…it’s just these little things that stress me out. especially the budgeting. ayayay! OH, and did i mention how all of the invites we sent came back to us??!?! UGH! i’m pretty sure that is what gave me a cold right now. (my current biology professor pointed out that high stress makes one susceptible to getting sick…explains my current congestion and cough)

we left getting James’ suit tailored to the last minute. though last night we met a funny tailor named Cookie who offered many fashion opinions and was kind enough to waive the “rush” fee as our wedding gift : )  oh, the little things!

i stopped by the Utah Valley Bridal Fair last weekend and ended up meeting the coolest couple/videographers…who, yes, are now going to be a part of our big event! here’s to bethany and matt and BC Film !

we have our Bishop Interviews tonight. the last of the ties in the mail. our wedding “music playlist” to be settled on to give the DJ (one of the few things james and i don’t ENTIRELY agree on..haha)…. and i’m sure there are other things…

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between the wedding plans, school, finances, and moving in/trying to make this new apartment “home”….i’m just super ready for the end of this month to roll around!

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speaking of the new apartment… here’s a tour…provo living at it’s finest..hahahha!..

(side note – please overlook the random hodge podge of furniture the place came with – nothing really goes together and i see no point in fully figuring it out until james moves in…)

we’ll start with the kitchen (front door seen on the left…and washer/dryer hidden in closet on the right)

…looking from the kitchen. don’t you love our fine kitchen table and matching chairs??

and the living room…

… (my poor lonely basil plant in the window trying to get sun. he needs a bigger pot)

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and the two bedrooms… one is like “james’ office space” of sorts for now…

and the other is the actual bedroom (a complete mess right now because i see no need to organize too much when it will all be switched as soon as james is here in a couple weeks, and i’m still not entirely unpacked yet)…

let’s hope a larger bed will be in the budget soon!

and each room has a bathroom like this…

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so that’s it!…my/our home sweet home for at least the next year. let’s hope that it can be made cute soon enough. james has no doubts that i will be busy “nesting” for a while.

anyway…

that’s the shmupdate for now…

love, whit

one month til i’m wed!

today = August 29th 2012

my wedding date = September 29th 2012

me = !!!!!!!!!!!!

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i spent the last week and a half at home in Georgia. basically the only time i had to really get wedding plans coordinated.

(speaking of GA – look how cute! …the things you find on etsy)

i won’t lie…it was more stressful than i had anticipated. though, i don’t believe there has been ANY wedding pulled together where everyone saw eye-to-eye on everything.

though, we are more than blessed with all of the help and support we have in making this happen. i’m trying not to become a “bridezilla” in the process (which i don’t think i have been – i guess you should really ask james or my mother that)…so as to not seem ungrateful or that i’m taking all of the help for granted.

my best friend, London, and her mom threw me a wonderful bridal shower. it was SO nice! the food was delicious and a good crowd showed up. i couldn’t have asked for a better evening catching up with everyone. it made me feel a little uncomfortable being the “center” of the night and receiving all the gifts. but – it is so appreciated! i felt so loved.

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my dress is all ready. mom sewed a sash together for it and figured out the bustle. she’s also letting me borrow some of her jewelry and we picked out my earrings together at the mall. all i lack is figuring out a veil of sorts – or what i decide to do with my hair.

catering has been selected! – both for the mexican and the southern bbq. so very delish!

and we are even more thrilled now that there has been a more recent addition of SOFT SERVE ICE CREAM to the menu! (thank you, michael / DMOPC!)

the reception location is BEAUTIFUL! so much space it almost overwhelmed me. though it is absolutely perfect. not to mention james and i had fun four-wheeling around it for a bit : )

we also finally had our DJ booked. i’m pulling together a playlist now…requests?!?!

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School started this week.

UGH!

i forgot how much i detest BYU campus during fall and winter. people. e v e r y w h e r e.

i got spoiled over spring and summer, and NOW. yikes. it took me almost 25 minutes to find a parking spot after having dropped james off for his 9:30am class yesterday. Then, we waited a good 30 minutes in line just to get lunch on campus. at taco bell. it’s ridiculous. luckily we both only have classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. …and I’m definitely packing lunches for tomorrow.

i’ve decided to switch my major YET AGAIN!

..i know, i know. but, Spanish Education just isn’t for me anymore. ha! tomorrow i have orientation and will officially be part of the School of Family Life – emphasis on Human Development. I like it much better…already. Keeping a minor in Spanish though, of course. I’d like credit for that.

poor james is taking a semester-load of classes that make me cringe. though he’s much better at handling it than me. between my being on birth control now and his possible upcoming school stress – we might just become the crankiest newly-weds yet!

speaking of birth control…i’m no fan. it hasn’t quite been a week yet and i’ve already been overly emotional. …every. day. i don’t need my tears to come this easy 24/7. ew ew ew! i know james is not a fan either. i’m kind of a mess.

(again… photo cred to Lora Grady)

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OK, so..

one month to go, and i still need to finish getting invites out. goodness.

and i’m currently living out of a suitcase at Elissa’s place in Cottonwood. she’s the best for housing me so much.

so sick of the suitcase though.

but come Saturday, I’ll get to move into our new apartment in Provo. finally!

we’ll see how i handle living by myself for a month until James gets to move in after the wedding. i think i’ll handle it fine. so fine that he might mess up my feng shui when he does move in! haha. jokes.

(a bedroom like this would really do great things for my chi…)

…wishful dreaming. (restoration hardware)

“setting up house” gets me excited though : ) i’m such a girl.

but now…time for homework…blechk!

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love, whit

a june journal entry of sorts…

JUNE! Summer of 2012 is already here – meaning the year is HALF GONE. I can’t help but look back on last June and where I was at in my life. It makes me rather reflective thinking about how much has happened in this short years’ time. More so, how much I have felt and how much I have learned.

Interestingly enough, I came to the realization today that I have only had my heart broken twice in my life. I wish I could say never, but it’s something we all ought to experience at least once – for perspective’s sake. For me, both happened since last June. Impressive? Hardly. Both very painful and hopefully very soon, forgettable. I’m not an angry person and can really only think of a handful of instances in my life that I was TRULY angry – The kind of anger that you hold onto for days/weeks and it festers inside of you becoming even more rotten with time. Both of my heart-breaking happenings did this to me. Talk about an emotional year! I remember as the days went on having more and more things I wanted to say to these certain individuals. Bitterness, anger, hurt, sadness, and abandonment all brewing together as one. I eventually learned to let it go – to move past it (the second time around a whole lot quicker than the first) Though needless to say, there were some very difficult and dark months to get through.

Crazy enough, since last June, I have also fallen in love twice. Truth. And we’re not talking just mondo crushes, but love. (Only one being linked to the aforementioned heartbreaks – The second still seems to grow stronger with each passing day)…which definitely contributed to the roller-coaster of this last year.

I’ve definitely developed a greater appreciation and understanding for certain things and people over this last year. I’m grateful for inspired church leaders who held my hand along the way. For family – my parents and their endless love and patience when I was probably miserable to be around – Sisters who cared and listened. I shut myself out more than I should have, so friends were few and far between, but I developed a very personal relationship with my Heavenly Father because of it. Prayer became my go-to even more. There were many times when I’d have to escape to the bathroom at work and end up on my knees because it was the only thing I had to get me through the day or hour. I’ve re-learned that peace only comes from one divine source, and to latch onto it.

Change & Time. Nothing will always stay the same, nor should it. People change with time. Plans change with time. Feelings can change with time. Relationships change with time. Though all things makes sense with time. The Lord uses time in His way for our own good. I’ve learned more to trust in that.

So many changes in plans have been made since last June. The final decision was to move across the country and find myself in a new environment back at school – somewhere that is definitely not my favorite. I can’t believe spring term is practically over now and I have finals next week. It feels great! I’m very confident that I’m where I’m supposed to be and with the right people in my life. It’s more than incredible the path, timing, and bumps along the road it took to get me to this point.

After finals on Wednesday, I’m flying home to Georgia! Only about four days left. Yes, maybe I am counting down – I have my reasons. I’m looking forward to being home and spending some time with family (even if only briefly), I’ve missed them…and then James and I are making the long road trip across the country back to Utah. I’ve missed him more than I can convey with words, and have been anxiously awaiting having him out here in Utah with me. No more spending hours on the phone each day; I’ll get to spend hours with him! Let’s see how long it takes for us to get sick of each other (the 30+ hour car ride may do it..ha!) …I may be blinded, but to me, James is practically perfect in every way – I don’t ever see myself getting sick of him. He treats me better than I deserve and never fails to bring a smile to my face. There have been numerous instances where I’ve felt just the slightest bit down and then suddenly my phone starts to ring and it’s him…and instantly all feels ok again. Saying he’s the “happy ending” to my June-June year is hardly doing him justice.

I really don’t know what this post was all about… though here’s to the end of Spring term!… and the beginning of a fabulous Summer! …and all the ups and downs that got us to this point…

love, whit

food obsessed

what a great resolve…

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so i’m a little obsessed with this easy peasy “Crusty Bread” and keep baking it…

(horrible phone pic….but always consumed in a day or two via my roommates and i…)

no kneading, no fuss, i like to make mine with cheese…

my friend’s mom (who has the BEST cooking blog) made some while i was staying at their house. i was in love. she put pepper-jack in the particular loaf i ate…

anyway…check out the recipe. it’s a quick and DELISH hit!

http://simplysogood.blogspot.com/2010/03/crusty-bread.html

i don’t have a fancy pot like she uses….so i take the inside part out of the crock pot and use that. works just as well!

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i came upon another LEGIT mexican food joint….with some killer tacos and a salsa bar!

not to mention a slice of mexican chocolate cake to DIE FOR (mexican chocolate = moist with cinnamon included)

Tarahumara Cantina

i kind of got way excited when i saw the name of this place. i often saw Tarahumara Indians in Mexico when we’d visit my grandparents in the summer down where my mom grew up. they wear the most colorful clothing and big skirts and dresses…and weave beautiful bracelets (because i bought a few off of one once). anyway…it made me happy!

great food!

and like 25 fresh homemade salsa options!

about 20 minutes up Provo Canyon and in a town called Midway.

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so, i’m officially back in school and the term is almost over already! goodness…only about a week and a half left of classes. finals coming up. ooooh boy…

love, whit

turning a quarter-of-a-century

for some, 25 may not seem old at all. in fact, i know many people dream of being that young again.

for me, it seems like just last month i was dreaming of turning 21 and how old i thought that was. then suddenly, i’m blowing out candles on a homemade pink lemonade cupcake and thinking… “twenty-five. where did the last four years go??”

my actual birthday weekend (the BiG day being may 20th) was far better than i could have imagined. i won’t lie – i was not thrilled for the date to roll around and had little intentions of making any plans. in my head, it’s just a reminder of how old i am and where i find myself in life. i never pictured it like this, for had you asked me at age 20, “where do you see yourself in five years?”, i had a different vision in mind.

though, for being a few weeks new in town, new faces and a few familiar ones made it a special day. especially chelsea – my blog bestie and now roommate. (check out her adorable cupcakes and set-up. homemade frosting too!)

however, what made my birthday not so dreary, was a surprise that came about a few days before….

i’m cooking some dinner for me and chels on thursday night, when the doorbell rings. standing there is my boyfriend’s best friend and fiance with beautiful flowers in a vase. a huge smile comes over my face as i’m thinking, “these must be from james!” (also given that they had their iphone out recording my reaction). as i’m gawking over my lovely arrangement, stephen remembers he forgot the stuffed animal in the car and left to retrieve it.

still gawking over my flowers, i hear them call me, “Whitney, come look!”…

completely and utterly shocked, i peek around the corner to see stephen carrying my stuffed animal…

…james flew all the way from Atlanta to surprise me for my birthday!

i had no idea. at all.

best. birthday surprise. OF   ALL   T I M E!

having him here to spend my weekend with was more than i could have ever wished for.

i have to say, i feel like the luckiest girl because james is practically perfect in every way.

happy birthday, to ME!

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though, my birthday is over, and now i’m back to dwelling on my “quarter-of-a-century”. thinking about where i’ve been in my past and where i want to go in my future.

yesterday, i had an overwhelming epiphany regarding my divine potential and the person i could BE. my mind went crazy with goals and resolves of the kind of life i wanted and the things i wanted to spend my days doing. so much to do. so much to learn. so much to improve.

today, i feel an overwhelming wave of disappointment and self loathing because of the person i AM and my lack, or more – failure to ever reach my full potential. walking to church by myself this morning bundled up in freezing wind and hail when it’s only days until june (so messed up) really set the mood for a day that can’t seem to keep the tears from flowing.

it’s days like these when i’m glad to be in a place where nobody knows or notices me, but at the same time wishing i had familiar faces around.

i know come tomorrow, i’ll probably be feeling as good as new…but today, i hate twenty-five.

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last night i put together this super fab arrangement of freshly cut roses from my friend’s bushes…

…and this morning i woke up to find the big ones completely dead/wilted and about half the others pathetically drooping. how appropriate.

i hope the sun comes out tomorrow.

love, whit

why am i not in bed?

 

okgoodnight,love,whit

where have i been?

i’ve been busy obsessing over these tacos:

and this boy…

lone star taqueria in salt lake city….my favorite lunch spot. ever. 3 times in one week. done and done.

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allow me to state the obvious: the blog has been neglected.

i moved across the country. i’m getting settled into my new place. i’m officially back in school.

i need to apologize because all my latest life happenings have gotten in the way… well, i shouldn’t say “in the way” – they’ve just postponed my blog happenings. and my march letter writing goal did not get completed. though i AM still sending those…just delayed. please don’t hate me! it has been a crazy last couple of months.

with all the comings and goings and outings and changes of the last while…it has been refreshing. i also find myself getting a little stressed. and anxious. and probably on the verge of over-analyzing my life and future to unhealthy levels. decisions scare the buhjeebus outta me! i have a track record of making the wrongs ones, and it makes me nervous to no end.

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more updates later.

i have homework and classes to study for.

love, whit

a post for today…

…the needed mentality.

…loving this photo.

…in the mood to watch Amelie.

…tickled about my new bedding!

…done and done.

love, whit

days like this

love, whit