the most wonderful time of the year.

Well, nearly a month ago was... better late than never?

Christmas went by in a whirlwind.
Highlights.

Jeremiah came.
Every bit of my family that lives within a 90 mile radius came.
Jeremiah and Matthew got sick on Christmas Eve. Lame.
Worked.
And oh yeah, I got engaged. Yes, to be married.
No bigs.
It was pretty eventful and wonderful (aside from the plague that beseiged the house). This was the fist Christmas Jeremiah and I have spent together... but being as we were so excited that we actually were able to see each other's faces, we neglected to take many pictures of said faces. Here's a couple...

Precious out.

in the navy.

Jeremiah officially graduated from Navy bootcamp on Friday.
It was all very official and ceremonial; they all looked very sharp and austere... do you see him?

He only had a few hours of liberty... so we attempted to party it up as much as possible.
(mostly at the Sprint store trying to set up a new phone and at the airport... exciting, I know)

 Proud of that kid....

recap.

My last month in a flashback.

1. Wedding in Kansas City.

2. Got a car.
"Schwaat?! Layla got a car?!" (you may be thinking)
"Yes, yes I did blogperson" (what I'm probably thinking back at you)
 sidenote: yes, we did just communicate telepathically.

      (car is not pictured... mostly because I had not deemed in necessary to have a picture of my car)

3. Saw my dad.

Dad was taking the picture, but here are his dashing children.

 4. Went to Iowa City.

5. Twice.

Also, this weekend is my magical adventure to Chicago for Jeremiah's graduation. I get to see Jeremiah (who I have not seen in two months), eat Persian food, and go to Ikea... the perfect storm... of greatness, that is.

remember remember...

the 5th of November
gunpowder, treason, and plot.

happy things.

This is the part of the blog where I tell you fun and happy things in my life. Because we all need some excitement, right?

FIRST off, I got my first letter from Jeremiah today! It was incredibly short, and most of it was government issued official paperwork about what to expect out of my navy recruit... blah... blah. But there was a very short handwritten paragraph on the back of it all. That made it worth it.

AND I've had the opportunity to spend quite a bit of time with my sister, brother-in-law, and their wonderful little boys. It has been good for me, and a lot of fun. I've learned that the insult of choice amongst 4 year olds is "chicken nugget head". If you've learned nothing else from this blog, you at least now know how to stay hip and relevant in verbal combat.
Here are those little boys and my, not so little, little brother showing off their sweet mohawks.

AND not only are they for reals going to produce the Arrested Development movie, but also like nine or ten episodes to preface it. No bigs deals.

ALSO, friends. I mean "friends" in a lot of ways... I'm hoping to set aside specific time to visit those close friends, skype date with Lauren tomorrow night, and I've met a few people at church here.  Friendship will ensue, and fun will be had by all... or at least me.

So there you have it. Life can be tough, but there are a few gems...

i'm begging, darling please...

Some days I wish I could wear this. Maybe in sticker or pin form? Haha....

It honestly doesn't bother me when people do... although it drew far too much attention on the first day of school. For years. A difficult last name combined with a song title.... talk about anxiety for this Layla.

vague and brief.

Yes. I'm not doing a very good job at this blogging thing.
No. I cannot promise that it will get better... but I shall try.

I suppose life has been a bit strenuous... and bustling right on by. A lot has happened, and yet I feel like I am lingering in a phase in life that I'm ready to be done with. Being an adult (and all that it entails) can be arduous... and trusting that it is all a part of God's wonderful plan for me can be... challenging? Sure. I don't know. I like to have life planned out and organized, and right now it is all hazy. Like a fog.
But I believe life will get better, and plans will become clearer... I just need to be patient.

So in a very vague and brief sort of way you have an update. Hah.