And That Makes 3

Three Daughters.

Three Weddings.

Three Sons.

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The final Jewski is taking the plunge! A big hug and many congrats to my sister & her man - let's boogie!

2012

This year has been weird.

Ups and downs, good times and bad, moments that went by too quickly and others that lingered too long - it felt like an emotional roller coaster. A lot of it was my own fault: I take things personally, I read into things, I cry... the list goes on. (Understatement of the year.)

But 2012 also brought a lot of change. Change that I wasn't necessarily prepared for or ever wanting to experience. Change that still hurts to think about and leaves me wondering at night. Sadly, I don't know if 2013 will provide resolutions to some of these unsettled feelings.

What I do know is that I am ready to move forward. The past twelve months have given me great perspective and I'm actively working on building a thicker skin.

Okay, okay... enough of the blog post blues. Let's get to the good stuff, shall we?!

In keeping with tradition (meaning I've done it once) I wanted to provide y'all with some of my favorite memories from the last year. Without further ado, this is Not Your Mama's Year in Review!

JANUARY

An epic night out with some of my favorite ladies was the perfect way to kick off 2012. How could you not love karaoke, comedy and margaritas? My point exactly.

FEBRUARY

Quick - what is the perfect excuse for a half day at work? To catch a flight to Las Vegas? You'd be correct! You win... nothing. Sorry!

MARCH
Being able to host a bridal shower for one of my sisters was absolutely wonderful. Getting to co-host with my other sister? Take that "absolutely wonderful" and times it by two. It should also be noted that Mr. Malone and I hit the 7-year mark in our relationship in 2012. BOOM!

APRIL

I think it would be down right inappropriate to say anything other than our trip to The Big Island. It was a perfect week away: sand, sun, tropical drinks, golf and absolutely NO thinking about work. Amen!

MAY

Wedding season has begun! My sister Julia tied the knot at the most iconic spot in Seattle - jealous much?!

JUNE

A much needed, and LONG overdue, reunion with my college buddies in Bend, Oregon. Weekends like this cannot happen every two years - it's too long to wait!

JULY

Um, hello?! THE OLYMPICS. Duh.

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AUGUST

Mr. Malone and I knocked out THREE weddings, including back-to-back weekends in Portland. My Dougie skills have never been better.

SEPTEMBER

Lordy bee, our trip down South was easily the highlight. The only thing that would have made it more enjoyable? A Husky victory. (Only 38 points off... so close!)

Fun fact: Pitch Perfect was filmed at LSU

OCTOBER

Wedding season is officially complete! It started with family and ended with family, as my cousin married one of the funkiest dudes this side of the Mississippi.

NOVEMBER

Ye Olde Leavenworth Weekend. Crisp air, crunchy leaves, and two dear friends. 'Nuff said.

DECEMBER
How am I supposed to choose between multiple birthday celebrations, an engagement, and a white Christmas?! Easy... I don't!

Cheers to 2013!

Merry Merry

Family. Laughter. Justin Bieber. The Palm Springs of Washington. Farkel. Good food. Pajamas. Keeping warm by the fire. A Seahawks victory. Cards Against Humanity. Love. Snow. Irish Coffee. Deliciousness.

Sad to see you go, Christmas. Cannot wait to see you in 2013.

54 or 55?

My heart is so full.

Mr. Malone's brother got engaged this weekend!

(Insert tears of joy, insane arm flailing, and squeals of delight here.)

In the 5+ years I have known Landon, I don't know if I've ever seen him as happy as he is with Nay Nay.

And Nay Nay? Well, I think she is amazing and will make the most wonderful addition, as #54 or #55, to the Malone family. (Selfishly, I like knowing I have a date to the glassybaby seconds sale for the rest of time.)

J & S - I just really can't describe how perfect I think you two are for one another. So looking forward to all of the fun to be had in the future. Congratulations!

Thankful

As I sit in bed this morning, it's hard to ignore all of the things I am thankful for. (At this point in time, however, my number one is the DayQuil that is about to kick in.)

I wouldn't be who I am today without Mr. Malone, our families, our friends, and a kick ass fantasy football league that I'm trying desperately to win. (It's rivalry week... Mr. Malone is going down!)

Hope you all have a marvelous Thanksgiving!

News!

DISCLAIMER: After receiving a few messages of "I'm finding out you are pregnant on the internet!," I feel ridiculously guilty for my little prank. Those of you who read my blog will NEVER find out about Baby Malone on here - I promise!

 

How many of you thought I was going to say I'm pregnant?!

Sorry for the cruel joke, but the baby above is not a Maloneski. (And c'mon - I had to!)

Mr. Malone and I are going to be Godparents! Is it okay to be this excited?!

Last Dance

As you all know, Mr. Malone and I had a very busy summer. We were completely honored to celebrate with our friends and family this year. (Seriously! I am totally floored that that many people like us that much.) Needless to say, however, we aren't crying about wedding season being over.

All of our love and warmest congratulations to the newlyweds of 2012!

* Marcus & Julia - May 5 *
* Mike & Erin - May 26 *
* Craig & Melinda - June 23 *
* Steven & Jennifer - July 7 *
* Kyle & Cassie - July 28 *
* Steve & Shannon - August 5 *
* Andrew & Alice - August 11 *
* Andy & Keli - August 25 *
* Nick & Tracy - September 1 *

* Galen & Sara - October 20 *

Sara's Bridal Shower

I like love playing hostess. I really, really do. And with the help of Mama Jewski and my sisters (ok, ok... and Pinterest), we could open a bridal shower business.

My cousin Sara is getting hitched on October 20 - which is also my parents' anniversary. (Fun fact: My parents' wedding was the first wedding Sara ever attended... she was only 19 days old!)

I couldn't be more excited for her - Galen is a wonderful addition to our family and is a great match for Sara! Can't wait to boogie in a few weeks at Melrose Market!

Emily's cupcakes are the best!

Manchego & Almond Covered Grapes. MAKE THEM.

Sara & Aunt J

Congrats, S & G!

Tiger Bait

We survived. The Pelican State didn't take as much out of me as I thought it would - well, except for maybe gallons of sweat. 

Over share? Completely. Exaggeration? Not even close.

Yes, it's true. I am meant to live in the Northwest - the humidity just doesn't do it for me. Regardless of the weather (and the ass kicking LSU handed our Huskies), Mr. Malone and I had a wonderful time in Louisiana with his family.

Our trip began with a very brief stint in New Orleans. No joke - we went straight from the airport to the French Quarter for a solid three hours of walking. I had two things on my list: beignets from Cafe du Monde and a cemetery. (What can I say? I loved the movie Double Jeopardy!)

 

Truth be told, I could do without ever visiting New Orleans again. It was dirty and smelled awful. I cannot even fathom how bad that stench must be at night. Although, I can certainly understand why a single person would want to hang out on Bourbon Street.

Woot woot!

After a car ride along the swamps, we made it to Baton Rouge! We drove through campus, checked out my sister-in-law's apartment, and power napped before our first Southern meal. Here is where I should declare my love for the food in Louisiana. The poboys, the gator, the crawfish étouffée... delicious!

Our Friday consisted of walking, sweating, hydrating, walking, sweating, eating, showering, driving, hydrating, and a tour of the Houmas House. (Before our actual tour, we drove 15-20 minutes out of the way to see the Oak Alley Plantation. Totally worth it.)

Oak Alley - stunning

Houmas House

Oh, I do declare! That Mint Julep was mighty fine.

The culmination of our trip was the game on Saturday. (At least one team showed up ready to play!) Win or lose, the SEC knows how to do football. And the LSU fans?! Amazingly genuine. They would taunt us for a bit and then feed us. Everybody was so friendly and hospitable!

Sleepy Mike

That's where we sat!

 

We are smiling so big because there was a wonderful breeze at our seats!

  

Time to start planning our trip to The Windy City