Hawaii 2015

Hawaii was AMAZING (of course!!).  I had been craving the sun the heat.  And the more time I live away from home, the more I cherish the time I get to spend with my family.  So, needless to say, this was the perfect trip.  And it was just what I needed to get ready to bury myself in the cold and the books for the next 10 weeks.

Hawaii 2015 from Courtney Shaeffer on Vimeo.

It was a onesie-exclusive party.

I have never seen so many people all in one place wearing onesies.

A Seattle Ski Day

A Seattle ski day consists of a much different routine than a Salt Lake ski day...instead of rolling out of bed at 8:30 and skiing just after 9:00, I woke up at 5:30 to get ready and pick everyone up, and was skiing just before 10:00...different, but still oh so fun!  I had never been to Mt. Baker before, so I was excited to check it out and Emma, Steven, Chris, and I had a fun time all skiing together!  We had our fair share of falls and close calls, took a long lunch playing quarters and paper football, only got lost once or twice, had fun exploring the mountain, built a snowman, and even stopped at Cafe Rio on the way back.  I got back to the apartment at 8:30... a looong day.  But, a long day that consists of skiing is the best kind of day, right?

Steven, Chris, Emma, me

I guess I'm 'that girl' who takes selfies while everyone else is working on the snowman... I promise I actually did help! 

2015 >>---->

Tessa and Chrissy (her mom) have inspired me.  Every year, instead of making several unrelated goals for the new year, they to choose a word of the year.  And I love that.  This year I am going to choose my own word and strive to live with this word always in mind.  Rather than trying to meet so many goals all at the beginning of the year just to realize that after only a few weeks into January, I have already failed at half of them, my word will help me stay on track.  Make little goals, but always centered around this word.  And then at the end of the year, I can reflect...did I live the last year with my word in mind?  And how did I accomplish that?  So then, I can realize all the different ways that I have been successful rather than pointing out the goals left uncompleted or even unattempted.

My word I chose this year? Direction.

I want to be headed forward, making progress, continually moving.

I thought a lot about direction and what it meant to me and how I was going to live with direction in mind.

Want to do it with me?

What's your word of the year?  Take some time -- could be a few minutes, could be a few days -- and decide upon a word. Think about your overarching goals and where you want to be in the next year.  Once you know your word, find a journal or a notebook or just even a sticky note and sit down for just 5 or 10 minutes, thinking about your word.  Write down all the meanings that word has to you.  Write down mini-goals or thoughts about how you will live with your word in mind.  Then write down your word somewhere that you will see every day and do your best to live by it.  Let's see where this next year takes us :) 

Winter Break

After Christmas, winter break consisted of one last week to do all the best winter-breakish things there are to do (which happens to be a lot :D perks of living in the good ol' 801).  Skiing, seeing temple lights, family parties, hanging out with the siblings, ice skating, jumping in the background of the news, the Piano Guys concert, a Jazz game, and more ice skating.

Love this cousin, Morgan of mine!

Luke and Jacob. Such cuties.

I love all the time I get to spend with my brothers (and Nicholas's friends)
every time I come home!

Thanks, Shlyn, for not letting me fall. Close call.

Shlyn, Adam, a photobomber, and me.

See Shlyn in the background of the news?? (And see the blue elbow on the right? That's mine.)

The Piano Guys are AMAZING.  Thanks to my wonderful parents for taking us to their concert!! xo

Carly, Taylor, and me at the Jazz game.

So fun to have Elise at the game with us!

New Year's Eve ice skating with Anna (the Bierman's cousin), Liv, and Carly!

Christmas Day

What I love about Christmas: FAMILY. LOVE. JOY. <<--- Yes, those may be the cliche Christmas words, but is there really a better way to describe what makes Christmas so magical and so perfect?

After pretty much no snow for all of December, I woke up to this outside of my window.  A Christmas miracle!! <3 

I don't know if we're allowed, but we sneak a peek every year :) Shhh, don't tell..

Welcome to the family, Derek, the giant teddy bear. 

Endless massages.

<3 

We love having Aunt Marge spend Christmas at our home!

FAMILY.  The Pauls even surprised their kids and flew in to Salt Lake on Christmas morning! One of the best Christmas
presents for all of us!!

Airplane rides, arm wrestling, and karaoke all night long.

My grandpa truly is Superman!!