An unforgettable end to an unforgettable year...

What a year it has been. I don't feel like a lot has changed but I do feel like I have grown in this year...a lot.

This year has been full of school, work, and typical college single life fun. 

Near the beginning of this year I got a new boss. This was a big change for me and this change led me to believing my career path wasn't right for me. After praying long and hard and talking to the smartest man I know (Dad) I decided that Dental Hygiene was not my route and later on excitedly jumped for joy at the idea of becoming a Child Life Specialist. I love kids, so this sounded perfect to me! Being able to help kids smile through their trials sounds like such a rewarding job to me. I have started working towards this degree and have never felt better about school in my life. 

I am still working as a Dental Assistant and love it.

I have also been working as a videographer/photographer on the side. 

I ended this awesome year with my family in the Caribbean on a cruise. 

Yep, all 16 of us.

Mom

Dad

Melissa, Jack

Josh, Lindsay

Sean, Andrea

Jeff, Me, Hannah,

Jackson, Jane, 

Luke, Ella

and my very new soon to be sister in-law...

CARLY!

Jeff proposed on Paradise Island, Bahamas during the cruise and I couldn't be more excited to promote my best friend to SISTER!

My parents and I, along with Josh and Lindsay left for Miami on December 23rd to spend Christmas with the Stringhams! It was wonderful and honestly so fun to be with those kids on Christmas and to surprise them with CRUISE TICKETS!

On December 25th night Sean, Andrea, Ella, Carly and Jeff all flew into Miami and we boarded the Oasis of the Seas the next morning!

We stopped in Bahamas, St. Martin and St. Thomas! 

My favorite memories from the whole trip was the open air taxi ride around the beautiful island of St. Thomas with the whole family to a beautiful beach on the other side.

I loved partying on the ship, going to new and exotic (and nude) beaches, and the FOOD!

The cruise was amazing!

I will never forget that experience!

I seriously had depression getting home from that trip.

congrats jeff and carl!

My family is weird and wonderful and I love them!

zipling, surfing, rock climbing...you know...casual activities in the middle of the Caribbean!

When we got off the ship in Miami we were all able to go to Hannah's baptism that evening! It was so fun for us all to be there!

Ella was pooped after the week of partying on the cruise!

I will never forget this cruise. It was so much fun and I want to go back!
I even looked into jobs with Royal Caribbean...

XOXO
Shlyn

Alright. Okay.

School has started. AND I HAVE BEEN LOVING IT!

No really, this has been such a fun semester for me at the University of Utah. 

Taylor Swift was a BLAST! She is such a great performer and she is seriously amazing! I am not 13 years old, I swear. 

Fall means football and I have been enjoying a lot of that this year. 

We also took a quick weekend trip to Lake Powell in September. It was a blast! 

There were a few birthdays in September and October:

Jane turned 3! I can not believe it! 

Here is me with Jane on the day she was born:

I remember walking into that hospital room in Spokane, Washington and thinking

 "SHE is the most perfect newborn I have ever seen"

Josh also had a birthday! The big 3-0!

 

And then my Dad celebrated his birthday in October

and you can't forget the dogs...Max and Charlie share October 3rd as their Birthday!

Max turned 12, and Charlie turned 3

I could spend all of my days going on long drives. 

Long drives are my favorite thing, especially in the Fall when everything is beautiful!

Halloween is in the air. 

I love Halloween! 

But I am not sad when it is over.

The morning after Halloween is fun because...well...Thanksgiving is in the air, and when Thanksgiving is in the air...it means it is acceptable to talk about Christmas!!!!!!

Want to know a secret?

When I get sad studying, I smell the pine tree febreze in my nightstand drawer, just to remind me that Christmas is coming and everything will be OKAY.

Also, I listened to Christmas music the other night. 

11 o'clock at night to be precise. 

Yeah, go ahead and judge me. 

Other things that have happened

-celebrating fall break right now! full week! no school!

-college gameday with ESPN at the U!

(pictured above, I got to meet Kyle Whittingham)

- Pretty sure I crushed my Geology midterm, but I won't find out until after fall break

10 more Fridays until CHRISTMAS!

XOXO

SHLYN