January:

Snow day--January 2010

• I started my last spring at Oklahoma Christian, worked as news editor on the Talon, and took 15 hours while doing Gamma Spring Sing and working as a tour guide… needless to say, it was a busy semester.
• We had our first snow day of the school year. Two whole days of playing in the snow. Actually that snow day changed our friend group forever. It’s funny how a weekend like that can change everything. However, amidst the fun, and OC student passed away, which affected the mood of the student body for the rest of the semester, too. Like I said, life changing weekend.

February:

• Honestly, the only specific thing I remember from this month is working the Spring Sing ticket sales, which allowed me to get my tickets early! Score!
• I vaguely remember having a Valentine’s Day party, and also seeing the movie Valentine’s Day. I don’t think I took a picture during the whole month of February. Sorry about that.

March:

Gamma Seniors!

• Spring Sing dominated the first week of March. Spring Sing is like Christmas, I love it so much! Gamma got second with our airline stewardess show, and Chi got first with Pinocchio.
• I went to San Antonio with Memorial Road’s college class for a mission trip. We helped with Habitat for Humanity for the second year in a row. Unfortunately I got sick during my stay and missed out on a lot of the fun. I was very glad to get back to Edmond!

April:

• The Gamma Rho seniors went to Dallas for a weekend getaway. Ikea shopping trip!
• Gamma banquet happened, and we took a lot of pictures… in fact, the last attitude picture ever. Sad day.
• I finished up my semester and watched some of my closest friends graduate! Luckily several of my friends stayed close to Oklahoma City, so that made the parting much less painful.
• I spent the last eight hours of the month driving to Florida. That’s right, Florida. The second graduation was over, three of my best friends and I left for a cruise to the Bahamas. We faced tornados and extreme tiredness, but we made it. And it was worth every second.

May:

• My first week in May was spent on a Carnival Cruise ship. Tiff, Laura, Karissa and I got some sun, snorkeled, made new friends, and ate. And ate. And then ate some more. This was a highlight of my last summer as a college student, and we are making it a tradition… we have to go on another cruise soon! CRUISE CONTROL FOR LIFE!
• I turned 22 on May 14, and there was a tornado on my birthday. Fun times.
• I watched Megan graduate from high school and Abby graduate from middle school! My girls are growing up!
• My mom and I went to see Wicked! (my second time, her third) with my cousin and her family. No one mourns the wicked.

June:

• Hot-lanta was calling my name and I went east to sponsor a youth group mission trip in Georgia. I got to work with my roomie La at the Atlanta Inner-city Ministry. I met the loveliest family who knew some of my friends from Portland! And Abby, Katie and I caused mischief all week. It was awesome.
• Two words. Michael. Buble. Okay, I can’t limit it to just two words. Please go read this post for a full recap.
• I started taking a Zumba class somewhere around this time. Zumba is the light of my life. Zumba gives me a chance to wear my belly dancing skirt. I love Zumba.

July:

• I spent Independence Day with the Giddens family, my mom, and a few of her friends.
• My Zumba instructor got injured and I helped teach classes for a week.
• Three of the cutest couples got engaged during the summer: Christy and Nick, Kayla and Scott, and Tim and Cara. Yay!
• My mom and I went on a two-week whirlwind adventure to California and back. I met family and friends along the way and saw a million beautiful things that I will always remember.
• I gambled in Vegas for the first (and last) time.

August:

• My friend Tiffany got married to Reagan, and we celebrated her bachelorette party in Oklahoma City (followed by a viewing of Step Up 3D, of course).
• I found an internship for sustainable travel initiatives with Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department.
• I started my last semester in college rooming with Kim in a darling 1 bedroom apartment.
• We celebrated Laura’s 23rd birthday… and what a night it was. Legendary to say the least.

September:

• We saw MC Hammer in concert at the State Fair, enjoyed all the fried food we could endure, and people watched. The State Fair = best people watching ever.
• Jason Mraz came to Searcy, AR, so Kim, La and I went to the concert. I got to see Megan and Cara, which makes for a pretty great weekend. We totally bonded with Cara’s dog Sawyer, too.
• Every Wednesday Kim, La, Karissa, Andy, Tiffany,Reagan and I would hang out, study, and have fasting challenges for the week. It only lasted a month, but it was still fun. And strange. Kind of like a cult actually. Hmmmm.
• We tailgated in Norman for the OU football games, and La and I made dresses for the OU vs. Air Force game!

October:

• We had a girls weekend in Broken Bow! The cabin was beautiful, the foliage was perfect, and we had a lot of laughs along the way. A new tradition!
• My friend Deborah came to visit en route from Alaska to Europe, and we hung out in Norman… it was around this time that we started seriously looking for places to stay in Norman.

November:

• I participated in homecoming. But I really didn’t do much. I just hung out with Ben when he came to town, which was awesome.
• I caught Bieber Fever with Abby and Erin.
• I celebrated Thanksgiving with my mom’s family.

December:

• Christmas celebrations were in full swing all throughout the month: Lighting of the Commons, Cocoa and Carols, OU Holiday Lighting, etc.
• After 4.5 years, I graduated from Oklahoma Christian with a degree in public relations and advertising.
• I rented a cute two bedroom house in Norman with La! So much fun!
• My great uncle James passed away the day before graduation.
• I had Christmas with my dad’s family and some extended family who always make the party a little better.
• The Giddens girls and I watched 18 hours of The Office one night…. it might have been a poor decision, but we still had fun.
• I rang in the New Year at the Hobbes’ house with some of the most fun people you will ever meet! Even though our original plans changed, we still had a good time!

Now the year is over, and I am more than ready to start the newest phase of my life. Since I am getting a fresh start in a new city, I decided it was time to change the blog as well. From now on I will be blogging at kayleemcdaniel.blogspot.com, mostly because I could never figure out how to get cute themes on this blog. Yeah, I am judging myself for being so shallow. But head on over there in the next few days to see how much cuter it is!

Signing out,

Kaylee

Thank you cards. I’ll be honest, getting graduation presents is fantastic. But writing thank you cards takes a little bit of time.

Fortunately I rediscovered a former love that is helping me through it.

I am watching the entire series again, which includes falling in love with Jim Halpert all over again.

Now that Christmas is over, I am starting to get more and more excited about my new life in Norman. My house is coming together, I get to start looking for new churches, and I found a FREE Zumba class! I know this move is right for me, but I am still nervous about all the changes. Making new friends and still keeping the old is going to be different. Bah. Life is so crazy!

The lights are twinkling at me and it is finally starting to feel like Christmas.

Even though moving, graduating and a death in the family filled up the days before this season, the reason I celebrate has not changed.

Thank you, Jesus, for giving all of us the best gift. Help us to love as You loved and to give with the same generous Spirit.

21. “Merry Xmas” by John Lennon

This song was on the first Christmas CD I ever remember listening to, and I just love it. It’s message is a little bit haunting to me, because it reminds me that doing good should be a spirit that lasts all year, and not just at Christmas.

20. “Christmastime Is Here” from A Charlie Brown Christmas

This song is timeless, and I love how it appeals to me and my mom without much of a difference.

ANNNNNND the big news. When I first started my internship, they made it pretty clear that since the economy is down, they probably wouldn’t be able to hire me after my internship was over. But they have been so generous to offer me a part-time position until I can find full-time work! This is such a huge blessing directly from God, and I am so glad that I have a way to continue working at my office, at least for a while. It has been such a fun experience so far, and I love the people I work with. God is good!

I have loved this song since we sang the classical version in Girls Ensemble in high school. Sufjan puts a little folk into it, which I love. Fun to listen to and pretty unusual when it comes to Christmas music, I think.

I realize this might be a bold statement, but this song is quickly rising to the top of my favorite Christmas tunes. Yes, I realize it was only released on Wednesday. But it is pretty fabulous. It manages to capture the feelings of the season perfectly without being overly cheesy or overly dramatic. Plus, the video is pretty cool.

In other news, I started moving into my house today. And by moving, I mean I took a bench and my record player. But it is a start. Looks like I will be relocating to Norman within the next two weeks! I am a bundle of excitement/nervousness/relief/sadness/nostalgia/hope. It is in God’s hands.

I love sad/nostalgic Christmas music, and this one always gets me. No one can sing it like Judy!

Also, these are in no particular order.

25. “Wonderful Christmastime” by Paul McCartney

This is one of my favorite Christmas songs. I love Paul, who was the best member of the Beatles in my opinion. It is the perfect mix of poppy music and cute sentiment. So enjoy!

I heard a rumor that Santa Claus is becoming techno-saavy and would appreciate my Christmas letter in a web-based format. I just can’t go against Santa, y’all. So without further ado, here is my Christmas 2010 Santa letter.

Dear Santa,

Hope all is well with you and Mrs. Claus up at the North Pole. How you live in such cold temperatures and still remain jolly is a mystery to me. Here is my Christmas list for this year. I promise I have been mostly good. All the bad stuff I did was unintentional, I promise.

1. If possible, please bring me a job so I can pay my rent. Alternatively, you can bring me cold, hard cash. Or gift cards to eating establishments/Target.
2. I was mainly kidding on the last one.
3. I want to try to make my own face care products. Judge me. (Not you, Santa, just everyone else who may read this post.) I found this great kit called eSutras Nourish Facial Oil Kit, which looks like a lot of fun!
4. Thanks to you, I will never ever be able to live without Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment. I am intrigued by the plum color, but rose color was a big summer hit. So just whichever one you have on hand in the elves’ workshop will work for me.
5. This winter weather is wreaking havoc on my hands already, so I would appreciate a good moisturizer to keep them smooth.
6. My love for all things vintage Nancy Drew + my love for helping those in need = the perfect shirt. These people donate a book to a community in need for every shirt you buy. Awesome.
7. I am moving into a new house soon, so if you have any cute vintage decorations, then I would love them. I am really into thrift store/antique finds so don’t feel like you have to rob a Pier 1 to make me happy.
8. When all else fails, I try to keep my Amazon wish list updated. Plus, ordering online is probably more environmentally friendly than hitching up your reindeer for a trip to the store.

As always I will have a fresh plate of cookies and at Diet Dr. Pepper waiting for you. Hope you have a merry Christmas!

Love always,

Kaylee “The Christmas Elf” McDaniel