Well, according to the 2015 best nine automated collage, my selfies, Italy trip and newborn niece were the highlights of the past year, which is pretty spot on. With the addition of 10 pounds, bad decisions, a new job, a new apartment and the beginnings of wedding planning, 2015 was a kick ass year. So enough with the explaining, because I have lots of good pictures and highlights to show off during my yearly recap.
January
Remember that time the first of many Average Girl Chronicles' posts went viral? Me neither. But this was the closest thing to it, my post on 50 things a University of Rhode Island alum might miss. Go Rhody Rams!
As a small blogger, blogging out of the smallest state with the smallest chance of being recognized as a "Blogger to Watch in 2016," getting 7,000 views on a single post is unheard of. And I was, and still am, loving it. Be sure to click and share this link a couple thousand more times because I'm itching to go viral.
That sentence sounds so wrong on so many levels. #yolo
February
Anyone living in New England remembers where they were during Blizzard Juno. Although the blizzard was in the end of January, the aftermath lasted for months which allowed me to frolic in the snow well into February. For me, it was the first declared state of emergency where I could make Bloody Mary's, breakfast pizza and make snow angels in the yard of my very own apartment. Ahhh, the life. Plus, I wrote this post. Why is this post so memorable? Because I wrote it. That was pre-weekly blog posts for the AGC so new posts were few and far between.
This was a big month for us because my crazy sisters and I took this photo. It's hard to get a good one of the three of us so when we captured this guy at Julia's birthday, I knew I had to share it. Don't I look more like my older sister than my twin? We are still trying to figure out where she came from.
April
Lou Dog's first birthday was in April. This beast of a Labrador is the most lovable, sneaky, curious, snugly, cutest companion one auntie could ask for. Just look at him! He sure does love his ice cream. Yes, sometimes he chews on my bun on the top of my head and yes, sometimes his breath doesn't smell the greatest but seeing this giant of a dog turn one year old is one of the happiest moments of 2015, minus going semi-viral and getting engaged.
Rounding out the top three, Louie, you have a real special place in my heart and earned a spot in my new king bed. More space for you to sleep over! Now get your mom to let me take you... I mean borrow you.
May
May. The beginning of wedding season. Jake and I had five weddings in 2015 and this was the first. There is nothing like heading north to Vermont for a family wedding on a lake resort with lots of laughs, dancing, wine and singing. Gotta love my soon-to-be in-laws.
Between the lake, love, my strong selfie game and Jake's bow tie, this wedding takes the cake for my May highlights. Plus, it was the first time I started to think of specifics for me and Jake's wedding, even though we weren't engaged for another two months after this wedding. Foreshadowing much?
June
Me and this chick celebrated our quarter century birthday this month. I couldn't resist with this picture. Look at that pose! I'm a natural. And Sam? Effortless.
Back to our birthday.
Contrary to popular belief, twins don't do everything together 247, well at least until their 18th birthday. Now, with our own lives blossoming into something completely different, on June 14th we get together, share a cake and open the same gifts just in a different color. I have to say though, this year we FINALLY got our own individual cakes. Look, I love my chocolate and no one or nothing can get in between that....until you have a twin sister who likes vanilla cake. Then we have to "compromise" and get marble cake. SOOOO STUPID. Thanks to our older sister who took the initiative and finally got us our own cake, probably because I bitched about it for 25 years. Hallelujah.
July
Something very special happened this month. In case you didn't hear, Jake made all of my engagement dreams come true by proposing on top of a castle in Itri while I was on a family trip in Italy. Since I haven't stopped talking about since the day it happened and to stop sounding like I am bragging about how awesome my fiance is, just read about it by clicking here.
August
Nothing beats a summer in the Ocean State. With the endless amounts of seafood and ice cold Del's (spiked with vodka) sitting on a beach with not a cloud in the sky, those are the signs of a damn good summer. It's tough having a full-time job during the week because the only times I can hit up the beach was on the weekends. And of course, most of the weekends weren't ideal beach weather. But I made it, and I got somewhat of a tan so I didn't look like Casper, which I currently do now. #thestruggleisreal
September
Tying into the seafood theme, Rhode Island has so many iconic festivals revolving around seafood. It always boggles my mind when I meet a Rhode Islander who doesn't like seafood. It's like sacrilegious. Our state's official appetizer (which is apparently a thing) is calamari, dammit. I can't get enough of it and in September, Jake and I were able to hit up the Seafood Festival in Providence with plenty of local fish, beer and food trucks. Who doesn't love food trucks? Add a Narragansett beer and you, my friend, are in the making of becoming a true Rhode Islander. Plus, this photo I took in September screams everything Lil' Rhody. I just HAD to represent. #401
October
October was the month of #Anderoni2017. We booked our venue, set a date (10.8.2017) and took our engagement photos. I didn't do a post dedicated to our very awkward engagement shoot, but I did do this post as a teaser to our pictures. Since our awesome photographer's wedding package included engagement pics and because I wanted a good save-the-date— which I think we got— we went against everything I said and did the damn things. See this one? It's a contender.
November
This was the month of added pounds. I probably gained five pounds in this month alone. In fact, I split not one, but TWO, pairs of pants. Seriously. But like I've always said, there is no such thing as diets during the holidays.
Also this month was our second annual friendsgiving which a friend of ours hosted. There is nothing better than cooking a Baffoni's Farm turkey with all of the fixings, plus booze and these turkey hats during a cold night in November. Plus, my brother came straight from the airport after a work trip to New Orleans and what did he bring? Beignets from Café du Monde. Damn, were they good.
No wonder I split two pairs of pants.
December
Last, but certainly not least, this chunky monkey turned one. Ava has been the cutest bundle of joy that I've had the pleasure of seeing grow up. With her and my sister living on the second floor above us, I can play with her all I want and there is nothing more than I love laying on her floor while she crawls over me, trying to walk. Did I mention she is a drool monster? But I love it.
She got her first dose of cake at her birthday party and it was the CUTEST thing I've seen in a while. Well, everything she does it the cutest thing but this is close to the top. She is growing up so fast. Next thing I know, she will be knocking on my door in the morning wanting to play with Auntie NeeNee (that's me) and eat all of my snacks. I can't wait.
For some resolutions for 2016: learn how to suck it up and change a nasty dirty diaper because some of Ava's were too bad for me to do. I know, I'm a bigger baby than she is.
Some others may be to put more love into the Average Girl Chronicles, which is a common resolution among bloggers. 2015 was a great year for the AGC though, and I am looking forward to see what else is to come. Maybe, just maybe, I'll start making money off this thing.
There is lots to come in the New Year, what they are, I don't know. What I do know is that I'm going to have to start a diet (a resolution I should probably keep) because it's crunch time for #teamweddingbod since I'm going to start wedding dress shopping in summer 2016. If it's one thing I'm good at it, it's forgetting about New Year's resolutions. Let's see if that will change. Probably not.
Also on the preliminary agenda for 2016 is another trip to Europe. Maybe Paris and Amsterdam? Hmmmm. Another blog post on those plans to come.
With all of that said, enjoy the last few days of 2015 and may 2016 bring you all lots of success, smiles and achieved goals.
See you next year!