Meet Evolette Mae, who has already won the hearts of dozens within a week:

Even Justin, who is not usually susceptible to the charms of tiny humans was smitten:

In short, she is absolutely perfect in every way. I still cant believe my brother and sister in law are parents. That seems so unbelievable, even though I had plenty of time to get used to the idea. I saw a cute sign on facebook the other day that went “one of the first signs of getting old is when all your friends start having babies on purpose.” Isn’t that the truth? In any case, two people I love very much couldn’t have been any more blessed with a more beautiful baby and my sister in law was nothing short of a rockstar bringing her into the world for all of us to love and adore.

So does a new baby bring about any maternal stirs in my own heart? Eh, that’s a post for another day..

So. I turned 25 on Monday.

To be honest, I’m not really sure how I feel about it. I don’t feel like a 25 year old. 25 feels…not old, more like grown up, mature. I always thought I’d have everything figured out by now (HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA). Now that I know that’s not the case, I have some adjusting to do. 25 feels like an adult, and more often than not I really don’t FEEL very adult-like. I’ve spent most of my life being told I act older than my age (and was actually just recently told that a couple months ago). Sometimes I wonder if I’ll look back on my early twenties and wish I did more. Not that I didn’t do a lot, but more early-twenties sort of things. Bars, clubs, going home with strangers. Not that I would go home with a stranger (I try to learn people’s names first, you know. Keep it classy) But that’s not what my life was heading to.

I met my husband when I was 18. YOUNG! When did 18 start sounding so young? We became a couple when I was 19, married at 22. That is really young, but that was what was in store for me. I always think it’s a little funny when people tell me I got married too young. What was I going to do, put Justin up on a shelf and tell him to wait around while I aged up a bit? Maybe tell him I’d like to test drive a few other cars before I settled on one? No way, even as a car analogy it sounds tacky. Justin was always the one for me, we had been living together for two years, and there was no point in waiting until some imaginary socially acceptable age to tie the knot (although I am awfully fond of the phrase “living in sin” and use it as often as possible). I didn’t get married too young, I was simply lucky enough to find my soul mate a little earlier in life. Lord knows I would have managed to get myself into all kinds of trouble had I been left to my own devices.

Instead I found a guy who I adore. For my birthday we went out to Pittsburgh to check out a restauraunt I’ve been really wanting to try, The Church Brew Works (I also wrote up a review over at Food Lush). It was a fantastic dinner, with some delicious beer:

We really lucked out with the seating and got a small table all to ourselves in a pretty private location. It was really great to just hang out and talk (and drink!) and connect. We miss out on that a lot now that we have opposite shifts for work.

This Saturday we’re going out with a big group of friends (I get two birthdays!) and I’m excited to see some long lost friends and have some fun. All in all and adulthood aside, 25 is shaping up to be a pretty good number.

I turn 25 in a week. Quarter life crisis post to come.

I am so glad I’ve been doing this for a few years now, I love looking back and seeing how many things have happened! You can check out 2010,2009 and 2008 too =)

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
I got my first big girl job! A job I actually like!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I kept most of them, and I have a few in mind for next year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not yet, but my sister in law is due to give birth in early February of 2012

4. Did anyone close to you die?
no, thankfully.

5. What countries did you visit?
None again! 2012 better change that! We’re thinking Jamaica…hopefully!

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
Still looking for presence and patience, and I would like to add ORGANIZATION.

7. What dates from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I can’t remember the actual date, but the day I found out I got the job was an emotional roller coaster.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Landing a new job, finally, and then getting promoted to a new position after only a few months.

9. What was your biggest failure?
I think I’m still learning how to be, well, an adult. Sometimes I get overwhelmed and lose sight of the bigger picture (like whem my kitchen looks like a tornado went through!)

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I had the PLAGUE in January. It wasn’t really, but it was the sickest I’ve been since I had mono the summer after graduating high school.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My iPhone. I’m kinda crazy about it.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Justin’s, always.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
I think mine, sometimes. But I’m working on it!

14. Where did most of your money go?
House projects for sure. Good grief.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
JOB! Super mega awesome job.

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
Remind Me – Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? happier
b) thinner or fatter? thinner
c) richer or poorer? richer

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
More fun things, again. I’d like to host more parties, go out more, go see a show, TRAVEL!

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Stressed about getting the job…I applied for it back in Feb and thanks to a very in depth background check I didn’t actually get an official offer until late September. That’s a lot of time to stress!

20. How did you spend Christmas?
Lots of running around, I managed to see all my family this year and couldn’t be happier.

21. Did you fall in love in 2011?
Every day =)

22. What was your favorite TV program?
True Blood, Grey’s Anatomy, Merlin, NCIS, and Criminal Minds. That makes me seem like I watch a lot of TV, but I really don’t! Ha

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Still haven’t found anyone worth hating, haha

24. What was the best book you read?
Wow, I read a LOT this year. My favorite has been the Amelia Peabody mysteries.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Adele! Oh I do love her.

26. What did you want and get?
Slowly in the process of getting a gorgeous new master bedroom/bathroom/closet.

27. What did you want and not get?
Shiny new SUV. 2012 is a good year for that, right?

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I had the PLAGUE! Seriously, I was dying for a week. Once I felt a little better we went out for my first Hibachi experience with Bree and Vince. I turned 24.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Progessing more on the house.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
I’m having fun with different styles. As I lose weight clothes are fun to me again and I like exploring what exactly my tastes are.

32. What kept you sane?
Good question. It’s been a crazy year.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Oh, I have a major celebrity crush on Darren Criss. Ohhhh boy.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Nothing major as of yet, but the 2012 election is sure to blow up pretty soon. I can’t believe Michelle Bachman is running, all these female politicians are embarrassing my sex immensely.

35. Who did you miss?
Friends from growing up. We’re all adults now and getting married and having babies and I’m not sure when that happened. All my friends are having babies, I’ll just have a drink

36. Who was the best new person you met?
New job means new friends! It’s also refreshing to go from working with all men to working with more women in the mix. Men in large quantities day in and day out only sounds great in theory, unfortunately

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
One day things can seem bleak and depressing and all you want to do is throw yourself a pity pizza party (BBQ chicken pizza, in case you were wondering). But the next day something happens that changes everything around. I am in the process of learning that nothing stays the same, for better or for worse every day brings some sort of change.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Cause I’m a ramblin’ man
I ain’t ever gonna change
I got a gypsy soul to blame
And I was born for leavin’
- Colder Weather, Zac Brown Band

This year I got into the Christmas spirit around mid-November. This is kind of weird for me, as the Christmas spirit has been a bit elusive the past few years. I chalked it up to general growing pains, life moved sort of fast for me in the last five years and I don’t think I was completely keeping up. Not to mention I was miserable 8 hours a day at work and just not happy in general.

This year feels different. I have a new job I really enjoy and that makes all the difference in the world. Christmas feels festive again. It almost makes me wish I was a bit more religious.

The older I get I think the less religion-minded I am. It’s not that I don’t believe in God, it’s more like I don’t necessarily believe that any one religion has it right. I have come to the conclusion that I do not really believe in the Bible, or any religious text. How can I believe in a book that contradicts so many beliefs I have personally? I just can’t imagine a higher power making up so many rules (no work on Sunday, women are essentially second class citizens, etc.). I’m convinced the Bible, along with most if not all religious texts, were basically written by men in power hundreds and hundreds of years ago to keep that power. I don’t believe Adam and Eve popped into existence into the Garden, not with so much scientific evidence that argues otherwise.

I think Jesus was a real person, though. I doubt he was born right on December 25th, but it’s a good a day as any. I think Jesus was probably a great and celebrated teacher or healer of some sort. A divine pregnancy seems…shady. Back then women were stoned to death for getting pregnant before marriage, why on earth would God do that to someone? Sure, we’re told he sent an angel to explain things to the husband-to-be, but it just seems wrong to me to put someone through that. If it’s true God has a very odd sense of humor.

What do you think of the Merry Christmas/Happy holidays hoopla? That all seems to have been born from some very overly-sensitive individuals. I know a lot of people who are not necessarily Christians, but still celebrate a Christmas-like holiday (tree, stockings, Santa) and why not? The very basic idea of Christmas is to love one another and reflect on your lives and loved ones.

I often think about how we will broach the religion subject with our future kids. I was raised going to church once or twice a month, we were not rigid about it, but we were pretty regular attendees. I don’t know how I can, in good faith, steer my kids down a path I’m not even sure I believe in. I’d like to think we’ll tackle the subject when they’re old enough to come to their own conclusions. Any parents out there care to weigh in?

Well, this post was supposed to just be about how I’m all Rudolph rather than Grinch this year, whoops. Am I alone here in my mental derailment?