Highlights (and Lowlights) of 2012

And the worst blogger of the year goes to… me. I’m not going to lie, I don’t really have any motivation to blog since that's what I do for a living now.

I’ve realized I haven’t posted in a really long time, and I’m sorry. So many amazing and exciting things have happened to my little family in this past year and I thought I would share the highlights (and lowlights) of 2012 with you!

I graduated!

I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communication emphasizing in public relations. I may be biased, but I think that is the best major is the world. The PR program at BYU is rated 4^thin the nation and it was an honor to be taught from some of the worlds most recognized and respected people in the industry. You can seriously do so many things with that degree and I am almost guaranteed to always have a job for the rest of my life. There is definitely a huge demand out there and I believe it will only increase through the years as well. The job is so versatile-- it's great.

I got my first “grown up” job.

I interned at a marketing agency and was offered a full time job after my internship ended. What an amazing experience! It was such a terrific company and would recommend them for any company who has marketing needs. I was with this company for 9 months. I really miss it, especially my co-workers and clients.

I got my second “grown up” job. 

Don’t get me wrong, I loved the agency I was with but have always wanted to go into corporate PR. An opportunity came up to be the Marketing/Communication Specialist at an fantastic company and went for it! It has been so amazing here! I am now with doTERRA, an essential oil company. I work in their corporate office and love it. I am always learning new things and have the most amazing co-workers ever. Like I mentioned earlier, I blog for a living. Sounds like a dream, right? Although I am learning A TON along the way, I am grateful for a wonderful team that helps me through the rough bumps. If you want to check out my corporate blog, it’s www.doterrablog.com. Obviously, I have many other responsibilities, but the blog is my baby.


I went on my first cruise!

My family moved from Southern California back to our hometown in Arkansas last summer. As a last goodbye to California, my family went on a cruise to Mexico. I am now a lover of cruises and can’t wait to go on a Caribbean cruise one day! :)

 I had/have some serious health scares. 

Not to go too much into detail, but your perspective on life really changes when your body is ill and you think your life could be in trouble. Since August, when my original symptoms started, I have met with too many specialists to count-- still with no complete diagnosis. My doctors think I have LPR Refux, which there is of course no cure for. I have tried dozens of medications and recommended life-style changes to try to help the excruciating pain in my throat/neck go away. Not much luck there. Some days are better than others, but the pain is always there. It makes it hard to live a normal life. Whenever I’m not at work I usually just sit on my couch with a heating pad on my neck. It's really the only thing that temporarily helps with the pain. I can’t exercise—doctors orders. I really can’t eat many things at all (no dairy, fat, processed foods, citrus…). Even with all of that-- I am still in pain. This will be a continual process through this year as well as we try to figure out the source of the pain. I had a CT scan and am thankful to have no tumors (which 5 doctors thought would be the case). I still have to go in to get continual ultra-sounds on my neck, a biopsy, and an endoscopy to try to find the overall problem. It’s scary. But David and my family have been an amazing support through this whole thing. I’m just praying that I will get better and can go on to living life again.

I started a photography business.

I have been a photographer since I was 10 years old. I’ve always had a love for photography and it has been my hobby and escape from life for as long as I can remember. From what used to be just a hobby, I decided to make a little extra money on the side and turn it into a business. It has been so fun! It has been such a great way to meet new people, further develop my talents, and provide photos for families to cherish for years. Check out some of my work on my Facebook Page, Emily Hogg Photography.

Here are some of my favorites from 2012:

We decided to postpone grad school a year.

David was originally supposed to start grad school this coming fall but decided together that it would be best for him to take a year off and start Fall of 2014. This way I can continue to work at my job, save money, and give David a little break before starting his doctoral degree and career. Even though I would love to get this whole schooling thing done, I know this is best for our family. This also means that we will be living in Utah for the next year and a half as well. Not sure if that is a good or bad thing yet...

Well, as of now I can’t think of any more highlights from 2012 off the top of my head. I’m just so grateful to have my husband, family, and friends to help me keep my motivation and spirits up. Here’s to an AMAZING 2013! Lots of exciting things to come this year!