It's the most wonderful time of the year!

I can't believe that 2016 has gone by so quickly. We have reached my favorite time of the year: the Christmas decorations are up, the weather is chilling, Puff is starting to snuggle, and we can get ready for both the holiday festivities and celebrating Atti's second birthday. On top of everything else, today marks the last week of class, followed by finals week, which means that I have almost completed my first full semester here at Rockhurst- and I have pretty damn good grades! As long as I do well on finals, I will hopefully end the semester with straight As [and a possible B in Theology if I don't do the best on the research paper I just turned in]. This year has been a whirlwind, but I think it has become one of my favorite and most eye opening years to date.

Atti is sprouting into a wonderful little girl right before our eyes. She is so fun and energetic and curious- she just doesn't stop talking and moving and learning. I fall in love over and over again, especially now that she asks for 'shnuggles' from Mama and Dada [usually as a ploy to stay up longer, but I'll take it]. Although she is a ridiculously picky eater and has the sass of a reality tv show character, she is one of the happiest morning people I have ever met and loves to show off how smart and playful she is. Watching her grow makes my heart swell- being a mom touches my soul more and more each day. We talked about baby number 2 and decided that we will wait and try to time the birth to be between my BA ending and my masters degree starting, which gives us about a year before we start trying again (and to be honest, I'm kind of excited to go through another pregnancy!).

There is also one main challenge that I have defeated this year and that is that Blade has finally agreed to let us get a dog! And of course I am having trouble waiting until Spring like he wants to find one, considering I have already found a beautiful 2 year old Great Pyrenees and sent in an application to meet her... but we will cross that bridge when I we get there (or when I get a response back from the shelter). Keep your fingers crossed for me that Blade gives in and I can bring home a new family member before Christmas!

Of course, pictures will be soon to follow! HO HO HO and Happy holidays!!!

Fall Vacation

Here are just a few photos from our Fall family vacation to visit the Hargett's in Destin. Little Doc Holiday turned 1 year old, so we decided to hop on a plane and hang out for the weekend. We had a blast, even though the trip was way too short. Nic and Tori are wonderful, we wished they lived closer, but all the more reason to make another trip to the coast!

As much as flying with a child is a pain in the butt, I loved the snuggles. Only one more year of her getting to sit in Mama's lap on trips... I don't think I'm ready for her to grow up!

A new missing piece.

It has taken me over a month to write this post because it has hurt too much to put into words.

My Uncle Jeff died on September 25th, around 1:00 in the morning.

He passed free of pain or worry in his sleep after spending the evening singing his favorite songs with Melissa and mom, in her home surrounded by things he loved.

Two days before he passed, he walked out of the bedroom with some struggle, gave me a huge hug and said "I love you so much". I know that he meant it.

I will miss everything about that man. His orneriness, his humor, his love of family and friends, his connection with animals and children, his big bear hugs and torturous picking on me. He lived a crazy and random life, but a life filled with happiness and love even in the darkest days. The world has truly lost a beautiful soul, I don't think any of us will be the same.

I hope, with everything in my body, that he is in peace- but knowing Jeff, anything too peaceful would be boring, so I also hope that he is getting himself into trouble wherever he is.

I love you very much, sleep sweet Uncle Jeff.

Happy Halloween 2016!

Fall in Kansas City has arrived and it is beautiful.

This is my favorite time of the year- leaves changing, the weather cooling, the holidays around the corner, the new fun activities to do with the family- Fall makes everything in my life feel just a little more complete. Atti has been enjoying it just as much as I have, Blade has too even if he won't admit it [he is a bit of a Scrooge]. So far we have painted pumpkins, gone for long afternoon and evening walks, explored the changing trees, eaten new foods (she is now a caramel apple fan), and gone for our first real 'trick-or-treat' outing for Halloween. Miss Bean was the cutest kangaroo you'd ever imagine- the residents in Union Hill were giddy over her adorable costume, hop and "hey guys!" included.

We also got the chance to dog-sit for Bernie for a week, which Atti adored and I hope made Blade realize that having a dog is absolutely probable for this family. The walks we took Monkey on were fun and helped to get us out of the house and into the beautiful fall weather we've been having.

Long walks with Dada make for a very tired little pumpkin. We walked all the way down to the Filling Station, and then to the park and back in the course of an hour and a half. She slept like a log that night. [How can you not all in love with those eyes!?]

This year has brought about a lot of insight into how I have been living my life, and I have realized that I am not fully enjoying anything to its fullest extent. I have a hard time living in the moment and have been very anxious about what is coming next, or what I need to prepare for, or what I am doing wrong or will do wrong... I need to learn to breathe a little more and open my eyes to the little things in the present that make this life worth living.

Snuggles on the couch with my baby in the morning, even if I am half asleep

Making cinnamon hearts on top of my latte foam just for the smell

Spending my lazy time outside in the yard instead of watching TV

Curling up on the couch with a good book

Cozying up to my wonderful boyfriend, even if he insists on watching some weird movie

Inviting friends over for dinner instead of drinks

These things have started happening more and I am slowly but surely becoming open to just letting go of what tomorrow has in store for me to be enveloped in the incredible life that I am living in right now. This is what fall is all about- comfort, not just physically but emotionally and mentally.

And it is much cheaper than therapy!

:)

Midterm!

I have officially been a student for half of a semester and I am KILLING IT! I love all of my classes (with the exception of my theology class, but it could be worse I'm sure) and I am doing really well in them all. Grades were just posted and I am proud to announce that I am sitting with ALL A's!!

Anatomy & Physiology  100%

Philosophy                        92%

Language Development  103%

Human Comm Disorders   97%

Theology                             90%

As long as I keep it up, I am on my way to making Honor and am that much closer to a high GPA and grad school. On top of getting the grades, I am connecting with some of my professors and have joined a club---yes, my 28 year old ass has joined a college group--- and have even been making a few friends. I've volunteered for the KC Marathon and have been attending PURPOSE club meetings (a group for CSD, OT, and PT that meets once a week or so). I am actually pretty good at this college thing, who knew!?

Since I am a junior, I got some priority to meet with the advisor to pick out classes for next semester and I will have my hands full for sure! This semester I'm taking 15 credit hours with 5 classes, starting in spring I will have 16 credit hours with 6 classes, one of which ends after the first half of the semester thankfully. I have to take a class over summer too, just to make sure that I'm up to date with all of the core requirements for Rockhurst, but that shouldn't be a problem at all. I'll be graduating at the end of spring 2018 and will (fingers crossed times a million) be starting grad school that fall- leaving me out of college by 2020, that means that hopefully I will be on the way to an amazing career in less than 5 years. I have never been happier or more proud of myself in my life.

I know that the year is just going to get harder,

but I am so unbelievably excited for it.

Cheers to new beginnings going right!

Camera Roll: Sliding into Fall

Look how big we are getting!!! Almost 2 years old!

College Life at [Almost] 30

Well, it has been a month and I am finally settling in to the college way of life. Let me tell you, being a college student on top of a mom and working woman really is a HUGE lifestyle change. Twice a week I am attending class from 8am to almost 4pm, with only two hours of class on Friday, and still working about 20 hours a week------> I am EXHAUSTED! My classes aren't anything insanely complicated, although I was definitely worried about my Anatomy and Physiology class [but I received 25/25 on my first exam so my confidence has risen]. They are very time consuming and I know that I have to keep one step ahead or I will fall behind easily. I've also realized that, since turning 28 last week, I am the oldest person in the CSD program by 5-8 years, with the exception of one older woman. This is not comforting by any means, but I am trying to stay positive and believe that my life skills will give me a hand up in the program. I have never been busier in my life and I know it is only going to get more hectic the closer I get to Grad school.

But I can honestly say that I have never been happier and felt more content with where I am in life than right now:

I have a wonderful family.

I have my health.

I have a flexible job.

I'm doing great in my classes.

I'm on track to a real career.

IT IS HOLIDAY SEASON!

Ok, so maybe that last reason is just a temporary perk but it is still valid right now. School has started right alongside with fall and I can already feel my heart growing bigger in preparation for the holidays. We have a BBQ planned for next week, which hopefully won't get rained out, and then I get to start decorating for Halloween/Thanksgiving- Blade is going to Ireland a couple days after the BBQ so I am going to decorate everything while he's gone so he can't say no! :)

Speaking of the fantastic Mr. Moore: he put together a wonderful birthday weekend for me and I've never been more wooed. On Saturday he planned for my girlfriend, Madeline, to come in from Columbia and take me out for the night. We bar hopped a bit and then went to the Majestic for dinner with Sierra and then up to the Pendergast club, Tannin, and Harry's. Then on Sunday, her and I had brunch and relaxed before Blade threw me the keys to an airBNB that he rented for the night in Midtown. It was absolutely beautiful and cozy and was the perfect little getaway- complete with some bubbly rose and lillies. He took me out for cocktails and then dinner at Justus Drugstore and we ended the night cuddling up with some Netflix- needless to say, he spoiled me. It was the sweetest weekend and it definitely helped to give us an opportunity to reconnect a little without being 'mom and dad'.

All in all, I think August and September have marked a new era in my life and given me a new appreciation for the people and things that I have around me. I also have a new order or focus for the new season: family, school, soul--> I will make more time for my loved ones, my studies, and myself. I may be the oldest chick in my class, but I will also be the most fulfilled.

Summer is a time for organization and...

...procrastination! [I started writing this post about a month ago]

 Oh my has this year been a bit of a whirlwind. With baby girl getting so big and rambunctious, and mom and dad working our butts off, time is just flying by. In the beginning of summer we were having a blast: we've gotten to take Atti to a water park/Uncle Hunter's pool several times, and been out and about around town [the new rail was put in going from Union Station to River Market in May] but the summer heat wave has finally hit and we are stashed inside with the air conditioning as much as we can.

Atticus updates: We are full throttle with the walking and TALKING! A ton of new and random words, some phrases ["where'd he go?!], and of course the occasional cursing out of mom in full baby language. We are still on the bottle, but that is going soon- she eats like a champ and is working those utensils awesomely! Nap and bed time are easy going for the most part, she will put down the bottle and tell you 'nigh nigh' when she is ready to go. And we are getting more and more love and snuggles every day. I can't believe we already have a toddler. You'd believe it if you saw the attitude, it has popped out with the summer sun.

Mom and dad updates: Blade is working more than ever but he has been wonderful with working out schedules. I've been working a bunch too, but trying to focus on being home with the baby more so Blade can get work done. With Atti going to Ms. Martha's on Monday and Friday days it has been much easier to coordinate time and energy around work and family. But all of that changes come August when I start school. I will be going Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to class at Rockhurst, and since I can't get a personal loan I will still be working almost full time. Between that and Bean, I am going to be one busy mama. Fingers crossed I don't burn out before holiday break!

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On a side note: about a year ago I took up bullet journaling and I fell in love. I have changed it around to fit my personality and daily needs, but it is still a staple during the week. I keep everything in it, from daily planning to fitness progress to future DIY projects, and it helps with my lack of organization. I would definitely suggest looking into it, or something similar, if you can't find a planner that suits your day to day. The best part is, every week looks different based on what is happening in my life at that moment. Below is just a glimpse at a week (it also makes me feel pretty artsy if I sit down for a little while before hand to make it look pretty). 

I still can't believe that it is already half way through the year.

Like usual, I will try to post more frequently....but we've seen how that plays out.

Cheers!

Camera Roll: Summer sweetie

It has been a very busy summer, but Atti isn't wasting any time growing up! Enjoy!

Look at all those teeth!

First time I got her to nap with me in almost a year

Happy Father's Day from Bristol Sunday brunch!

18 month doctor visit

#Moorethanafeeling

We have survived our second out of state trip with Atti! Over the weekend, we traveled up to Audubon-Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, to attend Michael and Elena's wedding. With a layover in Minneapolis and two 2 hour flights (both ways), I can say I'm pretty proud of the little monster. Obviously no toddler is going to be perfect, but she wasn't the worst- a few tantrums and not wanting to stay still during flight #1, followed by sleeping almost the extent of flight #2. To top off just traveling for hours in general, she has two bottom teeth coming in and caught a slight cold the morning of our trip back to KC. All in all, she was a pretty rad kid and we think she had the time of her life out there.

Not only did we get to have a little family vacation, but we got to spend time with Blade's extended family, most of which I was meeting for the first time- none of which have ever met Atti in person. She has quite a few cousins around her age and a little older, and she had a really fun time running around and playing. She got to try some serious seafood (the North East knows how to make a crab cake, let me tell you) and spend some nights in a hotel room, both of which she enjoyed. And how could I not mention being able to dance at a wedding!? She was definitely the center of attention out dancing with all the adults, she just loves music and bopped along to everything.

Blade and I got some much needed quality time as well. All the travel time and relaxing during nap time in the hotel, plus getting to bar hop with his brother and cousins after the wedding, was a long time coming and made us both very happy. Being parents is a fabulous partnership, but we have a tendency to neglect our romantic, independent relationship and that is something we have vowed to focus on in the coming months so we don't have to wait until another family event.

I honestly wish that we could do it all over again- and the wedding itself was one of the more beautiful and tasteful weddings I have ever been to- but I am also happy that we are back home (traveling with a small child is as easy as doing a maze with a blindfold on). We will definitely be visiting Pennsylvania again in the future.

The future looks bright!

It is official, I am a 3rd year undergrad student at Rockhurst University come Fall! I have never felt more proud of myself than when I opened the letters from all three (Rockhurst, Avila, and UMKC) of the colleges that I had applied to see that I was accepted to them all. But then came the hard part, a situation that I wasn't prepared for: I had to make a choice. First, I made an appointment with Avila and was sadly disappointed at the lack of coordination and, honestly, care from the staff there. I was only scheduled to meet with one person whom turned out to not really know why I was sent to him at all since he only talks to graduate students. Afterward, I was sent on my way with a giant question mark hanging over my head and a knot in my stomach from anxiety about how I was supposed to make such a grand decision with no information.

Two days later, I made my way up to Rockhurst without much anticipation, assuming I would be getting the same response from them that I did at Avila. Man, was I wrong! I don't think I have, in my several years attending college, been in such an organized and welcoming school. The man working the front desk was already anticipating my arrival and handed me my itinerary for the day. That's right, I had an entire schedule for the day made up for me comprised of appointments with different staff that actually had something to do with my undergrad program. I spent the next four hours meeting with the transfer adviser (who already had my financial aid paperwork completed), the head of the Communications Sciences and Disorders undergrad and graduate programs, and then straight to an academic adviser to figure out what was needed from my transcripts. I was thrilled that they wanted to put so much effort into one student and it made the decision very easy for me- Rockhurst wins, I didn't even need to visit UMKC.

Though it sounds exciting, the schedule wasn't the best part about my visit to Rockhurst. I was awarded almost $27,000 in scholarships and grants! They are incredible with giving out little grants here and there, and they really add up. I will only have to take out about a quarter of what I initially thought I would have to from student loans, and I even get money back from the year to pay for my textbooks which means I don't have to pay anything out of pocket. I am just over-the-top excited to attend a university that works so hard to take care of their students, it brings a very sunny outlook for the future.

As for my degree, I will be completing my undergrad in Communications Sciences and Disorders and then hopefully get into the Master's program for the same. Fall semester classes have already been picked out (the academic adviser set me up before I left on the day that I had my campus visit) and I will be taking 15 hours on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday starting in August. Blade and I talked about it and decided that it would be best for me to take out an extra loan and work less because the Master's program is extremely competitive and I will need to focus 100% on my school work and being a mama. When I say competitive, I mean it- with 200 applicants per year, they only accept 33 and the average GPA of those accepted is a 3.57.... which is, in itself, absolutely terrifying, so I try not to focus on the specifics and just remind myself that I am a smart cookie and I will do fantastically!

All in all, I am just ecstatic about what this year has to offer- I finally feel like I am working in the right direction to make something out of myself and make my partner and daughter proud! August can't come soon enough!

Camera Roll: My little Valentine