Words Matter

So things have been stressful the past couple of months.  So extremely stressful! I have felt like I was on a roller coaster of emotions, and before you ask, NO I am not pregnant I can assure you! :) I have just felt like everything in my life has been a bit more stressful that I have been used to! I have had a lot of people ask if I was ok or why I seem so sad recently and honestly I just have felt in a valley.  So I decided that I was just going to get out of regardless of what it took! But in the midst of my bad months weeks days I have been really hateful and hurtful with my words.  It is my downfall big time! And trust me I am ever so gently reminded by my loving sisters that I need to work on it.  So I say all that to say this post was on one of the blogs I follow and I thought it couldn't hit any closer to home.

Here is the link to read her blog:
Words Matter

Vacation is sooooo close!

Today has been better.....still exhausted but better :) All I can keep thinking is that I have one more day of work after today....ONE MORE DAY!!!! And then I will have A FULL WEEK OFF!!!! A FULL WEEK PEOPLE!!! I just absolutely can't wait!!! I am going to have to deep clean some but I can assure you that Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I am going to relax!!!! I am so excited about it! I have been talking with Louise and I think we may try to go to Birmingham on Tuesday and get the Pioneer Woman to sign our new cookbooks :) Whoop whoop! And do some Christmas Shopping! I am so excited about that! Today I am so thankful for Mo, one of our basketball guys here at school.  I have been his advisor for the past 2 years and we have worked hard to get all of his classes in so that we could get him graduated on time.  He is set to graduate in May and I could not be prouder of him and his hard work! He is a true testament of why I love my job and how thankful I am to work with students who bless me daily!

   I am thankful to have students who appreciate the hard work that I do and who make my job fun! So if you can't tell, the students make my job worth coming every day! :)

1 year. 5 months. 6 days.

That is exactly how long it has been since I blogged.  Yes I realize that's a while and I will never in a million years be able to go back through and catch everyone up on my life but honestly you haven't missed a whole lot.  Except pictures of my niece and nephews. :)

I debated on starting another private blog just so I can hash out how I feel without being judged but then I remembered that:

1. Not a whole lot of people read my blog......
2. I am an open book, let's be honest, and  I don't hide my emotions so good.....so I just figured I can put it all out there on the table! 
3. So here goes nothing......

I am tired.  Exhausted and emotionally and physically drained.  This week of vacation I have coming up is sooooo needed.  I want to deep clean my house.  I want to do all my laundry.  I want to throw myself a pity party just because I feel like it. I want to lay on my couch in sweat pants all day and just watch Christmas movies.....is that too much to ask?? I am really going to take advantage of my empty house time and just pamper me.  I think I might just go get me a pedicure and maybe even wrap some presents, after cleaning of course.  I just needed to get all of that out of my system.

Now on to something totally different.....Every Tuesday (at Faulkner) we have break out chapel sessions. I go to the female athlete chapel.  Tori Bartels leads it and yesterday hers was on being thankful, not just in November, but all year round.  We need to be in the habit of always being thankful.  So that got me thinking....I am going to try for a full year to write a thankful/gratitude journal via blog. I am going to try to think of things I am thankful for and also one persona  day I am thankful for.   I may have to play catch up sometimes but overall I am going to try to blog every day.  So here goes 2 days in one post! 

  Day 1:

I am thankful for Hallmark movies and sweat pants.  Yesterday was just a bad day all the way around.  And all I wanted to do was get in my sweatpants and watch sappy Christmas movies.  And I did just that.  It was wonderful and honestly it was just what I needed.  The person I am most thankful for today is my oldest sister Laurie.  She is always there no matter what and always is willing to do whatever is needed.  I am thankful to always have her on my side and always be my best friend and biggest fan! We may fight, but my love for her (and her growing family :)) gets stronger and stronger.  I am excited for her and this journey of motherhood she is embarking on and I know without a shadow of a doubt that she will be the most fun and loving mom there could be! 

Day 2:

I am thankful for spark and hair that can go three days without washing.  Today as i literally rolled out of bed at 7:10 AM and normally i am sitting in my desk, computer up and running by 7:45 AM well, that didn't happen.  I needed to wash my hair and well I just couldn't so I ran my straightener through it and called it a day.  Then got to work at 8:07 and had me a spark and I feel much better now.....so I am very thankful.  My person I am thankful for today is a student that I recruited when I worked in Admissions called me this morning and just out of the blue asked me what my favorite coffee from Starbucks was.....(side note here is that I don't like coffee from anywhere but I felt bad and got a frozen drink even after he said he was waiting for it to get cold so he could bring me some :)) He came in about 20 minutes later drink in hand.  He is also the same one who asked me to be his faculty representative when he was inducted into the Alpha Chi, which is the National Honors Society here at Faulkner.  He reminds me why I love my job and why I get up every day and come to work.  For kids like him who truly love Faulkner and appreciate the hard work that is put in to keep him here.  

OK well I feel as though this is a good way to start! Hopefully I can keep it up! Those that know me keep me accountable! Love you all!  

Ellie's 1st weekend alone with her Aunts (And Morgan and Michelle :))

 Louise and Dirt went out of town for their 5 year wedding anniversary on June 1st-3rd and they left sweet little Ellie in mine, Laurie, Michelle, and Morgan's care :) All of the boys, Justin, Matt, and Nate, all went on a deep sea fishing trip with some of our friends in Orange Beach so it was just the girls that weekend!! Below are our pictures from the weekend!! We had oh so much fun and I tell you what that sweet little Ellie never missed a beat! She was so good all weekend and I am so very thankful for that little girl!! She brings more joy to our lives than we ever could have imagined!! I hope Louise and Dirt get a hankering again to go out of town and leave her with us! I think they enjoyed their weekend a lot also!! :) So I hope you enjoy our weekend in pictures! :)

Let the weekend of Ellie and her Aunts Begin! (Laurie wasn't off work yet!! :))

First stop on our list was Burger King so Morgan and Ellie could play :)

Then to La's house we went to take a bath in her BIG bath tub!!



Then it was on to Elouise's and Dirt's house to have a slumber party with Morgan and Michelle!!! :)



In the morning mo decided to get up and come watch Ramona and Beezus while we waiting for the sleepy heads to get up....Michelle and Ellie :)



Sleepy head finally arose! :) 8:30 am this child slept til! :)



On to the Farmer's Market we go!

And as we were heading to the pool someone crashed! So we went to make us a picnic lunch at Michelle's and little princess slept in the car! :)



Ellie and Morgan living the good life in the pool!!! :)



Baby Piper came to swim too! :) And She absolutely loved the water!! That was her first time in a pool and she kept dunking her head!! :)



And Ellie loved swimming with Baby Piper!



Can you tell Ellie LOVES the swimming pool?!?!?

 

Then she needed to get out and do the chicken dance! :)

And Back to swimming!!! :) Really she loved it!! In her little inter tube she could do whatever she wanted!!

 

Seriously could she be any cuter?!??!



Next stop on our list was the nail salon....every girl needs a good mani/pedi! And Ellie loved hers! She sat so still while the woman was painting her toes!!

Well and as you can tell this sweet little girl was worn out!! And so was Ellie, Leigh Leigh, La, and Michelle!!

We had such a fun time!!! We absolutely love both of those little girls so so much and I am so thankful for everything they both bring to our lives!!! Maybe Ellie's Mommy and Daddy will leave her with us again!! :)

New Job!!!

Well I am so excited to finally be able to officially announce that I have a new job starting June 1st! I am moving into the Student Success department here at Faulkner and will be a Professional Advisor and starting teaching some in the fall! I am so nervous about starting to teach but I am so excited about the doors that hopefully can be opened with that opportunity!! I know I have, along with many others, prayed about this decision and I am so excited to be moving into a job that will allow me to advance and that will be something I can work with when Nathan and I decide to start a family! Again He has blessed me with more than I deserve but I am so thankful!! Thanks again to everyone who was praying for me! Your prayers and thoughts mean more than each of you will ever know! :)

Catch up from the past 8 months...

Well here is my long post of catch up from what has happened since my wedding! :) It's in pictures so maybe it will be less painful!! :)

We got married!!! :)

Me and my brothers :)




All 3 sisters and their husbands :)

Crazy pic of the bridal party, yes I realize it's a big

Me and Nate and our parents

Me and My momma :) She looked gorgeous!

I love this picture :)

These are from after the wedding photo shoot with Lauri Ann :)

This is one of my favorites!!

I like this one too!

Then Laurie and Matt got married!! :)

This is from Laurie and Matt's Wedding :)

Another shot from Laurie's wedding :)

Then we went to the pumpkin patch to relive the day Nate proposed one year ago 10-10-10
Me and Mo :)

Me and my love :)

Again :)

And then it was Christmas! (Yes I realize I skipped thanksgiving but come on people it's been 8 months since I blogged last! :))

Seriously this kid is my world!!! :)

Even with a scrap on her nose she is adorable!

seriously THE CUTEST KID EVER!

Then we had family photo shoot with all the family!!!

All the girls and Grandma :)

Momma and her babies :)

Daddy and his boys :)

Me and Nate :)

Nate and I being silly :)

That sweet sweet baby girl :)

Typical boys.....and their toys :)

Me and Nate

The sisters and their husbands :)

Then came Valentine's day...he didn't forget this year ;)

THIS WAS MY PRESENT!!

Then came Jamboree....this was me and Wendy's life!

Seriously how cute is this kid?!?!?

That little smile melts my heart!

Then came Ellie's dr. appt.....she doesn't look very sick to me ;)

And Ellie's first trip to Versona...notice the earrings in her ears!

And Ellie just being dressed cute by her La and Leigh-Leigh

And her trip with all the boys....she loves her daddy, her uncles, and the Jeep!

And she has learned that we take pictures on our phones...so she learned how to take her own picture!

And a little shopping with Leigh-Leigh :)

Waiting on mommy while she tries on clothes :)

Just being her cute little self!

Headed to see Mudge and Lolo!

Celebrating Nate's Birthday at the japanese steakhouse in Chattanooga!

And the most exciting news....I GOT A NEW CAR!!! :)

While Morgan wanted to take a ride in my new car, Ellie preferred to ride with her daddy on the lawnmower! :)

And then came easter and Ellie got her face painted!!

Me and Nate at Lads to Leaders

The Easter bunny found Ellie!! :)

And then came the incident and the death of a chick! :)

And then came vacation!!! Ahhhh....girls trip to the beach!

And we are so so blessed I tell ya! ;P

And this is my new hat!!! :) I love it!!!!

Me and La on our way back from the beach! We really had such a fun time!!!!!

And I found this and decided that I absolutely LOVE this....and want this for one day when I have children to hang on my hospital door! :)

Well I think that gets me update! I am excited about finishing my first semester of grad school!!! Lots happening! Stay tuned :)