Just Writing.

I should be studying right now, but the fact that I haven’t known what to study the whole semester makes studying for the final challenging.  Instead, I am listening to random music, ordering my best friend a Christmas present, and ignoring my to-do list.  I have people coming for dinner on Saturday, and I am excited, but that means I need to clean my room… which I plan on doing, but that is just about as fun as studying, so here I am. 

Lately I have been contemplating the new year, making plans and then coming up with reasons not to do those plans, and then thinking that I really want to do those plans, I deciding what to me is the most important use of time, money, life.  So many people at work tell me I should do whatever I want now while I am single, but still… I own a house, I committed to school, I love living near family.  My social l life in Wichita so far has consisted of 3 girls, one of whom is moving to Texas next week, one of whom is spending most of her time in Salina, and one that just got custody of her 4 year old niece.  I officially have no one to go out to dinner late at night with anymore.  So… I am going to change some things.  Not sure what, but I am contemplating it.  Of course, my choices are either do the traveling nurse thing, or figure out how to change it while staying here.  We will see.

My house looks like Christmas, and that makes me happy on so many levels.  My tree is fake with white lights, which isn’t my preference, but most of the ornaments are glittery which means it sparkles, and I love me some sparkles.  I about feel off the ladder putting up my outside lights, but it looks good, probably the first time since I bought the house anyone can say that about the outside.

 

I love this girl:

I wish I knew how that relationship was going to work out.

 

Learning to accept things that you have no control over? That one is taking me awhile.  I have had a couple of major meltdowns lately. Fortunately… I have a dad who will listen to me cry hysterically over nothing he can fix, and girlfriends who notice that I need a friend and so agree to drive down for an impromptu Christmas party. I need my girls.

 

I am planning my travel for the next year.  So far I have:

Florida/cruise~ January 28.

Florida for my Birthday/Jessy’s senior trip~ March 16

Wisconsin for Chelsie~ Sometime when it is warm(July?)

Fall football trip~ September

Florida for RaDonna’s Wedding~ November 3

Texas for a potential Elizabeth wedding~ December (no she doesn’t have a ring and yes I am putting it on my calendar.  My experience with Elizabeth is that she gets what she wants).

Other things I know:  I will not go that long without seeing a certain baby so hopefully Ricki brings him home in Summer… or they can move to Arkansas and make it a weekend trip instead of a whole flight.   RaDonna is moving to Nashville, so that would be a fun trip.  And… I am leaving the country.  Maybe to Zimbabwe in April or Rwanda in may?  That comes back to what I am willing to spend money on.   I am thinking Rwanda.  That puts me at a major trip every other month.  Also puts me hopefully gone in the middle of terms to make school easy. I should look that up. 

I want to be content in where I am, but not willing to settle that this is what it is.  make sense?  I want to make the most of it, and know that maybe making the most of it isn’t quitting my job and moving every three months, (because honestly? I don’t make new friends easily and traveling is only fun if there is someone to take pictures with) but staying here, growing in my job, doing school, enjoying my raise (I now make more money than I did in KC.  This makes me happy.) and finding things to get involved with in this community.  I miss having a group. Maybe I need to figure out how to build one.

Maybe I need to sign up for that hockey class I keep checking out.  Just a thought.

Maybe… I need to put my computer to bed and throw in a load of wash while reading a research article.

I miss him:

What my family was thankful for this year

This baby boy is possibly the most loved baby boy ever:

  

 

 

    

 

There is a reason thanksgiving is my favorite day, and this year was approximately 15 pounds better than normal :)

 

Part of you capture.

Something Fun

 

You want to know what is fun?  Taking pictures of your good friends.

And their 2 dogs.

Trying to get everyone to face the same direction?

Not that easy, but fun. Always fun.

Fun (for me) is taking pictures of my friend, and the family I have watched her create.

 

I also think textures are fun. 

Linking up with you capture for the first time in a very long time, because I finally stayed home long enough to catch up on homework, and then catch up on housework, and then sleep for about a week. And then… just in time for something fun to be the theme I finally had time to do my something fun. 

Introducing…

my baby

Braden Gage

9lbs.  22 inches.

I quite love him!

He technically belongs to Ricki and Nathan

My sister is a champ!  Can you imagine pushing out 9lbs of baby?  She is pretty sore now, but I am amazed at what an awesome mom she is already!

  

I got to hold him when he was just 2 hours old

And spent 2 lovely days taking panera to the hospital and holding him while Ricki ate.  And then, just moments after we got home,

Oma and Opa arrived, and I shall never get to hold him again…

Lots of love in our lives tonight :)

sunset pictures. kind of.

i am going to make this post a straight out of the camera post.  Mainly because my bedtime was 13 minutes ago but also because it seems wrong messing with kansas sunset pictures.

  

I saw a beautiful sky beginning to form as I left my grandparents 61rst anniversary dinner and so I drove to my favorite park thinking I could get some awesome pictures.  Of course, in the ten minutes it took me to get there the sun was behind the trees, but the sky was still pretty.

and then, as the sun went down,

(does anyone else want to sing I see the moon, the moon sees me…)

That is my sunset pictures for the week.  I would offer back to school pictures but my version of back to school has me not having time to take pictures.

(someone remind me why I though a masters degree would be a good thing?)

Part of you capture

Sometimes

Sometimes life sucks.  Sometimes the things you want so badly don’t happen.

Sometimes families fall apart.  Sometimes tears happen and pain is so bad it can’t be changed.

Sometimes I want to run and hide.

 

Sometimes hope happens.

Sometimes the thing we have wanted for years comes true

 

Sometimes… sisters get pregnant :)

Sometimes little sisters get really excited!

     

2 weeks from today he is due.  2 weeks from tomorrow I am headed to Florida.

Sometimes focusing on the positive is the best way to survive the negative.

 

Hurry up, Braden!