Does it come in big girl size?

Just a fun fact:
Zara makes me want a kiddo...just so I have an excuse to buy these ridiculously perfect pieces. I'm jealous of this little girl. I want to wear her clothes.

a little love..a little kindess.

today i miss swazi. a lot.
i miss
holding those babies.
dancing with my brothers and sisters.
time to be quiet.
knowing exactly where i'm supposed to be
and
what i'm supposed to be doing.
i miss being pushed outside of my comfort zone
and bunk beds.
i miss accountability
and little buddy
and debrief...yes, i miss debrief.
I miss swazi time and everything that means.

today my heart aches for substance.

**pictures--the good ones---by my sweet swazi sisters.

homecoming last year

homecoming this year---was awesome.
pictures coming soon. :)

the parents are coming! the parents are coming!

:D
and I absolutely can not WAIT for them to get here.
It's homecoming!
We're going to watch football and the parade and wear lots of hunter green and sit outside by the fire and eat chili AND take lots of pictures before I let them leave me on Sunday.

one year old

while I was on my mini hiatus this month, Stella turned one. :)

the boy and I also turned one. :]


it's been a good month. ♥

If I write this blog like I haven't been MIA for the past month...maybe no one will notice.

Yesterday I got a flat tire.
Pretty simple issue...happens to people all the time/every day. Easy fix, yea? Not so much.
You see, I can't just do things the easy way...ever. When I get a flat tire I have to make it interesting--take away the lugnut key and make the hole too big to patch and THEN try to fix the dang thing. It complicates the process a little bit.

It all worked out. :) And I have my car back today AND I learned some valuable lessons along the way.

Lesson #1: The Waco Toyota people are pretty accommodating. I don't know if it's just because I have a gift for sounding extra pitiful and desperate over the phone, but those guys were ready to send someone over to my house to fix things for me.

Lesson #2: America Express offers free roadside assistance to their gold card users--which I just happen to be! This is good good news. Very helpful if I ever happen to get stranded on an expedition back to Alabama...and they towed my car to the dealership for free.

Lesson #3: My roomie is a flat tire connoisseur. She immediately went to work trying to plug the hole and air that sucker up. She googled options instead of working on thank you notes...she carted me around half the day...she was a rock star.

Lesson #4: I can survive small emergencies without my parents. This isn't the first small-scale catastrophe I've experienced since the big move...I've had a quite a few, actually. But no one's had to physically drive down and save me yet. I think that's a win! I guess that makes me an adult, huh? Ikkk.


So yeah. All in all it wasn't too terrible.

aannddd it's done.

:)

excuses

I'm MIA this week.
Why, you ask?
BECAUSE NEUROPSYCH HAS TAKEN OVER MY LIFE.
and won't give it back. at least not until tomorrow at 12:15. at which point I would like everyone to promptly text me the funniest, cheesiest, corn ball joke you know. because everyone needs a good laugh after a test like that.

this picture has also brought great joy to my week.

I mean seriously--how cute is she?
stella's going to be a banana split for Halloween! teehee.
The picture is actually quite deceiving...she's really not that fond of it.
I hope this doesn't make me a terrible pet-mom. :}

1 day and counting...

I'M GOING HOME!
That's right. Home. Tomorrow. And okay, so it's only for about 36 hours....but still. I am so, so so dang excited. :]

This week has been a MUCH better week than last week. Not a whole lot has changed...classes are still challenging (more emotionally and mentally than academically) and free time is still few and far between...but it's been better. I guess when you've penciled away all of your available calendar space you kind-of run out of room for surprises..lol. It's good though. I'm slowly but surely learning that I can't let things get to me and that it's important--vital, even, to take time to laugh everyday.
And so I take youtube breaks. :] They're helpful.
Here are some of my favs from this week.

unicorn after wisdom teeth

oh. my. god.

via a beautiful mess

my world has been rocked.

who knew a text book could be so insightful?

Taking a break from my uber productive studying to share a quote from one of my text books that I think is pretty stinkin' awesome. Definitely made me stop and think. A good reminder of the power of positivity...which is just what I need these days.

The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.
-William James

taking a moment

to remember.

taking a breather

“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken” (Psalm 62:5, 6).

is it 11 already?

11 months!
gosh, we're getting old.
gosh, I love it.
thanks for eating dinner with me even when you're not hungry. for corny joke text messages and dance parties in the kitchen...living room...grocery store...and anywhere else we feel compelled. thanks for making me watch movies I don't really want to see, because we both know you have better taste than I do.
it's been a most-fantastic eleventh month.
i love
love
love you.

Rain, rain...you can stay.

I know, right? Never thought I'd say that...
I have a long standing hate-hate relationship with stormy weather, so it makes sense that I'd be drowning in self-sadness since I haven't seen then sun or had flat hair since...ohhh about Sunday. I've really been enjoying it though. It's comforting.
Me and Jesus have been having some nice morning talks here lately...reconnecting I guess.
So grateful for the gift of grace.


This second year of grad school is tough. Really, really tough.
I'm so tired of school...I'm tired of the books and the lack of control and free time. Trying to manage my schedule has become the bane of my existence, and I'm averaging a good cry around two or three times a week these days. It's been a real struggle to stay out of that "just get it done" mind set. I don't want to spend everyday just waiting for the weekend...I wanna live those moments, look for the bright spots and sing praise. It's just hard.

The rain has been nice though. It's given me space to be quiet, feel small and reflect.
I'll be sad to see it go.

2nd picture: source unknown
last picture: jennifer nicholson photography

feels good to remember

"The best thing about a picture is that it never changes,

even when the people in it do."

-Andy Warhol

ode to boyfriend...and monsoon season.

http://moonfaceon.blogspot.com/

Dear boyfriend,

Thank you so much for stashing an umbrella in my school bag, because you knew it was monsoon season and I'd forget to grab one. Your thoughtful ingenious paid off today and saved my clothes, homework and computer from mortal peril. This alone is enough reason to be madly in love with you...which I conveniently am.
You're the best, mister. :)

a little stella lovin'

just because it's Tuesday.

home of shrimp cocktail, elvis impersonators and the buffet.

we. had. so. much. fun.

think on this.

Amanda Pratt, Kate Ryan Inc.

"To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury,
and refinement rather than fashion;
to be worthy, not respectable; and
wealthy, not rich; to study hard, think
quietly, talk gently, act frankly...to listen to stars and buds, to babes and
sages, with open heart; await occasions,
hurry never...this is my symphony."
- William Henry Channing