Time for a New Adventure!

First of all, I cannot believe it's been over a week since my last post! Last week I kept putting off writing, then Thanksgiving rolled around, then Black Friday, then the weekend, then Monday, and now well, here we are!   While I'd like to post about Thanksgiving and this past weekend, most of my pictures are still on my camera so that post may come later today! For now I'll say, we had a fabulous Thanksgiving, saw A LOT of family (on both sides), ate wonderful food, and got A LOT of Christmas shopping done! (I think the bug to shop just bit me and now as we enter December almost ALL of it is done! Praise God!)  

Now onto what I really want to share today...  

Today is a special day because it's my last day at my current job. It feels like one of those school days right before a holiday where your mind is everywhere but where you are and you're just itching to be done. Today I broought in brownies for everyone in the office and even tins of cookies for some of the girls I've really connected with over the last 6 months.

 

 Leaving this job is a good thing because tomorrow I embark on a new job! It's not just any job either, it's a job that truly marks the beginning of a career and more than that, it's a job that I truly believe God has put on my heart! Now that's an AMAZING feeling!

 

To back track a little...I graduated with my Bachelor's of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (Eduction) this past summer. My intended goal (and maybe later down the road) was to pursue a career in speech pathology starting with applying to grad school next year. When I graduated, I figured I would stay at my job (doing office work) for the next few years while in grad school. Well, a few months ago I felt like God began to put the idea of advising on my heart. It was something I had never really thought about before, but the more I thought about it, the more I loved it. Here I had a degree in education and I could actually be doing something that makes a difference! After applying for maybe 30 advising positions, God totally opened the right doors for the right position for me!

 

I truly have to attribute this new position solely to God because the process of applying, interviewing, 2nd interviews, phone interviews, etc is overwhelming. I mean hundreds of people apply and the odds are definitely not in your favor (thank you Hunger Games!). I had family and friends praying hard for me because they knew that I wanted this position to help students, offer hope and guidance, be an encourager, and because I've been there I can completely relate! I am so excited for tomorrow because I am part of an advising team with extremely welcoming women who share my heart for this job!

 

It seems so rare nowadays to be given the chance to do something you enjoy or have a heart for and I'm not taken one ounce of this opportunity for granted! God was so good to share this chance with me and I'm excited to see what the future holds!

 

All I can say over and over since I was offered the position is GOD IS SO GOOD!! and it is so TRUE!

 

Thanks for sharing in my joy!

 

I leave you with a pic of my fav little girl helping me unpack this past weekend!

 

 

 

 

 

It's OK!

It's Thursday!!! This has been such a fantastic week for me, full of blessings! I'll be sharing more on that in a later post, but for now, let's get to work! Linking up with Amber & Neely! Here's what I'm OK with this week!

 

 

It's OK...

 

-that I've worn the same (super cute) brown riding boots to work everyday this week! Somehow my Uggs didn't seem work appropriate and it's too cold for flats!

 

-to praise God in every situation, especially when he drops a HUGE blessing on you!

 

-that I'm obsessed with my mini space heater at work! It's basically running all day everyday this week cuz my desk area is so cold!!

 

-to skip washing my hair after the gym (for the 2nd day in a row). It was cute enough to pass for another day (thanks to my seriuosly amazing flat iron!)

 

-that I get to see my wonderful, amazing mother tomorrow (we live 2000 miles away, so seeing her is always a treat)!!

 

-to make a Christmas list for your parents so they know what you want (and because they asked me to make one)

 

-to have a Twilight date lined up for next week!

 

-that our (Taylor and I) nonprofit organization website is up! We're still ironing everything out, but please check it out! The Hope Mission

 

-to tell the hubby I want a Sam's Club size supply of orange Tic Tacs as one of my gifts this year (yeah I know strange, but I only like the orange ones!)

 

-that my cute tote bag/purse for work is actually a bag I got for free at Ulta with a purchase 6 months ago

 

-to need new dress pants because all of mine look rediculous (they're tooooo big in the legs and butt...so I look like someone who needs What Not To Wear help)

 

-that I live for Macy snuggles at night and that by the time we wake up, she's somehow taken my entire side of the bed (silly kitty!)

 

-to be seriously considering using a tanning bed (not a lot) just to get a little color...my Italian olive skin is not a good look when it's pale...

 

-to give everything over to God...i'm talking plans, hopes, dreams, etc...because if I've learned anything this week, He really does a plan and a lot of time, it's more different and cool than you ever imagined :)

 

That's what I'm OK with! How about y'all?!

 

-Kate

 

 

 

 

 



Fact Is...

Good morning!! I'm enjoying this amazing Texas cold front on this fabulous Tuesday...o except for the fact that my hands are freezing and I thought I might die when I walked out to my car at 6am to head to the gym (now that's committment!)

 

So today I'm linking up with Nicholl @ The Chiffon Diary for "Fact Is" Tuesday! This should be fun!

Fact: this whole week is supposed to range from the 40s-60s and while I'm excited, it makes me realize just how much my blood has thinned since moving to Texas...I swear I'm a New Englander!!

Fact: I'm still ending up with too many left over calories at the end of the day...I'm like a calorie hoarder...I basically eat skimpy most of the day (so I can snack after work or whatever) then after dinner (which is almost always super low cal) I still have like 400 hundred left...= me eating random stupid food at night to hit my target and a nice lecture from the hubs "You need to be at 1000 before dinner" "You told me 800"..."why are you leaving 600 for the end of the day? that's too much"...o well, I'll keep trying.

Fact: My body is officially used to waking up at 5:30am...it does it now without an alarm (today was an exception because our house was freezing so it was hard to leave our cozy bed!)

Fact: I just realized on Sunday that my first payment on my college loans are due. Doesn't make sense since I graduated in August...I think the Dept. Of Education thinks I graduated in June. Guess I need to get on that.

Fact: I'm not as excited about this weekend as I was yesterday. My mom will be in town (meaning Houston, a few hours away) and I thought we'd get the weekend together...come to find out, everyone and their cousin will also be around. I get it's great to see people, but when it's your mom who lives 2000 miles away, sharing her is not exactly on my "to do" list.

Fact: my new (as in 6 months) healthy life style now requires me to buy a new bra...a smaller bra...boo. Guess I can't pride myself anymore (if you get my drift) til I get pregnant...o well, it's worth the smaller body!

Fact: I'm so excited to be starting a non-profit with Taylor to help the victims of Sandy, along with others in need as well! Check out our facebook page for info!

Fact: I still can't figure out how to really make the most of my DSLR...all I know is that I want the next upgraded lens for Christmas...hence, I gotta be able to actually take pictures first.

Fact: I'm super pale and while I'm not an advocate for tanning beds...I think I need one...a few times wouldn't hurt right?? Seriously y'all, I'm gross pale...

Fact: My mother in law told me yesterday that she has always thought of me as her child. Definitely made me smile and helped soften my heart a little more towards the idea of spending christmas with the in-laws (let me clarify, they're great, I'm just dreading being away from my family-2nd married Christmas-first with my family, so now it's the hubby's turn-only fair)

Ok ok, I could probably continue on, but I'll wrap it up! These are my facts for the day and I hope you enjoyed reading the randomness that is this post! Have a great Tuesday!!

What are your facts today??

-Kate

Friday's Letters!

I'm pretty sure every Friday when I begin my blog post, the first thing that comes to mind is "It's finally Friday!!" and I'm sure having that feeling today. It's been a good week overall, but there's just nothing like Friday! Here's my lovely letters for the week!

 

Dear weekend please be restful and relaxing! After the chaos of last weekend, I could use a weekend full of naps and catching up on stuff around our house. Dear God you truly are my rock and my everything. I think I need you even more as we approach the Christmas season. You know the struggles of my heart, and I thank you for your abundant grace for me. I want to be a woman, wife, sister, friend, etc who reflects you and your heart at all times, so please continue to help me with that. Dear Mom I'm soooo excited that I'm less than a week away from seeing you! It's been about a month since I last saw you and that's just too long! I don't know how we'll ever be ok with living so far away...I'm pretty sure I'll never come to terms with it...but for now I'll savor every minute I get with you! Dear A&M Professor, you have been a God send to me! Your encouragement, advice, and cheerleading has been so inspirational and I hope to pass that on one day! Dear Andrea, you will forever and always be my best friend, no matter the distance between us or the time that passes between phone conversations. I love that you get me, know my heart, and ALWAYS have my back. I love your honesty, your encouragement, and YOU! Dear Macy, even though daddy wants you off the bed (your cat danderness doesn't help his breathing), you can still sleep in your bed next to me! This way we kind of still get our nightly snuggles! Dear Taylor, I'm so excited for the things ahead for our non-profit! It was so fun working on the website last night and I can't wait to see how everything develops! Dear husband, I'm soooo ready to spend the weekend together! I'm so proud of how hard you work and your dedication to healthy eating! Thank you for being my best friend, perfect fit, leader of our family, prayer partner, and so much more!

 

Thanks for reading! Who/what are you writing letters to today??

-Kate

It's OK!

Happy Thursday! This week is flying by and here's what I'm OK with!

 

It's OK...

 

-that I workout for my own sanity, as well as my health. I always tell my husband by me working out, everyone around me stays safe :)

 

-that I'm considering getting a temporary gym membership while we're in Houston around Christmad (see above reason)

 

-that my definition of family is different from my hubby's

 

-to bring break and bake cookies to Bible study; sure they weren't homemade but they were still a hit!

 

-that I have to make sure I'm getting enough calories in the day! I tend to conserve all day and barely hit 1200...no bueno.

 

-I double check that our house is locked up for fear of Macy getting out- would hate to ever lose my furbaby

 

-that Macy WILL be traveling home with us next Christmas to see my family

 

-to have serious anxiety about this Christmas...my fellow married friends tell me it's totally natural

 

-that I took a nap in my car during my lunch break yesterday and ate goldfish as my afternoon snack...felt like a little kid

 

-to keep checking my phone waiting for a certain call :)

 

-that I have a wonderufl coffee pot and still drink the coffee at work instead of making my own

(thinking I want a Keurig for Christmas)

 

-to decide that sometimes laying low and staying quiet is my best option

 

-that we have no plans this weekend...actully it's more than OK! I LOVE being home and not having to be anywhere or do anything!

 

So these are some of the things that I'm OK with! How about you?!

 

-Kate

 

 

 

 

What I'm Loving!

Good morning all! I couldn't be more happy that it's Wednesday...well maybe if it was Thursday...but still! We're already halfway through the work week! After a long, bumpy weekend, this week has actually been nice. My Monday night included a much needed kickboxing class (a great way to realease...everything!) Our Tuesday night included a birthday dinner for a good friend and tonight is Bible study so we're moving right along! As always, linking up with Jamie for What I'm Loving this week!

I'm LOVING...

 

monogrammed necklaces! I don't have one, but it's definitely on my Christmas list!



 

 

I'm loving this creamer! I dsicovered it last week and it's revolutionized my coffee (for real)

 

I'm loving things like this that are poppiing up on my facebook

 

I'm loving that we had the chance to get together with a bunch of friends last night to celebrate our friend/pastor's birthday!

 

 

I'm loving my early morning workouts! Once they become part of a routine, they're not too hard to get up for and I feel soooo much more refreshed in the mornings!

and on that note y'all are probably thinking...

 

I'm loving long conversations with my best friend! We may not live close or talk super often but after a nice catch up/venting to her, it really reminds me how much she loves me, understands and gets me, and ALWAYS has my back! Love you Andrea!!

So that's what I'm loving this week!! How about y'all?!

-Kate

 

 



Weekend Update!

Happy Monday y'all! I'm personally ok that it's Monday because it means it's a NEW week & a fresh start! I normally like to recap our fun/exciting/not so exciting weekend, but this time I'm going to make it brief...mainly because this weekend wasn't so bueno...by any means...

Friday night we headed to Houston to spend the weekend there, celebrating my cousin's birthday and catching up with family since it's been a whole 3 weeks since we werenn't there *sarcasm*. We made it into town a little that, but still managed to have dinner with Andrew's grandmother and his cousins. Saturday, we got up and visited with my grandparents over breakfast then then went to catch up with Andrew's sisters...after that we spent the evening with my cousin and his girlfriend celebrating his birthday. It was a lot of fun! We went bowling and ate at this AMAZING Italian restaurant and I'm talking AMAZINNNNG! Sunday we spent the day at my cousin's just hanging out and watching football! The way Sundays should be! Finally, Sunday night we arrived home, grabbed the most insane subs at Firehouse Subs (a new discovery of ours!) and watched Sunday night football in the comfort of our home, which is by far my favorite place to be: in our home, with JUST us, and our sweet Macy! ahhhh

So what made it not so bueno? Well, without a crazy detailed story...I've learned a lot about myself this weekend from some events that happened:

-this Christmas has given my HUGE anxiety...it'll be my first one without my family (since married couples switch off) and I've honestly never dreaded anything more. I have so many emotions, that complete dread has started to really set it.
-the way I view family is definitely not how everyone does (although I think everyone views family in their own way)...maybe because I didn't grow up with my relatives, just my parents, brother, and our church family.
-I don't do confrontation well...
-I'm SUPER sensitive (although I already knew that)
-I truly LONG to live back home in New England, where I fit best...with my family, friends, and a culture I call my own...
-I've also realized just how amazing and patient my husband is. He is beyond sweet and has always treated my family with kindness and respect...I truly admire that. He is the only reason I would ever have moved 2000 miles away from my heart home. And because I love him, I WILL make it through this Christmas...hopefully with the most sincere smile I can muster.
-I've got A LOT to give over to God within the next 2 months (before Christmas)...

So for now that's it...this weekend was absolutely emotionally exhausting and I will be so ready to be home next weekend and truly catch up! Tomorrow I'm going to be a little more "real" with my "real linkup post" with Becky, so stay tuned! Any and ALL prayers would be appreciated! And maybe any advice or words of wisdom in regards to the holidays after you got married would be great!!

-Kate

Friday's Letters

Good morning everybody! Good FRIDAY morning, in fact! Whew, made it through another week! For me, this week actually went by pretty quick, thank goodness because I love me some weekend time :) Here's my letters this Friday!

 

 

Dear Friday I'm so glad we are reunited even though it is foggy and muggy out! I hope you are  leading the way for a great weekend. Dear gym it was so nice to see you this morning! I'm glad we have gotten back into our 5:30am routine (well 2 days in a row so far!) and it's feels great! Dear self (yes that's right) why on earth do you get so grumpy when you are hungry. You kind let your hunger/low blood sugar get the best of you, leading to a not so pleasant night at home with the hubby (which is the whole reason to workout so early...to have time together). Maybe today you can do better. Dear Taylor, I'm so excited for this nonprofit we are working on together. I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes and what difference we, along with fellow bloggers & the social media world, can make! Dear Meredith, I love that the last few mornings I have been up early with you! It's nice to not feel like the slacker, sleeping in :) Dear God,  you have been the biggest highlight of my week by far. The doors you have begun to open for me have been so encouraging and I'm finding myself drawn so much closer to you. Thank you for your provisions and your blessings on us. Dear Andrew, I'm sorry for letting my grumpiness rub off on you last night. Thanks for fixing my seat belt problem in my car (long story but the entire piece thats connected to the car came off while I was driving!) I'm glad we get another weekend together. This one should be pretty busy, but I'm okay with that as long as it's spent with you!

 

Alrighty, that's my letters for this fabulous Friday! What/who are y'all writing to?

 

-Kate

It's OK Thursday!

Yay! It's already Thursday! Which means tomorrow is Friday...which means it's almost another weekend! But before I jump the gun too much, let me share what I'm OK with this Thursday!

It's OK...

 

...to LOVE the feeling of leaving the gym at 6:45am knowing I can check "work out" off my list for the day!

 

...to realize that I still have yet to do a post about my visit home...3 weeks ago...woops! Still gonna write it!

 

...that I still haven't given my DSLR adequate attention. I think its because I'm a little overwhlemed...especially since I'm teaching myself via websites how to use it!

 

...to refuse to leave the house for a weekend trip until it's CLEAN

 

...to have lazy hair days and wear my hair curly

 

 

...that I dressed up my cat for Halloween. It's not weird...ok maybe it is...but she's as close to a child as I have for a while so there ya go! Plus I only made her wear it for maybe 15 minutes!

 

aww my little pumpkin! Clearly she's thrilled...or maybe not.



...that we didn't dress up for Halloween but instead hung with friends, grilled dinner, and watched Zombieland!

 

...that I'm beyond excited to see my sweet mom in 2 weeks!

 

 

That's my OKs for today! Super random, but hey...It's OK!

What are y'all ok with??

-Kate