October

October is my favorite month of the year. Beautiful leaves, cooler weather, Mizzou football, pumpkins, quiet and mostly work-free weekends. Clearly I have been enjoying this month, way too much so to even spend time blogging.

So here's a quick recap of the top 5 best things about October 2010.

1. Roots N Blues - went to this event for the first time this year. It was by far the coolest weekend weather-wise this month (yet) but we still enjoyed listening to the great music, eating some delicious food, and best of all spending time with family.




2. Sunday Fundays - For the past few years, I have really come to dread Sundays in the fall. All Kevin does is watch football. I don't really like football very much. But I do like beer, bar food and hanging out with friends/fam, and sitting outside watching football. So therefore I have been talking Kevin into going to Taphouse 1839 on Sundays to watch football. And so far, Rams are 3-0 when we watch the game there. I think I have some more Sunday Fundays in my future!


3. Lunch walks - Although of course Kevin and I are both anxious for him to get a job, I will admit I like coming home for lunch and being able to see him. Lately we have been walking Cocoa at the park during my lunchhour. It's a great way to break up my day, spend time with Kev and enjoy the beautiful fall days.

4. Being at Home - this year has been an incredible whirlwind and we have no idea what the next two months hold. But this October, we have done minimal traveling, and have just relaxed at home. Not that it is always (or ever!) exciting - most of the time I am working on stuff for school or reading and Kevin is working on job stuff or reading about football. But it has been nice not to be in the car a whole lot, and to watch Thursday night TV, actually keep the place clean and enjoy our fall decor! (Cocoa likes being at home too :)


5. Shakespeare's with Maggie - Last Thursday, got to do three of my fave things - get a haircut, eat pizza and hang with Maggie. I am so grateful we live close and are able to get together to just talk/vent/laugh/reminisce.

and number 6 is soon to come... one of my greatest job perks is these:



Happy October!!

Monday Blues?!

I've been thinking about posting all day, mostly to complain about having the Monday blues: work worries, another week in limbo, missing family after a great weekend at Roots n Blues. Well, now that's out of the way, and I want to focus on the GOOD.

1. Professor provided awesome insight on my thesis. So helpful and a relief because she had the same thoughts as I did.

2. Yummy Uprise with Maggie. Nuf said.



3. This beautiful fall weather we are having. Absolutely can't wait to get out of the office and take a walk.

4. Going along with #3, wearing scarves. I don't even care if people at work make fun of me...

5. Puppy! Got to spend some quality time with Ollie this past weekend. Doesn't get better than sweet, innocent puppies.


6. Rams are in first place!! (technically three-way tie I believe but I'll take it!) This fact makes watching football on Sundays way more bearable. As does the company of great friends and family. And a good beer doesn't hurt.

7. Damages is coming back. On DirecTV exclusive, but I am sure I eventually can get it on DVD or the Internet.

8. Michael and Laura gave Kevin season 1 of the Good Wife on DVD. Can't wait to lay on the couch with the windows open watching it.


9. 34 days until my birthday. I feel like I am borderline getting to the age where I should dread birthdays instead of anticipate. But it is hard not to look forward to some extra cash, a nice dinner out and an excuse to buy myself a couple things!

10. We got a call last night that our landlord thought our washing machine was defective and causing leak to below apartment. She was on the phone with Kevin and told him she just turned it off - he was like, I am here, and you're not. Luckily, she had called the wrong unit! So just thankful we don't have to buy a new washing machine!


OK it was a little bit of a struggle but made it to 10. There is always, always things to be thankful for and happy about - just need to remind myself sometimes!

Congrats to Kevin!

Wow does time fly, can't believe it has been more than two weeks since I posted. Have been busy with work and school and bothering Kevin about his job search :)

Kevin found out earlier than month that he passed the bar!!!! And last week he took the oath at the Missouri Supreme Court Building and is now officially a licensed attorney. I know he will hate this blog post so I won't say any more other than congrats, I am so proud of you!

The seasons they go round and round

It is really an amazing experience when you "hear" a song for the first time. I have had Joni Mitchell on my iPod ever since I've had it and of course she has always reminded me of mom because mom loved her music. Heard "The Cirle Game" on shuffle this morning and it brought tears to my eyes on so many levels. It's about growing up and the passage of time. Here's the intro lyrics of the beautiful song -

Yesterday, a child came out to wander
Caught a dragonfly inside a jar
Fearful, when the sky was full of thunder
and tearful at the falling of a star

and the season's they go round and round
and the painted ponies go up and down
we're captive on the carousel of time
we can't return, we can only look
behind from where we came
and go round and round and round in the circle game

Europe Faves

This week was really hard to go back to work after a wonderful three day weekend, plus knowing that I have class all weekend is making it even harder. However, I borrowed my dad's hard drive with all of the wonderful photos from our trip and it is like I am reliving it. Maggie, Michael, Laura and my dad are seriously talented. I am so jealous and want to learn from them!

Here are a few of my favorite artistic shots, one per country, hope they don't mind me sharing.

Dublin, photo by Laura


Paris, photo by Michael or Laura


Prague, photo by Dad


Tuscany, photo by Maggie


Barcelona, photo by Maggie


These BEAUTIFUL photos are bringing my mind back to the trip and making the week much easier. Much thanks to Maggie, Michael, Laura and Dad for documenting our trip so wonderfully.

Everyday reminders

As hard as it is on many days to think about mom and miss her in so many ways, it is also so inspiring and important for me to remember her love every single day (which trust me, is not hard to do).

For the past couple of months, whenever I have a sad or bad day, I pull out a bookmark mom made for me. She actually gave it to me two years ago this month, right before I left for a 5-day trip with my boss that I had been really dreading, especially because of my anxiety over driving a long distance soon after my major car accident. She was always doing thoughful things like this for people, her constant support, empathy and understanding were what made her such a great mother (and person). Her bookmark reminds me of how much she loves me and believes in me. I have been wanting to frame this for months, so I see it every day, and finally found the right frame this weekend, thanks to Annie who suggested we make a run to the Pottery Barn outlet during our time in Memphis.

The frame was a little bigger that I originally wanted, I had envisioned simply the bookmark and letter, but this worked out so I could include a few other items, including a photo of me and her when I was a baby and one from my wedding, as well as cut-outs from cards she had given me earlier this year (the hummingbird as well as bird nest). I also included the packaging from the ring she gave me for Christmas. She told me she thought the message "Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished" was really imporant for me this year, as she knew it could be tough with Kevin looking for a job, possibly moving and being patient in terms of starting a family. Boy, she really had no idea how hard the year would be, but it gives me comfort to wear the ring every day and remember to (try to) live simply and cherish the journey, that is all we have.

Finding Balance

"There’s no secret to balance. You just have to feel the waves”
-Frank Herbert



I am constantly trying to find balance in life - between being a good wife, sister, daughter, in-law, friend, co-worker, student, community member, not to mention trying to find that me time to regroup and maintain sanity. I truly can't imagine being a mother on top of this, the older I get, the more I am awed and inspired by mothers, both who stay at home and who work.

I love the above quote about balance, because it is spot on, there is no secret, no easy answer. We all have to prioritize and accept that there are waves in life and nothing to do but ride them out (and try to have fun in the process!).

This past weekend I tried to find simple balance between my family and Kevin's. Really enjoyed both parts of the weekend. With Kevin's family, we spent two nights in Memphis, not doing much but drinking, eating, laying by the pool, some shopping and just hanging out.





Kevin and I returned on Sunday to St. Louis and spent the afternoon and evening with my family, watching baseball, dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's and then drinks back at my dad's. Monday, we returned to Columbia and I spent my "me" time "piddling around the house" (as mom used to say). Then I spent the night grabbing pizza with Kevin and partaking in his favorite pastimes, watching football and Anthony Bordain.

Now for my other roles... marketing coordinator and student. Not as much fun, but like they say, without the mundane in life, the good things wouldn't be quite as exciting in comparison!