The Best of Bio Girl 2013

Today wraps up what has been the hardest year of my life, and with the end of 2013 comes a lot of mixed emotions. I am happy to be here, surrounded by loved ones, yet my heart is breaking to be missing someone I love so dearly.  A new year... it's another milestone in the list of "firsts" when you are struggling with grief, and it's hard.  But I am trying to focus on the good, hoping and praying that 2014 happy memories and lots of time together.

Every year* on New Years Eve I post a compilation of the years best blog posts, but it too is hard this year.  How much grief do I include in my "best" writing?  Because mixed in with the funny and cute posts this year is a lot of heartbreak.  But this was my year, and I am going to pick my best posts, even if they are sad.  Because some of the sad ones are the most honest of 2013, but there was humor and love here too...  So here we go...

• We will start with the the hardest thing I have ever written in my life, which I feel like did as good of a job as was possible capturing the spirit of my sweet baby sister.  
• Two other posts I am incredibly proud of, not because of my writing but because of the amazing outpouring of love and support from you all, are my Grey for Missy  and Candles for Missy posts.  Thank you all who participated. 
•  From here posts will just sorta go in chronological order...here is the one from January with our Lego House battle... I still think he BARELY BEAT ME.
• I don't know... all of February is filled with grief.  It's not the best or worst, it's just a month of heartbreak. 
• But then in March my heartache eases enough for me to write about Henry's girlfriend at school.
• And then there was this one about who Henry really looks like.
• In March Henry and I were both working out how to express our grief, Henry found a great way.
• I discovered why it is a BAD IDEA to bring your sick child to work.
• This year Henry turned four... and that held all the fanfare of birthdays past...
• In June I told you about an important member of our family...
• But June also held some very hard days.
• In July we went on vacation.
• And we also discovered Lego's unknown body part.
• In August I wrote this post about Henry being awesome. 
• And then in September I tell you about why I got braces.
• We discovered the reality of four year old soccer.
• In October these moments were captured of me and Henry, and I love them.
• Nick and I celebrated seven years married, fourteen years together.
• November brought us... Oh lord, NaBloPoMo...this post is making it in just because it still makes me laugh.
• Here is a blog post mostly written by Nick, which is also hilarious.
• Here are a couple of short but sweet posts about Henry.
• And then this one about passing on the love of reading to my boy.
• And one final one from November about Missy, and having things take on new meaning.
• And now we are to December! The home stretch!  Which included the most epic fall of my life.
• And also, you know, Christmas, which was full of magic.  

So that's it!  The best of Bio Girl 2013.  There are too many posts on the list, and I should go through and weed some out, but I am not going to.... it is what it is!  Read, enjoy, see you next year.

*This is a tradition that has been going on for SEVEN YEARS.   That's a lot of blogging.  (If you would like to see years past, here are links:  2007, 2008 , 2009 , 2010 , 2011 and 2012) .
 

Christmas Highlights

Usually the Christmas montage wraps up Christmas around here, but this year I want to get a few favorite memories down in the record books for long term memories.  (aka, they get to be written up in a blog post).

Nick surprised me this year with the best gift ever...

I am so ridiculously excited about my new camera!  Up until now I have been using a Nikon Coolpix P500, which is a good camera, but I have really wanted to make the jump to DSLR for awhile, but worried that the size would result in my never using it.  Then I saw the Nikon 1 series, which are mirrorless DSLR cameras with interchangeable lenses.  I fell instantly in love, but knew it was out of our price range and never really expected it to be under the tree.  SURPRISE! My husband is awesome!

We knew rolling into the holidays would be hard for my family.  My mom and dad especially were heartbroken to celebrate our favorite holiday without or sweet Missy.  My amazing sister Boo ended up taking Christmas pretty much entirely on her own shoulders to make sure the holiday was magical and perfect.  It actually makes me cry to even try to find words for how much her hard work meant to us all.

As with everything, we were sad, but we were together, and that always feels right.  There were tears, and our Missy was very present in our minds and our hearts, but there was so much laughter and love. I am so blessed.

Candice made Christmas with Nick's family wonderful by coming up with two homemade gifts/games.  She filled boxes with homemade cookies and on the outside she wrote four characteristics of each family member.  She had them all out and we had to go in and read the four describing words, and match boxes to people.  It was wonderful and so so sweet!  She also made the Reindeer games, which was an epic ping pong tournament.  Also awesome. Way to win at Christmas, Candice :)
 
And then there was Henry... his pirate stuff and his surprise Zelda set from Santa, his playing with his cousins and eating only bread (on a fork!) for Christmas dinner, his declaration that he was done with presents and wanted to go home and play with it after opening his FIRST TOY on Christmas eve... it was wonderful.  Start to finish, this boy fills my heart.  
 

Christmas 2013

What a wonderful holiday.  There were hard moments of course, but for the most part I felt surrounded by love and family. 

I spent some time today making our annual Christmas photo montage to share with family, and of course with you all. Enjoy!

song: Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Maria Carey

 

Ready For Santa

We are done with all shopping and wrapping of gifts. 

We bought cookies to bake and carrots to set out for the Reindeer on Christmas eve.

We have read every single Christmas book we can find.

 Our Lego advent calendar is down to the final two unopen doors and our elf on the shelf (Captain Slagathor) is really running low on ideas for where to hide. 

We are ready....

Now we are just waiting on the big guy to arrive!

I hope you have a wonderful holiday with those you love. I will be back after Christmas with our annual photo montage, which I do not expect to come close to capturing the magic of Christmas in the eyes of a four year old, but I will do my best.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

This and That

There is lots going on around here, but nothing in and of itself that makes up a blog post.  Sooooo.... I give you a bullet post:

• I have to work four more days this year (not counting stopping by to make sure nothing in the germinators is on fire).  I am not sure how they can actually expect me to keep focused six days before Christmas.  I am worthless.
• I have officially wrapped up this semester, which is my very last fall semester EVER (assuming I never go crazy and decide to get my PhD).  I am a little in shocked at how fast this semester flew by.
• I took this picture of Henry this week.  It is one of my favorite pictures ever.
• 
•  Did you read my post about falling down?  People seem to find it funny (which gives me joy) so if you missed it, check it out.  If you are so inclined, you can share it on facebook or twitter or whatever...I love when a good post gets shared
• We went to visit my Pa yesterday, who is still very ill.  While we were there I took this great picture of my mom and Henry.  Love.

 We also had a brunch at my Aunt Jan's yesterday (we are staying pretty busy..). Pictures were also taken there, because of course they were.

A random complaint:  Last night we wanted to watch a Christmas cartoon, so Nick pulled up some Mickey Christmas collection on netflix.  The special had three cartoons, and the middle one was all about Goofy and his son Max, and Max hearing Santa wasn't real, and Goofy dressing up as Santa and pretending, then Max finding out it was really his dad faking him out, then them sitting up all night waiting for Santa and right when they both decide he is fake,  FINALLY Santa does come...but the entire thing was awful.  Like, Henry had never thought that Santa might NOT exist.  So several times he was like "Where is Santa?  What is GOING ON??"   and Nick and I whispered about turning it off, but that seemed worse because we thought they SURELY were about to have Santa walk in... but it broke mine and Nick's Christmas loving heart. And although I think he was little enough for it not to do lasting Christmas magic damage, it made me mad. It doesn't feel like a Mickey cartoon should have a huge debate on if Santa is real, lets leave that for cartoons made for bigger kids :(

Well that was a sorta long tangent on my last bullet, hua?  Maybe I should end on a brighter note...

Nick and I saw the Hobbit last weekend.  It was AMAZING (if you like Hobbit like things.)  I keep thinking about it and really want to see it again... I highly recommend it.

 

Epic

So you know how every now and again something happens  around you, and as it happens you think "Yep... everyone who is witnessing this is going to go home and tell their families about it because it is THAT EMBARRASSING."

That was me, yesterday. I was the event that people talked about around the dinner table with "That poor girl" voice as they tried to hide the laughter.  Let me tell you about it...

I decided to run over to my doctors office in order to get my second lupron injection on my lunch break.  I checked in at the front desk, then asked how long it would be before a nurse called me back.  They said I had a few minutes, so I ran upstairs to a different office in the building to deliver a Christmas present to a family friend.  I was sort of in a hurry to get back to my office, afraid I had missed my name being called, so I was walking rather briskly through the main lobby.  The main lobby where the valet is stationed, which was FULL of people.  And that's when it happened.

I could see the office door, I wasn't far.  I just had to cross in front of the main elevators and I was there.  But something happened right in front of elevator two.  I felt my foot catch on the rubber mat that was there, I ASSUME, to prevent people from slipping.  But it had a wrinkle....

 Oh, the dreaded rug wrinkle.

So my foot catches, but this is not a mere stumble... definitely not a 'pretend I just wanted to jog for a couple of steps' sort of trip.  Oh no.  It's like the rubber mat wrapped around my ankle, throwing me irrevocably off balance.

I knew right away I was going to hit the ground, but I still was thinking I could most likely keep this contained at the knees.  I mean, sure, it's embarrassing to fall to your knees in a crowded lobby, but there are worse things, right?

Right.

So I hit my knees.  HARD.  And then I feel the momentum pushing me forward.  I actually think, "I think I am going to need to brace myself with my hands... oh god, people are watching" ... as my hands hit the floor.

Only, my hands were not enough.  Oh no, it must be more embarrassing than that to be sure everyone talked about it around their dinner tables, right?  As my hands hit, I realized there was still too much force.  There was no way to stop.. so my arms slid out in front of me, and I slid across the lobby...on my stomach.

Yes.

I did.

It was... not graceful.

I could hear the men closest to me jumping up and saying things like"IS SHE OKAY?"  and  "DID YOU SEE THAT?!?!" (everyone saw that sir)  So I immediately went into damage control.

"I'M OKAY!!"  I yelled from the ground, flat on my stomach, head still down so as to not look at the crowd.  "I am FINE!"

"Ummm... are you SURE?"  One of the men asked as he tried to help me up.

"No" I thought, "I am not at all sure, and I am really trying to not cry here..."

but instead I just said "Hahahahaha... I am fine!  Watch out for that rug!"  which I pointed to, as if they could miss it.  And I hurried into my own doctors office, surrounded by nothing but shocked silence in the lobby.

My knee today:


And I am sore all over.  It really was an epic fall...

A Family of Educators: A BlogHer Sponsored Post

I am surrounded by teachers.

From the time Boo was in first grade she knew what she wanted to be when she grew up: she was going to be a teacher.  And she never wavered on that dream once. She knew in her bones she was meant to teach, so she worked her way through grade school, high school and college with that goal in her mind.  Out of college she got a job in the elementary school that we attended as children, and at the same time she continued her education by receiving a masters degree and her National Board Certification.

Two of my aunts came into teaching on a slightly different path.  They went to school, found jobs in fields other than education, and had families.  Then, later in life, they decided to return to the classroom and eventually learn how to be a leader within it. The both received masters degrees, and one is also Nationally Certified.  Our family values education, but more than that, our family loves being the ones to educate.

Boo and my aunts walked two different paths on their way to being teachers, but all three of them found their calling within the field.  I have grown up constantly influenced by these three women and their love of watching children learn.  I have sat in on countless meals while they talk about lesson plans and teaching strategies.  I have had the privilege of seeing how much they all truly love their work, and their ability to influence children and college students alike.

By watching them I have also seen the challenge of working in the field of education.  The hours spent planning and perfecting your lessons that will influence these children future.  They worry over if they are grasping what you are trying ten different ways to teach them.  But I have also spent time in Boo's classroom and seen how she bonds with these children, and how they bond with her.  Hugs and notes of love and appreciation abound, as do visits from older students long gone who come back to tell her what a difference she made in their lives.  And those things make the worry and long hours and worry worth the effort.  Because she is doing what she loves... she is doing what she was always meant to do.  Just like my aunts before her, she was born to be a teacher.  And she is amazing at it.

Whether you’re seeking further success in your current role or a new opportunity, Kaplan University can help you prepare for the exciting possibilities ahead.*

As an accredited university built on more than 75 years of experience,† Kaplan University offers a wide range of career-focused programs designed to develop the skills and knowledge leading employers seek. Our focus: to offer you the most direct educational path to achieve your goals.

Are you ready for a change?  Learn more at kaplanuniversity.edu

.
* Kaplan University cannot guarantee employment or career advancement.

† Kaplan University is regionally accredited. Please visit http://www.kaplanuniversity.edu/about/accreditation-licensing.aspx#

for additional information about institutional and programmatic accreditation.

An Important Use of my Time

Next week is Finals week...Monday I have a final exam for one class and an 8-10 paper policy paper due for another... I should REALLY be using all my free time to study or write.  Really... I should. 

And yet...

I find myself very distracted by other things I NEED to do.  Like wrap presents, make fudge and work on Christmas cards...



Or bringing dinner to my Mamaw and Pa and allow the children to sit WAY too close to the television set

Or deciding it was high time we broke out the old soccer ball so we can practice dribbling INSIDE THE HOUSE

(He really wanted this picture taken)
 
(and this one.. because butts are hilarious) 

Or maybe just make sure my lab participated in the annual door decorating contest at work.  I mean, we don't want to be the Grinch of the building, right?  But the thing is, we have five doors..basically an entire hallway.  Things like this take time.

Oh... and this blog post.  This here blog post also took TOP PRIORITY over creating my study guide.  I haven't blogged in DAYS.  My readers NEED ME.

 Now I just need to...

Damn it.

 I think I actually have to start studying now.

Becoming a Nontraditonal Student: A BlogHer Sponsored Post

Going back to school for my Master’s degree was not in my original plan. Actually, I guess my original plan was to stay in school straight through, going from undergrad into a masters or a doctorate program. But as I began my senior year I was diagnosed with endometriosis and my plans quickly changed. I had been fighting the pain and issues from the disease for months leading up to the diagnosis, and finding out that I had something that could impact my ability to have children in the future made me reevaluate how quickly I wanted to join the working world and become financially stable. Nick and I wanted to get married and start a family, but first we needed real jobs. So after finishing my Bachelors in Biology I found a job in a local environmental lab. It was a job that I loved, but not one that I ever intended to have. When I originally got my degree in Biology it was with the desire to work in a medical field, not an environmental one.
It wasn’t until after I had Henry and I switched jobs to a new environmental lab that I realized I was interested in going back to school and pursuing a career in a more medical focused field. I had been in the private sector for five years, and knew that if I wanted to change directions now, I needed to continue my education with a Master’s degree. So that is what I did, starting slow at first. I was working full time with husband and a one year old at home, so I signed up for a single class. Truly at the time I wasn’t sure I would complete a degree, I just wanted to test the waters. Turns out, the water was just fine.

Eventually I picked up the pace, taking multiple classes at a time, and now I will complete my Master’s degree this May. It actually blows my mind that it is happening. That I looked at my career, that I knew I wasn’t happy with where I was going, and I made this life altering change to go back to school. And you know what, it wasn’t as hard as I expected. I have always enjoyed school, but there is no question that my undergrad was challenging. I was young, I was distracted, I was studying so many different things all at once in order to complete my degree...it was not easy. But now that I am studying specifically in a field I am passionate about, I find that I enjoy my classes in a way I never have before. And that fact allows me to feel confident that I will love working in this new field. And loving what you do is worth the effort of going back to school, even as a busy wife and mother. It hasn't been easy, but getting to do something you love for the rest of your life is worth the effort.

Whether you’re seeking further success in your current role or a new opportunity, Kaplan University can help you prepare for the exciting possibilities ahead.*

As an accredited university built on more than  75 years of experience,† Kaplan University offers a wide range of career-focused programs designed to develop the skills and knowledge leading employers seek. Our focus: to offer you the most direct educational path to achieve your goals.

Are you ready for a change?  Learn more at kaplanuniversity.edu

.
* Kaplan University cannot guarantee employment or career advancement.

† Kaplan University is regionally accredited. Please visit http://www.kaplanuniversity.edu/about/accreditation-licensing.aspx#

for additional information about institutional and programmatic accreditation.

Our Trip To See Saint Nick

This weekend we had our annual visit with Jolly Old Saint Nicholas. Let me tell you, it was WAAAAAY better than last year!  We were back to the good Santa of years past, and the kids adored him.

 
I cannot get over how sweet this picture is
 
For the first time since she was five months old Cici actually sat with Santa, which was VERY EXCITING!

She even whispered that she would like some "stamps please, Santa. Merry Christmas". 

Santa and Henry had a long talk about pirate ships and treasure maps...

They did some serious thinking together...

and finally decided reighdeer antlers were indeed, a funny idea.

All in all, a perfect trip to see Santa! Here are a few more shots of us waiting to see St. Nick, which I thought came out pretty stinking cute too.

Looking snazzy in black and white

Actually, looking just as snazzy in color

It's almost our turn... it just makes me laugh how Henry wanted to be touching Cici too :)

 

Candles For Missy

The candles last night were amazing. Thank you. Truly, they mean more to our family than words can ever say.

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