Big Changes in the Employment Department

So... this is happening...

 Which is mostly amazing but also slightly terrifying.

I do actually have a new job lined up, and turns out it's of the 'dream job' variety, which makes it more exciting than terrifying, but it's also a little frightening because I truly believe this is what I am meant to do with the rest of my working life, so if it doesn't work out well, or like, I hate it, that would really be a problem.  BUT I am feel pretty confident that WON'T happen and that I will love it and feel rewarded and all that good stuff people always hope for in a  career.

What am I doing?  I should mention that, I guess.  I am going to be working with the College of Public Health here at the University in a split position, spending part of my time in a faculty position which will involve working with students, potentially on their writing, potentially teaching a class (EEK! but I am getting excited about it!) and then spending the rest of my time in public health research, focusing on women's/children's health.

It's an amazing opportunity, and I can honestly say I feel beyond blessed that this program that I was a student in for the last few years has bent over backwards to make this happen.  It is without question, everything I hoped for and more.

I begin in the research position July 13th with the official faculty appointment beginning September 1st.  It's going to be different and it's going to be hard work, and I really really think it is going to be AMAZING!

 

Three Minutes of Vacation Goodness set to Music...

As is tradition, I give you our vacation photo montage for your Sunday (or Monday... or whenever!) viewing enjoyment!

Song: The Only Place by Best Coast 

Want to see our other vacation montages? 

No?

 I will give you the links anyway, JUST IN CASE!

2013

2012

2011

 

Home Sweet Home

We are back!  And yet we are still not back to work...

If you are curious, we had already planned to be off for these two weeks, weren't sure how much time would be spent in Kentucky and how much time would be spent out of it.  Turns out, the majority of time was spent out of it!  We had a great time in Florida and South Carolina, but are happy to be home.  I am working on pulling pictures together for my annual vacation photo montage (Do you all even watch it?  Doesn't matter!  I love it!)  but for now I will show you a couple of my favorite pics off my real camera...

It's not at the beach and it 's not even completely in focus, but I love this picture so much...

Can you actually feel the love??

My boy

My other boy

My little family.

Slideshow to come on Monday, for now I am going to enjoy our last few days off together!

Still Vacationing

So we are still on vacation.

And it's awesome. 

Like not one...

But TWO hole in one...

Hug a gorilla...

Jump in the ocean...

 

Say hi to a snake...

Swordfight with Papa...

 

Taking selfies with Mama kinda perfect vacation. 

 

So we have decided to just not come home for awhile.

We are leaving Florida tomorrow, but decided to stop in South Carolina for a couple of days before heading home. 

I can't imagine what gave us that idea... beyond the thought that we just aren't quite ready to go back to real life.  So let the vacationing continue!

When Did THIS Happen??

So as it turns out, vacation is amazing.

Who would have thought, right?

This is actually a different trip than anything we have done as a family of three before, because while we are here with my inlaws, they are working during the days so in a lot of ways it feels like this is a trip for three.  We have done very little and are loving every second of it! 

One thing we ARE doing is going to the pool everyday.  The beach* is a bit of a drive (not far, but we are lazy) but the pool is like RIGHT THERE.  And right there we can do!

But that's not the point.  The point is the shocking that that happened at the pool this week.  I am one of those crazy people who are slightly terrified of the pool when it comes to kids.  Like, I think if I blink they will drown, which... is not an insane fear.  But because of that fear (and because of the awesome Aunt Boo) we have had Henry in swim classes several times to increase his water safety knowledge and he is also very familiar with his puddle jumper. 

Henry with his puddle jumper lovingly referred to as his Turtle

 

So  he has been keeping it on pretty much always, taking it off just to jump to us or have us help him swim.  Then he mentioned something while playing in the 3ft water... 

"I can feel the bottom!"

 

"You can??"

 

Yes.  he totally can.

 

How in the holy heck is my child big enough to play in the pool and like, WALK AROUND like a big kid??

And the discovery that he can TOTALLY stand up led to this...

Which led to THIS... (according to the YMCA this is a good step in swimming skills)

and you guys, he is getting so close to being able to swim.  Just because now he can try, and if he gets scared, his feet can just go to the bottom and he like, stands up. 

This boy... he just keeps growing and it continues to blow my mind.

*We are going to the beach today!  We have also gone to a movie and out to eat, so we are not totally worthless... (but pretty close)
 

Someone is Happy to See His Nana and Grandpa...

We made it to Florida safe and sound!  Turns out Ft. Myers is like, REALLY far away, but it was an easy drive and Henry is so freaking good, it was not that big of a deal to spend two days in the car to get here.  (HAPPY FATHER'S DAY NICK!  How about a twelve hour drive to celebrate?)    Although I think it helped that at the end of our long drive was the reward of a week at the beach with Nana and Grandpa.  Henry has been talking about coming to their house nearly everyday since they moved here in October, so when he woke up in the hotel yesterday morning and yelled, "IT'S TOMORROW!! IT'S TOMORROW!! I get to see my NANA!!!!!!"  It pretty much melted my heart.

 

About 30 seconds after we got out of the car...

Don't let that first picture fool you, Henry wants very little to do with his Mama and Papa these days...

Not now that we are spending the week with NANA AND GRANDPA!!  He keeps telling them "I get to sleep at your house for EIGHT NIGHTS!"

Looks like Nick and I are on our own, at least after Nana and Grandpa get home from work :) 

 

**I forgot my memory card reader, so all pictures posted during the vacation will be from my phone.  The good pictures will come after we get home, but using slightly blurry phone pictures wont stop me from posting all week! Get excited!

 

Hitting the Road

If you are looking for us, we will be here:

Nana and Grandpa, here we come!

*I would say I am taking a blogging break until I return, but it turns out every time I think I am going to do that, I end up posting nearly every day.  So... I may post a lot, I might not post at all.  TIME WILL TELL.  The one thing I do know for sure is that you will have an enjoyable photo montage to look forward to upon our return.


**We have house sitters, so like, please don't try to rob us.   We have nothing of value anyway beyond a mostly deaf dog, but we REALLY love her and would be pissed if you took her.


***My family has voiced concern over me posting about leaving town...can you tell?
 

Rainbow

As we sat at my parents table and had dinner last night it started to rain. Nick looked out and asked which way was west, then turned to look in the other direction, searching. Sure enough...

It started out small, but incredibly bright. It grew from there, turning into a full arch stretching completely across the sky.

 Followed by a second, much more faint arch behind it.

 A double rainbow, surrounding my parents home on my sisters birthday.  I am not usually one for believing in signs, or thinking things mean more than they appear...but I can say with full truth, that this rainbow gave us comfort on a very difficult day.  And I believe it was a true gift.

 

Happy Birthday, Baby Sister

  I miss you so much I sometimes worry the grief will crush me.  But I take comfort in the thought that there is no time in heaven, so while we miss you so much here, only a moment will pass for you until we are together again. 

Until then, I love you always.
 

Tomorrow

Tomorrow is Missy's birthday.

It's like the elephant in the room that I refuse to look directly at... 

Last year, her birthday was hands down the hardest day of our first year without her for me personally.  I don't know how it will be tomorrow.  Better, maybe?  But nowhere close to good.

It's my day off, so that at least removes one of the stresses of the day.  We are leaving for Florida on Saturday morning, so I will have plenty to keep me busy... if that's what I want.

Our family will be together, going to my parents for dinner, then going to the cemetery like last year, releasing balloons with messages of love and grief.

But nobody ever wants to spend their sisters birthday in a cemetery.  We should be celebrating her.  This should be her day.

It should be full of her laugh and her light.  We should be singing.

I don't think I will ever get through June 11th without feeling robbed.  Because something very precious was stolen from our family.

And although we move forward, we are forever missing our Sweet Missy.
 

Matt and Blair Get MARRIED!

So this weekend we headed down to South Carolina to take part in the highly anticipated wedding of Matt and Blair!  When we stopped on the way to get lunch Henry even told the lady taking our order "My Matt and Blair are getting married and I am the RING BEARER!"

Can you tell he was excited?? (Trying on his bow tie for the rehearsal... he didn't end up wearing it, but now I think that might have been a mistake...)



I didn't take nearly the volume of pictures I usually do at weddings because this was a full on family affair with Nick, Henry and I all being part of the wedding party, but this was hands down one of my favorite weddings ever! 

Getting instructions on how to get married...

Flower Girl and Ring Bearer...they totally got this! (Kelsey took this pic, along with the next two.  I love them!)

Here are the adorable bride and groom at the rehearsal dinner. 

 LOVE! Thank you Kelsey!

How beautiful is this place?

Kesley and Thomas, fellow wedding party members who were actually happy to eat a fancy meal with a five year old :) 

Saturday morning was full of having Boo and Candice do an extremely impressive up-do, picking up Henry's tux after some last minute alterations and then heading down to the big event.  Someone is excited...

The place the wedding was held was so unique.  Very cool, very them.  The beautiful bride.

It's happening!

All dressed up

Henry with his Nana.  They were both pretty happy to be together. 

We clean up nice!

My favorite from the day!

So there was a photo booth... with props...

Matt's dad, Uncle Wayne was the Best Man.  So so sweet.

beautiful dress. Beautiful couple.

Brothers

Oh look, Boo and Chris were there!

And Candice and Lucas!

And Chris and Nicole! 

Cake toppers...

This happened. It made me laugh.

And this maybe made me cry.

Everything was amazing.

I am running out of things to say, but keep wanting to add pictures...

Did I say I didn't take many?

It now feels like there are a lot..

 

But I assume you want to see them all (Candice, I am stealing your pictures too!)

I mean, nobody in their right mind would want to miss this...

I am not sure there are enough pictures to capture how amazing the day truly was.  The music, the food, then dancing, the surprise video Matt made for Blair... form start to finish it really was one of my favorite weddings ever.  And that's good, because it was for two of my favorite people.

Congratulations guys!  WE LOVE YOU!!