Creepy Crawlies

I hate creepy crawlies.

HATE them.

Spiders.

Ticks. 

Beetles.

June Bugs

You name it.

SICK NASTY.

Thomas says I'm ridiculous.

Says I'm paranoid.

But here's the thing: I have a [legit] reason to hate creepy crawlies.

It's not like this was a fear that was born over night.

It's not irrational.

I've had {horrible} experiences with these nasty guys.

So naturally, I hate them.

For example, I'm going to share a story with you.

I was very tired at work today.

"Why?" you ask?

Because I woke up at 4:30am and never went back to sleep.

You know these guys:

Yeah, well I had a bad experience with them last night...

I'm all asleep, dreaming about playing Volleyball at Hogwarts with Gryfindors against Slytherins, taking Malfoys taunts, when all of a sudden I wake up.

And I feel something tickling my side.

So I reach down to scratch it...

...and instead I feel something scuttling along my side, and I assume it's a spider.

I kick and scream and scratch up that thing with my fingers and of course wake up my husband...

Thomas just "Shh"'s me, rubbing my arm, saying, "Go back to sleep, you're okay..."

He thought I was having a bad dream.
Meanwhile, I'm crying (literally) and I turn on my bedside light to find this spider that was crawling on me.
At this point, Thomas says, "Katie, you're being paranoid", still thinking I was dreaming about something on me. 

But I HAD to find the spider and make sure it was dead and out of my bed because I was NOT going to sleep not knowing where it went.

Well, good thing I looked, because laying right next to me was a dead one of these disgusting things.

Thomas believed me.

I cried harder.

And never fell back asleep...

Hey, like I said, this fear is legit.

It's not the first time I've woken to something crawling on me...

There was the time my fourth year at River Falls, sleeping in the HM apartment, when I woke to a tickle on my neck and a spider being the source...

Then there was the time I went to my mom in the middle of the night complaining of a buzzing in my ear.

She told me to go back to bed, it would go away.

When I woke up the next morning, we found a tick had drilled itself into my ear and was sucking away at my blood...

Then there was the time I was playing in a softball game, standing at first base, putting my hair into a ponytail while waiting for the inning to start, and my fingers discovered a spiny, stickly, gray spider in my hair and I screamed and freaked out in front of everyone...

And there was the time when I got outta the shower, and had nearly completed drying myself off, when I noticed a fat black spider scuttling across my towel that I had just rubbed all over my body...I screamed, threw the towel down, and ran butt naked outta the bathroom...

Then there was the time I got into the shower when I neither had my contacts in or my glasses on...remember now, I'm as blind as a bat, and I noticed this little black bob moving around the floor of the tub, so I bent down to see what it was...and it wasn't until it was barely touching my nose that I realized it was a spider trying to escape the water...and if I could see that from 5 feet up, without my glasses, you know it was a big spider...

Then there was the time we were swimming at my aunt's house.

And somehow, some FREAKING way, a bee flew into my swimsuit bottoms.

I'm freaking out, crying, that there's something biting and stinging my butt, so my mom grabs my bottoms and pulls 'em down in front of everyone. Brilliant...

Like I said, I have reason to hate those dang creepy crawlies...

On the Right Path

In case I haven't said it enough: "I am loving my new job."

Absolutely loving it.

Never would I ever imagined I would be working at a child care facility.

Nope. No way. Wasn't happening. 

I was going to teach middle & high schoolers.

Ya know, kids who could actually hold intellectual conversations?

Well, turns out, the education system is a little frustrating.

Who'da thunk?

Although frustrating, I still wanted to teach.

So, after completing my wonderfully amazing semester of student teaching, I did everything I was supposed to do.

Completed my portfolio.

Walked in graduation.

Filled out roughly 80 applications.

(I stopped keeping count after 50.)

Tried to network as much as possible.

Went to the one, that's right, the ONE interview I got called to do.

Prayed. Fasted.

And waited.

And waited. And waited. And waited. 

Finally, I decided I needed to start thinking about finding a different job, at least for a year. Sure, I'd still sub if the opportunity arose, but I needed a steady income for Thomas and I to move forward with our life: to get a home, a puppy, a baby...all that fun stuff. 

So I started applying for other things.

And I found this position at Yellow Brick Road.

It caught my eye.

Sure, I didn't go into Early Childhood Ed., but I did love kids.

LOVE kids.

And this position wouldn't make the sole person in charge of a classroom of 30 6 year-olds. 

I would get only a handful of kids, and some other people to assist me. 

Sure, I'll apply.

Within hours, I had an interview setup.

Within days, I had the job.

Now, if you know me, you know I am a woman of strong faith.

And over the past 8 days of working at YBR, my faith in God's plans and His timing has grown so incredibly much. 

I just had a conversation with Thomas about this the other day...

This job has proven to me that no matter what plans we make, no matter what paths in life we choose to walk down, somehow God always makes sure we end up where we're meant to be. The key being, of course, that we live with God ever in our hearts, thoughts, and actions; then He can help bring us where we are meant to be. 

Naptime is when I do a lot of thinking.

It's quiet. Soft music is playing. And I'm usually in the room by myself.

So I think.

And on Thursday all I could think about was how I felt so surely that this is where I am meant to be. 

And then I thought about how I managed to get here.

Like I said, I had no education in Early Childhood. 

Yet here I am.

Maybe I didn't make the right decisions God wanted me to make.

Maybe I turned left when I was supposed to turn right.

But it didn't matter. 

He made sure I got to where I was supposed to be.

Or, maybe I was meant to go left instead of right.
Maybe I was supposed to go into Secondary Ed.

Maybe I'll need it down the road later.

Maybe it was the key to meeting certain people who would impact my life in ways it needed to be impacted. 

Maybe there's a whole slew of reasons why I took the path I did to get where I am today. Who knows?

What I do know is: God never leaves us.

God {knows} us. 

It amazes me.

In my 24 years of life, I have never felt so sure of it before.

I have never felt more surely, more strongly that our Heavenly Father knows and loves us as individuals, and He truly does take care of us. 

Ordinary Moments

Do you ever have moments where you want to freeze time?

Like a specific moment?
And live in it forever?

I had one of those moments Sunday evening.

It was the most simple, mundane moment.

But I loved it.

And cherished it.

It was about 8 o'clock at night, and Thomas and I had put on two loads of laundry throughout the day.

So it was time to fold them.

Well, Thomas is also still on his Grey's Anatomy phase...

...so we were watching that while the laundry was washing and drying.

And once it was finished, we moved from watching in the bedroom, out to the living room, so we could have more room to fold all the clothes.

We brought my laptop out and continued watching Grey's while we folded.

And that's it.

That's the moment I wanted to freeze forever.

Mundane.

Normal.

Ordinary.

But I loved it.

I had this moment while we were folding, where I just thought, "Man, I {love} my life." I love that I have a husband willing to help me do the laundry for starters...

But I just love my life.

My simple, ordinary life. 

Because it's the simple and ordinary things in life that make life, well, [life].

 I sat thinking, "I am so excited for a blissfully ordinary, wonderful life with this incredible man."

I am excited for our kids' little league sporting games.

I am excited for delicious meals, and the burnt meals, and the homemade birthday cakes, and the quick drive-thru dinners, and the pizza nights.

I'm excited for lots of laundry-folding together. 

I am excited for Halloweens, and birthdays, and Christamases, and Thanksgivings.

I'm excited for Sundays at church.

I'm excited for all the ordinary moments of life. 

Today's my birthday.

I worked, got home at five, and Thomas waited to leave for school until I got home so he could give me my gift, even though he'd be late to class.

On his card, he wrote: "Happy first married birthday. I can't wait to spend the rest of your birthdays with you."

Yup.

I'm gonna love this life. 

Flying By

Time is flying...and I love it!

My final day at Target was last Saturday.

It was definitely bittersweet to punch out for the last time, but definitely more sweet than bitter. 

As much as I'm going to miss my job at Target and the wonderful people I worked with, I am so incredibly excited to start down this new road in life!

I had my CPR and First Aid training today for my new job!
It was a long day.

But it was really informative and helpful, and I think everyone should take those kind of classes, whether it's required for your job or not.

So that means tomorrow I begin my new job at Yellow Brick Road!
I am super excited!

Every day I feel more and more happy that I took this position. 

Not only am I excited for it, and I think I'll really enjoy it, but I've still been applying for teaching positions, and still haven't heard a whisper from anyone.

Just more rejection emails.

I think I made the right decision. 

I've got my Mary Kay business almost off the ground!

I've got my starter kit and inventory, and now it's just a matter of getting going.

I'm super excited for this road too!

Mary Kay is such a great company that treats it's workers so well, and the women you work with are amazing and you build such great relationships. 

It's the relationships more than anything that make me excited for Mary Kay.

I've tried booking my first skin care class for this weekend, but it doesn't look like anyone is interested or able to come, so we may have to cancel it. 

I think I'll need to try and contact people individually.

I'm going to try to do the "30 faces in 30 days" challenge!
So! 

If you'd like a free facial with some Mary Kay products, let me know!

Give me a call, a text, an email message, whatever!

It's completely free! 

You don't have to spend a penny!

Also, if you'd like host a party, you have an opportunity to get *free* product!

So if you're looking for a girls' night in, gimme a call and we can put something fun together!

Thomas and I are now officially looking at homes now, too. 

Eeeek!

We're sticking to Plymouth and surrounding areas, or Edina or Eden Prairie. We'd like it best if only one of us has a commute to make. 

So hopefully by the end of the year we will be living on our own!

Life is good.

As always, life is really good.

Quirky

There are many reasons why I love my husband.

He kills big, gross spiders for me.

...and the teeny tiny ones too...

He tolerates my shoe addiction.

He laughs at my so-not-funny-jokes.

He holds my hand...always.

He builds up my self-esteem.

He makes me laugh.

He's sweet & romantic.

He's incredibly thoughtful

But lately, I really love one quirky thing about him...

He's become obsessed with Grey's Anatomy.

Yup.

You see, a couple weeks ago, I was lying on the couch, watching season one of Grey's while I waited for Thomas to get home from school.

He came home, gave me a kiss, and cuddled up with me on the couch while the episode finished. 

When it was over, I said I'd turn it off.

He said, "No, it's okay. You can watch another, I'm gonna make something to eat."

So I started another while he got a late-night dinner, and then came back and sat on the couch with me.

When the next episode finished, I got up to turn it off, saying, "Alright, we gotta get to bed, it's late."

To which he cried, "No wait! One more!!"

I just about died laughing.

He's always given me crap about Grey's Anatomy, and here he was wanting to watch more. And now, what's even funnier, he wants to watch it every night.

Literally.

And it's always his suggestion, not mine.

He gets home from school and we'll have an hour or so before we need to go to bed, and I'll ask him, "What would you like to do?"
His response is always "Let's watch Grey's."

I hung out with some girls after I got off work yesterday, and Thomas was home from school before I was home from girl time. 

I found him lying on the couch watching Grey's without me...

He makes me laugh...