Words Words Words

Hi you!

I hope this Tuesday treated you well. Just think, tomorrow is Wednesday and that means we're almost to Friday!

Thought I'd give you a little update on what's been going on around here lately!

Monster has turned into a playful pup quite quickly. Last week when I gave him a bath I was worried about how skinny the little guy was, but he now officially has a belly on him! He's eating more frequently and being much more active. Today he got another bath because I accidentally dropped some of my curling mousse on his head, so his hair got gross....whoops. He still hated the bath, but at least he smells good again :)

My parents received a new-to-them bed from one of my grandma's friends and when they brought that home from STL they also brought back our piano that had been at grandma's house for almost 2 years. We put it down in the basement so now I have a yoga studio AND a music room. I've played every day since it's been here and I've fallen back in love with losing myself in the notes. It's super great, I just play lots of Disney songs and hymns.

Last Wednesday I went into my dad's work, Crossroads Hospice, to go through Volunteer Training. When I moved back my dad had the idea of me volunteering because I love the elderly and I have the time so why not cheer someone up? Also, now that we've got Monster, I can take him to nursing homes and cheer people up of ALL ages. At the training we learned about Crossroads itself and talked about what we'll do as volunteers. I told them I'd be flexible as far as the different things I can do. I'd love to sing, read books, or just sit and talk with someone who needs another someone. I'm excited to get started!

Gymboree is still going well! I'm completely on my own and loving it. I love being able to create relationships with the little ones and their parents as they come in each week. Yesterday we had an Easter Egg Hunt and one little girl grabbed my finger and helped me hide the eggs. Those little moments are the ones I love, the ones that make my heart go "oh! hey...we like that."

Life with mom & dad is still great. I love when mom plays with Monster. She was definitely the least "into" getting the dog, but I think maybe, just MAYBE his cute little face is convincing her to love him. [it probably helps that I'm the one up with him at 3 in the AM.] We started watching the miniseries The Bible and we really like it! It's such a cool way to present the greatest story ever to the whole world.

I am still going to therapy which is still a positive thing, still working on the daily to improve my "self-image" - still striving for improvement. If you have gone through this same type of thing you'll understand when I say uhhhhhh it's tough. It is literally a day-to-day process of redirecting my thoughts to the positive side. Crushing the voice of Sad that still whispers in my ear saying, "hey girl, you're tired...just go back to bed..." I've improved from giving in and crawling back into bed to now saying No to Sad and saying Yes to Positive. Notice I didn't say Happy. I've realized that being Positive is different than being Happy. Positive takes work and has lasting effects. Happy lasts not so long and just leaves you searching for more. Positivity is something to strive for and work at. [Did ANY of that make ANY sense?]

In conclusion - life is going well.

Okay okay I'll stop making you read all these words - with no pictures?! Next time, I'll have pictures.

Oh! - Life Lesson: Don't give up. Ever. You're MUCH stronger than you think you are. 

I love ya'll.

xoxo
H

a puppy gets a bath

Happy Monday :)

after working this morning I came home to a note from mom on the counter:

"He [Monster] pooped in kennel.

Will need a bath."

Poor thing stunk like a skunk. 

This was his first bath time at home! When I first turned on the faucet he freaked out. He's so little loud noises really get to him - which really makes him just THAT much more adorable. He whined quite a bit during the whole bath, but I think he secretly enjoyed the little puppy massage he got with the shampoo process.

during 

after

dry!


The middle pictures makes me laugh out loud every time I look at it. These pictures are roughly what it looks like when I'm getting ready for church on Sundays.

He really didn't like me during, whining and staring at me with a look that said, "uhhh why are you doing this...?" but now he smells much better and a lot less like poo.

I hope your day was great. We're done with Monday! Yay!

xoxo,

H

Hello :)

[as you may have noticed I changed my look on here. I wanted something more simple. I really like it now!]

Nothing TOO much has happened since Wednesday. Thursday was a lazy day with the puppy...we've gotten really really good at napping together on the couch. He's such a cuddle bug!

exploring the table

 

sun bathing :)

On Friday morning I taught on my own at Gymboree. It was fun! I'm still learning a lot each time which is so interesting. My kiddos seem like they're all going to be really great. Friday was a gorgeous day. After getting off work around 1:00 I got to go home and sit outside with the little guy!

Friday night we ate at home and then went to Orange Leaf for dessert. We took Monster making it his first adventure outside the house! It was so fun. People LOVED him. We even had a couple take a picture of him because they'd been talking about getting a dog and they really liked the way he looked. I do not blame them at all. He is so adorable! Our friends Bryan and Tammy met us there and we spent some time with them which is always good! Then mom and I went to Target to buy my dear friend Rachel's wedding shower gift! I love shopping trips with mom.

Saturday morning after taking the pup out twice in the night, dad let me sleep in which was fantastic. Then I got ready for Rachel's shower! It was super getting to see her and another girl from the Lighthouse, Emily! 


We got to chat and watch Rach open her gifts. Then we went to eat and just got to spend time together. It was really really great. I can't wait to witness Josh and Rachel get hitched in June. Also, I'm officially her Honorary Flower Girl. So excited! :)

Last night we watched Skyfall [well..dad and I watched, mom snoozed in and out.] It was fantastic! I need to watch all the other Bond movies. I loved the action. and Judi Dench, of course.

This morning was our normal Sunday morning. Worship and then children's ministry. I'm really starting to like the routine. The kids are such a blessing. I love blowing bubbles, building Lego towers, and watching them listen to the Bible story. [also having kids sit in my lap/all around me...it's so great.] 

Tomorrow starts another week. I'll be at Gymboree in the afternoon and then be at home with Monster. Kids and puppy time - LOVE IT. I hope your week gets off to a great start. Can you believe we're half way through March?!

"May I have some?" - Monster

Before I go here's a story:

During the 10:30 service when we're downstairs with the kids they have a 15 minute worship time where we sing some songs and say a prayer. I think it's really great for the kids...to get them started early with worshipping with others. At the end the adult in charge had kids who wanted to pray make a line and they each took turns praying out loud. One little girl was especially cute. 

"Dear God..thank you for mommy and daddy. For my new toys and my big sister. Also...thank you for the extra candies for my new Pez dispenser...amen."

Life Lesson: Remember to be thankful for the little things. Child-like faith is something to strive for. There is so much to learn from the little ones we're teaching every day. 

PS - I talked about where we got Monster in my last post. I said we got him near Belton - not true. It was Oak Grove. Whoops. If you're interested in finding a new friend here's the couple's information!

http://www.dogasaur.com/shelter/23641/paws-and-hooves-rescue/titan 

okay, I'm outta here. I love you guys!

xoxo, 

H

E is for Exciting

hey hi hello! 

how are you? I'm doing pretty great. a few exciting things have been going on lately! here's a list :)

      1. my brother Josh turned 24! 

Josh's birthday was March 7th. I've only really disliked that he lives so far away a couple of times. I know that the Lord has a great purpose for them out in CA, but sometimes you just want to be near someone when it's time to celebrate! So after missing them on Christmas, I missed him on his birthday a lot too. BUT all is well. I let him how much I love him. 

2. I've started teaching on my own at Gymboree!

I've been training for the past couple of weeks with other teachers and such. It's been really great to watch these women and see how they've made the lessons their own. Tuesday night I was officially introduced as the new teacher. That Level 4 class (16-22 months) is going to be so fun. All of the kiddos are happy and love playing! The grown ups are really nice, too so that's great. On Friday morning I'll have the classes to myself with a teacher observing/helping if necessary. It's so exciting!

3. WE GOT A PUPPY!!!!!

That's right. We've added a family member and I could not be more excited. I had been jokingly/seriously telling mom and dad how badly I wanted a puppy for AWHILE. This past Friday I got super serious and started looking up puppies that were for sale in the KC area. I found tons of pictures and stories and REASONS why we needed a puppy like, right now. Mom got pretty annoyed. We may or may not have changed her phone background to one of the puppies. 

After letting it die down a little, mom and dad came back from a trip on Sunday night with the greatest news ever - mom had changed her mind and we were going to start seriously looking. WELL. I found "Marcell" pretty quickly after that on Petfinder.com. After looking and emailing numerous other pets/owners with no response it was basically a SIGN that we had to get Marcell. 

So on Monday night after I got home from work, we went to meet Marcell at his home. IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT, YA'LL.

asleep after playing at home for like, 5 minutes. 

mom and pup :)

love at first puppy kiss.

warming up after going potty outside

this is where he lays while I get ready at and in the morning :)

                                      

                                                                                             

he's such a model.

 ready for his close up!

best friends.

he was actually watching Judge Joe Brown. it was hilarious.

blogging wears him out. tough life.

So. This is my life now. Kids, hanging with my parents, game nights with friends, and MONSTER. 

                                [isn't that name great? Mom came up with it. I love it.]

Yes, this is my life and I really really could not be in a better place. the Lord is doing some wonderful things on the daily in my heart and I'm so excited to see how it all works out. as Monster sleeps next to me I can't help but take a deep breath and thank Jesus for His grace, timing, and UNCONDITIONAL love. It has literally saved me and kept me going since February 5th when everything changed. 

Please know that His love covers all of your imperfections, mess ups, and scars. His love never ends.          

EVER.

I love all of you. I hope this little journal brings you some kind of joy :) 

til next time? you bet.

xoxo

H

Story Time

hello you!

I have a story to tell you :)

this past Sunday my parents, our friends [the Prewitts], and I did something really fun. we went to the Independence Event Center and saw Chris Tomlin on his "Lights" tour! Talk about WORSHIP. Kari Jobe opened for him and I instantly fell in love with her voice, music, and love for Christ.

Pictures Or It Didn't Happen:

As you can see my camera's zoom is fantastic! This experience is definitely something I will remember for a really long time. I was so so SO afraid it would be good but not an "experience." I was blown away by how pulled in I was and how God moved in that place! and as I type those words I now feel silly for ever thinking God wouldn't show up and do work! I'm such a human.



You should definitely check out Tomlin's newest album and Kari Jobe has some amazing music as well. My favorite song of hers that I've found so far is My Beloved from her self-titled album "Kari Jobe." The first time I listened to this song it was like Jesus was whispering in my ear, "hey..listen..this is from me." These words stick out so much to me:

I'll breathe my life inside of you

I'll bear you up on eagle's wings

And hide you in the shadow of my strength

I'll take you to my quiet waters

I'll restore your soul

Come rest in me and be made whole

I mean, COME ON! Right? So good. This night proved to be something I really really needed and I didn't even know it. To worship with thousands of other people is something I think everyone should experience! It was very very uplifting. 

Until next time...

xoxo

H

Five Things

Hey, guys!
What a week. Monday seems like forever ago. I hope your week went well :) [if not? there's a new one coming up...how great is that?]

Here's a list of things that have happened since Monday. I know you've been wondering!

1. It snowed more.
        Tuesday gave us about 2 more inches of snow, so Wednesday was another snow day. I was supposed to go to therapy, have more job training and go to an interview but those were all cancelled! I stayed home and watched Real Housewives of Beverly Hills [go ahead, judge.] and looked at pictures of puppies. This, by the way, is my dream puppy. A French Bulldog. Just look at those ears!
        The interview is at Paradise Park, "Kansas City's Premier Family Destination." That has been moved to this coming Wednesday so if you think about it, send good thoughts and prayers my way! It'd be great and a huge blessing to have another source of income.

2. I got to play with lots of kiddos! 
        On Thursday I trained at Gymboree for about 4 hours. I team-taught with Miss Lisa. We had 4 classes, ages 10 months-3 years old. It was a long and tiring morning, but I learned SO much. I got to lead certain aspects of the class, too so that was exciting.
      One moment that was especially special was when I was interacting with a little girl who I have TOTALLY forgotten the name of! We'll call her Natalie. Natalie was very observant, not really participating but not exactly being shy...just super into taking it all in on her own time. I was on the floor in front of her tapping the mat lightly, pretending I was going to come "get her" but stopped right in front of her so she could decide what to do next. I sat up criss cross applesauce [ohmygoodness. I sound like a teacher!] and she crawled up into my lap. I was delighted but didn't think TOO much of it until her mom, who had been talking with another mother, looked down and gasped, saying "oh my gosh! I've never seen her do that on her own! She normally doesn't do well with strangers!" My heart was so filled with joy. Not only because she had "picked" me to be brave with, but because it made her mom so happy to see her daughter's progress. PRECIOUS MOMENTS PEOPLE. These are what fuel life.

Life Lesson: Never take the little things for granted.

3. I got to spend a lot of time with Bradee!
        On Friday me and Bradee went to the Nelson Atkins Art Museum. It was really fun. We only had to pay for parking and we got about 3 hours of culture! We took silly pictures and just got to be together! We went to Cheesecake Factory afterward and then walked around Forever 21. I put a ton of pictures on my Facebook but here's a couple of my favorites!

 throwin' snow

being one with art :)

4. I laughed a lot.

        Today after training for another 5 hours I came home and napped/watched the Mizzou game. Then invited Bradee over for dinner/games/a movie [the Morgan house is a fun house.] We had hamburgers, played Taboo, and watched Here Comes the Boom. I would recommend this movie! It had a great message and some great humor. Training was great, watching kids learn and discover makes me so incredibly happy. Playing Taboo with my parents and friends is literally one of my favorite things in the world. I love being silly and making my mom laugh. I just love laughing! [wooooow am I one of those people now?] 

5. [I like having my lists end in a solid number..like 5.] 

I learned a lot about myself.

        Since being home I've been able to take the much needed time to get reacquainted with myself. I honestly believe that during that dark time I lost sight of who I was. Being by myself and at Gymboree, I'm starting to see who I have the chance to become. It's an awful tedious task, but I'm allowing myself to be more open and honest with myself which is helping me become so much more at ease with this path that I'm now on. I'm a work in progress and I'm finally becoming okay with that. 

Life Lesson: It's okay to be not okay. 

        We're human. Sometimes we break. We fall apart. But then! Oh man, then we get to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again. It's hard work. It doesn't happen over night. But once we take that first step, whether it's a huge step [dropping out of college] or small step [taking yourself out on a date, which I TOTALLY recommend.] Once that step is made, the journey has begun! It's your time to renew, refresh, and become who you were MADE TO BE. 

Alright, I'm stepping off my box now. I love you guys. Whoever is reading this. As I've stated before just remind yourself that you ARE loved. and so so so worth that love. 

xoxo,

H