Starting Over

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted...You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house."  --Matthew 5:3-15 
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After the tragedy in Boston on Monday and West yesterday, I came to the realization, now more than ever I think, that life is so incredibly short. We are not guaranteed a tomorrow, we are not guaranteed anything. We are not guaranteed to finish this path that we have set for ourselves. Life can truly change in an instant. It flies by so fast, that sometimes you miss the miracles and beauty that surrounds you. 

I have realized that I have been wishing my life away. Wishing to be done with high school so I can go to Tech, wishing to get into law school, wishing to be engaged (yes I'll admit that #honestmoment #dontjudge) wishing law school was over so I could finally get a job...wishing it all away when what I should have been doing all along was enjoying each moment, the triumphs and failures, the laughter, love, and tears, that are part of life. Those moments, those people, that make your life what is it, that make you who you are and who you will become. 

That being said, I am going to try to press the reset button and start over. I am going to try to chronicle my moments here, in full honesty, so that I take the time to enjoy my life and reflect on all the "little" moments. I want to be able to look back, years from now (if I am so lucky) and show my kids what my life was like. The struggles I went through. The lessons I learned. The people I loved and the people who loved me back. I want to be able to look back when I'm older and have these wonderful memories. I don't want to ever forget how lucky and blessed my life has been.

I will try to catch things up to where life is now in the coming entries but for now, let's try to enjoy every moment, take time to tell the ones you love how much they mean to you, and pray for the lives lost in Boston and West, as well as the individuals who are trying to recover from their injuries, and the families whose lives will be forever changed because of these tragic events. 

Perspective

It's so easy to get wrapped up in the details of your own life...to get upset or frustrated at all the things going wrong. For instance, this morning I couldn't find my glasses, spilled coffee on my computer, ran late for class, then got so frustrated with one of my teachers I wanted to stab myself in the eye. I also have the underlying 25 page paper to write and my two finals to study for. These are my "problems" that I stress and bitch about.

And then I found out a good friend of mine has stage 4 pancreatic cancer that has moved to her aorta.

And that, ladies and gentleman, is what you call "perspective."

Finding out someone has cancer really puts my little nuances into perspective. It also makes me extremely thankful for the things I have. It makes me thankful that my family has insurance so that I can have glasses. It makes me thankful that I have a computer and can afford coffee. It makes me thankful that I am in law school and have the opportunity to have class to be late to and to write papers for. It makes me thankful that I have the ability to study for classes and the opportunity to learn.

I lead such a blessed, amazing life, full of so many wonderful people. It's so important to realize what I have and to just... be happy, joyous and thankful for everything. So, I ask of you two things: 1. I ask you to always be thankful, not just in November, but always, and 2. I ask you to please pray for my friend.

Have a blessed and wonderful Monday lovies. 

Dear Weekend, Thanks for Blowing. My. Mind.

So weekends are alway typically better than weekdays. No work/school, football, sleeping later and some time to catch up with the DVR. Even if there's homework...weekends are just better.

But then there comes a weekend that kicks all the rest of the weekends little white butts.

Friday, November 9 2012

Even though Thursday was my last day at work, I always take Friday's off. I don't have any classes and I never worked on Fridays. Friday was my day off. The day I could just relax, sleep in, and not have Income Tax :) So Fridays are always nice. Z and I decided to celebrate our 4-year anniversary on Friday night (even though Saturday the 10th is the official day) because one of our besties (yes "our" because we both love her) birthday was Saturday. So we went and ate steak and had a wonderful nice night out to ourselves on Friday.

Saturday, November 10 2012

So Saturday, my parents came in to watch the last Texas Tech home game against Kansas. I always love when my parents come in. As I said, I've been having major homesickness so it's therapeutic and just...nice to have them here for the weekend. Anyways, Saturday was nice because:

Texas Tech beat Kansas in OT!

We got to celebrate one of my most amazing friends' 26th Birthday.

We decided instead of doing a traditional wine-of-the-month club for a year, me and my two other friends chose 4 months and decorated the bottles accordingly. I did Oct-Jan. The pictures on the top and bottom are the bottles, the one on the left is me K and her bf J. The middle is the Consonants :). 

Love this guy

And Z and I celebrated 4 years of loving each other.

And my parents finally told me the big secret they've been planning for awhile. A few weeks ago they hinted they had officially planned my graduation present but gave me NO HINTS. By the way... I love hints. I love getting and giving hints---to the point of where I eventually just give away the present. I'm the worst present-secret keeper which works well for those I'm giving presents to. I just get so excited.

Anyways

So on Saturday my parents told me about my graduation present. They made this book and gave it to me.

The first page. I love these two.

Hmmm...Where are we going?

LONDON!

and PARIS!!! Please notice my Paris charm on my bracelet. So appropro!

*Disclaimer--my parents actually gave me this earlier but I hadn't showered, was in my jams, and wasn't wearing makeup. I was WAY less posed at that point but I refused to let anyone document it haha*

So YES! Aug 6-15 we will be eating fish and chips and french bread with wine until we can't eat anymore. I am so excited. I have the most wonderful parents and I am so looking forward to making some wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime experiences with them. 

Sunday, November 11, 2012

The Cowboys won and I got to spend most of the day with my parents, just our little threesome. I truly cherish those moments with them. We chatted and planned our European vacay, ate McAllisters (typical Sunday lunch), got some honey-do's done around the house, and just lounged. It was wonderful. I love them so.

So that was my weekend, filled with love, celebrations, family, and friends. I hope you all had wonderful weekends too. With all the excitement, it's important to remember that without our veterans, we wouldn't be able to have the freedoms we sometimes take for granted. Please take a moment and thank the veterans you know and send up a prayer/thoughts for all the veterans that have come before us and will come after us. We are such a blessed nation, and it's because of them we can live the lives we do.

"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave." -Elmer Davis

<3K

It's OK Thursdays

Linking up with Neely over at A Complete Waste of Makeup for "It's OK Thursdays." Let's get to it shall we?

It's OK...

That I haven't posted in a few days because all I have wanted to talk about is politics and I would like to keep my friends on both sides of the aisle...

That I found a dog two weeks ago, had to keep it for a few days (trying to find its owner/a new home) and when I eventually had to take it to a vet in LBK that fosters and adopts out animals, I cried...

That I'm bittersweet about today being my last day at work...

That I get my hopes up when applying for a job I really want...

To make mistakes and trust people when maybe I shouldn't have....

To be confident in myself and my abilities...

To not want human-kids right now...

To spoil my current animal-kids to death...

That I haven't started studying for finals, haven't started working on my paper that is due Tuesday, and haven't started working on another paper that's due in two weeks....

well maybe that isn't ok...moving on

That I'm homesick...

That I absolutely love trash T.V. (See Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Long Island Medium, SYTTD)

That I absolutely love my boyfriend for watching them with me...

That I am absolutely extremely excited for this weekend as it is my 4-year anniversary with Z and the birthday of one of my best friends (who is sometimes mistaken for my lesbian girlfriend...more on that later)...

Well poppies (I'm pretty sure that's a term used in Pirates of the Caribbean) I hope you are all having a lovely Thursday and an even more wondermous Friday and a fabulous weekend. I would love to hear what's "OK" with you today...or any day for that matter :)

<3K



Not Exactly the Type of Advice I Was Looking For...

As I'm beginning the job search, I'm talking to lawyers and trying to get helpful advice about how to enter the profession, what advice do you have about becoming an estate planning/probate lawyer etc. I feel like for the most part, these chats have been very informative and a great way to meet people. 

Until last night, that is.

I met a very nice lawyer who practices in some of the areas of law I'm interested in. This is about how our conversation went:

Lawyer: So what year are you?

Me: I'm a 3L at Texas Tech. I'm so excited to almost be done blah blah blah and I want to practice estate planning and probate law

Lawyer: Oh I do some estate planning and probate

Me: Oh really? Can you give me any advice about entering the field or what you believe every attorney practicing that area should know?

Lawyer: Quit law school now and go to med school. Seriously, you will make more money and in some instances have better hours...

Seriously? Oh thanks, let me just go ahead and drop out! That's such a great idea! Even though I've made it to my last year and have a buttload of debt, let me go ahead and go to med school where I'll be in school until I'm 35, quadruple the debt I've already accumulated, and want to faint on a daily basis because I can't deal with blood.

Obviously I didn't say that. But I wanted to.

Anyways, after that little nugget of wisdom, he actually proceeded to give me some really good advice (only inserting med school every once in awhile). There are moments in life when I think to myself "if I'm ever in the situation to give advice, hire someone, fire someone, etc., I will never do/say etc. what that person did/said etc. to me... especially a 3L who is so excited about almost being done with law school and entering in to a profession that she has wanted to be in since middle school. I definitely don't want to hear that law school is "as good as it gets." Woof. 

Anyways, thought I'd share my little experience so that when you're in this situation, years from now, you know what not to do.

Have a great Hump Day loves

<3 K

Wreck 'Em Texas Tech!

I love everything about Texas Tech. I bleed red & black. I know some of you don't understand this, just like I don't understand the cult  tradition-rich culture that is A&M or why people would voluntarily wear burnt orange, but what I do understand is school-spirit and y'all, nothing makes me more school-spirited than football.

If you lived next door to me on Saturday afternoon, you probably thought Zach was murdering me in the house from all the screaming and cursing I was doing during the TTU v. TCU football game. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then you need to watch college football a little more but I'll do you a solid and provide a quick recap:

Tech won. BOOYA!!

:) Ok but seriously it was awesome. The game went to triple-OT at which point TCU was only able to score a field goal while Doege completed a touchdown pass to Alex Torres FTW. I was screaming so loud and clapping so hard I felt light-headed and my hands are still a little sore.

What's even more exciting is that Texas Tech is ranked No. 14 in the BCS standings, No 15 in AP and No. 17 in a USA Today Poll. I'm loving every minute of it because as we all know, rankings are like fashion, "one day you're in, and the day day you're out."

Heidi you are so fabulous

Anyways, I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and a nice start to your week. Oh, and one more thing that is so tacky but I cannot help myself...


Welcome to the Big XII TCU <3

peace 'n blessins

It's OK Thursday

Linking up with Lynn over at Illegally Blonde and Amber at Brunch with Amber for "It's OK" Thursdays. Enjoy lovies!

It's OK...

To wish that Jo Ellen Jarrell and Judge Elliott Smith III of Abilene, Texas both eventually enter the seventh-circle of Hell after Jarrell abused her 81-year-old patient by stuffing paper towels in his mouth to keep him from talking while hitting him in the face and twisting his nose and ears, and Smith charged an elderly woman $11,400 for lawn services, only costing approximately $175. There are few things in this world that completely enrage me, including but not limited to elder abuse and animal abuse.

That I'm also extremely upset that Abilene's Planned Parenthood location is shutting down due to lack of funding and that people are happy for it. According to statistics from 2010, 97% of Planned Parenthood's activites are not abortion-related and by advocating against Planned Parenthood, it is also advocating against men and women recieving health-care services and health and sex education.

That I was late to work because I absolutely needed a Pumpkin Spice Latte.

That I am so excited to go wedding dress shopping for my bride-to-be friend tonight.

That I want to just stay home in my jams and watch Disney movies, SYTTD, and Ghost Adventures with the Wiener and the Bogie.

To enjoy and appreciate the presidential debates but wish they did not cancel The New Girl and The Mindy Project.

That I look at cars completely out of my price range.

To still be completely head-over-heels in love with my boyfriend and tell people about it (you're allowed to post adorable pictures of your wedding/baby/etc, therefore, I am allowed to post about how much I love the man of my dreams)

What's OK with you this week? Link up lovies and have a wonderful day!