Fall is in Full Swing

Here at the Long apartment, it is starting to look and smell festive! We have a couple of candles, the beginnings of some fall-themed decor , and I am about to dive into some great fall cooking.

As you can imagine, this is my favorite time of year. Between now and New Years, I get to decorate and cook to my heart’s content! I get to try so many new recipes and get to spend so much time with loved ones. This is also my first “real” holiday season at home. No moving. Full on decorating. No packing to drive home. This is it.

I am in love with this thought. I am in love with this season. It is, afterall, the most wonderful time of the year.

P.S. Happy one year anniversary to my sister and brother-in-law. Can’t believe it’s already been a year. Time sure has flown!

Rounding out a Great Weekend

Today is the last day of my birthday extravaganza. I’m kind of sad that tomorrow it’s back to the real world. Back to work. Back to laundry. Back to cleaning.

But for today, I’m going to enjoy a lazy day. Did some shopping yesterday and bought our first round of fall decorations – a centerpiece, some bowl filler, and an iron wreath for the door. This is in addition to our monogrammed pumpkin Phillip’s mom gave us. Later I might go try to find some small inexpensive decorations to round out our first Halloween/Thanksgiving collection.

It’s time to start thinking about fall baking. I make a fantastic made-from-scratch pumpkin cheese cake and my pumpkin bread pudding is to die for as well. This year I might crack into some new recipes that Phillip might even like. Although I wouldn’t get your hopes up. He’s kind of a picky eater.

HAPPY FALL!!

Happy Birthday To Me!

This has been by far the best birthday I have ever had. And the best part is that I have another two days to continue celebrating!

Wednesday night I got to relax with episodes of Felicity (old school, I know… but I’m watching it for the first time and can really identify with a lot that the characters are going through. I’m really enjoying it!) and a perfect bubble bath. Phillip came home late so I got to hang out with Murphy before heading to bed to sleep in yesterday.

Yesterday was a perfect day. I got to sleep in, for one, since I took yesterday and today off from work. I woke up to a dozen roses, a sweet card, and some donuts Phillip had left for me! Too sweet!! I got to enjoy more episodes of Felicity with all of that and two cups of coffee with Biscotti. Hey, don’t judge… it was my birthday!

1:00 was my hour long massage (care/of my mother-in-law). Afterwards was the most ridiculous pedicure I have ever had in my life (complete with hot towels, hot stone massage, and paraffin wax). Then was a hair cut and style from Shelton’s. Can you tell my theme was relaxation and me?

Last night Phillip took me to a surprise dinner at a wonderful little Italian bistro and wine bar in Frisco – Josephine’s. It was delicious and the wine was superb! He did such a great job! We had a “staycation” out there complete with a hotel reservation down the street. My present from him was an iPhone docking station that goes mobile so I can take it in the bathroom when I have baths – so thoughtful. I am too lucky to have him!

Today was some shopping before Phillip made me a wonderful dinner. And now we are going to watch The Timetraveler’s Wife. I suppose I will also test out my new docking station with a bubble bath and glass of wine with a Cosmo magazine. Too perfect. :)

Statement of Purpose

I have written an entry about this before. Remember? The first time I applied for (and got rejected) for graduate school? I didn’t forget….

Right now I sit at the Starbucks down the street from our house. I am trying to finish up the application I reluctantly started a few weeks ago. I say reluctantly because I am reluctant to be rejected again. It’s not a great feeling and I sure have had a lot of it in the past year. But anyway…

I applying to Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth. They seem like a really good university and have a masters program for a Masters in Science Education. That’s what I’ve decided I want to do. I want to be a health professor. I think I can make the most of that career and it perfectly blends my love of health information dissemination and student affairs. I think I’d be really good at it and really enjoy it. So here goes nothing!

This statement of purpose is already filled with more heart and more passion than the previous one I wrote. This one sounds more like a blog entry I’d write on here, rather than a resume listing all of my strengths and work experience. That sure says something about this program as opposed to the other one, don’t you think?

I’m putting it all out there and not holding back. I pray my passionate essay is good enough for the admissions office and that they see how badly I want (and need) this.

Turning the Pity Party into the Motivation Party

It has been one awful week, that’s for sure. Actually, it’s been an awful few weeks if you want me to be honest. I’ve been in a funk for quite some time and I’m ready to get out of it.

I am going to start moving forward, starting today. No more wallowing in self-pity. It’s time to fix it and move on. Time to amp up the job hunting more than I ever have. Time to put aside any work drama and do my job to the best of my ability. Time to get out there and find more friends to socialize with. Time to get my grad school application turned in (I wasn’t going to say anything since I’m tired of sharing my loads of rejection with all of you. But nevertheless, I need to tell all of you since you are important parts of my life. I am applying to Texas Wesleyan for a Masters in Science Education so I can become a health professor. Yes. I’ve realized that this might be my real goal in life. I’ll keep you posted as always.). Time to make something out of this big-girl-married-college-graduate thing.

I am exhausted but it’s time to turn that into motivation. Exhausted from trying. Exhausted emotionally. Exhausted from worrying. Exhausted from working so hard to accomplish nothing. But I am turning all of that around. I’m turning exhaustion from trying into fuel to fire my passions. Exhaustion from my emotions and worrying into strength and appreciation for what I do have. Exhaustion from working so hard to remember where I am going.

Please stand by me. This is going to be a bumpy ride. I need friends and family and so much support.