{change}

my life is changing so much over these next few weeks, and i realized today, although a lot of it is stressful and full of unknown, i don't want to rush through and not take the time to enjoy each day.

i graduate on saturday.  it hasn't really hit me yet.  i've put in 7 years of hard work... this is the end of my college career.  there will be no more classes, no more homework, no more assignments (i have 1 summer class that i refuse to count (it's an elective), so technically, i have a few more, but in my book, i'm done).
i'm so thankful for where God has put me over the past 7 years.  He brought me to uk where i found my best friends, my church home, my love for uk basketball, my home.... i met 3 girls who changed my life forever, and for them, i am eternally grateful and i love them dearly.

 He brought me to eku where i found a family.  i really can't imagine finishing undergrad or going to grad school anywhere else.   we went through a lot... grad school in general is a lot, but those girls that i go to school with taught me more than just education... we were a family, and we look out for each other.  i'm so proud of the work we've accomplished and the attitude we've accomplished it with.  rarely can you put 20 women in a room and expect them to get along, and i feel like i can honestly say that we got along really well.  we actually are friends, not just classmates; that's hard to find.

a week after graduation, my roommate and one of those 3 girls (erica) is getting married!  i'm so excited for her... she and john are perfect for each other, and i cannot wait to be a part of her wedding.  she is going to be one gorgeous bride.  i'm still trying to convince her to not move to northern ky and stay in lexington forever.  i miss us all being roommates!

add in there job applications, hopeful interviews, moving in july, hopefully finding a job... it's all a little daunting.  still, this is such a unique time in my life full of changes.  i want to try and take it day by day and enjoy the little things... i'm sure that won't always be easy, this is stressful, but God promises to guide us and take care of us because He loves us.  He has a future for me, and i want to enjoy the journey.

{is graduation really 2 weeks away?}

it's hard to believe that my education is really almost over!  in 2 weeks, i will be walking across a stage (or dancing... not sure which yet...) and saying sayonara to school forever.  i'm kind of excited.  excited to the point my roommate and i (who is also graduating in 2 weeks!) tried on our graduation dresses and gowns and walked around the house dressed as such for about 20 minutes.

i'm so thankful for how school has gone.  i'm thankful for my classmates, many of whom i really don't think i could have gotten through school without.  i'm thankful we like each other and are legit friends and not uber competitive with or anything dumb like that.  i'm thankful we have fun and have laughed and cried and been there for each other- you don't always find that, especially when it's a room full of women.  i'm thankful for my professors and their teaching and not taking our whining to heart.

i'm thankful for my friends who have been with me and encouraged me and prayed for me during this time.  grad school hasn't been easy, and sometimes i got cranky, and they were always there to make me laugh and see that one day, it would be over.

i'm thankful for that boy of mine who has put up with me through grad school!  both being students and doing grad school and trying to work and find time to hang out hasn't been easy, but he's pretty much the best and we've made it work.  i'm thankful for the times he's just let me cry and whine about how i want to quit (it seemed like a good option some times) and tell me i can't do that.

i'm thankful for my ma and pa who always helped me out and supported me and gave me a nice place to come home and relax on breaks (and i'm looking forward to even more time at home since we're on a lake and get to take out the boat and all sorts of fun things!)

finally, i'm thankful God has allowed me to see what i want to do with the rest of my life.  i'm thankful he's given me a heart for kids and a love of speech therapy.  i'm thankful he's given me talents that i'm excited to use and legit am excited to work.  i just need patience and trust that He'll bring the right job along to work in.

2 weeks.  1 big test.  a few projects. then i'm done.  for real done (if you don't count that one pesky summer class.... ;) )

{mama's birthday!}

mama crook's birthday is today :)

i've been so blessed with a wonderful mom... i can honestly say that i wouldn't be where i am today without my fabulous parents.  both have taught me (patiently i may add) through the years, focusing on my strengths, but encouraging me to improve my failures.

i'm thankful today for a mom who was fun- from the time we were wee ones, she made sure we were going places and doing things.  we had 1 hour of tv a day, and honestly, it never bothered me.  i'm thankful for lessons in gardening, adventures to the grocery store (and i'm sure with 3 little kids, this was no small feat!), trips to COSI, zoo trips, trips to parks, allowing me to destroy the basement as i painted like bob ross (i was awesome at happy little trees and drying my paint brush like him), and just letting us be kids.  i think i learned a lot from my mom, and she's probably one of the main reasons i'm getting my degree in speech and using it to play with kids all day! (i'm going to help them too, but let's be honest... playing and learning can be the same thing!)

happy birthday mama :)  thanks for being a great mom!

p.s. your card got put in the mail today... sorry for being a slacker daughter...

{gr8ness}

what a week!  friday was my last day at my school... i had such a great semester there and saying goodbye was actually really hard!  i will miss all the kids and teachers so much...

for those who weren't in lexington or new orleans, i'm sorry you missed the excitement on monday!

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!

what a season.  i can honestly say that this was one of the best teams in uk's history.  not only did they have amazing talent, but it was just fun to watch them play.  they were one of the most unselfish teams and i loved that in every picture from the tournament, they were laughing and having a good time together.

i stayed in lexington monday night in the event that we won (and man was i glad i did!), and left at 7 am tuesday morning to make it to columbus for appointments and time with my family.

i love being home, and i cannot wait for this summer on the lake!  dad and i went kayaking today and it was gorgeous and relaxing.... which is great since oral comps are coming up

man i love being a wildcat in buckeye country :)