LINUS

So.  I got the cat!  He's a 5 month old brown/black shorthair cat.  He is the absolute cutest kitten I've ever seen (see Bootsie, you can still be the cutest adult/elderly cat).  Stephen came with me to pick him out, it was SUCH a difficult choice.  If I'd had the room (and disposable income) I totally would have brought home 2 or 3 cats.

It's kind of a creepy picture of me, but boy does Linus look GOOD.  He's such a handsome kitten.  He has both stripes and spots, so he's kind of like a....chee-ger?  Ti-tah?  Whatever he is, he's just amazing and so cute and cuddly.  I could go on forever, but then you'd just laugh at how much of a crazy cat lady I am (though I've been told that 3+ is what makes a person a crazy cat lady, so I'm not quite there yet).

I haven't been studying as much as I should be this past week or so, so I'm going to take advantage of waking up early and get to studying!!! (After a cuddle break....)

Kisses, peace.

October, Exams, and turning 25

I warned you I'm terrible at these things.




October has been a big month so far.  I spent something like 15 hours studying flashcards, and at least that much reading my graduate textbooks in preparation for this BCBA exam.  I don't quite know how my brain hasn't exploded from the sheer amount of information yet.  I finally scheduled my exam, which is on the 29th of November.  Yes, I am freaking out, but I also recognize that I am likely over preparing and will probably do fine/great/fantastic.

I went to an Anberlin concert with Ariel.  It was so epic, I can't even put it into words.  I wish I had seen them sooner rather than on one of their last stops of their last ever tour.  I really appreciated how sincere the lead singer (and really the whole band) was and how much he was in awe of how much the crowd loved the music.  Ugh.  I wish I could go back and relive it.  Hands down, this was the best concert I've ever been to.  I wish you could have been there too, because it was truly just that epic.  I'm probably repeating myself a lot here, but YOU JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND...THEY WERE THAT AMAZING!!!!

This month I rejoined AWANA as a leader.  I didn't realize how much I missed working with/hanging out with typical children until I was inside a swarm of them.  I love my special needs kids, but typical kids are great too.  I remember being in AWANA, youth group, sunday school, etc. and being in awe of the "adults" (college age kids, really) who were just SO COOL.  Not to toot my own coolness horn, but I feel like I've finally achieved that status among children.  I finally look old enough (seriously, until recently, some people were convinced I was 18 or whatever) and am weird enough that I'm kind of cool.  

I also turned 25 this month.  It was kind of really sad.  Like, much sadder than I expected.  Of course I realized what I was doing when I moved 3000 miles away from 90% of the people I know and love, but I didn't really think about how that would affect days/events that I take for granted.  If you know me, you know that I'm not really a birthday or celebration person.  I LOVE celebrating other people.  I LOVE finding gifts that are just so perfect for someone I know.  BUT I HATE being the center of attention on my birthday or Christmas or any other gift-giving holiday.  It just makes me feel so awkward.  Don't get me wrong, I really appreciate what people do for me, I'd just rather do it for them rather than them for me.  That being said, I was kind of surprised by how much I missed being near my family for my birthday.  I got to skype with them a couple days before, and that was great, but I do miss them (more than I would probably admit outloud, but I know some of them read this blog so they'll find out that way I guess) and it was weird being away.  I went out for a birthday drink with a couple co-workers after work (turns out 3 of us share the same birthday!) and went home, ready to just wallow in misery.  Flash forward to the evening.  I'd just like to send a shout out to my homeboy Stephen who managed to accomplish a feat no one has ever accomplished in my 25 years.  He and his family somehow managed to throw me a surprise party on my actual birthday and I had NO clue that was going to happen.  It wasn't a huge ordeal, it was his family and Bryce's family, but it meant so much to me.  It was a genuine surprise and really made my day.  

A year ago today I adopted my first cat, Bootsie.  I love him so much it's almost embarrassing.  I thought I had lost him forever when he escaped the other day, but thank God he returned to me.  I'm not altogether sure (or as sure as I was a year ago) that I'm going to become a crazy, lonely, cat lady, but I do know that my family is not quite complete.  I plan on getting Bootsie a pal sometime this month or the next, and it's going to be fantastic.  Stay tuned, the next time I update I will probably have this cat and it will be so cute.

Happy Halloween!

Update

What's up nerds!?  Portlandia is still as wonderful as ever and I'm really starting to get into the swing of things.  Things are still a little hectic at work since I don't have a set schedule yet (but I've been told it's coming soon!) but I'm gradually learning how things work out here and getting used to the new programs and adjusting to the younger, smaller, clients.  It doesn't hurt that they're all so stinking cute that I just want to bring them home in my pockets (is that a creepy thing to say?  Oh well...).

I'm also adjusting to my new church.  I wasn't sure if this would be the one when I first arrived, but so far it's seeming like a good fit.  There aren't a ton of people my age, but there's a decent group to hang out with.  I'm also so busy studying for this BCBA exam that I don't have an abundance of time to hang out anyways!  Haha.  Speaking of which, I signed up for the absolute LAST possible date to take the exam in my area, so November 29th it is!  I am excited and terrified at the same time.  So much is riding on this one, four-hour test. I know that all of the information is in my brain somewhere, it will just be a matter of calming down enough that I can make use of that information.  Prayers, hugs and encouragement is, of course, appreciated!

I finally met my backyard neighbors this past week.  They're pretty great, plus they have the cutest (sorry Bailey!) golden retriever who just so happens to love me.  He's seriously such a sweet dog, I love being able to hop the fence to get my dog fix since I don't have the room or time for one in my house.

Seriously, look at this cutie!  Awwwwww.

One scary event that's rapidly approaching is my 25th birthday!  Oh.  My.  Gosh.  I can't believe it.  I'm going to be a quarter of a century.  I have like 35 years left before I consider myself too old to function (no offense to those 60+ year olds out there.  I just don't think I'd make a very good old person).  I looked up a bunch of bucket lists and challenges of what to accomplish before 25 and I haven't finished many of them...obtain a bachelors degree, check.  earn a masters of science, check.  get married?  nope.  own stock?  nope.  have your finances in order? NOPE.  AHHH.  I'm running out of time!!!  In all seriousness though, if I honestly look back on my last 25 years, I have accomplished a lot....I just traveled across the country without a job or solid plan and everything worked out.  I know a lot of people who haven't lived outside the zip code they were born in, so I guess taken from that perspective that was a HUGE deal.  Hmm...  It's still a scary thing turning 25...but I suppose I'll just have to check in with you again once I'm actually 25.  2 more days, yo.