I have not blogged in a while

Tonight, I felt completely overwhelmed with laundry and housework. Our laundry baskets are overflowing, and there are clean clothes that need to be put away. I cleaned half of both bathrooms. And don't even get me started on organizing our office. I took cleaned up some, folded some laundry and then decided to sit down and update my blog. However, I'm just now getting around to it because I've been reading about everyone's wonderful lives on Blogger. I will say, it's so much more fulfilling to read blogs than Facebook statuses. I feel like those are kinda like short screams. Blogger makes me feel as though I'm watching a play. I picture you writing your posts. Some of you I picture with pumpkin lattes from Starbucks, while others I picture stealing some alone time near a good window. Thank you for letting me peak into your lives.

So much has occurred since my June 20th post. I'm working full-time again. Joely is in preschool. Murad is running groups for MDA. Our house is falling apart (not just because of laundry and cleaning...) Nevertheless, we're all happy and healthy, for the most part.

June kind of hit me hard. I applied for, interviewed for and accepted my dream job with my old district; however, many of my writing and online teaching contracts ended unexpectedly. I scrambled to find work and really struggled to make ends meet. It was a difficult time for me, but I'm very fortunate to be able to slowly pick myself back up financially. I'm also learning to take it one day at a time, celebrate successes, problem-solve for failures and be thankful that I got through the summer. I did have a great time working at the writing center, editing dissertations, writing for online magazines and teaching high school students through Upward Bound.

Since the middle of August, I have been working for my old school district as a Student Assistance Program Specialist. You might ask what that position entails. I sort of work as a prevention specialist by coordinating many of the prevention programs - bullying, drugs, & alcohol. I also do team-building on the secondary campuses for teachers, other specialists and student groups. Things I love about my job:
-getting to dress up each day
-having a cubicle
-wearing heels every day
-free bottles of water
-visiting all the schools
-working with kids
-learning about all the different schools
-my coworkers
-having a 12 minute commute

things I don't like:
-my feet hurt all the time
-my knees hurt
-it's cold in our office. like really, really cold

Since I decided to go back to work and Joel's sitter decided to go back to school, we started looking at preschool/daycares. We toured what seemed like thousands of schools (it was like five) and finally found one we loved. It's in Richardson, so I get an RISD teacher discount, but it's close enough to Plano that Murad can take him to school on his way to downtown Dallas. It's a Montessori school with a daycare in it, so Joel goes to school from 8:00am-3:00pm. From 3:00pm-6:30pm are daycare hours (and 7:00am-8:00am). Murad usually drops him off at 7:45am and I pick him up around 4:45pm most days. We have really been impressed with the education he's receiving. He barely talked before and now he's saying sentences. He puts his toys away and his plates away at each meal. Today he spilled yogurt on himself and he came up to me and asked, "Can you help me?" Tonight he told Murad, "Daddy, I'm tired!" He's started singing his ABC's and he's counting more. He loves to read us books and he holds up the pages to us so that we can see the pictures. Of course, he's still obsessed with Elmo, so most of the books he picks feature him. He also loves looking at the babies in the nursery at his school. Sending him to school has not been without challenges. He cried everyday for the first couple of weeks. Yesterday, he threw up 3x at school and once at home. Last week he got in trouble for pinching and biting the same kid two days in a row. Today, he got a bad report for scratching two other kids. We do not know what is going on. We've tried lecturing him about his behavior, but it's kinda hard because we're doing it so late after the fact. I tried acting out with Elmo & Cookie Monster as models how to behave. He rolled his eyes. Oh yeah, he's been rolling eyes at anyone who says something he doesn't like. His behavior sometimes rivals that of a teenage girl. I know all this is normal toddler behavior, but it is overwhelmingly frustrating. I just wish I knew what was going through his head. I can't help but wonder if it's something more than normal toddler behavior. Is there something we're missing? I could worry myself into a frenzy if I let myself. I think some of it is guilt too. Our previous, previous daycare providers were less than stellar which prompted me to stay home with him. Also, Murad had a lot of apprehension about me returning to work. I know he loved having me home with Joely, and like me, could see the benefit of Joel having a stay-at-home mom. However, I do think Joely having a mom who is happy with her career is okay too. I feel like we have a new life each year, and I'm falling in love with our new life and finding joy in all that Joely is learning even if it means I have to share him with others.

Maya has to have surgery. She injured herself playing/fighting with Sampson. I'm too upset to really finish typing about it. They always go crazy in the summer due to the heat, but this summer was bad. I love my Maya.

Yeah. Our house. We planned to start renovating our master bathroom. We've got foundation problems to fix. So, for now we're all using Joel's bathroom until we can finish gutting ours....I must say that despite all the issues this house has, I love it. It's so perfect for our little family. I feel like we've really made it our home. I also really love living in Plano. Each day I discover another treasure (usually a restaurant). I'm so glad Joely will grow up here. I have to remind myself that despite all the hurdles that I feel were suddenly thrust my way, God has given me the strength to get through them. I'm also very thankful for the life I have. I'm finally doing a job I love. Murad loves his job. I feel like we've finally arrived where we thought we'd be when we first started this journey together. It seems so surreal. I have to remind myself that it's real. When I get down on myself, I try to remind myself that I have a beautiful family and rewarding career.

Chchchchanges!

So, I have so many updates regarding our lives. I'm so bad at blogging. I feel like I come on here every few months to update and then I run off!

Okay, so first things is first. Joel is 2!! Joel celebrated his 2nd birthday May 22nd! Yes, our wonderful prince has been here for two whole years. We celebrated his birthday on June 2nd (we still act like he was born in June even though he arrived three weeks early). We had a great party at our home. We pulled out the sprinklers, filled up the baby pool, and set up the water table. I bought a ton of sand buckets and bubbles for the kids to use and take as favors. Murad grilled burgers, and I made pizza balls (thank you, Pinterest!). We also had a delicious buttercreme cake (you know the Campbells love cake!) I think Joely totally enjoyed the party. The next day we went to visit his pediatrician. He's perfectly healthy and at 27 lbs (10th percentile) and 34 inches (50th percentile), he's growing up well. She told us to keep a list of the new words or phrases he says. He's about average in language development, but she wants to make sure he keeps it up.

Prior to Joel's 2nd birthday, my in-laws came to visit over Mother's Day weekend. They came in town (with Murad's stepbrother in tow) to visit Qadree's new home. Qadree (my brother-in-law) moved out of our home in January and purchased a brand new (like, it was still being built) home in March. While we were sad to see him go, we are excited for this new endeavor. We had a great time with them, but as always it was too short. Our boys spoiled Murad's stepmother and me! We had a lovely brunch at Blue Mesa.

In May, we discovered that my dad's brain tumor returned. It was almost eleven years ago that my family traveled to Arkansas for my dad to undergo brain surgery. At the time, the doctors could not get all of the tumor due to its location. They assured us that a gamma knife could zap it if it started to grow. Unfortunately, a gamma knife causes swelling which could lead to paralysis, so when doctors discovered it returned, we didn't know what to expect. My parents traveled to Houston at the end of May to meet with a specialist. Fortunately, the specialist determined that surgery was not the best option. My dad will undergo radiation treatment in Wichita. Even though the trip to Houston was stressful, we got two visits to Plano from Nana & Papa! Joely was so excited to spend time with them!

After my parents left, we spent a week here, and then Joely and I traveled to Wichita to spend a few days with Nana and Papa before dad starts radiation. We also paid a visit to the Sedgwick County Zoo! I'm not sure if Joely was too interested in the animals. He wanted to eat, eat goat food, and run around the animals. He had no interest in petting them or looking at them. He did like the gorilla though, go figure.

Yesterday, we celebrated a wonderful Father's Day. Father's Day usually is hard for Murad because he has such a strained relationship with his daughter (through no fault of her own), but he said yesterday was the best Father's Day he's ever had. All he wanted to do was spend time playing with Joely. It started off kinda rocky because my car battery died while Joely and I were out buying donuts for Murad. He picked us up and paid for a new battery for me. We came home, entertained some out-of-town visitors, made phone calls, opened gifts and napped. Murad gave Joely a haircut, and then I picked up Applebee's for us to eat. By the time I got home, Murad had already put Joely down for bed. We stayed up, ate, and watched True Blood and the Oz Great & Powerful movie. It was a great day and I'm glad he enjoyed it!

Please keep Abby (my stepdaughter) in your thoughts and prayers. We know some things are going on in her home that shouldn't be, but we're hoping that someone will take action. Unfortunately, that means that we can't see her or talk to her at this time. It's been hard, but we have to do what we can from a distance to protect her.

Well, I started off doing lots of blogging for the dental marketing company, but they let me go. Actually, I kinda wanted to get let go. On the day of Joely's birthday, the owner let us know of a mandatory three day training the next week. When I told them I couldn't make it, they seemed put off (I kinda need more than five days notice , especially for a contract job!). In addition, they changed the due dates and turnaround time on many of our writing assignments. I could have adjusted, but the wanted the new due dates to go into action immediately. At this point, I was already done with them, but I expressed my concerns and asked for additional time to adjust. At that time, they let me go. I was actually relieved when I saw my name missing from the weekly calendar. I'm sure they're a great company, but I'm used to working solely online (which I thought this would be with the occasional monthly meeting). Now I have more time to devote to my contract jobs. Right now, I'm finishing up a big project for an online educational company. Ironically, I'm writing study guides for the Texas English II Exams. Once a teacher... I'm also writing articles and case studies for an herbal supplement company. In order to make ends meet, I've been working as an online TA, but the university recently eliminated my position due to low enrollment. I still work 2-3 mornings a week at Collin's Writing Center and I'm going to teach at a summer camp in July.

What I've discovered is that each semester, I have to "find" work. Working as an adjunct means that I'm not guaranteed classes. I would've loved to taught at Collin or Texas Wesleyan this summer, but they didn't have enough classes. Contract work is kinda the same. Some months are really good, and other months, not so much. Nevertheless, I've made it work and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I only send Joely to daycare 2-3 days a week which means that I get to watch him grow and learn. However, I realize that long-term this will not work. While I haven't taken any money out of my retirement account, I haven't put much in. Also, Murad and I finally decided that we would like to have another child in the future. I don't know how I could save up for a maternity leave like I had before. Plus, doing contract work is great with a toddler, but won't work with an infant. I loved having 12 weeks off to bond with Joely when he was an infant, and I want that with another baby. So, I made the decision to return to the traditional full-time workforce this fall. I'll still work in education, but not as a teacher. I'm still waiting for the HR stuff to go through (fingers crossed), but I'm pretty excited!

This means Joel will go to daycare full-time. His current sitter will start college in the fall, so this means she can only watch him 2-3 days a week. We're looking at preschools to send him to on the opposite days. Hopefully, this will help him transition to full-time preschool in the fall of 2014. I'm glad that Joel kinda got the best of both worlds. I was able to be home with him during a big period of growth and learning. I also got to see firsthand how my parenting shaped him. I also got to partake in daily love-fests with him. I love those random hugs and kisses he gives me throughout the day. Man, I'm tearing up just thinking about going back to work.

Summer

Who convinced me to move to Texas? It's so hot! I'm allergic to grass. In fact, I think my allergies have increased since moving here. West Nile mosquitoes are out like crazy!!!

Joel and I have been trying to beat the heat. It was difficult a couple of weeks ago when our air conditioner went out and Miss Rebecca (his sitter) was out of town. We have stayed cool though, and Sonic Happy Hour is mama's BFF!

We love going to the mall play place. Joel really loves to climb the play place blocks. I was surprised that he was able to do that especially since he just started walking last month. He's so active!

We like to go to story time at the local library. At first, Joel did not do too well. All he wanted to do was run around and scream. He quickly changed his tune. He knows to sit right in mama's lap, clap his hands and listen to the songs. He even is starting to recognize some of the barnyard puppets. His favorite thing is the bubble machine at the end. He goes crazy! I love the story time because the families there are so multicultural. We mostly see Asian, Indian, African,Arab and Caucasian families. I am a little bummed that there aren't more African-American and Hispanic families there. I guess that kind of goes with the territory of where we live.

Last week my friend brought over some yummy veggies from her mom's garden. We used the tomatoes to make pasta sauce. We used the potato, green onion, and green pepper to slow cook with chicken, chicken stock and cream of chicken for a yummy soup.

We love summer seasonal veggies. Today I made a pasta bake with whole wheat pasta, cream cheese, pesto, chicken, zucchini, corn and Parmesan, mozzarella and fontina cheeses. So delicious! I think both dishes would go well with the fall weather.

We've had lots of visitors the summers and some people move to North Texas. We've had lots of changes, but we've made it through them. Right now we're dealing with my grandmother and her health. Without disclosing too much, but please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

As August approaches, I remind myself how lucky I am not to have to return to traditional work this fall. I try to take time to remind myself of this when I get frustrated with Joel or I'm feeling less independent.

my new favorite season

spring has always been my favorite season. I absolutely love everything about it. St. Patrick's Day and Cinco de Mayo. March Madness. Sitting on the patio in shorts and a light jacket. walking my dogs and not freezing my butt off or sweating profusely. Yeah, all those things. Being pregnant makes it quite difficult to really enjoy spring. Who wants to sit on a patio without a drink in one's hand? Watching college basketball isn't fun without a frosty beer. And while I have become a fan of non-alcoholic brews, it's just not the same.
So, I now declare summer my favorite season. No more students, paperwork and just "work" in general. While JT will technically be born in spring, we'll be out of school, so I declare it summer. Who doesn't love the season that his or her first born came into the world during? Mr. Soup loves baseball and while I'm not the biggest fan, I can become one if I have an ice cold beer. Hot patio? bring me a margarita and we can stay out all night. Fortunately, our neighbors just built a backyard oasis. we'll have many nights outside enjoying the summer fun watching the kids play (okay, so JT won't be playing yet, but you catch my drift). summer vacation. pool-time. all those things that make summer worthwhile. While I LOVE LOVE LOVE having JT grow inside me, I'm getting to the point where I'm ready for him to come out. I can't even say it's solely because I want to meet him. It's because I just don't want to be uncomfortable anymore and I really need some alcohol and sushi. Yeah, I'm selfish, but at least I can admit it.
so during this pregnancy madness, spring has been bumped to 2nd place. Summer, you are now my new favorite season. This concludes my ode to summer.

Birthdays galore

August is birthday month in the Soup house! It is also the month that I return to work full-time. This year, I not only added a new part-time job, but I also planned a big party for Mr. Soup's 30th b-day and Sam and Maya's 3rd birthday, hosted guests from Philadelphia and said good-bye to my brother-in-law for 6 months. Crazy, right? It was amazing and so much fun! I rented a bounce house for Mr. Soup's party! Let me tell you that alcohol + a bounce house = so much fun! Even Sam and Maya got in it for a while. I baked a doggy birthday cake for my babies! Their guest really enjoyed the cake as well! I was pretty proud of myself! It was so good getting a bunch of our good friends and some new ones as well in one place to celebrate! Mr. Soup said it was the best birthday party he's ever had! I'm so proud and I really enjoyed myself too! It was also a good chance for everyone to see our new home! I've posted some pics of the party below!

another summer comes to an end...

summer is coming to an end. Next week I officially return to work and this week I had my official orientation to my new community college teaching position. Despite all the trials and tribulations we experienced, it has been a good summer and I'm sad to see it go. Even though things did not go as planned with my stepdaughter, there was some good that came out of it. I know deep down in my heart that we did everything in our power to create a better life for her. We rearranged our whole world (as any parent should) to make her life better. And although it hurts that she and her family do not want that, we have no control in the situation. my heart still hurts. I am powerless. at times I feel guilty, and at times I feel robbed. Most importantly, I feel that she is being robbed of a good life and quality childhood.

When we put my stepdaughter first, I did not see what I was missing and I do not regret missing those things. I think most parents do not realize what they're missing because the joy of being a parent far outweighs anything. I went to buy a bed a couple of months ago and the salesman asked if my husband and I planned to have kids (I guess he thought we were using the bed to get busy!). I told him yes and he went on about how great being a parent is. He said, "People talk about what you miss out on having a kid, but you don't miss anything. You gain so much." I wholeheartedly believe this to be true. However, I now have perspective as both a parent and a suddenly childless person. So here are my reflections:

1. marriage-- Mr. Soup and I did get caught up in putting our child first. Date nights took a back seat when she was here. I think this was our first big mistake. Parents will tell you that you need to put your marriage first in order to be a good parent, and I did not realize this until now. This summer has been about connecting and reconnecting as a couple. Even though we've only been married for a year, we did get into the "lets just watch a movie" date night routine. Now we are committed to not only making date nights routine, but making them more fun. Mr. Soup is on a spontaneity kick too. Everything has to be spontaneous so that we don't get in a rut. I love it! I do think we were given this opportunity to see this perspective so that when we have children in the future, we will not make the same mistake. My time with him is important. It recharges me, as he inspires me in so many ways.

2. personal and professional goals--I was able to achieve many of those goals simultaneously while being a parent, but I think I let finding new professional goals take a back seat. I am so blessed to have a job which I love, but I know that I may not do this forever. I am blessed that I earned my master's at a young age, so that I have some flexibility to explore other career options. This summer, I finally acted on one of my professional goals and that is teaching at the college level. I took a chance and applied to 3 or 4 colleges in the spring and this summer I was asked to teach developmental writing at a local community college. This combines my love of teaching writing with the goal of teaching at a college. This is something I know I would've achieved, but did not expect to achieve so soon. It is something I may not have acted on as a mother, but it is something I know I can do when I become a mother.

Another goal I have is to be a more reflective teacher. I'm hoping this year to really learn from my teaching practices. I am considering going for National Teacher Board Certification and possibly pursuing my doctorate in English Education. I don't know if I'll do either anytime in the near future (I have to find someone to fund both of them), but it's something I'm considering. I'm a nerd, I know. I just really want to focus on making my classroom an environment of learning and not just memorization and recitation. I think NTBC would force me to stay on track in that area.

One personal goal was to lose weight....haven't achieved with a child or without, but damnit I will!

Those are just some things I've noticed this summer. After writing this, I realize that a lot of this comes from not only being childless, but also being student-less. Being away from my 140 students this summer was nice. I'm glad I didn't teach summer school and because of that I will never teach it again. I do feel recharged and ready to face the masses! I also realize that becoming a parent doesn't mean limiting yourself. I need to achieve my goals and not be afraid to find new ones. I should not feel guilty about becoming a better person. After having this experience, I know I won't!

i heart summer

one of my favorite things about summer: answering to no one! it is now half past eleven a.m. and I'm still in bed with my babies by my side. I love snuggling next to them each morning. they are so peaceful when they sleep. this by far is one of my favorite things about summer.

I also love summer movies! Last night Mr. Soup and I went to see the third installment of the Twilight Series! It was so good! It kind of inspired me to read the series. I tried before, but I couldn't really get into it. I'm not a big fan of teenage lust. Must be the teacher in me! The week before that we saw The Grown-ups and we saw Shrek in 3D while Abby was here.

summer cooking-- I found this easy steak tostada recipe that I'm going to try tonight for dinner. It looks so yummy with red onions, spinach, radishes and my favorite.....cheese! We are also having people over on Sunday to celebrate the fourth. We're looking forward to good food and a good time with friends!

things I don't like about summer:

sweating--I sweat like no other in the summer, especially when I work out. I just started the Insanity work-out DVD, and it has taken my sweating to a whole nother level!!!

working-- working in the summer is overrated. I do enjoy it, but I'm so not disciplined to work every single day. On a side note---yesterday I was hired to teach a developmental writing course at Collin College in McKinney. I will teach Saturday mornings in the fall. While I'm not looking forward to waking up early on a Saturday, I am excited for the experience. This is something that I have wanted to do for a while and I can not wait to begin this new chapter in my life!

what's for lunch?

oh wait I can't eat it. ***DISCLAIMER***NASTINESS TO ENSUE*** After spending most of the night in the bathroom, I'm starting to feel a little bit better. Ughh. I don't know if it's the stomach flu or food poisoning, but it's not fun. It all started on Friday night. I ate a corndog at Kaboom Town and the rode a ride with the moniker "Whiplash." Abby throroughly enjoyed the ride; I was less than thrilled. I felt as though I could've vomited my 12 inch corndog right back up in perfect form. On, Saturday I felt really queasy, but no action. On Sunday, we went to dinner with Murad's friend from NJ and that's when the madness began. About an hour after we arrived home, I became intimate with the master bathroom toilet seat. It pretty much continued until 6am and then started up again around 8am. No sleep. Tonight I have to get sleep because I have so much to do before watching the Michael Jackson memorial. I hate being sick. I sat on the couch and watched Young & the Restless (a fave) Glitter (okay only two minutes before I turned the station...that is a horrible movie!) and one of my old school faves Pretty in Pink. I never realized that the guy who plays Ducky is the same guy from Two and a Half Men. How could I be so blind. I guess I didn't have my time & sickness goggles on when watching Two and a Half Men before.
So, I really need to get Murad on the ball with studying for the GRE. He's been using the flash cards I made him, but we need to go over everything and take the practice tests and possibly look into tutoring. Sometimes, I feel like I'm applying. I'm trying to remain optimistic and realistic. I know Murad can get in somewhere, we're just hoping it's somewhere ideal to us! I do realize location is a sacrifice one has to make when applying to grad school. If for some reason, he doesn't get in this year (2010-2011), we know what we're up against, he can improve his weaknesses and reapply for (2011-2012). I think we've narrowed down the list:
University of Kansas --Counseling Psychology--obvious reasons: it's in KS and close to KC, they have research areas in his interests
Wichita State University--Clinical Psychology--obvious reasons: it's in KS and in my hometown, they have a couple professors with research interests similar to his
Washington State University--Counseling Psychology--our dream has always been to live in the Pacific Northwest, so we thought we'd give it a chance. I know one day we'll end up there, but we thought why not end up there sooner rather than later. Research interests are similar to his too
University of Missouri-Kansas City--Counseling Psychology-- they have research interests similar to his, we'd be in KC and we both have friends living in that area
University of Oklahoma--Counseling Psychology--research interests similar to his
Oklahoma State University--Counseling Psychology--research interests similar to his
Texas A&M Commerce (Mesquite)--Social Work (MSW)--close proximity to where we are now

We're hoping for the top 4, but the bottom 3 are okay and will keep us in the midwest area. As you can see we're hoping for a cooler climate. I think our dogs would greatly appreciate the climate change!

I know whatever happens we'll be okay. We've been so blessed during our three years together with good fortune, good friends and good family.

Anyways, enough about that and more about ME! J/K Besides being sick, I have had a great time being DONE with summer school! Yeah! I also passed my principal practice exam and will officially have a (2nd) master's degree in August. I've lost a few pounds from running with Abby each night. Abby has lost a lot of weight too, so we've been pretty successful in that department. I know Murad is still struggling with his weight, but honestly I love the extra pounds on him. He's got broader shoulders, which I love. lovin' it!

Summer is Almost Here

Can you tell I'm ready? These kids are driving me bonkers! Luckily, we're reading a 7th grade favorite, The Outsiders.

So, definitely some good news:

-I got an extra $750 from my mentor grant so I was able to get most of my car repairs done. Only one more minor thing (with a hefty $250 price tag). I'm going to wait until the fall on that one. Now I can finally drive my car back and forth to Kansas! WOO-HOO!

-Murad and I's 3 year anniversary was yesterday! Can you believe we've been together for three years? Tomorrow is our 2 month wedding anniversary.

-Murad got added hours at work! Woo-hoo! This will open up a lot of things for us. We may be able to get our wedding bands. We currently just have plain platinum bands (still effin expensive in my eyes). I want a 3/4 eternity bezeled band. I wasn't a fan of bezeled until recently. It's in our price range. Murad wants a channel set band. Unfortunately his is not in our price range. He could get it in white gold and it would be $600 cheaper, but we are big fans of platinum and don't want to jeorpordize quality (we're such snobs..which is funny because we're Poor!). I told Murad that if it meant postponing our honeymoon (again) then I don't want to do it. I need the beach. Punta Cana, DR, here we come! We're buying booking it soon so we can get some good deals!

For now I'll settle for laying by the pool. I'm so ready for summer. Even though I'm teaching summer school, I still have plenty to look forward to:

-no more GRAD SCHOOL! I'm done with my 2nd master's. well I'm not, but I'm done with the coursework and that's all that matters

-Abby will be here! Girl time! movies, plays, library time and whatever girly stuff we have to opportunity to do. I'm so excited to have her here. Murad and I are going to focus on helping her develop healthy eating and exercise habits. I'm hoping they are habits she'll continue when she goes back to Kansas in the fall.

reading and writing! I can't wait to read for pleasure and start journaling again!

-Finally, Murad is starting the grad school application process. I know most people don't like writing statement of purposes, but I like helping him do it. I love writing and I love helping him acheive his goals! I'm so proud of him! He is back in school getting another degree solely for the purpose of going for more school. School doesn't come easy for him, and he's successfully raised his GPA! He's applying for about 5 different Ph.D Counseling Psychology programs and a couple of MSW programs. It hasn't been an easy road for him, but he's stuck to it. He's so dedicated. I know whatever program he gets into will be the best for him. This is such an exciting time in our lives. We've been seriously talking about buying a house wherever we end up so that we can start on a family in a few years! CRAZY!

-Sampson and Maya time--more time to play and cuddle with my babies!