Thanksgiving with the Lawson's

Thanksgiving was this weekend and boy, were we busy!  We saw lots of family on Thursday and had lots and lots of turkey!  I've been bad about taking pics lately, but I managed these few of us and the girls!

Cheyenne was being so wild!  If only we had Brandon looking, we would've nailed it!

Brandon and his dad always crack me up!

Friday was a fun-filled day of hanging out with Julie!  First we got our workout on, which was fun in and of itself. It's always more fun to workout with a buddy!  Then we went out in the Black Friday madness. We aren't huge on Black Friday, but our tradition is to at least hit Target and a few places every year together.  Needless to say, it was fun to get some girl time together!

On Saturday, Julie and I went downtown to the Fantasy of Trees.

Look how fun we are!  Besties since we were wee little tots. 

THEN we saw the strange tree with all of the white stuffed animals...

Complete with its own unicorn. Bizarre. 

That night, Julie joined us for dinner and then poor Cheyenne got sick!  So sick that we had to make a trip tot the Emergency Vet. Julie is such a trooper!  She loaded up with Cheyenne, Brandon, and I to go to the vet. Of course when we got there, Cheyenne acted normal and all playful but that didn't last very long. 

Brandon and Julie having a serious convo while Cheyenne tries to escape to meet the other dog in the waiting room. (Dear Cheyenne, When you're sick, you can't play with the other dogs!)

Poor girl!  After a long night, we got some meds and headed home. I think she was humiliated, but the next photo is too funny not to share. 

They gave her a doggie diaper!  

Needless to say, I learned a few things this weekend.  This whole episode was a LARGE dose of birth control!  Brandon was so great during the whole thing and I know he's going to be such a wonderful dad one day. I love watching him be sweet to the girls. Also, Julie will be a GREAT aunt one day!  We may not be officially sisters, but we are close enough!  The girl came to the vet and was with us til almost midnight Saturday night to make sure our dog was ok!  What a fabulous best friend!  We haven't had a lot of opportunities recently to hang out, so this weekend was so nice to catch up and just laugh together.  Every girl needs a good set of best friends and I am so blessed to have a great group of girls to lean on. 

Today we caught up on some much needed rest and I started putting Christmas decorations out. So much fun!  Now we just need a tree!  Don't worry, when we put it up in the next week or so, I'll probably post a zillion photos.  We also had another couple over for dinner.  It's always fun to share a meal and lots of laughs together.  We even face-timed Emaleigh for a few minutes. Love her!

Brandon has been working tirelessly at my mom and dad's house recently. Their house is over 100 years old. Look at all of his handyman work!  

New porch

New cornerpiece 

Handcrafted molding to match the original molding on the porch. 

Replaced the top

New joists for the roof 

Old and new

One of the recent pics of how it looks now. There's still a lot to do, but the progress has been amazing!  I'm amazed at the difference already!

Brandon's dad (Doug) and brother (Drew) have been helping too. It looks great and I love how determined Brandon is. I don't think this is a total secret anymore, so for those of you who don't know, we are hoping to purchase my parents' house in the next year or two to make if our "forever home". I grew up in this house, it's in Fountain City, has a nice yard, and I can't think of a better place to raise kids. 

It's funny-the older you get, the more you realize what's important in life. For me, it's about blessing others, loving Jesus, and loving my family and friends.  I've realized how fortunate and blessed I am to have such an amazing family and friends. I took that for granted for too long. Until next time, remember to enjoy those closest to you, laugh with them, love on them as much as possible, and hug them all extra tight!

The Facts of Life

I took the NIC (National Interpreting Certification) test on Friday. Whoa. Big deal. Anyways, upon completing it, I've had some thoughts about life. I know a few younger friends that have either recently graduated from college or will be graduating in the next few months. I had a hard time transitioning from college life to having a big girl job.  Here's my journey. 

I was blessed to find a job and start two months after graduation. I was excited, nervous, and a little overwhelmed. I had to move to Johnson City where I knew NO ONE. I was doing community interpreting full time; this was something I had never done before. Ever. I did my internship during college in the school system. I had a lot to learn, and fast. This new job I had was fun, but I knew it was in a city and at a place that I wouldn't stay at for the rest of my life. I learned so much about myself during the eight months that I worked there. I learned that to be an effective and successful interpreter, you better grow some thick skin. I learned that you always should stand up for what you believe, even when it defies what others think is appropriate. Long story short, I missed my family and felt like I should start job searching. One text message and email later, I found myself interviewing for a job at Knox County Schools.

I got the job that I thought would be my forever job. I was working in Knox County Schools at an elementary school, interpreting for several students on several different levels. Ya'll. The kids. Hearing and deaf both-they're so stinkin' fun. I worked there for 3 years. Year one: Team Martha and Kira. Year two: Team Martha, Kira, and Caris. (These, my friends, were some FUN TIMES!) Year three: Team Tracie, Caroline, and Kira. (These ladies kept me sane.) I had some REALLY fun times at Knox County Schools, but a lot of it was due to my fellow interpreters and the students that I worked with. Those kids. Love them. The politics? Terrible. Last year, around October, Brandon and several other friends encouraged me to apply for a different job. I was torn. Leave the kids? How could I do that? But I knew that if I left, that Tracie and Caroline would be there for them. So I interviewed. And waited. And waited. And waited. Three VERY long months later, I started a new job at the one place that I vowed I would never work at when I was in college. Ya'll-never say never. God can be so funny sometimes!

Team Martha and Caris. Love these ladies. 

LOVED this day. Last day of school. Canoe riding down the hallways.  The teachers party when the kids leave. Don't let them fool you. 

I started working at my current job last February. It's hard to believe I've been here for almost a year! I believe I've finally found my niche. I work in the community every so often, and work at my part time job interpreting for video relay services 30 hours a week. I missed the kiddos though, so I decided to start volunteering for Big Brother Big Sister of East Tennessee. I finally feel like I'm right where God wants me to be. I'm shocked at where I'm at, but I shouldn't be, for this is all part of God's plan. 

Run for the Deaf 2013 with my work buds. 

 
So for all of you new grads or soon-to-be new grads, this is my advice. God has a plan. It may take you a little while to find your niche in the job community. Take every opportunity that you can to learn as much as possible in your environment, whether its at a job that you'll be working at for 8 months, or a job that you want to make your forever job until retirement.

I had some MAJOR anxiety the other night after my test. I was just so worried about not doing my best and what if I didn't pass my certification test?? Then I opened up to this:

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8

Let's recap: I graduated. I asked and prayed for a job-I was blessed to get one in Johnson City. When I felt led that it was time for a transition, I prayed and asked for a different job closer to my family-I got one back at KCS. When I felt God leading me to a new job, I prayed for guidance and asked for HIS will-now look where I am! Almost a year into a very fun job with very fun co-workers. I took the NIC-I asked, seeked, and knocked for many doors to be opened for this one. The BIG test. Ya'll. I just had this feeling as I was reading that verse and several others that it will all be ok! God knows my heart and has given me peace.  He knows my prayers and those prayers of my family members and friends. So I did what any sensible person would do: I threw all of my study lists away. I just have this peace that God's got it and it'll all be ok! So now we enjoy the next however many months until I get that fun little email telling me my results. Until then, there will be no more worrying or anxiety concerning that test.

Friday night, we went to dinner at Litton's. Of course I HAD to get a Baby Jane. Saturday was a fun day of family time and relaxation. 

Litton's date!

If you go to Litton's and it is Baby Jane weekend, you better take advantage of it!

 
Here's to a new week and enjoying the season of Thanksgiving. It's my favorite holiday and coincidentally, it's Haley's favorite holiday too. I asked her why it was her favorite holiday. In my mind, I was thinking, "Thanksgiving is my favorite because you get to be around your family and enjoy all of the blessings you have." Her answer? "Thanksgiving is my favorite because you get to be around your family and enjoy all the yummy food." Ya'll. That melted my heart! She called me wanting to do something this weekend. She. Called me. This is a first. It made me so excited to know that she likes hanging out with me!! Anyways, I'm sure we'll be going on some crazy excursion soon, which I'll post about. Until then, enjoy the fall temps and remember, always wear a coat in the mornings. I don't want you guys catching a cold!

Coco always sports her sweater in the cold weather months, so you should too!