5 months later....in pictures

I rented a house with four of my friends. One might observe we had a good time.

I started working at a daycare. I fell in love with each of these Gerber faces.

I visited home and hung out with my brother & sister!

My brother came to visit me in good ol' Arkansas.

I got to be apart of one of my oldest friends big day.

I got to see the marriage of two of the sweetest people in the world.

I took a road trip up to NY to visit my favorite place in the world.

I turned 22!

I acted a fool with girls in my social club.

I started Insanity....and then quit 3 weeks later.

I did Relay for Life and fell in love with this puppy.

My precious suitemate came to visit Arkansas!

Saw Pentatonix....then met them. And died.

I made a frenemy on Halloween at a haunted house.

Acted like a fool again with girls in my social club.

Still work at the daycare....still love the Gerber babies

Oops, acted like a fool again with the same social club.

I've done a lot of living these last 5 months. It's been quite a ride.

Midnight thoughts.

        Here in the Harding Public Safety office, things get real. I've come to realize that the midnight shift offers two things; a deep, deep, deep appreciation for sleep and the opportunity to have real conversations with people you never would've thought you'd be able to.
        Every weekend I work two midnight shifts. Two shifts that completely drain me of everything mentally and physically. You do not realize how much you love sleep until it's taken away. But with that lack of sleep, things change. I'll admit, your judgement gets a bit impaired when you're tired. Just a bit. It's not always bad though. Sometimes when you're tired, you say things you mean. Things and opinions you wouldn't normally share. Because when you share your opinions, it's no longer rainbows and butterflies. But rainbows and butterflies are daytime things. At night, the sun goes down and things get real. And I love it.
        Two nights in a row now I've sat in this normally boring office and been apart of some of the most real, thought-provoking conversations of my life. We've covered everything from apocalyptic theories to what church means to each of us. And both nights I've had the exact same thought; God works in mysterious ways. His timing is impeccable and His reasoning should never be questioned. We're put into specific situations with certain people at exactly the right times for a reason. And this has never been more apparent than in the Public Safety office after the sun goes down. Because at night, things get real.

I've learned.

“I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life. I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life." I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back. I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”  ― Maya Angelou

Sometimes, someone else says everything you've wanted to.