Show & Tell Tuesday: High School Edition

Hey friends! Today I'll be linking up with one of my very favorite blogging mommas: Andrea! Twice a month she hosts a "linky party" where any blogger can join in on the discussion of a pre-arranged topic regarding themselves, their family, or their home. Today the link-up conversation is centered around "Who we were in highschool." Sounds fun, right?? Feel free to grab the image & link up, as well.

I had to go back and search my old Myspace profile for pictures to include in this post. Does anyone remember Myspace?! It was the equivalent to Facebook while I was in high school. Lots of drama & anticipation stemmed from it's particular method of displaying your friends: The Top 8! Needless to say, a significant amount of my time during high school was spent browsing ( & stalking!) on Myspace.

So who was I in high school? I was the loud, obnoxious redhead who loved being goofy with my friends! I had a nose-piercing & 2 tattoos- I obviously thought I was cool (;

High school selfies, big sunglasses & nose-piercings: pretty typical.

Getting my first tattoo a few weeks before my senior year started

Showing off the new tattoo I had done with my friends for my 18th birthday

I attended 2 different high schools; I had to transfer to a new school when my family relocated from Florida to Colorado during the spring semester of my sophomore year. Throughout high school, I never participated in any team sports or musical clubs; I severely lacked any athletic ability or musical talent! Instead, I focused on my academic performance & enjoying the company of my friends/ family. I also spent a fairly significant amount of time baby-sitting. Not only was it my main source of income, I genuinely enjoyed being surrounded by little kids. While in highschool, I decided I wanted to eventually become a teacher. I enrolled in the Early Childhood Education courses that my high school offered, and I was given the beneficial opportunity to become a student teacher at a local elementary school. I sincerely appreciated the time I spent shadowing the teacher of a 3rd grade class; it was entertaining & I gained an abundance of valuable knowledge. I also began working in the daycare of my family's church during my junior year. It was a job I legitimately adored. I was fortunate enough to work alongside fabulous coworkers and encountered the sweetest little ones; I made innumerable lasting relationships & cherished memories.

Here I am with my 3rd-grade class during Field Day

Working at church with one of my favorite friends & 2 sweet kiddos

I can honestly say I had a terrific group of friends in high school. Whether we were eating Ramen & Totinos Pizza for lunch while watching The Tyra Show, annoying our history teacher by chatting too much during class, or accidentally spraying a group of random guys with pepper spray in the mall parking lot (oops!), we were always having fun. We took way too many goofy selfies,  loved getting dressed up for our high school's dances, and had countless sleepovers that would inevitably include staying up late gossiping & being silly. I'm eternally grateful for the lovely memories I made with my sweet friends during high school.

 The "Lauren" to my "Lo" (you'll only understand this reference if you were as obsessed with MTV's The Hills as we were!)

 Please tell me you were as embarrassingly goofy & immature as we were in high school!

I hope you enjoyed my Show & Tell of high school memories and flashbacks. I'm fortunate to say that I had a very positive high school experience, full of laughs & pleasant memories. However, I can confidently say that High School Meghan had NO inclination what her future held. While the reality of my adulthood has been drastically different than I had imagined as a young girl, I'm still confident that my future is bright! The countless possibilities I envisioned in high school for myself & my family are still available (and attainable!) to us now. The future depends on what we do today; we are what we choose to become, even when we encounter unexpected obstacles & challenges along the way. 

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Show & Tell Tuesday: High School Edition

10 Things About Me, Part 2

Happy Monday, friends! If you recall, last week I attempted to compile a post of 10 interesting facts about myself. Not only was it considerably more challenging than I originally envisioned to examine myself for informative trivia & unique details, but I essentially wrote novels for the first 5 traits! So I'm returning this week with the remaining 5 facts & trusting that you're all still somewhat interested!

6) I'm going back to school! PK & I jointly resolved to return to college this fall. PK will be starting his journey towards a degree, and I'll continue to work towards my Bachelors. While's PK's choice to start classes centered around his desire to progress his career, mine is a more personal decision. I excelled in high school; I consistently received nearly perfect grades & never struggled to surpass my educational goals. I assumed my experience in college would mimic my high school performance. I was mistaken! I found myself quickly distracted from any educational aspects of college, instead I focused on the more entertaining opportunities (Hi, PK!). My grades suffered, and I ultimately took a year off from school. After Mason was born, I rediscovered my motivation & maturity and re-enrolled in online courses at a local community college. With my growing family as an incentive for success, I began passing classes & achieving my goals, and I appreciated the sense of accomplishment I felt. At this point, I don't necessarily need my degree for any potential career prospects (we jokingly discuss that I retired at age 20!), but it's not about attempting to secure a job- it's about proving to myself that I can do this. I can graduate college. And I will! It may take a while, but I'm enthusiastically making the endeavor, and that's something I can be proud of.

When you're going back to school, you need a freshly personalized backpack... duh!

7) I feel the need to perpetually spoil things for myself! Whether I'm reading a book, watching reality TV, or enjoying a movie, I have to learn how it ends...usually before it even starts! I reference the final chapter of a book in advance, I find the full description of a movie's plot online, and I search the internet for potential blogs that reveal the ending of a reality TV show prior to its conclusion. I simply appreciate these things more when I'm aware of the outcome!

8) I'm a natural redhead. I'm asked frequently, "Is your hair color real?" It certainly is. I'm familiar with people who may attempt to replicate my hair color (cough cough, Mom!!), but I've never had to dye my hair. I've always been amused (never offended) by the silly, comical stereotypes that accompany being a "ginger."

9) I deeply appreciate a clean house! So many aspects of my life are uncontrollably messy & chaotic that it's a genuine relief & reducer of stress when my home is especially neat & tidy. With 3 kiddos under the age of 6, the task of keeping our space orderly can be challenging, but it's something I continually aim for. In the past I admittedly spent too much time & energy aspiring for a meticulously cleaned home. I eventually realized that my efforts were futile, and I was squandering away valuable moments with my sweet family while I obsessively straightened up our house. I now center my attention towards finding a more obtainable balance between focusing on my family & sincerely enjoying the moment (rather than fixating on the potential mess), and preserving a reasonable level of tidiness in our household. However, I'll always revel in the completion of a freshly cleaned home after everyone else has retired to bed.

10) PK & I have made the decision to continually aspire to live a debt-free live. Prior to Mason's arrival, when we had first starting living together, we took a Financial Peace course created by Dave Ramsey. It really enlightened us to the various methods of gaining financial freedom & being more responsible with our money. Unfortunately, we ultimately ignored what we had learned, spent irresponsibly, and acquired a fair amount of credit card debt. Thankfully we realized the potential ramifications of our countless, careless expenditures & learned a valuable lesson at a relatively young age. We cut up all of our credit cards, became much more intentional with our spending, and designed a plan to purposefully save any excess funds to allocate towards paying off our debts. I'm proud to announce that both of our vehicles are now paid off, as well as a significant amount of our credit card debt. As a result, we've also also been able to establish a savings fund to utilize for the purchase of a new house! We're making progress & we're determined to attain financial independence! I can sincerely appreciate the beneficial lesson our experience has taught us: our poor choices in the past can (and will) continuously affect our family in the present.

I'm done! Thanks for reading along! Did I achieve the goal the helping you get to know me a little better? I earnestly hope so. I'm wishing all of my lovely readers a fabulous week! It's my last full week with Mason prior to him beginning kindergarten; I'm excited to spend the next couple of days indulging myself with my sweet, handsome boy's company!

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10 Things About Me, Part 2

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you've all been abundantly, fabulously blessed throughout the week- I certainly have! Like last Friday, I'll be linking up with a few of my favorite bloggers, Andrea, Erica & Narci, for Friday Favorites. It's a special opportunity for me to share a fun selection of my preferred, pleasant experiences from the week. If you have a blog, feel free to visit any of the bloggers I previously mentioned and utilize their "link up" option.

Swimming is this pretty girl's favorite!

This week we made it a priority to enjoy a great deal of time at the park and our pool! I regrettably admit that occasionally I find myself lacking the energy, or the enthusiasm, to bring my kids to the park. It's not necessarily a relaxing activity, but it's one they undoubtedly appreciate & adore. I'm attempting to consciously try to not let my intermittent weariness hinder my kids from having a fulfilling, entertaining summer. As for the pool, it's a fun family activity for everyone involved! I'm so grateful that our neighborhood has such a beneficial amenity. The water is FREEZING, but it doesn't seem to deter Mason or Brooke. My 2 big kids have spent a significant portion of their summer break in speech therapy, so I'm appreciative that we have a convenient, delightful activity for them to actively enjoy so close to home.

 Attempting to balance on this tiny blue bar at the park was deceptively challenging- except for Mason, who was a pro!

Having fun at the park is one of Emmy Kate's favorites!

It should be undeniably discernible that this guy is one of very favorites! On Thursday he charmingly cleaned himself up (looking undoubtedly dapper!) and endured an arduous interview for a desirable promotion at work. I'm remarkably proud of my handsome man; he diligently, enthusiastically, & meticulously prepared himself for this interview & I'm eagerly expecting success for my exceptionally qualified, knowledgeable, resourceful husband! PK was only 18 when we found out we were expecting Mason. Not many young men would have the drive, or maturity, to actively pursue a career to sufficiently provide for their unexpectedly growing family at that age. But PK did! And his intelligence, ambition, & initiative continues to impress everyone around him as he continually surpasses expectations at work. If you feel compelled, say a prayer that he is accepted for this beneficial promotion.

While Daddy was at his interview, I took the kiddos to their very favorite place: ChickFilA!

Casting Crowns new song, "Just Be Held" is my new favorite! If you frequently listen to Christian music, you're probably familiar with the group, Casting Crowns. They're regularly one of my most preferred groups to listen to as their lyrics are SO powerfully relevant. Their most recent release reminds us that we're not required to always be strong when we're facing the challengingly difficult, disappointing aspects of our life without a clear solution. We're allowed to handover our fears & worries to God and simply "be held." There is freedom to be found when we can surrender our stress & anxieties to God! No matter what lies ahead of us, God is already there. What a dynamic, impressively reassuring reminder!

Thanks for visiting the blog & discovering a few of our Friday Favorites. Have a splendid weekend!

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Friday Favorites

Tuesday's Top 3

Happy Tuesday, friends! Today is the beginning of our family's "weekend"; I'm always elated to have PK home, and I'm eager to spend the next few days together with my sweet family! Tuesdays are also going to be an occasion for me to post my "Top 3's" on the blog each week. One of my favorite bloggers, Erika, conceived this notion, and I thought it would be a valuable weekly addition to my blog! Basically, I develop a central theme & post my "Top 3" ideas regarding that subject. It seems like a simple, easy way for me to share my opinions/ knowledge on a broad range of concepts! Hopefully, it's appealing & agreeable to my readers! Let me know (:

This week I'm going to focus on Emmy Kate: the tiniest, spunkiest, silliest member of our family! She turned 19 months old yesterday (August 10), and I thought this post would be an ideal opportunity to present an update on her development & personality.

19 months old!

1) Emmy is talking! It's certainly reasonable that nearly all people who are familiar with our family question whether or not Emmy will have autism. As her parents, we've speculated this from the day we learned we were expecting her. The simple fact that she is vocal has alleviated our concerns of autism significantly! It's not a definitive answer, but it was the primary element of her development we've been praying to witness since she was born! To hear her sweet voice is such a glorious answered prayer! She is consistently successful at repeating words & imitating, but she also speaks & requests items independently! A selection of her most frequented words: banana, book, Momma, Dadda, GiGi, uh-oh, ball, play-dough, bye-bye, water & bath. In addition, Emmy has proficiently mastered several signs, as well. She can routinely sign for "more," "please," "drink," & "thank-you." So proud of my girl's rapidly developing communicative skills! 

2) Emmy is a superb sleeper & eater! From the first night we brought her home, she has slept through the night (praise the Lord!), and she continues to regularly sleep for 12-13 hours at bedtime. Additionally,  she's an outstanding napper; she consistently takes a 3 hour nap every afternoon. I'm exceedingly pleased with her sleeping schedule; it positively benefits both of us! Her only requirements include being in a considerably dark room with an abundance of white-noise & that she's in constant possession of her "lovey"... which is actually the remarkably soft & velvety robe that PK gifted to me last Christmas.
Furthermore, this kid loves to eat! I'm reasonably confident that she eats more than Mason & Brooke... combined! Anything we place in front of her, she enjoyably consumes! After routinely struggling for several years with 2 excessively picky eaters, it's been pleasantly satisfying to not endure that same stress with Emmy during meals. Emmy's favorites include: bananas, blueberries, grapes, apples, pancakes, hotdogs, pasta, chicken nuggets & yogurt. She may also be a passionate admirer of dessert, but I have no idea where she may have inherited that trait! (;

3) My only real concern regarding Emmy is her social development. She doesn't necessarily display any real need for worry, but considering that her sole role-models in this area are Mason & Brooke (who notably struggle with social interaction with kids their age), I fear that she may be potentially deprived of  appropriate learning opportunities in this section of her developmental progression. I'm so grateful that she has the opportunity to interact with other toddlers during our weekly Moms Group, but I worry if that's sufficient. However, I can confidently say Emmy is desperate to play with her siblings! Unfortunately, they don't share the same desire or reciprocate her enthusiasm to play together. Their refusal doesn't deter her, though! Emmy unceasingly perseveres, following them around daily & injecting herself into their playtime.

Each month, I'm exceedingly grateful for Emmy's presence in our family. 19 months have passed exceptionally quickly, and I'm excitedly anxious to see what the next 19 months have in store for my sweet, angel girl!

A few photos of my Emmy Kate that I haven't had to opportunity to share on social media!

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Tuesday's Top 3

10 Things About Me (Part 1)

Happy Monday! I'm hopeful that today is treating my marvelous readers favorably! I've recently read through a few "10 Things About Me" posts, and I thought it was such a creative, captivating way to assist readers in getting to know their favorite bloggers! So as I begin to attempt to create my own space here in Blog World, I figured this would be an enjoyable method for me to introduce myself further to my readers!

Ok... Haven't even started and this is already harder than I thought. Why is it hard to come up with interesting, amusing facts about myself? Does that mean I'm boring? Maybe. Probably.

1) I've lived in 6 different states. I was born in Wyoming and moved to Kentucky when I was still relatively young. My family moved to Louisiana when I was 10, and then relocated to Florida when I was 14. After 2 years, we moved again (I was seriously annoyed at this point! Couldn't we just pick a place and stay?!) to Colorado. My parents finallllly decided that we could stay put for a while, and I'm so glad they did! Colorado is such a lovely place to live and raise a family! And our tap water is better than any other state's (which is obviously the most important thing).

2) I only have 1 sibling- my younger brother, Aidan. He was born when I was already 6, so there was a significant age gap between us when we were growing up. I was thrilled to have a baby brother, but I grew increasingly less impressed as he got older; we didn't necessarily get along too fabulously. In fact, he once wrote a paper in elementary school based around the theme that I was "clearly the worst sister ever." However, as we've gotten older, our relationship has improved, and I'm now happy to call him a friend! And my kiddos love their Uncle!

3) I have the WORST eating habits! I'm a habitual snacker, LOVE junk food/ fast food, & consider dessert one of my most essential food groups. I would happily survive off of Lean Pockets (the healthier version of Hot Pockets... I feel like that's probably an oxymoron) & Three Meat Pizza from Sams Club. Oh, and cereal? I have an embarrassingly unhealthy obsession with it. I really don't enjoy being a "grown up" and eating healthily, but I really do try (begrudgingly) for my kids. But be aware, while I'm eating baked tilapia, I'm craving a blizzard from Dairy Queen. I consistently workout throughout the week, but only so that I can splurge on a few of my favorite unhealthy treats with less guilt afterwards!

4) I have 7 tattoos. They're all small and somewhat discreet, but I love my ink! When I was in highschool, my mom & I loved to watch a show on TLC (yes, I watched TLC with my mom in highschool- I'm only now realizing how uncool that makes me) that centered around several tattoo artists & their tattoo parlor in Miami. It was something we bonded over, and ultimately led to our decision to get our first tattoos together when I was 17! Recently, my mom and I both returned to that same shop to receive new tattoos for her 50th birthday! All of my tattoos have a special significance or represent a meaningful experience in my life, and I genuinely don't regret any of them! PK & I have eventual plans to have new pieces done to represent autism awareness; hopefully that will be sooner rather than later!

Just a few of my tattoos! (Better Together/ Palm Tree on my hip, "Love" on my wrist, cross/ anchor/ heart on my shoulder blade, and a peace dove above my ankle)

5) Perhaps one of the most notable things about me is my faith & my relationship with Christ. While I believe one's religion is a complex concept, I will attempt to paraphrase and say that I'm simply grateful that God knows my heart! Other people may misunderstand my good intentions, judge my words, or find fault in my actions, but God knows that I'm continually learning & endlessly endeavoring to be all that He created me to be. Furthermore, I find so much peace in knowing that where I am today is no accident. God is using my family's situation to shape us and prepare us for the place that He wants to bring us into tomorrow! We can trust Him with His plan even if we don't always understand it. One thought that I habitually find myself struggling with is the picture in my head of how life was "supposed" to be. I wasn't supposed to be a special needs mom, my kids weren't supposed to contend with autism! But my faith gives me freedom from that internal battle! God has a reason for allowing things to happen. We may never understand His wisdom, but we simply have to trust His will. How comforting is it to know invariably that my God is bigger than my mess! When I find myself overwhelmed by the perpetual conflict of dealing with autism's obstacles, I can lift up a prayer and find myself surrounded by His tender mercies; I can rest in His grace & trust in His love!

And just because I love Tim Tebow almost as much as he loves Jesus... 

Okay, I'm apparently far too long-winded to publish all 10 facts in one post! I will reveal the last 5 facts later this week. As always, thanks for reading & be blessed!

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10 Things About Me (Part 1)

Friday Favorites

It's Friday & I'm linking up with a few fabulous bloggers, Andrea, Narci and Erika, and sharing several of my favorite things from the week! This is something I'll be doing each Friday; I feel like it's an easy, entertaining way for me to reveal any significant details from our family's week. If you have a blog, feel free to link-up, as well!

Before I get started, I should make it clear that our family has an unusual weekly schedule: PK works Friday- Monday. So actually, we just finished up our "weekend". I'm so grateful that PK gets 3 days off each week! It's such an awesome opportunity to bond as a family & make extra memories! And if I'm being totally honest with you guys, I'm SO ready for his help & energy with our kiddos after 4 days of him working. Basically, when he comes home on Monday evening, it's my favorite!

One of Mason's very favorite things is music. He enthusiastically enjoys watching music videos on TV, instrument demonstrations on YouTube, and live music performances. Lately, he appreciates any opportunity to use kitchen utensils as musical instruments. He marches up to our kitchen, points towards my utensil holder, and asks, "Guitar? Clarinet?" Who am I to deny that handsome boy? Here he is charmingly playing guitar. (Is it sad that my kitchen utensils are used more for imaginative play than for actual cooking??)

Emmy Kate & I on the way to Moms Group

On Tuesday morning, Emmy & I spend time with a few of my favorite friends & their precious babies! About a year & a half ago, I was introduced to this lovely group of ladies; we all had babies around the same age and were looking for friendship & encouragement from other mothers. I'm beyond blessed to call these women my friends! They're sweet, knowledgeable, sympathetic & compassionate (and they have the cutest group of kids you'll ever meet!). It's been so rewarding to find a group of girls who I can truly be myself around- they're willing to listen to me rejoice when my kids overcome a new obstacle, and they've been there numerous times to offer a hug when I'm feeling defeated in regards to our struggle with autism. Plus, we eat lots of yummy food when we get together. And, you know, food is definitely a favorite!

A few fun memories with the special ladies from Moms Group

Brooke & Emmy at McDonalds on Wednesday afternoon

One of Brooke's very favorite activities is to go to McDonalds for lunch. She and Mason each have speech therapy 4x a week for 50 minute increments- 2 days a week they are both there at the same time, but on Mondays & Fridays their appointments are consecutive. 50 minutes isn't a whole lot of time for me to get much else accomplished, so while Mason is in therapy, I take the girls across the street to McDonald's (Mason typically gets a trip to the park).

I'm aware that this isn't healthy, or probably even hygienic, but it makes my Birdie gleefully happy, and that's all that matters to me! Brooke has a complex personality- she is remarkably sweet & cuddly, but she can be frustratingly difficult when attempting to motivate her to do anything she doesn't deem necessary. She and Mason, while both on the autism spectrum, are SO dissimilar. Mason is positively jovial most of the time, but Brooke has episodes of irritation & displeasure. So whenever I have an opportunity to do something for Brooke that I know will make her smile, I gladly do it. 

So when you see me post photos on social media of Brooke at McDonalds, don't judge too harshly. I'm not trying to be lazy or instill unhealthy habits, I'm trying to make my little girl (who's usually battling a lot internally) a little more cheerful. 

A few photos of a little girl who is delighted to be at McDonalds for lunch!

 

One last favorite for the week!  On Thursday afternoon, we drove down to Denver (about an hour away) to explore an outdoor shopping pavillion- The 16th Street Mall. I had heard people mention it numerous times, but PK & I had never been there. A few weeks ago I learned there was a Mellow Mushroom (pizza restaurant) in the vicinity of the mall, so I decided it was officially time to check it out. I'll travel pretty far for a good pizza! It was a beautiful day, and we enjoyed discovering a new part of the city while spending quality time together as a family.

16th Street Mall- a tree-lined, pedestrian promenade filled with various restaurants & shops

Ice cream for dessert is undeniably a favorite! We found this fun little shop that had several fun, unique flavors (Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Almost Joy, Cucumber sherbert!). PK decided to try a "shake-ini". It was milkshake (with some added "adult ingredients") mixed together in a chilled martini glass. Fancy! 

I decided to try the Shake-ini; it was a little different (and stronger!) than the milkshakes I'm used to! But it was actually really tasty!

Well, if you made it through the entire list of Friday Favorites, thank you! I hope you had a week full of fun favorites, too. Wishing all of my sweet readers a fabulous, lovely weekend!

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Friday Favorites