A Day in My Life

My life is changing quickly, maybe a little too quickly. As excited as I am for college and starting a new chapter in my life I am positive I will miss how my life is now. I cannot even believe I will not be living at home in two weeks! This is crazy. So as a way to remember this summer and see all the changes that are taking place in my life I decide to document my whole day in pictures. In a month or so I want to do this again to compare them. These photos aren't perfect but they really capture my day.

Maci bringing her bone outside, even through I told her to leave it at the door

Breakfast

Packing for nannying

Feeding Maci 

The boys were still asleep when I got there, no joke they walked down stairs like two seconds after I took this

Planning out my day

Coloring while the boys do homework. My favorite part of the day!

Luckily the boys like my favorite video game from childhood. 

At the pool with the kids

Leaving work for the last time

Sitting on the couch with my Mom after work

Getting ready, laughing with Haley and Ashley

Taking photos for the blog

Ashley playing in the grass while Haley helps me take pictures

Ashley riding in the cart

Taking Mae on a walk

At a family friends birthday party

Blogging before bed

xoxo,

         MK

Graduation and Thank You's

It is over. It still doesn’t feel real to me. The past four years have had the best and worst years of my life in them. Although I hope to look back fondly on my years in high school, I am not sorry to say they are over. I am so excited about all of the new experiences that are coming my way in the next part of my life. I was extremely happy to have my family here to celebrate this with me.  I couldn’t have made it through these past few years without my closest friends and family.

Mom,

Thank you for teaching me to always put others before myself and love unconditionally.

Dad,

Thank you for showing my how to live a glass half full kind of life no matter what gets thrown at you.

Criston,

Thank you for being a role model to me.

Anna,

Thank you for being my best friend even from 400 miles away.

Colby,

Thank you for always encouraging me to be myself and not be afraid to be different.

Kyle,

Thank you for showing me how to stand on my own two feet and sticking up for me when I couldn’t.

Will,

Thank you for being my number one cheerleader and inspiring me to follow my dreams.

Haley and Ashley,

Thank you for making me smile on days I didn’t think I could.

Everyone else that I love,

Thank you for being there to encourage, love, and support me. You all mean the world to me.

xoxo,

         MK

things that made me smile this week

Maci makes me smile so many times a day i could never keep count

driving away from my school for the very last time. it was surreal. 

my new shoes

freshly painted nails and playing ball with my babygirl 

... tomatoes 

Haley and Ellie hanging out in Maci's new cage

xoxo,

       MK

My Girls

Four years ago I had two very shy girls come into my life, just by happenstance. These girls started staying at my house one afternoon a week quickly that turned into every afternoon with some sleepovers, currently these sweet girls live at my house Monday thur Friday. 

Immediately after I met Haley and Ashley I saw how broken inside they were and felt a sense of responsibility to love them until they were whole again. I always wanted them to be able to laugh and be the kids that they were. With the help of their loving dad this girls now live a very normal life. 

In many ways I take care of these girls like a parent. I cook for them, wash their clothes, make sure they get to school on time and show them how to act. I wouldn't trade this for the world, I love these girls so much. 

I love Haley's bravery and her need for knowledge. You will almost never find this girl without a book. I love the way she steals my clothes, even though they are huge on her and they way she takes care of her sister. I love how she cares so much about school and wants to be a doctor when she grows up. I love the way she cares about other people and is never afraid to be herself. 

I love Ashley's laughter and her undeniable personality. She never fails to make me laugh. I love how she is a "genius" and pretends to be a dog. I love her silly quotes "I don't think the dogs like me anymore because I'm a dinosaur." I love her sassy attitude that's going to take her so far in life and the way she takes my shoes without asking. I love her early morning "Game Show" and the way she smiles in pictures. 

I love these girls. 

If someone told me five years ago that when I was 18 I would be signing permission slips, making lunches, picking kids up from school, and tucking them into bed I definitely would have told them they were crazy. But here I am at 18 doing all those things and I wouldn't trade my girls for the world.

 Today the girls and I went on a hike in the woods to a river about two miles away from our house. I love taking the girls on walks because it is great exercise and being with is a constant game of did you know and would you rather. Although four miles is a little much for them, it was worth it.

"We walked all this way to see this brown river..." -Ashley

Just when I thought they had no energy left we came upon the creek and all three of them went nuts playing in it

"Hey Mom before I run some more laps around you I'm going to sit in this creek just I so i can be close to you" - Maci

xoxo,

       MK