I Can't Believe

I saw this post on Living Colorfully and loved the idea:) So I am nicely stealing it and sharing my things I cannot believe!

I cannot believe...

I am almost finished with my first year if grad school. In a month. A MONTH! Whoa dang!

It has been almost 2 months since I have seen my best friends.

That my hair is finally long enough to get caught under the straps of a bag I put on my shoulder. To me this signifies it is long!

That Brutus has fleas. Yes fleas. And now I feel like I have them (I don't) and will be doing (or have done) a deep clean of my apartment which included vacuuming my couch. 

Summer is almost here. We are so close. And I cannot wait. 

I have not had a boat ride yet. Dad we should fix this one soon. Everyone has gone except me this year. Not cool.

Well Happy Friday friends! Enjoy weekend and have fun…but not too much fun:)

Life Lately...In Photos

I got to know Shannon through the 40 Day Challenge with Overcome The Lie. We were partnered together and I have really come to love her and appreciate her friendship. So of course when she had this great idea for a link-up I knew I was in!

From here on out I am going to let the pictures from my phone do the talking (well I might have a few words to add). This is what my life has entailed lately....and you will notice I take more pictures of Brutus than anything! Oh and the pictures go from past to present starting a couple weeks ago:)

Oh how I love this kid!

I recently added several new prints to my wall!

A very good camp friend sent me the sweetest little package:)

When we go to my parents beach house, this is where you will find Brutus.  High above the dogs!

Brutus made best friends with my new best friend!

This is normally Brutus's "I'm about to bite and attack your arm" look.  Instead he settled for some cuddles.

Sleep Is A Serious Thing

If you know me in real life or have ever lived with me then you know that I take sleep very seriously.  I was the girl in college who didn't care about staying up till 2 in the morning just because I could…I went to bed around 10 most nights.  I like sleep.  And trust me you will like me better if I get to sleep.
I learned a long time ago that I do not function on 5-6 hours of sleep.  Just can't do it.  I need like 7-8 minimum to be a happy camper!  And when I don't get that, I am grumpy, need lots and lots of coffee, naps, don't want to talk to anyone, don't want to do anything.  Basically I am no fun at all!
So take last night for example.  Probs because of this sickness I have had, my body has just been SUPER overly tired.  I went to bed at like 8:45 last night.  And didn't think twice about it.  I was going to wake up at 5 and go workout.  But I couldn't move (and I still just don't feel 100% yet).  So I fell back asleep…till 8:30.  Friends thats like almost 12 hours of sleep! And I had to force myself to wake up!
I have never felt so refreshed!  I guess I really needed all of that sleep!  Honestly if you want to be around a happy Mosby you just need to let me sleep.  I also don't share a bed very well, so on our last couple of trips I have not been the funnest person to be around because of lack of sleep.  I have now decided to just beg for my own bed on the next vacation we take.  Better sleep= happy Mosby= Happy family vacation.
Now I have a long day ahead of me of paper writing and classes.  Thankfully I got a good nights sleep and I am ready to go!  I hate it when I majorly procrastinate an assignment. Oh well I just want to pass the class at this point in time :)

I'm Learning Lots

So I have not said a lot on here about my Practicum. About 5 weeks ago I started at Lighthouse Minitsites as an intern/practicum student under the women's counselor at the facility. I am absolutely LOVING what I am doing and I have been learning so much while I have been there. I do not have a lot of experience working with adults, I work primarily with children, so it has really been a learning experience for me to be working with the women.

This is a typical outfit for me, minus the jeans most of the time.  And I am almost always overdressed.

Just a little background on Lighthouse. Lighthouse Ministries was actually co-founded by my Grandfather. So I had a little bit of a connection to the place. I totally believe it was a God thing that I found this out and was able to get on site there. Lighthouse ministers to the homeless. It is a residential facility that enforces a program to help the residents get back on their feet, earn money, and make a plan for what to do when they exit the program. 

Many of the women I work with have had some kind of abuse. For many it is substance abuse of all kinds, sexual abuse, or physical/emotional abuse. I also work with the children of these women in a group setting.  Many of the children have been removed from their mom at some point in time but are back with them now. 

I am learning that adults have a much bigger past than children (no duh Mosby!!). Because of this I find adults to be a little more difficult to work with. There is so much to take into consideration when the client presents a problem. I really struggled with this the first couple of weeks I was on site. I just had a hard time adjusting to being around adults. 

One of the reasons I struggled so much was because the women intimidated me SO much! I was nervous around them, didn't want to speak up in group sessions, and I was worried they were judging me and my skills as a counselor (which are not many at this point in time). It takes me a while to warm up to people and feel comfortable. 5 weeks later I am SO much more comfortable with the women. I am loving getting to know them and sharing what little I can with them. 

I also kept comparing the women to working with children. Children have my heart and always will. I know I am meant to work with them and will do whatever it takes to get there. I have a group of three boys I work with. We do a lot of play therapy and are working on talking about feelings. I love their energy and being with them. 

Overall, I know I am in the right place for me. I am learning so at any new techniques for working with both women and children. The counselor I am working with has done such an amazing job teaching and getting my input from sessions. She has taught me how things work and is so open to me asking 453628 questions. I just love it. 

Now I am praying for an internship. Maybe I will stay at Lighthouse maybe I will need to go. I know God has an awesome plan for me and I cannot wait to see it play out!

Things You Must Know If You Want to Date Me

I have been thinking about this post for quite some time now.  But I didn't now if I would ever publish it or not.  Then after talking to Nikki last night about how both of our parents have been promoting online dating for us, I thought maybe this was the perfect time to post it!

As well all know I am single. Very single. Very very single. And honestly there are no sites for a boy coming along for a long long time. I honestly don't know what I would do right now if I had a boyfriend. I mean I guess I would love him and spend time with him? But if there ever is going to be a guy in my life there are some things I think he may need to know.

via

1. He must love Jesus. This is the number one thing he must know. I love Jesus and need a strong Godly man. Nothing else will do.

2. Brutus is my kid. And if Brutus doesn't like him then I don't think it is going to work. He's going to have to love Brutus just as much as I do. Yup I know I'm lame:)

3. I'm a princess. To the extreme. And I don't do dirt. I can do the beach all day every day, but any other outside things are just not my jam. I don't go camping, I can hike but don't always love it, and I'm not skilled at most sports. I mean if he wants to teach me I am all for it. And I actually kinda like watching sports. But playing? Not really.

4.  He needs to be taller than I am.  Tall enough that I can wear heels when I am with him.  I don't wear them very often, but when I do I do want to make him look short.

5.  Working out should be a priority to him.  It shows great discipline in him and plus I need a good work out buddy :)

6.  I don't go out and party…like ever.  I more of the stay at home and watch movies at night and cook dinner kind of girl.  I mean there are times when I can do a party.  But for the most part I am very low key.

7.  We will not live together before we are married.  For one my mom would disown me if I ever did this, for two it goes against many things I believe in.  Which is why I need a strong Godly man who would totally 100% understand all of this.

8.  My love language is quality time.  So spending time with me, even just sitting on the couch doing homework or watching tv, will mean so much more to me than buying me gifts.  In fact I find receiving gifts really awkward.  (This does not mean he will get away with NEVER giving me gift, especially for my birthday)

9.  I'm kinda a messy person.  My mom and sister would go nuts living with me.  Things just kinda pile up and then once a week or so I put them away.  Yes the clutter will eventually get to me, but for the most part I am too lazy to pick some things up.  This mostly applies to clothes and shoes.

10.  I have only ever kinda had one boyfriend.  And yes I mean kinda.  I know I'm almost 23 and thats kinda lame.  But I am also SUPER picky when it comes to guys.  It's a long story with why the one guy was a kinda, but lets just say I probe won't do long distance ever again.

via

So there you have it.  If you have someone in mind for me just know he must know these things.  Its all true too.  So yeah.

Also don't forget about this giveaway we have going on! It ends this friday and lets just say I wish I could win $130 to J.Crew!

How I Handle Stress

This is my happy place. On the island with the family and relaxing. Couldn't have asked for a better weekend. 

It's no surprise that I have a hard time handling stress in my life.  I let it take over my life and run me into the ground all the time.  I use to say I thrived off stress and did my best work then.  It was a lie.   Stress makes me go crazy and I really do better when I know I have time and I am not stressed.

All of this to say I have found some ways to help me handle the stress that come my way.  It has been trial and error to figure these things out. I have taken from others and come up with some on my own. 

1. I make lists

Anytime I know I have quite a few things to get done that could become stressful and overwhelming I make a list. And then when I complete each item on the list I cross it off.  Best feeling ever crossing it off! 

2. I plan time to relax

This is a big one for me. I have to make time for myself. I have to tell myself to relax. This may just be for an hour but in the end I am less stressed then I was before. 

3. I work out

Running. Weights. Classes. Anything to get my mind off of what I believe I need to be doing. Releasing that energy is so good for me. And I feel better about myself when I finish a workout. So it's a win win if you ask me. 

4. I talk

I call one of the besties and I talk. Talking through something relieves stress for me. Seriously I think I would be an awesome counseling client because I love to talk so much and it works for me. So if we ever become friends be prepared to hear it all from me. 

5. I cry

This doesn't happen all the time, but when the stress reaches a certain level this is all I can do. I cry it out. And when I am done I feel better. Tears can be magical friends. 

For someone who does not handle stress very well it is important for me to know what will relieve it. I need all the help I can get in this area! Anyone else have a tired and true way to relieve their stress?

Welcome Welcome

After doing this awesome giveaway with Lauren, which is still going on, I notice that I have many many new followers around here! Welcome everyone I am so happy happy happy to have you following along. I figured it was about time to do a little about me post!

I have the best family in the whole world. Especially siblings. We are crazy. We are sarcastic. We love each other....most days. 

I graduated last May from the best school around with some of the best friends a girl could have asked for. And I miss it every day. Milligan is a home I can never return to but will always be in my heart.

I am currently getting my Masters in Mental Health Counseling at Southeastern University. I am in my second semester and have been a little overwhelmed. But I know it will all be worth it in the end when I graduate :)

I work a bunch of jobs and even kinda quit one last week. I love being around children so I kept my nanny job and substitute teaching. This week I will be with the middle schoolers...wish me luck!

I love to travel with my family. Within the last year we have gone to Napa Valley California, Charleston South  Carolina, and Savannah Georgia. All trips were amazing and place I would love to visit again!

Charleston stole my heart and is now on my list goals for this year to return to  this year. I have lots of other goals for this year and have done quite a bit of work on them so far!

I have a strong love for coffee, friends, shopping, my cat Brutus, and reading good books.  I hope you will all stay a while and get to know me more :)

Celebrating Friends

Guys I am so excited to bring to y'all today this awesome giveaway! As we all know, Lauren is amy in real life best friend! I love this girl to death and probe am still blogging because of her.  I am so proud of all she has accomplished and cannot wait to celebrate with her with this giveaway! So jump on in and meet some awesome ladies!!

The lovely ladies below are the awesome gals who are throwing this party with me to make it possible for one of YOU to win a $130 gift card to JCrew! So go say hello and thanks a bunch!

The Albrechts Blog // A Beautiful Exchange Blog // The Grand Adventures of Me // Grace for Gayle

Life w/ Mrs. G & the Artist // Love the Here and Now // The I Love You's // The Modern Tulip Blog

Simplicity is Key // Stay Crafty My Friends // Marry Mint // Love & Waffles

Oh, the things I'd love to buy with that gift card. The great news, though, is that one of you can win - and you don't have to be a blogger! Using the Rafflecopter widget below, you have MANY options for entries - following the above blogs on Facebook, Twitter, Bloglovin, Instagram, or even Pinterest. These are all ladies I have met and built relationships with through blogging, so I'd recommend you follow them all ;)

Now go for it! And thank you, thank you, thank you. May the odds be ever in your favor.
This giveaway is open for one week, starting today!

*This giveaway is only open to entrants in the United States

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I Quit....Kinda

This week I kind of quit one of my jobs. How do you kinda quit you ask? Well you go in and tell you boss you are overwhelm and losing your sanity and are not sure you can work there anymore. And then she is lovely and helps get your already scheduled shifts covered. And then still allows you stay on as a call in or emergency person.

source

So which of my 782657936457 jobs did I quit?  The one at the gym. I have worked for Golds Gym for about two ish years. I worked two summers in the kids club and then I have worked at the front desk since last August. 

It was a great job. I will be forever grateful to have had to opportunity to work at Golds. I met so many people there that I know I will be friends with for a long time. But I just needed to a break. I had to take a break or I was going to lose my sanity. And I would be losing it fast. 

Since last August I have worked at the front desk, been a substitute teacher, been a nanny, and in graduate school full time. When I started I could handle it all. I was able to make it work and still had balance in my life. But then January came and things changed. 

I was still working the front desk 15 hours a week (sometimes a little more if I covered for someone), substitute teaching at least once a week if not more, nannying at least once a week if not more, and in graduate school full time. And then let's add in a Practicum (like and internship) for school that is about 10 hours a week. Needless to say I have had a lot on my plate. Oh and I have been waking up at 4:30 am to work out. 

My days went from 4:30-11 everyday Monday-Friday. I have been beyond exhausted. I don't function well on 6 hours of sleep. Some of my days I would be working from 7:30-9. Straight from one job to the next. I hated it. I dreaded it. 

And so I had to evaluate my situation. I needed to give something up. I can't quit school. That's a hell no. And I love love love subbing and nannying. Plus they pay was a bit more than the front desk job. And my hours at the front desk were the ones I needed to get back in my life. 

So after looking at my financial situation and talking to my parents, I talked to my boss at the gym. The weight that lifted off my shoulders knowing I would no longer be out till 10 every night and could finally have a life was immense. I could make plans with friends. I could see my family. I could relax for more than one day a week. 

As much as I hated kinda quitting, I am very happy I did. I know it will be so worth it in the end.  Also I am VERY thankful for such sweet people there who completely understood my situation and were willing to work with me.  I really could not have a found a better people to be working for.

Fake It Till You Make It

this picture is just because baby brutus is just so gosh darn cute!

The other night I was having a good long talk with one of my best friends, Lauren. We get deep a lot and that night was no different. Without totally telling you everything we were talking about (super long story) at one point she said I didn't need her because I was strong (apparently like a cactus?) and could make it on my own. My first reaction was "Of course I need you your my best friend!"  And then my second one was "Me strong?"

I don't necessarily consider myself to be a strong person. I make it through life by faking it. I fake it till I make it. I tell myself to smile and then I will be happy. I tell myself to just do it and get the grade. I tell myself to get through this and then I can go home. I tell myself to act like I don't care in front of others and they won't know my insecurities. I tell myself to act smart and use big words. I tell myself to yell and not cry. 

I fake it till I make it. If this makes you think I am strong than so be it. I have been through my share of hard times. I have dealt with lots of drama. I have had all the normal troubles of the average 22 year old with maybe one or two bigger things thrown in. That to me is life. It got thrown at me and I dealt with it. 

But does this make me strong?  I don't know. Yes, I have figured out how to make it through problems in my life. Yes, I know how to put a smile on my face and power through. I also know I have some good advice to give out. But I don't think this makes me strong. 

To me, the only reason I am strong is because of Christ. Without him I would not be strong. He is my strength and tall tower (Psalm 61:3). 

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through him who gives me strength"

I don't always have the strength to get through things. Rarely does it come naturally. I think this is my biggest prayer every day. For strength to get through something. Strength to overcome. Strength to fight. Strength to stand strong. Strength for everything. I rely on Him at all times to give me the strength I need. 

So if you think I am strong person...think again. He is strong and He is my strength. He is my refuse. He is the one I need to get through each and every day. 

2014 Goals Update

It's now March and I figured I would update my goals on this here blog of mine. I love goals and I love working on them. And I am proud to say I have been working on many of mine! Thanks to Rissa I have felt motivated to complete them!

1. Put 10% of each paycheck into my Savings. Instead of putting away 10% of each paycheck I changed this to reaching a certain number in my savings and staying there. I have reached that number!!!!! And now I just have to keep it there!
2.  Go Back to Charleston Need to get to work on this one!
3.  Focus on my Health I have been working on eating healthy and I now wake up at 4:30 and workout with my mom. It's been the best thing ever to have such an amazing work out partner. 

4.  Really get involved in Church I have made it a priority to be there. Now to get involved. 
5. Meet a blog friend in person Plans to meet Rissa in September maybe!

6. Visit Tennessee and New Hampshire twice at least before the year is up! I visited Tennessee March 1. And I have plans to go to New Hampshire at the end of the summer!

7.  Finish decorating my apartment I have loved my newest additions to my apartment. I added some new prints to my walls. I love the prints and the frames!
Here is what it looked like before:

The first three prints are from Lauren's Blog
Here is way it looks like now:

The new Prints are from this shop.
I also found this tin bin that I absolutely LOVE. It is going a over my kitchen cabinets. I am working on decorating up there and as soon as it is done I will share a finished picture!

8. Find a Practicum and Internship site I got a Practicum!!!! I need to tell yall more about my site. It's amazing. I am learning a lot and it has really opened my eyes to the world. I am now working on finding an internship!
9. Go visit my sister at least one weekend before she comes home from Law School. I need to make this happen soon!
10. Quit one of my jobs Still praying and working on this
11. Do 10 Random Acts of kindness I completed two already! I sent Lauren and her hubby a gift card to go on a date. Those two just moved and I knew life was crazy for them. I just wanted them to take some time for themselves:) 
Also when I was in Tennessee I treated some friends to meals. It was my way of showing love to them:)
12.  Spend more time in the Word Still a work in progress. I was doing good and then I let life get in the way:(
13.  Stop procrastinating work as much I have now worked it into my schedule to get homework done during the week. This has been the best thing ever for me!
14.  Put my phone away more Nope. Didn't do it. 
So I have worked on like 7 out of 14 of yay goals. And it has only been a little over a month! Supes proud of myself!  Now to keep working and having fun doing it:)

One. Five. Ten.

I love Bonnie and all of her wonderfully brilliant ideas. When I read her blog earlier this week about where she was a year, five years, and ten years after graduating from high school I loved it. I like the idea of looking back on who we thought we would be and who we really are today. Everytime I do that I realize how wrong I was always about myself.

1 year Post Graduation

Where I thoughts I'd be: Where to even begin. I knew I would still be at Milligan. I thought I would have my first boyfriend. I thought I would be an elementary education major. I thought I would have best friends. And I thought I would be basically the person everyone knew at Milligan. 

Senior or Junior year of high school

Where I really was: I was a Milligan. I did not have a boy friend. Not even close to one. I was still an elementary education major adding on my psychology major. I had the greatest friends ever. And no one knew me a milligan. Ok some did. But most didn't. I kept to myself and my group of friends a lot. Social interactions are not my jam. 

Sophomore year of college

5 years Post Graduation (this may marks 5 years for me!)

Where I thought I'd be: I thought I would be getting my Masters in Education at Milligan. I thought I would be at least engaged if not married. I thought I would be planning on having kids soon. I would be teaching in the schools. 

Senior year of high school

Where I really am: I am gettingmy my Masters in Counseling in Florida. I moved home. I am not engaged or married. I am far from it. Kids are no where in my near future even a little bit. And while I am a substitute teacher, I do not have my own classroom nor will I ever. I also live on my own, have a cat, and work three jobs. A lot more crazier than I thought I would be. 

This past January

10 years Post Graduation (not there yet)

Where I thought I'd be: I thought I would be married for at least 5 years. Have a couple kids. A teacher or a stay at home mom. I would be married to a very successful man and have a life of almost no stress when it comes to money. I thought I would have the best of friends and the best family. All of my siblings would be married and the cousins would be having a blast growing up together. 

Where I really am: I don't know. I still believe some of these things. But really none of them are going to come true in the next five years. So I am going to make some new predictions. 

I will be married. Maybe have one kid or working on having a kid. I will have a career being a counselor and working on getting my Ph.D. At least one of my siblings will be married and have a kid. I will own my own home and have bought my first car with my own money. I will be able to travel at least once a year with my husband and/or family. I will be happy!

Now let's see if any of that will come true! 

Why I Blog

Everyone blogs for one reason or another. There was something in us that caused us to press that little create a blog button. Over time the number one reason I started a blog has remained the same. I desired to keep those who I did not live near in the know about my life.

I started this blog when I was a sophomore in college. Originally it was "The Life of a Milligan College Student". Longest name ever!!! I really wanted to share what life was like a Milligan. It's a one of a kind place and I thought the world needed to know that. I also was living 11 hours from home and this was a great way of sharing what was going on in my life with friends and family back home. 

I also wanted to write down all of my favorite college memories. We all forget what happened and when. I can even look back to just a year ago and be reminded of something I had forgotten. I love that I have a place to come back to and see what happened and is important to me. 

Now that I have moved back home I write for all my friends who live far away. It's a great way for them to see what I am up to and how I am doing. I love that even if I do not talk to them for a while when we do they know things because they read the blog. And I know most of them love being able to stay in contact a little through this place. 

Overtime blogging has become a stress reliever for me. I have discovered my love of writing over the past couple of years. I never knew how cathartic it could be. I can't imagine not having blogging or some type of writing in my life. I am able to gety thoughts out and let's be honest I have toom any thoughts in my head to not have a place to release them!

We all have our reasons for blogging. And I cannot wait to read more on why all of you love blogging and keep up with it!