Mary Kay Beauty Consultant

I think that probably every woman out there has hard of Mary Kay, right? It is a line of make-up and skin care items for women, and they also have several items for men. A few weeks ago I went to a May Kay party for a friend of mine (her husband is also an M1 at UMMC, and we are in the Wives' auxiliary together!). I was listening to the beauty consultant talking about what Mary Kay was like for her and I was so inspired! Not only was she really able to boost her financial situation, but it gave her an opportunity to meet some really amazing woman and touch so many lives. I was inspired to look into becoming a consultant myself. So.....last week I signed up and I am now an official consultant!

I am so excited to be working with such a great group of women. They emphasize that our priorities should always be- God first, Family Second, and Career third. I was so impressed that from the very beginning they were emphasizing that a career should not be the most prominent thing in our lives. Of course we need jobs to survive and pay bills (etc etc etc), but a job or one's desire for money should never be the ultimate goal or our driving force. 

I think this is an especially hard concept in the world today, particularly in my generation. We are beginning to enter the work force now and it is hard sometimes to remember that all the benefits of life and work will come in due time. Our parents didn't have 3 story mansions and granite counter tops when they were our age. I believe there is a certain sweetness that comes with working hard at something and then enjoying the benefits. I've been thinking about this a lot lately because I think the timeline Will and I are looking at has become more apparent and 'real' to me. He's got at least 3 1/2 years of school left and then several years of residency, and soon (hopefully!) I'll be back in school. We've still got a long haul before we'll be in our careers and working. 

I know our time will come when we can work and enjoy the benefits. For now I am trying to enjoy all the small things that come with our lifestyle at this point, for I know this time will pass all too quickly. 

I love that I can vacuum the whole apartment without having to plug the vacuum into more than one outlet. 

I love that I can always hear where Will is in the apartment. 

I love that Will can ride his bike to the hospital.

I love that we are in the middle of a neighborhood and can go walking and visit with our neighbors. 

I love that we are almost equidistance from all 3 families. 

I love that this apartment has so many windows and we always get so much sunlight. 

I love that the small space means we are constantly bumping into each other. 

I love that our laundry is right in the kitchen. It makes me laugh now, but I know I'll miss it one day.

I love living in such an eccentric part of the city and seeing all of our weird neighbors walk around. 

I love that in the afternoon I can hear the local high school marching band playing. 

I love that we are right across from a park where they show free movies like ET and Indiana Jones. 

I love that we have two porches and a little patch of green space that I have reclaimed. 

Circa May 2011

There are so many things that I love about this apartment and this stage of life we are in now. I'm trying to enjoy everything about this moment because it's going to pass too quickly. So for the time, I am going to take too many pictures, stay up way too late with Will (every night this week), and try to enjoy all that this stage has to offer.

Go hug someone you love :)

Catch Up

At the beginning of August, Will started Medical School. We were very prepared for a difficult ride- and were pleasantly surprised when at first it wasn't really that bad. We still were able to find time to hang out and catch up, as well as finding enough time to study and feel good about school. Well, the past few weeks have become more difficult. His schedule has been more hectic, which translates to less time together, at home, or studying. The stress level has increased and we are both feeling it. Thankfully he now has an off weekend- meaning he doesn't have any major tests next week so we will get a breather. For this, I am thankful.

We both feel like we are on the right track right now, but the time commitment is still daunting at times. He's got a little more than 3 1/2 years of school, then roughly a 5 year residency, then more if he decides on a fellowship etc. We know it will be worth it, but still, that's a lot time, ya know?

Our mantra right now is One Day At A Time. We've been told the first year is the most difficult, and I feel that is mostly because of the adjustment period from undergrad. It's a lot of changes all at once, and the expectations are so high and there is very little 'me' time. Will is doing very, very well with all the changes- but there's only so much one person can do.

For all of these reasons, I am so glad that we decided to go ahead and get married before school started. We dated for 5 1/2 years before we got married, and throughout that time our plans changed a lot. For a while we were thinking of tying the knot after both of our schooling, but now I'm confident that this journey would be so much more difficult without him being right there with me. We are so blessed.

I read a quote the other day that I felt really spoke to me-

Source: imperfectionatbestt.tumblr.com via Clare on Pinterest

Happy Wednesday.