thankful thursday - let's do this.

for the first time in as long as i can remember, i don't have any specific new year's resolutions this year. not because i think i have everything together, we all know i don't.  & not because i am against resolutions, i actually think they can be quite helpful.  i really am just not feeling called to any one specific task or goal or weakness.  the only thing that keeps going through my mind as this new, beautiful year approaches is:  let's do this.

blakey & i have quite the year ahead.  we are leaving this wonderful city, these wonderful friends, these wonderful jobs, our wonderful life we have spent three years building this year.  we are starting a new.  we are packing up everything we own & moving to a city we have each been in less than 3 days or less than an hour.  we are starting over once again.  new jobs, new home, new friends, new city, new life.

i am thrilled & terrified all at the same time.  i am positive this is where we are supposed to be.  but somehow that doesn't completely lighten the anxiety of it all.  so to all of the excitement & fears, let's do this.  let's freakin do this.

& for all of the excitement & fears, i am thankful.  even if i am not sure of it all, i am thankful.  let's do this, 2014.

i hope you can think of something today for which you are thankful.

love love,
kjp.

thankful thursday - beautiful art.

my dear friend, marygrace, who baked at urban with me is not only a very good bread baker but also an incredible artist.  truly incredible.  & for my she-was-going-away gift, she created most beautiful piece of art for me.  it has abstract shapes representing states & our upcoming move from alabama to kansas city.  the top has a bright sun with glitter on it!  marygrace used glitter.  i'm so proud of her.  & in mg's breathtaking handwriting, it quotes:

i will never leave nor forsake you. 

i hung it up as soon as i got home.  it's absolutely beautiful.  & i am so grateful for the treasure & the gesture.  

miss working with you, mg.

i hope you can think of something today for which you are thankful.

love love,

kjp.

we're moving to kc!!!

ladies & gentlemen, we are moving to kansas city!!  blakey matched at the university of missouri - kansas city for the maternal fetal medicine fellowship program.  in normal person's terms that means:

a.) blake is a rockstar.  but we already knew that.
b.) he has chosen to do years 9 through 11 of post-graduate education.
c.) that training will be in high-risk obstetrics.
d.) we will be moving back to the midwest in june 2014!

we are absolutely thrilled.  excited about moving much closer to home, excited about a brand new city to explore & fall in love with, excited {well, blakey is} about snow, excited about watching tanky frolic in the snow, excited to eat cow much more often, & very very excited to be able to hop on home on a whim or for a weekend or for a football game or for a birthday or for whatever it is we want to pop on home.  oh yeah, not to mention the fantastic training blakey will be getting.

many fun times ahead.  both our last months in birmy & our next three years in our new kansas city home.

love love,

kjp.

thankful thursday - interviews are over!

{blakey on his last flight home, 

which he made by mere minutes}

fellowship interviews are finished!!!  blakey is home, his semi-permanent luggage has yet to be unpacked, dry cleaning still needs to be taken, but he is home!  this friday is going to be his first friday at home in four weeks.  getting off work on friday is so much better when i know blakey will be there to share the evening.  i'm so happy.

 {blakey & his brothers on a fantastic saturday in oklahoma}

i'm so thankful he's finished & home.  thankful he had the opportunity to interview at truly amazing programs.  thankful he got to spend an entire evening with his brothers.  thankful for your thoughts & prayers & encouragement.  thankful for what God has in store for us.

41 days until match day.

i hope you can think of something today for which you are thankful.

love love,

kjp.

happy friday!

{photo courtesy of lyssmoore on instagram}

how beautiful is this photo of my lavender & vanilla bean donut with a delicious urban cup of coffee?? i love seeing my treats through another's eyes.  it's an honor & really really neat.

blakey is heading home from interview number 4 of 12 this evening!  a third of the way through.  awoohoo!  we are going to enjoy our favorite saturday tradition - after finishing work & enjoying a lovely urban breakfast, get a workout in at body pump, soak up some rays at the pool, pick out a delicious brew at hop city, & enjoy it all on our patio while tanky runs around with green man.  & then if we have any energy left in the evening, date night!  we're pretty excited.

happy friday, my friends.

love love,

kjp.

let the fun begin.

{my teeny tiny cupcakes!

strawberry & lemon & blueberry}

blakey is going on his first interviews for fellowship this weekend.  he'll be all over the place for about two months of interviews.  two months of traveling & putting his best foot forward & evaluating what will be best for us for the next three years.

we look forward to what's ahead of us!  to all of the joys in store for the next three years of our life, to where we will call home, to who will become our new friends, & to what life will be like.

if you're the praying type, we would be so grateful for your prayers - prayers for safe travels, for low stress, for clarity as to what is best for us, & for faith that God will send us where we should go.  

happy friday, friends!

love love,

kjp.