24 Reasons To Be Grateful

I was going to do a whole post on patience, but I realized that there is literally 6 more months of learning on that topic before I can post anything worthwhile.

Instead, I decided that I am going to create a list of things I'm thankful for because, in our current world and in my current situation, it turns out that it is quite easy to become Negative Nancy.

24. My family (and yes, that does include my finacé and his family as well) that has done nothing more than be supportive to me throughout my life and be physically supportive to me during my recovery time after my surgery. 

23. Doctors that know what they are doing. So, yes, I had a last minute doctor change who decided that instead of using a cadaver's ACL, we were going to rebuild it using my own tissue. While this will take a longer recovery time, he claims that I'll be 100% at the end of six months and be able to train for a marathon. For a runner, that's some of the best news I could've received. 

22. Working as a teacher. While there will always be days where this job is frustrating (as any teacher can attest to), there are days that make this job worthwhile. 

21. Progress. I'm making progress in all that I do. I'm making progress in becoming a better teacher; I'm making progress on my exercises from the doctor; I'm making progress on the first draft of the book I'm writing. Every day, I make progress. 

20. Creativity. Being stuck on a bed or a couch for long hours at a time is quite boring, but luckily I have a creative mind that allows me to write out fantastical tales, blog posts, or video scripts that can take up time.

19. The ability to read. I love to read and that is not surprising to anyone reading this post, but I am thankful for the ability. When my creative juices seem to run low, or I am just too groggy to think on my own, I can always turn to my massive stacks of books to keep me company. 

18. Puppies. Currently, there are two waggily tales that are with us for Thanksgiving, but there is one in particular who greets me excitedly every day, no matter my mood. Amos has definitely lifted my spirits on days that I have felt drained. This week, we also have Barney who is making sure I have double the affection!

17. Stubbornness. Now, this is one of those things that people might say is more of a negative trait than a positive one for me. However, currently, it's one of the things that keeps moving me forward. I will get better. I will get stronger. I will complete those things that I want to do. 

16. Books. No, I do not count this as the same as number 19, because not everyone is blessed with the abundant amount of worlds and fantasies I have gathered around me to dive into when I need to escape the reality of the world. 

15. Financial stability. So, yes, I still have loans, medical bills, and a wedding to pay for, but I am not hurting. I am thankful that my parents are letting me spend a year at home so that I can pay for all of these things without hurting. (and still allow me to buy a couple books here and here ;) )

14. The internet. I have so many friends who I no longer live near and, as much backlash as social media gets, I am very much thankful for it. It allows for me to continue conversations with people that I may not get to talk with otherwise - celebrate when the time calls for it and grief when they need it. It also allows me to meet and befriend amazing people that I might not get to know outside of the interwebs. 

13. Vacation.  I feel that this one doesn't need explanation. :)

12. Chocolate - because everything can be made better by chocolate. 

11. I am thankful for a country that allows me to speak my own mind in any form I chose. Though most people find this dangerous and, personally, most people abuse this, I am still thankful we have this right. I am thankful that I am allowed to freely discuss different opinions and ideas with people without fearing for my life. 

10. Fall. There's something so wonderful about this season. Warm, fuzzy things, crisp air, spice smells and SO. MUCH. FOOD! I love the fall. For me, it's the happiest time of the year! (Especially in Texas where it's still in the 60s and 70s. )

9. Laughter. People say that laughter is the best medicine, but it's also a great way to bond with people. Most of my best memories with people are of us sharing stories and creating really weird inside jokes. Laughter doesn't have a language barrier.

8. Beautiful Nerves. Now, I know most people always have a weird story from their surgery, because they are loopy, but I have one before my medicine hit. I received a nerve block before I went under (for obvious reasons.) So, these two wonderful ladies come in and they use an ultrasound to find the nerves in my thigh, followed by a horribly long needle to make doubly sure I feel no pain. As they are looking around, the doctor goes, "You have such beautiful nerves." And then I got a whole lot of medicine in my system. 

So, when I am feeling down, I just have to remember that I got beautiful nerves in my body, which makes me beautiful as well. 

7. Bending knees. I never knew how grateful I would be for this common body movement until I was not allowed to do so for a week.

6. Friends. The family that has chosen to love me, my weirdness, and everything else that comes along with it. 

5.  Brand new days. Because sometimes the only way to move forward is knowing that yesterday cannot possibly be repeated. There is a chance for forgiveness and there is a chance to start again. 

4. The Dallas Cowboys having their first great season in a good long while. 

3.  The Ice Machine. If you have ever used one, you totally understand. If you haven't, well, be thankful you haven't. 

2. My finacé. (Yes, he gets his own) He has chosen to stick with me for better or for worst for the rest of our lives. That's worth being your own number on this list. :)

1. A God that is control of all aspects of my life, even if I am unsure what will happen come tomorrow. 

There are 24 reasons that I am grateful this season. 24 things that I need to remind myself constantly through the next six months of my life. Hopefully, as this time progresses, I will be able to constantly add to this list, and be able to train myself to stay in the Positive Pam mindset - because I know that it's a much better place to be. 

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all.

Until next time,

Kaity 

Kaity's New Groove

Hello, lovelies.

     Can you believe that we are already in the month of November? My brain keeps going between these weird states of feeling every second of the day, but yet also thinking that we started the school year two weeks ago. There's no in between.

     This post is not going to be about the election, so rest easy. We voted, and a decision was made. Everyone has their own perspectives, and that's one reason our country is great. All I ask is that you please respect each other's opinions.

Anyway - onto happier things!

I finally feel that I am in a groove. It's November - the start of the third six weeks - and I may have finally figured out the system. Mind you, that's all going to change come Spring, but what's a new year without new challenges?

The struggle for me, currently, is budgeting my time. I know that I am not the only one who struggles with the fact that we can't cram 40 hours into a 24 hour day. There is so much amazing ideas and projects that are bouncing around in my head, but I never seem to have enough time to do them all!

As I'm sure Charles and about 90% of my friends can tell you, I tend to overload my plate. I don't mean to; I just forget how many hours are really in a day. Ah, well, with age and experience will come improvement.

During the next few weeks (because I am honestly not sure when the next post will be right now) I do ask for your prayers. Next week Friday (if all goes well) I have another knee surgery, this time to reconstruct my missing ACL. Due to becoming a teacher and switching insurances and all the fun parts of being an adult, I have changed doctors and, therefore, changed the type of procedure for this current surgery.

I trust this doctor, and more than that I trust God to take care of me. However, as all know, with surgeries comes dangers, so if you wouldn't mind just saying a quick prayer for the doctors over my surgery that day, and the 6-month healing process that is to follow, it would be a comfort.

I hope that all of you wonderful people have a glorious day. It's Thursday - we are that close to the weekend! What's going to stop us from rocking out the week?

Until next time,

Kaity Sheppard

The Process of Change

     For the last few weeks, I haven't written a blog post for a couple reasons. The first, being the most obvious, is the lack of time. It astounds me how short 24 hours really is. The second is not as easily explained; that is the fear of admitting the truth.

     These last few weeks have not been easy for me. They have forced me to really analyze the limits of my flexibility and patience ( I'm currently learning how to push those boundaries wider and wider), my teaching style (which is currently all over the place), do I like who I am as a teacher and as a person, and am I where I want to be (in the more abstract sense)? Y'all, I am struggling with figuring out a lot of these answers.

     I don't like the feeling of not knowing. I don't like the feeling of failure, and that's the feeling that I've been struggling with the most. Have I failed already in these first five weeks? Am I doing what is best for my students? Am I completing everything that is being asked of me?

     To me, part of that failure feeling also comes from not being able to write a 100% positive post over what is happening to me right now. I feel that I am struggling with finding the good things that I know, at some point, are happening during the days at my school.

      So, that's the reason that I have been quiet the last few weeks - I feel like I have not been as successful as what I would like to show on this blog. But, as I have stated before, this is my real life. I just need to find a way to seek out the positive in it.

    On a much happier note:

     Wedding planning, during all of this crazy, has somehow been progressing. There are things that we can officially knock off or to-do list, and that is such a wonderful feeling.

          ✓  Venue
        ✓  Photographer
          ✓  Videographer
          ✓  DJ
          ✓  Wedding Rings

     Engagement photos are coming up, dress shopping will be happening soon, and my goodness tastings out the wazooie!

      We are rocking and rolling over here! Every time we take a little bit of the weekend to complete a task (and God bless Charles because he's been doing most of them while I bury myself in school work) I get excited all over again, but not about the wedding. I mean, sure, our wedding is going to be awesome, but it's the part after I'm ready for; spending the rest of my life with my best friend and the person that I love most in this world. I'm ready for the marriage, and wedding planning reminds me that I am one day closer to getting there.

     That's my light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. The little thing that keeps me sane. When teaching gets tough,  ignore it for a while by planning your wedding.

     Probably not the best philosophy in the world, but at the moment, it's allowing me to stay sane.

     Until next time,

          Katiy

A New Kind of Tired

Everybody warned me that the first week of teaching would be hell, especially on a new teacher. Especially on a Deaf Ed newbie like myself. But y'all, I still didn't know what would hit me.

Here I sit at 10:05 on a Sunday night, just wrapping up my lesson plans for this week. Not any of the materials - just the actual plans themselves. It has taken me over 4.5 hours to come up with six subject lesson plans for the week. (18 lesson plans because we have a weird block schedule-type thing.) I. Am. Pooped.

I think that the part of that is two-fold. First, I am learning the system of the school. Dos and don'ts, things that need to get done, how to be a case manager,  and how to do extra things that I didn't know I was going to be doing this year. Of course, add on that that we didn't get our schedules until three days in and you have a fairly stressed child.

Then, on top of that, those subjects that I never, ever wanted to see in my lifetime again have been added to my schedule. Geometry? Easy Peasy. Math Models? No sweat. Basic Science? I'll figure it out. World History? English? Now you've lost me.

Luckily, there are some nice teachers up here at Weatherford ISD that are pretty awesome and very willing to help a Newbie Teacher like me out. It brings my stress level down from about 100 to a 98.

All I know is that I am just so tired and there seems to be a never-ending list of things that need to be taken care of for school - which right now trumps the wedding and personal to-do lists. I feel like grad school taught me the theory behind swimming and then, feeling confident, I jumped into the deep end of the pool with no floaties on. Even though I'm pumping my arms and legs as fast as they will go, it feels like it's barely enough to keep my head above water.

People are constantly telling me that it will get easier - by the third year, you'll have a system down. Right now, I'm praying that I just get to the end of the week. We're already the second week in and I'm realizing mistakes that I've made; changes to how I would like to run my classroom. Right now, it's easy to change up what I'm doing, but I know it won't be easier the deeper we go.

If I were to sum up this last week into one word, it would be overwhelming. I am tired, both mentally and physically. I feel like I've been working nonstop and have very little to show for it. I know that most people always talk about the positives that happen in their life, but I want to give an accurate portrayal of becoming an adult, and it's not all butterflies and roses. This week was hard, y'all, and I know it won't be the only one.

So, this week, pray for the teachers. Pray for the ones who have been there for years, and then give extra prayers to the newbies like me, who feel like they are quite literally drowning. Pray that, as we are learning how to swim, we are reminded of why we chose this profession in the first place.

Thanks,

Kaity

You Can't Always Get What You Want...

     People always say that if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans. Well, God is currently laughing so hard at me, there are tears in His eyes.

     You see, I am a stubborn child that likes to plan out my life. In January, I had a pretty decent idea of how the next twelve months were going to go. At the beginning of each of those months, I made a list of goals. Those goals were broken down by weeks and then I figured out what I needed to do each day to have a successful and productive week.

     Oh, yes. I am the mom from The Little Prince movie. (Phenomenal retelling of the book, by the way. If you have the time, you should watch the movie on Netflix.) I love planning. I don't like surprises; I prefer being fully prepared.

     I also have this tattoo on my side that represents "being willing to change". The whole point of me getting that tattoo two years ago was as a personal reminder that it's God's plan, not mine, that I need to follow. Does this mean that I have fixed the error of my planning ways? Oh, Lordy, no. I am still very weak in that department.

     Part of being an adult means being able to accept when your plan and God's plan don't align and trusting that His plan will be better for you in the long run. (Spoiler Alert : It always is.) That's part of what I have been learning this past summer. It's also why I haven't really posted anything on here - I hadn't gotten to the end of my lesson yet.

     At this point in most young adult's life, there are a few things that you start looking for once you have a job. Some of these things may include insurance, phone plans, and apartments. You might have this whole idea of how things will be when you live on your own, but then something happens, like an unexpected knee surgery. Or the fact that you're planning a wedding. Or that you're swimming in debt. All of a sudden, your plan has to go out the window.

     I'm sure y'all have picked up that these are real life examples from yours truly. God knew what was coming this summer, even if I didn't understand what was happening. While living at home at 24 isn't ideal, it does give me a much-needed chance to save money and pay off a huge chunk of loans I might not have been able to do otherwise. It also gives me family support (literally) for after my surgery. Living on my own afterward would be difficult for a while, especially if I ended up on a high floor somewhere.

     So, yes. this summer I haven't gotten everything that I wanted. And, yes, I have been / still slightly am frustrated by it. I think a lot of people feel that way when their plan and God's don't align. However, I have to keep moving forward. I have to remember my tattoo, the reason behind it, and trust that God will take care of me. He has always done so before, and I know that He will this time as well.

I hope your summer break was everything you were hoping for!

Until next time,

Kaity

What Lifeguards Want You to Know...

I'm not dead! (I assumed y'all are aware of this, but just wanted to make sure that it's clear. :P) My goal was to be very consistent with this new blog, but it turns out lifeguarding is a very draining line of work.

Ah, yes. To make it to the fall, I have taken up a position as a lifeguard at a local water park. It's hot, it's crazy long shifts, but I do find myself liking my job. There are bad days, sometimes - but that happens with any job.

Remember this beauty of a blog post; Happy Customers, Happy Business ? Surprise! This is basically a continuation of that. This time, we're talking about what lifeguards want you to know next time you go to a water park.

Now some of you may be thinking, 'Oh, those crazy kids. Of course they drive you crazy not following the rules.' Fun fact: I have more adults than children who break the rules where I work. The worst one that the kids break most of the time is

1. No Running! 

Goodness gracious, I don't understand how the concept of walking is so difficult. Yes, I know that you are excited to be here and go to this slide / ride / play area, but please walk. We don't want you slipping, falling, and getting hurt. (Yes, this has happened in the way of bloody noses....a few times.)

Parents, if you see one of us asking your child to "Walk, please!", do not respond with 'It's not a big deal.' Chickadee and Chickasir, the reason we are asking them to do this is because walking is a rule at all water parks. This is for their protection. Also, if this is the fourth or fifth time that we've addressed this issue to your child, make sure they understand. We get tired of repeating ourselves as much as you do.

2. Read the signs. 

We have a lot of areas in our water park ( as most do ) that limit who can ride them by size. Sometimes there's a minimum and sometimes there's a maximum. We have to enforce these so that people don't end up hurt or find themselves in a situation where they are not strong enough to swim. And yet, parents argue these with us all the time.

  'I never saw a sign.'  / 'You think there would be a sign.' Just because you didn't see it, doesn't mean it's not there. 

'That's a stupid rule.'  Duly noted. That's not going to change it.

"Why can't you make an exception?'  Because that puts the person coming down the ride/ the people around them / the ride itself / the lifeguard at the location at risk. We cannot make an exception for you, no matter how mad you get.

3. We are not free babysitters.

You would think that this one would be understood, but no. Our job is to constantly scan a certain area we are assigned. We watch to make sure that kids / parents / guardians are following the rules and that there is no one floating unconscious in the water. I cannot personally watch Little Sally for you. That's your job as their guardian.

4. Don't argue with the lifeguard.

This one doesn't apply to children as much as it applies to adults. I have grown men and women try to fight me on rules they don't see as fun or fair for their child. These rules are in place for a reason. My job is to enforce them. No, you can't swim past the rope because that's out of my vision. No, I don't care that the tubes floated past the line. No, you can't ride down the slide with you're kid because you're past the height limit. No, you can't ride down the ride with the baby in your lap, it's not safe. I mean... y'all. Come on. These are common sense things! I'm not going to apologize that you are required to follow the rules just like anyone else. Being an adult doesn't make you an exception.

While we're on the topic of exceptions...

5. Season pass holders doesn't make you VIP.

No matter where I have gone, I have never understood this concept. I get that you have paid for a pass that allows you unlimited visits. You did not pay for a pass that makes you an exception to our rules.. These rules are here to keep you safe so that you can keep coming back. You are all guests in our park and we will treat you equally.

6. Please, please no more Dead Man's Float.

Y'all. Y'all. When you play these games, or any hold your breath / dunking / screaming that you're going to drown yourself type games, we are trained to react. We are trained to save your life. Once we have completed this task, you and your guardians are then forced to sit down with my bosses and fill out paperwork of why the lifeguard had to jump in and save you. Now, this summer I have had (as most in the park have) legitimate saves. I am never mad about having to do them, never. I will be extremely pissed to jump into the water to save someone who is faking it.

Actually...maybe not. Maybe embarrassing the mess out of you and your parents will be enough motivation for you to stop.

Please don't fake things like that in front of life guards. We can't tell the difference. Doing any type of rescue is super stressful. Please, I am pleading with you, don't make us do it for illegitimate reasons. It also means that we might miss someone who really, actually needs our help.


So, yeah. Those are six things that lifeguard would really like you to know this summer. We are here to make sure that bad situations don't become worse. We are trained and constantly tested to make sure our skills are all fresh. We are happy to complete our job to keep people safe. I hope that you keep these things in mind next time you're at a water park.

Happy Fourth of July. Until next time,

Kaity

(Comic Created by Patrick Hardin. )

Getting Back on Track!

I always find that resetting myself back up on a schedule is harder than when I first established the schedule. That sentence sounds confusing. Basically, what I mean is that this week is a bit of a struggle after coming home from camp. You have to understand that I thrive on scheduling. I get that part of adulting life, because I had to figure it out way back when in high school. However, being removed from it or having an ever changing schedule is stressful on me.

Before camp, I had a system. I would wake up a couple hours earlier than I needed and get to work on the day's to-dos. I would try to only leave a couple things for me to finish after work, because eight hours in the sun eventually takes its toll. Then I went to camp, where my schedule was total switched, only to come home five days later to try and jump back on that bandwagon. Turns out I'm not so good at the second part. (It's also why this blog post is three days late.)

In case you're wondering, camp was phenomenal. This year, Life Deaf Youth Camp's theme was #Selfie. Our main verse of the week was Genesis 1:27 and we spent the four and a half days there really talking about what our "selfies" show about us and about the Creator. We had some wonderful discussions about how to improve our selfies and how to be proud of them as well. The camp didn't just impact the campers; I truly believe that it impacted the staff as well.

Now, while camp was a wonderful and busy week away from reality, eventually we all had to come back home. It is now, as it was before, full steam ahead. These next 13 months will be the busiest I've had in quite some time. Why? Well, if you missed the announcement on my social media, Charles and I found a venue!

Somehow, we were extremely lucky and on our first visit, found the perfect place for the wedding. Yes, the date is established, too, but we will not be announcing that until engagement photos and save the dates are in the mail. (Basically, October / November ish.)

I can't tell you how awesome it is to have a date. It is nice to be able to count down and makes for planning everything else that much easier. One of the biggest chunks (or perhaps the biggest chunk) is checked off our list. While I know there's still a lot to do, I'm excited to really diving into planning this wedding.

Before I sign off, I do also have a couple of prayer requests. First, as a life guard, I hope that you pray for the life guards/ camp counselors / anyone else working outside in the Texas heat this summer. It looks like it's already turning into a brutal one, even after the amount of rain we've had. Also, this is my first summer back in Texas and I've basically forgotten what heat is. So prayers that people don't pass out at their job and that we make it through August in one, sweaty piece. (Also - please, please, please, drink lots of water and put on sunscreen. Please be safe - sunburns are not a safe way to get a tan.)

Second, I am right on the edge of getting this teaching certification from Massachusetts. It has been a process to hurry everything along so that I am able to even receive job offers. Once this certification is in place, I can start the transfer to a Texas certification, which is another whole ordeal in itself. Please pray that these things are taken care of quickly and efficiently. because right now this is a key component in my stress and anxiety.


Thank you for your prayers and support. Y'all are wonderful. Stay beautiful!

Until next time,

Kaity Sheppard

Learning to Balance

     I love Dr. Seuss. His books, while some of them made for nothing more than humor, knew how to break down important life messages into ways that children of all ages could understand.

     Around graduation every year, there is one particular book that always comes back around, Oh, the Places You'll Go! This is by far my favorite book written by Dr. Seuss. This book is also probably quoted more than any other because of how realistic it truly is. So, yes, while we might not actually face green, fluffy monsters that kind of look like their design was borrowed from the Loch Ness silhouette, the words still ring true. 

     I pulled this book out not too long ago to read again. My copy, a special anniversary edition, was given to me back when I graduated high school and has multiple hand written notes from loved ones throughout it. Both bring me a world of comfort - and also remind me that I must keep going. 

     One of the things I have been struggling with lately is that I want a relaxed summer vacation. I'm done with school, really and truly finished, and I just want to chill. The problem is that, especially as an adult, life doesn't slow down. There are things that need to be taken care of, problems that need solutions, and chores that need completing. Summer vacations are things of the past. 

     Of course, I am also trying to figure out this whole idea of balancing what needs to get done versus what I can reasonably get done in 24 hours. Sometimes I forget that I'm not Superman. I have a massive to-do list that connects with future jobs and the wedding and then I have a list of things that I want to do because, darn it, I just want to do it. Life requires a balance of the two so that you aren't burnt out, but so far I'm not too great at that. 

   

     I have my phone calendar, a planner, a weekly to - do list, and daily to-do list to try and help me knock out everything that is necessary. Most of the time, using these things keeps me on track as a successful juggler. Sometimes, I abuse these and throw too many balls in the air at once and lose control. There's really no in between for me. 

     I guess this post isn't so much teaching about balancing as it is requesting for help. (That's another adult skill I'm slowly becoming more comfortable with.) This week is going to be a long one, just between work and the list of what needs to be done. While, yes, prayers and good vibes are appreciated, I really would love to hear people's advice of staying balanced.

     Until next time,

           Kaity

I'M ENGAGED!!!!

     On May 14, 2016 one chapter of my life closed as another started. That particular Saturday were equal parts important for me and my boyfriend. First off, I graduated with my Ed.M in Deaf Education from Boston University. Second, my boyfriend became my fiancè.

     Many of you wanted to hear how it happened and why, of all places, did it happen at a train station. Keep reading, my lovely followers, and you will understand why that was the most romantic place he could've chosen.

A bit of background information:


     584 days ago (on a Saturday, apparently - Charles counted) I was riding in to Chestnut Hill for one of my very first shifts at The Container Store. I, having just moved up there, am totally zoning out when I notice, standing across from me, is someone wearing boots. We aren't talking stylish boots or steal-toe, we're talking about legitimate Texas cowboy work books. I'm sure you can understand my confusion to seeing someone in Boston with these on their feet.

     I spent most of the time looking back and forth between his boots and his face. He found this pretty funny, and was also the first to say "Hi," when we got off the train and headed into work. That was the beginning of a pretty fantastic relationship.

Fast forward a year and a half to May 14th, 2016:

     I had no clue what was coming.

     Charles, apparently, had been planning this entire thing for MONTHS. He had the ring ready, he had the plane tickets, and the last thing he did was ask for my parents permission and get them to help everything go smoothly.

    ( You have to understand that Charles and I have been talking about getting married for a couple months now, but he had been telling me that there was no way we could move forward until January because that's when he would be done with school and get a job. We had talked about this so often, that the slightest possibility that he would appear on graduation weekend, in Boston, never once crossed my mind.)

     Charles flew up to Boston on Thursday so that he wouldn't run into me when I came up on Friday. I had to fly in before my family so that I could take one last certification test for my teaching licence. He managed to stay under the radar the whole time, even when we talked on the phone.

     Saturday, my family flew in and they made it just in time to get to my graduation. I had to go early, so I didn't know that they were working with Charles to make a plan in case their plane ran late. (This happens a lot when you're in a rush to go somewhere.)

     At 3:00 PM we began graduation and were out in a couple of hours. We made it back to the hotel about 6 PM and Mom was already pushing us out the door to go to dinner. She had made us reservations at Legal Sea Food (fancy Boston chain that's delicious!) over in Chestnut Hill at 8 PM. She was adamant that no one change clothes for this because she wanted a nice, sit down dinner. (I thought this was Mom being Mom and didn't think anything about it.)

     Now, as a partial Bostonian, I knew that we could make it from Cambridge to this restaurant with plenty of time to spare, even with having to buy weekly passes for everyone. We went anyway and I taught my family how to ride on the train and what not to do while you're in the North.

     We get to Chestnut Hill and it just so happens that the way we got on the train forced me to be the last person out. My family is just standing outside the train, looking a little lost, and I turn left and start walking to the stairs leading to the street. That's when I felt a tap on my shoulders and turned around to see Charles.

     I was so excited to see him and we hugged and it didn't dawn on me what was going on until he started this very beautiful prepared speech about when we met here a year and a half ago. When he got down on one knee, I was beaming and practically bouncing up and down. I couldn't have asked for a better proposal.

     So there you are, folks. There's the full story. We have not really begun planning the wedding, although we do know it'll be next year in the summer-ish / early fall time. That's something that both of us have to start learning about very soon.

     I hope that you enjoyed the beginning of the new chapter of my life as much as I did.


     Until next time,

          Kaity

P.S. - Thank you Bill and Eufrey for helping Charles get everything together for this!