I was accepted into the Community Counseling master's program at the University of Oklahoma. I officially began classes in June and completed summer and fall semesters. I began the Spring 2012 semester on January 17, and life has gotten a little more hectic. I will continue to see clients in OU's clinic, and with fifteen hours, I will be hitting the books pretty hard. It's a good thing Eric knows his way around the kitchen! I am continuing to work at the K20 Center as a Phase IV Student Specialist on the GEAR UP for SUCCESS grant, one of the many operating under the K20 Center. My role is student outreach, educating a cohort of sophomore students about college awareness and readiness. We travel to the many different college campuses around the state. I am really learning Oklahoma's geography well...for the most part. I love my coworkers. We work hard, but we always have time for fun.
Eric is back in full swing, teaching art classes at Putnam City West High School. He will begin coaching his second tennis season this semester. Last semester, his cross country team did very well; he took two runners to the State meet, a first for PC West. Eric will travel to New York in February, as he is President-Elect for the Oklahoma Art Educators Association (OAEA). While in New York, he'll learn the ins and outs of the association and understand better what is expected of him as president; his term will begin in 2013. This is the second out-of-state trip he will have taken for OAEA; last year he drove to Seattle for a convention. Eric has become an avid photographer in the past two years, and he was able to take gorgeous photographs of his trip and had a wonderful time while he was there. He documented his trip, and you can check out his photos on his Facebook profile and on Instagram by searching for @i_like_boring_things.
In September, we celebrated Eric's thirtieth birthday party with some of our best friends. I threw a carnival-themed party in the backyard, where we enjoyed hamburgers and cotton candy, as well as an outdoor movie. Most of all, we enjoyed celebrating with our closest Oklahoma friends. Here are just a few photos, taken by our good friend Chris Fuertes:
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| Cotton Candy! |
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| Good food and great friends! |
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| Happy 30th, Eric! |
We enjoyed the holidays and the time out of classes and school. We spent Christmas with the Webbs in Dimmitt, Texas. Mom cooked a lot, while Dad and Kurt entertained us. It was wonderful to get to spend time with Pop and Nana, and we had an exciting Christmas Eve get-together with Granddaddy and G-Dorothy, as well as the whole Nutt clan. We rounded out the holiday by spending a day in Pauls Valley with Greg and Dorothy. We visited with Derrick, played with our niece Cassidy, and had supper at Tio's. We spent New Year's Day with Linda and Anna and the Christensons. The girls are getting so big! We were happy to see Shawn for a few minutes but missed the rest of the Laws family. Here are a few shots from the holidays:
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| Gary and his first OU t-shirt |
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| Webbs and Lyons, Christmas 2012 (and Izzy in the corner) |
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| Eric, Kylie, Amy, Shawn, Linda, & Anna, New Year's Day 2012 |
We have now been in our home for five and a half years this month, and this past year we began redecorating: painting, putting in wood flooring, changing decor, et cetera. We have both found a passion for antique shopping and adding different pieces to our rooms that add a little character. There is still much to be accomplished before we are finished, and it's highly likely that, once everything is just the way we want it, we'll start all over again!
The room we are focusing on now is Eric's art room, stocked with his supplies, an antique drafting table, camera equipment, and music posters on the walls. This year, this room will undergo an extreme transformation, from art room to nursery! Through much prayer and consideration, Eric and I have decided to add a little one to our family by way of adoption from the Democratic Republic of Congo, located in the heart of Africa. This is a very exciting time in our life, and we are so happy to share it with you. We are very early in the process, and there is much to look forward to and accomplish, but we know that we will be unable to undergo this process without love, support, and prayers from all of you. We will update this blog regularly, from what is going on in our day-to-day lives to where we are in the adoption process.
We hope your 2012 is off to a great start! Check back regularly for updates.
Lots of love,
Eric and Kylie
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