in which: i find a good, good place

Tomorrow I will be throwing my pack over my shoulder once more and taking up a new home. 

My ninth move in six years. It's crazy when I put it into numbers. Where has the time gone? How am I not better at packing by now?

I'll still be in the same town, but closer to work and back in with a couple of beautiful girls you may remember...

Alycia

&

Rin

Rin's Mom owns the condo where I'll be going and Sam moved out several weeks back. 

I will miss Buck and Dori, the boys and of course, the muppets (Zion & Checkers)! I will still be around though, just a short drive away. The new place is awesome! I'll have my own room, own rules, own schedule for when things get done around the house... that will be nice. Overall it will be less expensive and best of all, I'll be deepening my relationship with these two amazing, soulful people. My life is in a good, good place. 

Did I mention that Peanut pretty much packed my ENTIRE room and all my belongings while I was at work today?? I need to marry this saint...

I am

Olli

in which: i'm holding onto hope

Lately I have a craving to spend more time with God. I want to be near Him and to share him and to be the Light. I feel sad when I think of the way I spend my time and how lazy it really is. I work and work and work but... what am I working toward? I'm not saving much. But I don't want to be about money. I want to be about... more. 

more.

I want my family to know I care about them. I want to help My Love better. I want to be a better friend. I just want to be a better version of myself. Sometimes I feel exhausted and feel so stretched thin. And then a customer at work will come in and say,"Yes, I am tired too. I'm a full-time medical student and mother and I work." And I'll feel so guilty because I get tired over working 7 hours a day and cleaning a house in exchange for rent and... hanging out with my boyfriend? Do I even have the right to say I'm tired? I know I shouldn't compare myself. All our lives are different and God calls us to different things. 

God, today I need the hope that is You. 

That you do have a future and hope for me.

That You will see me through all the days of my life.

That not just some things, but ALL things are possible because You 

love us.

Amen.

I am

Olli

in which: i've got girls

Today I realized just how much I miss my faraway friends...

Ashley P.

Lovely, Natural, Creative, Inspiring, Adventurous, Unique & Quirky

Jennifer

Fabulous, Wacky, Loud, Sweet, Feisty, Loving & a little Inappropriate ;)

Ashley W.

Lively, Adventurous, Hilarious, Free-Spirited, Gutsy, Talented & Bold

I cannot wait for my wedding so that I will finally have all the people I love in one room.

I love you girls!! I am surrounded by so much beauty, life & intellegence ~ I miss you everyday & am so blessed to have ya'll in my life!!!

xoxo

I am

Olli

in which: we begin

Photos from my first Texas Master Naturalist class!!

This binder is massive and super heavy.

Me taking notes like the badass student I am. 

Or hope to be anyway :)

 The presentation on Edwards Aquifer was actually very interesting though. Most everything we were taught came from this site, created by Gregg Eckhardt, who also did the presentation. 

www.edwardsaquifer.net

>>>>>>><<<<<<<

We've had a few classes since this one and although not everything we discuss is fascinating (ok, some of it's downright boring...), I've made a couple friends who are into the green thumb, nature-loving, save the planet things I'm into :) And next week ~ we'll be studying Ornithology!!! 

On a side note, yesterday I turned down an opportunity to go to a beginners course on Falconry. I had work and the place it was held was about an hour & a half away and... the more I think about it the more bummed I am that I didn't just call in to work!!! I found out about it the night before though so... NEXT TIME.

I am

Olli

in which: it's true

"There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm.

One is supposing that breakfast comes from the 

grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace."

Aldo Leopold

in which: dreams do come true

Changed the header in light of Spring around the corner. I love the peaches on there since I've picked it as my new "flavor of the season". It's something I started doing last year, and kind of own little way of getting myself to try new flavors of things I wouldn't normally pick. Last year was grapefruit and now it is peach, thanks to the inspiring and deliciously smelling new lotion I got from work! Seriously you guys, the smell of this lotion is like biting into a ripe, juicy, freshly picked peach.

Speaking of work; I got that promotion last week!! Yeeeeaaahhh!!! I also got accepted into a leadership series called Talent Bench for work aaaaannndddd *drum roll please*.....

I got accepted into the Texas Master Naturalist Certification Program!!!!

OMG!!!

It has been a life long dream to become a Naturalist: a person who studies or is an expert in the natural sciences, such as botany, mineralogy, ornithology, etc. Anyone, really, can be a self taught naturalist, as I have been. But now I will be on my way to becoming certified, meeting fellow naturalists in my area and learning about others categories of nature I am less familiar with. For the majority of my studying, I have been more or less an expert on Wildlife. Now through a series of classes over the next few weeks my knowledge will be expanded toward facts on minerals, fish, reptiles and more. 

SO. EXCITED.

This is literally one of my dreams becoming a reality.

Don't let anyone tell you you're dreams won't come true!!

From reading My Side Of The Mountain in 6th grade... to my first time getting to hold a Falcon, to learning their sport, to now... learning how to help them survive in their natural habitat & educating people on how they can help.

LIFE IS AMAZING.

I am

Olli

in which: I've been away because...

I've given up coffee. For now.

I'm obsessed with The Oh Hellos. Can't stop listening!

Applied for a trainer position at work ~ could be getting a promotion!!

Peanut & I are getting caught up in the show Downton Abbey. We flew through the first season in TWO days!

Book Club: we're reading With by Skye Jethani

Cleaning Lois' house after her recent move. She's off to Oklahoma at 83!

Peanut, Dori, Lisa & Me

I am

Olli