SEPTEMBER!

It is finally less than 100 degrees, but I don't really get to enjoy it except at 5:30 during my morning runs in the dark. However, I am grateful that little girl gets to spend more time outside with Eric. I have been at work for 5 weeks now, and I really like it! I was assigned to the delivery function at my company - I guess I should back up - I am working at a software consulting firm called Quorum Business Solutions, and they provide around 23 or 24 software products for oil, gas, and wind energy companies - and by gas, I mean natural gas - I still catch myself thinking it's gas we get at the gas station... Anyways, I have learned a ton about the industry, and it is really fascinating to me. So, delivery - I will be helping to implement our products at client sites, which involves tailoring our products (some computer programming - just learned a bunch in the past few weeks!) and working with the clients. This was the function I wanted to serve in, so I am really excited! However, there is the possibility that I will be traveling, but for now, my assignment is for a client in Dallas, but I get to work from the Houston office. Did I also mention that I love the people I have worked with so far? This is not what I expected to be doing when I got my Ph.D., but I feel like it is such a great fit for me.

On another note, I will be GRADUATING this fall! Finally! I got the go ahead from my advisor last week, and I am super pumped! I will be defending at the end of October or early November. I could not have done this without God - thank you for everyone that prayed constantly for me during this experience because there is NO way I would have made it without those prayers and support. Special shout out to my mom and my other mom Sandy! Y'all are the best! AND I definitely have to give the most love to my husband who has encouraged me and listened to me vent through this whole process. He's been amazing!

On to Kya - this has been the weirdest adjustment of all - I literally see her an hour a day, and it sucks. I really treasure the weekends, and I only run errands with her or during her nap time, so I get as much time as possible with her. This is difficult because everything we need to do gets pushed to the weekend, so it is a little crazy. My parents have been amazing, though. They have watched Kya when we look at houses or furniture, etc. Eric has had to run a lot of errands for us, and my mom has really helped him out. We are so thankful that they are letting us stay with them until we find a house. They are the best! Okay - so Kya is a walking machine now. She tries to run, but most of the time trips and falls when she does. She loves being outside, and the other day when we brought her in, she went and stood by the door and cried because she wanted to go back outside. Eric takes her to Bay Area park a lot to feed the ducks. He has been so awesome with her, and I am thankful (and jealous) for all the time they get to spend together. However, she will be starting full time day care in a week when Eric goes to work. She has cut at least one molar that we can see. She still eats like a champ. I was looking at this website, and it made comments how babies start eating less as they get a little older - I don't think that will ever happen with Kya. She loves food and has the gut to prove it! She still loves reading books. I think I read her 5 every night. Sometimes she wants to just flip the pages, though. Her favorite right now is The Spooky Old Tree - she will listen to that one, and she loves when I shiver for the bears that have the shivers. She says yeah all the time, and she says da-da. I'm waiting for ma-ma!!!

This weekend is going to be so busy for us! The church that Eric has been interviewing with will be voting tomorrow (Sunday) morning. Today, he has a meeting with the deacons, and a question and answer session with the parents. We are really excited because we met the youth on Wednesday night, and they are awesome! I just wish we already had our house, so we could start having stuff at our place as soon as he starts. I know that it will happen soon, but it's hard waiting!