My excuse for week-long blogging absence is the past week of craziness. Ahem.

Monday+Tuesday: Work+Preparing for new semester of school.

Wednesday: First day of school! Classes from 9-12, followed by a long, wonderful happy hour with a good friend. A relatively relaxing day to prepare me for the rest of the week’s madness.

Thursday: Classes 2:30-9

(This is also where I proceed to kick myself for signing up for 17 hours, this including a three-hour lecture/lab.)

Friday: Work 7-8:30 am. Rush to school. Rush back to work until 6.

Saturday: Five hour photo-shoot proceeded by a get-together at my place.

Sunday: Driving to UT to participate in the fifth stage of The Austin Marriage Project. Husband and I have been involved in this paid research study since about our sixth month of marriage. We celebrate our third year of marriage in a little over a month! From the 255 newlyweds who all started roughly around the same time as us, FORTY babies have been birthed. Shit. I mentioned this fact that I read on their website to the ladies interviewing us yesterday. When they confirmed it to be true, I quickly (and perhaps a little randomly?) chimed in, “No babies here!” They laughed. But really–That’s a lot of babies in less than three year’s time. Sounds like something’s in the water. I must not drink this water.

Monday: Get twins that I nanny ready for daycare. Arrive at daycare. Wait for caregiver to arrive at daycare. (This shows you how early it was.) Attempt to soothe two-year old boy as he realizes I’m leaving and begins to sob. Haul ass to school. (Only five minutes late!) Drink some much needed wine. (At home! Not in class.)

Between studying, fitting in 40 minute daily work-outs, keeping the house clean, socializing and random other things (Ie; Dog-sitting), my downtime is scarce. Tomorrow will be my craziest day yet as I’m working 7-2 and then going straight to school from 2:30-9.  Luckily, I thrive when at my busiest & there are so many other moments keeping both my energy & spirits high.

Examples:

A girl’s night that turned into a girl’s morning; I couldn’t believe it was 4 am when I finally looked at a clock. Six hours of deep conversations, cranberry and vodkas and manic giggling made me feel like one lucky, sleepy girl.

Giddily booking the place Robby and I are staying at on our three-year anniversary road-trip/vacation in October.

Shooting with a photographer who has also worked with a Miss USA contestant. (Miss Illinois, to be exact.)

Signing up to volunteer/participate in a 5k mud run with two of my close friends in September. It’ll be my third race of the year!

Two of my favorite ladies at school joining my Aerobic Walking class. I could have peed myself with excitement today when I saw that one of my closest friends had dropped her dancing class and joined my walking one.

Husband surprising me with flowers before date night.

I feel really fortunate. To be surrounded by people who love me,to be chasing and fulfilling dreams, to have so much to both look back at and forward to, to have a job that constantly warms/melts my heart, to wake up excited and to go to bed exhausted but fulfilled. Yeah, I have homework to do and not everyone will always be happy that I am happy and I’m crazy busy and life will never be perfect. But that’s okay. Because there is coffee and friendships and Nutella and learning and dog/husband kisses and accomplishments and wine and love and new experiences. Because life is really, really good.