"Don’t exist.
Live.
Get out, explore.
Thrive.
Challenge authority. Challenge yourself.
Evolve.
Change forever.
Become who you say you always will. Keep moving. Don’t stop. Start the revolution. Become a freedom fighter. Become a superhero. Just because everyone doesn’t know your name doesn’t mean you don't matter." 

The grass is just as green as I want it to be.

I was definitely on a roller coaster this week, jeez louise! Monday through Wednesday, my emotions and stress about moving were taking over. Thursday, I was saved by some techno, that I haven't busted out in awhile and a nice date with a group of girls that I work with. We got together to celebrate Ashley's wedding and shower her with love, as we usually do inside the walls of KinderCare, but this time it was at Barkers, a restaurant downtown Hudson. 

I got so many hugs this week. I'm a big hugger. Can't get enough, of what we call at work, "vitamin H"-- learned the from my mom and passed it on. For some reason, all the kids were overly lovely dovey, like they can feel that next week is my last week. I spent my last half hour of work the other day in the Pre-K class, which I'm usually terrified of, but this time it was very enjoyable. I just have this mentality that Pre-K kids are terrors, like they've been in the past, but in this case, it was all the kids I had when I was teaching in toddlers and the twos room. "Here's a picture because I love you, Ms. Kelsey... here's a picture because I miss you".. was all I heard in that 30 minutes, along with hugs and an occasional back rub. God, I love my job. I babysit for a little girl who is in the Pre-K class, who when she started at Kindercare, I had her in toddlers. And again in twos. I am going to miss the daylights out of her. She said while I was coloring her and her friends a bunch of pictures of my name, because they all insisted, "Ms. Kelsey, I'm going to come over soon. I'm going to come see your cats" I told my mom and she said sternly, "You better have her over before you leave." And I will. I need to spend as much time as possible with all the kids that I influenced and grow into the awesome, hilarious little people that they are. I wrote my goodbye letter at work on Monday, also, and made myself, along with a few other people, tear up. It's soo crazy that I will soon be without this amazing KinderCare family that I've had for 4 years. It's hitting me, slowly! I've had parents come into my room and tell me that I can't leave and that I am irreplaceable. It's things like that, that make leaving harder. 

I told the girls that I work with, that when I toured the KinderCare that I will be working at, I toured during nap time. What was different between my KidnerCare and that one, was that all their lights were off for nap time. At my KinderCare, we aren't allowed to have the lights off even over naptime. Also, the teachers were sitting at the table, chatting. I thought to myself, Why isn't anybody cleaning? At that moment, I knew I was going to be that weird girl that loves to give hugs and is always cleaning. I'm telling myself that isn't such a bad thing. 

When I left all the girls on Thursday, after Ash's shower, I felt the best I'd felt all week. I spend time with the girls I work with and I feel so refreshed. I hugged my boss as we walked out and said, "We need to do this more often." not realizing that this is my second to last week with them. Ugh, don't remind me. 

I got done with work early yesterday and ran to Woodbury with mi madre' to run some errands aka get the camera I've been obsessing over for the past few weeks. I have also, been stressing somewhat about money, but if you know me, you know my priorities, and this camera was definitely one of them. :)  I need it to capture our new life in CO. After making that amazing purchase, we enjoyed a drink and a late lunch at Olive Garden and of course we had to hit up Home Goods. God, I hope there is a Home Goods in Colorado. There has got to be! 

I thought of, but refrained from bringing my new camera babysitting last night. I thought how funny I would look, and moderately creepy, bringing a huge camera with a lens to take pictures of the babes I am going to miss like crazy. I settled for my iphone and took some adorable pictures of one of the girls in my class, who I have been telling for the last week, that I so badly want to take her to Colorado with me. That would make this perfect, picking up my KinderCare and everyone in it, and bringing it to Colorado with me! Ahhh in a perfect world. I need to remind myself, that when I get there, things may not compare, but the grass is never greener. It is just as green as I want it to be. 

As for today, it is a perfect day for a perfect day. I am off to my family reunion. Cheers! 

"Give me books, French wine, fruit, fine weather and a little music played out of doors by somebody I do not know."

Wow, I found that quote after I had already written this post. How wonderful. Cheers! 

Today is perfect. 
And so was yesterday. 
I am just loving fall. I have definately become more of a fall lover over the last two years. Up until then, I would have preferred to hold off the cooler weather and leaves falling forever. Not anyymoorre! 

Yesterday, Joel and I went to the Afton Music and Art Festival and I cannot get enough of that place. I suppose if I were to continuously walk around and look at every tent more than once I would probably have enough, but you know what I mean. I love the smell of fall, and the outfits. Biiiig fan of fall attire! 

I found rugs for my new kitchen, which I adore and just held smiling like an idiot once I had them in my hands. I have been looking for this style rug for awhile now and have never found a color scheme that I love. There is always one color in the rug that throws it off. Found them and loved the green, brown and blue earthy tones. 

 

And here I am instagraming things I've bought for my house. :) typical. After live music outside, a fall beer, some chili, and a good amount of fall based boutiques, I wasn't ready to be inside. And in my opinion, there is never enough time spent in craft sales, antique shops, and fall boutiques. They are just wonderful. And they are even better during this time of year. I am actually very bummed that I won't be around at the end of the month to catch all of the craft sales that my mom and I usually go to. But, my mom has reassured me that there will be plenty of craft sales in Colorado, and that they are every where. Thank god. 

I have become such a freak about fall! 

After leaving Afton, we took the scenic route (of course) back to Lake Elmo and took a very nice stroll through Lake Elmo Park Reserve. Where I, of course, took way too many pictures of trees, grass and everything nature. I don't know what my deal is. 

 

After that extravaganza, Joel and his mom and I, went to Goodwill... at 7:30 on a Saturday, where I spent almost $100 on things for our home. The vintage candle holders, and wood lighting fixtures up in the rug picture, are some of the treasures I came across. Hey, one man's trash is another man's treasure! Successful Saturday if you ask me. What am I? 65? :) 

I have decided that I like fall in Wisconsin better than fall in Colorado, if you can believe it or not. In Colorado, the trees are pretty much green and yellow. There is no 30 shades of green, orange, yellow or fuchsia. Fall in the Midwest is definitely more intense. I love intensity! Well, when it comes to colors and seasons. 

I am so ready to go to the apple orchard. I need to do all these activities before I am in Colorado all by my lonesome. I actually envisioned myself getting pumpkins by myself in Colorado and attempting to take instagrams of myself and the pumpkins (because we all know that is a given) and I seriously laughed to myself. So, it's on the to-do list for before I make my way to the west side. So my friends can join me! :)

It's fun getting things ready and together for my move, but it's also very overwhelming. I have a long to-do list to accomplish before I leave. And leaving is going to be here before I know it. Less than 3 weeks away! It seems like it was just March when Joel and I were in Spain and talking about how fun and great for us it would be to move away somewhere sweet together. And now, it's here! People constantly tell me that life flies by even faster as you grow older and ohhhh man, do I see it. 

 

I'd like to point out the fact that Joel is now a first time renter! Big day on Friday, as he signed his first lease! It was quite entertaining filling out the rental application at the part where it was asking landlord's name and how long he's been at current address.. "Mom and Dad, and 25 years" as we both said, laughing. Gosh, we are excited! 

Joel is not particularly excited about the fact that I am probably going to have our entire house put together and arranged the way I want it by the time he gets there in November. Muahaha! What else am I supposed to do for a month? Blog? ;)

Successful trip, I'd say!

Where to start? 

Yesterday was amazing. On Monday morning, Joel and I spent some time on our laptops, being productive. I connected with one of the Fort Collins Kindercares that had contacted me the week before I left to set up an interview. There are 5 other Kindercares, between Fort Collins, Loveland and Greeley, so I called all of them. All of them are hiring so I figured I would power it out and meet with all of them. And conveniently enough, all were either hiring for infants, tods or twos.. all of the age groups I do best in! So yesterday, I was more than excited, and not one bit nervous to meet all of these directors. After two and a half hours of driving to Fort Collins, I met with the first director and we immediately hit it off. It was, by no means and interview. We spent more time getting to know each other and laughing, then asking and answering your usual, standard interview questions. I knew right away that she was someone that I could work for. And it was even better when she told me more than once with a smirk on her face and sarcasm in her voice, "I want you, so you shouldn't even bother visiting the other centers!" Gosh, she is totally my style. Part of me wanted to just be done with my job search and take the job on the spot, but then part of me told myself that I still needed to meet the other directors. 

My potential new employer, said she had a handful of positions open. I stressed to her how I work better with younger age groups and how I would love to continue to be an infant teacher, like I am now. Only one of their infant rooms is open, but conveniently, she has 4 infants starting in the next couple weeks and if I am hired, I could potentially be the lead older infant teacher! Peeeerfect! The only negative about that position as of now, would be starting with closing hours: 9:30-6:30. One awesome thing about this position, is that she has already offered me more money than I am making now. 

The second center and director I met with was just as nice but I didn't feel us click like I felt with the first director. What was great about the available positions here, was that I had the option between toddlers and twos. Both age groups I work well with, but they aren't babies! Why I love babies so much is beyond me, especially because I was terrified of the baby room when I first started working for Kindercare. So in choosing between age groups, I would be choosing my hours; either 7:45-4:45 like I work now, or 8:30-5:30. Both shifts better than the shirt offered at the first center. 

I figured, I was offered both positions, liked both centers, and didn't have to be torn between any more than two. So I left my job search at that and continued on with our day in finding us a place to call home. I would sleep on the job decision for now. 

We ended up contacting a lady who I had called weeks ago about a duplex in Loveland, which is a little south of Fort Collins. The side I had called about, she had already rented out, but she was still in the process of remodeling the other half, which she told me would be available October first. If I took either of those jobs, I would be within 15 minutes of work so I was crossing my fingers that we would love this place. Sure enough, the place is perfect for us and our female landlord is hilarious. I think talking with her on the phone a few times, built awesome rapport and I think that helped us a lot. So, I will be moving in shortly after the first of October, and Joel will be there shortly after the first of November, when his Alaska/Nashville tour is over. I hope I never think differently ;) but I could not be more excited to live with Joel. After over 3 years of dating, we are ready.

So, Loveland it is! When we first started talking about moving to Colorado, my mom said, kiddingly, "You guys should move to Loveland!" and it's funny now, because that's how it all worked out. 

After thinking last night, and this morning, I decided to take the job at the first center I visited. And I am happy to announce that I start my new job on the 15th of October. Kind of surreal! It makes me feel a thousand emotions when I think about leaving my friends, my amazing co-workers, family and just all around comfort that I've had for 24 years.  I am probably going to be a big baby for the next 3 weeks, with occasional watery eyes, and I am foreseeing a tsunami of tears on my last day at the Hudson Kindercare. I am going to miss you all like crazy! 

All work and no play-- yeah right!

It must have been the sun rise on the mountains at 6:30 this morning that motivated me to walk down to the gym in our resort and do 5 miles on the elliptical-- which is a huge deal for me since I can't remember the last time I did something active; aside from chasing one year olds around all day because that is definitely the only thing that makes me sweat these days. I am feeling pretty amazing right now and I feel more than ready to put back a few jugs of beer today at Oktoberfest, totally disregard my physical activity I did this morning! :)  How we accidentally made our reservation at the resort on this weekend, is beyond me but I find it pretty exciting!

After little sleep, due to excitement, of course, towards the end of our 16 hour drive, I saw mountains for the first time. And ohhhhh, was it amazing! It got more amazing when we were actually driving through all the mountains to get to Breckenridge verses the cloudy looking mountains I saw from afar when we were just getting into all the cities. 

Upon arriving at our resort, I started instagraming! Duuuh! I am blaming my camera for breaking over Labor Day weekend for my outrageous amount of instagrams that will be taken over the course of the week. Gosh, I love Instagram! What would the world be like without Instagram? 

It's hard for me to want to accomplish all the things we came here to do this week, when our resort is this amazing, well Breckenridge in general. And trust me, I've looked, the closest Kindercare is an hour and a half away! Bummerrrr. I could get used to this view of mountains, not mountains from afar.

I just want to play all week! Why can't I just play? The mother in me is reminding myself that I will soon live here and I can then, play all I want. To give you a little recap on my few weeks before this trip, I was looking online at a bunch of Kindercares, trying to see pictures and most importantly trying to figure out if any are hiring. I came a cross a few, that looked like my current Kindercare; new, bright, big, which is ideal, and they were NEAYC accredited. I wrote down a few to contact and my intentions were doing so, during a lunch break last week. Turns out, I had less work to do because one of those Kindercares contacted me first and wanted to set up an interview. I will be meeting with that director sometime this week. Wish me luck, friends! 

When I first started looking on Craigslist for places to rent, I came across a bunch of scam artists. Or at least I am convinced that they were, because not everyone on there loves god and is serving for some Aids BS, in Africa. I apologize for my hostility, but it was very frustrating. I swear, every response I got was a husband and wife over seas working for the Christians to save blah blah blah, who wanted me to send my money to them so they could send me the keys. Ummm no, I'm not an idiot. I got off Craigslist almost every day, flicking off my laptop screen. Kind of discouraging, but then I came across actual people who I connected with on the phone and ohhhh man did that feel better. 

A lady with a newly remodeled 2 bedroom duplex, wanted to rent it out by the time we were able to get here this week, but the other side isn't available until the fist of October. Which would be perfect if I get this job this week, then we can get out here immediately and know we have a place waiting for us. I, of course, will be contacting other places as well, and try to see as many places as we possibly can.

As for now, I am getting hassled to shower and get on with my day. We have friends coming to Breck from Denver and CO Springs to join us in today's day drinking, on which we will be doing on a patio off main street, owned by a friend of ours who used to go to school in Eau Claire. This day couldn't sound more exciting! 

Tata, I'm off to drink some jugs of beer! Cheers!