"I Didn't Sign Up for This": 6 Thoughts I've Had This Past Week.

1. "Every Time!": How I Manage to Injure Myself Whenever I Cactus.

Last week was Grand Prix week, y'all, aka the week that everyone gets hammered every day.  So Thursday I went to the Cactus with Syd and Kristen and we waited in line for...

...wait for it...

one and a half hours to get in.  That's right everyone, we are dedicated.  But it was worth it and we had a good time.  I also walked away with a giant splinter in my hand from the support beams and also a huge bruise on the back of my thigh from where my walking boot jammed into it from dropping it low.  Apparently I can't go there without hurting myself, yet I keep coming back. In case you missed it, read about the last time I Cactused (it's a verb) here. 

2. "I Think This is Healthy...": How I Justify my Snack-Eating Habits.

I made these really delicious peanut butter energy bites the other day (find the recipe here) because I needed some new healthy snack options.  Currently, my go-to snacks are string cheese and Go-Go Squeez applesauce, because I'm basically 5.  But I found this recipe, made them, and I am in love.  They're supposed to be healthy, but I don't know if it works like that when I eat 5 at a time.

3. "I'm Such a Nerd.": How I Get Excited to Meet Up with Former Professors.

Last week, some of my former literacy professors emailed some students to see if we would be willing to get together to eat pizza and discuss the effectiveness and areas of improvement for the literacy courses.  I. Was. Stoked.  These were some of my favorite professors for some of my favorite classes.  Not only did I get to see them again, but they also bought us dinner and gave us Starbucks gift cards!  It was awesome!  Let's just say that I really appreciate the fact that these women are concerned with the effectiveness of their classes and honestly want to take and use student feedback to improve them.  You don't see that very often at universities.

4. "Friends are Pretty Cool.": How Family Dinner was a Success.

It's been awhile since Annie and I have hosted a Family Dinner, and with the semester wrapping up, we figured it was about darn time to have one.  So we feasted on pigs in a blanket, crock pot mac 'n cheese, grapes, and brownies.  Because again, I'm basically 5.  But it was so great to have everyone there (shoutout to Brooke, Jess, Elaine, Matt, Shannon, and Syd for being able to make it) and I'm glad I have such awesome people in my life.

5. "I Didn't Sign Up for This.": Bathroom Adventures at the Daycare.

Here's a fun story for you: Once upon a time, snack time was finishing up at daycare and a girl (we'll call her 'E') came up to me and said her hands were sticky so she wanted to wash them.  We sent her to the bathroom, but she was in there for awhile, so I went in to check on her.  I walked in, and there she was, standing in the middle of the bathroom, pants down to her ankles and poop smeared all up her legs (she's potty-trained, by the way).  Confused, I asked her if she had done this during snack time and she said no, she just did it.  She proceeds to pull her pants down further, causing more poop to fall out of her underwear.  I attempt to take off her shoes and pants very carefully so I could get her cleaned up, only to find that her shoes were also smeared with poop...and so was the floor and the toilet.

I didn't sign up for this.

E had no extra pants in her cubby, but by some miracle of God, she had failed to soil her skirt.  So I shoved her dirty clothes and shoes in a bag, got her on the changing table to clean her up, and then proceeded to clean the poop that had somehow managed to get everywhere.

Can I put that on a teaching resume?

6. "Help.": How Student Teaching is Already Stressing Me Out and Hasn't Even Started.

Tonight we had our student teaching orientation to start preparing us for the things we'll have to do next spring.

Wanna know how to make a good impression on future teachers?  Make them buy student teaching books for $187.00.  Cool.  So we got those and brought them to this orientation where we sat for 2 hours listening to all the assignments we will have to do and all the files we'll need to keep and all the papers we need to read and all the lesson plans we'll have to write and...

I'll stop there so you aren't stressed out too.

(Sarcastic) Shout Out Corner
My walking boot: Thanks for always supporting me! 
My bank account: Thanks for never being 'high' because that would be illegal.
My projects: You're always there.  Not for me, but you're just always there.

Last...
Purchase: Ice cream to drown out my sorrows from the Orientation
Book I read: Almost done with Dark Places by Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl. Thanks to Jess for letting me borrow it!
Day of school: Next Tuesday is my last (only) final, so I'll be officially done!
Person I texted: My dad, 'cause he's pretty cool.
Time I did homework: Is it bad that I can't really remember...?
Song I jammed to: "Home" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros 

Anyway, I hope everyone has a fantastic week!  For those getting ready to take finals, good luck!

XOXO

April Thus Far: (Feet)uring a Walking Boot and Crutches

Yes, yes, I am completely aware that I spelled 'featuring' wrong in the title. Don't you think the Parkside Junior High 7th grade spelling bee runner up would know such a thing? You guys don't give me enough credit.

I guess we'll jump right in.

Being Artsy Fartsy
Because I can't go extended periods of time without seeing my favorite people in the world (aka my family), my mama, grandmama, and sis...mama(?) came to visit me earlier this month over Kourt's spring break.  Well, welcome to West Lafayette, the place where there's nothing to do. So what did we do? We painted pottery, much to my mom's and grandma's displeasure.  But hey, we all had a good time and the pieces look fabulous.

And you wonder where my mom and I get it from... ;)

Ea(t)ster
Because I can't go extended periods of time without seeing my favorite people in the world (hey, this sentence sounds familiar...can you plagiarize off yourself?), I went home for Easter weekend and even got to bring Lush! I brought him home Saturday morning (where we--well, I-- spent a questionably long time petting my cats.  We went to my aunt Cathy's house for Easter dinner later that afternoon, and it was awesome getting to see everyone and eat lots of food.  My fam is the bomb.com.

My sis rocks.

He's so handsome :)

He told me not to give him a reason to look disgusted in pictures, so I told him off. 

#relationshipgoals

When we got home that night, Lush, my sister, and I hung out with some of my friends from high school, including Brooke and Katie who were both home too.  We all went to the Pub II to chill (I played my first round of darts and hit 3 bullseyes??), so it was awesome to spend time with them.

Pub II bathroom mirror selfie

When I got home, it was past midnight, aka let's stuff our faces with every possible dessert imaginable to celebrate the end of the Lenten season.  Kourt made slutty brownies (omggg) and I ate too many of them.

After we woke up, we went to church as a fam and then relaxed a little before I had to bring Lush back to U of I and I drove back to the 'Due.

My Fragile Week
Once upon a time there was a girl named Kasey whose body began to fail her despite her young age of 21.

First, I gave blood for the first time in 3 years.  No matter how hard I'd try, nobody ever wanted my blood because my hemoglobin levels were too low.  But finally, finally, they were high enough to give blood, so I did.  I sat on my chair and nervous-talked the whole time, silently freaking out to myself as the terrible memory of April 13, 2012 loomed in the back of my head, aka the first time I ever gave blood and the first time I ever passed out.  But no, everything was great, I filled my bag of blood (which I named Bernice), and I felt fine.  Until the corners of my vision started to go blurry, and I had just enough time to ask the phlebotomist to get me my water before I passed out.  Cool.

And then came Thursday.  I was so stoked because I had been wanting to go back to the Neon Cactus ever since my birthday but hadn't had the chance to.  But this was the week I was gonna go, and I was pumped.  Syd and I got ready and headed over to meet a couple of our friends from education.  We got our drinks (Blue's Clues, thanks to John the bartender) and were sitting at a table, watching the fascinating empty dance floor.  After awhile, Syd and I said, "Forget it," and we hit the floor despite there being anyone there.  We were having a spectacular time, and we were going hard.  So hard that when I stepped down on the floor with my foot slightly sideways, I hurt my foot (Kourt claims I was 'break' dancing).  I tried to put on a tough face.  I tried to shake it off.  But when I couldn't do it any longer, my hero (Syd of course) went to get me ice, and then we sat on a ledge together waiting for our ride.  Despite my pain, I high-fived anyone who would give me the time of day as they walked by us.  Syd's friend finally came, and I limped over to the car.  When I got back to my apartment, it took me a solid 5 minutes to get up the single flight of stairs and as soon as I got through the door, I fell to the floor and literally crawled to my room where I lay on the floor for 10 minutes, trying to work up the gumption to get up and take a shower.

The night was so promising...

And then this happened.

Friday morning: Limped around the school and taught my lesson and finally decided the pain was too much.  I headed to urgent care (where I embarrassingly had to explain multiple times that I had hurt myself while dancing) and found out I had broken my foot on the 5th metatarsal.  I literally asked the doctor, "What do I do now?" because I had never broken a bone before.  So, I left the doctor's office with some cool souvenirs, including some x-rays, crutches, and a pantie-dropper of a walking boot, which I was instructed to wear for 4-6 weeks.  It's s'cute.

The Crew Takes NYC
It's official: Katie and I have bought our tickets to visit Chloe during her internship in NYC this summer!  Watch out, Big Apple, we comin' for ya.

Shoutout Corner:
Sydney: She was the real MVP when it came to my broken foot crisis.  Also, check out her new blog: http://in-syd-ious.blogspot.com/.
Jess: After hours upon hours upon hours during months and months of studying, she finally took the MCAT and will get her results in a few weeks!  Woot!
Annie, Dana, Laura: Congrats on getting inducted into Mortar Board today!
Andrea: My cousin got a new job out in Washington, D.C., so congrats to her!

Current:
Mood: Meh.
Obsession: Werther's Originals will get me through this semester.
Jams: Any/all the top hip-hop playlists on Spotify, yo.
Hooray: The semester is over in a few weeks!
Fear: The semester is over in a few weeks...
Hate: EAPS.
Want: A soft serve vanilla ice cream cone. And a cat.
View: The rainy parking lot outside my apartment.

Bonus picture that I can't rotate for whatever reason:

EAPS fieldtrip selfie

About Last Month...

*Insert the smiling emoji with the trickle of sweat down its face*

Hey, how have you been?!  It's been a long time, readers.  Like, over a month. Accuse me of slacking all you want, but hey, no worries, because do I have the post for you!  And since there is so much to cover and your attention span is so long, I'll try to keep it brief.  

Wait, who am I kidding.  It's gonna be a long post.  Prepare yourselves.

Valentine's Day
Yes, it really has been that long.  But anyways, long story short, this was an incredible weekend!  Yashas was able to come and we got all dressed up and went out to dinner with Jess and Michael at Red Seven (omg the chicken was phenomenal).  We then saw Fifty Shades of Grey (because if your boyfriend agreeing to see that movie with you doesn't say 'I love you,' I don't know what does).  I also made red velvet pancakes for breakfast which were pretty darn delicious.  Oh, and I finally (finally!!) made a successful batch of chocolate covered strawberries.  In case you forgot, I failed (twice) back in September when I tried to make them for the boy.  Third time really is a charm.

Parents at Purdue
The awesome peeps that raised me visited the day after V-Day to take us out to lunch and then we went and saw a Purdue basketball game (against Nebraska).  It was great to spend time with them!

New job
So I quit my job at Nine Irish at the beginning of February.  The hours didn't work out with my schedule very well, and hostessing didn't necessarily make me a better candidate for teaching (seating people at tables does not equal teaching the future of America).  I was a little nervous about doing it, but I knew I needed to do something that made me happier and made more sense for my future.  Cue my bff Sydney.  She's been working at this daycare in the infant room for several months now, and she knew they were hiring new people.  Every day, she kept telling me to apply.  I had really been wanting to do an after school program type of deal, but finally I caved.  At the very end of February, I was hired in the 2Bs room (potty trained 2 and 3 year olds), and I absolutely love it!  It's been so great working with the kiddos (even though they wear me out!) and my co-workers are fabulous.  I'm so thankful Syd encouraged me to apply :)  ...Except for the fact that I've essentially been sick from the day I started working there.  Kids=germs.

Meeting Yashas' mom
Oh my goodness!  You went to India to meet his family?!

Uhh, not quite.

His mom works for IBM and she had a conference in Vegas.  After, she was able to spend the weekend in Champaign with her son (that's Yashas, in case you were confused), and they were kind enough to allow me to intrude on their time together.  She was so nice, and we got to chat as we meandered around campus (and she had her first experience with snow!) and had lunch and dinner.  I was really glad I got the opportunity to spend time with her (and Yashas of course).  I also got to see Katie while I was there!  We went cosmic bowling with her roommates, and it was a blast!  All in all a good weekend.

Timeflies concert
So I was pretty bummed because Neon Trees, a band I adore, was supposed to come to Purdue last semester but weren't able to due to a medical issue with one of their members.  I didn't think I'd get to see a good concert after that, but then we got the news that Timeflies was coming and I was STOKED!  Timeflies is a duo that sings/raps and is famous for their YouTube videos called Timeflies Tuesdays, where they remix a famous song and freestyle rap during it.  I went with Syd and it was SO great!  Cal, the main guy, even did a freestyle rap all about Purdue!  It was incredible!

My 21st birthday
The moment you've all been waiting for, ladies and gentlemen!  Okay, well the moment I've been waiting for at least.  That's right: on Thursday, March 12, I finally became legal!  No joke, it was one of the best days of my life.  Here's how it went down:

I worked and had class all day, but I had planned a birthday dinner at a Mexican restaurant that night.  I had asked a bunch of friends to come via Facebook, and I included my parents on the guest list as sort of a joke.  Of course I wanted them to come, but there was no way I would have expected them to drive 2 hours here and back for that, especially since I was going home for spring break that weekend.  I had texted them all week asking if they were coming (it felt like pulling teeth!), but finally they said they weren't able to.  But 7 pm rolls around and I walk in the restaurant and THERE ARE MY PARENTS!!!  They had surprised me and it was the best birthday gift EVER!  I was so happy!  Some of my favoritest people in the whole wide world were there to celebrate, and it meant so much to me!  We ate dinner, the servers sang happy birthday to me (and made me take a tequila shot...and shoved whipped cream in my face/up my nose), and my parents passed out the cookie cake they brought.  It was amazing.

After, the 21 year olds headed next door to the Neon Cactus, a bar that is super awesome on Thursdays because of the cheap drinks.  They also have a piano bar where a guy named Bruce takes song requests and plays them so everyone can sing along.  So two stories about that:

1. The piano bar is in a separate room.  I left the room to chat with my parents, who didn't come in, but then there was a line to get back in.  My mother literally went to get the manager to let me skip the line to go back in since it was my birthday.  That's Lori for ya.
2. Bruce takes song requests from "Cactus virgins" for the first hour.  He saw my light up "21st birthday" sash (again, thanks to Lori), called me nuclear because of it, made fun of my major, and then let me pick a song!  I picked "Wannabe" by Spice Girls, and he was "mad" at me because that song wasn't on his list (how was I supposed to know?  I was a Cactus virgin!), but he still played it and it was so much fun because everyone was singing along.  I loved it!

For the rest of the night, we drank some and danced and talked and had an absolute blast.  I loved it.  Unfortunately, the night ended earlier than I would have liked because I had to teach at 9 am the next day.  But seriously.  Best. Night. Ever.

Spring break
I was fortunate to go home for a few days over break to spend time with my fam.  I saw Yashas on Friday and then went home on Saturday to celebrate a second time.  My family, family friends, neighbor, and Katie (it was her bday on the 12th too!!) and her mom and neighbor all went to the Pub II (I essentially grew up there) to celebrate.  Again, so much fun!  I got to hang out with some more of my favorite people and was also introduced to a pineapple upside down cake drink, which was one of the best things I've ever tasted.  We also went to Drifters, a bar downtown, and danced a bunch there were I saw some former Mrs. Fields workers.  Goodness, what an awesome night.

Also over break, I got my new ID (goodbye, 16 year old self), went shopping with my grandma, and got my teeth cleaned at the dentist. Yay.  However, it was back to work Wednesday through Friday (where I had to work in the infant room...gahh!).

Fitbit
My parents got my a Fitbit for my birthday because I thought it would be a good motivator to do anything else but sit on my butt all day.  You can add people as friends and challenge them to competitions to see who can have the most steps in a day, week, or weekend.

It's killing me.

Syd just got one the other day, so I am currently in the week-long challenge with her and my mom.  We are all so competitive and are always moving and about to pass out from exhaustion.  Also, Annie's sister challenged me, their dad, and some of her friends.  Frank is a step master, and I really wanna beat them all.

In other news
-Syd took me on a campus bar tour the Friday of spring break after our long day of work so I could experience the rest of them.
-Syd and her friend Vanessa and I went to a Purdue baseball game last weekend which was really fun.
-This post is basically all about Sydney.
-You know my PE class I love?  We did an entire unit on cup stacking and it was hilarious and so much fun.
-Currently typing this post with a glass of wine.  I love being 21.

Shoutout corner
Because I love these people and want to celebrate them:
Yashas: Shoutout to our 6 month anniversary!  Thanks to him for putting up with me for that long ;)
Chloe: She got an internship in New York for this summer!  I'm so proud of her!
Katie: Loved celebrating my 21st with her!
Annie: She's been such a trooper with her injury.  She's made a lot of progress in physical therapy and has had a really positive attitude about it!
Dad: He also had knee surgery recently and is healing well..love you dad!

Picture time

Valentine's Day with bae (that rhymes)

My gift to him

Visiting Lush and his mama

Timeflies concert with Syd, woman of the hour

21!!!

I am so blessed :)

Brooke is bae

Shots shots shots shots shots shots

Bloomington has its own geotag on Snapchat now lolol

Gramps and Gram

...more shots

Cousin Lexi!

These cool peeps

I love Smokey

Baseball game

Our elementary education class ran around campus with bags on our heads the other day...

7 Things Your Hostess Wishes You Knew.

After working as a hostess in a restaurant for the past 5 months, I've learned a thing or two.  One of those things is that people are really, and I mean really, annoying.  From ignoring you to switching tables without permission, people in restaurants can be some of the most needy, and perhaps most naive people I have ever encountered.  So, a couple coworkers and I compiled a list of things hostesses wish you knew so you can have a positive dining experience...and so we don't hate you.

1. Don't ignore us.
Our primary job is to greet customers when they enter the restaurant and to bid them farewell as they leave.  We want you to feel welcome and comfortable when you eat here, and we also want to express our gratitude to you for dining with us.  This means we have to be on our A-game.  Smiley, cheerful expressions, a friendly demeanor...we are the first people you see when you enter and the last you see when you leave.  We are your first and last impression of the restaurant.  So please, please don't ignore us when we say hello to you as you walk in.  Please don't walk right past us and pretend we aren't even there.  It's totally cool if you're meeting a group and you already know where you're sitting; a simple 'hello' will suffice!  The same thing goes for when you leave--'good bye' is only two syllables.

2. Don't try to seat yourself.
In almost every restaurant, you will find a sign that says, and I quote: "Please Wait to be Seated."  Unless you celebrate opposite day, we would really appreciate it if you would comply with this small request.  And even if you do celebrate opposite day, comply with this request.  The reason?  We have a method to our madness of where we seat people.  We want you to be comfortable, we want all of the servers' sections to be as even as possible, and sometimes we have tables reserved for people.  It throws off the flow when you come in and plop down wherever your little heart desires.

3. Know the number of people in your party and if they are already there or not.
Going out to eat isn't fun unless you're with other people, right?  We know the dining experience is more fun when you're with a group of friends or family members.  But please, help a sista out and know the number of people you plan on having.  When you don't, we have no idea where to seat you!  Do you need a bigger table for 10?  Or a smaller table for 4?  We can't read your mind.  Also, our ability to communicate quickly these days is pretty dope.  Between calls and texts and emails, there are so many ways to let your group know if you are already at the restaurant!  Please communicate so we don't seat half your group across the restaurant because you didn't talk to each other.

4. Please don't be offended when we ask you if you are 21.
Look, we aren't those people at carnivals who are able to predict your age with uncanny ability, but we do need to know whether or not you're of legal age so we know where we can and cannot seat you. Honestly, you should feel flattered if we ask.

5. Hostesses are not your servers.
Our job is to seat you.  Please don't give us your drink order.

6. Please don't stop and talk to your friends on the way to the table.
You see your friends eating while en route to your own table?  Awesome!  But do us a solid and wait until you get to your own table before going to chat with them.  There are three reasons for this: 1. Sometimes we turn around and you're no longer following us and then we have to come hunt you down, which is pretty awk.  2. When we do find you, we have to awkwardly third wheel the conversation. 3. We really need to get back to the front door in case some other customers come in, and we absolutely cannot have a situation like #2 happen...

7. And finally, please don't switch tables without telling us or switch the chairs up between tables or move another table over to yours or ask if so-and-so is here already or...

I could go on.  But I think you get the point.  It all comes down to respect.  And my point here?  #RespectHostesses2015.

Twenty Nifty(n)

Lol, get it?  Like, 2015, but 20 with a nifty after it, and then an 'n' for good measure?  Well, I thought it was funny.  Maybe I'm biased.

Why the title of the post?  Well, because 2015 has been kick a** so far!  But perhaps we should play a quick game of catch up first.

So, since the last time we chatted, here's what happened to finish up 2014:

1. Sarah Kay, a spoken word poet I really admire, came to campus to perform!  It was absolutely incredible, and I got to get a picture with her too.  SHE IS FABULOUS, GUYS.  I highly suggest watching her videos on Facebook.  Preferably right now.

2. If you followed my Snap Story at all, you knew how much my lab partner, Katie, and I HATED our Earth Science class.  So, to celebrate the end of the semester, we compiled all these snaps into a video, which you can view below.

3. During finals week, Syd, Annie, and I decided to YOLO and drove to Indy for the day to go to the Scholastic book fair at the warehouse down there to buy books for our future classroom libraries.  If that doesn't scream "dedicated teacher," I don't know what does.  (Okay, a lot of things scream that.  But still.)  It was a freakin' good time, and we made sure to make a pit stop at Taco Bell where we ordered about 5x more food than you would think is humanly possible for women of our size.

4. Gas was under $2.00.  And if you didn't celebrate that momentous occasion, then you aren't American.  Well, unless you were born in the United States.  Or you applied for citizenship after coming here.  Then you are in fact American.

5. I finished the semester with all 'A's!  Even blasted EAPS and Ag Econ!  Woot!  Also, shout out to my lil sis for completing her first semester at Nebraska with all 'A's!

6. Yashas finally got to visit Purdue!  He came Wednesday of finals week since he was done on Tuesday and I was done Monday.  It was so good to spend some time with him.  We had a Christmas dinner/gift exchange on Thursday with the roomies and Jess's boyfriend, Michael, and our friends Corey and Matt.  (And Yashas got me cat pajamas, no joke.  It has a tail and everything.  True love right here lol.)  The two of us also got to go to Greyhouse, a coffee shop on campus, with Jess and Michael, and also McCord's, which is an old fashioned candy/soda shop, with Jess, Brooke, and her boyfriend, Ethan!  It was a great way to end the semester!

7.  I got to go home for Christmas!  I spend some time with my main chicks and with da fam.  Oh, and of course we worked at Mrs. Fields during that time.

Snugglin' wit ma boos.

Now, before I get to the good news of 2015, I have to start off with some of the bad things.

1. Our idiot neighbors kicked 2 huge holes in our apartment hallway.  Dummies.
2. A pipe burst in our apartment carport.  No major damage, but still.  That sucked.
3. Annie tore her ACL while on a ski trip and had surgery last week.  She's been at home recovering and I've visited her a couple times.  She's healing, slowly but surely, and she has been such a trooper!  Oh, and her leg looks like a burrito.
4. Jess moved to a new apartment because she was having a hard time focusing here to be successful, and it was sad to see her go, but she's happier now and I still get to see her.  It's just sad because we've pretty much been roommates since we've met!

Enough of the bad stuff.  Here's why 2015 is so nifty!

1. WE WENT TO CANCUN!!!  My fam and 2 neighbor families went to Cancun for round two (we did this 2 years ago too).  It was AMAZING to be where it was sunny and warm.  This cold has been killer!  We stayed on a resort and our days consisted of laying out, swimming in the pool, going to the ocean, and eating pretty much.  We also did Zumba (and Tyler got chased around the pool by the resort workers for quitting), learned how to Salsa dance (where I got pulled back by the instructor for trying to leave), how to make guacamole, and saw some shows at night.  My mom and Kim were in one of the shows, and part of it was they had to collect shoes, pants, and bras from the audience to earn points.  And yes, I did give up all those items for the sake of their win. #noshame.  Then my dad and mom were in the show called "The Perfect Couple" and had to do things that I probably should have been embarrassed by but was laughing too hard to care!  It was so beautiful there and I hate that my tan is already starting to fade :(  Take me back!

The whole clan on New Year's Eve!

Recreating the airport pyramid pic of 2012

Da fam

Da girls

Learning to Salsa

Our Zumba instructor, Esau, at the White Party!

Tyler :)

Da kidz.

Da beach.

Da kidz on da beach.

Lots...

...of...

...sister pics!

2. I already like most of my classes and instructors!  I'm really interested in my English Language Learner class, and I'm in a 2nd grade class for my field experience this semester!  I'm even in a PE for elementary majors class, and it is already SO MUCH FUN!!  We actually get to play games as if we are in elementary PE.  Oh, and I only have Friday class 4 times the entire semester.  Holla!

3.  I've already seen Yashas twice!  We went to an Indian restaurant the first time which was my first experience with Indian food.  Then went I went to visit him last night and today, he made me an absolutely delicious meal of naan pizza and chicken jalfrezi.  This kid could just quit computer science and become a chef if he wanted, I'm pretty sure.  But besides his cooking, he's just an all around amazing guy, and our four month anniversary will be on the 21st!  Time flies!

Some of the best stuff ever!!

Bae.

4.  My dad had his birthday on the 7th.  Happy birthday to him!!

Welp, I'll keep y'all posted this year.  Thanks so much for everyone who was a part of my 2014 and can't wait to see what 2015 has to bring!

Holi-bae.

Yes, since the last time I wrote, I got two spend not one but TWO holidays with the bae, aka the one and only Luscious Yashas, hence the title of the post.  And if you don't know what 'bae' means... 

bae (n, adj): before anyone else, or a way to say babe, baby, etc.
I went on a date with bae last night.
That guy over there is so bae.

Wow, Kasey, you've been together for what, two months?  And you already put him before anyone else?

C'mon guys, you know me better than that.  Obviously my cats are number one in my life.

But anyway, yes, I got to head over to Champaign to spend Halloween with Yashas and we were definitely one of those couples with our coordinating costumes: Batman and Catwoman!  We went to some of the bars and met up with Little Red Riding Hood (aka Katie) and had a blast despite the arctic temperatures.

And then there was Thanksgiving.
And I brought Yashas home to meet my family.
Dun dun dunnnnnn.

That's right, ladies and gentlemen.  I brought my poor, unsuspecting boyfriend home to meet the Kaisershots and Ritchies.

I know what you're thinking: The poor boy!  Probably scarred for life!  He'll never be the same!  What was Kasey thinking?!

Okay, really voice in my head that I'm pretending is talking out loud for the sake of a blog audience?  You aren't giving me or my family much credit here.  Here's how it went down:

Tuesday:  I had class until 5:45 pm (ew) and then I drove to Champaign to see Yashas and to stuff our faces with Maize Mexican Grill food.  Meanwhile, my poor sis was on an 11 hour train ride home from Nebraska (also ew).

Wednesday: Yashas and I drove to good ole Normal (where the weekend was about to be anything but Normal) to a nearly empty house besides my sis (the 'rents were at work).  I hugged my cats, I hugged my sis, and then I gave Yashas his early bday present: the book, The Science of Interstellar, because he loves that movie and he nerded out which was great.  I proceeded to work on my student teaching application (no joke guys, I'm already starting that stuff, real life is approaching rapidly) until my parents got home for 5 seconds and then took off again with Kourtney to U of I to see the Illinois vs. Nebraska volleyball game.  Then Katie and Chloe (there you go, Chlo, you were mentioned in my blog) and I introduced Yashas to the famous Avanti's gondolas and we hung out at home with Brooke and just talked and reminisced as usual.  It was so great to see all the girls...I missed them so much!

Thursday:  Today was the big day.  We woke up and got ready and headed to my aunt Cathy's at 1 for an early Thanksgiving meal.  Shoutout to her for the fabulous food!  Poor Yashas met like 15ish new people and my grandpa even stole him away for awhile which made him a little nervous, but he did great meeting everyone.  I also had to explain to my grandma how Tinder works since that's how we met (LOLOLOLOLOL).  We stuffed our faces and then dipped because the Kaisershots had to gear up for Black Friday at Mrs. Fields.  We got to the mall around 4:45 or so, all suited up and with our new recruit, Yashas, and began baking and getting ready for the psychos who decide to shop on Thanksgiving (yeah, I know, making my boyfriend work during the holidays, I'm the worst.  He enjoyed it though).  We worked until about 1 am and, exhausted, we came home to go to bed.

Friday:  We did basically nothing 'cause we were tired.

Saturday: I worked on homework, Yashas and I went on a walk to my old elementary school, and the fam went to see the new Hunger Games movie.  Again, basically a pretty chill day, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Sunday:  We got up early, packed up our stuff, and went to Flat Top Grill for breakfast.  Then I had to say goodbye to my lovely family and we headed back to Champaign.  I cried the whole way back for the most part because of all the goodbyes.  It was awful.  Then it was back to Purdue since I had to work.

The End.

And in other news:

October:  I went to the ISEA conference in Indianapolis with PSEA which is always a fun experience.  Also, Syd turned 21, so Annie and I got her a vicious wolf shirt for her birthday.  It's your typical 21st bday present, didn't you know?

November: Jess turned 21!  A bunch of girls came over and we celebrated that weekend.  Poor girl did NOT feel so hot the next day.

December: Nine Irish Brothers Christmas party was last night!  It was fun to hang out with all my coworkers, even if it was on a Monday night and I have 49237459 projects and exams to work on this week.

Speaking of that, I better go considering I have a huge semester-long project to present in 2 hours.  Lol.  Until next time, ya'll. XOXO

Let's just take a second to appreciate this sexy fam of mine

I mean really. Stud status.

I am thankful for my sister!

And also for my handsome boyfrannnd.

Catwoman and Little Red Riding Hood

Catwoman and Batman

ISEA Fall Conference

Wolf shirt: the traditional 21st birthday gift

EAPS is the worst

Don't be fooled by our smiles.  We all hate this class.

And our TA takes selfies.

Nine Irish hostesses

And some of my other awesome coworkers

And Jason

Oh, and that time that I cut Jess's hair.