#110Weeks
A year ago today I met my bonus kids- it was exciting but also a lil nerve wracking. But after the initial butterflies went away and the park broke the ice, we were off and running. It was an exciting day- I knew it was going to be the start of a new adventure, but I had no idea the joy that would come with it.
I knew my life was changed forever the night I met these great kiddos- they were so fun and full of giggles. And they both had jokes and lots of sass, it was obvious we’d have our hands full- but their Daddy and I make a great team!
I had my first insight into the workings of Micah’s thought process that night. We were sitting down to eat and Micah asked to say the blessing for the meal. He bowed his head, tightly closed his eyes and hands, and started his solemn prayer. “Thank you God for our family and friends and for letting us have fun. I hope Mommy’s head feels better. And thank you for bringing us Kate, because we really love her and thank you for Kate. Oh! And thank you for our food!”
I turned to him giving him a hug and said, “I really love you, too, Micah!” “You do?!” I say “Yes, I love you!” Micah then asks, “Do you love Abby?” “Of course, I love Abby!”
He then gave me a truly Micah face- the raised eyebrow and very serious look- and asked, “Do you love my Daddy?” Out of the mouths of babes. “Yes, Micah, I love your Daddy.”
His face lit up and a huge grin came across his face as he said, “Good! So… are you going to get married in 110 Weeks?!”
And that my friends, is the way we picked our wedding date of June 2nd, 2018.
58 weeks and 406 days to go 🙂
We’re Not Moving… Exactly… :D
We’re not moving, exactly…. But we are expanding!
For those of you that don’t know, Justin and I were engaged on Valentine’s Day! It’s a very exciting time and we are having a great time starting to plan the wedding (right Hunny?!). If you want to check out that story- click here 😀
But with that fun announcement I’ve had a lot of questions regarding the business- Naturally 😀 Have no fear my Saint Louis family, KWP is still up and running and will continue to do so! That’s not to say, however, that there won’t be a few changes!
#1 Change- Justin is a manager- something my clients and I have known was needed A LONG TIME. While the creative side and in-person interactions with clients has been pretty easy for me; the business, communication and retouching sides have made for some rough experiences with some of my clients. While it’s never been intentional, it’s been an uphill battle from the beginning. Thankfully, I have a great man by my side that wants to see myself and the business succeed and we have been using the last 3 weeks to create a comprehensive plan to make sure that current and future orders are handled in a timely manner- check out that white board! It’s going to be a game changer!
#2 KWP on the Move- I have moved to Kansas City- Pleasant Hill to be exact! There is a great man and two fantastic kiddos that have my heart, and Momma Kate doesn’t want to miss out on too much. The plan that we’ve been using, and that has been working pretty well so far, is that 1 week a month I am in STL for a full week to shoot sessions and meet with clients. That’s not to say I won’t make a trip back should that schedule not work with everyone. (My accountant is going to love my mileage log this year!) For example- I’m in STL this week and have 2 more weekends and a couple of days at the end of the month that I’ll be here because there was a session that could only happen the 24th– Y’all are important to me and I want to take care of you to the best of my abilities! Speaking of sessions that are coming up- that session on the 24th is for my Kindergarten Buddy- She’s graduating from COLLEGE! Pardon me while I go take my Centrum Silver….
#3 Expansion- it’s a good thing! As our circle of friends grows and as I have started to interact with new businesses in the KC Metro, the business has naturally started to expand, and that is something that we are super excited about. With a new town comes new connections and a change of scenery, opening KWP up to new opportunities! So just as STL will have unique sessions, so will KC- and if you should ever want to travel to either, I typically have a guest room or a couch to spare!
So to all of my faithful friends, my supporting family, and and truly appreciated clients, thanks for supporting our expansion and all of the congratulations y’all have sent. We are really looking forward to serving both Saint Louis and Kansas City- we LOVE YOU GUYS!
He put a RING on it!
The Backstory…
For those of you that didn’t know, I was going through some major Moore family withdraw right after the holidays in January. And while I wasn’t sure I was ready for the move, I packed up some of my favorited dishes, a suitcase of clothes and all of my computer equipment and off to KC I… moved. I couldn’t believe that I was actually packing to move. And while I was so excited- and so super scared at the same time- I knew it was going to be for the best.
That didn’t stop me from crying when hugging my parents and saying good bye, on my way out the lane or the first taste of homesickness I’ve really ever had. I was doing good when I finally got to Pleasant Hill and my man was there to welcome me home. And off we went.
The next two months seemed to pass in a blur. There were a few tearful calls home and Justin was a champ through it all. He really made the transition as smooth as it could have and the kid’s hugs and cheerfulness made it a lot easier to settle into Bonus Mom mode. (Speaking of Bonus Mom- stole that from a client that explained she had a Bonus Son, not a step son- I loved the idea and it’s become a regular term around our house!). We kept busy with work and a “small” weekend project.
The Engagement…
So as February made it’s appearance, we started chatting about rings (we had known that a proposal/marriage was going to be happening)- and Mom and I did a little look see at the mall. But then good ole Pinterest popped up a ring that my heart loved. I sent it along to my bestie Melinda, who immediately forwarded it to Justin- apparently as he was driving to the jewelry store to pick it out. Let’s just say it was a perfect match!
As it turned out, we ended up going to Saint Louis on February 11th to help with the annual Weber butchering. Dad and Justin took a ride to go put some meat in the freezer and were gone suspiciously long. I came out when they got back and Dad gave me a big hug… I wonder what they were talking about? Later that evening, Shannon came up to me and said that he went and talked to Grace’s dad the same day and was planning to propose on March 23rd, so I started laughing saying that I thought Justin had done the same today. More on that another time 🙂
That night Justin and I were driving home and we were chatting about our “hypothetical” wedding. Where we’d have the reception, the people we were excited to include and the family that would be there. It was going hunky dory until the truck broke down… Cue 2 days of running Justin back and forth to work- which if I didn’t know any better I would have said he planned it that way to throw me off.
Valentine’s Day rolled around and Justin mentions that he is taking a half day off so that he can go to Abby’s school party- I think nothing of it, and the 4 of us enjoyed the time together at her party followed by this cute selfie in the car (the last before it became official!)
When we got back home, I was told to keep myself busy for 20 minutes and that I would be told when to come out of the office. When I rounded the corner I saw the people I love the mostest with the biggest grins on their face and was invited to sit on the couch. After I sat, Micah and Abby came over holding home-made cards- with Abby’s saying “Will you be” and Micah’s saying “Our Bonus Mom” Followed up with Justin taking a knee and asking me to be his wife- with huge tears in his eyes. My hands shaking, the only word I could get out was YES! Lots of hugging and laughing and once I got my breath THE RING. My man did EXCELLENT!
The kiddos were so excited and just kept giggling. The first people I wanted to call of course were my parents. Dad wasn’t around but said I shouldn’t wait and to call Mom- we FaceTimed and the family showed her the ring- lots of excitement ensued and Abby popped in and said, “Now you’re going to be our Nana Carrie”- see pic below to make your heart melt over the pure excitement on both of their faces.
After calling Justin’s mom, Kirsten, we enjoyed our time with the kiddos for a few more minutes before they went to their Mom’s. The kids gave Justin his Valentine’s gift- another future heirloom- a wood handled buck knife. After dropping the kids off it was time to call a few family members- you know the ones that I didn’t want to find out on FB that we were engaged… And let’s just say there were a few. The best part was that we were able to FaceTime most of them- some of my favorite reactions!
A few weeks and a back surgery later (can’t recommend KU Med Center enough- they were fantastic!) Mom and Dad threw us a Surprise engagement party- the kiddos and Justin were a little shell shocked to realize that most everyone in the room was now their family. It was adorable and very exciting! And to the friends and family that are reading this that our darling children bummed quarters off of that day- thank you 😉
