I have been meaning to update for the longest time, but I am either too busy, too over whelmed or too boring.

Life has been crazy... and I have had no time for anything.  I feel bad because I have been neglecting my friends and family because I am just too overwhelmed.  Luckily summer will change that.

The reason behind all of my craziness lately is trying to close on my dream home.

Me and Nick decided to buy a house and the energy and time that we have put in has been exhausting!  We are closing tomorrow as long as we get the final paperwork from the bank (which we will... because there is no other choice).  Buying a house is a lot less fun than HGTV makes it look.  I have cried several times throughout this process because it is so overwhelming. 

Luckily as of tomorrow I will be a lot less stressed, and a lot less crabby and melancholy.  Everything has been so up in the air that it has been impossible to plan anything.  Luckily tomorrow it will all be complete.

Cross your fingers for us!

I have never been athletic.  The most athletic I have been in the past year was taking latin-infused aerobics.  Yesterday we went to the Beckman's house for our annual broomball party.  I was on offence and killed it!  The first game I made a goal and the last game I made three!

I have one athletic bone in my body and that is apparently reserved for broomball.

• I went to India for a month and had the most amazing experience.  One that I still learn from, reflect about and talk about.  I grew a lot and my view of the world has changed for the better.  I also made lifelong friends who are always going to have a special place in my heart.  It is something I will never, ever, forget.
  
• I traveled to New York with one of my best friends and had my first "real" spring break trip.  We had so much fun and got to see all the sights.
• Me and Nick had a wonderful end of the summer vacation to Duluth for my best friends wedding.  We haven't ever vacationed together on our own and had so much fun exploring Northern MN.
  

• I graduated Summa Cum Laude from the College of St. Catherine with my B.A., double majoring in Social Work and English writing.  I am pleased to say I also graduated with the honor of Phi Beta Kappa, along with the Phi Alpha, Sigma Tau Delta and Kappa Gamma Pi honor society memberships.  I worked so hard throughout my four years at St. Kate's and it really paid off.  It was one amazing chapter closed in my life with another one soon to open.
• Senior year I was editior in chief of the Wheel and saw the newspaper the best it has ever looked.  I am so proud of the team I worked with and learned so many great lessions managing the paper that I will always carry with me.
  

• Before graduation I received a call from the Cooperating Community Programs, Inc., asking me to join their Case Management division.  I started my first real person job as a case manager for home and community based waiver programs on June 2, 2008.  At the end of June I passed my social work boards and became a licensed social worker.
• I was also hired on as a speech coach at Eastview High School.  The speech team has always been a huge part of my life since my sophomore year of high school.  I can guarantee I would not be who I am today if it hadn't been for the speech team.
  

• Emily and Mike
• Molly and Chris
• Sean and Daniella
• Katie and Mike

• I traded in my 1999 Dodge Intrepid for a 2004, sparkley blue, VW Beetle.  I have never had a newer car, especially one fully loaded with all the extras.  I love my new car!

• With college ending a lot of friends seem to be all over the place (Duluth, Chicago, Sweden, Iraq, California, Wisconsin, etc...).  I had the opportunity to see Emily up north quite a few times and in 2009 I have plans to visit my other faraway friends.  My social work girls were a constant and although throughout the summer we lost Serena to Chicago and Michelle to Sweden, I like to think that one day we will all be together and catching up on our busy, chaotic lives.  The friendships with my high school friends has become the greatest blessing I have, and I don't think many are as lucky to have such great people that they have know for over eight years.  I also learned in 2008 that it is completely, 100% possible for old feuds, hurt feelings, silly gossip and even years without speaking, to be mended .  We are always growing and that means that old friends and past friends can grow into new friends once more.

• Me and Nick spent our second year on Bay St. and I love him more and more.  We began talking wedding plans more definitely in 2008 but don't expect to be ready for a wedding until 2010.    I look forward to more and more years with my love.

• During my senior year internship I met an extrodinary woman.  She taught me a lot and helped me become a social worker, taking my learning and applying it to life.  She passed away before Christmas and I am so thankful to have had her in my life. 

• Last year there were ups and downs and a lot of transitions to make.  In 2008 my family really came together and we sort of sealed the deal with our first family picture since the summer before college.  In my extended family both my grandfather, and Nick's grandfather, celebrated their 80th birthdays in 2008.  We are both so lucky to have such wonderful grandparents and families in our lives.
  

Every year around this time I blog a lot, and normally really good blogs too... this year has been different though, mainly because I have no need for procrastinating finals.  Procrastinating my actual job isn't as desireable or fun.  So much can change in a year... last year at this time I was finishing my senior thesis and project on James Joyce and letting the newspaper run my life all while gearing up for incredible India.  It is so weird to not have J-term this year or be looking forward to going back to campus, knowing that there will only be a two more months of cold.  I always looked forward to that second semester.  Spring at St. Kate's is always so beautiful.

I am still having my own version of J-term, otherwise I would get the January blahs... I am going to Vegas and California and splitting up my quarterly vacation in January.  They are both warmer places that aren't nearly as exotic as India but still much needed to escape the cold!  After I get back I can look forward to having a little more cold (and it better be a little!) before the bulk of my case load's home visits and annuals are due.  I love visiting clients in the community when it is nice out and the daylight lasts into the evening. 

Hopefully the speech season will also help speed along the winter... I can only hope!  The season is gearing up and I am totally ready for it.  My creative kids are all VERY creative and I think that they are going to do well as long as they can get their ideas onto paper to form a script.  My orators are all really smart and my poets know what they are doing!  Once the season starts it seems to go full blast into the spring... I hope that is the case.

It is snowing out... again.  It is getting to the point where there is so much snow on the ground that if it snows at night, in the morning I have no idea how much it has snowed.. and inch... a foot... a dusting?  St. Paul is against plowing, which probably adds to the entire disenchantment I face over the powdery white stuff.  I spent all summer without a road (stupid construction!) and now I am spending all winter without a plowed road (stupid winter).

I better get out of hibernation mode and brave the elements.  I have a few more gifts to pick up and a scrapbooking date with the ladies.

Stay warm,

H.

Work has been really hard lately.  Something about the holidays has created a lot of stress and crises with my clients.  There are mental illnesses, out of control behaviors, problems with the law, bug infestations, not receiving services, and services providers who can't get paid no matter what I do to try to fix it.  All of these things are making it really difficult for me to leave work at work.  I am constantly thinking about my to do list and what I could be doing, even after work.  I have been in the "tiny-little-fires" mode where I am always trying to put out a fire here or there, making it impossible to actually prevent the crises. 

I also learned that one of my first clients I worked with in a social work setting passed away last week.  She was a sweet woman with lots of complex medical needs.  She taught me a lot and for that I am so grateful.  It definitely hit me hard, but it is a part of the job.  She was one of those people that truly appreciated what I did.  I helped her as much as she helped me.  I will always remember her, especially when work gets difficult.

Even with some of my cases being hard, some client's needs being greater than what I can provide and some people not understanding all that I do for them, there are lots of people, like my former client who passed away, who make the job worth it. 

I received a phone call from one of my most difficult cases that I spent hours and hours on last week, just to say thank you.  The case exhausted me physically and emotionally and tried my social work training, but even though it was hard for me it was a million times harder for my client.  Even with all the stress my client was under, they were grateful for all I did to help the situation.

So even though work has been extra hard lately, in the end it is worth it.  I know in a few weeks it will all settle down.  Christmas is around the corner, and I am going to focus on helping my clients as much as a possibly can, while enjoying the beauty of the holiday season.  I hope my clients do the same because everyone deserves some joy this holiday season.