graduation and mother's day

I'm DONE! Actually done! On graduation day, I still had my R&W to finish....so I didn't exactly have that 100% feeling of accomplishment, even though I was still receiving my degree.

Bill and Cookie (my in laws) came up from Texas to celebrate the big day - on Friday night we we had italian food, cake and ice cream at our house:

then Mom, Cookie and I got pedicures on Saturday morning, followed by a great BBQ lunch from RJ's, then headed down to school to get pics before the ceremony since we had to turn in our *hot* (literally and figuratively) rented gowns immediately afterwards. Yay. Gotta love pictures. I look so awkward...I need to work on my "mom, please hurry" smile. Or I could work on my patience.

this picture is hysterical. no one can figure out the darned hood!!

Amy, I wish we could have found someone to take this pic so you could be in it! Also, I look like a football player.

My three best friends from school : Courtney, Nancy and Maggie. We all got to sit by each other during the ceremony and my family happened to be sitting right behind us!

I did it! And no, that purple thing around my neck is not a last minute scarf I threw on, it's my hood, choking me :). You carry your hood up to the stage and then the dean "hoods" you before you receive your diploma. This is all very surreal looking at these pictures. I can't believe it's actually over!

After gradumacation, we went to BRGR for dinner, and even though I fell out of the car when we got home and skinned my knee like a second grader, it was a great night! 

The next day was mother's day, and it was the first time in six or seven years that Cookie was with one of her sons on mother's day, so it was pretty special! Great brunch at First Watch, dog park, and then over to my parents house for dinner. De-lish.

Taylor and the ladies of honor - our moms. :)

The pictures I took of the whole meal are not good, but hey, I got one pretty one of the veggies! Hahaha.....random way to finish this post off, but there you go! Sorry for being blog absent for so long, it's been so busy, but I will be back soon! xoxo - Molly Hartley , J.D. 

:)

almost there....

I graduate in eight days, but before then I have a take home final to write, two other finals next week, an R&W to re-write (only 30 pages), a couple pounds to lose to fit into a graduation dress, and a bar exam application to get notarized, order a duplicate of my lost birth certificate to include, order a cashiers check for, and mail in.

I'm trying to stay on top of it all, but I might combust.

However, I have a really exciting post regarding Taylor, I just have to get my scanner to work because it won't be the same without some fun pictures! (Ok I have to spill it now though - he's interviewing as we speak to coach soccer at Shawnee Mission Northwest! My high school!!)

More to come...

Daddy's Boy

Funny/cute story: Taylor was playing with Shay the other day and they were getting a little rambunctious with some tug of war. Somewhere in the mix, Shamus accidentally got Taylor's finger in his mouth as he was biting down on the toy. Taylor yelled out, got really angry, and banished the pup to the other side of the room.

This dog is so human like it's crazy. 

He literally jumped on the couch, HUGGED Taylor, yes, his head was leaning against his chest, one paw behind, one paw in front of Taylor, and started licking his finger and kissing him on the cheek. Yes, he apologized. It was so cute I almost cried. And I'm really not exaggerating! 

They're in love.

(below: the cone returned for an evening to keep him from licking a nasty sore on his paw)

I'm sorry, I can't help myself, I just love my boys so much!

awards

Last Friday was Res Derelicta, the graduation party for 3Ls sponsored by the law school. It was at Terrace on Grand, open bar, great food, good times.

An award ceremony followed cocktail hour, with "most likely to" and "best blah blah" awards that I was always glad Shawnee Mission Northwest didn't do...as they're just another thing for 18 year olds to feel bad about themselves for not getting "most popular" or "most likely to be president". 

Listen to this though. I got "best hair." Are you kidding me? Ha. It was hilarious. I purposely sit towards the back of the room in class not to be far away from the professor, but to minimize the amount of people who sit behind me and might catch a glimpse of my nasty bun/half ponytail thing and awkward part in the middle of my head from just getting out of bed.

I think I got it either A) because no one in law school has extraordinarily good hair, and I certainly wasn't going to get some sort of law-ish award, so my friends noticed I was the only one in the group not getting an award and gave me this leftover or .... B) my hair honestly looks SO terribly bad in class that when law school people see me out at parties the gross disparity in how I look is so shocking it's like a 'She's All That' moment....the heavens part, my hair is straightened and down, and I look like a freaking dream.

Should I put this coveted award on my resume?

mission safari

not really.
but taylor snapped a couple shots with my camera through our kitchen window last week of a deer across the street!
they all looked like this:

 so i had to do the best i could editing in iphoto to see the deer.

 as you can see, i'm not the best editor yet.

and i also feel like a grandma posting this. but there ya go! excitement in our lives. :)

late publishing post: 2 weekends ago through the dog's eyes

Shamus had the weekend of his life!

On Friday he got to go to my parent's house for the first time since Christmas....and he was so good with Gus! We are so happy that we can take him over there now whenever we want and not leave him at home.....
Saturday started out with a trip to Shawnee Mission Dog Park. This was only his second time around water, and we can tell he wants to swim, he's just not there yet. He lets the water reach his belly, but that's about as far as he'll go.
After the park we went to Jose Peppers, and he layed on the patio with us while we had chips and margs. It was windy, the chip bowl fell over, so he accidentally got his first taste of Mexican cuisine.
Theeenn...he accompanied Taylor to Juhn's house where he got to hang out with the boys and play bocce ball in the front yard.
This also meant he had FOUR car rides in one day! Needless to say, I didn't feel bad at all leaving him while we went to Laura Ebbert and Taylor Brammer's fun couples shower on Saturday night.
Sunday he got a long walk and another car ride to McDonald's for ice cream (for mom and dad, not him).
Livin the life I tell ya.

Here he is with his sassy bandana Woof's Play n Stay gave him after his bath.

so handsome!

more than pleasantly surprised

just thought i'd pass along a frozen meal that's actually really yummy!
amy's organic cheese enchiladas. i think they're usually pretty expensive at the normal grocery store, but they were a special purchase at aldi so i snagged a box. and i wish i'd have picked up ten.
they are really good!! has anyone else tried them? wow.