Baby Ego – The Good Stuff

Sawyer June is 1!

July 13, 2018July 13, 2018 Amanda

Today Miss Sawyer June turns one years old!

If you’ve been following along at in the past year, chances are you’ve heard me talk about this sweet little girl or at least seen her picture.

Sawyer is actually my cousin, though age-wise she’s obviously more like a niece. My own sister and I waited 23 years for a cousin on this side of our family and we love her to pieces!

The first word that I’d use to describe Sawyer is sassy. She has such a big personality already! So I laugh, because on this particular day that I took these pictures of her when I was home in Oregon a few weeks ago, I was watching her while her mama napped and Sawyer was about 20 minutes or so away from going down for a nap of her own. So she kind of looks a bit more shy in these photos than she actually is 🙂

She is ALMOST walking and says “danke,” which is “thank you” in German since that’s where her mama’s family is from.

I know its cliche, but its amazing to think that she’s been a part of our family for only year, especially since I don’t actually get to see her that often. But she’s been the highlight of my Snapchat reel and is my favorite scene-stealer when I’m FaceTiming with my family.

Happy Birthday Sawyer June! We all love you so much!

So There's That Series

So There’s That Vol. 25

September 14, 2017September 14, 2017 Amanda

{Sort of like a “Friday Five” or a “Life Lately” except it’s probably not Friday, and I gave up on the idea of a catchy alliteration. These are some bits and pieces of my not-so-glam 20-something life. See past posts HERE}

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Gearing up for Fall…

I am usually annoyed at people who proclaim September 1 as the first day of fall. But I am just SO READY for it this year! I will also never understand why being obsessed with fall seems to infect ALL WOMEN, but it does, it really does. I’m basic, and not even ashamed.

Sawyer June

Sorry for the spam of baby pictures but Sawyer June is growing so fast and I miss her so much!

The Teacher

I shared this on my Facebook a few weeks ago, but I just had to include it again. If any regular readers still don’t know why I fell in love with Manhattan, KS, just read this.

Bill and I actually have something in common, because my first visit was also on a cold December day and the kindness of the people I met is something that has always stuck with me. I left knowing that it was where I needed to be.

At the very least, if you are a sports fan, this is still worth your time to read.

Article here —> https://www.theplayerstribune.com/bill-snyder-kansas-state-the-teacher/amp/

Eagle Creek Fire in Oregon

Saved this as a screenshot from Facebook… but I can’t remember the source. Sorry!

Not to downplay anything related to Hurricane Harvey and Irma, whatsoever, but fewer people are aware that Oregon is hurting quite a bit too lately (as is much of the west!) because of a fire in the Columbia River Gorge that now covers an estimated 37,500 acres and is only 13 percent contained. The fire has changed the landscape of so many beautiful natural landmarks and treasures, some to the point that they will never again look the same during my lifetime.

Its been a rough couple of weeks all around, folks.

Motivation from Filly Flair

Growing up with a grandma and mom who own their own business, I have always had a special place for women entrepreneurs. Maybe a little less than a year ago, one of my friends told me about an online clothing boutique out of South Dakota, called Filly Flair, that I should check out. I am now a super fan and customer, but lately I also started followed the company’s owner on Instagram and have really enjoyed her overall message and transparency. So I wanted to share a little video that they recently posted about her and the company. I’d recommend it if you need a little motivation today. And no, this is totally not an ad of any kind, but hey Filly Flair hit me up! 🙂

K-State Capital Area Alumni

Recently I joined the planning committee for the K-State Capital Area Alumni group and my new job is handling social media (big surprise there!) We just kicked off our football watch party season, so I’ve already been all over our Facebook page and also started up our own Instagram account. We’re at @kstatecapitalalumni if you want to check it out.

But really though, making images with K-State purple and football? That will never get old.

The Power of Rituals and 6 Other Ways to Get in The Zone

My Shine Texts are always on the money for what I need to hear, EVERY SINGLE DAY. Habits and routines that help my productivity and focus have definitely been a struggle point for me for a while. This article lays it all out in a way that makes sense to me. Now to just better implement those things…

Article —> https://advice.shinetext.com/articles/7-ways-to-guarantee-youll-have-a-productive-day/?utm_source=Shine&utm_medium=BroadcastMain

Out and About

A few snippets (and Snapchats) of life lately.

My Life in Memes

Memes that are speaking to me right now… both thought provoking and just plain funny.

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So, There’s That.

Cheers!

So There's That Series

So There’s That Vol. 24

August 2, 2017August 2, 2017 Amanda

Catching up again before I go home for some vacation time! Stay tuned… there will be lots of posts and pictures to share later in August!

Sawyer June

My new baby cousin Sawyer June joined the family on July 13 and I wrote this little love letter to her that you can read here.

Since then, my favorite Snapchats and texts are ones with her little face in them. I am SO EXCITED to finally get to meet her in 3 DAYS!

National Harbor

A few weekends ago in July, this guy and I spent a lazy Sunday exploring National Harbor (which is maybe 25 minutes south of where I live.) We had a great day window shopping, people watching and of course trying some yummy food and drinks. I had never been down there before and didn’t know there was so much! Definitely a place to keep in mind for a staycation.

Write It Like a Love Letter

http://allisonfallon.com/love-letter/

Almost everything that this gal writes leaves me deep in thought and shaking my head in strong agreement. She describes a relationship with words and writing that I’ve always sought after and this piece linked above discusses approaching writing in a way that I really understand. If writing isn’t your interest, keep moving, but if it is, I’d suggest reading this.

New Hair

The hair was getting a bit unhealthy so it was about time for a major chop. To be honest, I’m not in love with it when I wearing my natural curl (not pictured), but it does feel a lot healthier and it will grow back!

Chris Stapleton

Since I moved to the DC area 2.5 years ago, Chris Stapleton has performed nearby TWICE while I was out of town for work. He has been at the top of my “must-see” list for a while now, so when my friend Emily said he was performing at Jiffy Lube Live the night before I went on a work trip, there was no way I was missing out again.

Friends, I spent the next couple of days DEAD TIRED, but it was SO WORTH IT.

The sign of a great artist is when they sound better live than they do on their album. I am so glad that Emily was fangirling as much as me, because we both could hardly make it through one song without talking about how good he was again. If you are a fan, I highly recommend seeing him in concert!

Right as the opening song began, it started to DOWNPOUR for about 5 minutes or so, and then stopped. We huddled under my blanket that was waterproof on one side and turned out about the best we could.

Staying Present

Earlier this month I shared some thoughts on “Staying Present.” I can’t say that I am a pro at it, but thinking out loud like that has certainly help me be a bit more intentional and self-disciplined.

I also shared about how awesome getting “Shine Texts” are, and had SO MANY people tell me that they signed up for them because of my post! Enjoy!

Fist Bumps

I couldn’t get this video from CNN to embed correctly but if you need a smile today, I definitely suggest clicking the link below. Too cute!

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Utah – Ag Media Summit

I failed to get any pictures with other humans, but the location for this year’s Ag Media Summit was not too shabby. I am not a winter sports gal, but I would definitely return to Snowbird, UT, for the views alone.

New Music from Logan Mize

My favorite artist FINALLY has a new full album out! You can bet I listened to it 3 times through before 10 am on its release day last week. The song above is my favorite so far but they are all so good. I lost count of how many of his shows I saw in college (5 or 6??) so I want him to come to the DC area so bad!

Visitor

I have been practically counting down the seconds to my vacation for a while now so it was nice to see a familiar face from Eastern Oregon last week to hold me over. Beth has been a high school ag teacher and FFA adviser from another school in my home FFA district since I was probably in middle school. Since my own Dad was an ag teacher for 14 years, many other Oregon ag teachers tend to be family friends. Beth was always so kind and supportive to me as a student, so when she was in town with kids to attend the Washington Leadership Conference, I was happy that we had the chance to chat a bit over dinner.

I also tagged along when her group visited the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial. I have been a lot of places in DC but this was actually a first for me, which is a bit embarrassing since it is only about 4 miles from my apartment!

Out and About

A few snippets (and Snapchats) of life lately.

My favorite little guy Wesley Ray is getting a baby sister in December!

My Life in Memes

Memes that are speaking to me right now… both thought provoking and just plain funny.

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So, There’s That.

Cheers!

Family, Love Letters

Love Letter: Dear Sawyer June

July 17, 2017August 16, 2017 Amanda

Sawyer June Ego
7.13.17 at 2:09 p.m.
6 lbs 10 oz

Dear Sawyer June,

We’ve been waiting for you for a long time. No, not just these last 9 months, but 23-ish years to be exact. That’s how long its been since there has been a new baby in this part of the family, so Janci and I have been waiting all of that time to have an Ego cousin. And to be honest, Janci was long overdue to give up the “baby of the family” title.

Don’t get me wrong, having our grandparents all to ourselves while growing up down the street from them was actually pretty great. As far as grandparents go, our Grammy and Grampy are one of a kind and now it’s your turn to get spoiled by them. And trust me, they are pretty great at that too.

This family you were born into is kind of crazy. It’s been said that we should have our own sitcom. We are a bit loud and a bit sarcastic, so you’ll need some thick skin to survive. But our love for one another is just as big so it balances out at the end of the day.

Your daddy was like a big brother to me, instead of an uncle. He let me annoyingly tag along and my Barbies to co-exist with his Legos. He taught me to geek out over movies and to have a sense of adventure. I’m pretty sure you will have seen Star Wars no less than 100 times by the time you are 5. I hope that someday you will let my own kids tag along without too much fuss. And your mama, well she has been the perfect balance to all our chaos and I was so happy when she became a part of our family.

You are already so loved little girl and the fact that I don’t get to hold you for another 3 weeks is making me more homesick than I ever have been before.

You’ll learn quickly that family is the most important thing we have and we are so glad that you joined ours.

Love, Mandy

So There's That Series

So There’s That Vol. 21

May 17, 2017May 17, 2017 Amanda

{Sort of like a “Friday Five” or a “Life Lately” except it’s probably not Friday, and I gave up on the idea of a catchy alliteration. These are some bits and pieces of my glam #postgradlife. See past posts HERE}

1. Baby Ego

Most people who know me personally have heard me refer to Josh “my uncle who is more like a brother since he’s only a few years older than me” (which is usually my go-to line). So anyway because of this my sister and I do not have any first cousins on that side of the family.

Well after 23 years WE ARE FINALLY GETTING A COUSIN!

Don’t get me wrong, we obviously enjoyed growing up with our grandparents all to ourselves, especially since we have a family flower shop and we grew up just down the street from them, but its safe to say that Janci, me and the rest of the Ego/Spoo clan are pretty darn excited.

Baby Girl Ego is due mid-July and even though I wasn’t able to be home for any festivities, my family made sure I was included via FaceTime and SnapChat.

2. Speaking of Babies…

My best friend Richole is also expecting at the end of 2017. She shared the news with me a few weeks ago before she made it public but the excitement was a bit delayed because apparently I was a bit distracted that day…. click the image below to see our funny conversation.

3. Face App

My sister texted Josh and me about this new app that allows you to take your picture and then adjust it to be a girl, boy, old, young, etc. When she tried the boy version she thought she looked a lot like Josh, which she does…. but not as much as me. Regardless, its pretty funny and it shows that we are definitely related!

Janci as a boy, compared to Josh.

Me as a boy, compared to Josh.

Me and Josh, as “normal” as we can be.

4. Ellie

A few weeks ago I wrote a little tribute for our family pup, Ellie, who passed away. She was the sweetest dog I’ve ever met and I am sure going to miss her when I am home next.

5. Turnpike Troubadours

This concert definitely made me miss the Midwest and Manhattan, where there is at least one (or more) red dirt concerts in town every weekend! Surprisingly though, this was my first time seeing Turnpike Troubadours ever! A group of Kansas kids and other friends caught this concert at the Fillmore which wasn’t my favorite venue in the area, but it wasn’t too bad at all.

6. Girls Night

Thankful for these bible study small group girls who’ve turned into friends….and thoroughly enjoy margaritas and dancing as much as I do.

7. Snapchat Voice Changer

I am well aware that most people probably don’t find the SnapChat voice changers as funny as I do…. and that’s just too bad, because I think they are hilarious.

So when I having a ridiculous time trying to navigate the ONE MILE between work and home because of a ONE BLOCK DETOUR, I figured the occasion deserved to obnoxiously documented.

8. Out and About

A few snippets (and Snapchats) of life lately.

Had a great time visiting my friend Chelsea in Blacksburg for the Virginia Tech spring game a few weeks ago… so much that this was the only picture that I took the entire weekend!