Laney Knowlton, MS

As of Friday, June 13, I have officially finished my Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. I have completed four and a half years of classes and 12 months of internships. I ended up with an official total of 987 hours over the last 4 quarters of my internships (and practicum, which is the first quarter of internship). I don't have all my grades in for the last quarter of my internship, but currently have a 98% in my class and am only waiting for one more grade, so it's pretty safe to say that I graduated with a 4.0 GPA. I wrapped up my internship experience while in a client session with the first couple I ever officially worked with, which I thought was very appropriate. 

This has been one of the hardest things I have ever done, but it has also been one of the most rewarding. I have learned so much about myself through this experience and I am so much closer to what I want to be. The sacrifices and effort were absolutely worth it.

I am now waiting for my final transcript to be ready and to get my score back from my mft exam. If I passed the exam, I should be a LMFTA (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate) around the end of July. I have to do 3000 hours of work under a supervisor, then I can apply to be a LMFT. I'm continuing to work with Mark, who has offered me a position as an independent contractor. I'll be able to work as many or as few hours as I want to (although I've learned that is controlled by my clients to a large extent). In exchange for a percentage of what I charge my clients, he's letting me use an office and providing supervision. I'm going to continue working with the LifeSTAR groups that I've been working with as well. Private practice is the holy grail of MFTs and usually is really hard to get into. I feel so incredibly blessed that I have pretty much been handed this opportunity on a silver platter. I love the LifeSTAR program and Mark is one of the most amazing therapists I've ever met and I am so lucky to get to continue to work with him.

If I could handpick the perfect life for me right now it would be being married to Rob, with our six amazing kids making every day fun and rewarding, while getting to work at a job I love where I can make a difference with a supervisor that is on my list of my favorite people ever (Mark). As my heart issue is part of our life, my perfect life would also include someone that would love my children and would do the things I wish I could do with them. I am so blessed.

Thank you to each of you who have helped me get here. Especially thank you to Rob, who has been an unwavering support through the last five and half years. I could not have made it if it wasn't for you. I love you!

Travis!!!

We were lucky enough to get a visit from Travis just a few weeks after our visit from Susie and Drew. We haven't seen him in a year and we loved spending time with him. We started off the visit with a turkey pie dinner. Turkey pie is something we've only found in New England (not turkey pot pie - these pies only have meat and gravy under the crust). Kiki brought home two large frozen turkey pies the last time she visited MA and she thoughtfully shared them with us :) It was one of our favorite meals growing up, so it was nice to have three of us there enjoying it together.

I had to work Monday night, but Travis joined us for dinner and spent some time with Rob and the kids after I left for work. I had Tuesday off, so we spent some time with Travis that afternoon and then headed to Jojo's pool that evening. It was only about 82*, meaning it was super cold for a Texas summer, but we went swimming anyway. I tried to get into the pool gradually, but Rob pulled me in and would have dunked me if I hadn't been holding Laura.

Laura and Eva got cold fairly quickly, so they got out and cuddled together until they dried off most of the way and could run around the edge of the pool. 

Rob's superhero pose, warranted  by learning to dive for the diving ring in 10 feet of water.

Travis spent a lot of time working with Beth on floating on her back. 

We had to stop by Sonic on the way home and get half price milkshakes (and half price cheeseburgers).

 

We had to say good bye to Trav that night, but hopefully we'll see him again soon! He was just accepted to grad school in SLC and starts in the fall - yay Travis!!!!

School's Out!!!

I actually made it to the elementary school to take pictures on the last day! Kala made it so much easier by having me drop Eva and Laura off with her to take naps.

Just a quick sidenote here - Kala is such an amazing blessing in our lives. I don't know what we would do without her. She loves the kids and the kids love her. She takes amazing care of them and does all the things with them that I used to do, but don't have the energy for anymore. She takes them on walks and to the park and plays outside with them and bakes cookies with them and does fun craft stuff with them like making giant bubbles from a recipe off of pinterest. She reads stories to them and sings them to sleep for naptime and cooks them hot lunches. We are so blessed to have her! And we love having Patrick (her son) in our lives as well. Eva and Laura (and the other four kids) love playing with him and Jack actually gets to have a part-time brother :) Having Kala watch the kids 15 hours a week makes it possible for Rob and I to still spends lots of time with them, but gives them time to do the active parenting activities that I think are so important, but can't do anymore. Thank you Kala! We love you!!!!

Anyway . . .

This was Kylie's third and last year with Mrs. Brooks. Mrs. Brooks was her teacher in 2nd grade and moved up with her for 3rd and then 4th. She has been an amazing teacher for Kylie and we're so glad Kylie got her for three years! I'm really hoping Jack ends up with her as I think that would be a good fit :)

We also took pictures with each of the kids' best friends.

Kylie and Cindy

Kylie and Kim (Kylie's very best friend this year)

Kylie and Alondra

And of course we had to get a picture with Kylie and Caitlin. They have been friends since they were three. 

Beth had Mrs. Foster this year. We love Mrs. Foster (Megan had her for 1st grade) and she was a wonderful teacher to Beth.

Beth had two best friends in school this year, but didn't get a picture with Chloe as Chloe's mom had already taken Chloe home. Beth also continues to be best friends with Maia, even though Maia moved out of state 18 months ago. They keep in touch through phone calls.

Beth and Caitlin

Jack had Mrs. Donohue this year. She did a great job as his teacher and we were so glad we got to know her!

Jack's best friend this year was Ella Kate. According to Jack "she had a lot in common with me and she always knew what I was talking about".

His other best friend was Pierce. Yes, Jack is a bit short :) Both Rob and I were short until some point in high school.

Even though I didn't get to go take pictures of Megan and her teachers and friends (that isn't really done in middle school apparently), we took pictures of all the kids once they were all home.

Megan's favorite teachers this year were Mrs. Dominguez (her Language Arts teacher) and Mrs. Flurry (her social studies teacher). Her best friends this year are Paula (who has been her best friend since kindergarten), Olivia, Allison, and Trent (all of whom she met this year). She also really likes Raina and Allie from church.

We made a small end of the year gift for each teacher (including art teachers, music teachers, gym teachers, librarians, front desk ladies, etc). We put a marshmallow, two graham crackers, and a small hershey's bar in a bag with a tag that read "we need s'more teachers like you!" and had the kids decorate the tags and write short notes. Since Mrs. Brooks had been Kylie's teacher for three years, we also got her an Amazon gift card and Kylie wrote her a special note.

Trot Trot to Boston

I love that our lives are filled with moments like this! Meg has Eva, Beth has Laura, and Kylie has Jack.

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

Unfortunately Susie and Drew could only stay a few days.

Saturday morning, Susie and Drew got up early to spend time with the kids. They made sugar cookies and, at the kids' request, packed a picnic lunch and walked to the park to eat it (at 9am). 

Then they said good bye to the munchkins and Rob and I took them out to get Mexican food for lunch (being from CA, Drew really likes good Mexican food, which TX has). Megan babysat for us (we LOVE that she is now old enough to do that!). We can't wait to have them come back and see us! Thank you guys so much for coming down!!! We love you :)

This is what we came home to . . . 

Jumping Out of Perfectly Good Airplane

The second day that Susie and Drew were here Christy took Drew and Rob skydiving. Skydiving has been on Rob's bucket list forever and he was thrilled to finally get to do it. Drew was a bit less enthusiastic and more scared spitless, but he still went without hesitation :)

We kept Megan home from school. Kylie, Beth, and Jack had Field Day, which they really didn't want to miss, so they decided to go to school. Susie, Drew, Kiki, Rob, Megan, Eva, Laura, and I packed a picnic lunch and headed up to the drop zone.

The boys participated in a short training before suiting up. 

They got to wear super cool blue jumpsuits. 

Kiki suited up in her jumpsuit as she was jumping in the same group the guys were. 

Rob's outfit was just too cool looking to avoid corny poses. 

We watched them jump, but at over 11,000 feet, we couldn't tell who either was until their parachutes deployed. Rob's chute was red and Drew's was green and blue.

They made it down safely :) I admit that both Susie and I were a little worried about it. Not too much, but it was a bit disconcerting to trust a couple yards of fabric to bring the man you love back to you safely.

Don't they look like astronauts walking in from a landing?

Rob loved it. His favorite part was hanging out of the plane door, nothing but air between him and the ground 11,000+ feet below. That is the part most people hate. He is a bit crazy, but I love him anyway :) Drew was glad he jumped too. Both agreed that their least favorite part was when the parachute deployed (which was actually MY favorite part as I then didn't have to worry about parachute malfunctions). Both had bruises on their chests from the straps sharply pulling them up. Since they fall at about 120 mph, that makes sense.

Surprise!!!

First, a random picture of me and Laura. I got to sing Laura and a bottle of motrin to sleep. Poor baby is getting four teeth at once :( I really don't like teething. That is one stage I am glad we'll never have to go through again!

Also a photo from my birthday week that I forgot to post. Megan, Eva, Laura, and I went out and got sausage mcmuffins for breakfast on my birthday. I love sausage mcmuffins. I don't eat them much because they have more sodium than the Dead Sea, and heart patients are supposed to be on low sodium diets, but I splurged :) After we dropped Meg off at school, the two littles and I drove to Rob's work and had a breakfast date with him. I love how close Eva and Rob are! One really good thing that has come from my heart issue is that Laura and Eva have gotten much closer to Rob than the other kids did at those ages because Rob has gotten to be much more involved in their care. With the other four, Rob was working two jobs and I was the one who spent most of the time taking care of them.

Anyway . . .

Kylie's birthday was the following week. Late the night before, long after the kids were in bed and asleep, I snuck out to the airport and picked up Susie and Drew. When the kids woke up the next morning, they were over the moon :) They really miss Susie. They hadn't met Drew before, but he was soon on their list of favorite people ever :)

Jack had a field trip that day, so he went to school. We let the girls stay home. The eight of us went to the grocery store to pick up picnic stuff for the next day and lunch for that day and took lunch to Rob at work. Once Jack was home, we headed over to Jojo's house to go swimming. She is awesome and lets us use her pool. It is so much easier to keep an eye on six kids at a private pool!

Laura let Susie take her into the water, which shocked us. Usually Laura takes several days to warm up to people and she barely lets Rob and I take her into the pool. Apparently Susie made a big impression :) 

Eva blew us away and let Drew take her into the water. Eva rarely even smiles at people until she has known them for days, let alone letting them hold her. According to the kids (and us), Susie picked an awesome husband :) 

Rob joined us as soon as he got off work.

We finished up the day with Babe's fried chicken for dinner and cupcakes and presents for Kylie.

Kylie got several pairs of basketball shorts. She has decided they are her preferred style of clothing, which is a relief to us as she hates heavy clothing or clothing with buttons (like jeans), but is really tough on her clothes. Until we thought of basketball shorts, she exclusively wore stretch pants. She can put holes in the knees of stretch pants faster than anyone I know. Basketball shorts are a much better fit for her :) 

She also got a nerf crossbow. Best. Present. Ever.