mptrson3

[mptrson3]

A Year in Review

The past year was one filled with safety and good health for our family. 

Mallory and Paul continued to work mostly from home. Mallory working for a local health system called MedStar Health as a provider informatics for the hospital system’s electronic medical record. Paul is working at NAVAIR Patuxent River in their program office that oversees aviation support equipment. Maryland is treating them well, a favorite duty station so far. They will likely be relocating south just three hours to Yorktown, VA in August 2022. Paul will be assigned to the USS Stennis; dry-docked until at least 2025 (YAY!)

The girls are doing well. Madilynn (age 2) is enjoying preschool. She is excited to start after-school activities such as ballet next spring. 

Jenna (age 5) is in her last year of pre-K; she will begin kindergarten next fall in Virginia. Her favorite activity right now is Brazilian jiu-jitsu.  

We wish you and your family a happy and healthy holiday season! 

Remembering:

Lettie (Joann) DeRoin 4 Jan 1928- 20 Nov 2020, maternal great-grandmother of Mallory

Margaret Ruth Novess 3 March 1929- 26 Nov 2021, paternal grandmother of Paul

[mptrson3]

Growing Pains

Some say that the best days of our lives are the years spent in college.  Don’t get me wrong, college was great.  But I argue that the best times in life are happening now.  People are finding their career paths, rather than the next “job.” Engagements, weddings, and babies flood social media. 

A lot is happening in my life, that’s for sure.  I started a new job in May with a health care company in San Diego.  It’s been a lot to learn, and though daunting at first, I’m finally starting to get the hang of things and not be the awkward newbie.  Dating someone in the military has been very interesting as well.  I always knew I would date someone older, but I definitely did not expect to find myself with someone in the Navy.  Here we are almost a year later, and Paul received his official orders this past weekend to report to Japan at the end of the year.  Right now he is out to sea, so I received the news via email.  I knew it was coming, it was just a matter of when.  I didn’t really want to believe it and now that it is official, it’s a bit more surreal.  I’m a tough cookie though and I know we can make it work, plus that now gives me a reason to visit Japan a few times within the next couple of years. (yeah, he’s there for 2 years, at least).

I also started my master’s program in May.  It’s been a lot more work than I imagined.  My academic advisors suggested it would be about 15-25 hours/week which I thought was overestimating, but it wasn’t.  I’m getting my master’s in health administration through Ohio University.  I looked up programs pretty thoroughly before making a decision on what program I wanted to complete.  Ohio University has great ratings, pretty affordable (for out-of-state, too), AND it’s completely online.  I am almost done with my second course. Only 5 semesters to go ! I graduate in May 2017. 

So while Paul is in Japan, my plan is to stay here in San Diego. Good thing I have more PTO with my new job...12 hour flight and Tokyo is 16 hours ahead of pacific time.  I just started a new job and school so I should keep busy. I am also playing softball one night a week and plan to get more involved in the church we attend in SD.  We go to a church called Newbreak. We really like the pastor, but why wouldn’t we, he’s from IOWA! :)  Just hope he’s a HAWKS FAN!  

God is teaching me patience through all of this, that’s for sure.  He’s always teaching me patience. For someone (me) that is type A personality, patience can be a chore. I’m trying to focus on my happiness at the present moment and not stress on what may or may not happen in the future.  It’s easier said than done. I’ve got a lot to be thankful for though, and I truly feel blessed. I have a good job, education, and family and friends that I can always count on. 

11For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.   Jeremiah 29:11-13

[mptrson3]

So I read a book that a great friend bought for me.  You may have heard of it before.  “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle.  I read it, all 230+ pages on a flight to Burlington, VT, to visit our other Cerner Wellness office.

That book, though redundant, spoke to me in profound ways.  The excerpt that I related most to was this:

I definitely feel mental-emotional energy behind my need to be right.  I need to acknowledge the way it makes others feel and focus on the “now.”  

With that being said, I at the same time have never felt such happiness in my life. I am in a good place in my life right now.  I feel comfortable with my self emotionally, physically, and spiritually.  Of course, always have room for improvement, but despite it all, I've realized that being vulnerable makes you a person that people appreciate.  At the end of the day, regardless of title, we are all people.  We have the same wants and needs as a common human race.  We desire love, affection, communication, and want, from those we love the most.     Understanding that we are all people, makes me more comfortable in executive-level conversations in my every day job, awkward greetings amongst the congregation in church, my fellow co-workers, friends, family and more. 

[mptrson3]

2015-A Year of Greatness.

2015 is off to a great start.  I'm not experiencing the winter months of the Midwest for the first time in my entire life, yet I can travel 2.5 hours to the snow if I want to.  I've got some great trips planned this year already.  Just got back from Big Bear and skied for the first time in a long time. 7 hours later, I was still alive.  Lots of fun out in the woods and mountains. 

Later this week I'm going to Playa Del Carmen with some of best friends since elementary school!  Should be a good time with the girls, especially while the boys are doing their own thing for the Super Bowl.

I've officially applied for graduate school.  The program I've decided on is a Master's in Health Administration.  I will be taking it entirely online while working full-time. Should take me about two years to complete.

I am also feeling really healthy.  I started this year weighing the same as I did as a freshman in high school.  Focusing a lot on my diet, and less on running as I have historically. (yes, I still have a half marathon less than two weeks away.) Incorporating weight training about 3x/week plus fitbit steps to keep me on track. Using myfitnesspal to track my diet and also focusing on lean protein and veggies most days. Lots of coffee and lots of water, as always. 

I've also been drinking a lot less alcohol.  Don't get me wrong, I still like beer, liquor and wine. However, I only drink about once or twice a week rather than every day like I used to.   

I feel like I am in a really good place overall in my life right now.  Of course, the job can always pay more and we can never get enough sleep, but things are good.  I'm happy. :) 

[mptrson3]

The Greatest Things I've Learned This Year

Life goes on.

New friendships can mean just as much as old friendships. 

Cherish every moment you have with your friends and family.

Moments are better when cellphones aren't involved.

That I have little patience.  San Diego traffic and tardiness=FRUSTRATED. 

That I'm a morning person.  5am workouts, 7am hikes, and 9pm bedtime.

My love for coffee is real. DO YOU TODDY?

That I'm very independent and enjoy alone time more than most my friends.

That I'm obsessed with my niece.  No, I do not apologize for the abundance of photos and videos flooding your social media.  Love my little Vivi bear.

How to properly curl my hair with a regular curling iron. Yes, I know, I've made it nearly 25 years not knowing how..

That I prefer beer/wine over liquor. Can't drink vodka like my ol' college days...

That my favorite place in the US is not Southern California, but there are worse places to be.

Always be true to yourself. If you don't feel comfortable in a situation, change it or get out.

No one is perfect and don't stress out on the small stuff.

_________________________________________________________

2014 was a trying year to say the least. A new job, new city nearly 1,500 miles from home, new roommates, an unexpected death of a close friend, and the most financially strained I've ever felt. 

However, in a lot of ways, 2014 was a time of emotional growth.  All of the struggles I've faced this year have made me a stronger person. Thank you to all my friends and family for being so supportive of the decisions I've made along the way.  Here's to a happy and healthy 2015!

And with that, I'll leave you with some of my favorite moments captured from 2014!

[mptrson3]

Holidays in San Diego

Mission Hills is a quaint community I call home in the heart of San Diego. Overlooking Old Town, Downtown San Diego, and San Diego bay, Mission Hills is primarily residential. Many of the houses on my street date back to the early 1900s. The community boasts cute boutique shops and local restaurants. 

I decided to enjoy another day of 65+ degree weather before I went back to Kansas City for Christmas.  I woke up early and explored my neighborhood, stopping periodically to take photos of things that caught my eye. 

Festive homes in the neighborhood.

Mission Hills Nursery. Please note the palm trees behind the Christmas trees.

The cute coffee shop I adore in Mission Hills called Meshuggah Shack.  I ordered just a coffee and was stared at oddly.  Apparently people don't drink "coffee" anymore.  Either way, the place is cute and local.

Local art on Goldfinch Street.

Cute outdoor theater I want to try out in Mission Hills! Always showing classics.

Happy Holidays, everyone!!

[mptrson3]

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I love this time of the year.  Thanksgiving through the New Year always feels like an extended holiday to me. Most people are traveling or taking vacation from work and I'm surrounded by my family and friends.  My birthday is between Christmas and the New Year so I'm usually around those that mean the most to me during that time too.  Thankfully this year I am able to go home for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Thanksgiving day marked the first time in nearly 5 months that I had seen my niece, Vivian.  It's crazy how much she's grown up since I was back for Fourth of July.  We were able to spend some quality time together while my family went to the Mizzou football game.  We watched Frozen and read through a variety of books.  

Anna came down from Williamsburg and we had a nice little weekend together, catching up. We stuffed our faces so much at The Frederick Inn on Saturday that we made ourselves sick and went to bed before 10. 

We did not decorate much for Halloween or Thanksgiving, but our house in Mission Hills is looking quite festive for the Christmas season.  Bernie, our landlord has added his tasteful flare to our decor and our home looks great with the lights. 

It was freezing while I was home, and I actually slipped on ice outside my office building in Kansas City.  I felt selfish for complaining about the weather always being the same (70 degrees and sunny) in San Diego, but am learning to appreciate both the cold and warm(er) weather.  

I would say this holiday season I am most appreciative of my friendships. It's interesting as I take a look of my friends and honestly I have some of the most loyal friends and some lasting relationships.  Being nearly 1,500+ miles away from most of my friends and on different time zones can make it difficult to find time to stay connected, but somehow we always do. I've had a lot of visitors to San Diego too in the past 9 months that I've lived here.  (crazy, it's already been 9 months).  Cori, Anna, Janessa, Don, Paige, and Sam--you guys are the best and always welcome back to SD, as are any of my friends! :) 

[mptrson3]

Fall in San Diego

It's officially fall in San Diego.  The past two nights we've had heavy rain which is odd because it has rained more in the past two nights than it has in the eight months I have lived here.  It's in the mid 60s which is awesome because it reminds me of the actual season of fall. The thing I miss most about home and weather are the leaves changing colors.  

I've felt really nostalgic lately.  I miss things about home that I never experienced before and I think it's because I am no longer in the midwest.  When I was in college at Iowa, it still felt like "home."  Even when I was in Texas for my internship at LIVESTRONG,  it still was much different than the way people live out here in southern California.  

I came out to Southern California with the intention that it would be a forever.  Don't get me wrong, I like San Diego.  The weather is consistently in the 70s and nearly always sunny; there's plenty of awesome hiking spots, great eccentric restaurants, and the ocean is less than a 20 minute drive no matter where you are in the city.  Plus great music and great local beer.  However, this city is not for me. 

Why?  

The expense to live out here is the main reason. In Kansas City I was doing well for myself as an independent single, college graduate.   The thing I've come to realize most about people in Southern California (I know this is a generalization, but mostly holds true) is that most people cannot afford to live out here.  They're renting for the majority of their adult lives, and buy a home with the intention of living there forever and paying their mortgage until the day they die. I like adventure and I don't want to commit to a home for the rest of my life here.  I want the flexibility to be able to buy a home and know that in 5 years I can sell that said home and potentially make money off of it.  A lot of people build their lives off debt and it becomes the norm.  To me, that's not the norm. I've never really had debt other than my car loan.  My parents never had "debt." I don't know what it means to truly struggle financially as an adult because I've always lived somewhere affordable.  I want a 1500+ sq foot home with land and don't want to pay $400,000+ for a "cute little house or condo."  The public education system out here is terrible too. Most kids have to live in the suburbs or private/home schooled.   California consistently ranks among the lowest scores for public education state testing, math scores are considerably low.  Traffic sucks.  My commute is ridiculous and people do not know how to drive. The left lanes are meant for passing, not just moosing around. There is such thing as an interstate too, that's what the "I" is before i-5 or rather "the" 5.   

For no reason should 32 miles take over an hour...

Don't get me wrong...I have the beach and sunshine year so I should be content and stop complaining..However, sometimes I want a lake and to be on a boat all weekend and to enjoy good company chilling on the dock. 

I know the politics are whack out here too. The state laws are ridiculous. Gun control.  Taxes...Yep, I barely see my paycheck these days with the HIGHEST state income tax.  

I now get taxed at 9.30% plus $2,191.48!!! WOOOWHOOO

No one told me the many reasons why NOT to move here.  I like the people, just the state sucks.  I wish I could take all the people I have met and love here and move them to somewhere better....believe me, you can always come back for "fun" 

Gone are the days when I could afford my life. Gone are the days where people smile when you pass them on the sidewalk.  Gone are the days where you can drive 60 miles in 60 minutes!!!  I miss the midwest.

[mptrson3]

Why I Chose to Take a Break from Alcohol

I decided last Sunday to quit drinking alcohol for awhile.  People ask why I just don't scale back.  "Just don't drink on the week days." The reason is because I can't. It's too easy NOT to want to. When I go to breweries, wineries, the bar, or at home with friends--the cycle continues.  One or two drinks turns into several more.  As much as I'd wish for my bank account and health the next morning (or night), I just cannot stop. Once I start drinking, I want more of the feeling once it starts. What was the point of drinking alcohol if I don't experience the feeling of drunkenness? I should have just had water...

In high school I really did not drink much alcohol.  I didn't have very many older friends and my brother definitely wasn't going to buy any for his younger sister.  I was active in sports and had little time between my own sports and my brother's wrestling tournaments to do such.  I remember getting my first beer at a party my junior year of high school and sipping on that ONE bud light can all night long.  It was hot and FULL, but I did it to fit in.

Fast forward to college...University of Iowa is consistently among the top party schools. 

http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/08/06/university-of-iowa-is-top-party-school/

Of course I knew that when I chose the University, but I chose the school because of my generous scholarship and excellence in academics.  It was far enough away from home, but close enough to make the trip back in a few hours.   The first year of college, I struggled. I had a single dorm without a roommate and not very many friends besides my dorm neighbors. (many of which I'm still friends with).  I didn't like the fact that most everyone at Iowa was from either Iowa or Illinois and already had people at the university that they knew.  I was homesick. I was shy (believe it or not) and I could hid in my single dorm.

I thought everyone at Iowa was a bunch of drunks and I really wanted to focus on my academics my freshman year. I applied to Missouri State at the end of my first semester, ready to transfer and be somewhere where I at least knew people from home. I joined rowing my first semester of college hoping it would help, but ended up quitting shortly after I started. 

I can honestly say that Iowans know how to drink unlike anyone else I've ever met.  I've traveled all over the US and people who live in Iowa know how to drink. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that there is little to do in the state (besides drink and hang out at bars/tailgate at Hawkeye games) and it's cold nearly 8 months out of the year. However, I quickly began to enjoy beer (it was cheaper than liquor) and always the drink of choice readily available at house parties.  I acquired a taste for it and liked the fact that it didn't make me hungover like liquor did. 

I was in a sad place for much of my college years.  I didn't end up transferring. I knew Iowa was a great school and I couldn't go anywhere else as great for cheaper. (I had nearly all my academics paid for through scholarships). The summer before my junior year began, I grew very close to people from Williamsburg.  Still some of my best friends. I was undoubtedly dating an alcoholic though.  I wanted to take care of him and perhaps be the change in his life. At first I thought it was normal college kids drinking. The more I was around other people that drank though, I realized it wasn't normal.   I felt like I had to be right there to watch over him, but often I couldn't deal being around it so I had to drink to numb the sadness and anger.   I didn't know immediately that the alcohol abuse was becoming a problem. The environment I was in was affecting my well being and my grades.  My semester GPA went from a 3.3 to a 2.4.   I was so ready to leave Iowa and all the drinking behind.  I was homesick and wanted to escape, but knew I had to finish school.  

Fast forward to my senior year of college.   I knew college was almost finished and I would soon have my bachelor's degree.  I purposely made my schedule so my last semester of college would be all online.  While most students are excited and partying their last semester of college (One last horray!) I was moving home December 2011 so I could be out of that environment and spend time with family. 

I was sick of drinking and waking up hungover every morning only to start right back up again. I was tired of ditching friends because I was already drunk by the time they were getting out of class. I knew it was unhealthy but I let the situation control me. I found myself lying for myself and others because I was embarrassed. I had a full time job lined up for the following June after I'd graduate.  I moved home the second week of December.  I wouldn't graduate for another 5 months, but I was ready to be home. 

I thought maybe after college, my drinking would slow down a bit. However, it seems that all the habits I made in college continued with me into the professional world.  Alcohol found its way back into my life whether happy hours, brewery/winery tours, weddings, concerts, festivals, fairs, and more.  

I sit here thinking about people who smoke cigarettes and how difficult that must be to quit.  I can exercise or eat healthy if I put my mind to it, but not drinking alcohol especially on the weekends when surrounded by friends is pretty difficult.  I'm not sure how long this challenge is going to last---I'm aiming for a month at least. I hope it's something that can change my mindset. If you were to go through my facebook photos, more than half I have a beverage in my hand or I'm at a bar.  It's not that I think I am an alcoholic or even have a problem.  It's the fact that I know it controls so many people's lives and ruins so many relationships. Alcohol is the root for many devilish acts and reckless behavior. Thankfully I've never been seriously injured due to alcohol, but I do have my fair share of lost/broken phones and mysterious scars and bruises thanks to booze.  I want to be able to enjoy the flavors of the drink and be okay with SLOWINGGGG DOWNNNN.  I am set out to succeed.  This year is to becoming a healthier person, both mentally and physically.