kathryndalida

[kathryndalida]

Valentine’s Day 2019

Today was a really good valentine’s so I’m going to document. We were supposed to wake up at 6 but I woke up at 7:30 and Adolfo slept in until 9:30. I didn’t want him to feel groggy all day so I let him sleep until he woke up naturally. Meanwhile, I took a shower and shaved every single part of my body where hair is unacceptable for the first time this winter season. I sent a text to Amanda, steph and Pauline saying “February 14: the first shave of the winter season. When a woman’s razor comes out of hibernation.” 😂😂 I was able to shower and put makeup on while he was still in bed. Then he woke up and went downstairs first. When I went downstairs, he had flowers and my gift set up for me. They were beautiful pink tulips. I think tulips are my current favorite flower! They were the perfect shade of pink. It’s funny tho, when I went into the family room, the first thing I noticed was “hey why is my vase in the wrong spot it’s supposed to go on the farmhouse cabine——ohh” lol. And then I saw his gift. And funny thing also, we went to Kohl’s the day before and we picked out the earrings together and I told him to give to me as a gift of v day and I’ll pretend I’m surprised 😂 original price was $150 for two pairs of 10k gold Swarovski zirconia studs but they had a sale going on and I had an extra 20% off coupon and only ended up paying $40!!!

Anyways, we hung out at the house for a little and did our daily morning devotional from Preparing for Marriage Devotion for Couples. We left the house and Adolfo opened the car door for me ☺️and proceeded to do so for every stop we went to the rest of the day ☺️ Then we went to Cheesecake Factory for lunch and got Louisiana Chicken Pasta and the Wellness salad (sooo good btw) Adolfo got fancy and ordered a Diet Coke. The bread there is so good 😭😭 after a nice lunch, took some pictures by the town center fountain. Then we were on our way to Target and got sidetracked and stopped into Off Broadway shoe warehouse. Adolfo wanted boots that zip up for the shop. I ended up getting Sperrys! I’m a size 5 in the boys section 😂 $50 compared to $80 in the women’s section! And they look exactly the same! AND it was Buy one get one half off so the average price for each pair of shoes we got was $38! What a steal for Sperrys ☺️ I got the same color as Adolfo so we were wearing matching shoes the rest of the day 😂 then we finally made it to Target and got some cute decor from the dollar section! Little glass vases, potted succulents, a dog of the year trophy, some Joanna gained eucalyptus wreathes on clearance. We also sat on the patio furniture at the outdoor section pf target for a while and just chilled there on our phones 😂 loiterers. Then we went to Fresh Market to get our dinner ingredients. Got filet mignon, salmon, strawberries, mint plant, and we were going to get the rest of the ingredients at Kroger. Then we went to Home Depot to look at the Rigid table saw and ended up finding lots of nice real live plants! We are going to get real plants for the house now to clean the air in the house. Then we went to Kroger and got the chocolate, zucchini, squash, Brie, cucumber seltzer water, stuffed portabella caps, gravy, shallots, and mushrooms. We also stopped by the pharmacy to pick up a prescription. Melissa his tech said “omg and you have matching shoes too wow.” Lol. Somebody noticed! Then we made our way home. Adolfo made pre-dinner cocktails! Mojitos! Then for our dinner menu: filet, salmon with crispy skin, zucchini squash, stuffed portabellas, mashed potatos, with shallot infused mushroom gravy, and chocolate covered strawberries for dessert! It was so good. I was seriously CRAVING for a steak earlier in the weak, so the filet was cooked a perfect medium and hit the spot 😭😭😭 perfect crust. And the salmon skin was so crispy and the meat was so flaky. Sigh. If we went out to eat, the filet alone would have been $30. We bought ours for $10 and cooked it ourselves 😉 Adolfo cooked the meats perfectly and I made everything else. We ate and were stuffed in about less than 15 minutes in true Adolfo and Kathryn fashion 😂 then we talked for a while and just chilled. Oh while cooking, we were dancing and what not lol.

Anyways, just wanted to let you know about our Valentine’s Day. No fighting or arguments. It was very nice. Loved every minute with my hubs and Otis. Ended the way with some time in the shop. Then had sleepy time tea and headed to bed. Good night!

[kathryndalida]

9/22/18

Marriage is hard? I think relationships are hard in general. What makes marriage hard is that you can't leave. You can quit when things get tough and you can leave when your feelings get hurt. You have to work through every little thing that bothers you because when you're married you can't let any of it break the bond you vowed til death to us part.

Marriage and long term relationships. You, staring at someone in your most raw, bare form. And they are the realest mirror you will ever have of yourself. Because in it you are forced to realize and come to terms with your deepest flaws and imperfections that you hide from the rest of the world. Your partner is your mirror. Mirror that speaks to you. They will see the most beautiful parts of you. They will see the most vulnerable parts of you. And they will see the ugliest, most despicable form of you. And they will tell you. Speaking mirror. Things you didn't realize you had to work on but now you do because this mirror is stuck with you forever. And what do you want your reflection to show?

Someone that is overly sensitive? Someone that is easily angered? Unforgiving? No. No one wants to see that in themselves. So what do you want to see in the mirror? It's the most truthful mirror you will ever have.

[kathryndalida]

“If you don’t leave the past in the past, it will destroy your future. Live for what today has to offer, not what yesterday has taken away.”

— Unknown

[kathryndalida]

Huh

Yeah. I want to start writing again. I feel like it's important. I want to look back at how I was feeling at that moment. Moments that can't be captured by pictures. The thoughts behind the smile.... or the frown. The happiness and the hurt. I want to know it all.

I also think that it would be cool to have some type of legacy/keepsake to pass on to my children. It is so that they can know me at a deeper level. Know that I can relate to them because I've been through it. By the time I'm a parents, they'll think I'm too much of an adult to understand..... LOL. That makes me laugh. "Too much of an adult." I don't know if that will ever happen. Yesterday, I slept in past 12pm and binge watched 13 Reasons Why for about 6 hours or so and ate some starbursts and squirted whipped cream in my mouth when I got hungry because I didn't want to cook. #thisis28

Currently, I am married to Adolfo, we bought a house, I left a toxic workplace environment and am working a much better place, no humans kids yet, Otis is almost 9 years old, and we have done many home renovations. Oh and celebrated our one year anniversary this past Cinco de Mayo.

I plan to write more about my feelings, the good and the bad. My current feelings, how I feel about the past, my dreams, the future, and current events.

I'm going to brunch with Pauline tomorrow, I'm going to bed so I can be up at a reasonable hour.... some time before 12 pm 😉

Goodnight.

[kathryndalida]

7 Daily Reminders

1. My self worth does not depend on what others think and say about me.

2. My self worth does not depend on how I look or what I weigh.

3. My self worth does not depend on my marks or performance.

4. My self worth does not depend on my number of followers.

5. I am enough just as I am.

6. I can succeed despite a bad day.

7. I am beautiful and valuable – and will treat myself with kindness and respect.

[kathryndalida]

How to be Mentally Strong

1. Don’t look to the world to give you an identity.

2. Don’t look to your family and friends for approval.

3. Set your own goals and believe in yourself.

4. Expect things to take time.

5. Expect to meet with setbacks.

6. Expect people to put you down, and for some to walk away.

7. Don’t be swayed by pressure from others.

8. Don’t resent others’ gifts and successes.

9. Accept that some things cannot be controlled.

10. Believe that you will make it one day.

[kathryndalida]

Tips for Getting more out of Life

1. Stop resisting change and see it as a constant in life.

2. Learn to enjoy, and value, solitude.

3. Never forget that friendship is a gift, not a possession.

4. Things are rarely as bad as they seem at first.

5. Do your most important tasks first thing in the morning.

6. Smiling seems to help with most things!

7. Schedule margin into your life – as something unexpected will often change your plans.

8. QTIP: quit taking it personally.

9. Define what’s necessary; say no to the rest.

10. Take a deep breath and wait before responding. Don’t react, and say something you’ll regret.

[kathryndalida]

A friend who understands your tears is much more valuable than one who only knows your smiles.

Unknown (via onlinecounsellingcollege)

[kathryndalida]

2016.

2016 has probably been the best year of my life. Let’s recap shall we so that I can affirm or deny this statement.

**And it’s about to get real honest up in here… well, ‘cause you know… It’s my blog ;]**

January 2016: I was offered a job in community pharmacy in Richmond, VA. This is also when I received invitations to interview at all of the residency programs I applied. This was an exciting month!

February 2016: I interviewed at some great hospitals, but I was still unsure if I felt the passion I knew I needed to complete and endure through a residency. This whole winter season was such a confusing time for me… “Should I push hard for residency? Would I be doing a disservice to my future by not doing a residency? Is this where the future of pharmacy is headed? Should I do community so I can finally start my life with Adolfo?” 

March 2016: Match month. I was contemplating whether I should even rank any hospitals to match with because my heart still wasn’t fully in it. And if my heart wasn’t fully in it, how could I endure through a rigorous program for a whole year? I would for sure hold some grudges. And that would probably put off “starting” my life with Adolfo for another year or so. I decided to rank only two hospitals in the Richmond area which I knew was absurd. I probably had much better chances if I stuck to Hampton Roads. And ranking only two hospitals with 2, maybe 3, spots was just insane! #whodoesthat. I knew my chances were slim to none but I did like those two programs a lot. I wanted to be in the same city as Adolfo too, because even with a rigorous schedule, I’d still be able to see him easily. And my attitude going through it was more indifferent than that of passion. I was like “If I get it, then it’s Yahweh’s* will for me. If I don’t, that’s ok too. I have something to fall back on.” I prayed about this decision a lot that month, and I always just said “Let your will be done.”

The results: no match. When I logged in to see those results, it stung a bit. But even though my heart wasn’t fully in it, doesn’t rejection always do that to a person? I was bummed all day, but I wasn’t crushed.  There is a verse pertaining to this though. 

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to Yahweh. And the peace of Yahweh, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Yeshua** Messiah.”

So you petition to him your situation by prayer and thanksgiving. But it doesn’t mean he’s going to give you everything your pray for and want. We always anticipate or expect a positive answer, but he gives what’s best for us. For our benefit. And if the answer it a no, he gives us the peace to deal with that.

April 2016: My last month of rotation and I’m so close to graduation, I can taste it! I have a job lined up in Richmond and everything is looking good. Then everything changes. I get a call from an unknown number with a private number that doesn’t show up on my caller ID. Oh and they left a message. “Kathryn, if you are still interested in working with Harris Teeter, I would like to speak with you at your earliest convenience.” WUT. 

“For I know the plans I have for you,“ declares Yahweh, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

I accepted a job offer with an even better company. A company that I knew would treat me so much better and give me a better quality of life. This is the month where Yahweh said “See? I told you I knew what was best for you.” The only part I was torn about was Adolfo being in Richmond to work, while I stayed in Virginia Beach. He didn’t make it hard though. He pushed me to accept. “Well what about you? I want to be with you.” “Kat, take this job. You’ll be so much happier.” It’s wonderful to have the complete support of your best friend. 

May 2016: Adolfo and I had been planning a trip the past few months to go to Canada the first week of May as my last trip to end pharmacy school and a cheers to finishing rotations! Adolfo had never been to Niagara Falls (but I’ve been about 100 times…… So exciting……..). We had a whole itinerary planned out to make it a real road trip… exploring cities on the way up…. But then we checked the weather. RAIN!!! COLD!!! Thoughts: **Ugh, all my classmates were going to cool places and I was going to go to rainy, cold Canada again.**(Lol) SO, when we found out about the weather, the night before we were about to leave (we were going to start our voyage to Canada the next morning…. in about 10 hours), we spontaneously said CHANGE OF PLANS! Off to Florida we go! No plans, No tickets for anything, just a last minute deal on a condo we found! And a 12 hour drive later (with stops to explore NC and SC), we were in sunny and warm FLORIDA! It was Adolfo’s first time at Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure! And it was my first time seeing Harry Potter world! What a great trip and it captured our spontaneity perfectly! (Side note: I just made a TEENY TIIIIINY complaint that we weren’t engaged yet. “Why don’t you want to marry me yet?!”…. “I know you didn’t just say it’s not a priority right now.” And It’s not like I started yelling and crying and stomping my feet or anything………. X-))

Next up.. Graduation. 4 years of undergrad and 4 years of pharmacy school finally come to an end! I am a Doctor of Pharmacy! I graduated cum laude! I permanently have a Pharm.D attached to the end of my name! Dr. Dalida! (Ok, let’s get real no one ever calls you doctor.) Back to earth…. I got my diploma and headed to my graduation party with my possy. (Yes, we roll deep when our family/church family has a special occasion.) Not only am I overwhelmed by the finale of school forever, I am overwhelmed by the support and love I received by all those who traveled far just to watch me walk across that stage. (Can you believe they drove even further to my graduation in Blacksburg, VA that I didn’t even walk at?! Crazy, amazing people.) And at my graduation party, my world was changed even more….

Adolfo had me read a letter to everyone saying that his district manager moved him to a new store in VIRGINIA BEACH, effective May 20-something. WUT. My baby is gonna be in the same city as me!!! That’s the greatest graduation gift! But wait. There’s more…

Thoughts: ***WHAT?! You’re getting down on one knee?! Everyone is screaming! I can’t think! Is this really happening! What did you say?! I can’t hear you but I think you’re asking me to marry you!*** Spoken: YESS!!!!

(Side note: So about my complaining in Florida……. >.< He already had the ring for months now and had been throwing me off since January!)

Friday, May 13, 2016 –> Friday the 13th. THE best day of my life thus far. I became a Doctor of Pharmacy and my soul mate officially asked me to be life partner, the future Mrs. Hawse (actually…. It’s Dr. Hawse, thank you very much. Hmph. ……;] ) AGAIN, Yahweh said “See? I told you I knew what was best for you.”

June 2016: Study, study, study. This was the second stressful period of time in 2016. This is the time I ate everything. And also the time I gained 10 pounds. #stresseater. Oh and I passed my VA Law exam!

July 2016: My birthday month! Can you do anything fun? No. Well what do you want to do on your birthday?! Nothing. I need to study. All good though. My boards were in 2 days and I needed all day to study. I was in SERIOUS eating mode. You know, so I could study. Adolfo woke up early though and brought me breakfast in bed (from Chick Fil A. Ahhh…. the man the my dreams) before having to go to work. Oh and what a stressful night before the exam, I couldn’t find my passport for my second form of ID and I ended up sleeping at 2AM because I was turning the house upside down :[[[[. Took my boards on July 17th. I didn’t time my exam correctly at all. I spent WAYYYY to much time of the initial questions and only had 30 minutes for the last 25 questions! (I think that was the ratio….) And I didn’t even have a lot of math questions so I KNEW, I KNEW, they were going to be in the last 20 minutes. All I could think was WTF. WTF with 10 minutes and 15 questions left. Welp, time was up, I was stunned, and then I sat in my car for 30 minutes just staring. 

Thoughts: **How could I do this to myself?! You read all of the tips! You should have known you stupid idiot, now you failed!!!**

I skipped my scheduled massage that Adolfo got me so i could relax afterwards…. because I felt like a failure. And then I drove all the way down to Florida that night! Drove all night! 12 hours! It was the adrenaline… And I couldn’t believe I drove all the way! Fast forward 4 days when the results of the NAPLEX posted. I passed. I passed?! I PASSED!!! Adolfo was  practically hanging out of the window of the car, yelling to the other car that my cousins were in saying “KAT PASSED HER BOARDS!!!!” Not like we have cell phones or anything…. Sigh. What a relief. And there He is again. “See? I told you I knew what was best for you.”

August 2016: My first full month as a licensed pharmacist! What a time to be alive!

September 2016: What a time……. to be……… alive………. Wait…. Too much overtime X.X. And this is the first time I felt burnt out early on in work life.

October 2016: Work, work, work, work, work *Rihanna, lalalala*

November 2016: I kick it in high gear for wedding planning! Wedding venue, done. Bridemaid dresses, done. Flowers, started. DJ, done. Wedding gown, done. Save the dates, done. Photographer, done. Videographer, done. This is getting real! I’m marry my best friend!

December 2016: Winter cruise getaway! Adolfo goes back to the Motherland for the first time since he was 8 years old. What a joy that was to see… To see him with his paisano (countrymen) and speaking Spanish. It’s so convenient to have a Spanish-speaking person with you when you travel to all Spanish-speaking countries, fyi. So get you one that can do both. ;]

And to end the year, a position at one of the Harris Teeters opened up and I applied. I went through two interviews and on December 30th, at the tail end of the year, as if this year needed MORE blessings… I was offered that home store to be the staff pharmacist there! Ta-ta floater life! I have a home!!! And a great partner!!! And to end the year, Yahweh said once more “See? I told you I knew what was best for you.”

Now let’s go back to the first sentence of this entry: 2016 has probably been the best year of my life. There have been successes, there have been failures. But I think it’s safe the affirm that…

                 2016 has been THE best year of my life.

I think that the overall theme of this year is that Yahweh is good all the time. Nothing is done on my own, by my own accomplishments. The source of my blessings are from above. And everything is done in His perfect timing. Amen. 

Thanks for the memories 2016. Bring it on 2017!

*Yahweh is the true Hebrew name for the Almighty. Names used commonly are: God and the Lord. **Yeshua is the name of the only begotten Son of Yahweh. Name commonly used is Jesus ***Please let me know if you’d like to learn more about these truths. 

[kathryndalida]

Quick Time Management Tips

1. Be aware of any lurking deadlines.

2. Plan out your day.

3. Define and limit the time for each task.

4. Set reminders.

5. Plan to be early, not just on time.

6. Allow yourself some margin in your day.

7. Say “no” to distractions, including the distraction of friends.

8. Prioritize.

9. Ignore unimportant details.

10.Concentrate and focus while you’re working.

[kathryndalida]

To Live a Happy Life …

1. Make peace with your past – try to let go of the baggage.

2. Don’t pay attention to what others think of you.

3. Don’t compare your life to others’ lives - as you’re not on the same journey.

4. Give yourself time to change, learn and grow.

5. Let go of the pressure to always know the answers.

6. No-one’s in control of your destiny but you.

7. Don’t take yourself and others too seriously.

[kathryndalida]

Don’t let it break you. No matter how hard things get, life goes on.

Unknown (via onlinecounsellingcollege)

[kathryndalida]

When you Feel Like a Failure

1. It’s important to remember that you’re not alone. There are SO MANY OTHERS who feel the same way, too.

2. Remember it’s a pattern and you often feel this way. You know your inner critic always seeks to bring you down!

3. Remind yourself you’re trying to make progress and to change. Your heart is in the right place – so be patient with yourself.

4. Forgive yourself for failing or for saying something stupid. Cut yourself some slack, forget it, let it go, and start again.

5. Try to spend time with people who accept you as you are, and who sees your strengths and good points, your potential, and true worth.

6. Don’t think about your failures. They are firmly in the past. Visualise yourself being someone that you’re proud of, and you like!

7. Be kind, and understanding and gentle with yourself. You’ll find you feel much better if you don’t demand so much.

[kathryndalida]

In order to move on, you must understand why you felt what you did and why you no longer need to feel it.

Mitch Albom (via onlinecounsellingcollege)

[kathryndalida]

A dream that you wish will come true

A dream is a wish your heart makes

[kathryndalida]

[kathryndalida]

I no longer have the energy for meaningless friendships, forced interactions or unnecessary conversations.

Joquesse Eugenia (via onlinecounsellingcollege)