6 ways to encourage & support your significant other




Today starts a big day for Matthew. Well the beginning of this year did actually. Matthew starts the MBA program at Tech today.Not only is he starting the MBA program and taking a FULL load but has been and will continue to study and sit for all four parts of the CPA exam. I am so proud of him and can't wait to see him reach all his goals and Lord willing I will be able to do so by his side. With that being said I want to make sure I encourage him and support him in every way I can and not just in this next year but always. Sometimes I worry about this, maybe I'm not doing enough or maybe I am adding to his already stressed days. So with all that being said I have been thinking of some ways to help support and encourage him. No we are not married and no we are not engaged but I think it is important for people to encourage and support their boyfriend/girlfriend even before engagement and marriage. Many people just want to be in a relationship but they don't understand what all a relationship involves. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade my relationship with Matthew for a single thing in this world but it takes work and commitment. I know marriage takes a lot more and there is a lot more involved with marriage but I believe relationships take work and effort as well. It prepares you for marriage in some ways. Just like I believe you can't REALLY know someone in just a year or two and then decide to get married without running into complications, this coming May will mark 4 years with Matthew and to this day I am still learning different things about him, but that's for another post and day! After thinking about all of this I have decided that I want to do something small for Matthew at least once a week. I don't really want to put a limit on this but I know that some weeks will be busier than others so I might not get the chance to do more than one thing a week.   Here are just a few different ways to encourage/support/show that you care or are thinking of him without breaking the bank.   1.Pray for them Prayer is huge.The first thing I do when my alarm goes off is pray for Matthew. I pray for his day, I pray he doesn't get too stressed out and I pray he feels encouraged not only by me but by others and I pray for his studies and tests if he has any that day.   2. Notes.  If you don't want to spend money this is probably the easiest and cheapest thing you can do to encourage your significant other and it doesn't take but maybe 5-10 minutes! Just write a small note to encourage them, thank them for being a great example, tell them that you appreciate them and love them, etc. I left Matthew a note in his book he was studying out of a couple of weeks ago and just let him find it when he was studying and he really appreciated it. Of course I was DYING for him to hurry and find it and when he did I was just about as happy as a kid in a candy store.   3. Listen. Sometimes I just need to sit there and listen about his day without interrupting or waiting for him to finish his sentence so I can tell him about mine. So just sit there and listen, REALLY listen. No phones, no computer and no TV distracting you and respond back at the appropriate time with heartfelt responses.   4.Tell them you appreciate them. You could write this in their note but nothing says I love you more than telling them in person that you appreciate them and all the hard work they are doing.   5. Take care of dinner Matthew will be spending his days this year 1.) In class 2.) Working on campus 3.) Studying for classes + the CPA exam's so he's not going to have much free time. I have been working on meal planning for the up coming week on Saturday or Sunday nights. We usually eat dinner together every night either at my apt or his apt. So I need to focus on what we are going to have for dinner more instead of relying on him to do it. No, I'm not his mom or wife and yes, he is very capable of fixing his own meals but it will take some stress away if I can help in that department more.   6. Be their biggest fan Let them know that you support them and their goals. Celebrate different milestones/accomplishments together. Whether it be passing a test or the class or getting a GA position. When Matthew found out he had been offered a Graduate Assistantship position at Tech we celebrated with dinner and a movie but you don't always have to do dinner and a movie to celebrate. There are plenty of things to do such as getting frozen yogurt, movie night at you apt/house, making their favorite dessert, etc.   I am so proud of Matthew and I can't wait to be able to continue encouraging/supporting him in the future for all of the milestones he will come to. I am always looking for new ways to encourage/support him so if you have any ideas let me know!! :) Happy Thursday friends! 

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6 ways to encourage & support your significant other

Graduate Assistantship

If you are following me on Instagram then you saw where I posted about Matthew and I finally being able to share some exciting news a couple of weeks ago. Matthew has been offered a Graduate Assistantship position at Tech!! What a blessing this is, grad school tuition completely paid for + a monthly stipend. Once again this just goes to show how working hard, making good grades and building relationships with his professors pays off. We are so thrilled and realize this is nothing short of God's planned. I am beyond proud of you and all you hard work Matthew! So what did we do when we got the official confirmation? Celebrated with dinner and a movie! We saw The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and it was really good, I definitely recommend seeing it.  

 

This week feels like it is DRAGGING. I feel like a lot has happened in the last few days and my mind is still spinning but I am thankful it's almost the weekend.

Tomorrow I will be sharing a few ways to encourage/support your significant other!

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Graduate Assistantship

HE DID IT

Matthew graduated!!!! This post is WAY overdue but I still wanted to share with y'all about Matthew's big day.    Friday night I threw a small graduation party for him at my apartment and my two best friends came up for the party and spent the night. After everyone left that night we ran to Big O's to get donuts for breakfast the next morning. Matthew's loves donuts just about as much as I love them so I got him some because I knew he wouldn't eat anything the morning of his graduation because he would be too nervous. We drove over to his apartment and had donuts and milk :) and of course I had to snap a picture!!

 

and off to graduation we went! (Kathleen did my hair for my and I loved it!)

  Matthew's parents got there earlier than we did and saved seats. Graduation started at 10 and by time we got there at 8:45 a lot of seats were already saved!! Matthew had to go check in and get lined up and we sat and waited and then found him in line and made a couple of pictures...   Nathan will be graduating next December!

 

 

 

 

and then 10:00 rolled around :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matthew's family

 

Matthew with his brothers.

 

So stinkin good looking :)

Matthew is a member of Beta Alpha Psi at Tech.

 

 

 

After graduation we snapped a few pictures and then headed to lunch to celebrate!

We went to a delicious Italian restaurant here in Cookeville.

 

 

 

On December 14, 2013 Matthew became a Tennessee Tech alumnus after three and a half short years. Words can't describe how proud I am of him. Seeing him walk across the stage in his cap and gown is something I'll always remember. You might say I'm his biggest fan, and I am truly honored and humbled to stand by him as he reaches all his goals. Lord willing we will be back there again as he is receiving his masters degree. I sure do love my accountant!! 

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HE DID IT

30 days

After church last night I came back to the apartment and went into full cleaning mode and Matthew was back at his apartment studying for the two tests he has today (good luck boo dawg!). Tomorrow is Friendsgiving!! Woo hoo so excited! After talking with everyone about what they are bringing I do believe we are going to have a ton of different food! Tonight I plan on cleaning a little more, finishing up some last minute decorations and start cooking!! Anyways back to last night...I was dreading cleaning because we have put it off so long. It's not that bad but it definitely needed a good dusting, youknowwhatimsayin??

I got to thinking and you know cleaning doesn't have to be too bad. You just have to wear the right outfit, light a fall candle and listen to some good ole Ben Rector and maybe a Christmas song in there somewhere.

While I was cleaning I decided to take a lil break and check Facebook and then I saw THIS.

30 days y'all 30 days until he graduates!! This is crazy!

I remember the day he left for his college orientation (SOAR) and I remember the night I told him bye before he left the next morning for college and now 3 1/2 years later he is graduating?! Whaaa? Time is FLYING by. I mean, FLYINGGG by with Superman and Spidey senses. 

I am SO incredibly proud of him and to be honest it will be hard to hold back a tear or two in 30 days because I know just how hard he has worked for and wanted this. There have been nights where he stayed up late studying and got back up early the next morning to study even more before a test, skipped social events to study and just really worked his tail off.

 

He took the GMAT this past weekend in Nashville and passed with flying colors like I knew he would.

 

 

Just a few pictures I snapped with my iPhone.

 

 

 Y'all Matthew is graduating in 30 days and starting the MBA program in January(I just love that way that sounds!!) Everything he has worked so hard for is happening and he is accomplishing all his goals left and right. I am just SO happy for him and can't wait to watch him and stand by his side as he crosses of the rest of his goals and graduates with his MBA and takes the CPA exams!

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30 days

almost died and lost a foot getting to my first class of the semester on time...nbd

If you have been reading along for awhile then you know that I just transferred to Tennessee Tech University. I attended a very small community college my first two years to save on money. When I say small I am not even joking...we had two small hallways of classes. Although I didn't even really feel like I was in college because it felt like I was in a small high school I did like not having to walk forever long in the rain/storms/snow to get to another class.   A few weeks ago I was trying to get into a class and went into the admission office and the lady told me I needed to go to another building to talk with a lady over there. Well by time ya girl got over there I was out of breath and sweating...gross I know. I open the door and then I had to go up two flights of stairs and on top of that I was racing the clock before they left for the weekend AND I WAS IN HEELS. Dying y'all I was dying.   By time I got up there I went straight in because I was afraid they would leave early. I couldn't even talk because I was trying to catch my breath...talk about embarrassing,ha! (I am definitely going to be hitting up that spin class more often to get my butt back in shape)   After the lady finally quits laughing at me she tells me there is one spot in the class open that I can go home and try to get it. Really lady? I just ran across campus and up to flights of stairs in heels and you tell me to go home to get the class...I don't think so. Long story short she let me grab the class there.

I was pretty excited about getting the class and when I walked out I realized the building was called Matthews Daniel so I snapped this and sent it to ole Matthew to tell him I got in the class.

      Well last night was my first night of that class. It starts at 6:00 and I get off of work at 5:30. Thank the good Lord above Cookeville is small and everything is pretty much within 10-15 mins. Matthew, bless his heart is just the sweetest thing ever bought me Zaxby's for dinner and met me at the SOC house which is right next door to campus.   Thankfully one of my good friends, Olivia, (and dedicated reader here) is in that class with me so I asked to ride with her since I had no idea where to go. Well we left the SOC house with 4 minutes to get to class on the other side of campus. So we ran out to her car and one of our other friends is on that class with us also...already liking this class ;) I SMASHED MY FOOT IN THE DOOR Good ole Olivia is a little Beth Cooper when it comes to driving...especially across campus. Let's just say I was praying for all the innocent students trying to hurry and get of the way.   Well we made it right at 6:00 (alive and all toes attached) Remember me telling you that I went to a small community college for 2 years well my biggest class there had maybe 35 people in it. We walked in to an auditorium F U L L Talk about slap in the face. There are over 200 people in that class. Welcome to a university class Shelby. Don't laugh I know this is a normal size college class. Thankfully there were three seats in the back row because if I have to sit anywhere near the front I won't even be able to concentrate.   Overall I think this class is going to be pretty great. The professor is hilarious and seems very relaxed and I know a few people in there!   Had to get a picture before class! Thanks Olivia for taking it ;)

 

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almost died and lost a foot getting to my first class of the semester on time...nbd