John F. Kennedy said "Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are centain to miss the future." More recently, Patty Loveless (a wonderful country singer) sang the lyrics "Life's about changing, nothing ever stays the same."
Both of these quotes hit home with me at this moment in my life. The last time I wrote here, I was talking about summer and the fun I was having, the things I had done. I could have NEVER imagined what would transpire over the next 5 months, and how much my life would change. I must admit, I am not normally fond of change. I a girl who loves tradition, and wants things to remain just as they have always been. However, the change that has taken place in my life the past few months has been exciting, sometimes a little scary, and wonderful!
Change number one happened in late July/early August. For a while I had been thinking about moving out of my parents house and getting started on my own. When I began talking seriously with my parents about the idea, I assumed that I would probably take some time and eventually move into an apartment. That was not to be. Anyone who remotely knows my dad knows that he is very outgoing and is not afraid to talk to anyone... about anything. Well when he found out I was looking to move out on my own, he started talking. This led to a discussion with the owner of a horse farm in Gray Court, only a few miles from my mom's house. To make a long story short, I went and saw the small farmhouse that was for rent on the horse farm and absolutely fell in love with it. It had a charm and warmth that I can't describe with words. Not to mention the farm is beautiful, and the house is surrounded by over 30 horses. I was sold the second I saw it. On August 1st I was able to move in. I had so much help from my boyfriend, my friend Casey, Paula and her daugthers, and my grandmother that moving in didn't seem like a big deal. I have loved living out here on my own. I've learned a lot about responsibility, being on my own, paying bills, etc. I think it has helped me grow up in a lot of ways. I have also met some good friends from the farm! I still haven't ridden a horse, it WILL happen :)
The second change in my life is FAR more exciting to me than the first. As great as moving out on my own was, the next change has and will change my life forever. This story may take a little bit, but I'd like to tell it :) It begins with a phone call from my step-mom asking me if my boyfriend, David, and I would like to go to Gatlinburg on the weekend of December 7th to do some shopping and have some fun. When I asked David if he wanted to go, he hesitated just a bit. He told me that he had planned to take me out that Friday night (the 7th). After a little while, and a trip to the bathroom (which I found out later was to call home-- you'll understand later) he told me that we could go out on Thursday and still go to Gatlinburg over the weekend. I was happy. When he told me that he wanted to take me to Chophouse and on a carriage ride I was really excited, but suprised that he wanted to go somewhere so nice. But I went along with it! Finally, Thursday (Dec. 6th) came. After rushing around that evening (i'll leave those details out, not really important) David met me at my house to take me out. We went to Chophouse in Greenville. It was incredibly nice. The atmosphere is romantic :) I had a really good fruity drink called "Sex on the beach"-- David and I shared it. The food was great as well. As we were about to leave the restaurant I asked him if we were still going on the carriage ride. He nonchalantly (spelling?) told me that we'd wait until another night to do it. I understood because it was a school night and we were both tired. We decided to just go to my house and relax and do a bit of school work. At that point, David decided to make a quick call home. When he did, he "found out" he'd left his laptop at home. When he got off the phone he asked me if it was ok if we went by there quickly to get it. I told him that was fine, so we headed there. When we got to his house I still did not have a clue anything was up. When we were standing in the kitchen, he said "Oh, look, there's a fire going in there... wanna go sit down for a minute?" I fought the urge to tell him that we should probably get going, and said "ok, sure." As soon as I walked into the den, I saw the whole reason for us being there. Set up by the fireplace was a table with a white tablecloth. On it were cangles, a dozen white roses, chocolate covered strawberries, and champagne! There were also two white chairs. I knew then that this was all for me, he was going to propose! After a minute he had me sit, close my eyes, and hold out my hand. He placed a box in my hand and got down on one knee. I was SO happy by that point I could hardly concentrate. As the proposal ended he opened the ring box and asked me to marry him, to which I, of course, said "yes!" We were both as giddy as little kids at that point! He called his parents (who had been cued to leave with his phone call) to come back. When they arrived they had a gift for us, and we celebrated! I wont give too many more details here, but of course I can if you ask :) The bottom line is that I am GETTING MARRIED! I am so happy and so excited that I feel like I am still on cloud 9! See why I said I didn't mind this kind of change :)
To my fiance: Thank you so much for making me the happiest girl in the whole entire world! You are the most amazing guy I know, and my BEST friend. I can not wait for June 6, 09 when I get to be your wife! Until then, I am going to enjoy every single second of being engaged-- you are SO worth the wait :) I love you (more)!
Monday, December 17, 2007
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Summer time, and the livin' is easy!
I love that song, and the lyrics describe my life pretty well right now. I am so glad to have some time to decompress after my first year of teaching. It's been a great year, but it's high time that I have some R and R (and some good times :))
Here's the update on what I've done so far in the short bit of summer i've had:
-COLORADO: Wow!! That's the only word I can use to even somewhat describe my trip out west. It was a very last minute trip to see Brad, my cousin, play in the JUCO World Series (Junior College baseball- if you don't know). Of course I expected to have a good time and see some nice scenery... but I just had no idea. We flew into Denver, then rented a car to drive 4 hours to Grand Junction, Colorado. The drive gave us some of the most stellar scenary I've ever seen. From the snow-covered mountains, to the hugs rock structures, to the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers, it was absolutely beautiful. While in Colorado we saw three sites: The Colorado National Monument, The Grand Mesa, and the Black Canyon. There's no use in me describing these three places because I am 100% sure I would not do them justice. I can only say one thing. I have always thought it was kind of cliche when people say that something was so beautiful that it "brought them closer to God." I never really experienced it until this trip. When we were standing looking at the awesome views and the amazing scenes and mountains all my mind kept going back to was "There is no way that anyone but God could have created something this awesome. How amazing is He!" So it truly did bring me closer to Him. I am so glad I got a chance to experience it, and now I know there was a reason for me to be there beyond just seeing baseball.
-NEW BEGINNINGS: Maybe this shouldn't be under the "livin' is easy" blog, but it is happening in my life (and I would appreciate prayers about it :)) I found out last Tuesday that the teaching position I held last year will be cut because there are not enough students. That does not mean that I wont have a job, it just means that the specific job I had (4 year old kindergarten teacher) no longer exists. Therefore, I have to either choose another grade or another school (possibly 4k at another school if it becomes available). It is upsetting to me that I can't stay in my position. I feel a level of comfort in that position, and I really enjoyed it. I do know, however, that there is a reason for me moving. I believe God has a reason for everything. Whether it's to stretch me as a teacher, but me in contact with someone I need to be in contact with, or teach me patience or flexibility, I do not know. I am keeping a prayerful and open mind as to what my next move will be.
-PROUD GIRLFRIEND: Yesterday I had the privelage of going with David to his graduation from Furman. It was the least I could do after he went to such lengths to surprise me at my graduation last year ;). We started at a reception for faculty and students. We only talked with one professor that he knew, but the reception was nice. We then took a lot of pictures and ate a really nice dinner in the DH. After that we took a lot of fun pictures :) If you have facebook and know David or I, look em up! Unfortunately the weather decided to be a stinker. The rain started at about 5:30 or so, and kept up through the night. That meant that instead of the normal ceremony at Paladin Stadium, graduation had to be held in Timmons arena. Timmons holds a lot less people than the stadium does, so not everyone could attend. All of our party that were already at Furman did get to go, so I was glad for that. So, all that being said, I got to watch David walk across the stage and graduate (along with about 630 other people!) I know how hard he has worked to earn his degree... all the hours studying, writing papers, teaching and so on. I am so excited and proud for him, he deserves it and more!! Congratulations, darling! I love you very very much! Thank you for inviting me to be with you on your day :)
So that wraps up my summer experience so far. I can't say for sure, because no one knows the future, but I have a feeling this summer is gonna be one to remember. I have SO many things to look forward to. Life is short, I'm gonna be living it to the fullest- how about you?
Love in Christ! -AK
Here's the update on what I've done so far in the short bit of summer i've had:
-COLORADO: Wow!! That's the only word I can use to even somewhat describe my trip out west. It was a very last minute trip to see Brad, my cousin, play in the JUCO World Series (Junior College baseball- if you don't know). Of course I expected to have a good time and see some nice scenery... but I just had no idea. We flew into Denver, then rented a car to drive 4 hours to Grand Junction, Colorado. The drive gave us some of the most stellar scenary I've ever seen. From the snow-covered mountains, to the hugs rock structures, to the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers, it was absolutely beautiful. While in Colorado we saw three sites: The Colorado National Monument, The Grand Mesa, and the Black Canyon. There's no use in me describing these three places because I am 100% sure I would not do them justice. I can only say one thing. I have always thought it was kind of cliche when people say that something was so beautiful that it "brought them closer to God." I never really experienced it until this trip. When we were standing looking at the awesome views and the amazing scenes and mountains all my mind kept going back to was "There is no way that anyone but God could have created something this awesome. How amazing is He!" So it truly did bring me closer to Him. I am so glad I got a chance to experience it, and now I know there was a reason for me to be there beyond just seeing baseball.
-NEW BEGINNINGS: Maybe this shouldn't be under the "livin' is easy" blog, but it is happening in my life (and I would appreciate prayers about it :)) I found out last Tuesday that the teaching position I held last year will be cut because there are not enough students. That does not mean that I wont have a job, it just means that the specific job I had (4 year old kindergarten teacher) no longer exists. Therefore, I have to either choose another grade or another school (possibly 4k at another school if it becomes available). It is upsetting to me that I can't stay in my position. I feel a level of comfort in that position, and I really enjoyed it. I do know, however, that there is a reason for me moving. I believe God has a reason for everything. Whether it's to stretch me as a teacher, but me in contact with someone I need to be in contact with, or teach me patience or flexibility, I do not know. I am keeping a prayerful and open mind as to what my next move will be.
-PROUD GIRLFRIEND: Yesterday I had the privelage of going with David to his graduation from Furman. It was the least I could do after he went to such lengths to surprise me at my graduation last year ;). We started at a reception for faculty and students. We only talked with one professor that he knew, but the reception was nice. We then took a lot of pictures and ate a really nice dinner in the DH. After that we took a lot of fun pictures :) If you have facebook and know David or I, look em up! Unfortunately the weather decided to be a stinker. The rain started at about 5:30 or so, and kept up through the night. That meant that instead of the normal ceremony at Paladin Stadium, graduation had to be held in Timmons arena. Timmons holds a lot less people than the stadium does, so not everyone could attend. All of our party that were already at Furman did get to go, so I was glad for that. So, all that being said, I got to watch David walk across the stage and graduate (along with about 630 other people!) I know how hard he has worked to earn his degree... all the hours studying, writing papers, teaching and so on. I am so excited and proud for him, he deserves it and more!! Congratulations, darling! I love you very very much! Thank you for inviting me to be with you on your day :)
So that wraps up my summer experience so far. I can't say for sure, because no one knows the future, but I have a feeling this summer is gonna be one to remember. I have SO many things to look forward to. Life is short, I'm gonna be living it to the fullest- how about you?
Love in Christ! -AK
Monday, April 30, 2007
Weekend fun!
It was one of those weekends that I didn't get a lot of rest, but it was a blast!
On Friday night I had the Furman junior/senior ball (or Palaprom) with David. To start off, we took a lot of pictures at Furman (look at my facebook if you can :)). We had a couple of people take some for us so we could be together in them. Most of them turned out great! The scenery is definitley pretty! After that, we went to The Peddler for dinner. That was very yummy, and the restaurant is really pretty. We had some nice people take some pictures of us there, too. After we left there we decided it was a little early to go to the dance. We hung out for a while in David's dorm. Of course, I almost fell asleep (this tends to happen when you become a teacher-- somehow your bed time gets earlier). At about 10:30 we headed to the dance. We danced the night away :) Haha, I know I could use some dance lessons-- but hey, we had fun! I had a great night, baby! Thanks for taking me!
On Saturday, I went to Clemson for some baseball. Our tigers won big against Ga. Tech! I love being outside and watching them play- it always seems to relax me. After the game we drove home instead of staying in the RV. My parents keep a 2 year-old sunday school class, so they wanted to be there for that. On Sunday afternoon we headed back to Clemson for the last baseball game of the series against Ga. Tech. Unfortunately we lost that one. Oh well, we took the series.
So that was my weekend in a nutshell-- Fun times! Peace--
On Friday night I had the Furman junior/senior ball (or Palaprom) with David. To start off, we took a lot of pictures at Furman (look at my facebook if you can :)). We had a couple of people take some for us so we could be together in them. Most of them turned out great! The scenery is definitley pretty! After that, we went to The Peddler for dinner. That was very yummy, and the restaurant is really pretty. We had some nice people take some pictures of us there, too. After we left there we decided it was a little early to go to the dance. We hung out for a while in David's dorm. Of course, I almost fell asleep (this tends to happen when you become a teacher-- somehow your bed time gets earlier). At about 10:30 we headed to the dance. We danced the night away :) Haha, I know I could use some dance lessons-- but hey, we had fun! I had a great night, baby! Thanks for taking me!
On Saturday, I went to Clemson for some baseball. Our tigers won big against Ga. Tech! I love being outside and watching them play- it always seems to relax me. After the game we drove home instead of staying in the RV. My parents keep a 2 year-old sunday school class, so they wanted to be there for that. On Sunday afternoon we headed back to Clemson for the last baseball game of the series against Ga. Tech. Unfortunately we lost that one. Oh well, we took the series.
So that was my weekend in a nutshell-- Fun times! Peace--
Thursday, April 19, 2007
What's Most Important....
The assistant principal read a book the other day with this title. It was a very simple book, but I like the concept a lot. I realize that many times I don't stop and remember what really is important in my life. The following are my "what's most important" points. So, here goes!
What's most important is:
1. Enjoying the simple pleasures of life (things I'll be talking about below :))
2. Laughing.... hard, like side-hurting hard
3. Good friends and good times
4. Trying new things
5. Watching the sunset every once and a while (the sunrise- not so much :))
6. Those long talks with mom or dad
7. Being yourself
8. A movie that is so good it makes you cry
9. A song that give you chills
10. Finding a book you can't put down until you finish
11. Shopping on Saturday and finding the perfect thing!
12. CLEMSON UNIVERSITY
13. Warm chocolate chip cookies
14. Cookie dough ice cream :)
15. ANYTHING cherry
16. Knowing you're having a great hair day
17. Brightening someone's day (and no, it doesn't have to cost a lot)
18. Long walks on the beach
19. Creating memories that last a lifetime
20. New crayons-they color so much better (ok, I had to have one for my class :))
21. Friday nights, they're the best!
22. Falling in love :)
23. Goodnight kisses and hugs
24. Sometimes doing nothing!
But what's MOST important is
25. God. Period.
I might add some, we'll see!
What's most important is:
1. Enjoying the simple pleasures of life (things I'll be talking about below :))
2. Laughing.... hard, like side-hurting hard
3. Good friends and good times
4. Trying new things
5. Watching the sunset every once and a while (the sunrise- not so much :))
6. Those long talks with mom or dad
7. Being yourself
8. A movie that is so good it makes you cry
9. A song that give you chills
10. Finding a book you can't put down until you finish
11. Shopping on Saturday and finding the perfect thing!
12. CLEMSON UNIVERSITY
13. Warm chocolate chip cookies
14. Cookie dough ice cream :)
15. ANYTHING cherry
16. Knowing you're having a great hair day
17. Brightening someone's day (and no, it doesn't have to cost a lot)
18. Long walks on the beach
19. Creating memories that last a lifetime
20. New crayons-they color so much better (ok, I had to have one for my class :))
21. Friday nights, they're the best!
22. Falling in love :)
23. Goodnight kisses and hugs
24. Sometimes doing nothing!
But what's MOST important is
25. God. Period.
I might add some, we'll see!
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
What's happening....
I figured it was about time to do another post (ok, so it's past time, oh well...)
This time of the year is usually one of my favorite times. I love the weather, being outside, wearing flip flops, and everything that goes with spring. Although it has been on the cold side so far, I have had a good spring! Just a few things that have been the highlights:
1. Looking for "signs of spring" all around the school with my students. Who knew they would be so excited about that? Who also knew that ANYTHING could be a sign of spring according to 4 year olds? Hehe, I love them. Teaching has been an adventure every day. If nothing else it is never EVER boring!
2. Clemson baseball. Although this team doesn't seem to quite live up to last year's team (well at least not yet) sitting outside and cheering for the tigers is still one of my all time favorite things to do. 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4................. GO TIGERS!
3. Long walks on the beach- or anywhere: I like doing that with anyone who'll go with me!! We've been walking a mile every day with my class at school, but I'd like to have some different scenery.
4. Easter. I always love Easter, it's such a great time to remember how awesome God is. I try not to make it the only time that I remember that, but it is certainly a huge reminder. This year I have to admit that I complained about the plans my church had for Easter Sunday. Our pastor had a vision of having all of our services and campuses combine for one big worship service at the old G-braves stadium. I complained about the fact that it was going to be cold, and about the fact that no one was really going to be able to get dressed in thier cute Easter outfits. Obviously God had His own ideas about it. It ended up being a perfect day, and the service was pretty awesome. It hit me at one point that it wasn't about what we were wearing, or the place we were at. God wanted us to worship, and He provided the circumstances where we could all get together and do just that!
5. Spring Break: YAY! I don't think I have EVER been so ready for a break as I am this year. My kids and I were both just about at our breaking point last week, so the break came at just the time it needed to. I feel like such an old person- but I am pretty much taking this week to relax and diffuse. No exciting plans as of yet- but for some reason that sounds nice to me.
6. Spending time with loved ones :): That is always a highlight for me. I have been able over the past couple of weeks to see my immediate and extended family to celebrate Easter. I love you guys- I want to see you more often! I've also gotten to see my brother and sister-in-law a few times. I've missed them, so that was really nice. I forget how hilarious you guys are!! I've also gotten to spend some time with David- of course that is always the best!! I love you sweet! Hopefully the time with friends is coming soon-- who knows
I will try to update again soon- no promises :) PEACE out--
This time of the year is usually one of my favorite times. I love the weather, being outside, wearing flip flops, and everything that goes with spring. Although it has been on the cold side so far, I have had a good spring! Just a few things that have been the highlights:
1. Looking for "signs of spring" all around the school with my students. Who knew they would be so excited about that? Who also knew that ANYTHING could be a sign of spring according to 4 year olds? Hehe, I love them. Teaching has been an adventure every day. If nothing else it is never EVER boring!
2. Clemson baseball. Although this team doesn't seem to quite live up to last year's team (well at least not yet) sitting outside and cheering for the tigers is still one of my all time favorite things to do. 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4................. GO TIGERS!
3. Long walks on the beach- or anywhere: I like doing that with anyone who'll go with me!! We've been walking a mile every day with my class at school, but I'd like to have some different scenery.
4. Easter. I always love Easter, it's such a great time to remember how awesome God is. I try not to make it the only time that I remember that, but it is certainly a huge reminder. This year I have to admit that I complained about the plans my church had for Easter Sunday. Our pastor had a vision of having all of our services and campuses combine for one big worship service at the old G-braves stadium. I complained about the fact that it was going to be cold, and about the fact that no one was really going to be able to get dressed in thier cute Easter outfits. Obviously God had His own ideas about it. It ended up being a perfect day, and the service was pretty awesome. It hit me at one point that it wasn't about what we were wearing, or the place we were at. God wanted us to worship, and He provided the circumstances where we could all get together and do just that!
5. Spring Break: YAY! I don't think I have EVER been so ready for a break as I am this year. My kids and I were both just about at our breaking point last week, so the break came at just the time it needed to. I feel like such an old person- but I am pretty much taking this week to relax and diffuse. No exciting plans as of yet- but for some reason that sounds nice to me.
6. Spending time with loved ones :): That is always a highlight for me. I have been able over the past couple of weeks to see my immediate and extended family to celebrate Easter. I love you guys- I want to see you more often! I've also gotten to see my brother and sister-in-law a few times. I've missed them, so that was really nice. I forget how hilarious you guys are!! I've also gotten to spend some time with David- of course that is always the best!! I love you sweet! Hopefully the time with friends is coming soon-- who knows
I will try to update again soon- no promises :) PEACE out--
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Just a Random Update
I'm trying to do a better job of updating frequently, so here goes nothing...
Last Wednesday I finally finished my Creative Curriculum training. This was training in the program that I use to teach my wonderful four-year-olds. I'll be quite honest... out of the 9 days of training that were spread through a few months, I learned just about nothing. The trainers all seemed to be really unorganized and waste a lot of time. Something they, no doubt, would not tolerate from us teachers. I hate that the state paid for me (along with about 40-50 other people) to have such useless training. Oh well, maybe I did learn a thing or two and I just don't realize. Nevertheless, I glad to be done with it.
This weekend has been a fun one :) Friday night I went with David to Pendleton to visit for a little while with his family. We hung out, even walked a little path and star gazed for a bit, then had Mac's for dinner... yummy in the tummy :) After that we just kind of talked an mingled. Most of my time was spent at the "salon"-- Emma Kate, David's youngest cousin wanted to play with and fix my hair. I think she had fun with that :) Those three girls have lots of energy. Makes me wanna be a kid again-- such fun!
Today (Saturday) I actually slept in until nearly 11:00. This is a great accomplishment for me. I have to get up at 5 on weekdays, which usually causes me, out of habit, to wake up pretty early even on weekends. I musta been tired! Other than that, I've kind of just taken some time to unwind and relax today. One of those "mental health" days that all teachers have to take every once and a while. I did manage to get a little (and I mean little) work done on lesson planning. I'll finish tomrrow.
So we're supposed to get some questionable weather again this week. Maybe it'll be a winter storm. I can guarantee that If I wish and hope for it again it wont happen. Kinda the whole "watched pot never boils" thing going on. So i'll try to just forget about it and let it take its course. (right-- you know I really want it to snow!)
I'll leave you with this bible verse. I have so many friends who are first year teachers, and David is just beginning his student teaching. As I was starting to teach I saw these verses in the bible. They were an encouragement to me. Verse two is one I use to this day as a prayer in the morning:
1 Listen, O heavens, and I will speak; hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
2 Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants.
3 I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God!
4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.
Deutoronomy 32:1-4
Last Wednesday I finally finished my Creative Curriculum training. This was training in the program that I use to teach my wonderful four-year-olds. I'll be quite honest... out of the 9 days of training that were spread through a few months, I learned just about nothing. The trainers all seemed to be really unorganized and waste a lot of time. Something they, no doubt, would not tolerate from us teachers. I hate that the state paid for me (along with about 40-50 other people) to have such useless training. Oh well, maybe I did learn a thing or two and I just don't realize. Nevertheless, I glad to be done with it.
This weekend has been a fun one :) Friday night I went with David to Pendleton to visit for a little while with his family. We hung out, even walked a little path and star gazed for a bit, then had Mac's for dinner... yummy in the tummy :) After that we just kind of talked an mingled. Most of my time was spent at the "salon"-- Emma Kate, David's youngest cousin wanted to play with and fix my hair. I think she had fun with that :) Those three girls have lots of energy. Makes me wanna be a kid again-- such fun!
Today (Saturday) I actually slept in until nearly 11:00. This is a great accomplishment for me. I have to get up at 5 on weekdays, which usually causes me, out of habit, to wake up pretty early even on weekends. I musta been tired! Other than that, I've kind of just taken some time to unwind and relax today. One of those "mental health" days that all teachers have to take every once and a while. I did manage to get a little (and I mean little) work done on lesson planning. I'll finish tomrrow.
So we're supposed to get some questionable weather again this week. Maybe it'll be a winter storm. I can guarantee that If I wish and hope for it again it wont happen. Kinda the whole "watched pot never boils" thing going on. So i'll try to just forget about it and let it take its course. (right-- you know I really want it to snow!)
I'll leave you with this bible verse. I have so many friends who are first year teachers, and David is just beginning his student teaching. As I was starting to teach I saw these verses in the bible. They were an encouragement to me. Verse two is one I use to this day as a prayer in the morning:
1 Listen, O heavens, and I will speak; hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
2 Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants.
3 I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God!
4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.
Deutoronomy 32:1-4
Monday, January 15, 2007
Anna Kate and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Ever heard of the children's book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day? He keeps having bad things happen to him one after another. Apparently I had one of those days today. Well, there were good parts to my day as well, as there were Alexander's. Here goes:
Early this morning my stepmom woke me up to tell me that she wouldn't be keeping sunday school this morning. That meant that I did not need to go early to help her. After this I didn't reset my alarm, so I ended up sleeping through church.
Sometime after I woke up I realized that I am losing my voice. Not sure how or why. I haven't been yelling too much or anything lately. Maybe just part of the whole "first year teacher catching EVERYTHING" scenario.
While helping keep 1-3rd graders I was walking behind the television (genius, I know) and I tripped. This caused three things to happen. Number 1, I cut the tv off, stopping the movie the kids were watching. Number two, I spilled some popcorn that I had in my hand. Finally, I caught myself with my hand and hurt my thumb. It was one of those things where it felt like jello when it went down. Pretty gross feeling. Anyway, it is incredibly sore now, I don't even wanna think of how it will feel in the morning after being still all night.
To cap the day off, I was driving home from spending the evening with David (which was wonderful, by the way. No bad part to that) and I hit a deer. It was one of those things that my parents constantly reminded me about. EVERY time I would leave the house late at night they would say "look out for deer!" So, after hearing this for about 6 years straight, I've caught on. I drive slow, at least the speed limit, at night and look for yellow spot because the deer's eyes will light up. I saw none of that tonight. It basically just happened in a split second. Before anything could be done at all, I hit it. The worst part was seeing it afterwards. Ugh, makes me sick thinking about it. Why do they choose the moment when a car is coming to run out??? I guess I'm lucky it was only one... I saw others run right behind me. Anyway, I hope the car is ok. I looked at it the best I could in the dark. I guess I'll deal with that tomorrow.
If you have one very bad day, does that mean the next one has to be very good automatically?? I sure hope so!
Early this morning my stepmom woke me up to tell me that she wouldn't be keeping sunday school this morning. That meant that I did not need to go early to help her. After this I didn't reset my alarm, so I ended up sleeping through church.
Sometime after I woke up I realized that I am losing my voice. Not sure how or why. I haven't been yelling too much or anything lately. Maybe just part of the whole "first year teacher catching EVERYTHING" scenario.
While helping keep 1-3rd graders I was walking behind the television (genius, I know) and I tripped. This caused three things to happen. Number 1, I cut the tv off, stopping the movie the kids were watching. Number two, I spilled some popcorn that I had in my hand. Finally, I caught myself with my hand and hurt my thumb. It was one of those things where it felt like jello when it went down. Pretty gross feeling. Anyway, it is incredibly sore now, I don't even wanna think of how it will feel in the morning after being still all night.
To cap the day off, I was driving home from spending the evening with David (which was wonderful, by the way. No bad part to that) and I hit a deer. It was one of those things that my parents constantly reminded me about. EVERY time I would leave the house late at night they would say "look out for deer!" So, after hearing this for about 6 years straight, I've caught on. I drive slow, at least the speed limit, at night and look for yellow spot because the deer's eyes will light up. I saw none of that tonight. It basically just happened in a split second. Before anything could be done at all, I hit it. The worst part was seeing it afterwards. Ugh, makes me sick thinking about it. Why do they choose the moment when a car is coming to run out??? I guess I'm lucky it was only one... I saw others run right behind me. Anyway, I hope the car is ok. I looked at it the best I could in the dark. I guess I'll deal with that tomorrow.
If you have one very bad day, does that mean the next one has to be very good automatically?? I sure hope so!
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Things I've learned lately.....
I do this post every once and a while because I really like it. It makes me think about what's happened in my life lately. So these are some things I've learned. If you don't understand some of them, I could explain :)
1. Apparently I'm getting more emotional as I get older
2. 4 year olds are absolutely, positively hilarious
3. mental exhaustion is worse than physical
4. Country music never fails to make me smile... I just love it
5. I'm growing up... whether I like that or not remains to be decided
6. I do miss my brother.... wow, I hope he doesn't read this, he'd make fun :)
7. My dog is insane...I'm not kidding
8. I need to stop being so "old" and act like a 22 year old (I swear that work does it to you... I go to be way to early)
9. Cherry is STILL my favorite!
10. I miss my friends very much.... it's been WAY too long
11. When you get in your 20's all your friends start getting married... BIG realization, huh :)
12. I'm laid back, but I can be incredibly passionate (if you know me, you know what I'm passionate about!)
13. Sometimes I just need to shut my big mouth :) (long story... it happens a lot)
14. Boys are still confusing... yes, all of them
15. Finding the perfect gift for someone makes me really happy
16. Plastic is going to be the death of me... who are the guys who invented this unbreakable stuff to wrap EVERYTHING in??
17. Praising and serving God brings purpose to my life, I should seek more opportunities to do it!
18. Sleep is my friend, it's underated I tell you... underated!
That's about all for now-- peace
1. Apparently I'm getting more emotional as I get older
2. 4 year olds are absolutely, positively hilarious
3. mental exhaustion is worse than physical
4. Country music never fails to make me smile... I just love it
5. I'm growing up... whether I like that or not remains to be decided
6. I do miss my brother.... wow, I hope he doesn't read this, he'd make fun :)
7. My dog is insane...I'm not kidding
8. I need to stop being so "old" and act like a 22 year old (I swear that work does it to you... I go to be way to early)
9. Cherry is STILL my favorite!
10. I miss my friends very much.... it's been WAY too long
11. When you get in your 20's all your friends start getting married... BIG realization, huh :)
12. I'm laid back, but I can be incredibly passionate (if you know me, you know what I'm passionate about!)
13. Sometimes I just need to shut my big mouth :) (long story... it happens a lot)
14. Boys are still confusing... yes, all of them
15. Finding the perfect gift for someone makes me really happy
16. Plastic is going to be the death of me... who are the guys who invented this unbreakable stuff to wrap EVERYTHING in??
17. Praising and serving God brings purpose to my life, I should seek more opportunities to do it!
18. Sleep is my friend, it's underated I tell you... underated!
That's about all for now-- peace
Thursday, January 04, 2007
I've kind of given up on New Year's resolutions. One reason is, for me, they never last very long. Another reason is that I try to make "resolutions" in my life (the really important ones) as needed.... who says I have to wait until January? So I'm not gonna talk about my resolutions for the new year, more like my hopes and anticipations...
1. Become a better teacher-- as I mentioned earlier, teaching four year olds is quickly becoming a passion for me. I'll be honest, I haven't yet quite figured out if I'm good at it. I don't mean that as a "pitty party" or anything, just that I want to get through a whole school year to be able to reflect and see if I think I did a good job or not. I have some great colleagues working with me that are nice enough, and professional enough, to give good constructive criticism. Luckily they haven't had anything bad to say yet, but I know that they will let me know if something arises that I need to fix or improve on. This is one thing that I enjoy about teaching so much more that being in college. People actually want to HELP you become better instead of constantly nag about stupid stuff, no joke... it's amazing :) So, all that to say I hope to become a better teacher each day and find out at the end if I wanna start all over again with the 4's in August!
2. Get more involved in church functions: I must confess that 2006, more than any year so far, has been a bad year for me in this area. I can blame it on many things... tough times student teaching, graduating, new career, busy life, etc. The truth is that nothing is more important than my relationship with God and serving Him. I didn't make that extremely evident last year... I'm going to try this year to do a better job.
3. See more of my friends: It's funny, this never seems to be a problem when you're in college. I saw most all of my friends on a daily basis, or weekly at the very least. When you graduate that becomes a different story. I feel like I haven't spent time with friends in forever. So, I hope to do that some more this year. Many of them have moved away-- Atlanta, Columbia, Tampa. Hmm, I think this means 2 things. #1- ROAD TRIPS :) and #2- I need to work on rebuidling some relationships with friends around here and make some new ones!
4. Doing some fun, adventurous things: No one would know it by my life right now, but I'm actually a fairly adventurous person, and I love to have fun. Jumping out of a plane, no.... but I am ALWAYS up for traveling, speed, roller coasters, water sports, and trying new things. I feel like I've spent the last semester of college up until now worrying about teaching in some way or another. I want to make a point of getting out and doing some exciting things this year. I'll have to give this one a little more thought, I'm not sure what those things are yet. Got any suggestions???
5. Moving out?? I put a question mark on this one because I am still in thought and prayer about this. I still live with my parents, if you can't tell. There comes a point, I'm sure lots of people have been there, when you feel like it's time to move out. I'm not sure exaclty when this will be, but I can say that I am thinking about it. On one hand, saving money is important. Living with the parents allows me to do this. On the other, is anyone really ever financially ready to be on their own? I think most people just usually end up having to do it and take that leap of faith anyway.
6. Honesty: This is a "hope" for this year... but it's probably the closest to a resolution that we're gonna get. Before I say it, I wanna clear things up. I don't have a habit of lying or anything like that. The thing that I wanna do this year is make an effort to be more honest with people about my feelings. I want to say what I want and what I feel. Of course I don't want to be mean about it. I just have a tendecy to say the words "It doesn't matter to me" or "that's ok, don't worry" or, "whatever you want, I don't care" a lot. I'm sure these wont go out the window completely. Old habits die hard. I hope I can work on it at least a little.
These are just some of my hopes for the year. Prayers are appreciated for what I am sure will be a challenging, yet rewarding year!!
1. Become a better teacher-- as I mentioned earlier, teaching four year olds is quickly becoming a passion for me. I'll be honest, I haven't yet quite figured out if I'm good at it. I don't mean that as a "pitty party" or anything, just that I want to get through a whole school year to be able to reflect and see if I think I did a good job or not. I have some great colleagues working with me that are nice enough, and professional enough, to give good constructive criticism. Luckily they haven't had anything bad to say yet, but I know that they will let me know if something arises that I need to fix or improve on. This is one thing that I enjoy about teaching so much more that being in college. People actually want to HELP you become better instead of constantly nag about stupid stuff, no joke... it's amazing :) So, all that to say I hope to become a better teacher each day and find out at the end if I wanna start all over again with the 4's in August!
2. Get more involved in church functions: I must confess that 2006, more than any year so far, has been a bad year for me in this area. I can blame it on many things... tough times student teaching, graduating, new career, busy life, etc. The truth is that nothing is more important than my relationship with God and serving Him. I didn't make that extremely evident last year... I'm going to try this year to do a better job.
3. See more of my friends: It's funny, this never seems to be a problem when you're in college. I saw most all of my friends on a daily basis, or weekly at the very least. When you graduate that becomes a different story. I feel like I haven't spent time with friends in forever. So, I hope to do that some more this year. Many of them have moved away-- Atlanta, Columbia, Tampa. Hmm, I think this means 2 things. #1- ROAD TRIPS :) and #2- I need to work on rebuidling some relationships with friends around here and make some new ones!
4. Doing some fun, adventurous things: No one would know it by my life right now, but I'm actually a fairly adventurous person, and I love to have fun. Jumping out of a plane, no.... but I am ALWAYS up for traveling, speed, roller coasters, water sports, and trying new things. I feel like I've spent the last semester of college up until now worrying about teaching in some way or another. I want to make a point of getting out and doing some exciting things this year. I'll have to give this one a little more thought, I'm not sure what those things are yet. Got any suggestions???
5. Moving out?? I put a question mark on this one because I am still in thought and prayer about this. I still live with my parents, if you can't tell. There comes a point, I'm sure lots of people have been there, when you feel like it's time to move out. I'm not sure exaclty when this will be, but I can say that I am thinking about it. On one hand, saving money is important. Living with the parents allows me to do this. On the other, is anyone really ever financially ready to be on their own? I think most people just usually end up having to do it and take that leap of faith anyway.
6. Honesty: This is a "hope" for this year... but it's probably the closest to a resolution that we're gonna get. Before I say it, I wanna clear things up. I don't have a habit of lying or anything like that. The thing that I wanna do this year is make an effort to be more honest with people about my feelings. I want to say what I want and what I feel. Of course I don't want to be mean about it. I just have a tendecy to say the words "It doesn't matter to me" or "that's ok, don't worry" or, "whatever you want, I don't care" a lot. I'm sure these wont go out the window completely. Old habits die hard. I hope I can work on it at least a little.
These are just some of my hopes for the year. Prayers are appreciated for what I am sure will be a challenging, yet rewarding year!!
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