Run over by a bus....

...is what I feel like at the end of the week. I don't know what my students do to me to make me feel completely exhausted and worn out, but I wake up on Saturday mornings feeling completely out of it. It takes so much energy to get out of bed.

(insert picture of me getting hit by a bus :) )

Well, this week, I know that I expended for more than my capacity of energy. We finally had our Drama club performance after postponing it several times. I am so glad it is over, in some ways I had been dreading it because I thought that we could have used far more time to practice. However, the kids did great! They went so much faster than anticipated and were very nervous, but I was proud.

I was really glad that the weekend came around. I really needed this one.

On another note, I am trying to become a better blogger, but sometimes I don't really have anything interesting to blog about. So here are the interesting things in my life right now:

-Invitations: I am making invitations for my sisters baby shower...I love making invitations and cards, it pretty much is my second calling. (pictures soon)
-Bad movies: I love seeing bad movies, mostly because when they are over, I can make witting remarks about horrible they are. (I won't ruin the bad one I saw for you. Let's just say Napoleon and Pedro make a horrible reappearance.)
-The Office: Yep, I just ordered Season 2-5 from Amazon...pretty pumped to be able to watch them whenever I want and not put up with my really slow computer to watch them on netflix.
-Cast party: I need to plan the cast party for Drama club and I am trying to decide what musical to have them watch. Any ideas? I have a few, but I know they won't like what I pick, and I don't know whether they are over High School musical or not?

Long/hard but blessed Week

I am not going to go into detail, but this week was hard for me. Emotionally, spiritually, and somewhat physically. However, this week I felt blessed in more ways than one. Each night I fell into bed hoping that God would add an extra hour to the night so I could get more sleep. Each morning I would get in my car and drive to work, praying hard that God would work in me and through me that day. I was stressed and tired.

However, by the end of the week, God answered my prayers. He blessed me in so many ways, mostly by putting me in hard situations only to bring me through more like him. He shined light on areas of blessing in my life and help me demonstrate my character in wonderful ways.

He blessed me by showing me how much I love my students and my job. He blessed me by showing how much of an amazing person my roommate is. He gave me some new friends and a new situation to learn more about him.

He blessed me by letting me cry in front of people who showed me how much they do really care. He blessed me by showing how amazing my students really are when I am not there, and how much they actually like me. (Not that them liking me is really important, but in a way it is.)

He blessed me by shedding light to the fact that I am where I am supposed to be, and he is to credit for that!

I am blessed. I am blessed by the God of the Universe. Not only blessed because eternal life, but by his continual presence and work in my life and the life of those around me. I will never be able to show my gratitude in a way that reflects the blessing.

The Office

So...I used to think that The Office was really stupid and lame. I thought that it was all about crude humor and office politics. But I was wrong. Yep, I am admit it I was so very wrong. For the last couple of days, I have been getting caught up on the previous seasons. The amazing thing is that when you watch all the episodes in a row, you get caught up into the characters lives. That's the thing I love/hate about TV, it's the characters that pull me in. It is the characters that I want to succeed/fail. I fall in love/hate with them. Some of them are the heros/villians of an epidsode, but then change the next.

At first you might assume that the character of Michael Scott is one to hate, because he always says the wrong thing, has horrible jokes, and does not have a censor on his mouth. You never understand why they bother telling him anything that is meant to be kept secret because he can't no matter how hard he tries lie or hold something in. However, after watching all these episodes, I don't hate his character, I feel bad for him. He is so insecure and just wants people to like him. At the end of the day, he just wants people to invite him to parties, care about his burned foot, and be his friend when he needs to cry.

And really...don't we all have that same desire. Don't we all want to be loved by others, be invited to parties. Don't we want there to be someone to take care of us when we hurt, and don't we want to be needed by others. So in a way, we can relate to Michael Scott. Perhaps we will never understand him completely or why in the end he is able to catch big sales and succeed when he is so very dense. But his character does say something.

There are many reasons that I have fallen in love with this horrible/hilarious show...and some that I will chronicle about over the next several days of my break, but more than anything, I think this show is brilliant because it speaks greatly about our society and perhaps what our offices are like.

fun times...funny times...and book reports!

A couple of pictures from my adventures...mostly because I never upload pictures!

Main Event!!! We were so excited to be special forces this year!!

One of the times I visited Manhattan this semester! Time in the Bistro and with Maggie!!


My new mug to remember the Bistro when I am without it!


My pedicure from my little sister!!


My big sister who is going to have a baby next spring!! I am going to be an aunt!


Celebrating the marriage of our good friend Amber...she is the one in the tan!

So recently (as in October) I assigned my students book reports. I got some pretty great ones. I am so proud of the creativity displayed by my students. I think this is the first time, that they have really impressed me...well 2/3rds of them! But I am so excited to show them off to the other teachers. I am also excited to have them show them off to their classmates in extra credit presentations next week.

I also gave a test on Friday. I know I am such a mean teacher. Some of them did pretty well on it. But I am going to have to reteach some of the information. I guess that's what makes me a teacher is when I am already thinking of ways to reteach information and get them where they need to be. I also don't want to give up on them. I know they are capable of know this stuff.

Have I mentioned how challenging and exciting teaching can be? Because it is everyday. I don't think I ever want to go back to selling t-shirts or ever working in a cubicle. I would be so bored out of my mind.

Needless to say I have had some days that definitely go in the good bucket! Slowly, I am loving this job more and more...pictures of my classroom to come!!

Piles to sort through...

I haven't posted in awhile...and it seems like a lot has happened and still is happening.

I went to Manhattan for a short weekend and was encouraged by all my lovely friends!

I survived parent/teacher conferences...and I felt like in someways it was a success.

My big sister came to visit and we went maternity clothes shopping for her to embrace her pregnant body!! (SO EXCITED TO BE AN AUNT!!)

My roommate and I threw a party in our apartment that has stuff on the walls! It was a goal of ours to have things on the wall before this party! We were celebrating our good friend's marriage coming up in November!

I had my first full week of school in a month! I enjoyed it, even though I was and still sort of am stressed out about getting things planned and taught before Christmas!


I also have realized that I need to make it a priority to spend more time processing through my job and through all the things I am learning spiritually. I feel like my brain is full of things to think about, but it is piles that I need to sort through, sort of like my closet. And just like straightening up my closet, afterward I will be able to work better knowing that I have a clear view of things, and can find things much easier!

Pictures of these last couple of weeks to come....

little bits of glory

Over these last couple of weeks, I have been able to see little bits of God's glory. Through my daily life, through the events on weekends, and even through my students.

Unfortunately, I work in an environment that can be sometimes negative, with budget cuts and challenges to work through everyday on the job, and students who no matter what you do, do not want to behave. It can wear on you. However, I do have the pleasure to have some students who always brighten my day.

• The ones that want to hand things in early because they have it done already.
• The students who write really neat and you can read every word they wrote.
• The students who want to read all the time, even when you are working on something else.
• The ones that want to give you a hug when they leave.
• The ones that tell you that English is almost their favorite class.
• The ones that love to tell you all about their weekend.
• The students don't want you stay single and volunteer their brothers or uncles numbers. (Plus those kinds of moments just make you laugh out loud.)
• The students that get as excited about library day as you.

Sometimes this is what I have to do to get through my day...begin thinking of all the positive moments that make me smile or love my job.

Plus those moments make me see God in a whole new way, because he is answering my prayers and my hope that I am being effective with these students. Plus he gives me those moments as encouragement moment by moment when I want to either tear my hair out or bang my head against the wall.

Then there are these moments with friends, that bring me back to the community that loves, encourages, and prays for me!

Fall

Fall is in the air. Here are a few reasons why I love fall.

1. I get to wear my sweats to bed without sweating now.
2. The colors of the trees explode!
3. The air tastes fresh and crisp.
4. The sunshine peaking through clouds.
5. The reminder that a rebirth is coming!
6. The smell of fires burning and grass still being cut.
7. Sweaters, scarves, layering, and fun socks!





















Those are just a few. I woke up this morning refreshed and ready to start my day, even if it was 10:00am. I enjoy Saturday's so much, because I get to have Me time. I get to do whatever I want for most of the day. I usually enjoy going somewhere like a bookstore or coffeeshop and spend my day reflecting, reading, being with Jesus. It is the most refreshing part of living somewhere new. No one knows me. I don't have to worry about going somewhere and seeing a bunch of people I know. For the most part, I get to live very secluded, and I like it. I get to think and reflect on my life now, my struggles, and triumphs.

It is entirely possible that I love my new life, it just keeps getting better and better. God is so so so so so faithful. If you want to know more about why I think that, let me know!!