Modgepodge!

Homework, homework, homework. That was the theme of my weekend. I had no idea how many projects would be assigned during this semester... It is borderline crazy.

I am getting used to waking up at 5:45am on Wednesdays and Thursdays. I usually make it all the way through the school day before I start getting tired... but once I get home is a whole different story. I have to constantly find things to do or I would pass out at 5pm. I am just glad to have the weekends to catch up on my sleep.

Last Tuesday I had a meeting with my student teacher advisor and turned in my forms to student teach in Whitehouse ISD. As long as everything works out between the district and A&M, which I am 90% sure it will, then I will be in Tyler next semester! It's still not a done deal... but it is pretty close. (The worst part is that I don't even know when I will know for sure.) I am really excited but I am also really nervous. That means that I will only be in College Station until early May. Yikes. Luckily I will have ample opportunities to visit next semester!

Now to a less serious note...

We are going to go back in time a little bit... all the way to the super bowl! I went over to a friends house to watch the game (which I didn't even care about)... but I made these strawberries! This is what made the super bowl fun for me! I  have wanted to make these all season, but I decided to wait until the very last game :)

Yum! 

Last Sunday Matt and I ran 3.1 miles. We didn't get to go to Dallas to run the 5k we planned on going to, but we still ran the distance we had set out to run. On Friday I am running the Glow 5k here at A&M. It is at night! I am really excited! I'll give you an update afterwards to let you know how it goes.

Baseball season has officially started! Opening day at Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park was Friday evening. Matt and a few of our friends braved the cold and the rain and got us awesome (DRY) seats. The game was so much fun! It ended up getting rained out before the end, but that's ok! I can't wait until 'warm' baseball season gets here though. Here is a look at the new stadium... It is really nice!

Before

After... pretty crazy!

Over the weekend I wrote 2 in-depth lesson plans, wrote 3 short essays for a quiz, completed a questioning activity, and ... well ... just did a lot of homework! I am glad those things are over! I just hope there isn't another weekend where that much stuff is due all at the same time again.

I have been trying to study for my certification exams. It isn't going to well. I am getting nervous about the tests. I kind of just wish I could take them so I could get them over with.

It was a long weekend.. but it was good to get caught up on my to-do list. Thanks for sticking with me  through yet another modgepodge post! Have a fantastic week!

P.S. I saw this stamp at Michaels ... it made me smile!

P.S.S. Congratulations to Emily and Aaron Nix (Jillian's sister and brother-in-law) on the arrival of their precious baby boy, Shepherd! He was born yesterday afternoon! 

Valentines Day!

I think Valentines Day is one of the best days of the year! It has fun decorations, lots of candy, and the best part is that you get to love on all of the people in your life! My actual Valentines Day was full of school, homework, and meetings, but Matt and I celebrated Thursday and went to dinner. I am really proud of the cards I made for him so I thought I'd share them with you :) ...

 I mustache you a question... 

The tickle monster! 

I love making cards for people and Valentines is a great day to do that for! I just pulled out my craft box and started crafting away! I love when I have time to get my craft box out! It totally relieves stress! 

I also received some wonderful valentines. Matt got me a Pier1 gift card (my favorite store)! My mom sent me a tasty lady bug and Matt a giant lollypop (which he LOVED). My first grades also sent me valentines cards! It was so fun to be a part of their Valentines day party. I definitely felt like I was back in elementary school!

Chocolate Ladybug!

My Valentines Day Bag! 

Fun Valentines from my first graders!

I also really love this reminder about Valentines Day that I saw on Pinterest.

What a great way to think about your true Valentine!

What is better than a day where you are encouraged and reminded to tell your friends and family that you love them! I had a great Valentines Day(/week). Now on to the tremendous amounts of homework. Ug.

  

Bloom Where You Are Planted

This week for me was all about patience. A lot of things in my life right now are about patience.
Waiting for grades...
Waiting for phone calls...
Waiting for student teaching placements...
Wondering where I will live next year...
Wondering where I will end up teaching...
Wondering about the future...
The list could go on and on.

But really, these are all things that I have not control over. These are all things that I do not need to be worried about. This is one of my favorite bible verses (especially for the last several months). It is a great reminder that I do not need to worry and that God is in control.

It is so comforting to know that the Lord knows the plans He has for my life and that they are perfect.

I also really like this quote by Tim Tebow ... I know, I know. Yes, I am quoting Tim Tebow, but he has a faith that is a great example for all of us. 

This quote is so full of truth! I try to remind myself not to be anxious about the future and to be patient with what the Lord has planned for me each and every day. I am such a "planner" that it is hard for me to wait. I want to make a list and check things off, but that is just not how life works. I have been thinking about something my wonderful Great-Aunt Carrie said. She passed away last August, but this is something that will stick with me for a long time. 

"Bloom where you are planted." 

To me this means to live in the "now." Don't worry about what will happen next, but make what is happing now beautiful. Love what is happening now and don't wish it away just because you are wanting the next part of your life to get here. I love this quote because it is a beautiful reminder to appreciate where you are at the current moment because that is all you can do.  

As a senior in college, I know a lot of people who are going through the same thing as me. Not fully ready to graduate. Anxious about what they will do after they graduate. Wondering if/where they will get a job. Deciding whether or not to continue their schooling. Just remember, the Lord knows what is going to happen and it will be perfect. 

First Grade Frenzy!

Wow. So I am definitely not as good at this blog thing as I was hoping, but I am going to try and get better! I promise!

Before I catch you up on the last 2 weeks... lets start with today! It is 7:15 pm and I have already been up for almost 14 hours! I am EXHAUSTED!!! Good news is ... My first grade class was SO much fun today! Waking up and leaving my house before the sun even pretended to come up was not fun at all. However, Boy Meets World definitely helped with the wake-up process. Leaving my lunch at home wasn't the best start to my day either. Thankfully, once I got to my class things went pretty smoothly! The kids were very curious about why I was there and wanted to know everything about me (including my full name... why?... I have no earthly idea). I already love them! My mentor teacher seems extremely knowledgeable and I think I am going to learn a ton this semester from her! I can't wait! I'm actually excited about waking up and going back tomorrow morning! When I finished 5th grade at Andy Woods, I never thought I would ever spend another full day in an elementary school classroom. It was kind of strange this morning looking back at those glorious days wondering what it would be like to be a first grader again! First grade was one of my favorite years in school (not that I remember all that much... I just remember liking it), so I was very excited to be placed in first grade this year!

Now I just need to get some more homework done and stop blogging/pinteresting/facebooking. Ha, ya right.

I have had a lot of homework over the last week (one of the reasons this blog has been neglected), but I have enjoyed most of the projects so far. Right now I am working on a Listening Comprehension Lesson Plan for second grade and I have to incorporate a Podcast that I have to make! I am also working on creating a "virtual field trip" and creating a lesson to go along with that. I have a lot of really fun projects this semester and I hope I can actually use them in my future classrooms.

I registered for my TExES certification exams. My Generalist EC-6 exam is late March and my ESL exam is late april! Please be thinking about me as I study for those tests!

Last weekend Matt and I made a surprise trip to Tyler to see Matt's dad before he had to head back to Afghanistan. I think both of Matt's parents were super surprised and excited to see him (WHOOP for Mollie being our secret keeper!). It was also great to see my mom and dad, even though it was pretty brief. That little trip home was so relieving even though we where there for less than 24 hours. Jeff is safely back in Afghanistan and we can't wait for him to come home again in late April/early May!

Its GIRL SCOUT COOKIE SEASON! While hanging out at Matt's house, there was a faint knock on the door. Matt, his two roommates, and I all looked at each other wondering who it could be. It was a little tiny girl scout!!! There was a mad dash around the house to find all the change we could find and successfully bought 4 boxes of girl scout cookies... one for each of us! I got thin mints, of course!

Speaking of thin mints, I am planning on running another 5k February 11! I have been running semi-regularly lately and I think this 5k will be much much much easier that the last!

Also, in honor of February 1, I decorated for Valentines Day today! :) I wanted to put up my decorations in mid-January, but I held off until the first of the month!

And what is a blog without a picture?... i think kind of boring

 Kindergarden School Picture
I don't have one from first grade at this moment, but when I find one I'll post it! 

So there is a modgepodge of my last two weeks-ish :)!

OH YA! P.S. Remember that time I said unfortunately no one we knew at bingo won... well I take that back! MATT WON the next time he went!!! I didn't go that night... I guess I'm bad luck! But hey, a wins a win!!!

p.s.s. Matt also wins HERO of the day for bringing me my lunch!! THANKS a million times!