PASSED!

I PASSED MY GENERAL CERTIFICATION EXAM!
I take my ESL certification exam next month and the pedagogy exam next semester! As soon as I pass the pedagogy exam and graduate I will be officially certified to teach! It is such a relief that I passed this first test! Thanks for all of your prayers and support.

Something BIG is happening today!
Matt is getting his FIGHTIN' TEXAS AGGIE RING! WHOOP!! He has been waiting a long time for this day to come and it is finally here! I can't wait to celebrate his accomplishments with him! I'll post pictures later!

Because these are two HUGE things, everything else seems insignificant. I will not bore you with all of the little things going on in my life. :P

Until next time... :)

The Big Apple!

Hey blog. Long time, no see.

The last two weeks have been jam packed with school and FUN! Finally some FUN! My mom called me less that a week before spring break and informed me that she and my dad planned a trip to NEW YORK for my family! I was so excited... the rest of that week was just me anticipating the trip while still trying to get homework done. I was successful... enough.

I drove home from College Station Friday morning, drove to Dallas with my parents Friday afternoon, and flew to New York (FRIST CLASS) early Saturday morning. I love New York City! This was my third time to go to the big apple!

We did so much in New York that I couldn't possibly list them all... but here were a few of my favorites.

9/11 World Trade Center Memorial

This fountain lies exactly where one of the buildings was located. It is massive.. and there are two. One for each tower. The names of all of the victims from the towers, pentagon, Pennsylvania flight, and 1993 bombing were listed on the outside of the fountains. It was surreal to be standing where terror struck a little over ten years ago. I can't imagine. I felt honored to be able to see this memorial and remember those we lost. 

The New Freedom Tower (Still Under Construction)

This is now the tallest building in New York. There is a lot of construction around the 9/11 memorial site, rebuilding and remembering what was lost. This new building is massive. I can't wait until everything is finished. It will be a wonderful place to visit for years to come. 

Time Square (of course!)

Gotta be touristy.

Top of the Rock- Rockefeller Tower

I absolutely love this view!

Sunset at Rockefeller

Note the new Freedom Tower... about a centimeter to the right of the Empire State Building.

Cafe Habana... Best CORN in the WORLD!

yum. that is all.

MOMA

Of course I would find the kiddos! They were so cute! They were identifying and drawing the shapes they saw in this painting. Gotta love Kindergarten.

Beautiful day in Central Park!

Sunset walk across the Brooklyn Bridge 

Love them! (Thanks for a great trip!)

The High Line

This is a park in Meat-Packing District that was made on an old abandoned train track! If I could live in New York, I would definitely want to live near this! To bad the condos go for about $4 million. Lottery?  

The New Apple Store in Grand Central Station

This is the most unique Apple Store I have ever been to. It was so open. There weren't even doors... just an open stair case that lead to the main floor of Grand Central Station. Pretty crazy.

*On a side note... I think we went to 4 apple stores on this trip. Ridiculous. I always tell people my family plans trips around Apple Stores... this might be a slight exaggeration... but not much.

 One of the few gas stations left on Manhattan Island

Happy not to drive. 

Of course, fantastic desserts!

Randomly ran into a Gerogetown Cupcakes... Reminded me of my trip to DC last summer

The Bald Chocolate Guy... yes I ate that WHOLE dessert!  

 3 amazing Broadway Shows

Jersey Boys!

How to Succeed in Business

This was obviously Elise's choice... little crush?

Daniel Radcliffe used to be the lead in this show... that would have been amazing... though I wonder if he is a good dancer/singer. I guess he has to be if he was in a Broadway Show... I just see him as a wizard!

AND 

lastly, my favorite

Anything Goes! 

You're not really allowed to take pictures at the shows and some how i didn't get a picture of the outside of this theater... but I think a video would do better justice anyways!

CLICK

Sutton Foster (the lead) was amazing and we got to see her on her last night for this show! The dancing was the best part of the show! She won the Tony for Best Lead Actress!

New York was Amazing! I love it more and more every time I go and I have already started a list of things I want to do next time I go! It was so nice to finally 'relax'... and by relax I mean not have to worry about school... although when I got the chance I would try to open my exam study book... but overall I didn't have to worry about it. As Elise said, it was not a 'sit down and relax' vacation. We walked our feet off, but I LOVED every minute of it! 

Unfortunately today is Sunday, which marks the last official day of spring break. I head back to College Station tomorrow morning and will be back in full swing by the end of the day. I wish I had another week to just rest my mind, but that's not the case. My TExES Exam is in 8 days. I'm anxious but ready to get it done with. 

The countdown to Easter has begun. 20 days! I get to spend time with my family and celebrate Jesus' Miracle! Another plus is that I get to have something other than water to drink!

Until next time... 

Be happy.

Forward March

First of all, how is it already March 3? I can't believe how fast this semester is going by. I am very thankful that spring break is next week... sort of. I am not sure what I am doing yet.

I have so much homework right now. I can't seem to get any of it done. I sit down at my computer and stare at the screen for hours. Nothing gets done. It is driving me crazy. I am feeling very overwhelmed with the amount of work I have to do in the next two weeks. I just hope I can relax over spring break. Oh and that thing known as the certification exam... totally freaking out. I have barely been able to study due to all of the homework and projects I have had going on. Spring break seems like the perfect time to study... Ug! I can't wait until April 24, when I finish my classes. At the same time I hope April 24 takes an eternity to get here. I can barely imagine what leaving College Station is going to be like.

I just hope I will be able to take all of the memories I have made here with me and cherish them for the years to come. HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS AND COLLEGE FRESHMAN... COLLEGE FLYS BY! ENJOY EVERY SINGLE MINUTE OF IT!

For lent I gave up ALL drinks except for water. I have done really well so far. It gets really hard sometimes. I just want a Dr. Pepper or a Mikes... I can do this. (I have been sleeping much better).

I ran a 5k last weekend! It was SO fun! I ran the entire time without stopping which was my goal. Plus I got a really awesome t-shirt. I can't wait for the next one and maybe I will be able to beat my time.

I also got to go home last weekend. It was so nice to spend some time alone with my mom and dad! I miss them a lot. I also got to see all of my grandparents which was fun. Going home is so relaxing to me.

Matt's mom and Mollie came to College Station! It was fun to see them! We went to a baseball game and out to dinner! I always have fun with them.

Tomorrow I am going to see Blue Man Group! I can't wait! I have seen Blue Man Group before, but I was so little I barely remember it. It is going to be awesome!

For some reason I have had this song stuck in my head the last few days.. I don't really know why, but I guess it is a good one to have constantly playing in your head.

At the cross You,
beckon me,
draw me gently,
to my knees and I am,
lost for words so,
lost in love I'm,
sweetly broken, wholly surrendered!

I hope you have a great week!