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!

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!