Counting this semester's blessings.....46 at a time!

Ok, today's post is going to quickly throwback to a picture taken last year:



you know, or not.....whatever! Anyway, it was a picture of me holding my acceptance letter to the teacher education program here at my school. Big smile, thumbs up...the whole cheesy/excited nine yards!

Anyway, as I held that letter in my hand, I didn't fully grasp the emotional toll that two years worth of observations and teaching would take on me. However, as a sit at my computer, less than a week from graduation, I realize that this is what it is all about. All the hard work, the tears, the time away from family.....it comes down to them....all 46 of those blessings. First placement: 23 first grade students, and a teacher, 2nd placement: 21 kindergarteners and a teacher. I mean seriously, that means that this semester, 44 students sought for me to lead them, teach them, love them, and at times discipline them. I am sure they think that I taught them a lot, but rest assured, I think they may have taught me more than I taught them.

They taught me about the faith of a child. When we would go to classes, or to lunch, or when we had our drills....those students depended on me to lead them, they looked to me for guidance and reaction. As long as I was fine, they were fine......but the second a microscopic ounce of fear showed on my face, I had kids freaking out! Let me tell you, with that kind of power.....you learn to freak out on only the inside!

These kids taught me how to love unconditionally. They would love you no matter what, and they would run themselves ragged trying to please you. There were a couple students that I was convinced they HATED me, yet when it came time for me to leave, they were the ones who held on a little longer and a little tighter.

Mostly though, they taught me that every single time I have thought or muttered "I can't do this, " or "I'm not sure this is right for me," I was wrong! I can't see myself doing anything else!

A friend of mine asked me to sum up student teaching for them in under two sentences. My response was this "If I had a dollar for evey time I asked a student 'why are you crying now?' I would have enough money to pay back my student loans.....I woudl look like a stripper, but whatever! However, I would not change it for the world!"

so there you go folks......ramblings of a tired, totally stressed out college, soon to be graduate!

Until next week!

Confessions of an Ipod Collection

1. How would you describe your life? Jessie's Girl- Rick Springsteen

2. what is your best friend's theme song? I can't get Enough of Your Love- Bad Company

3. What's in store for this week? Buy You a Drank- T-Pain

4. What do you often think about? My Baby Loves Me Just the Way that I Am- Martina McBride

5. If someone said "You're hot" you would say? Drop it Like It's Hot

6.What type of men/women do you like? I Saw God Today- George Strait

7. How does the world see you? Twist and Shout- The Beatles

8. How will you be remembered? Hillbilly Deluxe- Brooks and Dunn

9. How do your friends see you?You're Gonna Miss This- Trace Adkins

10. What song describes your mood right now? Love Gets Me Every Time- Shania Twain

I swear I put it on shuffle and write the first song that came up! Couldn't have answered better if I tried! :)

Here's another one, just for fun!



How am I feeling today?
Come a Little Closer- Dierks Bentley

Will I get far in life?
Don't Stop Believin'-Journey

How do my friends see me?
Blue (Da Ba De)-Eiffel 65

Where will I get Married?
Hot in Here- Nelly (pretty sure that will just be the after wedding.... ;) )

What is my best friend's theme song?
No Air- Jordin Sparks

What is the story of my life?
Pop, Lock, and Drop It- Baby Huey

What is/was highschool like?
Check Yes Juliet- We the Kings

How can I get ahead in life?
Rockin the Beer Gut- Trailer Choir

What is the best thing about me?
Bed of Roses- Faith Hill

How is today going to be?
Just Died in your Arms Tonight-Cutting Crew

What is in store for this weekend?
These Days- Rascal Flatts

What song describes my parents?
Everything- Lifehouse

To describe my grandparents?
Not a Day Goes By- Lonestar (ok, that is weird....its like it just knows their gone....)

How is my life going?
Paralyzer- Finger Eleven

What song will they play at my funeral?
Who Needs Pictures- Brad Paisley

How does the world see me?
We Owned the Night- Lady A

Will I have a happy life?
American Soldier- Toby Keith (well I do love a boy in Uniform!)

What do my friends really think of me?
Achy Breaky Heart- Billy Ray Cyrus

Do people secretly lust after me?
If Today was your Last Day- Nickelback

How can I make myself happy?
You Raise me Up- Josh Groban

What should I do with my life?
Sk8er Boi- Avril Lavigne

Will I ever have children?
Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House- Garth Brooks (It's gonna be a HUGE house too!)

What is some good advice for me?
Daddy Sang Bass- Johnny Cash

How will I be remembered?
Hey Jude- The Beatles

What is my signature dancing song?
Summertime- Kenny Chesney (I do LOVE this song!)

What do I think my current theme song is?
The Best of Both Worlds- Hannah Montana

What does everyone else think my current theme song is?
That Ain't no way to go- Brooks and Dunn

What type of men/women do you like?
More than a Memory- Garth Brooks

pretty good this round as well! :)

That moment when life hits me like a ton of bricks!

Decided to reorganize and get my scrapbook up a little more to date! This task drove home what I have been saying all along about my life. It is nowhere close to what I thought it would be, but everything I NEEDED it to be.....I just wish I had realized that a lo sooner!

For example.....in putting pictures into my photo album.....after having to unload 4 and a half photo albums I may add.....I realized that I did not have one single picture of Chris and I together. We were together nearly every single day for hours on end. We did a ton of fun things together, and there were plenty of opportunities to take a picture together. I mean, seriously, it take what, 3 seconds to take a picture? Five if you have the red eye preflash on? Yet, we never did. When I said something about it, my friend Kathryn, whom I love dearly and this is one of the reasons why, replies very matter-of-factually and says, "you know...that because you take pictures of only the most important things!" I couldn't agree more, I mean who can't take 5 seconds out of the hours on end they spend with someone to take a picture!

On a much happier note....I did a lot of scrapbooking today and it was super fun. We are going to be having a scrapbooking party type things here on campus in the next couple of weeks I am told, so I saved some of the scrapbooking for that.....looking forward to it.

Wrote my final lessons plans as a student teacher. Finished them last Thursday, and my last full day of teaching was on Friday. This week I have reading groups and that is it for the things that I am responsible for preparing for teaching! It is all beginning to feel so unreal! I also got a letter in my mailbox that has a paper to do exit counseling and obtain signatures in order to pick up my cap and gown! It all beginning to feel so real and yet so unreal all at the same time! I am so excited and terrified about entering "the real world." I mean, due to a cast and surgery my official enter into the real world will be delayed, but at any rate, I am terrified about what life is going to be like with no school, no homework, no professors....I mean for the first time in my life, I won't be planning to go to school in August and the thought of that is so relieving, yet so scary and so weird! Pray for me though, folks.....my after college is going to be a really bumpy road here at the beginning!!

Well, folks, that is all I have for now.....so until next time:

"Let your faith be bigger than your fears!"

I don't know about you, but I'm feeling 22!

So.....apparently people cannot resist taking pictures of me when I am sleeping! This was taken the night of my 22nd birthday......maybe the night before. Amber, Kathryn and I all slept in the TV lounge upstairs (I can almost hear my mom saying "Why do I even pay for her to have a room.....she is never it it!") and we watched movie into the wee hours of the morning. Anywho....I watched my very first scary movie start to finish.....on my 22nd birthday!

The day was pretty fun for the most part. We went to the mall in Quincy, I found a shirt......we went to BWW......LOVE LOVE LOVE that place! The waitress did not believe us that I was 22 though. She thought I was turning 20.....also, BWW does not sing to you on your birthday....they just give you ice cream! I also appreciated this. Amber and Kathryn got me a Stine, and sparkling grape juice to celebrate, and we hung out in the lobby all night. Overall, it was a pretty good day!

I blasted T-Swift's 22 all day long! I love when songs match up with my ages......look out 23.....Blink 182 will rain all over your day! Seriously though, it was a good distraction from all of the things stressing me out!

Oh, on another note: I turned in my Teacher Work Sample for the second time.....hoping for better news this time! :) I should know by the end of the week!

In a final question: Why does Kathryn say, that I'm "so cute while I sleep!"? I do not see it, I guess!!

"Our lives are the storybooks we write;that are wonderfully illustrated by the people we meet!"

To all of my friends: Thank you for giving me the best, brightest, and most exciting illustrations EVER, not just awesome, wonderful, bright illustrations on my birthday!