it takes courage to grow up and become who you really are - e.e. cummings

ait summer is over?...


what a whirlwind it has been! i'll try not to make this post excessively long but there is a lot to update on!


well, first off - i decided to not work at camp this summer. what a hard choice that was! a place i have been at every summer since i was in 4th grade and i had to make the decision to not return. i felt that if i worked this summer at camp, i couldn't put 100% into both doing my job at camp and finding a teaching job. so this summer was dedicated to finding a teaching job...


i spent my first couple of weeks housesitting in hickory for my friend brooke :-) it was nice to not have to have any major worries... i slept, watched tv, and looked for jobs online as well as taking my resume to numerous schools.


i probably passed out 9743947 resumes...


after not much luck in even getting any interviews, i decided to volunteer at camp for a week. i worked in day camp with my best friend amy! it was the best week ever. i absolutely love that age (5-8). it showed me how much fun i can have with children outside of the classroom and really reinforced my love for children in general. 

once i came back home, i decided it was time to apply to Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools... a decision i didn't want to do but i wasn't having in luck with jobs anywhere else. i grew up in charlotte and their school system and it just was not an environment i was looking forward to working in... right away i got calls for interviews and probably went to about 5 or so in about a 2 week time span. each one i went to, i got excited, loved the principal and started becoming adjusted to working and living in charlotte. although none of the interviews produced a job, it definitely gave me experience in interviewing and gave me confidence.

i went back to camp for another week to be the photographer (the job i did my last two summers at camp) since their current photographer was taking her week off. another great week at camp, doing something i am truly passionate about. if i couldn't get a teaching job, maybe i could become a photographer full time?...

back at home, i started getting anxious about not getting a job. would i be working at old navy for the next year? (i love my job and the people at old navy, but it just wasn't what i envisioned when i got a bachelors and masters degree in elementary education)...

on my way to one interview in charlotte, i got a phone call from a principal in fayetteville... what?? i had absolutely no intention of teaching or even moving to fayetteville... how did this principal find me? i didn't apply to any jobs there...

i decided i would go to the interview for at least some more practice on interviewing... 

my entire drive down i just kept thinking about how i just wanted a job but no way would it be in fayetteville. i went into the interview hating the area, thinking it was too hot, and ready to drive back home... 

fortunately, God had different plans. (go figure!) i fell in love with the principal and she seemed to really want me. i met a few teachers and they seemed to really want me. half way through the interview the principal asked if i was ready to move down... HA - what!?!? i laughed thinking she was joking but realized that she seemed serious... uh...

...oh did i also mention it was kindergarten? my absolute dream grade to teach?! ahhh... 

not only did i feel so wanted and loved already, it was a perfect school. brand new. such the ideal and perfect situation. (ok what's the deal here God?...) i left the school and started my drive home... i thought long and hard... i cried... i got excited... i just didn't know what to do..

ready for the whirlwind?...

my interview was on a friday... 

i was offered the job on sunday... 

i accepted on monday...

i drove down to look for apartments on tuesday...

i applied for an apartment on wednesday...

i loaded up the truck on friday...

i moved in on saturday...

and here it is monday... i'm sitting in starbucks... in fayettevile... anticipating what is to come in the next couple of weeks...

i start my teacher work days tomorrow. the children start on aug. 25th.

i often have wondered how or why the principal found and called me... and then i realize the obvious answer - God did it. He knew what was in store for me. i couldn't have asked for a more perfect situation. i am so excited for what is coming!

...so now that i have spent 2 hours or so at starbucks, soaking up their internet (since i don't have any internet until thursday)... i guess i should head back to my apartment and continue unloading boxes...

Mississippi moon won't you keep on shinin'...

ight after graduation (but before moving out), I went on a mission trip to New Orleans to help with Katrina relief. It amazes me that almost 6 years later there are still people without homes and still homes that are completely unlivable. On May 11th, at the crack of dawn, 13 (soon to be 14) of us started our long, long drive from Charlotte to New Orleans....

This trip to New Orleans was not the original plan. 20 of us had planned to head back to Bocachia, Colombia for an annual mission trip we take every May. Unfortunately gas prices and plane tickets were not in our favor and our trip was cancelled. As upsetting as it was and as much as my heart longed to go back to Colombia, I was willing and ready to serve wherever God needed me.

For the first 4 or 5 days that we were in New Orleans, we were given the opportunity to serve at a local foster care facility. We worked on a side "dorm" where we taped and painted all the rooms, painted the ceilings, repainted a room and laid new flooring in all the rooms and hallway.


I won't lie - I was a little bummed that on this trip, it didn't seem that we would be interacting with people as much as I had hoped. I was hoping to hear stories - stories about Katrina. Where were they when the storm came, how did they survive, where did all the water go, where did all the trash and debris go, how did they get new cars??? Questions like these flooded (no pun intended) my mind and I wanted to sit down and talk with someone and hear their story. We did get to play with a few of the girls living at the facility and have a "field day" but I wasn't able to hear any stories.

 

We were able to take a driving tour and were told it was going to be really intense - a reality check. Finally, something to give me perspective as to how people were affected by the storm. Unfortunately, I think the tour was out of date because we didn't really see too much. We saw houses that were empty but for the most part, everything was being rebuilt - which is great!

We went to downtown New Orleans and took in the sights. One of my favorite things was the Louisiana Museum that was having an exhibit on Hurricane Katrina. I learned SO much and was quite impressed. There were so many stories, written and audio, that allowed me to gain an insight into this crazy time of despair.

 (an actual side of a home that had been "tagged" after the storm indicating that the house was searched on 9/12 and there were 2 cats and a dead dog...)

One of the craziest things to see while driving was Six Flags - or what was left. They closed right before the storm and it is still closed. The salt water from the flooding did too much damage. It was quite creepy to drive by this place. Here is a video and a link that I found that was made years after the storm, showing the damage of Six Flags.
video: Six Flags New Orleans video
pictures: Six Flags tour

On the last day, we worked in an actual home. The owner was living in Oklahoma while waiting for their house to be rebuilt. We were told that on this street where the owner lived, water was above - ABOVE - the roof. That just blows my mind. We did a bunch of sheetrock and puttying. At the front door, you could still see where they had spray painted an "X" during the inspection of houses after Katrina.

This trip was definitely an experience and I was very glad that I went. It was crazy to think that there is so much need in our country while we head off to other countries to do work. On the long drive home I read such a heartfelt story. It was about a family living in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina and how the storm affected their lives. It was such a crazy and sad story. It was a quick read and I highly suggest you give it a shot. Amazing!

...and so it begins...

ow that I finally have had a chance to settle down and relax, I can give an update on my life.

After 19 years of public education, I finally have graduated with a Masters in Elementary Education!

I am so glad to be done with mindless papers and projects, but am not so much ready for the "real world". As of today, I have applied to almost every school system in North Carolina (minus Charlotte-Mecklenberg and Raleigh). I have gone to almost every school in Asheville and they now have my resume. So now, I'm just playing the waiting game...

I could not have graduated without the support from these guys... 

Thank you Mom & Dad for letting me go for my dream and helping to make it happen.

The best part of my graduation weekend would have to be that my brother drove from Wilmington to Boone and back in just about 48 hours. It meant so much to have him there and words will never be able to express how much that really meant to me. 

Last week, I packed up my apartment and moved out of Boone. It was by far one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I never realized how much I love Boone and how hard it would be to leave. I cried all the way down the mountain. My best memories were made in Boone. I can only hope and pray that my next location is even better... 

Don't get me wrong - I am SO excited for what is in store for my future and cannot wait for the next chapter to begin...

So... I did it... I'm done... now it's time for a school to hire me because I am a master...

there's nothing cuter than you kid...

After 22 hours of labor, he is finally here! and i am completely smitten. i am finally a first time aunt and could not be more proud of my brother and sister-in-law. such perfect parents to a perfect baby boy.

i was completely torn and heartbroken that i could not be there the day of the birth due to having to present my final project in order to graduate (which i thankfully passed) and was so bummed to not be a part of one of the most important days in my brother's life. but after a long week of school work, a long drive from boone to wilmington, i was able to finally go see my nephew.

he is more perfect then i could ever imagine. he never cries. he whimpers for food and then just chills out like all is well with the world. he sleeps, smiles and makes the best faces. i could not have been more excited to change a diaper or hold this baby (even after his full diaper leaked all over me - could have cared less!)

here's to you bro and megs - so proud of you! and here's to you finn - you were well worth the wait!

"Only where children gather is there any real chance of fun." - Mignon McLaughlin

ow can you not look at this picture and just laugh? Or even simply smile? This is my life every Tuesday from 8-4:30. I spend hours playing and laughing. Macyn is 4 and Nate (sadly not pictured due to taking a nap) just turned 2. Life on Tuesdays is nothing short of crazy and exciting.

Currently Macyn and Nate are sleeping on opposite couches. (and what a miracle that is - Macyn never sleeps!) As one inhales to snore, one is exhaling - precious.

Today we went on a camping trip. We made a "tent" on the coffee table which consisted of draping blankets and not letting any light in. First we would sleep, then WAKE UP, then sleep, then WAKE UP! it was quite an adventurous trip. As Nate was sticking his feet up in the air, Macyn (in her big, sisterly voice) would shout, "Nate no!!! If you keep doing that you'll get a spinter (which would be a splinter for the rest of us) and you will be deads!" Just like a big sister to always be watching out. Then it was time to get in the car (on top of the table "tent") and drive. I got confused along the way because when we made it "there", there was Jesus and Mickey Mouse AND Baby Jesus! What a trip!

 (there's our tent)

 (camping in tent)

sleeping so soundly...

 .... and so peacefully 

  

until next time...

A new year doesn't scare me...

inally I am updating! Wow - i can't believe it has been a month since i last "blogged". so much has happened and so many times i have told myself "i should write about that" and then i get distracted and before i know it, it's was a month later...

2010 was nothing short of great and i don't think i really have any complaints. i can only hope and pray that 2011 will be even greater.

this past month has been quite eventful...
- i finished my semester with my first ever 4.0 in college.
- i went back to work at old navy for the holiday season - a place i love and am so thankful to have a job to fall back on with people that i get along with so well.
- i cut off 13 inches of hair and donated it. though it was super short and a lot shorter than i imagined, it has grown on me and i'm learning to deal with it's shortness
- we had our driveway redone and it ended up being super slick and mom fell and landed on her head. what an eventful morning to the ER that was. after a concussion and 8 staples she is all better (minus a little confusion here and there that she now tries to blame on her fall) and our driveway has been repaved again.
- while our driveway was being redone again, all of our cars were parked on the street and a super nice person decided to take a BB gun to all of our cars - which resulted in a shattered window on my car. i now know what it feels like to have a plastic window flapping in the wind down the highway.
-christmas was great - new traditions were created and great fun had all around. it was great to experience a true "white christmas"!
- my brother and his wife finally came for our family christmas and i realized how much i miss having him around often

and lastly, i ended my year with another trip to see the Avett Brothers and ring in the new year with them! such a great show!!! they had these girls that signed all of their songs throughout the entire show. they had their sister sing with them as well as their precious dad who came out and made an appearance. that is one band and show i never get tired of seeing!!!

I can certainly feel God doing great things in 2011. He has already done so much for this upcoming Chrysalis weekend and I can not wait for that to get here. One of my old roommates is getting married TOMORROW! I also will be graduating. Going to Colombia. Finding a new place to live. Finding a job. and possibly starting my "adult" life. Though it all seems like scary thoughts, I know God knows what He's doing and I trust everything will work out whether I stress about it or not.

Bring. It. On. 2011.

I really am thankful!!!

I had this post sitting on my desktop for days and just realized that I never posted it. Whoops! Pretend it is almost Thanksgiving day as you read!

As a wonderful, food-filled day is approaching, I suppose I should express my love and gratitude for everything I am thankful for. I’ve seen people constantly updating their facebooks daily with items they are thankful for. I am truly blessed and have a hard time just narrowing it down to only 25 (I say 25 because there are only 25 days in November before Thanksgiving.)

So here is my list:

-Family – they have to be first. They are who made me who I am today. Their constant love and support constantly blows my mind. I don’t say it enough for how thankful I am. I can not even begin to imagine my life without any of them and I am truly blessed to have them in my life.

-Friends – life would be miserable without them. My friends constantly brighten my day and make me laugh. They have the best shoulders to cry on and ears for listening.
-Puffs Plus tissues with lotion – these are a lifesaver! After finally getting over a gruesome cold, these tissues truly put my nose at ease. You would think after going through about 4 boxes of tissues my nose would be raw but these wonderful pieces of heaven speak true to their commercial – a nose in need deserves puff indeed!
-Cold medicine – considering the previous item on the list, this goes hand-in-hand – Equate brand nighttime/daytime cold medicine definitely a cold miracle
-Hot showers – something so simple that I take granted for daily.
-One bedroom apartments – Don’t get me wrong- I have had some great roommates who are some of my closest friends – but MAN do I love living alone. I don’t have to be considerate! (Haha) I can clean whenever and I can’t get mad about it because it is my mess. I love leaving the bedroom and bathroom door open. I don’t worry about where my roommates are when it’s late at night and they aren’t home yet. I don’t know what I’ll do if I ever have to go back to having roommates.
-Chrysalis – words cannot express my gratitude for the experiences I have had with Chrysalis. I am just in love!
-Best friends – I feel like this is pretty self-explanatory. The greatest gift I have ever been given.
-Sleeping – I just love sleeping. Nothing is better than curling up with cushiony covers and being so comfortable you don’t want to move. A comfortable bed is something I definitely take for granted.
-Beautiful weather – I love walking outside in just jeans, chacos and a sweatshirt and it feel absolutely perfect.
-Courage – so thankful that I have overcome so many obstacles in my life with even just the smallest amount of courage
-Charlie Brown – what a pal, that guy! One of my favorite parts of Fall – watching Charlie Brown specials on TV. My sweet baboo!
-Becoming an Aunt – I have never been so happy before! I cannot wait to spoil this baby boy and just love him unconditionally! The end of April cannot get here soon enough!
-Music – I love that I have music for ANY mood I am in. It definitely makes my life happy.
-Love of Books – I think I am fortunate enough that school did not cause me to hate reading. Of course, I don’t like reading forced material but I still love to read a good book. I hope that as a teacher I can pass on to my students a future in a love for reading.
-Photography – Over the past few years I have discovered this love for photography and taking pictures. I am so blessed to be given the opportunities to expand my love by being a camp photographer and learning new things in a free photography class at school.
-Children – I am incredibly thankful that I have a strong love for children and teaching them. I can’t wait to have my own classroom and I hope my love for children will get me through the hardships that come with education
-Hot Chocolate – Hot chocolate just warms the soul – I have found that Swiss Miss trumps Nestle but who knew Land o’ Lakes could make some bangin’ mint hot chocolate?
-Morningstar foods – as a fairly new vegetarian I am so thankful for Morningstar foods – who knew veggie meat could taste so real!
-Parents who pay for things – I am SO incredibly thankful for having parents that could pay my way through undergraduate school, my apartment, my cell phone and my car. I forget these things often but they sure mean a lot to me.
-Good food that reminds me of other things – I don’t really know how to describe this except for there are times when I eat something, smell something or hear something and it reminds me of really great memories. I am thankful for memories.
-Snow – truly a beautiful gift from God and I am thankful that I get to sit here and watch it fall peacefully as I write this
-Fuzzy socks – they keep your feet warm and are fuzzy – enough said
-Laughing – I love to laugh and I am so thankful to have so many things in my life that allow me to laugh and have a good time
-My life – I am just incredibly blessed and thankful for the life I have. I am happy. I rarely have complaints. I have a great and supportive family. I have amazing friends. I don’t think I could do any better.

...these are a few of my favorite things...

lhat a wonderful and relaxing weekend it has been. there is nothing i love more than sleeping (ok, maybe there are a few things...) and sleep is what i've done. i started out my weekend listening to some very talented friends play at a benefit show.


and then ...

for the first time ever...

i watched....


...the sound of music.

i know i know. gasp all you want. but in my defense - when i was little, i watched (multiple times) the movies we had on VHS. the sound of music was not one of them. seeing as how i loved mary poppins, i'm sure i would have loved sound of music, but we just didn't own it. i also feel that the sound of music is one of those movies that if you don't watch as a child, you most likely won't ever watch it. so there. so upon numerous gasps and WHAT?!! from my mother and amy motley, i rented it on netflix. knowing this is one of their favorite movies, i tried my best to fall in love with it. however, it was 3 hours long and i just didn't have a connection. i didn't hate it - but i probably won't be purchasing it any time soon - sorry! at least i tried...

so keeping in tune with the sound of music, i decide to make a list of a few of my favorite things that i experienced this weekend:
(side note - why would a favorite thing be whiskers on kittens?????)
-snow
-movies
-ice cream
-Avett Brothers and Pearl Jam
-photography
-reading a good book
-curling up on a couch
-sleeping
-being lazy
-a warm bed
-laughing


...so long, farewell...

... peace out October...

ow... it's already November? i feel like I just watched "It's the great pumpkin, Charlie Brown" and now it's time to get out "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving". i'm not complaining too much, because any excuse for a Charlie Brown movie is a good enough excuse for me! and since i just started a monthly trial of Netflix, i can watch good ol' charlie anytime!

-tomorrow/today is election day - praise the lord! i am so ready to stop seeing campaign ads on tv, getting phone calls, having my mailbox stuffed and seeing road signs everywhere - especially since i voted weeks ago. i hope you all will use your voice to vote -otherwise, you're not allowed to complain.

...so, in the past few months, i decided to set goals for myself. i'm trying to accomplish all of the to the best of my ability but they definitely are going to take time
-learning to play the guitar (i've learned numerous chords but am not so great at strumming)
-watching all my movies from a-z (i am in the "s" section of over 350 movies and tv shows on dvd)
-continuously updating this blog
-getting back in shape and losing at least 50 lbs. (this may sound extreme but this is not a drastic number, it's where i used to be before gaining the "freshman/sophmore/junior/senior 50") - one of these days i hope to wake up with so much motivation to actually accomplish this goal
-watching oprah's last season (i have laughed, cried and learned so much during this season of DVR'd episodes)
-reread all seven harry potter books (not for the movies, just because)
...so there are just a few -hopefully i can keep it up...


appy birthday Scott Coggins - i am so thankful that you are in my life. you've taught me all i need to know about -using my own mind when it comes to picking out favorite music, -successfully escaping any WWF wrestling move, and -making mom laugh when she's trying to be mad at us. thank you for the wonderful and loving man you have become and for loving me the best way any older brother could.

...until next time...

... it starts ...

o after hours upon annoying hours, i have finally created this blog. thank you to all of the thoughtful minds that helped me create this. my goal is to update this regularly - and i hope i can stick to that goal. i must first say that i will try my best to spell check my words but i cannot promise i will punctuate or capitalize correctly. therefore, you are not allowed to criticize or "fix" my grammatical mistakes. this isn't a paper for school - it's just me writing with whatever comes to mind. (i hope it doesn't turn you off...)


having no idea what to write about for a first post, i guess you can just get to know me...


Facts of my life:
-i don't think i will ever get tired of snow and i get frustrated with people that come to ASU and hate snow, as well as being cold.
-i am left-handed and i have the worst, smallest handwriting ever.
-i love power outages. i think it is more fun to be with people and play board games then to just sit and watch t.v.
-i have wanted to be an elementary school teacher since i was in kindergarten. no lie.
-i have an issue with patience; as in, i don't have any.
-M&Ms are my weakness.
-i absolutely hate to lose. anything. EVER.
-when in physical pain, i laugh. (when i was little, the only way to make my brother mad when he was beating me up was to laugh - he would get frustrated and would then leave me alone - and it stuck.)
-my life would be complete if i could wear chacos every day and duke never won a single game (in anything) ever again.
-give me ice cream and you'll win me over.
-(don't judge) - i still sleep with my baby blanket, but now how most people would - most people hold theirs when they sleep ... mine has always been balled up like a pillow
-i eat peanut butter out of the jar (and cookie dough out of the tub)
-with anything, it has to be set on an odd number - mostly, volume.
-i drink apple juice like it's water and it's going out of style.
-for some reason, i have always worn my belt to the side instead of the buckle being in the middle like most people.
-i get excited when i am eating peanut M&Ms and i find one without a peanut and it's just a lot of chocolate.
-i never thought i'd have a "real" BFF. i mean sure in elementary school and what-not you say you have one but you feel the same about everyone else equally. i love the fact that i can say that i DO have a REAL BFF and she knows more about me than i do myself.
-green is my favorite color because back in the day, green M&Ms were the "prettiest" out of the five original colors and before blue came along.
-i think life at camp is better than life anywhere else. you are disconnected from the outside world and you are nothing but happy. it's ok if you don't shower daily and it's ok to wear hot pink shorts with a green shirt and no makeup. no one cares.
-i really want a tattoo and already have it drawn out but can't seem to make myself get it. i keep coming up with excuses.
- i am ALWAYS in the middle of reading a book... sometimes i start books without finishing others. books are on my wish lists as gifts. romance/chick reads and children books are the fave but there is no limit if i find it good.
-i laugh at COMPLETELY inappropriate times... especially if Helen Keller is mentioned. i also literally am the person that laughs about something that happened yesterday at a complete inappropriate time...
-i don't do mayonnaise. ever. even in my thoughts. (which limits a lot of foods but that doesn't bother me)
-every time i hear the song "chasing cars" i stop what i'm doing and just listen. i don't think i will ever get tired of that song




..and so starts this blog...