Famous...ish

Last Friday the sun was shining, the weekend had come, and I was catching up with friends (Micah, Jimmy, and Megan) on the lawn.

While we were chatting a news reporter came up and asked if she could take a picture of us and have us say something about our college's new president. Jimmy was our spokesperson, and we all got our picture in the news. It's an online newspaper, but still it's the news! I've never been in a newspaper before so it was exciting. As soon as the reporter left some of us freaked out that we were going to be "famous". ...Well, we're not famous, but we are in a news article!

You can click here to read the article. 

A Month of Thanksgiving: Days 14,15,16, & 17

I was hoping that I'd post every day in November, but alas I forgot just how busy life is. That being said, here's a catch up post for days 14-17 of things I am thankful for.

I'm thankful for my kids in fifth grade. They brighten up my week!
I'm thankful for my cooperating teacher and the parapro in the classroom who high-fived me when I told them I was skipping a day of my classes. They told me I deserved a break. ( :) )
I'm thankful for feedback on my lesson from Dr. Pennington. All of the comments and suggestions were so helpful and needed.
I'm thankful for Bethany and Anna. Working out with them after class is usually full of laughter and good talks.
I'm thankful for Janessa and her testimony of God's never failing faithfulness... and her wisdom!
I'm thankful for submitting my SIP (Senior Integration Paper) and having that done and out of the way!
I'm thankful for good conversations with friends!
I'm thankful for chess and Micah's willingness to play it with me... even when one game took almost 3 hours.
I'm thankful for Davey's Happy Monday texts... every day this week. Haha, it had me laughing!
I'm thankful for Faith, Sonya, and Damarise and the coffee date we had on Friday afternoon. Laughter and great conversation and then dinner at home with them filled with more laughter.
I'm thankful for Thanksgiving break and Grandma's generosity in flying Damarise and me to California to spend it with family.
I'm thankful for extended family and the chance to be here with them.

This week was busy... so busy! But also filled with many things to be thankful for!

Licensed!

It's been a long time coming.

I was thirteen when Mom first took me driving. We were on a straight gravel road at my grandparent's farm. I drove a total of fifteen feet. Within those fifteen feet I gave everyone in the car whiplash and had no idea that people didn't use both feet to press the gas and brake. (Naturally, I had my left foot on the brake and my right on the gas... it worked well... I thought). After Damarise and Sarah jumped out of the car to relish being alive and on land (they enthusiastically kissed the ground and frolicked in the grass), Mom kindly told me that waiting a while wouldn't hurt and that there was no need to rush me.

Then came Africa. Most people get their driver's license by sixteen, depending on what state they live in, but I was in Mozambique – a place of massive pot holes, driving on the left side of the road, and no rules of the road. Learning how to drive there would have been like trying to learn to play piano while sitting in a canoe, it's possible but very difficult. So, I waited.

We arrived back in the US when I was seventeen. Getting Damarise to be a licensed driver was first priority. But Dad and Mom took me out driving a few times trying to move me along. I was a slow learner. Both Mom and Dad can testify to this. We spent many hours in parking lots just getting me to feel comfortable behind the wheel. Dad took both Sarah and me driving through Grandma's neighborhood. I never wanted to drive around other cars and drove twenty miles below any speed limit.  How Dad patiently put up with that, I will never know, but he was encouraging. As was Mom.

Freshman year at college came and went. Summer of '10 was spent in Missouri, again practicing driving. Dad took me out many times to drive through various parking lots, but learning was slow.

Sophomore year came and went and still driving did not progress. Mom and Dad went back to Africa and I was left to learn on my own.

But, I was left with a wonderful sister and two wonderful friends who took precious time out of their lives to help me become a more comfortable and confident driver.

Damarise graciously put up with my slow and jerky driving every Sunday afternoon after church. She also took me to many parking lots to practice. She was a big help, but at the same time it was hard for us to work together at my driving. We both learned a lot of patience!

Davey and Micah offered their help and helped tremendously!

Davey took me driving downtown one night. It was the first time I had gone on the "real" road around other cars. I was terrified. But Davey was confident. He calmly told me what to do and sat quietly while I scarily turned around curves. He also nicely told me when to speed up and not be afraid to go the speed limit. He was a great teacher! In a week he had me on the highway. I was shaking like a leaf when I was done but so happy that I had actually driven on the highway. His confidence that I could do it helped me so much!

Micah taught me how to parallel park, do a three point turn, drive through many cones backwards, and he also let me drive through many busy parts of Chattanooga on a Saturday in his car! He encouraged me on when I did not feel sure of myself at all. He drove me to the DMV the second time to get my driver's permit when I finally brought all the right paper work. And was just a very persuasive and encouraging friend telling me that I could actually get my driver's license and that it would be a wonderful thing.

Damarise, Micah, and Davey have all played a vital role in getting me to where I was on July 31st.

Tuesday, July 31st, I was sitting in the driver's seat of our van having just finished my driving test. We were a little late getting back because I accidentally passed the turn. After turning around in a parking lot and laughing with my test giver at my mistake we made it back to the DMV where I put the van in park. I sat there wondering if I had passed. My stomach was definitely feeling the nerves and my hands were starting to shake. I had knocked over a cone during the parallel parking and I was sure I had made other mistakes. I looked over at my test giver with the question burning within me. Had I passed? She looked back at me and nonchalantly said, "Well, you passed." I PASSED! I let out a little woot of joy and excitedly yelled, "YES!" I could not stop grinning as I walked back into the DMV to tell Damarise.

It has been seven years since that first try behind the wheel. And now, now I have an official driver's license in my hand! I have been blessed beyond measure to have helpful parents start me off at driving. But even more to have an amazing sister who patiently put up with my begging to drive. And two amazing friends who took me way outside of my comfort zone because they knew that I could drive if I was just given the chance and a little bit of encouragement. The thankfulness I have for their generosity in giving up their precious study time and even risking their lives is overwhelming. I feel so blessed and so encouraged.

I am a licensed driver!

A huge thank you to Dad, Mom, Damarise, Micah, and Davey! I really could not have done it without any one of you!

Tidbits

It's been over a month since I last took the time to sit down at my laptop and type up my thoughts. I wish I had a good excuse for why I haven't written on here, but alas I simply did not have the time to sit down and write.

Today is my day off and I figured it was as good of a day as ever. So here I am, writing out little stories and interesting happenings of the past month – or as I like to call them: tidbits.

1. I am learning guitar. This has been on my bucket list since before I knew what a bucket list was. Learning guitar has been something I have always wanted to do, but have never found a guitar to practice on. This summer I decided to go ahead and learn. I went onto Cragislist to find a cheap guitar and I found out one thing – guitars aren't cheap. With my dream looking less and less hopeful I began to wonder if I would ever get to learn guitar. And then I remembered: my family is in Zambia! You might be asking yourself, "Yes... but what does this have to do with learning guitar?" This! Dad plays guitar. Dad has had a 12 string guitar since I can remember and that is the guitar he has in Africa. However, while here in the US he got a guitar for his birthday and this guitar he left in storage when they moved across the ocean. But, I am on this side of the ocean and we were in Missouri last week where he left his guitar. That being said, I rescued his guitar from storage and began to learn.

I have been practicing now for four days and currently cannot feel the tips of the middle three fingers on my left hand. I'm doing finger stretches all the time to try and get my hand to be more flexible. I've learned the D, A, G, and Em chords and am slowly plugging away at my speed. It has been a blast and I love getting to finally learn something I've been wanting to for a while. We'll see if I ever get good at it ;)

2. Victoria. Victoria has been my longest known friend. We met in nursery when we were two and bonded immediately (or so we tell ourselves). I haven't seen her in two years and she is one of the friends who, no matter how long it's been since we've seen each other, we can pick right back up from where we left off and talk for days on end.

While we were in Missouri, Victoria came up for a day to visit. To say our time together was good would be an understatement. It was wonderful! So wonderful! Victoria and I went out to dinner, while Damarise and Micah were on a date, and caught up on life. It was great to share what God is doing in our lives and realize the similarities in what He has been teaching us. I felt so encouraged after spending the evening talking with her and I was reminded of how blessed I am to have her as a friend.

3. I cut hair. Those of you who have read my blog for a while may remember the last time I cut hair. The time I cut Janessa's hair in perfect layers. And by perfect layers, I of course mean layers that looked like a staircase from miles away. After that experience I figured my days of haircutting, or of attempted haircutting, were over. And then Micah asked me if I wanted to cut his hair. Of course I wanted to! I think it'd be a blast to be good at hair cutting and having a willing participant, well I couldn't wait. I googled many articles on how to cut hair and watched several YouTube videos. Thursday afternoon, with Micah willingly letting me practice on his hair, I set to work. It took about 45 minutes and Micah seemed pleased with it when I was through. Sure there were a few accidentally choppy spots, but his curly hair covered those up. And he said he'd let me try it again when he needed another hair cut! I'm excited!

4. Driving. It's been several months since I got my driver's permit. Since that time I have had a few helpful people who have risked their lives to take me driving. Okay, okay. It hasn't been that bad. But there have been people who have given up their free time to take me on the road. Damarise, Micah, and Davey have all had a hand in taking me driving and I couldn't be more thankful for them!

Tuesday is the day I go in to take my driver's test. (It was supposed to be today, but I forgot one piece of paperwork...). It's taken me a while to get to this point, but the time is finally here to become a licensed driver (hopefully!). I'd appreciate your prayers next Tuesday as I go in to take my test! It's exciting, but nerve racking too.

5. Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. I read Alice in Wonderland over Christmas break and loved it! I reread it and am now reading Through the Looking Glass. Lewis Carroll is a hilarious and engaging author. If you haven't read his books, I highly recommend them. They have made me laugh out loud several times. It's a fun summer read.

Those are all the tidbits in life that I can think of right now. I'll try to keep this blog a little more updated and again, sorry for the long delay since the last post. Until next time...

Summer Days

Summer days- adventures, time spent with friends, road trips, trying new things, laughing, bonding, wonderful. 

Last weekend we went on a summer adventure with Micah to celebrate his birthday (about a month after his birthday...). We went to Atlanta and saw some fun sights, but mostly had a great time hanging out together! 

We went to Ikea and sat on a couch in one of the sample rooms while reading a book out loud to each other. 

We walked everywhere and when we didn't walk we took the Marta (subway). We only got lost a few times, but getting lost is always one of the best parts of an adventure!

We laid down on the grass and watched the sun set over the Atlanta skyline. ... And we made goofy faces at the camera. 

This weekend we hung out downtown with Faith. We went to an antique store to see what we could find. We found some crazy things. 

Damarise was too excited about this!

Probably the best wreath ever. 

I got to try new things – like a bacon yogurt sample from Greenlife and a bacon donut at a donut shop. Yum!

Then we met up with some of our house mates over the summer and hung out with them while walking around Chattanooga. They are wonderful. 

Summer is off to a great start. I'm reminded of how blessed I am to have a job, have amazing friends, live in a beautiful place, and be loved by God. Summer 2012 will be great! 

Time for a Photo Update

I don't have time to write a lot, although if I could pick the perfect day to just sit down and write it would have to be a day like today. It has been raining non-stop since yesterday and it is the perfect weather to snuggle under some blankets with a warm cup of tea and write to my heart's content. However, time won't allow me to do that, so I'll leave most of the stories to the pictures, since pictures are worth a thousand words. 

1. Tomato plants. To the average person, getting tomato plants would be interesting and maybe a little cool. For me, they made my month! They were about the most wonderful thing anybody could ever give me. .... And here's the tale behind how I got them. 

Once upon a year ago there was Earth Day. Now for those of you who may remember I got two free Fraiser Fir trees from Lowe's for Earth Day last year. It was so exciting! I'd always wanted to grow and nurture something and trees that would live for over 80 years seemed perfect, not to mention they were free. Well, grow those trees did... until the day they died. It was sad. I ended up getting an aloe plant because those were easier to take care of (and I'm happy to report that it is still alive)! 

Well, this year Earth Day rolled around again. I googled what Lowe's was doing for Earth Day 2012 and found out they were giving away free trees again. I was elated! If at first you don't succeed try, try again, right? I had to go down to that part of town to get fingerprinted for Student Teaching, so I planned to head down on the free tree day. I was about to leave when the fingerprinting place called to tell me they had to cancel. I was bummed. I wasn't going to drive all the way down to that part of town just for free trees. I thought all hope was lost until I called Micah, since he lives closer to that part of town, I asked him if he would be going anywhere close to there and could maybe pick me up a free tree. He said probably not and I decided that that was that. I'd try nurturing a tree some other year. 

Then came the next day. I was sitting at work when Micah called and said to meet him outside cause he had trees for me. I was thrilled! (I know... it's strange...) I came outside and told Micah how excited I was. He told me that he had something to tell me though. Apparently it wasn't free tree day at Lowe's, but he felt bad coming back empty handed, so he bought me tomato plants! I was more than excited and thrilled! Tomato plants would not only be easier to keep alive, they would also produce something edible! I was SO excited! It was the best gift and I couldn't be more thankful! 

The plants are currently in a BIG pot basking in the sun and rain and growing fast. It's wonderful!

2. Virginia. She graduated last Saturday. She has been a wonderful RA to me the past two years and I am so thankful for her.

3. Hannah Brammer. She is amazing! She lived on our hall this past year and is from Germany. She can make anyone laugh and is so sweet and kind. Saturday at graduation we had to say goodbye to her and she went back to Germany. Who knows when I'll get to see her again, but I'm so thankful that God let her come to Covenant and let our paths cross. She has been a huge blessing to me.

4. Ohh Davey! Saturday after graduation Davey, Damarise, Janessa, and I went all around town just to hang out with each other before we all went out separate ways for the summer. It was fun.

5. All together until the fall. I miss them both already!

6. Damarise and I went to our first wedding in twelve years! We got to see one of our close friends here at Covenant get married to a wonderful man. It was beautiful.

7. Alicia and Karly – two of our amazing friends who we got to know from working B.E.S.T last summer.

8. The groom and bride – Paul and Kristin. They are an awesome couple!

9. Our first dinner of the summer. Chicken breast and salad. Yum!

10. Global Trends. I am currently in this class for three hours every morning and working in the afternoon for four hours. It is a lot, but it is good. I have learned SO much in this class and am thankful for the ways it has been opening my eyes to the world around me and to God's ever abounding grace!

11. Blue feet! We played footballish monkey in the middle the other night on a soccer field in the dark. Apparently it had weed killer on it. It made our feet blue. It was hilarious. 

There's a little update in pictures until I can sit down and write more. Maybe after May when I'm done with my class and have time to think about something other than homework. We shall see. 

Sprrring Brrreak!

Spring break has come and gone and it was fabulous! I couldn't have asked for a better, more restful, more fun break. It was chocked full of great memories. Here are just a few snapshots from the week.

We cooked meals...

Got entertained by Abby (Grandma's dog) who loved Davey...

We toured Kansas City... 

Saw some fun sights... 

Did some crazy things... 

Cooked some amazing meals... 

played lots of chess...

Enjoyed each others' company...

Laughed a ton...

Told stories, said great quotes, listened to music...

 and had an incredible time together!

I love these four and I'm so thankful for them! Spending a week together reminded me just how much God has blessed me with the friends He has put in my life. They are a blessing to me! And over break that became even more evident. I love laughing with them, being encouraged by them, just sitting down and talking for hours with them, watching movies and playing games with them, and just being with them. I'm thankful! God has blessed me! And Spring Break was beyond the best!

Fall is in the Air

I'm thankful God created seasons. Fall is here now and it is lovely. I love how Fall affects each of our senses. 

The sights: Colouful leaves on every tree, the sunsets that light up the trees on the surrounding mountains making it look like a pallet of vivid paints all around us, and the colourful leaves that cover the ground. 

The smells: Campfires, chimney smoke, and fresh air.

The tastes: Pumpkin, apple, cinnamon, nutmeg, and caramel. 

The sounds: Wind, leaves rustling, and the crunching of leaves. 

The feel: Cool breezes, stepping on crunchy leaves, and breathing in refreshing air. 

This Saturday we were outdoors for most the day enjoying the beautiful Fall weather that God has blessed us with. Here are a few snapshots of our day... and Fall.

Got to start the day off with a good cup of coffee. Thank you, Pasha's! 

We went to a nearby park to hang out...

I love the crunchy leaves on the ground!

Micah took a nap...

Damarise read.

"Punch Buggy... I loves you!"

We love punch buggies...

I'm weird. 

Love stepping on crunchy leaves!

Fall on the mountain – beautiful!

Fall Break

Fall Break.

Wonderful. Too short. Restful. Family. Friends. Fun. Laughing. Autumn. Productive. Sleep. Talking. Church. Adventure. Perfect!

I. Am. Blessed.

Last night I was reminded how blessed I am.

It was 7:00pm on Thursday night. Which meant that it was time for my favourite class of the semester, "Art, Music, and PE in the Early Grades". Not only do I love the content of the class, but I love my fellow students and the professor of the class.

After piling into our seats we began to learn about the different ways we could integrate art with other subjects in school. Learning about all the different ways I, as a teacher, could integrate art with math, science, geography, and every other school subject inthralls me almost as much as it overwhelms me. I am learning through many of my education classes that the only way I will become a creative, caring, and competent teacher is by absolute reliance on God. I'm learning more and more how truly weak I am and how I am in utter need of God every moment of every day. It's humbling.

After discussing the integration of art in every aspect of school, we were told to pick out our favourite drawing that we had done throughout the past four weeks and "frame" it on black paper.

We were going to have an art show.

Side note: I have never been in an art show. In fact, the only time I remember showing off something I had done in school was when I wrote a research paper in 6th grade about dolphins. I couldn't tell you what I learned about dolphins, but I do remember Mom and Dad being there when I displayed it, congratulating and encouraging me on all my hard work. That was, by far, my favourite part about the research paper. (That and getting to use google, which was still fairly new to me at the time). 

Our class of seventeen elementary education girls were going to have an art show! I was excited. At 9:00pm our professor hung up our art work on the wall, and brought out some cheese, crackers, and sparkling grape juice to celebrate. We hung out together enjoying one another's art work.

And then, in walked Damarise and Micah. We were told that we could invite friends to come to our art show and I did, semi-half expecting them not to come, I mean it really wasn't a huge event. But in they walked, coming to see my art, encouraging me in my work, and congratulating me. It made my night!

Right then I was reminded how blessed I am. God has truly blessed me with incredible friends. Damarise and Micah are just two of them. Seeing them come into my art show and take precious time away from their studying just to encourage me in my rather childish art show meant so much.

It's the little things like that which make me praise God for His abundant blessings. I'm thankful for friends who show Christ's love. I'm thankful that God has me here. I'm thankful that God has blessed me with friends like Damarise and Micah.

I am blessed. And all praise goes to our Heavenly Father from whom all blessings flow.

Saturday

Sun shining.

Windows rolled down.

Music playing.

Wonderful friends.

Coffee at Pasha's.

Friendly baristas.

Walking through neighborhoods.

Flowers blooming.

Skyping with the family.

Thrift store shopping.

Today was a good Saturday.