Saturday, April 30, 2011

Bring the Rain!

Ok, so the title of this post is meant in more than one way. The first way is a pretty light meaning- there have been tons of allergens in the air here in North Texas lately and it's bringing my allergy symptoms back in full force! I feel tired, sneeze all the time, and my throat is itchy (my classic allergy symptoms). I can't go anywhere without having a Kleenex on hand for fear of snot hanging all over my nose and getting on hands (LOL!). Some rain is definitely in order!

The second meaning is that this involves the title of a song I've been obsessed with lately. I've been going through a ton of changes in life lately. I don't like change much because it turns my life upside down and well...I don't like that feeling!
  • Graduating college in December- amazing feeling but that brought changes of its own
    • Looking for a job while applying to grad schools in the meantime
    • Adjusting to said new job because it involves teaching (not a full fledged teacher, but a Compliance Teacher, at least)- my degree is in psychology!
    • Applying to grad schools. In the process I got rejected by one of my top choices, but got accepted to an even better program. 
    • Recently I found out about another option I have for grad school- now I have two places to choose from when I thought my place of grad school was all set. 
    • I still think I'll attend my first place because I have a good feeling in my gut about the place, and it's more prestigious in the school psychology world than the latter option.
  • If I go to the more prestigious option, I have to move and find a new apartment. Finding a new apartment involves looking for a place that accepts a 95 pound lab for rent I can afford (I found one place so far that looks promising, at least!) is proving to be a challenging feat!
    • I also have to find furniture to furnish said apartment
    • I also have to find a way to pay for said prestigious school- the tuition isn't cheap! I'm saving all my money and am thankfully getting a graduate assistantship from the school. Unfortunately, it doesn't pay for all tuition- boo hiss! Oh well.
  • The priest at my church sent a truly appalling message in the weekly message this week and it angered me enough to where I am no longer attending that church. Now I have to look for another church. I know I don't "need" to go to church to get closer to God, but I feel like it is an integral part of my life that I am now wanting to give up just yet.
I know eventually all the changes will smooth out. Everything happens for a reason. Now I leave you with some things that are helping me stay positive through the changes. Odd enough, I feel even closer to God through all the stressful changes. All the stress is making me have no choice but to lean on Him and pray. It's all making me feel very connected with God. See, good things come out of any situation!

*Disclaimer: To those who do not believe in God, please don't interpret this as me pushing my beliefs on anybody or getting "preachy". This is what I believe and what has worked for me, and everyone has the right to their own beliefs. If you don't believe as I do, then that is just fine with me! No judgment to other beliefs here :)*

"...but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." [Romans 5:3-8]


"In all things God works for the good of those who love him and who have been called according to His purpose." [Romans 8:28]


"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He shall make your paths straight." [Proverbs 3: 5-6]


"Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them." [Shakespeare] (I can't be afraid to be great, because all this will make me better in the end, even though in this case it's being "thrust" upon me)

And...a music video to sum up my feelings about the changes.

 

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Only on day 4...

And I've already had 2 biscuits and a piece of cornbread.

Fail.

Tomorrow's another day, right? Here's to tomorrow!

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

I'm baaaaack!

So, you'll never guess.

I'm back on the weight loss wagon for the bazillionth time as of Monday.

The cynic in me says "hmmmm let's see how long this will last".

The optimistic in me says "you can do it this time! Get your head in the game and you'll be unstoppable!"

Let's see who wins.

P.S. All I want right now is a huge bowl of mac & cheese and/or some cheese enchiladas...great. LOL!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Nails in the Fence

First of all, let me preface this post by saying I am SO SORRY for not blogging! I just haven't had anything interesting to say lately.

I do have some exciting news! Today I got to be the main teacher in the class of 29 kids I'm a Compliance Teacher in. The main teacher had to go do some science camp thing for the day so I was left in charge with someone else assisting me with things like basically watching out for the kids with bad behavior and stuff. Being the teacher in charge today was exhilarating and felt amazing! If I wasn't going to grad school to be a School Psychologist and the job market for teachers wasn't so bad right now, I would jump on getting certified and just try to get my own classroom. I really think I'm going to work on getting certified to teach Elementary level and Special Ed in case one day I'd like to "tinker" around with teaching.

Now to an interesting story that teaches us the power of words (with a short preface of my own).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I heard this story years and years ago. Once again, my dad made me aware of this story when I was a teenager and had problems with saying hurtful things out of anger. The lesson in this story is that words have power and should not be taken lightly; especially when speaking out of anger. He has always taught me to never make decisions or say things when I am emotionally compromised.

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.

The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally, the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, “You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won’t matter how many times you say I’m sorry, the wound is still there.” 

The little boy then understood how powerful his words were. He looked up at his father and said “I hope you can forgive me father for the holes I put in you.”

“Of course I can,” said the father.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Next time you are angry and are about to say something hurtful, think to yourself: am I going to say this just because I'm angry? Is it going to have harmful effects to someone I love? Am I going to unnecessarily wound someone who loves me/I love?

Words have immense power- use them wisely. 

(I still have to work on this almost daily!)

Saturday, April 9, 2011

I'M GOING TO...

GRAD SCHOOL!

Yes, my title deserves all caps.

I just got the news yesterday that I've been accepted to one of the top graduate programs for School Psychology in the state of TX and even the nation!

Here's to kicking butt and finally getting to make my mark on society!

My dream career is finally starting to come to life! :)
  • Graduating college- CHECK!
  • Getting some teaching experience like I always wanted- CHECK!
  • Teach a kid to read- CHECK! (well, starting to read)
  • Get accepted to grad school- CHECK!
  • Get engaged- not quite yet (but that's ok!)
My life is on track for sure! :)

Friday, April 1, 2011

100 things about me

So I've seen a couple posts around the blogging world and thought I would try to share 100 things about me (that hopefully don't backfire! haha).

1. Whoever did my mom's ultrasound when she was pregnant with me said I was going to be a boy. They were wrong, needless to say.
2. The same thing happened with my boyfriend, except vice versa. Weird how that works, huh?
3. I was born on my due date.
4. My parents had to pay me in quarters so I would stop sucking my thumb.
5. Both mine and Court's parents were married in February.
6. This makes me want a February wedding when the day comes for me to get married :)
7. I never met my paternal grandfather.
8. I have never had to deal with the grief of losing a family member. My dad's parents died when I was too young to remember them or know what death was (I was 3 when they died).
9. My dad wanted to have 6 kids but my parents couldn't get pregnant again.
10. This means I'm an only child.
11. I was never spoiled like a lot of only children are. I had to work for what I wanted.
12. I'm also an only grandchild for my maternal grandparents.
13. I'm the shortest person in my family.
14. I've been the same height since I was 14.
15. My shoe size has shrunk over the last (almost) 2 years.
16. I graduated as the Outstanding December 2010 Graduate of the Psychology department :)
17. I didn't like kids until I started my job 3 months ago.
18. I think I actually like kids better than adults now. LOL!
19. I've been craving Terra, a kickass Mediterranean restaurant, for the last 2 months. What's a girl gotta do to satisfy her craving?
20. Labrador Retrievers (I just call them labs) are my favorite dog in the world!
21. I believe all mistakes are worthwhile as long as you learn the lessons they give.
22. Sometimes I entertain the thought of being full on vegetarian...
23. But then I remember I like to eat meat :)
24. I only eat meat about once a day.
25. I've been with Court for 3 years and almost 2 months.
26. I just tried to play a bad April Fool's joke on Facebook.
27. The joke involved changing my relationship status to "single".
28. It lasted for about 5 minutes, tops.
29. I'm a terrible liar.
30. And apparently I'm bad at April Fool's jokes.
31. I feel like I connect with God best through music.
32. I try to remember to pray every day, but oftentimes I forget to.
33. Listening to positive music makes me feel more connected to God than when I pray.
34. I'm thinking about being confirmed Catholic someday.
35. I was raised in the Episcopal church and now attend an Anglican church (which is a lot like the Catholic church).
36. I've never changed a baby's diaper.
37. I don't think I could ever change anyone's diaper besides my own (future) children and grandchildren.
38. Dolphins have always been my favorite animal.
39. I watch iCarly and discuss it regularly with my 1st grade kiddos.
40. I love love love to cook!
41. Sometimes I contemplate going to culinary school when I'm older and have the money.
42. I like school.
43. I want to get my PhD someday and become a college professor after becoming an expert in my field.
44. I so desperately hope I get into my master's program(s) I applied for!
45. I play the piano.
46. I also play all percussion instruments.
47. I got a queen bed for my college graduation present from my grandparents. Best gift ever!
48. I miss my old college town.
49. Every time I drive into it, I feel like I'm coming home.
50. My boyfriend is also my best friend.
51. I knew he was the one I was meant to be with even before I fell in love with him.
52. I also knew that before we even started officially dating!
53. Our first date was seeing Juno in theaters January 2008.
54. His car was acting weird so I had to drive us on our first date!
55. Don't worry, he paid for the movie tickets :)
56. Over the years, I have learned to be more optimistic.
57. I used to be the negative pessimist who assumed the worst.
58. Court is the one I owe my newfound optimism to.
59. Life is so much better seeing the brighter side of things.
60. My favorite TV show is The Big Bang Theory.
61. My favorite characters on iCarly are Gibby and Spencer.
62. My first ever spanking was for lying to my dad when I was 4 years old.
63. I not-so-secretly hope that Jesus will come to get us (yes, I'm a Christian and this is my own personal belief- that's all!) before I have to lose anybody I love.
64. The first person I lost in my life that I cared about was an old high school friend who died in a car accident in August 2010.
65. He was driving drunk :(
66. Ironically as I was driving off from his funeral, I got in my first car accident.
67. If I was going to be a boy, my first name was going to be Matthew and my middle name was going to be Christopher.
68. My middle name is the same as my mom's.
69. I know my grandma is mad at me when she uses my first AND middle name to address me.
70. Although I am my own person and march to the beat of my own drum...
71. I really hate disappointing people.
72. I can't stand it when I disappoint my parents.
73. Almost to the extent that I'm a "parent pleaser".
74. If Paula Deen was my mom or grandma, I would weigh 300 pounds. LOL!
75. I wish I had a group of girlfriends like they have in Sex and the City.
76. I'm perfectly content sitting at home with my dog.
77. I don't like big parties.
78. At work, I like things to be inconsistent because...
79. It makes the job more fun not knowing what to expect day-to-day!
80. In life, I like consistency.
81. I hate change.
82. My relationship with change is love-hate, but mostly hate.
83. I've never had a healthy perspective/relationship with food.
84. I'm trying to learn how to have that.
85. I've always struggled with my weight.
86. I have to have to HAVE TO get at least 8 hours of sleep a night.
87. If I don't, I get cranky.
88. I'm starting to become addicted to Starbucks.
89. The first thing Court ever said to me was "Did you go to Hawaii?"
90. I was wearing a t-shirt I got as a souvenir from my visit to Hawaii as a high school graduation gift from my parents.
91. In response to that question (which I perceived as kind of a dumb question, haha) I said "uhhh...yeah...."
92. I still sleep with stuffed animals.
93. I can't wrap my head around the thought that running a marathon is something (some) people do for FUN.
94. I don't drink (alcohol).
95. Water is my favorite drink (seriously!).
96. My favorite drink to order in a restaurant is unsweetened iced tea.
97. I like lemon in my water, but not my tea.
98. I like orange juice, but not oranges.
99. I think Brussels Sprouts and celery are the two most vile tasting things on Earth.
100. This was way easier than I thought it would be.

If you read this, my hat goes off to you! If you read it, what was the thing(s) you found most entertaining?