This Crazy, Tragic, Sometimes Almost Magic, Awful, Beautiful, LIfe

Welp, it is finally here, Thanksgiving Break officially began for me today!  WOOHOO!! I finally made it to this stinking long awaited week!  Like Lauren said in her post, I don't know what the school was thinking when they made us go from August to November with no break, just to give us a week off, before we have to go back to school for just one stupid (and pointless) week before finals.  Oh well, I am just happy to have a break and to take a "play day" today as I told mark I would have if only for today. . .

Today I just went out to see my Noni, and supposedly help her wrap a few Christmas presents, but she had already done it!  So I just went out and saw her and got a chance to play with our NEW PUPPY!!!  Yes you read right, we do have a dog!!  It is a miniature shih tzu!  He is adorable!  Pics to come soon I promise!  I love him, he is just so small and fiesty!  We had a good time just talking, eating, watching t.v. and being together! I am excited about this first big holiday as a married couple, it will be good to go and see family (and possibly meet a few new ones) that we haven't seen in a while.  I am happy to just get a chance to do this, and to really take the time to thank God so much for how much he has blessed me and Mark!  Well I better get going and dressed, Mark and I have plans tonight. . . he is playing at a retreat for his friend Eddie with Patrick as well!  It will be fun!!

Star light, star bright. . .

Well it is past midnight at the beginning of this weekend and I am up in my living room blogging.  Mark is asleep in the bed, and has been for about an hour and a half, but I just wasn't ready to go ya know. . .

Mark and I went on a date night tonight to dinner and a movie.  We went to Texas Roadhouse which was AMAZINGLY good.  It has been such a long time since I have had a steak THAT perfect.  Then after some mall walking (not buying haha) we went to catch Fireproof before it went out of theaters.  I must say it was so good.  I came out of there so thankful for my spouse who is a leader, kind, loving, supportive, and I wanted to make sure I always remember, notice, and tell him that.  The movie was so genuine and such a message that needs to be told to our generation, that marriage is a COMMITMENT for life, not just for when it is convenient.  I know I am a newly wed, and hey what do I know, I'm still in "the honeymoon phase," but in the words of Warren Barfield "Love is a shelter, in a raging storm.  Love is peace, in the middle of a war.  And if we try to leave, may God send angels to guard the door! No love is not a fight, but it's something worth fighting for."

On a completely different note, can I also say how INCREDIBLY THANKFUL I am for my girlfriends.  Seriously, God has so blessed me this semester by surrounding me with girls that are so amazing.  The relationships I already had going on throughout college are still strong, even after not living together, and for that I am which I am SSSOOO thankful.  There are now also the bonds made stronger mainly in  this semester of being in the education program.  It is amazing to see how much one program is able to bring people from all different walks of life together to not only learn, but to also  depend on, rely upon, and  trust each other so much.  I have received so much encouragement from not only my best friends I have had since I came to ETBU, but from those who have I have gotten to know only by being an education major.  As much as I complain about the work load, as much as I hate having to go to sometimes pointless classes, and as much as I don't like what all it takes to become a graduate from the school of education, there is something special about it.  It takes a small specific group of people, puts them into a program, works them, molds them, teaches them, and in the end produces not only an educated individual, but a bonded group of them.  I am now so happy to say that I am glad to have been an ETBU education major (sadly a far cry from when I first started the semester) and I have come away better for it.

Well that is about it for tonight, its been a pretty good blogging time for me I would say. . .

Finally Able to Breathe Again

Well this semester is winding down to a close . . . There really is only this next week left as far as classwork is concerned.  So what else does that mean, but teachers are going crazy getting in last min assignments to drive us crazy, all due before Thanksgiving Break!  Oh goodness!  I am happy to say that I did make it through this semester, no matter how scared I was of the work load and being married all in one.  I am not going crazy, I am actually doing so much better than previous semesters.  All in all, I can really say I am proud of what all I have accomplished and how I have handled it for the most part.  

Well, couple of things of news on the plate. . . First of all I completed and turned in my unit on Monday!  It was a semester long project me and 3 other girls worked on all semester long!!  I can honestly say I think I got into the best group ever!  We all got along so well and I think actually got closer and got to know each other better as a result.  We were all pleased with our work as well. . . We will see how we did, but I did enjoy putting it together, if only because of the other girls. 

The second thing is that I figured out on Wednesday that I will definitely be here an extra semester. . . I found a class and was on my way of getting it approved to take over the Christmas Holidays, but another class that was ALWAYS at 3:30, after school hours, is now, this upcoming semester at 1 instead. . . and there is absolutely no way I can slip out early 1 day a week to take it. . . It's ironic, because had it been offered at 1 ANY OTHER SEMESTER, I could have taken it and then gone on and student taught, and had it been at 3 just this NEXT SEMESTER I could have done it, but of course everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong, and I am here.  I am glad to be able to breathe knowing my decision is made, I am just sad because I worked so hard and it still ended up being out of my hands, like it has been for a year and a half.  But at the same time, I do have a verdict, for the first time in a year and a half, and that feels good. . .

The third thing is that I passed my Generalist EC-4 test that I paid $120 to take on Tuesday!  I am now certified to teach any subject early childhood through 4th grade!!!  WOOHHOO!!!  It was sssoo hard though.  Traci and I went to Nac together and took the same test.  Both of us came out and we were like "oh my gosh!"  I know at one point I laid my head down and was like "God please do not let me waste $120, please help me remember some of this stuff."  We just had to recall stuff that we hadn't had in years and infer a bit. . . all in all it made for a scary 48 hour wait.  However, that is one $120 test down the drain, two more to go!!  At least I have a year to get them all taken and paid for, not to mention the finger prints (about $50) and the registration fee to SBEC ($75 I think). . .  Yeah, going to be broke before we go into a profession that we come out still broke lol!!  

Last night I also wen tout with my unit group LeeAnn, Traci, and Kelli to celebrate our unit being done!!  It was  BLAST!  We all just sat around, talked, laughed, recapped, and just enjoyed being unit free!  We decided we could write a soap opera based on our lives and what all we are all going through.  We are all at different stages, going through different phases and problems in life, but are all tied together by one all consuming load of work.  It is great!  I really wished I was going to student teaching, in part just to stay close to them!  I am really going to miss them this next semester.  

So all in all, these are just some of the ways and reasons I am able to take a few steps back, unwind, and unload in order to breathe again.  And you know what?  It is all good. . . and so refreshing.

Finishing Strong!!!

The pictures above are from the halloween party with our sunday school class.  Mark and I carved a mummy!!

Well tomorrow (or today depending on when you are reading this) our Nation as we know it could potentially change.  It is without a doubt the biggest election we have seen!  I have already voted though and so now all that is left to do is to pray.  

Canton was a lot of fun, but had so many people there on Saturday it was ridiculous!  I couldn't even walk through some places!  I was glad to be done and to have an extra hour of sleep on Sunday!  It helped my tired body be able to be out the door at 7:30 just like every Sunday!  The church had a fall fest that night and it was a lot of fun!  Everyone was just so excited to be there whether they were working, playing, performing, it was just great.  Afterwards we came back home for a bible study we do here with a couple of other couples.  And then it was time to start the week all over again.

I cannot tell you how ready I am for Thanksgiving Break.  It cannot get here quick enough.  It will be so wonderful to have a week just to chill out and not worry about so many things.  I am trying to decide what I am going to do about this next semester.  It should be exciting to see how life pans out.  Mark finds out if he gets into this fast track course at Kilgore for his PTA thing on the 6th so please be in prayer for that.  It would be great if he could get in that and knock out A&P 1 and 2 in one semester.  Ok I have babbled long enough, time for pictures.

ohh a car ride with the family. . .

I am currently on my second Canton trip and can I just say this one is STARTING OUT much different so we will see what the day will bring! In Mom's little Ford Escape there is Mark and me, Mom, Dad, and Adam. Oh my goodness it is CRAZINESS!! I have not had this many "MOVE", "YOUR ON ME!", "HUSH I AM TRYING TO SLEEPS" since I have gotten married. Geez louise! It is just a complete contrast from Mark's family of girls who were all prim and proper and this is definitely NOT! Needless to say, it is something I have missed. For instance what is happening right now is Daddy (who is in the back with me), is putting his foot over the front seat to bother Adam, who is currently looking for a weapon to stab him with. There is always something going on. . . Ooh Adam just found and pen and is throwing it back here at us! Mark is just sitting here giggling at it all.

Yesterday Canton was alot of fun, I got a few things and didn't spend too much money. I got something for the house, something for my classroom, and some Cajun nut mix for Mark. Pictures to come I promise. Today will be fun at Canton, I am hoping to get a roasted turkey leg, some corn, and maybe a Christmas door hanger. Either way, it will be fun just to be with family, and we will all enjoy the "closeness" of the atmosphere :-).