Good Ol’ Days…

I miss my college lifestyle! During college, I’m pretty sure I never went to bed before 2am, went to class when I felt like it, and spent my afternoons and evenings just hanging out! Now, because I have to wake up at 5:15 everyday for my job, bedtime comes a little earlier and is definitely more necessary.

Today has been a wonderful reminder of that lifestyle! We stayed up late last night, watching movies at a friend’s house, and then slept ’til 11 this morning. Then we got up slowly, went to two weddings during the day, and then had everyone over to our apartment. At 11pm we went to Wal-Mart to wait for the release of Guitar Hero World Tour. Now its 1am, we have our new game set up and people over to play! This is awesome. Poor Jeff has to get up at 5 to drive Curtis back to the airport, but whatever. There’ll be time for a nap later, right?

Oh yeah and Tech is still undefeated…awesome!

Currently playing: guitar hero world tour

Currently eating: McDonald’s salty, greasy fries

Currently enjoying: late night life with my fabulous husband and great friends!

Super Fast Fall Break!

Fall Break was amazing! The retreat this weekend could not have been more perfect. We had an absolute blast. Jeff and James did such a great job planning, and all the other groups there were FANTASTIC!

Two short things (life is still movin! we’re having game night in 10 min)

1) I don’t want to go to school tomorrow! I have no idea the horrors I will face, haha. I’m supposed to be in a new classroom. On Wed., I packed up the entire room, ready to move into our two new rooms on Thursday. Oh…wait…the new building hadn’t passed inspection. So, I have no idea if I am in my old or new room, and I have no idea if all my things are still in boxes. I’m showing up tomorrow at 6am to prepare for whatever…yikes

2) Funniest Sleep “Walking” Story Ever: I woke up at retreat last night to an excruciating pain in my head. I realized that one of our students (macey evans; she’s really one of the sweetest things ever!) had all of her fingers entwined in my hair and was steadily and FORCEFULLY pulling back! I got her to let go, and she just sat there in the dark…staring at me…creepy. I asked if everything was ok and she yelled back “yeah!”, then I asked if there was anything I could do for her (after being so rudely disturbed) and she looked back into her pillow, and dove into it face first. Awesome. So funny, and no one else was awake to share it with me.

Alone for the evening…

Update! I did go to Lubbock, and it did indeed break my heart to have to leave. I feel like I saw so many people, and hardly got to spend any time with anyone!  But it was so good to be with both of our families and see everyone at Katie’s shower! 

Now, I’m sittin’ at home all alone. Jeff has taken the youth group to fall retreat so I have the place to myself! Not awesome…  I am not as productive as I meant to be, it is so nice to just sit and not have to worry about how I’m am going to cram all responsibilities of wife/teacher/youth sponsor/okc pioneer into days that only have 24 hours in them. Tomorrow, I am getting up fairly early, paying a bill, and driving to meet my husband at Camp Canyon for the weekend. This day totally reenergized me. Sure not all the laundry is folded, I haven’t completely restocked the pantry, and I have not completely reorganized all our closets, but I feel rested for the first time in weeks. 

I can’t believe how much I miss Jeff after just one afternoon, but I can’t stand missing things with him! I’m kinda pouty tonight…

But I’m resolving my attitude to be a good one I’m also writing this while watching tv, so there’s not really a consistent thought pattern…that bugs me… hmmmm

In a Week I’ll be in Lubbock…

…and I’m so excited to see everyone!!! (and i’m ticked off at my computer because this is the second time I am writing this post…grrrr)

Anyway, so…life? School is getting challenging; the team teaching situation isn’t turning out to be the most awesome classroom. 38 students is too much chaos no matter how many teachers are in the room. BUT good news, I should have my own classroom in about 2 weeks!!! I’m so excited to have my own space that I can control with my own rules and guidelines. Oh but I’m also kinda terrified…check in for more updates there…yikes

Jeff and I are having a great time with life and we’re staying pretty busy! It will be nice to come home and spend time with our families and great friends! Youth is awesome (we just got an awesome new intern) and college is still growing with new people. We are house-sitting this weekend so I am washing all of our laundry in a machine in the convenience of a home, so I’m pretty pumped I won’t being seeing the dirty basement for a while.

There was something really interesting I wrote in this post the first time I wrote it…but now I can’t remember. On another note, Jeff just told me that a gallup poll showed that 70% of americans opposed the bail-out, and congress still passed it. Hmmm. By the people for the people??? 

currently listening to: jeff sift through the playlist of guitarhero world tour, coming october 26

currently craving: chick-fil-a, what’s new…dang sunday

currently reading: Pretty Birds by Scott Simon

Update…?

Hello all! And when I say all, I mean the three (maybe) people who read my blog! I appreciate each of you so much

Well, I’m really just doing the same ol’ same ol’, but loving every minute of it. School is challenging but I’m determined to make each day a good day and hopefully make a small difference to someone, student or co-worker. I love when the youth group meets! I love getting to work so closely with Jeff; I really get to know his heart better through our times meeting with the students. Last Saturday we spent the day painting our new room!!! The kids worked so hard, I’m so excited we finally have our own space. 

College is great, and I’m so excited to watch the office with everyone this week! Heroes was INCREDIBLE. If you don’t want, go rent the first two seasons and catch the junk up, cause its just amazing. 

Currently, I am drenched in sweat (yum) waiting for my laundry to be done. I’m doing it in the basement and have no service down there, so I’m sitting in my car in Oklahoma in September…hot. Think I’m gonna go check the cycle…if only for a breath of air…

Currently Watching: all my favorite show premiers this week!

Currently Listening to: the radio, kyis fm?

Students, students, and more students…

I love my job! I love our youth group! And I love our new college group! 

School is amazing. Its the most unconventional, change-every-second environment, but it works. SeeWorth serves students that have been unable to make it in a regular school setting because of discipline issues or learning difficulties. Because of this, state test scores are low because of the wide learning gap that has to be closed. But the amazing staff and administration have guided the students into such an accelerated learning pattern, that this alternative charter school is no longer on the school improvement list! Their test scores have been high enough for two years in a row that SeeWorth no longer has to be observed and evaluated on their performance. There are regular schools that can’t make it off this list! So as different as this program is, it obviously works!

I love our youth group and getting to know all these amazing students better. We’re starting a new unit on finding God in the secular world, and we’ll be specifically looking at music. We actually used that Nickel Creek song for our first week study! 

Last night, Jeff and I hosted the first meeting of a small group designed just for college students. It was INCREDIBLE! What we really wanted for this group is to help cultivate a group of students who would take the opportunity to build a ministry. And…whoa. In just our first meeting, we got to get to know people and the gifts and abilities that we already see are amazing. These individuals are so talented and creative, and each person has such an individual personality….I’m just so excited to see what happens with all this jazz! I can’t even write a coherent thought right now, but it was fabulous. all of you that were there last night, i love you!

whew! life! 5:30 every morning, in bed relatively early (for my old self) and loving every second…

currently sitting: in Jeff’s new office!

currently listening to: John Mayer, Where the Light Is

currently drinking: route 44 diet dr. pepper…yeah happy hour

Captivating Song

Sometimes songs just stand out. Well, lots of times, but sometimes I want to know what other people think. I just want to say, listen to this and respond? Anyway, here’s one of those songs. It amazing (especially the last verse) and snuck up on me on an unlikely playlist. Tell me what you think!

When In Rome

by Nickel Creek

 

Where can a sick man go,

When he can’t choke down the medicine the old doc knows

A specialist came to town but he stays at home

Saying no one knows so I don’t honey when in Rome

*******

Where can a teacher go

Wherever she thinks people need the things she knows

Hey those books you gave us look good on the shelves at home

And they’ll burn warm in the fireplace teacher when in Rome

*****

Grab a blanket sister we’ll make smoke signals

Bring in some new blood it feels like we’re alone

Grab a blanket brother so we don’t catch cold from one another

I wonder if we’re stuck in Rome

******

Where can a dead man go

A question with an answer only dead men know

But I’m gonna bet they never really feel at home

If they spent a lifetime living how to live in Rome…

Bursting at the seams…

Life is so full! Work is so great, different and difficult everyday but I wouldn’t want it any other way. I’m not really sure what compelled me to accept a job with a 7am report time, but ya know… Then my fabulous family came up to visit me (I missed you SOOO much Micah!) and it was so great to see them. I realized as they were getting closer that I hadn’t seen them since our wedding DAY. Wow. Too long, fam, too long. Anyway, as we are adjusting to the routine of my job and Jeff’s students being back in school, I realize that is what it is. Routine! And it is so wonderful. I love everyday and I feel like I have so much to write about, and when I sit down it all seems the same on paper. I can’t do it justice! Our apartment is really feeling like home, we are about to celebrate Jeff’s first birthday together, we have another weekend without a youth event (sad but good for rest) and I have started routinely working out!!! Woot! I know its cliche to say this time is different, but seriously. I’m gonna be back to a size 2 in no time! Haha, let’s be real, I have been a size 2 since I was 2. I’m adopting the motto of one of the most stunningly beautiful celebrities, Queen Latifah, “I’m going for size healthy”

So yes, routine but never mundane! Ok, well I feel like that blog was about nothing much…I’m going to start copying Jeff’s blog…maybe it will infuse my postings with cleverness. (word?)

currently reading: Wild Ducks Flying Backward, Tom Robbins

currently drinking: Manzana Lift (an apple flavored soda produced by Coca-Cola in Mexico)

currently watching: Flight of the Conchords, Season 1

Just gotta brag…

I really don’t brag on my fantastic husband enough. Seriously, I do not deserve all the wonderfully sweet things he does for me! I am so lucky to have him and I love being a part of everything he does. He has never stopped pursuing my heart, even though we have each other throughout regular day-to-day junk. After my first day of training, he went out and made a special trip to the grocery store just to buy me chocolate (I’m puttin’ on the pounds…yikes, time to run) and 3-liters of diet coke and diet dr. pepper. 

This last weekend, we had friends over at our house late and then on Saturday we spent all day doing church stuff. Oh Sunday too. Then I had to report at 8 to work on Monday (which is a HUGE deal for those of you that know me well…) and when I got home he brought me a six pack of diet dr-peppers to take in the mornings, more chocolate, and Heroes Season 2! All because I didn’t get a day off and he felt I deserved something. Everything he does is so thoughtful!

Annnnnnnnnd yesterday, sorry “just gotta brag” (cheesy reference back to the title), I got my first “grown-up” paycheck, and left me a message at home to dress up. He took me to a romantic Italian restaurant and we had a great dinner together! We later realized it was also our two month anniversary, but who’s counting?

I love him! More than anything! Just getting to be in the same house…state even…is incredible and I enjoy everyday with him. I come home from a rough day at work and I’m just happy when I walk into our home. And I love joining him at church no matter the hours. But he still does sweet things, just because. Wow

Outdoor Living Rooms

 

I love life, and I love all the creative people in it! I am definitely a doer, and I can do things well…if someone else creates them! I wouldn’t call myself original but I love to participate in beautiful or unique things. Two people specifically are doing such exciting things right now, and I’m so thankful I get to work so closely with them!

First is my new department chair at SeeWorth! She has such a passion for these students and we have such similar philosophies towards english and the purpose of teaching it with such importance. Besides the critical skills of reading and writing people need for life, the humanities concepts that can be explored in english class are so exciting!!! We are developing a system to team teach and I am so grateful that she is so open with all her material. I am going to learn SO much this year. But she is so excited to have a department working with her and she is interested in not just our students, but our teaching as well. She’s going to train us to use the incredible technology in her classroom and we will do activities that encourage artistic creativity and most importantly, hopefully, a sense of community in the students. So many students are members of different gangs and are trained to hate each other, which makes group participation a challenge…but we’re going to try! She’s just awesome…

Then my wonderful husband! I have had more fun that I can say becoming a part of his youth ministry this summer! Its so great to get to work together. Recently at Northview, we have decided to make more intentional efforts to create a place for college students. We want them involved with the church, but I also recognize the importance of feeling like there is a group just for you. So Jeff and I are going to begin hosting a small group for students in our home!!!!! YEAH!!! I’m so excited…here’s his creative part that I’m so excited about. Tomorrow morning is SNU’s New Student Institute (orientation?). We have gotten a booth there, but we are taking a couch, two chairs, a table, a lamp, an iHome, candy and games, and we are going to set up a living room outside on the lawn! Wow!!! I’m so excited to promote the things we’re doing this semester, and how cool is an outdoor living room? We still feel like students ourselves, but we hope to make new students feel welcome and provide a place for them to feel comfortable and wanted!