New Year Changes

With the new year approaching I've been thinking about some things I would like to change for myself.  Out of curiosity I went to my New Year's post for this year and read my resolutions.  Sadly, I didn't keep any of them.  They were to start eating breakfast daily, read my bible everyday, and to learn something new like a new language.  So let me just be realistic this year and say that my resolution is to strive to be a better person each day.  I can look back on this year and say that I learned so much about myself, that would have been a resolution I could have kept.

So in striving to make this resolution here are some things that I want to work on:
1) Stop using spell check so often
I rely way too much of right click to fix my spelling errors.  From now when I see that red squiggly line I want to make a conscience effort to spell correctly myself.

2) Read the bible in a year
I just purchased The One Year Bible Companion which tells you what verses to read each day in order to read the bible in one year. It also had questions and answers to think about with each daily reading.

3) Finish graduate school knowing I did my absolute best.  I think I could end with a 4.0 gpa but if I don't and I know I still did my best then I will be just as proud of that.
4) Stop searching and start focusing on me.  I'll admit that I have walked thru the mall or at people's changing relationships statuses and wondered if that person could be the one for me.  I've spent way too much energy trying to find this perfect guy when I should be focusing on making myself better for him. It is time that I become content with what I am doing in my life and let God show him to me when the time is right.
5) Get up!  Near the last couple months of the semester this year I would want to lay in bed till 10:30 or so which I think is just ridiculous.  So this year I'm going to try to wake up earlier and get out of the apartment.  I'd like to try to go to the gym at least twice a week and get to the library earlier each day.


And one last thing that I'd love to do whether it be this year or in years to come:

Another Semester, Another Christmas

Well this semester came to a quick ending.  I couldn't believe how fast time flew.  I have never had a semester rush by like this one has.  I ended up making all A's which I was very ecstatic about since I worked so hard for them.  I learned a lot from my courses and I'm very glad to have chosen this degree to pursue.  I'm also very thankful I choose NC State to go to.  There is no place like Raleigh.  There is always something to do and I have met some amazing people here that I will hopefully always remain friends with.

Christmas went well this year.  I got to see family I hadn't seen in a while and everyone was healthy.  My favorite gifts this year were a memory foam topper and a floor lamp for the apartment.   I've had some time to sit and read for fun which has been very nice so I'm thankful for that.

Now it's time to come up with some New Year's resolutions!

A Beautiful Raleigh Day

Today me and my friend Joe went out and enjoyed the Fall day.  It was such a gorgeous day, right at 70 degrees and sunny.  The leaves are at that their color peak so it was fun to see them.  We first went and played disc golf at the park beside where Joe lives.  I am terrible, but I didn't throw the disc into any creeks or the road, so that was good.  

After we played disc golf we played tennis.   I don't think I was as bad at tennis as I was with disc golf, but I guess we could ask Joe to see what he thinks......(After asking Joe on facebook what he thought, he paused for a while and then says disc golf) So I guess I'm not very good at either. haha, but I do find tennis to be more fun. I like fast past games the best.

The best part of the day was Lake Johnson.  We  walked through one of the nature trails and took some great pictures.  Joe tried to help me learn how to skip rocks on the lake.  I think out of about 10 rocks maybe I got 2 to skip. 

I love that you can see the clouds in the water.

Our reflection in the lake

Lots of ducks

Joe & I

A beautiful Fall day

Bucket List

During class one night I started writing down a bucket list.  Yes, I am capable of still listening and writing at the same time.   So here are some things that I really wanted to accomplish before I die and preferably before the age of 40.

1.  Learn Spanish

2. Learn Sign language

3.  Travel out of the country

4.  Advocate for a cause

5.  Go on a missions trip

6. Go Ziplining

7. Make a dessert of my own from scratch

8. Take a cooking class

9.  See a Broadway play

10. Help someone make their wish come true

11.  Read the entire bible

12. Get married to someone I'm madly in love with

13.  Watch all the classic Disney movies and keep a record of their morals to use for teaching

14.  Ride a horse on the beach

15.  Ride in a hot air balloon
16.  Take a road trip across the US
17.  Kiss someone I love in the rain
18.  Be at Times Square on New Years Eve
19.  Go see the I Love Lucy Museum

To take into the classroom

I am learning so many different things now that I want to make sure that they stay with me until I start teaching.  Here are some good ideas that I want to remember to use.

1) Classroom Wide Peer Tutoring

This is having students tutor each other with the use of teacher made question/answer cards.

More about this here.

2. Target behavior recording

Use reinforcement over punishment to help get rid of unwanted behaviors.  Interval recording can be done in a class period to measure weather an intervention is working or not. 

3. Anticipation Guides

This is a pre-reading strategy done where the teacher creates 5-10 statements for students to react to before reading the text.  After reading they then discuss weather they still believe the opinion they stated before learning about the context.

There are so many more things that I will try to keep adding.

NC State Fair

I had my first visit to the NC State fair today.  Me and my friend Joe went together which was a nice break from all the studying I had been doing lately.  It was hunger relief day so we brought 4 can foods and got in free.  The first thing we did was watch the folk festival.  I was pretty happy about getting to some cloggers.  We didn't watch too long because we wanted to see everything else.  But I did find a video from last year of NCSU's cloggers.  They are pretty awesome! 

We then walked around forever trying to decide what to eat.  Of course, I couldn't make up my mind with all the choices. Joe probably was ready to eat anything by the time I made my mind up. The only fried food I really considered was the Fried Reese's, but I stayed away and got chicken on a stick and fries.  I guess my food looked tasty so Joe got it too.  I walked away from lunch for $8.  Not bad considering some of the other pricy options they had.  A jumbo turkey leg would have been $8 on it's own.  I have to admit they looked pretty scrumptious though.  

After eating lunch we walked through some of the exhibits and saw a bike stunt show.  We saw the world's largest egg and some other cool things in the new Science Exhibit.  We later came across a ventriloquist.  He was pretty funny with his duck puppet.  Although, after a while he started to sound a lot like Jeff Dunham with his acts.  I ended up getting a frozen banana later on and Joe got some ice cream.  The food is what going to the fair is all about!

The State Fair was overall a good experience. It wasn't too crowed and we both had a fun time.  Now it's back to work...

Rush Rush

I'm at the point in the semester where my brain feels like it could explode at any given moment.  I just finished midterms last night and have a test next week for an online class.  I finish one thing and don't have a second to breathe before having to move on to the next.  I was excited for grad school when I first started not only to learn about Special Ed but also to  make a lot of new friends.  The only time I have anymore to see people is if I'm at the library or in class. I tutor every night so that gets in the way of me going out with friends at night.  People ask me all the time, do you want to do this or that and of course I don't have time to.  My whole life seems like such a rush now.  It's do one thing and on to the next. My brain is in overload to the point that I can barely remember the little things I have to do, like checking the mail or doing my laundry so I have clean towels the next day.  I probably am pushing myself to hard because I want to have perfect grades.  I could slow down and settle for B's and make more time for myself but this is my last opportunity to prove to myself what I can do.  So if that means going crazy for a year then that's what I will do because in the end it will all be worth it.  I will be able to look back and say, I did my very best and there was not one more thing I could have done to make me more successful. 

I had a meeting this week with my adviser and she is pushing me to finish my degree next Summer.  I was very excited knowing how much money I will save and that I will be able to teach in the Fall.  On the other hand, that means next semester will be even busier then I am now.  I don't want to look back and say all I did in grad school was study.  While I'm in Raleigh I want to make the most of it, so I hope I'm making the right decision by choosing to complete my degree so quickly. 

Experiences

Being a grad student has brought about so many new experiences.  It's hard to say which experiences have been the best but some moments I continue to think about are with the kids that I tutor.  There are days that it doesn't seem like I am getting anywhere with them and then when I least expect it they say something that tells me they finally got it!  It may be something as simple as figuring out a step in a math problem or understanding a phonics skill. But knowing that I'm making a difference in these kids who really struggle at times, means a lot to me. 

One really fun experience about NC State has been the football games.  State fans really get into the games and it is so fun being a part of the student section.  At the game today Scotty Mccreary sang the National Anthem which was pretty neat. 

Making new friends has also been great here.  A few weeks ago I made dinner for my roommates and a couple other friends.  It was so fun sitting down as a big group and having good conversation.  We even said a prayer before we ate.  Now that grad school is getting more intense we haven't had a chance to all eat together but hopefully we will be able to do it again soon.  Here is a picture of the table before we all sat down to eat.  

Another fun thing me and my roommates like to do together is get frozen yogurt.  Last week we tried frozen custard at Goodberry's but I think our favorite is still Freshberry's.  They have a flavor called Watermelon Sherbet which is absolutely delicious!

Fall Break

Well tomorrow starts Fall break for NC State students.  I however have a project due on Friday and midterms to study for so I'm not really getting a break.  Grad school has been very stressful. With tutoring everyday and classes I am at my limit.  I'm lucky to have great roommates while I'm here though.   I'm learning a lot about myself and even though it is very hard I'm so glad I decided to do this.  

I received some exciting news recently. My sister is having another baby next year and my best friend is pregnant. I'm very happy for them both but it sometimes makes me feel as if I am so far behind.  I turned 23 last week and I'm still single. People say that I'm still young but seeing the people I graduated with married and having kids makes it seem as if I have a long way to go. I'm glad I am single now though, because I need to be.  I have continued to date just because I felt as if I needed someone else to make me happy. But I have learned that true happiness has to start within yourself.  So now that I have no one holding me down I can find everything that makes me happy.  Right now I know that includes doing my best to learn as much as I can about Special Education.  I know that I am making a difference in the kids I'm tutoring, and that means more to me than anything right now.  

The Value of Organization

I have now been to all of my classes and received all of my course syllabuses.   When I went to my first on campus class I will admit I was a bit overwhelmed.  That course alone requires a chapter of reading every week and a paper to go along with it, on top of many other projects and readings.  The class I went to the next night provided a syllabus with same amount of work, if not more projects. After having a mild freak out at the amount of work I will be doing, I decided to get very organized.  I have my google calendar updated with all of my assignments and I have my personal planner color coded by class.  Today I finished all the work I needed to do for my online class this week and tomorrow I will start on my papers due next next.

I guess the key to succeeding in grad school is making the best use of all of your time.  I try to get everything done for school during the day then have time to relax or hang out with friends in the evening.  Last night I was able to cook for my roommates and other friends.  It was a good time and nice to get away from the books.

Other happenings this week include an earthquake!! Yes, we felt an earthquake here in North Carolina.  I was sitting in my living room and first I heard the door rocking like someone was tapping on it.  Then I saw our ceiling fan start to shake vigorously. I really was worried it was going to come off the wall.  So I got up and looked out the window thinking maybe it was really storming.  Then I thought maybe the neighbors upstairs were playing loud music.  Well, I was wrong because my friend Felicia who was in Greensboro called to ask me if I felt shaking.  I turned on the news and then found out that there was a 5.8 earthquake in Virgina.  Here is a picture of a food mart in Mineral, VA where the earthquake was.  

Grad School Begins!

This week marked the first week of Fall classes.  I didn't have any face-to-face classes this week because the semester started on Wednesday and I only have Monday and Tuesday classes. However, my online class did start.  It is called "Organization and Behavioral Management of Inclusive Classrooms."  I'm very interested in learning from this class as behavior issues are the main cause of new teachers wanting to leave the teaching field.  I listened to the first lecture online which was pretty neat.  It is my professor talking as he goes through power point slides.  I don't think this class will be too hard from what I see assigned on the syllabus.  

I've met several really cool people this week as well.  I went to graduate school orientation and then a social on Tuesday which was really fun.  I am really enjoying Raleigh and looking forward to get more involved here.  Just this first week my time has already been limited with tutoring and other things, so hopefully I won't be too bogged down when I really get into my classes.  

Adrienne and I have planned on going to the NC State Fair.  David Nail is going to be in concert there so I am really looking forward to that.  He is probably one of my favorite concert singers.  Here is one of his songs:

A tribute to Lucy

Any of my friends could tell you how big of an "I Love Lucy" fan I am. Lucille Ball was a very smart comedian who I am inspired by.  Her shows didn't need violence, crude humor, or any of the other junk that many shows have today.  Lucy was just purely funny! Today would have been her 100th birthday so here is my tribute to Lucille Ball.

What we can learn from Lucy

Never give up on your dreams, no matter what anyone tells you.  When Lucy was a teenager she enrolled in a theatre and dance school.  They told her she was wasting her money and should give up.  She left the school but eventually went back to looking for an acting job where her first role was as a last-minute replacement.  Of course Lucy dreamed of bigger roles, that with time and hard work she got.

"Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world."  -Lucille Ball

It is hard to pick a favorite episode but here is part of one of my favorite episodes called "Friends of the Friendless." At the end Ricky sings the I Love Lucy theme song to Lucy!

Exploring Downtown

My best friend Felicia and her husband John came to visit me last week. It was an extremely hot day to be walking around but we still had a great time.  We first went to NCSU and walked around campus.  I showed them the education building and of course stopped in to get some books while I was there.  We then went and ate at an Italian restaurant where they had a special for 2 slices of pizza and a drink for $3.75.  I had to add banana peppers to mine so it was a little more than that, but how can you resist a pizza with banana peppers. The pizza was very good but I'm still waiting to find a restaurant as good as Little Italy in NYC.  After walking around campus  we went downtown to site see.  Our first stop was...a parking spot.  You would think there would be plenty of parking near the State Capital but there wasn't! However, after driving in circles we found a pay by the hour parking lot.  The Capital building was under construction so we only got to see two floors but it did bring back memories from 8th grade.

After visiting the Capital building we went to the NC History museum.  I had forgot I had even been before until I got in there and saw the penny making machine.  It's funny what things bring back memories.  The best  exhibit in the museum was a Civil War exhibit.

 


Once we were finished site seeing we went for some ice cream.  John got a Captain American Slushie while Felicia and I stuck with simple ice cream.  It couldn't have tasted better after the scorcher we had walked around in.  Finally, we ended the day by laying in the pool.  Not my apartment pool because it was closed for cleaning, but nevertheless, we found a pool and enjoyed relaxing for a while! I'm so thankful to have such great friends who would drive so far to come visit me.

Tasty Thursday

I am absolutely in love with the website Pinterest.  If you haven't joined yet, let me know & I will send you an email invite.  It is is a site where you "pin" things you see online that you like to your own boards on the website. You can look at my boards here.  It is a really neat site because you can repin the things you see on your friends board that you might want to try too. I pinned several different recipes and today I decided to try a couple.

The first thing I made was Baked Zucchini with Cheese.

  This was so simple and very tasty.  I took a medium sized zucchini and sliced it into about 1/2 thick pieces.  I sprinkled garlic salt on each one and then baked them in the oven on 350 for 10 minutes.  Then I took them out and sprinkled shredded cheese on each one.  Finally, I put them back in the oven for 3 minutes and then they were done!


While the zucchini was baking I started making Chicken Bacon and Ranch Quesadillas.  I used a tortilla and covered it with shredded cheese.  On half of it I covered the cheese with cooked bacon, cooked chicken strips and some more zucchini that I cooked in a skillet.  Next, I put the tortilla in a skillet on medium heat for about a minute.  I then poured some ranch dressing on the chicken & folded the tortilla in half and cooked it on each side for about a minute and a half.  This was amazing!! My favorite ingredients in one simple dish, couldn't ask for much more.

The finished meal; Tortilla, Zucchini & Banana Peppers. 

I didn't follow the recipes I found on Pinterest exactly but if you would like to then just go to my boards and you can go to the blog that has a more specific recipe.

Fun Decorating Finds

I've been looking for things to make my bedroom a little more decorative.  Of course with starting grad school that means finding things that aren't very expensive. I've been looking at thrift stores or on clearance aisles and have found some pretty neat things.

This is a chalkboard wall sticker.  I use it to write things I need to remember to do. I found this on sale at Kohls for around $7.  It didn't stay on my wall well the first time I put it up so you can see I put white thumbtacks on the sides of it to make it stay. I haven't had anymore problems with it staying up.

This is my wall shelf thus far.  I need to add some greenery or something to the base of it.  I found the flameless candle at Mega Thrift for $1, the green vase for $1.99 at Goodwill and the vase is light blue with white polka dots which I found for $1.50. The flowers I all got on sale at AC Moore and Michaels.

These wall stickers are in my bathroom.  They match perfectly because I have a light blue and lime shower curtain and a hot pink bath rug and hand towel.  These stickers were on sale at Michaels for $1.20 each!  They have a lot of other words you can get in other colors.

This is a wall mirror.  I found it at Mega Thrift for $1.99 and my mom had some artificial flowers that I sat on it to spruce it up some.  The hook at the bottom I will probably use eventually for hanging necklaces on.

Supper Time

Now that I'm settled into my apartment I've been enjoying being able to cook.  Tonight I cooked a really good meal that I thought I'd share.  I first made penne pasta using italian herbs and cheese cooking creme.  All you have to do is boil the pasta, drain the water and put about 3 tablespoons of cooking creme into the pasta.  It's really simple and a different way to eat pasta.  To go in the pasta I also baked some chicken.  I took 2 chicken breasts and seasoned them with Rotisserie Chicken seasoning by McCormick.  I baked the chicken in the oven for 20 minutes on 425.  Then I just cut the chicken into small pieces and mixed it with the pasta.  I love cheese so I also sprinkled a little Parmesan cheese on top. If your not a real cheesy person then the cooking creme probably has enough cheese in it for you.  I really think this is one of the best dishes I have made. It was nice that it didn't require a lot of work or ingredients.

On a side note, I don't recommend Old Paso Tortilla Stuffers.  Yes, they sound good and are a fast way to make tacos, but a quick run to taco bell would be cheaper and taste better.

A short vacation

My family and I got home from the beach yesterday afternoon.  The week absolutely flew by, I couldn't believe it was already time to leave.  The rain set in early in the morning so we left a little earlier than planned but that was alright because Michael and I went shopping!  The best things about our beach trip were:





We go see the one show almost every year.  I always enjoy it because they have a few different songs each year. My favorite songs are when they tap dance.  It makes me wish I would have stuck with clogging when I did it several years ago.

 

The Voyager Dolphin Cruise was also pretty neat since this year we actually saw dolphins.  Last year when me and Michael went it rained so hard while we were out that I was definitely ready to get back to shore.   We stood at the back of the boat for most of the trip.  The crew threw out a net and caught several shrimp, tongue fish, squid and sand dollars.  Once we got about an hour out in the ocean we got behind a big shrimp boat.  Right behind the boat were several dolphins.  If it weren't for that shrimp boat we probably wouldn't have seen any dolphins again this year.

While trying to find a place to eat one night we ended up a good 40 minutes from our condo.  At this point Michael just says to pick somewhere so I see this sign and the words "Voted  Best Ribs in Myrtle Beach" and we decided to stop.  We got seated fast and were given bread to start us off.  We split a full rack of ribs that fell right off the bone. Our meal also came with two sides so I got Au Gratin potatoes and Michael got fries.  My potatoes were great, and the fries, well fries are fries!  It was very tasty place to eat and wasn't too expensive.  I would definitely recommend this place if you are near it.  If you take your receipt to the Pacific beside it you get 10% off but it smelt like smoke in the Pacific so we didn't stay in there but for a minute.

Overall, I was glad we were all able to go to the beach this year.  The weather was very nice until Friday when it rained.  While I was there I also found out that I got into the Special Education program at NC State.  I knew I would be going there regardless because I was admitted as a Non-degree seeking student but to already be in the program makes things much easier and cheaper!

Raleigh Go-To List

I've been looking into different places I want to go to in Raleigh. I will have at least a good full year there so hopefully plenty of time to go to all the places on my list. To start with I want to try some different foods that I'm not used to like thai, asian and sushi. Here is my restaurant list thus far:

Klara's

A European restaurant in Cary that seems to have a wide variety of food on their menu.  I would be interested in the trying the Chicken Prague which is "Chicken breast strips, sautéed with mushrooms, peppers, onions and zucchini, served with garnish and potato pancakes."

Ruckus Pizza

I've heard a few different people talking about this place.  I love a good slice of pizza so it's definitely a place I'd like to try.

Carolina Ale House

I've been wanting to go to Carolina Ale House and watch a game.  When hockey season comes around again I'm sure I'll go and watch a Carolina Hurricanes game there.  As for food, I have no idea what is good but I hear it is a fun to place to go and watch games.

The Borough

This place in Raleigh looks modern and has a menu that seems tasty but not too expensive.

Thai Villa

This Thai restaurant seems to have good reviews and good lunch specials.  The Cashew Chicken seems like it may be a safe option for my taste of Thai food.

I'm sure I will find many more places I want to try but for now these are the ones I've found online that seem good or ones that people have told me about.  If anyone lives in Raleigh and has some good suggestions for dining please let me know.

Ipod Playlist

Next week I will be going to the beach with my family.  Michael will also be meeting us there so I am pretty excited about getting down there.  I'm working on adding new songs to my ipod to play on the beach. Here are my top picks so far:


Rolling in the Deep- Adele

Come on get higher- Matt Nathanson
Feels So Good- Steven Tyler
Last Friday Night- Katy Perry
You and Tequila- Kenny Chesney
Remind Me- Brad Paisley & Carrie Underwood
How to Love- Lil Wayne
Tonight, Tonight- Hot Chelle Rae


& currently my number 1 pick:

Blog Update

As you can see I'm working on updating my blog to make it more relevant to where I am at now.  Since I'm no longer at Appalachian and am about to start graduate school I figured I'd rename it something to with NC State. For now, I'm going to stick with Hello Raleigh but if anyone has any better names let me know.  This week I'll be busy working back at home in Lexington and packing for the beach. I'll be back in Raleigh the second week in July to hopefully start a new job!

Hello Raleigh!

I am now moved into my new apartment in Raleigh.  It seems very nice so far.  It has been quiet and there has always been plenty of parking but I can't say too much now because I know classes haven't started.  My first full day in Raleigh I went to Harris Teeter for Super Doubles.  I am very lucky to have a HT only a minute down the road.    I got everything in the picture below for $1.40.   I was going to do a lot more coupon shopping but after moving I've been too tired this week.

 Today I had my first interview in Raleigh.  I think it went well, they really didn't ask too many questions.  I would really prefer a part time job although today my interview was for a full time job.  I don't that I would be really happy working 40 hours a week and also going to school.


I went to downtown Raleigh today.  It was the closest thing to NYC that I've been to since February.  Me and a friend walked around and just looked at all that downtown Raleigh had to offer.  I am pretty excited about all of the NY style pizza places there are.  I will definitely be checking it out soon.  Downtown Raleigh also has theaters and auditoriums so if I ever wanted to go to a show I'm sure I could find something.

Pet Friends Puzzle

 Educational Toys Planet sent me a 28 piece floor puzzle to review.  My four year old nephew Carson doesn't always like puzzles but for some reason he really liked putting this one together.  We actually put it together three times in the same day.  For Carson, that is pretty impressive because he gets bored so easily.  The puzzle we reviewed has pictures of different animals on it.  After putting together the puzzle we talked about the animals.  It also helped while putting it together because I could ask him to find the dog's tail or the rabbits ears.  I would recommend this puzzle to children ages three to five.  I think it is a great size puzzle for children of those ages.  Make sure to visit Educational Toys Planet to purchase this Pet Friends Search and Learn puzzle or to find many other types of educational puzzles.

Summer To-Do List

Summer has officially started for me since my last teacher workday was Tuesday.  It hasn't really felt too much like Summer yet because I have been busy getting things ready for Raleigh.  I can't wait to get into my new apartment and to find a job and get settled. I have a few interviews next week that I'm looking forward to.  But other than getting moved into Raleigh there are other things I want to do this Summer.

1) Learn how to make shrimp sauce
 I love Japanese fried rice with shrimp sauce on top.  So today I tried to create my own shrimp sauce.  It was alright, but definitely not like the kind you get at a good Japanese Steakhouse.  So I really want to try to find a good recipe to make. If anyone has one please let me know.

2) Read for pleasure!


As soon as I left school on Tuesday I went to the library.  I am currently reading "A Mind at A Time" by Mel Levine.  It is a book about learning how to teach directly to the learning style of each child.  It is a great book for teachers and parents to read.  I'm reading it to kind of get my mind focused towards my Special Education degree.


I also checked out "Three Cups of Tea" and still need to finish reading "Eat, Pray, Love" that I bought last year.

3) Get back to saving money
While I was teaching I didn't have a lot of time for using coupons like I used to.  With me paying for grad school and everything else it will definitely be worth it to find more time to get back into couponing.  I at least don't want to have to buy toothpaste while in Raleigh.

I survived the 6th grade!

My teammate & I at field day!

Today was the last day of school!  I have so many mixed emotions that I don't know how I feel.  There is happiness for it being Summer, sadness because I won't see my Gators anymore, worry because I don't have a job lined up yet for Raleigh & anticipation for the next journey of my life to begin. Either way, I made it through a half year of teaching sixth grade.  It was a great experience that I learned more than I thought I would from.  I'm thankful for every day I spent at Central.  Now I'm super excited to start graduate school.  I am still waiting to see if I get in the Special Education program for the Fall.  If I get in that will take off a lot of current stress. It is going to be so awesome studying something that I have such a strong passion about.  For the first couple years of undergrad you take classes that you really don't care much about but in grad school I will be taking classes that all pertain to what I am wanting to do, so I can't wait!

Busy Busy

With the end of the school year quickly approaching my to-do list seems to get longer and longer.  EOG week was not what I thought it would be.  I was thinking the worst part of the week would be that I would have to be bored for a few hours all week while they took the test.  Boy was I wrong!  It was a very hectic week and next week will be even more hectic as remediation for re-test's occur.   Now on top of planning stuff for school I also am busy getting ready for this weekend.  I am going to Raleigh to take the MAT and to look at apartments.  One of my friends and I are going to look at an apartment that we like so hopefully we will like it and I can mark apartment search off of my to-do list.  Studying for the MAT though is really frying my brain.  Here is an example question for those who don't know what the MAT is:
ROMULUS : REMUS (a. Achilles, b. Seine, c. Rome, d.  Hector) :  PARIS

So your job is to pick the word that completes the analogy.  The correct answer is Hector because in Roman mythology, Romulus and Remus were brothers and in Greek mythology, Hector and Paris were brothers.  Considering I know almost nothing about mythology this is a bit tough!

Also this week I have to get my loans from undergrad deferred because their first payment starts in June.  I also have to lay out and label prices on things that I am selling at a yard sale on Saturday.  My church Tyro United Methodist will be having a yard sale on Saturday morning and I have friend who is going to run my space for me while I'm in Raleigh.

Last night at Warehouse 71 Matt talked about how we should never let our busy lives leave us without time for God.  This week I will be challenging myself to make sure that God is a priority and not just at the bottom of a check list.

Sunny Days

Thank goodness it's finally sunny.  It has rained for almost 6 days straight.  My mood went right along with the rain the past week too. I was pretty bitter that a certain person could act like he cared for so long and then just stop in an instant.  It is a new sunny day now and he can continue with his selfish ways without me being there to care.  Last night I went and treated myself to Iciban's Japanese with my sister.  Today I'm going shopping to get some more Spring clothes. Most of my clothes have shrunk from last year or either I have somehow grown taller.  Then, I have got to get busy studying for the MAT.  I found out that it isn't too late to get to the Special Education program so I am going to take the MAT at NC State on June 4th. I'm pretty nervous because most people study for this test for months, I have 2 weeks.  I'm super excited for the possibility of getting into the program though, that would make getting loans a lot easier and I may even end up taking 3 classes instead of just 2.  I can't wait to go to football and basketball games.  It's going to be great actually attending the school I have always been a fan of.

Shopping for Free!

Today started Harris Teeter's triple coupons event.  That means they will triple coupons up to 99 cents.  I went late this evening so they didn't have everything in stock that I wanted.  I still managed to get several good items and walked out paying nothing!  My total at the end was actually -$1.31 so they owed me money but they can't give you back money.  I could have added in a candy bar or something but I was happy to just have everything else for free. They had several items that were on clearance which was what made my total so low. The vegetables were on clearance for .49 and I had .35 cent coupon which gave me a profit of .98 per can. Here is a picture of everything I got.

Principle of the Path

Booksneeze.com sent me "The Principle of the Path" by Andy Stanley for free to review. I would have to say it is probably the most inspiring and life changing book I have ever read. Stanley talks about how we have the choice which path we want to walk down. We sometimes choose the right path and other times choose the not so right path. He is blatantly honest about how we decide to stay on the wrong paths just because we are comfortable with them. We are happy for the time being or we just make excuses for staying where we are.

This book made me take a closer look at the paths I am currently taking. It taught me that you can't really listen to your heart as people say to do. The book also includes a life-application study guide in the back. I would highly recommend this book to anyone!

Glee

Just wanted to post a couple Glee songs because I loved the last episode so much. I can relate to a song almost every week!

Lessons Learned

I recently decided that I am going to take on grad school at NC State in the Fall.  I want to get a Master's in Special Education.  The only thing that is holding me back a little is finances.  It's really tough having to deal with getting loans, trying to find a job in Raleigh and looking for an apartment. It will definitely be a big expense but I don't see a better time than now to get my Master's.  I have been wanting to go back to school for a while so I really think the time is right.  I've come to learn that you have to really take the initiative to do whatever makes yourself happy, because you are the only one who knows what that will be. I don't think anyone else would have talked to me about going to graduate school or doing anything other than just staying right where I am at. I don't know what I was waiting on before but this is something that I really want to do for myself and I'm proud of myself for doing it all on my own.
Other things have changed in my life recently too, such as no longer having a boyfriend.  The worst part of the whole thing is realizing how much time was wasted.  Every time that I think something is going well it ends up falling apart.  So I guess I need to stop getting attached too easily and stop getting my hopes up about any future possibilities with someone until I have dated them for years.  This time I'm not really upset though.  I just really wish that guys would show there true self earlier on in the relationship.  Anyway, I'm happy to have found out that it wasn't going to work before getting any farther.  Now I have grad school I can focus on and look forward to. 

Never Give Up

This month has been really tough for me. I don't really show it but there have been several times when I have wanted to give up. With a new job and starting to become more independent things just keep popping up and making life difficult. I love teaching so it's not just the new job, it's many other things.  It doesn't matter how nice or how hard I try I still get disappointed. Maybe my expectations are too high because of how excited I was about a brand new start.  There are times I wish I could just take a break away from everything for a while, but I know when I were to come back everything would still be here.  Hopefully things will be easier when I start a new job in August and start teaching at the beginning of a school year. I just like knowing what the future holds and lately everything has been so uncertain.  What I thought was one good constant in my life ending up not being what I thought it was.  There should really be a limit to how many times a person can be disappointed.  But even though I'm disappointed with the way some things are going now, I'm not giving up on what is important to me.  There is no way for me to see what the future holds, all I can do is pray about it.

Spring Break?

I need a Spring break so bad! Too bad we only get 2 days for Spring break, Good Friday and Easter Monday.  I am just so exhausted and these past two weeks have been pretty stressful.  All I want to do when  I come home is take a nap but I don't have time for a nap.  I've been working at school till almost 6 and then coming home to finish grading until 9 or so.  The good thing is that weeks go by pretty quickly for me.  That is one reason why I love being a teacher, you are constantly busy so there is never any time for boredom.  My students took a practice EOG and I am now working on making them packets to review with each day until we take the EOG.  I'm excited to see how they will do on the real EOG.  It's amazing how much of yourself you can invest in your students.  It is almost like they are your own kids because you want so badly for each one of them to succeed.
I've been doing good working out this week.  It has been so nice to go out and run in the beautiful weather. After running I try to sit down and pray outside.  The peacefulness of being outside is just an awesome feeling.  I am soon going to be getting a Y membership.  I went to a class yesterday with Dean's sister.  It was pretty fun and I could tell it would make me stronger.  Well I am about to fall asleep typing this so I am going to take a quick 30 minute nap! 

John 3:16

Today is March 16th (3-16) so it's the perfect day to share John 3:16 with someone. 

 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Jesus Christ died to pay for all of our sins.
He was raised by God on the third day.
He was seen by more than 500 people after the resurrection.
40 days later, he ascended to heaven.

All who place their faith in Jesus will become children of God. 

What great news!

Praxis

I took the Praxis yesterday so the stress of having to study for it is now over, at least hopefully if I passed it.  It was definitely the hardest test I have ever taken but I think I did alright. I won't know if I passed or not for 4 weeks but I am definitely not stressing over it.  I had to go to UNCG to take the test and just being on a college campus made me miss being in school.  I hope to go back to college and get my Master's degree in the next few years.  Until then, I'm probably going to look for a continuing education class I can take, especially during the Summer.
On another note, I've been going to Community Church North on Sunday's and I love it.  The music is so uplifting and so are the sermons.  Here is one of my favorite songs that they sing:

End of the Month Update

Time is just flying by.  I have already been teaching for a month now.  I love my job and I love teaching Science and Math. I never thought I would like these two subjects as much as I do because I enjoy literature so much too.  It has been a great experience so far and I am learning a lot.  There are good days and bad days but the rewards of teaching make every bad day well worth it.  Dean left for trooper school today.  It will be a long seven months being only able to see and talk to him on the weekends.  I am so proud of him for doing it though.  There is no way I could ever go through what he will be enduring. 
I am currently training for a 5k and am really excited about it.  I needed a goal so that I can get more into running.  It's amazing how much better you feel if you workout each day.  My gym membership ran out a week ago and this week I have ran out of energy right after work.  So I'm going to try and run and workout at home so I can get that energy back.  I am also trying to cut back on caffeine as well and I think it is helping me feel better.  And for those of you who think that because I am little I don't need to worry about working out and eating healthy, you are wrong.  No matter what size you are it's important to maintain a good diet and exercise.  Not only does it make you feel better physically but mentally as well.  If it wasn't for Dean I probably wouldn't have thought about it as much but I'm very thankful for him helping me to start being healthier. 
On another note, I take the Middle School Math Praxis test in 2 weeks.  I am pretty nervous for it after looking through the Cliffnotes book. I am going to try and study as much as I can but I can only hope it is enough!
I am currently reading "The Principle of the Path" by Andy Stanley.  I'll post a review when I'm finished with it. So far it is a really interesting book. I'm going to get to reading...

I serve an amazing God!

I have been so busy with so many changes in my life lately that I haven't had a chance to update my blog.  I wanted to fill everyone in on what has been happening with me lately.  So at the end of January I went to NY for 3 days and had a great time.  It snowed 15 inches the second day I was there and our flight home ended up being canceled so we had to book a different flight and fly into a different airport.  That flight ended up being delayed and we got home at about midnight.  But it all worked out and was overall a great experience.  Earlier that week before going to NY, Dean and I went to a Carolina Hurricanes game.  It was a blast and the Carolina Hurricanes won!! We had a great time together.  Dean is now my boyfriend and we are doing great.  So now for the most awesome news...


I got a teaching job! I am now a 6th grade Math and Science teacher.  I have been in the classroom teaching now for a week and I absolutely love it.  I know this is the career God wants me to be in and I couldn't be more grateful.  Although, I do have to take a Math PRAXIS test in March because I am teaching advanced students.  I have heard this is a very hard test so now I am very busy studying, creating lesson plans and adjusting to my new schedule.  I know God will help me through it all though, he is amazing.

Tell me NY....

I will be visiting NY with my sister and best friend Felicia at the end of the month.  I have wanted to go to New York for so long.  Felicia and I actually talked in high school about wanting to take a Senior trip there.  Although that didn't happen we are excited to be going now.
I want to know about the glitz and glam that makes this city "never sleep."   So here are some things that I plan to find out for myself while in NY.


1)  Does NY really have some of the best pizza?
2)  What is so great about NY water? Does it really taste different than ours?
3)  Is the skyline really breathtaking?  After living in the mountains I really wonder how a city skyline can compare.
4) What is this frozen custard?
5) Are New Yorker's really as rude as people make them out to be?
6)  What does NY smell like with all the business's they have?




I know I have had many more but just can't think of them right now.  I'll add on to my list later.  I am also going to be in the audience of the Martha Stewart Show.  I'm excited to see what the show will be about, I'm hoping she does some really unique crafts and giveaways something nice.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

My favorite cookie is probably the Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie.  Since we are snowed in today, me and mom decided to make some.  They are so easy to make and don't take long at all.  There are two ways you can make these, either on the stove or in the microwave.  We like to make them in the microwave because they are just as good and take only 4 minutes in the microwave to make.  Here is how to make them:



Step 1: Get out all your ingredients and utensils.
You will need:  1/2 cup of peanut butter, 1 stick of margarine, 2 cups of sugar, 1/2 tsp. vanilla, 3 cups of oatmeal, 1/2 cup of milk and 3 tbsp of cocoa.

Step 2:   Mix all the ingredients together, except the peanut butter and oatmeal, in a large microwave safe bowl. 





Step 3: Make sure all ingredients are stirred well and then place bowl in the microwave, on high for 2 minutes.

Step 4:  After 2 minutes, take bowl out of microwave and stir well.  Once mixed well, put bowl back in the microwave for an additional 2 minutes.  Take the bowl out and stir well again.

 

Step 5:  Add peanut butter and oatmeal to mix and stir.  Once it's stirred well then you are ready to spoon mix onto wax paper to form the cookies.  We use a tablespoon to make ours but you can choose how big you want them.

Step 6: Let them cool and then they are ready to eat!  This recipe will make around 2 & 1/2 dozen cookies.  Enjoy!