may blog challenge {part 4}

Day 20:  Something I'm Struggling with Right Now
I touched on this topic on Day 16.  When I find myself worrying about something these days, it is almost always my current state of employment in the Fall.  Or should I say the lack thereof.  I think it is every college graduate's fear that they will not find a job after working their tail off for the past 4 years.  It's also a fear that I'll rush into a teaching position that isn't "right" for me.  I know that the Lord has a plan for me.  I consistently remind myself of that when I feel the anxiety sinking in.  Teaching is my dream and I only want to fulfill that.

Day 21:  Links to My Favorite Posts
One of my favorite parts of blogging is the fact that I can look back and read my posts.  It's a virtual scrapbook to me.  Of the 337 posts I've done, here are some of my favorites...
observations on... comparison.
why I love to cook dinner.
one sentence.
the prayer of St. Francis.
Bliss.
teenage courage.
our story.

It's obvious to me as I was looking back at my posts, that my writing has become more mature in recent posts.  I contribute most of that to the fact that I'm inching closer to the real world.  I do cherish my older posts that mostly just dealt with recent happenings... there are many things that I had forgotten.  Thank goodness for blogging!

Day 22:  Gettin' on My Soapbox
Surprisingly, it was not hard for me to find a topic to get on my soapbox about... GRAMMAR. 

As a teacher, grammar is something that I constantly preach to my students about.  Grammar is a basic skill that we must know in order to be successful citizens.  It drives me crazy to see students who are about to enter middle school still not using correct capitalization.

However, my most favorite improper usage of grammar occurs when someone enters a full-on rant on Facebook... with countless grammar errors.

And, just for the heck of it, here's another grammar ecard.  I love me some ecards.

That seems like an appropriate note to end on ;)

guess who graduated?

This girl.  I'm no longer a student.  I'm an alumni.

 

It's kind of an unspoken tradition for WKU graduates to decorate the tops of their caps.  It helps our families pick us out amongst the crowd of black.  Mine is, of course, based upon a Dr. Seuss book.

Graduation day was bittersweet to say the least.  It was a day for me to reflect upon how much my life has changed in the past 4 years.  New friends who will sadly be moving back home.  Lots of opportunities to include on my resume.  Saying good-bye to what I've come to love about college.  The time to find myself and love myself.

It was also a time to think about all I've accomplished.  I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a GPA of 3.95.  I've had experiences within a diverse population of schools.  It's time for me to take the next step in life.  I know that God has a plan for me.

And, finally, time for a photo dump from the day.

 with the Hubs

I ran into one of my best friends who was also graduating that day.

I'm sure you recognize these guys. 

me and the fam 

my amazing grandparents 

Nate's family 

right after I graduted... I'm not sure who was smiling more.  So thankful for this boy! 

 new friends, old friends.  thankful for each and every one of them.

 

my sweet Lily and I.  dance recital for her; graduation for me.  DQ ice cream with the fam to celebrate! 

officially an alumni.  say what?!? 

my DQ ice cream cake.  my family knows me best! 

all dressed up on mother's day.

 

 

Now I ask you to pray me (and my fellow graduates) as we enter this thing called the real world.  I'm a planner by nature and it's hard for me to not know exactly what I'll be doing with my life in the next few months.  I know that I'll end up where I'm supposed to.  For now, I'm enjoying having some time off and being a housewife :)

may blog challenge {part 2}

Day 6:  If I couldn't answer with my job, how would I answer the question, 'what do you do'?
I saw this video floating around several weeks ago and I swear it sums up "what I do" perfectly.
 

All my fellow teachers out there, can I get an amen?

Day 7:  The thing(s) I'm most afraid of.
Failure.  This has always been a fear of mine.  I am a big goal-setter.  I preach it to my students so I practice it myself.  My fear of failing to reach a goal is always within me. 
Snakes.  My fear of snakes runs deep... to the point where I swear I've seen scripture that proves snakes are the devil.  I know, maybe I'm slightly crazy.
Darkness.  Especially when I'm having to walk alone at night.  Night classes on campus were my worst nightmare.  I hate the feeling of not being able to see what's right in front of me.

Day 8:  A piece of advice I have for others.

I love this quote so much.  We, as a society, often become so obsessed with material possessions.  I have been guilty of that as well.  My piece of advice is to focus on the real blessings that God has given us -- love, mercy, grace, forgiveness.  That is what makes us rich.

Day 9:  A moment in my day.
This was quite an eventful day for me.  After putting in my 8 hours of student teaching, I headed straight to the school where I'll be working part-time this summer.  (Hallelujah for a paycheck!)  I had orientation there then had to run several errands before heading home.  To sum it all up, I had been gone from home for over 12 hours and the best moment of the day was when I finally pulled in the driveway.

Day 10:  Most embarassing moment.
To be quite honest, I have embarassing moments every day.  I mispronounce a word and I have twenty-one 5th graders who are quick to point it out.  Just a perk of the job, I guess.

But, let's be real.... my most embarassing moment was in 4th grade.

I won the school-wide spelling bee and moved to the district level.  I was knocked out pretty early due to the word, joyous.  It was torture to have to walk back to my family in front of all kinds of fancy people that I had never met before.  You can bet that I have never misspelled that word again.

Day 11: Selling myself {10 words or less}.
A hard-worker who puts my heart into what I do.

Day 12:  What I Miss.
The cartoons and movies from the 90s.

Day 13:  My Public Apology.
I apologize for my over-use of sarcasm, eye-rolling, constant OCD cleaning, ridiculous social media habits, Diet Mountain Dew addiction, and obsession with Miranda Lambert.  Old habits die hard, y'all.

...hoping all your Momma's out there had a fabulous day yesterday... especially mine :)

bittersweet.

Roughly 4 years ago, a girl walked down the aisle in a blue cap and gown.  She graduated valedictorian from high school.

 

There were lots of pictures with old friends.

And a lot of thoughts about what the future would bring.

Five days later, she started her job at WKU and began the greatest journey she's ever known.

She learned how to get the best parking spots, glue little pieces of paper to make a mosaic,

put graphs together to analyze test scores, and learned how to teach the future.

She made lots of amazing new friends from all parts of the country.

She received many sweet gifts from students...

and teachers.

Tomorrow, she will look back on how much has changed in the past 4 years.  A new name, a new address, new life goals, and a new perspectice on who she really is.

Tomorrow, she will walk down the aisle beside people she didn't even know 4 years ago, in a black cap and gown, accepting the honor of Summa Cum Laude.

Tomorrow, this girl will be surrounded by amazing people, say good-bye to the best years of her life thus far and, yet again, look forward to what the future holds.  And it's bittersweet to say the least.

what i love about Sundays...

...recooperating from the week with a nice afternoon nap.

 

...marathons of SATC.

...a huge home-cooked meal.  (bbq ribs, mac and cheese, twice baked potatoes, peas, and corn.)  mono put a damper on my cooking routine so i'm glad to be back in the game!

...taking time to appreciate the little things.

nate and i have had a wonderful weekend at home with absolutely no plans. 

add that onto that fact that i had class at WKU friday, had lunch with all my girls, got my car washed, bought groceries, and cleaned the house with Pandora up way too loud... and you've got one happy girl.  it was just what my soul needed.

this is my last week at my placement with 2nd graders.  it will most certainly be bittersweet.  those kiddos have pushed me to my limits on many days but they are total sweethearts.  i cannot wait to see what God has in store for my next placement with 5th graders!

have a wonderful week, friends :)

the hiatus ends

Hellooooooo my FRIENDS!

It has been a whole 18 days since my last post.  But, don't be mistaken.  I have about 5 posts in my drafts waiting to be published.  Wanna know what's holding me back?  Blogger has suddenly taken away my photo uploading priveleges.  And because a post is boring without pictures, I just disregarded it all together.  I'm brilliant, I know.  So if you any of you have suggestions/tips as to how I can fix this, please let me know.  I've never had this problem before so I have no clue what's going on. 

So here I am with a picture-less post but I just had to check in and let y'all know I'm still alive. ;)

In a quick sum-up of the past 18 days... teaching has taken over my life.  In the absolute best way possible.  I wake up at 4:20 every morning to make time for the elliptical and usually hit the sack somewhere between 9 and 10 each night.  And lemme tell ya, I sleep amazing every night.  I have no complaints.  I cannot begin to explain how thankful I am that God led me to this profession.  It's tough, it's busy, and I'm constantly drowning in paperwork but it is beyond rewarding!  I am greeted each day with smiling faces and hugs -- what's not to love about that?!

I am convinced that by the time this semester is over, I'll be able to write a freakin' book with all the stuff that comes out of their mouths.  For example...
Teacher: "How do you say good-bye in Chinese?"
Students (collectively as a group):  "ADIOS!"

I have a new-found love for a Diet Coke at lunch time.  A caffeine fix for the afternoon.

My teaching board on Pinterest has absolutely blown up.

Most of you would have no idea what half the words that come out of teachers' mouths mean.  For example -- KTIP, Common Core, Contextual Factors, Differentiated Instruction, etc.  We have our own language, my friends.

My Friday night (tonight) has consisted of planning for my solo week, cleaning, classic TV, laundry, and Lucky Charms.

Yup, sorry for that randomness.  I want this blog to be something that I can look back on and know exactly how I was thinking/feeling.  This post seems to be good for that.

I'll be back soon, y'all.  And hopefully I'll have pictures... and less words... and Luke Bryan.

But I'm not holding my breath on that last one.

Happy weekend :))

thanksgiving, black friday, & christmas

It's a busy time of year at the M household.  Much like yours, I'm sure! 

Thanksgiving came and went all too quickly for us.  Unfortunately, I didn't get one picture of our first Thanksgiving together.  Bummer!  I guess I'm still giving Nate a break from the overload of pictures during the wedding, but you best believe it'll be a different story when Christmas rolls around.

I enjoyed spending the day with family and LOTS of good food!  Nate spent his morning duck hunting which is always a favorite of his.  I ended the night early in front of the Christmas tree by watching classic Thanksgiving episodes of Friends...

but I still fixed some sausage/cream cheese crescents for the boys to have for breakfast the next day.

And the next day for me?  BLACK FRIDAY!  My MIL and I have a tradition of going every year and I always enjoy it.  We chose again this year to avoid the initial opening of stores and waited to head out at 2:30 that morning.  Online shopping helped us get most of the deals we wanted and, fortunately, we were able to get everything in stores as well.  Success!

My favorite deal of the day?  My new riding boots from Kohl's.  Regular cost = $89.99.  I paid about $25 and I absolutely adore them!  They are extremely comfortable and I'm convinced they can be worn with anything.

(white sweater = consigned locally; striped shirt = Gap outlet; leggings = Body Central)

We are also decked out in our Christmas decor!  I still have one more thing I'd like to do outdoors before I do a complete reveal.  In the meantime, here is our tree.  Burlap was major goal of mine, as you can see -- bow as a tree topper, tree skirt, and garland.  We also used popcorn strands, deco mesh, ball/icicle ornaments, and keepsake ornaments to make it "ours."  I always enjoy decorating the tree! 

And here is our very first Christmas card.  I looked everywhere and, honest to goodness, this style was my favorite and it came from Walmart!  This is a picture of one of the cards so the quality isn't the best but I'm still mighty proud of it :)

Oh yeah, and Nate got me my first Chrismas present over the weekend.  My very own pistol.  This may not seem like a big deal to y'all but I'm stoked about it!

In other news, the semester is finally winding down.  I will be done a week from now and can gain my life back.  I had my last day with my sweet Kindergarteners last Wednesday and it was most definitely bittersweet.  I cannot explain how much I'll miss these sweet kiddos!  They surprised me with handmade cards and a book for my future classroom.  I'll treasure those pieces of construction paper forever!

One of my professors at WKU gave us each a gift yesterday after our presentations.  A sweet Christmas card and an apple - very fitting for a future educator!

I am so very thankful that my major is filled with wonderful professors and classmates.  I would not have survived without the support and encouragement from the ladies that I spend my Mondays & Wednesdays with.  They are an answered prayer!

Now that my time has freed up a bit, I have made time to read again.  This was at the top of my list and it has yet to disappoint so far. 

I hope you are all getting to enjoy this time of year.  Remember those who will not get to have a special Christmas and help out if you can.  There are so many wonderful organizations to donate/volunteer for.  It's easy to get caught up in the petty things of life but we are all far more blessed than we deserve!

'tis a boring life...

Yo, remember me?  I took a break from le bloggy.  Turns out my theory that school work would slow down in Novemeber turned out to be completely opposite.  Don't ya hate when that happens?  Thankfully, my to-do list is a lot shorter now... just in time for the holidays!  Wanna know what I've been up to lately...

I made a wedding binder for my friend Elizabeth - complete with her soon-to-be initials.  I had a wedding binder during our engagement and it was a lifesaver in so many ways!

The good ol' TWS (teacher work sample).  AKA - fun sucker.

Election day came and went...

Elizabeth celebrated her birthday complete with a pink sombrero.  Can I just say I was teeny bit jealous of the PINK sombrero?  When exactly did they get that?!?

There's still tons of baking going on around the M house.  I found this cupcake cone recipe and cannot wait to use them for my last day of classes :)

Pinterest introduced me to this.  My sis and I kinda have an inside joke with this so it really cracked me up!

And, when I do take breaks from homework, it's mainly to watch FRIENDS bloopers.



This one gets me every. single. time.



I'm in full gear for the holidays!  I have every intention of putting up my decor this weekend and cannot wait :)  My mom, Nana, and I went shopping a couple weeks ago and I couldn't help but get in the spirit.  This really is just a wonderful time of year!

By the way, y'all, wedding pics are finished!  Stay tuned tomorrow for the first sneak peak :)

life lately... and a few more sneaks

Thank you ALL for your sweet thoughts on my post from Friday.  I cannot even begin to tell you all how much I am LOVING married life.  No, it's not perfect, and there are some rank smells from the hubs every now and then, but I truly love being able to wake up each morning beside Nathan.  There is no sweeter feeling.

I just wanted to give you all a glimpse into what life has been like recently.  I fell off the wagon a couple weeks before the wedding for good reason.  I was crazy busy.  My major project for this semester is due next week and I wanted to make sure I wasn't dragging behind when we returned from the honeymoon.  Thankfully, due to all my hard work, I didn't miss much and it has been an easy transition. 

Three days before we got married I taught my first official (supervised) lesson to my kindergarteners.  No pressure, right?!  Well it really couldn't have gone better.  They learned all about leaves and created a class tree which you can see below.  I love their creativity!

When we got back from our honeymoon, I had the serious urge to decorate for fall.  And that we did.  Here are some snapshots from around the farm :) 

I mean who doesn't love a monogrammed pumpkin?!

I snapped this while we were traveling on our honeymoon.  HELLO wedding band :)

And, finally, here are the pictures I have received so far from my photographer.  She is amazing, y'all :)

I promise to keep sharing them as they come in!  My hope is to post on Thursday about my final bridal shower, bachelorette party, and the days leading up to the wedding :)  Stick around friends... the fun is just beginning!