Finals Week

Hello Everyone,

I can finally say Merry Christmas because it is December and that is exciting. Since it is December my semester is wrapping up. I am in the process of getting ready for Final's Week (also known as a College Students nightmare). I am a little stressed right now. I will not be posting until my finals are over (if there is anyone who actually reads my blog). Over winter break I am going to try to post more frequently, which I know it is not hard to post more than I have been. But this has been my first semester in the upper level of my program and there was definitely a learning curve.

I will have a lot of posts in the rest of December (after finals) because I love this time of year. I will have posts about how I celebrate with my friends and family. I might be able to sneak the friends one in during finals week if I finish some of my finals early and am able to study without being too distracted.

I also am planning on trying to find a schedule to work with next semester. I am hoping once a week trying to get a blog up, but it might be once every other week.

If you have any blog posts you would like me to do, please leave a comment! If you want to hear my opinion on something or learn a little bit more about me just let me know.

Merry Christmas,
                            Bekah

Facing Fears

So as I have said before I live in the Midwest. With this piece of information we all know that there is snow where I live and we get quite a bit in the months between November and March. Well the snow began for the year on Friday to Saturday night. This is the first snow that we have gotten this year that has stuck and accumulated on the ground. While I love snow and am devastated if I think there will not be a white Christmas I have one major fear that comes with snow. DRIVING!!!

I do not like driving in the snow. It makes me nervous. I am not exactly sure where this fear has come from. I am fine if other people are driving in the snow, I just get scared if I have to drive. Also if the snow is already on the ground I am fine, I just do not like driving while it is snowing. I get scared because you could be doing everything correct and lose control of the car and other people are sometimes crazy drivers in the snow.

Of course, it would happen that during this first snow I have to drive an hour to babysit for a family. I was freaking out a little bit. I woke up that morning and spent time praying for calmness and safety. I left to be on my way and spent the time in the car praying. Thankfully, I was safe on my drive and had a great time babysitting.

It is important to remember that God is bigger than all of your fears. He is protecting you all the time and keeps you in His arms. God provided me with a sense of calmness and strength. I am not saying my fear of driving in the snow had been cured, but I now know with God I can handle it and stay calm.

Perfect Fall Day

Today, has been the perfect fall day. I got up and got ready for my day. Put in a load of laundry. Then I went to church and brunch. Then I came back and cleaned a little and now I am watching football and working on some homework things. Most of the time I try to be very productive on Saturday so my Sunday can be a little more relaxed. I think Sundays are the day where I feel the most rejuvenated. I try to spend time every Sunday relaxing and doing things that I enjoy. Sundays set up your week so take the time for your Sunday to be relaxing and prepare you for your week.

In the rest of my Sunday, I plan and watching more football, getting a little homework done, giving myself a face mask, and watching a movie. It should be an amazing day!

50 days Left

There are fifty days left in this semester (or so  I have been told). Which to me is unbelievably exciting and scary. I am at the point in the semester where all I want to do it lay in bed, watch movies, and sleep. That being said I am also in the point of the semester where I have five billion things to do. So those things sadly do not go together. But I just ask that you pray for me and I will try to get on a schedule for posting soon. I have a few posts to do I just have to take the time to sit down and write them. Which is something I am very short on right now.

A Place I Belong

Do you ever feel like you have not found the place you belong in life? I know that I belong in my family and this is not where the problem is. My problem has always been finding the place I belong when it comes to friendships. I have always felt a disconnect in a lot of these relationships. Now do not feel horrible for me, I have always had friends that I can hang out with sometimes I wish there was just a little more.

In grade school I knew that I did not fit in with the people I was "friends" with. Due to the fact that I went to a really small school I did not have much of a choice in people to hang out with.

In high school I had friends and was friends with most people. I considered myself the floater friend. I could get along with most of the groups in my class. This also meant that I was not close enough with anyone to really be considered part of a group. Which means that now in my life when I go home I hang out with my family which I love. But I do not have friends who want to see me when I am home for breaks or friends who want to visit me at college.

In college I have found a group of friends, but I do not know if it is because of the friendships that I have had in the past but I do not feel like I fit quite right some of the time. I feel like everyone else's relationship is stronger.

I do not know, I may completely be the problem. I am not going to lie I am jealous of the people who have had a life long best friend that has been there for every part of the journey. I am jealous of the people who have friends that want to see them when they go home. Maybe it is just my own insecurity that is causing the problem now. I just know sometimes I wonder if I will always just kind of be alone.

Please do not freak out if you read this. I was starting to think about this tonight and decided to write out my feelings. I promise I am fine, sometimes for me it is better if I have somewhere to express myself rather than just bottling things up.

At Least I am Sure

If this semester has not taught me anything else it has made me sure that I want to be a teacher. I am sure that next semester will cement this even more. I have a ton of work this semester in my classes and one of my classes is awful. BUT I have never considered that I should not be going for Early Childhood Education. I know that it will be more than worth it when I have my own class of crazy kids around me. A lot of my bigger projects are starting to have some of the pieces come together which is nice. It makes me feel a little better about the work load that I have. I also always feel like I need to be completing homework which sucks. I know that many of my finals this semester are projects and I already know what they are. This makes it feel like I should always be doing some sort of homework. This can make trying to enjoy my free time kind of hard.

If you have anything you would like me to write about please let me know and I will get to it as soon as possible.

My Classes

I am taking seven classes this semester which is pretty crazy. My schedule is a little different than your typical college schedule. As many of you know more of your classes meet Monday/Wednesday/Friday or Tuesday/Thursday. Well I have one class that meets Tuesday/Thursday and the rest of my classes meet once a week for a three hour block (Except for one of my classes that meets four times during the semester for four hours each time). I am taking my Early Childhood classes so that is interesting. It is defineitely a different schedule type to get used to though especially when planning out your homework. But school has been going pretty well. I have only had each class either once or twice so I am not quite ready to tell you how I feel about the classes yet.

College Must Haves

I decided to think of my must haves for college. This includes school stuff, decor, and anything I have used that has made my life easier during college.

1) Laptop- this may seem weird but just covering the basics. Having a laptop makes getting your work done super easy. I actually downsized before I went to college and changed from a 15' to a 13'. I think this was a smart decision while the keyboard is a little more crushed together it is a lot lighter to carry around with me from class to class.

2) USB (Flash) Drive- Last year my computer crashed right in the middle of the semester. I did not have my laptop for about a week. A flash drive allowed me to still have some of my files because I was in the middle of writing a huge paper so thankfully I was using it. It also allowed me to use other computers to do my work on.

3) Mattress Pad- I got a mattress pad to make my bed a little more comfy. It does not have to be a $100 one. I got mine off of Walmart.com for like $30 and it has been comfy and amazing.

4) Throw Blanket- This is nice because the temperatures in dorms can change by the minute it seems like. I have a throw that I can use at night for extra warmth or instead of my comforter. It is also nice to be able to take it to the living room (if you have one) or a friend's room for movie nights to cuddle up with.

5) Storage- It is always nice to have the option of additional storage because dorm rooms can be small. Having stack-able crates or drawers you can put under your bed if you raise it a little can be a life saver and allow you to have those few extra sweatpants and sweatshirts at school with you.

6) Backpack- I know that you think of college and think of totes or just being able to take your laptop to class. In my experience this hasn't been true. Having a super high quality backpack can make life a lot easier. There are times that between class and work I do not go back to my dorm room for close to 12 hours and that is a lot of stuff to carry with you. So I suggest getting a backpack that is comfortable to wear and can hold things.

7) Medicine- The first time you get sick in college you will be wishing your mom was there taking care of you. Make sure you having things like pain killers, cough drops, and cough medicine. It won't be as good as mom taking care of you put at least you won't be as miserable.

8) Planner- College life can get crazy between classes, assignments, tests, papers, oh my. Then you start throwing in your work schedule and sporting events. Then you add in clubs and trying to hang out with your friends it sometimes feels like you have 26 hours of plans in a day. Using a planner allows you to block out time to make sure all the school stuff gets done and figure out how to work in your social life and sleep a little. I would be more than willing to include a post about my planner and how I keep track of every thing. Just leave a comment and let me know.

9) Pictures- No one wants to live in a place for 9 months that is just while walls. Bring something to hand on the walls. Pictures are always nice and they let you remember people that may not be right there with you anymore.

10) Student ID- This is more of a remember to bring it back to college with you. Or if you are a freshman I will explain how important your ID is to your life in college. Think of a card that is how you get places and eat. At my college your ID gets you into building and it is how you pay for food. It is also how you get into your hall, and sometimes you can show it on campus to get free things. You can also show IDs at a lot of places around town to get a discount so try to figure that out.

These are just some of the things you need. I have found these things important, some of them seem obvious but I am just making sure you know that you do need them. A couple may be things you didn't think of. If there is anything for you that is a must have please let me know I am always trying to make my college life easier.

That College Feeling

Sorry, it has been a month since I have posted. Work was exhausting and all my focus was going there. Now I am done with my summer job before I start up classes and my school job. You can expect an update about my classes after I go to them.

I am moving in Saturday, so that is four days away (I need to pack)! This will be my third year (Junior year) of college. I have heard a lot of people online and in person giving advice to people on how to choose the school that is for them. Everyone talks about the feeling that you will have when you visit the campus and you will know that it is the right school for you. I am writing this post to know you might want to think twice before this feeling dictates the next four years (and possibly beyond) of your life.

Now you might think I am bitter because I did not have this feeling so I think it doesn't exist. That is false I had this feeling and it was amazing. I toured a small private college and it was everything I wanted in my life. The campus was small and I could see myself there easily. It was close enough to home and that made me comfortable. Everyone there made me feel like a person and not a number. I found the perfect school for me and I was ready to go. I accepted my spot and told the other colleges on my list I was no longer interested in going there I knew where I was going.

Now you are probably thinking wait you had the feeling isn't this post over. The school that was perfect for me and gave me that feeling is NOT the school I ended up at. I ended up at another private college that is not to far away from home but further than the original school. It is also bigger so while I do not completely feel like just a number you definitely get a bigger feeling from this school. You might be wondering why I gave up my "perfect" school for a different one. That is because my "perfect" school did not quite have the exact major I wanted. They had one that was close but not perfect. So I decide to pick going somewhere that had the perfect major over going somewhere that had almost the right major but felt like the perfect school to me.

This is not a story where I tell you that half way through I realized I made a mistake but it is to late to transfer now. This post is to tell you even though I did not pick the college that gave me that feeling I could not imagine my life any other way. I am studying my perfect major. My current campus has the perfect view. It also has my perfect people (of course I know that no people are perfect). At college I have met friends that I know I will have for the rest of my life. I could not imagine the last two year or the many more years in the future with out them.

I wrote this post to tell you to think things through and do not base your college decision only on that feeling. You can go to a school that never gave you that feeling and still be more happy than you ever imagined.

Relaxation

My largest project of the summer at work is done and I couldn't be more excited. I have been working on stuff non-stop for the past three weeks. It felt so surreal last night when the event was over and I didn't have to worry about it anymore. So now the rest of my summer will be one million times more relaxing.

But I am also still a little stressed because all my friends from college are coming to stay at my house this weekend. Trying to get everything ready for five people on top of everything else I need to do has been a little stressful.

Sorry I haven't posted more but I just don't have anything to say.

New Product

So I really needed to start having the motivation to clean my room. I do not have cable in my bedroom at home and the movies I have have gotten a little boring. So I was trying to find a way to be able to watch Netflix on my TV. I did a little online research and figured out the best thing for me was going to be Google Chromecast or a Roku Stick. I was originally thinking that I would go with the Google Chromecast because it was cheaper. I also looked at the Roku products and decided that for the things I wanted to do the Roku Stick would be fine. I was out running a few errands and decided to look at Walmart. They had both products set up right next to each other, which for me was super nice because I could read and look at both. So I sat there for a while trying to decide and then I asked one of the workers if he knew which one was better and he said the Roku. I also looked up some information in the store and there is a remote with the Roku but the Chromecast just uses your phone somehow. So I decided to take the leap and get the Roku and hope for the best.

I got it home and opened and took everything in my room. I started to read the instructions because I was terrified of messing it up. Normally, I get my brother to help me set up stuff like this but he could not so I was on my own. Thankfully, the instructions were super easy to follow and it walked me right through the process. It was all set up.

I started by getting my Netflix set up on it which was super easy I just had to put in my log in information and I was ready to go. So that made me super happy because that is the main reason I bought this product.

Next, I found out I can log in to YouTube and watch videos on the Roku. This made me super excited! I really like YouTube videos and watching them on my TV is amazing.

Finally, I also figured out through Radio or Pandora you can listen to music. Which is really good because the speakers on my computer suck so it is nice to actually be able to hear it.

Now I am just hoping when I move into college the Wifi there will be good enough so I can use it at school too. But if I can I still believe it is well worth the money.

Here is a link to get it on amazon (otherwise just go pick it up at your local Walmart): http://www.amazon.com/Roku-3500R-Streaming-Stick-HDMI/dp/B00INNP5VU/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1436649793&sr=1-1&keywords=roku+stick

Dreaming

I have been spending most of my time working but I have also tried to spend time every day relaxing. I have been watching a lot of videos online about people getting new apartments and houses. Then of course I have also been watching decorating videos. This has made me so ready to have my own little place someday. Dorms just don't cut it and I am ready to not be living in my parents house. Except for the fact that I am not financially ready for that because I am also paying for school, so there is no way I could afford to live completely by myself if anything I would have to have a roommate. Which that wouldn't be horrible if I could find the right person. But I also really like having an area to myself and not having anyone interrupt. I know I need to have a full time job before I even think about getting my own little place. I guess until then I will just have to keep looking a videos of houses, apartments, and decorations.

Work

So I work with kids in the summer and let me just tell you it has been exhausting. These kids are from a lower income area and they just tend to always keep me on my toes. There is also a lot of drama that happens between the kids. Some days it is rough. I sometimes rethink my career choice even though I know that this is what I want to do with my life. This kids can be exhausting and rewarding all at the same time. Please just pray for me as I continue the summer because some days have been hard.

Sorry this is really short I do not know what else to say. I also do not know what to write about in posts so, if you have any ideas please comment them below.

Safe Harbor

I stumbled across this quote when I was on Pinterest earlier. This really made me think about the meaning behind the quote. Sometimes I think I try to stay safe in the harbor. I like knowing what is happening and being in control. My safe harbor is often the places, people, and things I am comfortable with. I feel safe around my family, friends, hometown. All these things allow me to know what to expect. 

This quote says that ships are not meant to sit in the harbor. They are meant to sail. The same thing applies to me as I think about it. God did not create me to stay in one little area where I can control life. God created me for an amazing purpose. I need to trust more that God will allow me to have new amazing experiences. I need to take the chance to explore new places and meet new people. 

I need to be willing to leave my harbor because I know that when I need to sail back my harbor will still be there for me.   

Ideas

So I am trying to think of ideas for blog posts because sometimes my life in just not exciting and I have nothing to tell you guys. I do not even know if the same people are always reading this or if you guys are just stumbling across it and read a post and then leave. Either option is fine! If you are a regular reader I would love you to comment, you could leave a question for me to answer or something you would like me to talk about. I love taking other people thoughts into consideration.

Anyways, I was thinking it may be fun to do some lifestyle type pieces with pictures. I do not know if anyone would like it. I was thinking I could do things like what is in my purse or what are my favorite apps. Let me know if you would like this. If no one comments I will probably do them anyway because I need ideas, but I would love to hear from you!

My New Baby

Now I know from the title that you guys are probably thinking man you never mentioned being pregnant and that is a pretty big thing to hide. Do not worry I did not have an actual human baby. But as I was saying in my last post that I had been looking to buy a car. Well I got a car and it is now my baby. I just finished cleaning it up a bit and putting new floor mats in. It is a 2004 Kia Spectra, so do not worry I did not go out and buy a brand new car and my parents did not buy me a brand new car. This car is my baby because I paid for it by myself. I am extremely proud of this fact. It is a little silver car with a hint of blue color. I am crazy excited and as everyone knows this makes my life so much easier. I can go babysit and go hang out with my friends without having to coordinate with my entire family. Do not worry I love my family but having four people driving two cars before was a little hard. Especially because I had been used to having my own car. I am very excited! But, now I need your help because I want to give this car a name because I love it so much but I need ideas. The car does look a little more girly so maybe it should have a girl name but I am open to any names. So tell me in the comments what should I name my car?

Summer so Far

Well summer has been here for a little less than a week. It has been an interesting first week of summer. Obviously the rest of my family is not quite on summer yet so I have been just chilling at the house. Now you might be wondering why I have just been hanging out at home and not going out and experiencing all the fun things I could be doing where I live. Well my car broke down when I was at home for Easter which was a blessing that it broke down when I was home. So we got rid of that car. Now I am in the process of trying to find another car but I was expecting to get a few more years out of that car so I was slowly saving up to buy a new one. Now I have a very small budget for a car which sucks. I found a car I was in love with and my Dad and I made an appointment to go see it and it got sold an hour before we were supposed to go see it which sucks. I am sure something will work out I really just miss the independence I had with my own car. 

Other than that I have been watching movies. I have been going to my brother's baseball games. I even hung out with one of my friends from high school which was nice.  

Summer 2015

So today has officially been my first full day of Summer. Now don't think I did anything amazing. I woke up, went to the Dollar Store, read a book, saw my Grandma, and laid around. I am excited for the time off of school and to just enjoy the amazing weather. Now you may be wondering what amazing plans I have for the summer and don't worry I am going to tell you:

1) Work- thankfully I work outside so I get to get paid to do something I love and I get a nice tan
2) Baseball- I end up watching many hours of baseball games that my brother plays in
3) Hopefully more Mary Kay parties because I love it and have so much fun with it.

That is all I know for sure but I also have some goals for this summer:

1) Get my room unpacked so it is not covered in boxes
2) Get healthier- I am not saying anything crazy maybe just go on a few more walks
3) T-shirt quilt- I am actually going to get started on this
4) Hopefully hang out with the people from my home town that I still do talk to which is not a very long list sadly.

Well that is it. I also want to try to write on here more but I am not making any promises.


PS: If you read my blog thank you! I honestly just figured I may want to look back on things I wrote. Some of my posts have been emotion filled and some have been just life updates. If you do read this post or all of my posts (if you read my blog regularly I think you are one of the coolest people in the world) I would like to say thank you. If you want to comment that would be great and we could become fun blog friends. If you like being a silent reader and find these posts interesting you continue doing that I am fine with that and that is how I am on a few blogs. If you have any thing you would like to know about me or topics you would like me to address feel free to let me know.

Mother's Day

Today is Mother's Day, mothers are an amazing gift we were all blessed with. I think this day can be used to celebrate any women who affected your life in a positive way. Let her know you appreciate her. Go give your mom a giant hug and say thank you. I have decided to compile a list of the things my mother has done for me, taught me, and even shown me for when I become a mother in the future.

1) She has been there whenever I have needed her.
2) She has loved me even when I have been awful to her.
3) She is my biggest cheerleader.
4) She chauffeured me and my friends around for many years and never complained.
5) She cooked for me and did my laundry.
6) She helped me with school projects.
7) She showed me what unconditional love is.
8) She got less sleep to help me.
9) She gave me things I wanted, even when that meant giving up things she wanted.
10) She always tells me I am beautiful.
11) She will listen to me complain.
12) She lets me pick out the movie and the food.
13) She gives me the last bite.
14) She always comforts me when I cry.

There are a billion other things that my mom has done for me and I could not be any more thankful. The most important thing I have realized as I have gotten older is my mom truly is my best friend. She loves me no matter what, she does not talk about me behind my back, she has my back, she laughs and cries with me, and no matter what if I need her she will find someway to be there for me. I Love You Mom!!!

513free

A band called 513free came to my college campus to perform. They are a Christian band with a very mission focused mind set. They are willing to minister to the people in the world that many people overlook. They do a lot with prison ministries and rehab programs. There is music is amazing and it is also free. They do not believe that Jesus charged people to listen to the Gospel so they do not want to charge people either. Their music is amazing. I really encourage you to check out their music and more of what the band is about. The website is 513free.com

It is May

It is May which means it is crazy busy. I have a week of school and then finals and then I will be home for the SUMMER! I could not be more excited that I get to be home for the summer. The only problem is the fact that I still have two weeks of school stuff left. Today the weather is amazing and that makes it even worse because I have no motivation. I also still have homework to do which is also awful. I have some tips though for finishing the school year.

1) Give yourself breaks to go outside
2) Cherish the time with your friends
3) Still focus on school

Birthday Weekend

My 20th birthday was on Saturday and that was pretty exciting. My family came and took me and my roommates to lunch. It was super nice seeing them and getting to eat food that was not on campus. Then my friends blindfolded me and surprised me and took me to dinner and bowling. This meant an entire day not eating food on campus which I am all for. Then we came back to our dorm and watched movies.

My friends were super amazing and made me feel awesome. It was a birthday that I will never forget. I am excited to spend more time with them these next two years. I have really found a place that I fit in and I am loving it.

EXCITING NEWS!

Well I have some exciting news to share with anyone who reads this. I have recently decided to become a Mary Kay Consultant. I am super excited about this. So if anyone would like any information about anything relate to Mark Kay let me know. This is a new thing so I am still learning. But this is so so exciting. I am excited to learn more about everything about it. AHHHH! So there will probably be a lot of posts on here about it so that I do not annoy my friends. Of course you are my friends too. I will try to attach some pictures of my stuff in the next post.

I am excited to be my own boss and get to control this.

Just a bit of Stress

As the year comes closer to a close I find myself getting more and more stressed. I always feel like I have to be doing homework or studying. I am also getting annoyed with smaller things. I interviewed for the second portfolio I have to complete and the lady said they would be graded in a week. That was two weeks ago and she has not even opened mine yet to begin to look at it. I do not care that it takes a while but do not make promises that you cannot keep. Another professor has not emailed me back about some very important things that I need to know about very soon.

It is funny though how the people who realize you are stressed are often not the people who are closest to you. Today, one of the guys in my science class asked if I was stressed because I just seemed a little tense. This is interesting because none of my friends noticed it and I was able to say yes I am kind of stressed.

As the year comes to a close I am excited because I need a break but, I am also freaking out because I have quite a bit to get done. That is okay though I am not super far behind, I will have enough time. Now off to work and then to do make homework. The joys of being a busy college student.

Catching Up

Hey sorry it has been so long (I may just be apologizing to myself who knows). My life has been crazy but I will catch you up and hopefully find time to write more often because I really do enjoy it. Well the first thing that happened is Spring Break. My Spring Break ended up being very busy. I did three days at a school for my college clinical hours and then I spent the rest of the time at a huge basketball tournament that my brother was in.

I went back to school and was crazy busy. I presented my portfolio for the Education program and I had a ton of projects. It was crazy I felt like I had zero free time. This has lead to me using my Easter Break to work on homework so that I can feel a little bit ahead. The end of the school year is coming extremely fast!!!

The thing that I am most excited about it something that I ordered and it is on its way to my house. A while ago I saw a YouTube video about Young Living Essential Oils and I am not going to lie I was extremely intrigued. The only problem was that I was not sure that I should spend the money because it is kind of expensive. Then I saw another video and decided to go for it. I signed up and got my Premium Starter Kit. I have been watching a ton of videos and am really excited. I am not ready to make any comments about the oils because I do not have mine but you can expect some posts about it coming up.

If anyone reads this and is familiar with Young Living Essential oils comment below and give me some advice because I have no clue. If anyone is intrigued just like I was I can make a post about some videos to watch and I can do more posts once I get more familiar with my oils. I would even be willing to do a post just showing what comes with my Premium Starter Kit and explaining pricing. Just let me know.

Praying for My Husband

This is something that I thought would be very interesting to write. Right before my freshman year of high school I read an article in a magazine about praying for your future spouse. This article really made me think one of my main goals in life has always been being a wife and then a mother. On that day I decided to take time to pray for my future spouse. Now I made this decision six and a half years ago and I can tell you the way I pray for him has greatly changed. Now as a little freshman about to enter high school no one had ever talked to me about praying for your future spouse, the only information I had about it was the idea and the article I read. So it pretty much started out with me adding to my prayers, Dear God, please be with my future husband and that was pretty much it. As I got more comfortable with the idea I would pray that his faith was being strengthened, that he had a good day, and that he has an amazing support system there for him.

Not to long ago I was thinking about this and my view on it changed. No trust me I did not decide that praying for him was a bad idea. I decided that there was more I could add to the prayer. Now I think the easiest way to show this would just to write down what my prayer my sound like. The thing that has changed the most is not only praying for my future husband but praying for myself as his future wife.

Here is something to the affect of what I may pray:
Dear Lord, Please me with my future husband in whatever he is dealing with in life. Keep him safe and happy. Allow for him to have people in his life to support him. Help his faith be growing each day. Lord help him to be gaining the characteristics he need to be a husband and a father. Please also be with me as I grow. Allow me to gain the characteristics I need to be a good wife to him and a good mother to our future children. I know that you have a plan for when we will be brought together, please help me to understand that your timing is best. Amen

Sometimes, I go into more details but this is the basic structure of what I would say. I challenge you if you are not married to pray for your future spouse. Even if you are dating someone pray for them and your future spouse double prayers never hurt anyone. Someday I will be able to put a name into my prayer and when that day comes I will be overjoyed.

Spring Time

My favorite time of the year has arrived and that is SPRING. I know that most girls love fall but, I enjoy Spring wholeheartedly. It is the first sunny, warmth you receive after a long winter of below zero temperatures plus the wind chill. I feel like I can breath the air easily. Spring also has a smell to it that I love (you may think I am crazy but I promise there is a smell). It also is the perfect temperature and people truly appreciate the outdoors. I also love that everything is turning green and beginning to grow. I challenge anyone who reads these post to take the time to go outside and appreciate the Spring. Take the time to have silence and think. Appreciate God's creation and thank Him for everything He has done in your life. I often find it easier to look at the positive when the weather turns amazing and I am out enjoying the sun and beautiful creation.  

I want to be Home

Spring Break starts for me at noon on Thursday and I could not be more excited. I am tired of the homework and class. I am ready for relaxation. I am using this mini post to let you guys see a little be more about me. And because I have a ton of homework I should be doing but instead I am procrastinating. I am watching Family Feud and attempting to complete my homework. Thursday cannot come soon enough.

Dear Me

I saw an article today about the #DearMe initiative that is going around. It is posing the question to women of what advice would you give your younger self if you had the chance? I think this is a very important question for people to consider. Not as an opportunity to dwell on the past to much, but to think what do I want kids who are younger than me to know.

I am a sophomore in college and I am about to turn 20. So I thought what would I say to my younger self if I had the chance. Here we go I have decided to do just that:

Dear Younger Me,

To my younger self you are going to have many emotional times both bad and good as you continue to grow up. There will be times that you think you could not be any happier and times that you think could not be any worse, but you will make it through them all.

First, do not fight with your mom. She is just trying to do what is best for you even though you think she is being overbearing. She loves you more than you could ever believe. You will also grow to realize she is your best friend, your biggest supporter, and will drop everything in a second to be there when you need her.

Second, try not to fight and get upset with your brother. You will realize when you go off to college how much you miss him. Continue to support him in everything he does. Enjoy the good times you spend together because before you know it you will be leaving for college and then he will be too.

Also, realize that the friends you are trying to become extremely close to may not be your "forever" friends. You are going to meet the craziest group of girls in college and you will wonder how you made it through the rest of your schooling without them. They will help you laugh more and be there when you just need to cry.

The boy that you date in high school will not work out. No matter how much you thought that someday you would be marrying your high school relationship. It will not work out in the relationship sense but it will teach you a lot. It will help you grow up a bit. He will also be the perfect gentlemen and show you how you deserve to be treated in a relationship. I cannot tell you by the time you are 20 you will have an amazing boyfriend but, I am sure there are still big things in store for us that neither of us realize yet.

Lastly, spend all the time you can bettering your relationship with God because He will be there will you all the time. Do not be afraid to show emotion whether it is laughing until you are crying or crying. It is fine when you have to sit somewhere by yourself and just be alone. Also continue to work hard in school and sports you will show what amazing character you have. You will lose your Grandpa and your dog very close together. This will show you that your family are the people in your life that are truly there for you.

Sincerely,
Your future self who still has a lot to figure out.

Spring Break

Spring Break is in a week and a half for me. I could not be more excited, I really just need a break from classes and work. I want time to relax. Now I bet you are thinking what amazing thing are you going to be doing over Spring Break? Do not worry I am not a person you have to be jealous of for having an amazing adventure. I am just going to be going home for Spring Break. I will also be finishing up my last few hours to get Upper Division Status in my Education Program for the first three days of my break. Even better I will be waking up at six that entire week to drop one of my adorable kids (do not worry I am just their babysitter) off at school.

I will also be writing a paper that one of my professors gave me an extension on because I need to complete the hours in a classroom first. And I will be finishing up my Portfolio because I have my interview for that two days after I get back from Spring Break.

The thing I am looking forward to the most is seeing my amazing family because I always miss them. Maybe I will even be able to see some of my friends. As you can see my Spring Break is pretty full and will not necessarily be super relaxing but I am still 100% excited for that.

Lastly, the weather where I live is starting to warm up it is supposed to be in the upper 30s (in Fahrenheit) talk about a heat wave.

Joy in the Morning

This picture has the Bible verse Psalm 30:5 on it. People always will ask what my favorite Bible verse is and I never know how to answer. My favorite will change as situations in my life change and as I rediscover Bible verses. For about a year this has been my favorite Bible verse. About a year ago at this time I was going through some very difficult things. It was made harder because it was the first time I was dealing with something very difficult away from home. I am not sure how I came across this Bible verse but, I could not be more glad that I did. This past year of my life has been hard for various reasons but, my faith has been my constant comfort. 

This verse reminds me that bad things happen in life. But, no matter what bad things happen there is joy on the horizon. Now know that this verse should not be taken as something bad happened today but tomorrow will be amazing. Some things are like that and it is always amazing to feel the joy but some things hurt for longer than a day. This verse brings comfort to me that I will not be in physical or emotional pain forever. God brings joy into my life. If I look hard enough I can see the daily joys that God puts in my life. 

Allow this verse to be a comfort for you that the bad will not go on forever. You will have joys brought in your life. Never forget to be thankful for the joys no matter how big or small that they may seem at the time.  

Friendships Through Time

I am always very jealous of the people who have friends that they have known since birth, then they go to school together, go off to college together, and then their kids are friends. I wish I could say that this was me. Aside from my cousin I have one really close friend that has been there forever. I never remember meeting her or becoming friends with her she was just there. We still keep in contact, although I wish we did a better job at it (I am taking over half the blame for that). She is always there are we can talk like we have never been apart and I love her for that.

In grade school I made friends but in the transition to high school I pretty much lost contact with all of them. I was one of the only people from my friends in grade school that went to the high school that I went to. I was oddly okay with that though because I thought that I would just meet my amazing friends in high school. I made friends in high school and had a great time. Everyone used to tell me that I was the person that could fit in and get along with all the different groups in our class. I took this as a very large compliment and never thought of the negative side of this until later on. What this really means is I was never close enough with any group to be included in their activities. When they are all back at home and catch up I am not included. This hurt quite a bit because I would see pictures of everyone hanging out or hear them talk about it and it would feel awful. Now do not feel bad for me, if I see someone that I know when I am home we will talk and catch up. I have even met up with some of my friends from high school for coffee. But I do not have one of those groups of friends back home that other people in college talk about how they already have plans to hang out when they go back home for summer. I regularly talk to one friend from high school and I am crazy thankful for that.

Now, moving on to the crazy girls I am amazingly close to now. The transition to college last year was hard for me. I missed my family and I missed my hometown. Then one day I walked into a girls room across the hall from me and that was one of the best choices I have made in college. That is how I met the amazing girls that I am best friends with in college today. They are insane and funny. They have become my support system away from home. Their job titles range from friend, study buddy, therapist, to clown and any job you can think of in between. I truly hope that these friendships do not turn into my friendships of the past that fizzle away when we move into our next step of life.

Finally, I mentioned my cousin early and for this story to be complete she deserves a huge shout out. Her and I are pretty much sisters, not we never lived that close to each other but that does not matter. We talk to each other all the time and we are pretty close in age so that does not hurt either. We can tell each other anything and laugh together. She has even offered to beat up a boy for me. I know that no matter what I can tell her anything and get honest advice. She is always there and we are always ready to catch up with each other. She has seen me at the best of times and been there next to me during the worse of times. She still loves me all the same.

I know if anyone is reading this they are probably tired of reading but I have one more thing. You may be thinking why did you tell us all that information. Well, I was thinking about this the other day and I was thinking I do not regret any of those friendships even the ones I lost because they taught me something about myself and about other people. Never be so afraid of losing a friend that you do not make them a friend in the first place. If you follow that you may miss out on some of the best people in your life.  

Get to know me

Obviously, you learned a little about me in my About Me page, but I thought you may what to know a little more. I always want to feel that personal connection to someone. So I decided to answer this list of questions. If you read this blog (I doubt that any one does at this point) feel free to answer the questions in the comment so that I can get to know you. I want this to be a little group of friends and I want us to have fun together. So lets get started:

1. Who is your hero? I have to say that my mom is my biggest hero and my best friend.
2. If you could live anywhere, where would it be? I would live where I currently live. I love it here. 
3. What is your biggest fear? Needles and loosing someone I love. 
4. What is your favorite family vacation? Spending time in the summer at baseball tournaments.
5. What would you change about yourself if you could? Honestly just being healthier in every sense of the word. 
6. What really makes you angry? People who pretend to care about you and then show you that they really do not. 
7. What motivates you to work hard? Thinking about how working harder now will help my future. 
8. What is your favorite thing about your career? My favorite thing about my future career is I will be able to help children every single day. 
9. What is your biggest complaint about your job? I do not know yet but give it a few years and I am sure I will have a list. 
10. What is your proudest accomplishment? Learning to drive stick shift
11. What is your favorite book to read? The Day the Crayons Quit 
12. What makes you laugh the most? My crazy roommates and family  
13. What was the last movie you went to? What did you think? DUFF, I thought it was funny and pretty cute.
14. What did you want to be when you were small? A teacher, I have always been a planner.
15. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be? Spend a day traveling with my family. 
16. What is your favorite game or sport to watch and play? I like watching football and basketball the most. 
17. Would you rather ride a bike, ride a horse, or drive a car? Ride a horse 
18. What would you sing at Karaoke night? If I was feeling crazy enough
19. What two radio stations do you listen to in the car the most? Christian radio and Top 40
20. Which would you rather do: wash dishes, mow the lawn, clean the bathroom, or vacuum the house? Clean the bathroom 
21. If you could hire someone to help you, would it be with cleaning, cooking, or yard work? Yard work
22. If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? Pizza there is enough variety that I would not get sick of it.
23. Have you ever had a nickname? What is it? Boo or Boog. I do not know my parents call me them.
24. Do you like or dislike surprises? Why or why not? I dislike them if I know someone it trying ot plan a surprise because I like being in control. 
25.  In the evening, would you rather play a game, visit a relative, watch a movie, or read? Watch a movie or read
26. Would you rather vacation in Hawaii or Alaska, and why? Alaska I am not the biggest fan of beaches.
27. Would you rather win the lottery or work at the perfect job? Work at the perfect job.
28. Who would you want to be stranded with on a deserted island? My family
29. If money was no object, what would you do all day? Now college, in the future I would be a Stay at Home Mom
30. If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to? The 1980s I would want to see my parents as kids.
31. What are your hobbies? Knitting, crafts, watching TV
32. What is the best gift you have been given? Gifts to my brother 
33. Aside from food, water, and shelter, what one thing could you not go a day without? As bad as it sounds my phone.
34. Where do you see yourself in five years? I would be about to turn 25. I would hope I was in an amazing teaching job and in a great relationship. 
35. If you were a super-hero, what powers would you have? Invisibility
36. What would you do if you won the lottery? Pay my college debt, travel, and help my parents financially
37. What's your favorite zoo animal? I love feeding the goats and seeing the giraffes
38. How many pillows do you sleep with? Two normal and a body pillow
39. What's your favorite holiday? Christmas
40. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning? Not including the time that I just lay in bed it take me like 25 minutes
41. Do you love or hate rollercoasters? HATE
42.  Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Extrovert
43. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? I would be almost 29. I would want to be married with a child or at least one on the way. 
44. What was your first job? I worked at a summer day camp