Random thoughts....

It rained for five days straight, and today I saw the sun for the first time. Pure bliss...the thunderstorms were cool...but five days, seriously?

I really like the word, seriously? I use it a lot....and I use the word scandalous.

I spent 4 hours at the pool, and burned the back of my legs...ouch. Maybe I should put some sunscreen on tomorrow before I brave the sun again.

I almost got rid of my tan lines today.

I had a wonderful coffee date with Suse this morning. Yeah for friends and free time!

I had an enjoyable "wedding" planning afternoon with Allie. We cooked dinner together, drank wine, and chatted about the upcoming marriage.

I think I might go to Beloit for 5 days next week.

I am blessed by friends who truly care about me.

I may have found a tutoring job that pays $50.00/hr. The students is from Norway, how cool is that?

I had 6 friends call on Monday to check in about how my date went. I am encouraged by those who invest in me.

I love sleeping in and staying up late, both of which I have done a lot of lately.

I had a glass of wine tonight, and am feeling a bit sleepy.

I went to a dips and dorks party last weekend, and dressed up like a dork. It was fun.

I got to play old school Nintendo, and dance around like a crazy person on Saturday night.

I have the itch to travel to a foreign country, but have nowhere to go, no one to go with, and no money to spend.

I bought some kids books today at Barnes and Noble...can't seem to go in there without purchasing something. I love kids books!

I am excited about teaching second grade next year.

I am reading a book about poverty...it is very interesting and enlightening. Tells me a lot about my past students and the places they are at.

I found out I DON'T have to take any summer classes to get my Linguistically Diverse Endorsement in Colorado. I do have to take a stupid test though, and pay another $60 bucks to the department of education....ay-ai-ay.

Why can't they call it one thing? TESOL? ESL? ELD? LD? Caramba...

I really like the word, Caramba, Que pasa?

My apartment people painted our speed bumps today, and I saw 6 car get towed. Bummer for them.

I tried on my bridesmaid dress for Brittany's wedding, and its a little low and a bit short. Yikes! Allie told me I don't look like a hootchie...whew, good thing.

I ate blueberries and raspberries for breakfast today. It made me happy.

I cleaned the kitchen, but have yet to attack the bedroom. The mess is just glaring at me everyday and I keep avoiding it.

I think I should stop, before this list gets ridiculously long!

I am done typing, and need to go make some phone calls. Sionara, Adios, TTFN:)

A bit more direction...

So, I know...writing on here twice in one week. It's a miracle! Who knows how long that will last, but I figured I'd do some updating on here about life in general. I had a bit of a shock the other day when my principal and director called me in for a meeting about next year. I kept going back and forth between whether I wanted to stay in third grade or move back to second grade. It's been a decent year, but surely things could be better in regards to my teaching position. Well, as I walked into the office, I was told that I am officially moving to second grade. Crazy! It hit me and I immediately was a bit overwhelmed with everything. Now, as I think, pray, and meditate more on it, I am realizing it is going to be a great move for me. I am going to be working with 2 amazing teachers on a cohort team, and teaching with a "newbie." The newbie makes me a bit apprehensive, but I trust Todd and Rob when they say we will work well together. We shall see. That is some updated news on the anxieties of not-knowing the future. Also, I think I am going to live with Sarah and another girl named Sarah also. I am excited to have a roommate who is actually home! Life seems to be progressing along quite well, and I am excited to see what this summer holds for me. There are still a lot of questions, but I know the Lord will open the doors and lead me in the way that I should go. Have a great night all! 

My Happy Place...

Over the past couple days, it has been absolutely lovely. Ah, I have come to the conclusion that I am a much happier person when it is warm, sunshiney, and summer. I am so excited for summertime and find myself literally counting the days until school is out! I am so ready to jump on the summer band-wagon of tanning, traveling, weddings, relaxing, and being outside. This weekend I have been down in the springs with the family. It has been such a blessing...I have such a wonderful family. We have enjoyed just being together, laughing, and playing games...our favorite, Settlers. I won today, and I am not cocky at all:) ha. I have lost so many times lately to my family and finally I won. I think sometimes I am too competitive, but today it played out in my favor. We sat outside for lunch and just talked...I got a bit of a sunburn, and it is great. I love having the pink cheeks and red shoulders...it makes me happy. So...all this to say, I love summer and I can't wait for this one to start. Thank you Lord for beautiful weather than delights my soul and changes my attitude! :)

Isn't it ironic?

So, I seem the have a pretty strong immune system and body. I have yet to miss a school day this year, and really have not felt too bad at all on any days. I woke up this morning with an awful stomach ache feeling like I need throw up, yet I can't. The irony of it all is that today is our only field trip of the year. We are going to Denver Museum of Nature and Science, which we are all really excited about! I am not at home and am still going to try to make it today, but just pray with me that I can survive walking around a museum all day, that I can handle riding on a bus without losing it, and that I would have the utmost patience. AHHH...so frustrating.

Moments of Anxiety...

Yes, I know it has been a very long time since I have posted. It seems that the days just pass so quickly and now that my computer is dead, I have to find other ways to get internet. Lately, I have felt very unsure about the future and what it holds. Just last week I found out that I do for sure have a job, however, within in that comes a lot of questions. I have no idea what grade I will be teaching or who I will be co-teaching with. Those of you that know me well, know that I am very detailed oriented and like having this under control. Right now, I don't and that is why life is so hard for me at this point in time. I am trying to trust in the Lord that he knows what is best and will reveal it within his own perfect timing. Please pray as I try to believe that in these two situations, along with who and where I will be living in the fall. 

A Tribute...

I have been thinking a lot over the past couple weeks about the fighting over civil rights. It all started about two weeks ago when we were talking about courage in our classroom and emphasized the great things that Martin Luther King Jr. did during his life. Since then, I have found myself repeatedly thinking about what a different world we live in because of what civil rights activists fought for. I feel like it is on my mind more because of the classroom that I have. In my room, we have about 6 caucasians, 3 african americans, and about 18 latins. Looking at these dynamics make our room so interesting, and these kids have so much to learn from each other. I feel like the exposure to different demographics, characteristics, backgrounds, and races make these kids more accepting of people and cultures. We had a discussion the other day about what our classroom would have been like even sixty years ago. The kids came to the conclusion that they would never have been allowed to be in the same classroom. Many of them expressed concern because they have friends who are of a different race. They expressed frustration about fairness and equality. It was amazing to see them thinking about the reality of these situations. I just wanted to send out a tribute, since it is Martin Luther King Jr. day, to all the people who fought for integration, desegregation, and love. Thank you for your strength to change our world. We can change things if our hearts and minds are unmoveable.

A bit melancholy...

So I just returned last night from a wonderful 10 day vacation in Ecuador. We arrived on December 22, and spent the first three days in Quito. We enjoyed a wonderful Ecuadorian lunch at our maid's house, a great Christmas dinner with the Stucks, and a fantastic traditional fondue dinner for Christmas Eve. It was a bit different than our normal Christmases, but better that I could have ever asked for. On the 26th, we began our trek to the wonderful beach of Same with some old family friends...Stucks, Clines, Millers, and Paynes...an absolutely wonderful group of people. It is crazy to think that some of us having been vacationing together for 10 years now, and we are all grown up now. It was just like old times. We spent many a hours playing football, basketball, and mafia. We enjoyed the wonderful food of Bernabe's. We laid on the beach, and did our round robin dinners. We even braved an evening in the lively city of Atacames...it was just like old times. We returned to Quito the night of the 31st, with a brief stop at the ghetto fireworks stand, where we purchased a ton of illegal...but awesome fireworks.
What is Ecuador without a rocking New Year's Eve. The Clines hosted a wonderful party at their place, with games and snacks. At 11:00 we headed down to the park for a fireworks display, put on primarily by Riley and Austin...wow! It was awesome. A few close calls, some screams, and an hour later....we had surely set off the best fireworks in Quito. We rang in the new year with smoke, fire, and great friends. My last day was spent packing, enjoying time with my family, and a great evening with friends.
I boarded my plane early yesterday, the 2nd to return "home." It feels weird writing "home" because I still don't know what is home. I thought I was okay calling Denver home, but being back in Ecuador reaffirmed the reality that Ecuador really is my home. I have been in a melancholy mood all day today, almost on the verge of tears. I am not wanting to be in America right now....in all honesty, I miss Quito. I miss my sense of community there, and I miss my dear friends that I have spent so many years investing in.
I think the hardest thing about leaving Ecuador this time is not knowing when we will be going back. This was the last big sha-bang to Ecuador as a whole family. It was a great end, but it is definitely getting to my emotions not knowing when or IF I will return. I know this is really long, but it's been a processing in the making. I been thinking and going through a lot in my mind, so here it is....all written out!