i know -- this is unprecedented -- two posts in one day...
i just thought i should share this. if you really know me you know that i am a pack rat. i save everything for absolutely no reason or purpose. in fact, just a few weeks ago while we were making whitney's christmas present i got out my "art drawer" and we found some real treasures in it. included in the art drawer was a little piece of paper towel that had a piece of scotch tape attached to it. written on this paper towel was "emily's, don't touch". where did this come from? well, when i was in college addie saved me a piece of her birthday cake and put this warning on the cake for all to know they were not to eat it -- it was being saved until i came home for the weekend. keep in mind, in may it will be four years since i graduated college. and i'll guarantee that this note was created during my earlier college years. but for some reason i have found it necessary to keep all these years.
well this pack rat nature carries over to emails. i had some time this afternoon on my hands and thought i should work through my inbox in my email. it was RIDICULOUS what i had not deleted and also the things i really had to MAKE myself delete. things like this should not be that hard. but nonetheless, i am a pack rat.
bonus points once again for the title...
Thursday, January 29, 2009
everybody...
well, so much for updating more frequently than once a week -- at least it hasn't been too long since the last post.
gosh i just feel like things are going by so quickly these days -- life moves faster than i know what to do with sometimes. this isn't necessarily a bad thing but it does make getting all the things i plan to do in a day done.
the new semester started on tuesday and it's always and adjustment. i went from having 13 kids first hour to 25 (which is nice that number is down from 29). it's so weird how different my room looks though and of course the difference in noise level. i still love it though. i do love my job.
i think i've been reminded lately how much i love my friends. they are truly the best and i just don't knwo what i would do without them. today maria is subbing at school and at one point maria, melissa, kmac and i were all in the music room -- i mean that just doesn't happen every day. i love it.
and also -- not like it's hard -- but bonus points if you can guess the meaning behind the title of this blog.
gosh i just feel like things are going by so quickly these days -- life moves faster than i know what to do with sometimes. this isn't necessarily a bad thing but it does make getting all the things i plan to do in a day done.
the new semester started on tuesday and it's always and adjustment. i went from having 13 kids first hour to 25 (which is nice that number is down from 29). it's so weird how different my room looks though and of course the difference in noise level. i still love it though. i do love my job.
i think i've been reminded lately how much i love my friends. they are truly the best and i just don't knwo what i would do without them. today maria is subbing at school and at one point maria, melissa, kmac and i were all in the music room -- i mean that just doesn't happen every day. i love it.
and also -- not like it's hard -- but bonus points if you can guess the meaning behind the title of this blog.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
what an ab workout
here's a first -- i'm updating my blog after only a few days. definitely hasn't happened before.
second -- i feel like i should again stress how awesome my sister date was on friday night. it's so fun because i sometimes feel like i have been waiting ever since i was 7 years old for my sisters to grow up. does that make sense? i guess when you are 6 1/2 years older than one sister and 9 years older than the other you always feel like the "old" one. which don't get me wrong, has been awesome. but at the same time i think i've always waited for the time when the three of us can hang out and really all enjoy it and just be sisters. and on friday night i thought, 'gosh, here we are, just hanging out. being sisters.' it was just really nice.
and now thirdly - the ab workout.
you may remember how joyful i was on the last post because i was smack dab in the middle of my surprise five day weekend. well the happiness did not last long after that post. i woke up on sunday morning feeling a bit sick but thought it was only because i was hungry -- i had eaten at panera the day before and kind of had the late lunch/early dinner deal so i didn't put too much to my sickness. on my way out of the house for church i didn't eat anything because i was running short on time and just figured i'd eat afterwards. well, i got to church and while we were singing found that suddenly this wave of sickness hit me. i sat down but soon found that wasn't even enough. i quickly went to the bathroom and nearly passed out. i thankfully did not throw up at this point but all that went through my mind at this point was how was i going to get home? i finally mustered up the courage to leave the bathroom -- looking extra stellar i might add since my face was ghostly white and my hair was matted to my face with sweat. i went back into the sanctuary, got my stuff and then promptly left. i made it home and proceeded to lay down on my bed. it took me a good thirty minutes to muster up the strength to just change clothes at this point. it was around this time that my "ab workout" began if you catch my drift. i then made my way downstairs to the couch where a bathroom would be even closer and found myself pretty much glued to the couch for the next two days. luckily my mom was nearby -- she came and took care of me for a little bit. and then when melissa and maria got home they were awesome -- i think melissa's quote was, "sorry that we keep just looking at you. it's like a car wreck -- you can't help but just stare at it."
yesterday was much better -- i didn't throw up at all but every time i stood up i thought i was going to die. my abs and back hurt so much from all my throwing up the day before that i wasn't quite sure i would ever stand up straight again. (update -- i'm feeling much better today, i think my posture will be fine). sidenote: i don't know if this is how everyone gets but my least favorite part about throwing up is not necessarily the actual process of it -- i mean don't get me wrong, i hate throwing up -- but i get this ridiculous naseous feeling for about an hour before actually throwing up. it's that feeling that i hate.
and so here i am back at school after my surprise five day weekend which turned out to be more like a three day weekend and two days of death.
second -- i feel like i should again stress how awesome my sister date was on friday night. it's so fun because i sometimes feel like i have been waiting ever since i was 7 years old for my sisters to grow up. does that make sense? i guess when you are 6 1/2 years older than one sister and 9 years older than the other you always feel like the "old" one. which don't get me wrong, has been awesome. but at the same time i think i've always waited for the time when the three of us can hang out and really all enjoy it and just be sisters. and on friday night i thought, 'gosh, here we are, just hanging out. being sisters.' it was just really nice.
and now thirdly - the ab workout.
you may remember how joyful i was on the last post because i was smack dab in the middle of my surprise five day weekend. well the happiness did not last long after that post. i woke up on sunday morning feeling a bit sick but thought it was only because i was hungry -- i had eaten at panera the day before and kind of had the late lunch/early dinner deal so i didn't put too much to my sickness. on my way out of the house for church i didn't eat anything because i was running short on time and just figured i'd eat afterwards. well, i got to church and while we were singing found that suddenly this wave of sickness hit me. i sat down but soon found that wasn't even enough. i quickly went to the bathroom and nearly passed out. i thankfully did not throw up at this point but all that went through my mind at this point was how was i going to get home? i finally mustered up the courage to leave the bathroom -- looking extra stellar i might add since my face was ghostly white and my hair was matted to my face with sweat. i went back into the sanctuary, got my stuff and then promptly left. i made it home and proceeded to lay down on my bed. it took me a good thirty minutes to muster up the strength to just change clothes at this point. it was around this time that my "ab workout" began if you catch my drift. i then made my way downstairs to the couch where a bathroom would be even closer and found myself pretty much glued to the couch for the next two days. luckily my mom was nearby -- she came and took care of me for a little bit. and then when melissa and maria got home they were awesome -- i think melissa's quote was, "sorry that we keep just looking at you. it's like a car wreck -- you can't help but just stare at it."
yesterday was much better -- i didn't throw up at all but every time i stood up i thought i was going to die. my abs and back hurt so much from all my throwing up the day before that i wasn't quite sure i would ever stand up straight again. (update -- i'm feeling much better today, i think my posture will be fine). sidenote: i don't know if this is how everyone gets but my least favorite part about throwing up is not necessarily the actual process of it -- i mean don't get me wrong, i hate throwing up -- but i get this ridiculous naseous feeling for about an hour before actually throwing up. it's that feeling that i hate.
and so here i am back at school after my surprise five day weekend which turned out to be more like a three day weekend and two days of death.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
it's cold outside
now for anyone who truly knows me they know i did not go into teaching for the vacations and days off and what have yous. i became a teacher because i love working with kids and i love seeing kids grow and develop and acquire new knowledge. i love to see what kids are like when they start school in september and then notice the awesome change that has happened when they leave in june. i love my job because each and every day i am given the opportunity to impact the lives of my students for the better. i have the chance to impact the people who will impact the generations to come. now that i've said that, i feel like i can talk about the last few days in my life.
the talk at school on monday, tuesday and wednesday was focused on one thing. a possible snow day. it had started snowing on monday while we were at school and the kids were hoping it would hold out and make the morning commute impossible and cancel school for tuesday. no soap there. tuesday everyone was slightly depressed that a snow day hadn't occurred and the focus turned to thursday. word on the street was it would be too cold for school. i quickly scoffed the idea of a "too cold day". i mean really, that hadn't happened since i was in like 8th grade and that was thanks to the old governor arnie carlson. i was completely convinced that we would not be seeing a day off from school at all. boy was i wrong :)
thursday morning i heard melissa's phone ring and then heard her bustling around. i assumed that we had both overslept and that school had just called her. she scurried into my bedroom and about that same time i realized that it was only 5:15 am. she was coming in to report the much awaited, secretely anticipated and hoped for day off from school. i couldn't believe it. i my stupor of sleep i was so ecstatic, although my response could have maybe said otherwise. as melissa left my room i proudly proclaimed (much like an 8 year old) "I asked God for this last night!"
our day was spent in the living room watching old episodes of felicity and sitting in our pajamas until about 4:00. yes, that's right 4:00 p.m. it was a beautiful thing. also, i drank coffee nearly all day and both melissa and i ate some of the christmas candy that we still have from students. i talked with my mom that night and she said that the next day was supposed to be even colder -- maybe we would have another day off. another day off, i thought, could it be so? and since we already had monday off for martin luther king jr. i was already thinking about the awesomeness of a five day weekend. could it happen though?
yes, yes it did. friday was another "too cold" day. melissa and i decided to brave the world friday though and go to the gym, and run other various errands. we still got a few episodes of felicity in though.
last night was a sister date. caroline, addie and i went to dinner and then came back to my place and we watched "the princess bride". some good times were had by all and there will be another sister date soon -- stay tuned.
and now i sit at panera on saturday afternoon. smack dab in the middle of my surprise five day weekend. i love my job.
the talk at school on monday, tuesday and wednesday was focused on one thing. a possible snow day. it had started snowing on monday while we were at school and the kids were hoping it would hold out and make the morning commute impossible and cancel school for tuesday. no soap there. tuesday everyone was slightly depressed that a snow day hadn't occurred and the focus turned to thursday. word on the street was it would be too cold for school. i quickly scoffed the idea of a "too cold day". i mean really, that hadn't happened since i was in like 8th grade and that was thanks to the old governor arnie carlson. i was completely convinced that we would not be seeing a day off from school at all. boy was i wrong :)
thursday morning i heard melissa's phone ring and then heard her bustling around. i assumed that we had both overslept and that school had just called her. she scurried into my bedroom and about that same time i realized that it was only 5:15 am. she was coming in to report the much awaited, secretely anticipated and hoped for day off from school. i couldn't believe it. i my stupor of sleep i was so ecstatic, although my response could have maybe said otherwise. as melissa left my room i proudly proclaimed (much like an 8 year old) "I asked God for this last night!"
our day was spent in the living room watching old episodes of felicity and sitting in our pajamas until about 4:00. yes, that's right 4:00 p.m. it was a beautiful thing. also, i drank coffee nearly all day and both melissa and i ate some of the christmas candy that we still have from students. i talked with my mom that night and she said that the next day was supposed to be even colder -- maybe we would have another day off. another day off, i thought, could it be so? and since we already had monday off for martin luther king jr. i was already thinking about the awesomeness of a five day weekend. could it happen though?
yes, yes it did. friday was another "too cold" day. melissa and i decided to brave the world friday though and go to the gym, and run other various errands. we still got a few episodes of felicity in though.
last night was a sister date. caroline, addie and i went to dinner and then came back to my place and we watched "the princess bride". some good times were had by all and there will be another sister date soon -- stay tuned.
and now i sit at panera on saturday afternoon. smack dab in the middle of my surprise five day weekend. i love my job.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
embrace the journey
change happens so quickly and i, being a creature of habit, have a hard time with change at times. yet, lately i have just been reminded that above all i need to just embrace the journey that God has put me on. i am in the place that i am in for a reason -- a purpose.
i am reminded of the story of esther. there she was, in a place of position where she could have an influence to save her people from death. of course, taking action meant she could be facing death herself whereas if she stayed quiet she would be "safe". and yet while communicating with mordecai she receives this response, "do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. for if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. and who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:13-14) i think this is one of my favorite passages because it says so much. was God going to completely forsake the Jews? of course not -- if esther did not speak out God would have used someone else or saved His people in another way. and yet mordecai drives home his point when he states: "who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" basically it was like saying, "hello esther, wake up. do you think that you just 'happened' to become queen? no! God placed you here for a reason -- embrace it. is it going to be tough? sure it will be -- but knowing that you didn't do anything for your people who were in need is going to be harder." i mean, what would have happened had esther not embraced her journey? God placed her there for a purpose. and He did it on purpose.
right now i am excited for everything that is going on and know i too need to embrace the journey God has placed me on. since change can be hard i find myself at times thinking about what was. last year at this time i worked with my three best friends. my other best friend was a little farther away but still in minnesota so i think i found comfort in that fact. and we kept in contact with our other best friend via awesome music videos. things change though. now whitney lives in france (soon to be chicago though), jess moved back to wisconsin, kristen moved to second grade -- yes still at the same school but believe me, the distance from her room to my room has turned out to feel like miles with our busy days. i just spend so much time thinking about how great it was last year and i wish i would have cherished it more. but if i spend so much time trying to "cherish" the past, how can i enjoy the present? even though it is change, i can't be afraid of it.
i take comfort in knowing: "every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." and so while everything around me may be changing, i need to embrace it because God does not change -- He is my constant. my stronghold.
and so i vow to not live in the what was, the what could be, the what i wish, or the what will be. i will live for the moment. i will enjoy what the Lord has blessed me with today and let tomorrow worry about itself.
i am reminded of the story of esther. there she was, in a place of position where she could have an influence to save her people from death. of course, taking action meant she could be facing death herself whereas if she stayed quiet she would be "safe". and yet while communicating with mordecai she receives this response, "do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. for if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. and who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:13-14) i think this is one of my favorite passages because it says so much. was God going to completely forsake the Jews? of course not -- if esther did not speak out God would have used someone else or saved His people in another way. and yet mordecai drives home his point when he states: "who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" basically it was like saying, "hello esther, wake up. do you think that you just 'happened' to become queen? no! God placed you here for a reason -- embrace it. is it going to be tough? sure it will be -- but knowing that you didn't do anything for your people who were in need is going to be harder." i mean, what would have happened had esther not embraced her journey? God placed her there for a purpose. and He did it on purpose.
right now i am excited for everything that is going on and know i too need to embrace the journey God has placed me on. since change can be hard i find myself at times thinking about what was. last year at this time i worked with my three best friends. my other best friend was a little farther away but still in minnesota so i think i found comfort in that fact. and we kept in contact with our other best friend via awesome music videos. things change though. now whitney lives in france (soon to be chicago though), jess moved back to wisconsin, kristen moved to second grade -- yes still at the same school but believe me, the distance from her room to my room has turned out to feel like miles with our busy days. i just spend so much time thinking about how great it was last year and i wish i would have cherished it more. but if i spend so much time trying to "cherish" the past, how can i enjoy the present? even though it is change, i can't be afraid of it.
i take comfort in knowing: "every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." and so while everything around me may be changing, i need to embrace it because God does not change -- He is my constant. my stronghold.
and so i vow to not live in the what was, the what could be, the what i wish, or the what will be. i will live for the moment. i will enjoy what the Lord has blessed me with today and let tomorrow worry about itself.
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