Time Flies when...

...you are falling in love, at the beach, student teaching, getting engaged, graduating from college, and planning a wedding. Yep, all that has happened since my last post OVER A YEAR ago! But as you can see, slacking on my blog has been for several good reasons.

I had a very exciting, fun, and life-changing year. I met Nate (my now fiance) on March 26, 2011 at a volleyball tournament, which we returned to and won this year. We got to know each other long distance through letters, texts, phone calls, and visits every few weeks. After school ended in June, I returned to Cannon Beach for my second year. This summer I lived with my 3 great friends from the first summer: Jill, Katie, and Olivia. Being roommates with all of them was amazing and one of the best things about the summer. I was the supervisor teacher for the 4 and 5 year-olds, which came with a lot of challenges and joys. The kids were so precious and I enjoyed it a lot. In September, I got to spend 3 weeks at home before school started again. It was so nice to be close to Nate for longer than a weekend. We took a road trip to Montana to visit his parents and my brother as well as other fun hangouts in our neck of the woods such as boating and a demolition derby. Heading back to Seattle was hard to leave him but I had 3 amazing roommates awaiting me, which made it better. I was SO SO blessed to be able to live with Emily, Esther, and Janelle my last two quarters of college. Those girls are so beautiful, fun, loving, encouraging, and great to live with. We got along very well, and definitely the worst part about graduating a quarter early was cutting my time living with them short. Over Christmas break, both Esther and I got engaged. Very exciting to be sure! Winter quarter included lots of wedding plans, bridal magazines, and pinterest squeezed into my incredibly busy teaching schedule. I did my student teaching in a Kindergarten classroom with an amazing mentor teacher and 25 sweet students. I learned so much and survived the brand new Teacher's Performance Assessment (it took over 30 hours to complete!) I am going to be visiting the classroom this Friday and it will be a surprise for the students. I can't wait to see them!

So now I am living back at home. I have been exercising 6 days a week since mid-March (getting in wedding/honeymoon/bikini shape). Jillian Michaels exercises are great! She definitely kicks your butt and doesn't care one bit. I have also been working on wedding plans little by little including calling and meeting with vendors, making my invitations, and marriage counseling. I also applied to three different school districts for a teaching position for the fall. Praying that something opens up and I can find a good job.

The sun has finally come around and made it look like spring here in North Idaho. Nate and I had our engagement pictures taken on Sunday. It was so much fun. Our photographer is really great. I can't wait to see all of the pictures. Today I ate my lunch outside...so maybe 30 minutes...and I got burned! I seriously have the most pathetic skin ever.

Anyways, now that I am out of school and won't have a job until late August, I have lots of free time that I need to fill. Yes there is wedding stuff to do now, but it doesn't take all my time, and I need something for the month after our wedding when Nate is still working and I'm not. So...I want to start blogging more. I think it will be fun to write about my adventures as a new wife. I want to do a lot of cooking. I have probably over 20 Rachel Ray magazines plus dozens of pins on pinterest. I want to make an organized and categorized recipe book and then start trying out the delicious meals. I love food and would love to become more confident cooking and comfortable in the kitchen. I want to do more reading. I read the Hunger Games series recently in preparation of seeing the movie (SO GOOD) and it reminded me how much I used to love reading (before it was assigned in a syllabus and I had to write a paper on it). So I need to make a list, get some recommendations, and find them for my kindle or go to the library! I also want to try and be more crafty. I have so many cute ideas for the home and decor that are on my pinterest and I think I could do them if I just tried. I know once I start teaching I will get very busy again--I'm nervous about my first year and just getting everything established and organized--but this is a new chapter in my life, mmmm more like the next book in the series as its too many life-changing events for just a new chapter. Anyways, its a new part of my life and I want to try new things, find things I enjoy, find things that Nate and I enjoy, and figure out who I am as a wife and career woman. I can't believe I'm all grown up and done with school. Wow, time flies...

A New Season Begins

Today is the first day of Autumn, and my last day at home. It has been so beautiful here in North Idaho lately. The leaves have begun changing to yellow and we've had a few really nice sunny days with blue skies. It's getting colder and it definitely feels like fall. Mom put out the fall decorations today. The transition is over and a new season has come; not just for the calendar but for me as well. I had two weeks of transition time at home and tomorrow morning I will be driving back to Seattle (by myself, in my brand new car!).

I didn't mean to go this long without blogging. The last few days at Cannon Beach were wonderful. I miss being there so much. It seems like just yesterday yet it also seems like ages ago. Time is such a strange thing. My parents came down for the Labor Day weekend conference. It was good to visit with them and have them meet my friends and see what I had been enjoying all summer. The last weekend was bittersweet and so much happened. One of my good friend's dad passed away unexpectedly and it was so hard because there is nothing you can say to help. It was good though to be there with her, hold her, and cry with her. We helped her pack up her room and said goodbyes, promising to keep in touch and keep her and her family in our prayers. We were all kinda numb not believing what had just happened but we had to get back to work and prepare for a new group of kids that night. That night, Bruce, Trenton, Jill and I hung out watching Psych in the Beach Front lounge---should have definitely hung out in there earlier in the summer! Saturday was my day off but I worked the carnival to help out and go to dance on stage. A trip to Seaside with my parents, watching football, session, SNL practice and girl time completed the day. Sunday I worked session, played flag football, enjoyed the concert in the park, had evening session, SNL and then laid on the beach and looked at stars. Monday we had one final session with the kids and then spend the afternoon completely cleaning all the classrooms. There were A LOT of staples in that wall! It was really weird to see our Route 66 room all bare and white. Before I locked it up, I sat there and remembered a lot of good times in the classroom: games, lessons, and crafts with the kids; prep-time with Amber, Mitch, and Bruce; prayers, laughter, and talking; the dessert night that the guys threw for us; and now the room was empty. It felt like saying goodbye to a room in a house when you move. We had a final meeting to watch a staff slideshow and Eric gave a final send-off devotion. Staff bbq and packing followed and then a whole lot of goodbyes. Tuesday was the long drive home but we stopped in Spokane so I could buy my new car! A 2009 Silver Honda CR-V Ex-L :) I love it!

I've spent the last couple weeks here at home getting things ready for school, visiting friends, hanging out with my parents, sleeping in, and shopping. One of the weird things about being home is that my brother is not here! He's all grown up and off to college now. So, I went to Bozeman with Annie last weekend to visit my brother at school. It was really fun to see his campus, catch up with him, visit family friends, and drive around Yellowstone. I absolutely LOVE Montana scenery and landscape, especially between Bozeman and Bridger Mtn. Something about rolling hills of farmland, with a few big trees, a barn and house, surrounded by mountains underneath the big Montana sky is just so gorgeous to me! The scenery on the drive was so beautiful with yellow aspen trees, crazy big rocks, rivers, creeks, mountains, valleys--love it!

I'm really grateful for the two weeks at home to transition. I was really not ready to leave Cannon Beach or ready to go to school. But, as I've skyped, texted, and FB chatted with people from SPU over the past two weeks I have become more and more excited to move back to school. I certainly loved Cannon Beach and did not want to leave, but I knew it was time to move on to something else. For every thing there is a season. However, as I head into school I am not the same as I was last year. God has worked in my life and changed me in a lot of ways. He has re-filled me with a passion for Him and a love for children. I have new friends to keep in touch with, visit, and talk to; friends that I can count on for support, prayers, good advice, love, and laughter.

Tomorrow I will be heading out by myself, and heading west to lots of new adventures: Junior year, living in apartment, cooking for myself, learning how to drive in Seattle, Falconettes, Ivy Honorary, volunteering with 3yr-olds at Bethany, and striving to live each day in love and service for Christ.

Sadly, the amazing summer is over; but, tomorrow, a new chapter begins.

An Unusual Week

This week has been quite different because it is a short week so all of our schedules are different. Also this week, we had two kids with down syndrome and autism in K2 so it required extra help and changing some things around to accommodate them. They were both really sweet though and it was fun to work one-on-one with them. I have been hanging out with friends whenever we aren't working. It seems weird and yet also time for the summer to be ending.

Monday we played beach volleyball, I had my last Bible study and then watched stuff with friends. Tuesday we had the morning off and it was really nice to be lazy and take my time getting ready. it rained really hard here all day. It was kind of cool because it hasn't rained like that all summer but you got completely soaked wherever you went. Jill, Bruce, Trenton and I went out to lunch and hung out. I had 5.5 hours of rec shift but it went really fast with running a foosball tournament, friends working with me and playing pool. Today is my day off but I chose to volunteer with 4-5s this morning and I am going to again tonight. I walked around town and the beach this afternoon and then hung out at the carnival. I was kind of lazy again today and probably should have packed or been more productive. oh well :)

Winding Down

Whoops, I let another week go by without posting. It was another good week! I finally got over my stupid cough, which lasted annoyingly long.

One week from today, I will be on my way home with my parents. So crazy to think about! Almost 3 months ago, Jill and I drove up scared and nervous and now we love it here!

Last week was a lot of fun. Had some good sunny days at the beach, a good group of kids and some fun adventures with friends. On Wednesday, I woke up at 2:45 am, on purpose! A bunch of us met up and drove to Saddle Mountain to hike up by the light of flashlights and the full moon. I think its a two mile hike. It wasn't too bad of a climb and lots of fun chatting with people. The views along the way were breathtaking and the scenery from the top was amazing even in the dark. We hung out for about 20 minutes at the top until the sun came up. It was so awesome to see the first speck of light peak over the mountains. We could see Mt. Rainier, Mt. Hood, and Mt. St. Helens from up there. We all just sat in awe of the landscape and the colors that the sun painted across it. After lots of pictures, time praying and watching the sun rise, we headed back down. I hiked alone for most of the way down and it was really good to pray and think while I walked or ran. I think this hike was a really good closure on the summer for me. This might sound cheesy but I came up with a metaphor for this hike. The climb up was fun because it was something new but also kinda hard--not being able to always see that great, hot, spiderwebs in the face, steep; never knowing how much farther. That represents my first two years of college I think. They were really fun but as time went on--winter quarter of sophomore year especially--it got really tough. When I got to the top I was out of breath, hungry, and couldn't see very much. By spring quarter of school I was sick of classes, frustrated with myself over a lot of things, and needing something new. The time when the sun came up and was rising over the landscape lighting it up and adding colors is my time here this summer. I sat there and prayed and praised God for his creation. I was able to see so much clearer with the light and the trail we had come up. This summer has re-connected me with God and let me see where I have come from the past two years. The hike down I was alone though I knew friends were in front of me and behind me a ways. Heading back to school I might feel alone having to say goodbye to my friends here, but I know I can keep in touch with those I say goodbye to and there are friends waiting for me. After the steep section where the footing is hard, I ran down most of the mountain. I am hoping that in the next few weeks I feel ready to go back to school and stand firm in all that I've grown this summer. I may be standing alone sometimes but I want to be okay with that. At that same time though, I don't want this summer to just be a mountain-top experience, it needs to be only a vantage point on my climb higher and higher.

After the hike I napped, layed out on the grassy lawn with friends and then went to here Luis Palau speak. For Moonshadows we went to the arcade in Seaside. It was a lot of fun to play games with friends and have a lot of laughs. Thursday was my last carnival and I got to the Obstacle Course which was a lot of fun. Friday night we hung out in Fireside with Zach since it was his last night. I had volunteered with 2's and 3's during the week and met these adorable twin girls who always ran up to give me hugs whenever they saw me. They were with their family in Fireside that night and I played with them for a bit. It made me feel so happy to make the smile and laugh so much. They were so precious and I love little kid hugs!

Saturday I went to kid breakfast, napped, cleaned, went to the beach for a bit, woo-hoo meeting and then volunteered with 4's and 5's. I always thought if I came back next summer I would want to work with older kids. But after volunteering with toddlers and 4--5s this week I think I would want to do younger kids. They are just so precious and innocent! I love being able to make them smile and be goofy with them. I think I am going to help out with 4-5s again tomorrow.

I have to go do a rec shift now, but I will finish writing tonight maybe.

Worn out

I didn't post last night because I was completely exhausted! Thursdays are so long! The morning session went great, nothing special that I can remember. Carnival was excellent! I got to dance the whole time which was super fun but also very tiring. The last song of the whole thing is called "You Can't Stop the Beat" from Hairspray, and man you certainly can't. My boss cut over a minute of the song out and it was STILL really long. We kept dancing and thinking it was over but it would keep going and going. I danced with one of the girls from my class during that song. She was really shy at first but by the end she was totally into it.

After carnival I lied on my bed and just listened to music and then hung out with a friend and colored. So relaxing. I forgot how much I like coloring. Then we had kid dinner. I am getting really sick of that pizza. :P And we get corn dogs for staff lunch on Thursdays so you just feel gross eating all that "healthy" food and then dancing and running around. Craig and Mitch told another hilarious story which even the High School group came to and enjoyed. I didn't have anyone to babysit after session so I had to work in the rec center. There was 4 of us working and hardly anyone in there so it was quite boring. I collapsed into bed that night. I was sleepy tired and my body was just dead. This morning I did NOT want to get up but that's okay because I have learned how to get ready in 20 minutes and not be late. :)

This morning our devotions were about the oxymoron that Jesus, Peter, Paul, and James teach us about having joy in times of suffering. Our boss mentioned my co-worker's injury last week and how none of us wanted that or liked it but we all grew from it. It was just a week ago that it happened. I still remember it from time to time but when he mentioned it again, all the memories and images came flooding back. Then during session, we took the kids to the gym to play Gladiator--the same game we had played when it happened. It was hard to have a fun time because I was remembering the whole thing. I was constantly looking around counting kids and leaders to make sure everyone was present and okay. Mitch got out and then just stayed sitting down against the wall. After class we talked about it and he was just having flashbacks too. It's crazy how something like that can stick with you so much.

This afternoon I walked around town on the beach for a bit, just thinking and praying. I love being here and hanging out with all my new friends but it is so good to have time by myself too and I don't get enough of it. I napped for an hour and could have kept sleeping until dinner except that I had to work rec center for 3 hours. Those 3 hours are always SO long, especially since hardly anyone comes in for the first 2. Tonight's session was the last with these kids and a lot of fun. Week 4 is over and gone!