Another year

I've started a tradition of adding a new ornament to my tree each year...
This year's new addition is this lil guy. Because of my practicum getting to work at an after school program, I got to teach my first lesson plan. I taught a second grade class about dinosaurs :) it was a blast and at the end they got to draw their own dinosaurs. This has been my first year preparing to be a teacher, and I got this lil guy to remember it.

reading

"sometimes lies were more dependable than the truth"

happy fourth

reading

Thanks to some determined hours and that unquenching need for perspective I have finally been able to knock some books off my "to-read" list! Life of Pi was wrapped up back in may but since then homework has sucked the life and spare time from me. Once in a while I'd pick up The Book Thief and try making headway but my time was quickly ate up. Within the past couple days I have been able to just soak myself in words. The Book Thief? Finished, loved it- every last depressing German bombing of a word. One of my favorites, The Great Gatsby, also re-read. Next is 1984 by George Orwell. Also a crisp copy of Lord of the Flies is waiting for me as well. I've never read either 1984 or lord of the flies and I'm looking forward to them both. I've stashed a few copies of some more of my favorites to re-read like Ender's Game and the Catcher in the Rye. Something about classics makes me want to grab a cup of coffee (no matter how hot it is outside) and just read for hours.

Great Gatsby

"Whenever you feel like criticizing any one," he told me, "Just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had"

backyard nature walk

Starting this today...
http://skinnyms.com/summer-arms-challenge/
Holy Moses.
Now goin for a run along the rims. :)

what's up doc

Soo busy. Life has been just do busy- but good. Another best friend got married, car season is here and my summer classes are in full swing.

Whom have I

Relevant magazine's the drop introduced me to two new groups I have had on repeat the past week.
Right now listening to Ascend the Hill.
"Whom have I in heaven but you God? There is none on this earth that I desire besides you Lord! My flesh and my heart may fail, but you are my strength and my portion forever" praising my way through the day!

Between finals stress reliever

working on my never ending homework enjoying an old favorite...


             thanks to amazon
waiting for the sox to turn their game around (crossing my fingers) and putting off the cleaning I need to do.

all I can say is at least it's not monday right?

even though yesterday completely sucked (on a number of levels) I am so glad today didn't go the way it started out... ya know when people say "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"? well in that case I am not a fan of being flattered. when someone (especially someone that calls you their friend) takes everything that makes you unique and tries to practically be you- it doesn't exactly delight me...
and when someone who is addicted to attention cannot lay off you for a minute- that gets old too. I don't want to be around people that only care about building themselves up and stepping on everyone else to do it.
when this is the type of bs that starts your day off you can only go up...
I don't like to use this to whine or vent, but today that's just the way it's going to be.
wednesday I really hope you pull through for me...

The American Way

To quote my history book:
Economic abundance would eventually come to define the "American way of life" in which personal fulfillment was to be found through acquiring material goods"

flooded with positivity

Encouragement. Positivity. Genuine Love. These are all things that are rarely seen anymore. When you do, these sitings are very few and far between. This weekend I saw them though.
It feels so strange to see someone that knew you when you were a kid and now see you becoming an adult and just encourage the heck outta ya. This weekend I went to the Class C basketball tourney with my dad. He loves going to it and it's always so much fun spending listening to his commentary. We had the chance to see an old boss of his. Ever since I was little I loved this guy. He invited my brother and me out to his house to ride horses and was always such a kind man. It has been so long since I had the chance to see him. At the tournament he came and just flooded the place with positivity. It almost seemed strange to me. Here was a man that cares so much about other people, he knows what life is about. I feel like sometimes I am surrounded by people that just focus on themselves and want to profit for themselves. He wasn't like that at all.
It felt like getting to spend a little bit of time with a family member you haven't seen in a long time. Such a cool thing! There are very few people I seek affirmation from- but getting that pat on the back from him made me want to keep putting all my efforts into life. It's strange how certain people can do that for you.

Wake Up

Perfect pre-test music :) an oldie but will always be a fav

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zdNdjF-htY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

So close I can taste it

Im one test away from weekend freedom. The problem is its a physics test I've been dreading all week... Dear brain, just keep thinking, just keep thinking! Almost there!

Life the way I've been seeing it

It has been a while, and I miss blogging. Like I miss free time. Homework has sucked the life outta me but I'm still loving school...
Here are some instagram shots I've been taking while life has been racing by...

teach them how to work out their own great happiness

From Thomas Jefferson's Notes on Virgina concerning public education.
"Instead, therefore, of putting the Bible and Testament into the hands of the children at an age when their judgements are not sufficiently matured for religious inquires, their memories may here be stored with the most useful facts from Grecian, Roman, European and American history. The first elements of morality too may be installed into their minds; such as when further developed as their judgements advance in strength, may teach them how to work out their own great happiness, by showing them that it does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed them, but is always the result of a good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in just pursuits..."
I am still figuring out in what ways I agree or view Jefferson's views but these statements really got to me. I have to read this for my intro to education class and along with procrastinating the paper I need to write, these statements make me want to just dive into his brain for a while and figure out where his thoughts came from and how he wrote with such an eloquence to make people join his side and change the course of education.

Today has made me one thankful girl...

Ok, this will sould pretty nerdy... But I really do love school. I mean granted I have lost pretty much all of the social life I had due to homework and work, BUT I really do love all my classes so far. These first couple weeks have been slightly stressful because you have to figure out what it is that each teacher wants from you in the assignments given, but man am I learning. I love learning. Even learning about learning makes my lil heart happy :)
I was having a hard time at first being at a larger school than the first one I attended mainly because of the lack of communication- but today I discovered something that pretty much made up for EVERYTHING (at least in my mind right now ;)
My school links up with an online tutoring service that is- get this- FREE. School has had me slightly stressed  because of the draining of my wallent factor but man today this was a God-sent gift! Man, physics can make my brain hurt but this defininately helped me so much. Thank you MSUB. Seriously I am a little bit more ok with you taking my money now :)

Off to do some more homework (imagine that!) but I have gotten most of it done.
Hope your Sunday is treating ya right!

Soakin it up Sunday

I bought books today. Bleh. Why on earth do college course books cost so much? And why on earth do professors make you buy them and then hardly ever assign anything out of em? I hope they are all helpful- and worth the small fortune I spent on them! I'll finish buying them tomorrow :(

I just finished watching the Broncos beat the Steelers, man amazing. Tebow, you do have my respect sir- I may not be a Denver fan but he deserves every win he gets!

I also got to see a little guy that has stolen my heart, my aunt & uncle got a puppy yesterday and I'm in love. He is such a sweetie.

Today has been spent getting on track. I started "Insanity" today and will be doing this in the mornings before I leave for school- which begins in 3 days... Holy Moses. Along with the program comes an eating plan.
The goal is to eat 5 meals a day, each containing about 300 calories. I am keeping it pretty simple with this and being sure to write everything I eat down. It'll be something that keeps me focused and make sure I complete the full 60 day program. I am so looking forward to tomorrow's workout. They will be intense but I love me a good exhausting workout! So much fun.

Tomorrow I order the bridesmaid dress I will be wearing for one of my best friend's wedding. I am so excited! May will be here so soon!

I'm about to finish Ragamuffin Gospel and start my next book. I love reading and it feels like it had been so long since I've just been able to sit down and enjoy reading and soaking in words!

Well I'm off to read and then get ready for the week :)

new year new list

a lot of people set out and make rediculous new years resolutions, I choose to make new year reading lists
two years ago I set out with the goal to read a book a week. I didn't do it, but I did well for a little while...
I would like to try this again, I'm not sure how this will pan out with starting school again but I am going to give it a shot. I've decided that I'm not allowing myself to buy anymore books until I've made it through some of the ones I already have. I'm going to alternate between religion/spiritual studying books and pretty much sports books... I also want to dive into my photography books more too...

In one week I will be starting classes again. holy moses.

it leaves me speechless. I'm so anxious to get started.

I am so thankful for a new year. I was pretty over 2011. by like last february...