Spring break flash forward to Summer?

So I apologize for it appears my blog has been barren for the past few months...

I basically feel that simply describes how life for the past 2.5 months have been. A blur. So much has been going on since my last post so allow me to attempt to summarize the past couple months in brief:


April: 

 Will's 20th Birthday and the epic hamburger cake.

Parent Weekend in Aggieland and the Maroon and White game.

Ring Dunks...

And more Ring Dunks...
which only make me more nervous about my own...

May: 

Along with the notorious stress of finals brought amazing concerts to Aggieland! 

Such as Josh Abbot Band...

And Eli Young Band!!

 Em had her first Belle Spring Show and did AWESOME!

And her Kim West dance recital in the same crazy-busy weekend. 

June:

And now up to date! I've started summer classes (Statistics and Texas history) which have taken over my life. My short break home was enjoyable, and now i'm busy hitting the books again. It's crazy to think it's my last hardcore semester though. Next semester will be senior methods and then student teaching in the spring! So nervous. And man, time sure is flying by. Here's a great reminder of that: 

  My little "brother" graduated! 

...and I am sooo proud of him! ;) 

...and so excited to take on Aggieland together with him next year! 

Well that's about it for the most part. Another thing that I have come to realize is so important and that has been my main focus is family. I am so blessed with such a great family who are all my biggest supporters in all that I do. I am so proud of the young beautiful ladies my sisters are blossoming into. I'm so proud of Jordan and the handsome young man he is becoming, and all else that he is determined to accomplish. And my cousin Chelsey whom has decided she wants to become a teacher. Being the oldest grandchild definitely has it's responsibilities, but also has the rare opportunity to set the high standards for the others to follow and be a person whom they can look up to and admire. I'm so grateful that God has blessed me with the responsibility to be a leader and role model for my family. 

P.S. I know I never got the chance to meet my grandfather "Sonny" but I know he's proud of us all. [Hint: Tree]

:)

As promised.

The following are a few pictures highlighting my wonderful spring break vacation with Will and his sweet parents. I am so grateful for that trip and since then things have been so great between Will and I. The trip brought us so much closer which brings me so much joy. Anyways, here's some of my favorites taken on the trip.

When all else fails...

Why not BLOG?!

Well I'm sitting here lacking the ability to study for my math test on Thursday, so I figured I would do something productive so I don't feel like such a slacker [or have the excuse to creep on facebook]. Soooo story time! :) 

It is always so difficult to fall back into routine after spring break. And assigning a test [math test at that] is just about the most ridiculous thing. EVER. But, on a better note, I did have such a lovely spring break.Will and I traveled to Tennessee to visit his parents in their new beautiful home in Knoxville. Tennessee is such a pretty state [no Texas though that's for sure] and Knoxville is such a nice area and there is so much to do! I didn't know what to expect spending an entire week with Will or his parents for that matter, but I absolutely loved every minute! Although his family is so different compared to my loving, dysfunctional family, they were a joy to be around and we had a relaxing break. We did a lot of sightseeing, ate delicious food and also headed to North Carolina to tour the elegant Biltmore Estate and hiked the Smoky Mountains. I also loved being around Will 24/7, especially since we hadn't been able to see each other much the past several weeks. I feel it was a really needed vacation for us and I believe something about us changed during the trip [a very good thing]. I also finally had the chance to read Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers and I am telling you [like everyone else] it is a MUST READ. So good. I had such a hard time putting that book down when I started it. All the hype I had heard going into reading it was definitely outlived. It absolutely  helped to strengthen my faith when I really needed it most at the time too.

But I've gotta cut this one short tonight and get some rest, I have a looong day of studying ahead of me tomorrow. I'll post some pictures highlighting the spring break trip soon and perhaps chat a little bit more about it as well. ;)

The storm before the calm.

So it's a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Aggieland. Just spent a wonderful and relaxing weekend with my grandmother and I am so grateful to just being able to lay in my bed and have the time to actually be writing this blog. Last week was so stressful so let me share how the intense week went and how I was able to overcome the storm of events that occurred.

Well let me describe my state of mind this time last week: physically and mentally exhausted, stressed, frustrated, anxious, yet hopeful. It was a busy Sunday filled with lots of studying, lots of reading, lots of lesson planning preparation, and lots of stress. Things jotted down in my planner for the week consisted of math homework, a draft of a major research paper, two math tests [let me emphasize the math tests here], two lesson plans, tutoring at an elementary school, and lots of networking for Jeff's SBP campaign. Yikes! That just made me feel tired just writing all of that.

So then we had Monday...fortunately I don't have any classes so I really had all day to read, study, and do my lesson plan prep. It was also Valentines day--great. And when I great I don't necessarily mean that in a bad way for once...haha. Although it is my least favorite holidays it worked to my advantage this year in the sense that every picture and status update on facebook was in regards to Valentines day, which is great because it kept me facebook distraction-free for the day. So, I ended up being quite productive that day.

Then we had Tuesday. Big day. Not only did I have to create two lesson plans, but I was also teaching
 them...all on my own. I was given the big task the previous week and so I was nervous yet excited to be teaching and preparing a lesson and activity. So I show up to class and first I taught my mini lesson plan during TAKS tutorials. Not a big deal, breezed my way through the atoms and molecules lesson with no problems. Then the dismissal bell rang. Gulp. 2nd period. I then began gathering all my note cards and outline I started to get anxious so I started concentrating on deep breathing to calm my nerves. [Thank. You. Yoga.] Tardy bell rang and the students took their seats and my mentor teacher gave a brief chat about how I would be teaching and then she took her place at her desk as if she was not there. So then I began. Lecturing, writing, discussing, demonstrating, answering questions, asking questions. I-LOVED-IT. The nerves continued to dissipate and I more at ease at the class rolled on. Then it was time for the activity, the lesson was over the exchange of energy between organisms so what better way then to have them make a food chain/food web. The lesson went much better than expected and my mentor teacher complimented my notes and method of teaching. I absolutely loved it and felt so rewarded. Best part, I had fun. So much fun, it just makes me more excited to look forward to my career. Wish I could say the day was done but it was just the begining. I still had three classes including a math test to take that day. Ugh.

Then we had Wednesday. More studying. One more math test to take. And drafting for my research paper. My brain is slowly starting to feel overwhelmed and comatose is soon to begin.

Then we had Thursday. Starting to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. By this time I had finished my draft, studied til I was reciting math proofs in my sleep, and I was just praying I'd make it to Friday. Went to my classes, I took my other math test, turned in my draft and I was still breathing at the end of the day. Although at this point my brain was practically on life support. However by the evening my grandmother was in town and it was so nice to have that happy lady with her warming smile there to greet me, and take me to dinner.


Then there was Friday. Ah, friday. Best day of the week. It included yoga, olive garden, laughter, and retail therapy. Much needed and so blessed.

 The rest of this weekend has been pretty relaxing. Spending quality time with my grandmother, getting things ready for campaign week and working along side with the best candidate and campaign team. One thing I am missing is Will. I miss him so much. Last week was my busy week and this upcoming week is his. Just looking forward to next weekend already so I can finally spend some overdue time with him.

And so what made me get through this week sane? Prayer. Constantly seeking Christ with my whole heart. [Jeremiah 29:13] Trust. Confidence. Pandora. Laughter. Hope. And Coffee. Lots of Coffee.

Right where I need to be

So I started my field experience observation today. [Well since it's technically Wednesday I guess you can say yesterday] It was very interesting to say the least. I've never had classroom experience with 6th, 7th, and 8th graders so I went in not knowing what to expect so I was quite nervous since my specialization is in middle grades after all. And yes, I did say 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. In fact, I must mention the "school", when I drove up to the "school" the only sign saw read Snook Independent School District. And it was the entire school district indeed, it included the administration building, elementary, middle, AND high school all in one building! I had never seen anything like it in my life. Snook's secondary school is a 1-A school and coming from a 5-A high school, I could not believe that grades K-12 were all in the same place. Thus, the science teacher that is my mentor this semester is the solitary middle school science teacher. [WOAH]

So in the mornings I'm there from 8:00-11:00 a.m. which includes 1st period (consisting of 8th grade girls), 2nd period (6th grade boys and girls) and 3rd period (7th grade boys, oh dear). At first I was a little overwhelmed, after observing my first two periods I was like ooohh my Ashley, what the heck are you getting yourself into. I mean, I knew the pre-teen/teenage years were rough but I didn't exactly realize the true handful they are. Although, I am the type of person who always likes a challenge. So during the tutorials period, (TAKS tutoring session between 2nd and 3rd period) my challenge threshold was certainly tested. Three 8th grade boys came in the room for science TAKS tutoring, at first they were acting sly and cool [attempted to at least] and weren't showing much interest or care to be there. I took a deep breath and told myself you can do this. [Phil 4:13] I worked with them, taught them strategies, and pushed them until they were thinking on their own and after they stopped the acting dumb part...it was amazing to see the prior knowledge and potential they each had. Then I realized, this is why I am here and I'm right where I need to be. All the discouragement I had felt at the beginning completely dissolved. If I felt so rewarded by just tutoring TAKS for 30 minutes...I can only imagine the feeling that will come being in a classroom of my own all day.

"Treat [students] as they are what they ought to be, and you help them become what they are capable of becoming." -Goethe

Things Look Good Around Here.

So the spring semester of 2011 is fully underway! I've been having to get back into routine and my goodness this is such a busy semester ahead (hence my lack of blogging in which I am resolved get better at). Although I'm only taking 13 hours it seems like 18 with the heavy workload this semester is going to require!

God is doing big things this semester! First off, I have been placed in a middle school science class for my field experience/observation this semester. I was so blessed to have been selected to my top choice content area since not very many in my class were placed where they truly preferred. I just feel that God is encouraging me and is steadily reminding me of His plans for me and where I'm suppose to be. On top of my field experience, I have also been given the opportunity to volunteer again at an elementary school in Bryan which involves helping students learn to read. Also, after much consideration, my good friend Jeff Pickering decided to run for student body president at Texas A&M and I am so excited for him. He has been such an inspiration to me and for him to ask me to be a part of his campaign means so much and I value him and the deep roots of our friendship.

On another note, I've been consistently reading the New Testament (just started Galatians tonight) and I must say, despite the overwhelming start to my semester, I have definitely counted more blessings than problems lately. Life is good and may all the glory I have been experiencing lately be to God!

In the beautiful meantime

Well hello there and welcome to my new blog!  A dear friend of mine proposed the idea of blogging and I thought it was brilliant and decided to give technology a shot [although I'm keeping my old composition  books as back up just in case ;)]. So here I am, sharing my experiences in life, and all the laughing and crying and learning and failing and praying and risking in the beautiful meantime.

So 2011 has begun and I am encouraged. I am so excited for what this year will bring! This year will be different and I can feel it in my heart. I know this because six months ago I experienced a complete life change. And with that, I am growing, maturing, and walking with Christ and building my relationship with Him. I have a happy heart and my entire perspective has changed.

In the autumn months last year there was all kinds of change. Most importantly there was a change in the way I saw God which led to a tremendous change in my heart. You see, I became aware of one very important concept I had missed before; my attitude—not my circumstances—was what was making me unhappy. After coming to that realization, well, life simply has not been the same to say the least. "Happiness is a Journey, not a Destination" and with that said, I start this year with a new perspective and in my quest, I invite this blog to be my companion. Hold tight, you're in for a wild ride.