Missing My Small Group!

Sometimes I forget that I graduated college. I left for Europe exactly a week after graduation so I didn't really have time to process it. While I'm very glad to be done with school, there are some things that I am missing!

One of those things is my small group. I was blessed to be a part of the same small group for all four years of college. My small group leader, Mrs. Susan, was such an incredible blessing. I cannot even imagine what college would have been like without her. I am so thankful to have spent four amazing years growing spiritually with her. She is like a mom away from home. I will never be able to repay her for the countless meals, prayers, conversations, leadership, and support she has given me. I was so sad to leave her small group but I know she'll be a part of my life forever! Love you, Mrs. Susan!!

10 Words

I'm a college graduate! With my roommate at graduation last night :)

Well we're on Day 11 of the challenge! While I haven't done all of the topics, I have blogged 10/11 days! That's a major improvement considering I only blogged three times in April. Whoa.

Day 11: Sell yourself in 10 words or less

compassionate
graduate

stubborn

observant

musical
teacher
dedicated
positive
adventurous
intuitive

*I had to throw in "graduate" because I'm now done with college! Pictures of graduation are coming soon :)

Graduation Day

May 10, 2013: Graduation Day

Ahh how crazy is that?! I'm graduating from college today. Whattttt?!?!?!

These past four years have flown by. I can't believe it is all ending today! I have loved every second I've spent as a student at THE University of Georgia. I am so proud to soon be an alumna of this amazing school. I am going to miss this beautiful city so much. But I'm excited to see what the future holds.

My family is coming to Athens again tonight to celebrate with me in Sanford Stadium.

My mom and dad both graduated from UGA, along with MANY other family members. UGA is kind of a family tradition and I'm proud to keep it going!

I wrote in the last page of my journal last night and I thought, "How fitting!" To end a journal as I'm ending my college career. I'm proud to say that today, I am graduating with honors from the University of Georgia.

Big Moment

Today is a big day! We have our commencement ceremony for the College of Education.

I can't believe graduation is actually here! The actual graduation ceremony is tomorrow night. Woohoo!

Today, I celebrate my education school accomplishments.

It has been a fun journey learning about myself as an educator.

There were definitely days (weeks, months, etc.) when I didn't think I could do this forever.

But student teaching totally restored my faith and now I'm ready to teach!

(After I gallivant through Europe, of course.)

So here's to accomplishments! Let the celebrations commence!

(pun intended)

Strangers on the Porch

I had a little scare early this morning.

I woke up a little before six to someone snoring.

This is weird because my bedroom is on the opposite side of the apartment from my roommates.

At first I thought I was making it up, but then I realized it was real.

I sat up and tried to figure out where it was coming from.

Our living room light was on so I originally thought someone was sleeping on our couch.

This is not unusual. One of my roommates is a college athlete.

She often has friends come from out of town and stay in our apartment.

We actually had an NBA player stay with us a few weekends ago.

But I digress.

I figured out it wasn't coming from our living room, but from outside.

My bedroom window looks out over our small porch.

I peeked through my blinds and saw some big black thing curled up against our porch door.

Based on what I thought was going on (friend sleeping over), I assumed it was their dog.

Problem solved.

Fast forward to this morning when all of us were awake.

I checked with my roommate to see who came over and what kind of dog they had.

Only to find out that no one came over. Which means there was no dog.

Cue creepy music.

Both of my roommates suggested I was dreaming.

But I was definitely awake!

I even got up, went to the bathroom, and checked out the window again.

So to wrap up, there was some thing or some person sleeping on our porch last night.

Right beside my window.

Close enough for me to hear them snoring/breathing heavily.

Weird!

We're hoping that it was just a drunk person.

We're on the ground floor so they could have climbed over our porch railing.

Maybe thinking they were locked out of their apartment?

Maybe at the wrong place?

Who knows?!

The good news is nothing happened.

All I know is...they better not come back tonight!

One Week Left!

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/4004263/?claim=38epnhk5ksp">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Wow. Time is moving so fast. 

I only have ONE WEEK left of student teaching!

One week!! So crazy.

I've been slowly giving responsibilities back to my teacher.

Now I'm pretty much left with nothing.
I passed both of my observations this semester with flying colors.
My supervisor had nothing but good things to say!
Praise the Lord.

It's so strange to go from teaching everything to teaching nothing.

But it's also really freeing.

I haven't had this much free time all semester!

I actually read a book this week.

Like a real chapter book.

Hunger Games if you're curious.

By the way...totally forgot how that book just sucks you in until you're finished.

So good.

This last week will be spent just enjoying my kiddos and trying to have as much fun as possible.

After next Friday, I'll be back to post about some of the fun stuff we did.

Hope y'all are enjoying your weekend so far!

End of an Era

Well today is the day. 

It's the day I leave my apartment.

It's the last day of living with my brother.

It's the day I say goodbye to my junior year of college.

And it's the day I say hello to my senior year.

This year has been full of ups and downs; more ups than downs. Living with my brother has been incredible. If I had any doubts as to how close we were, they are now put away. I am so blessed to have him as not only a brother, but a best friend. Thanks for all the memories, Zeb! Love you!

New friends, new challenges, new experiences.

It's been a great year, Apartment 724.

so many memories

Done.

Well it's over. I am officially done with my junior year of college. Wow.

I can't believe I have been in college for three years already. I only have one semester of classes left. Then student teaching. Then the real world.

I don't want to grow up!

As much as I wish time would slow down, I am so glad this semester is over. It has been very challenging. I am sooo ready to have the summer to just chill out and relax.

Oh and we can't forget about my TRIP TO ITALY!!! Ahhhh! Can't wait. So freaking excited.

Only 9 more days!!!

Hope everyone is having a fabulous week!

13.1 Miles to the Beach

I stole this title from my friend's Facebook album. It's okay. She's not suing me.

This was the best Spring Break I've had in a while.

Maybe the best ever.

I went to Longboat Key Resort with my friend from my cohort and her mom. It was the most relaxing vacation ever. We spent every day by the pool and the ocean. Reading magazines, listening to music, sipping on icy drinks, getting tan, etc.

So. nice.

My friend ran the Sarasota Half Marathon on Sunday morning. She did so well! It was her first half so she was just happy to make it to the end. She even beat the pace she set for herself.

Excuse our ghost-like bodies.

Right after the race, we hit the beach. And we didn't leave until Thursday morning.

{except to sleep and eat...obvs}

We went out to dinner every night. I'm pretty sure I had chicken at every place. Oh except the Italian restaurant where I had margherita pizza. Yummmm.

And I went to Disney World for the first time!!! We went to Magic Kingdom on Tuesday. There were so.many.people. It was way too crowded. We only got to do about five things because the lines were just insane. We waited 2 hours for Space Mountain. Two Hours!! But it was so fun. Best ride ever.

We also did Mickey's PhilharMagic, the Swiss Family Treehouse, Liberty Square Riverboat, Haunted Mansion, and Pirates of the Caribbean. We ate lunch at the Liberty Tree Tavern with one of our teachers. We got to meet her husband and had some great conversation.

{Sidenote: If you have not seen Swiss Family Robinson, please do so immediately. It was one of my favorites growing up. The Treehouse tour was amazing! I felt like I was in the movie. One of the highlights of my life. No joke.}

I can't wait to go back when it's less crowded. I think my small group is planning a trip in October. Woohoo!

Sadly I'm now back at school. Fortunately the week has flown by.

I'm about to go take a nap before the Hunger Games Midnight Premiere tonight!!! I'm going to be dead when I have to wake up at 5:30 tomorrow morning. My kindergarteners better behave themselves.

Catch ya on the flip side.

Road Trippin' It

It's finally Spring Break!!!!

I'm leaving today for Sarasota, Florida. Seven hour drive. No big deal.

My friend is running a half on Sunday. Then we're hanging out on the beach every other day until Wednesday.

Oh. And I'm going to Disney World!!!!!!!

First.Time.Ever.

Shocking, right?!

I'm such a Disney freak. I'm almost embarrassed to say I've never been.

But I'm finally going!!!

Just for a day. But it still counts.

Woohoo!!

{This will be me.}

I'll be back next week with pics!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

{just thought you needed a few more exclamation marks. don't think i put enough}

Next year will be the first time in four years that I will be able to paint my bedroom. I'm super excited.

I just have a slight problem: I'm awful at making decisions.

Especially with things that have to last a whole year. Like wall paint.

I keep seeing all of these wonderful ideas and I'm like "Yeah I want it all!"

Obviously that's not going to work.

So here are a few things floating around in my mind:

love this combination

paint to look like fabric

I was leaning towards a soft lavender color for the walls (like Whitney Port's bedroom*) but I think I may have changed my mind to this sea foam green color.

Well look at that. I may have just made a decision, folks. It's not as hard as I thought.

*Obviously I'm obsessed with all things related to The Hills.


Photos via my pinterest board found here

Too busy to do anything...

Wow. It's sure been a while since I've been on here. School started back last week and I have been soooooo crazy busy.

This semester of education school is going to kick my butt.

Found out I'll be working in a Kindergarten classroom. Not really what I wanted...but God has me there for a reason!

For my children's literacy and writing class...

{which is six hours long btdubbs}

we have to buy 25 books.

Twenty-five.

Are you joking?!

The only redeeming quality is that one of them is The Hunger Games.

So looks like I'll finally have an excuse to read it!

Hope everyone is enjoying MLK Day!

Hopefully I'll be back soon!

Ron Clark Academy

Have you ever heard of the Ron Clark Academy? If not, go here and check it out.

My mom and I were fortunate enough to go to the VIP Chautauqua Benefit last Saturday night. And boy am I so glad we went!

One of my teachers has a goddaughter who attends the school. She told us so many great stories in class so I was really excited to be able to see it in person.

When we got there, we walked down a red carpet with students lining the sides. They were singing and dancing and greeting everyone. Once we walked inside, we saw students everywhere. They would come up to you, shake your hand, introduce themselves, and offer to be your tour guide. Our little boy was in 6th grade (the students here are in 5th-8th grade). He was so polite and so mature. He led us around the building and told us about every aspect of the school.

This was a real car turned reading center inside a language arts class.
The inside was full of bean bags. 

Language Arts Classroom

Math Classroom

After about an hour, the teachers went to their rooms and started teaching. We sat in on a sixth grade science classroom where they were finding the stoma on a piece of a plant. I don't know about you, but we sure didn't do that in sixth grade.

55 Essentials (School Rules)

We then went to Ron Clark's class. Oh.my.word. He is an INCREDIBLE teacher. I so wish I had him when I was in school. He was teaching a fifth grade math class. The students were so excited to learn and he was so interactive with them. He would jump on top of the table, sing songs, use hand motions, and the kids would just follow his lead. At one point, a majority of the students got a question correct so Ron hit a big red button on the wall. The lights went out, black lights and strobe lights came on, and the students jumped on top of the tables and danced to "All I Do is Win." Seriously?! Can I go here?!

The secret door to Ron Clark's classroom.
You have to speak the magic word or turn the lantern to enter.

Ron Clark teaching a 5th grade problem.
{Sorry for the dark picture!}

I was amazed at how smart these children are at such a young age. The problems they were doing were so difficult. If you look at the picture above, you'll notice how hard the math problems were. At one point, he asked the students to list six countries in order of population size. These kids all had the answer within 15 seconds.

If you -ever- have the chance to go, I highly recommend it. Especially if you work with children. It was such an inspiring night. I plan on going to one of his conferences once I have my own classroom.

If you're still reading, I'm impressed! I just realized how long this post has become. But seriously. I cannot say enough good things about Ron Clark.

In case you want to see a class in action, here is his fifth grade math class from last year. Ron Clark is the man speaking towards the end.

What's Cookin' Good Lookin'?

When I signed the lease for my apartment, I immediately thought of cooking. I was (fortunately) on the meal plan for the first two years of college so I didn't have to worry about cooking for myself.

Now I live with my brother. And he doesn't cook.

Sooooo I've been finding recipes on Pinterest like nobody's business.

This past week, I made a pizza pasta toss and chicken enchiladas.

Both of which were delish.

I don't have a picture of the pasta, but you can see it here.

{This is one of my favorite cooking blogs. And Cara is so sweet!}

Here are the enchiladas I made:

They were soooo easy to make. I'll even give you the recipe because I want you to share in the goodness. As Zeb likes to say, they're tacos on steroids.

Chicken Enchiladas in a Crockpot

Ingredients:

• 1 package of chicken tenderloins (the precut strips)---I used about 8-10 strips
• 2/3 of a jar of salsa (I used Medium)
• 1 can of Enchilada sauce (I used 10 oz jar of Old El Paso)
• 1 package of soft taco shells
• 1 package of shredded cheese (I used the Mexican blend)

Put the chicken tenders, salsa, and about 1/2 cup of water in the crock pot on high for 3.5-4 hours. Take the tenders out and shred them with 2 forks. (They will be very easy to shred.) Add the shredded chicken back to the crock pot and add 1/2 the can of Enchilada sauce. Stir all ingredients and let them simmer for a few minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 350 and fill each taco shell with the chicken and top with cheese. Roll the shell up and place the seam side down in a baking dish. Once all your enchiladas are filled and in the dish, top with the rest of the enchilada sauce from the can (and you can add the sauce from the crock pot). Smother with the shredded cheese.

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until all hot and bubbly!

Y'all these were sooo good! Later that night, I noticed Zeb had left me a message on our chalkboard:

So sweet! I will definitely be making these again.

Have you tried any new recipes lately? I'd love to hear about them!

Brevard, North Carolina

This past weekend was AMAZING!!! I absolutely love going to the mountains, especially in the fall.

I had such a great time with my small group. We went hiking, walked around downtown Brevard, ate at a cute café, and watched tons of chick flicks.
All in all, a relaxing weekend with lots of quality bonding.
Just what the doctor ordered.

Weekend Getaway

Good news: I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon to go to Brevard, North Carolina with my small group. I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am for this. I desperately need a break from school and work.

I think the thing I'm most excited about it is seeing the waterfalls and all the pretty leaves. I'll be taking pictures like it's my job.

Bad news: I have to take homework with me. But at least I'll be writing papers in the mountains instead of Athens.

Images: 1 2 3

Passion University Tour

Passion has been going around to campuses in the United States the past few weeks to gear up for the big event in January. Tonight, they are going to be at UGA!! I'm so excited for a night of great worship.

It's almost like a half-birthday type thing. Just like a half-birthday gives you a small taste of your real birthday, this will tide me over until the real deal.

Sorry about the lack of posts. I've been in a blah mood lately about blogging. Probably because nothing exciting has happened. School and work are consuming every minute of my life. But it's okay because I love college! Seriously...no sarcasm.

Tomorrow is game day here in Athens. I wasn't planning on going because I went home this weekend. But my dad ended up getting four tickets so looks like I'll be back in Athens! Our tickets are split up so my dad and Cal will be sitting with the recruits while I sit with Wyatt somewhere on the alumni side. I get to spend all day with my favorite 5th grader!

On a different note, have you had a pumpkin spice latte yet??? I had my first last night and it was delish. I'm probably going to get another one tonight. I love fall!

Finally...

It's Saturday in Athens! Goooo Dawgs!!!!

Time to tee it up between the hedges!!

First day of the rest of my life

via

So yesterday was the start of the school year.

My junior year of college.

Excuse me, what?!

I should not be this old.

Anyways...I'm finally taking the real education classes and y'all, I am absolutely loving it!!! The teachers are awesome, the content is interesting (as it should be, considering this is my major), and my classmates are super nice. That's the thing about Early Childhood Education majors: they are all friendly and personable. Best major ever!

I'm currently sitting in my technology class waiting for it to start. It is supposed to be about technology in the classroom. Hopefully I'll get some good ideas for when I start teaching!

Hope everyone is having a terrific Tuesday!!