Today marks the end...

of my college career. Student teaching. My time in the halls of a middle school that has been my home away from home. Most devastatingly, today marks the end of a little girl's life. A little girl who was much to wise to have only been 11. A little girl who radiated joy, and brightened this world every day she lived. Because that is what she did, she LIVED. She never made excuses, she never complained, she never passed blame, even though she had every right to.

I was blessed to have met this little girl during my Methods semester of my teacher training. The moment I saw her, I was different. Here was a precious soul, with so many hurdles to overcome, so many challenges, so much pain, and yet on her face was the purest smile I've ever seen. She was frail, and tiny, and wore a colorful hat to cover her hairless head, but the only thing I could see was her smile. It is selfish to wish I could have known her more personally, or for a longer time; however, although my time with her was brief, I am thankful for the blessing of even having met her. She is one of those children that touches your heart in a way that is indescribable. The more you hear about her, and the life she so fervently led, the more you want to know. She was brilliant, and beautiful inside and out, and she will be missed every day.

I am honored to have known such an amazing little girl. My prayer is that as I embark on my teaching career, I follow her example and truly LIVE each day to its fullest potential, and pass this passion for life on to my students.

To learn more about Erin, and what you can do to help other children like her, please visit her blog: erinbuenger.blogspot.com or www.nbhope.org


Until next time...

*sigh*

I feel like that is the most appropriate title for everything going on in life...just *sigh*
Where did all the time go? I know they say the older you get, the quicker time flies, but seriously? Can it really all be coming to an end?

Wedding plans are wrapping up. I thought I was going to enjoy a nice relaxing week. I THOUGHT I was going to unwind from all of this and breathe for a minute, or two. wrrrroooong. I have an recently been informed of a mile long list of things that need to be accomplished while I'm home next week. You know what I have to say to that? blah. Yep, blah. I'll be running around doing a million things, so be looking for some crazy venting/ranting/so-ready-to-be-finished-wedding-planning blogs. I have a feeling this is going to become somewhat therapeutic for me.

Nathan and I went and finalized tuxes a few days ago. He put money down for his groomsmen (as one of their gifts) to try and offset the cost of the rental. He should be going to get measured pretty soon, and then, he is practically finished except for showing up the day of...lucky duck. Here is a picture of what the groomsmen vests/ties look like...those boys are going to be so handsome!!

Oh! That reminds me. He wanted me to clarify something from the last post. Yes, it is true, he is afraid of ticks. But apparently he feels like I took it a little far. So, to clear the air, Nathan is a strong, manly, man, with only an above average dislike for creepy crawlies. Ha! Gotta love him.

In preparation for the wedding, we have BOTH been hitting the tanning bed. Bless his albino little soul, that child burns faster than anything. SPF 1000 isn't sufficient enough. So we have been gradually getting him used to the sun so he won't be miserable on our honeymoon. Turns out, he IS capable of tanning. This honestly came as a surprise to us both! So it looks like we will both be able to enjoy the beautifully sunny beaches of Mexico in 46 days! :)

As for student teaching, I'm down to 3 days. I thought I was ready...until yesterday. Turns out I like it here a little more than I was willing to admit before now. Ok, a LOT more. I know it has to happen. I know it is good practice for what I'll go through every year when my kids leave...but it still stinks. These kiddos have been my life for the last year. They make me laugh, they make me yell, they make me feel complete. If I ever doubted what I was supposed to do as an adult, I don't anymore. I live for this. All of the drama, crazy-hectic to mundane and back again before lunch, copy-making, paper grading, caffeine/chocolate inhaling, story telling, make-ups, break-ups, wins, losses, crying, hugs, yelling, smiling and laughing that happens on a daily basis in the halls of a middle school. As much as I'm looking forward to my summer off, I can't wait to get back in to a classroom...my very own classroom at that :)

Until next time...

Lots of changes

I can't believe it is already April. Nathan and I are approaching the year mark of our engagement, and it doesn't feel real (or possible!). We are getting a lot done, and I finally feel like we are up-to-date with all of our "to-dos". The wedding is going to be here before we know it. I am extremely excited, but to be completely honest, I'm ready for it to be over. I'm ready to honeymoon, and relax. Most of all, I'm ready to have a marriage. It's been a long time coming and I'm so in awe of the fact that it is so close. Nathan and I have grown so much closer through this year. You'd think after 7 years, you are "there"...what else could you possibly learn after that long that you don't already know? But everyday it seems we have learned something new about each other. These little things have made me fall in love with him all over again. Some have been really eye-opening, others hard to deal with, and still some extremely hysterical. For instance, I learned something about him just a few weeks ago, after one of our dogs decided to go romping through the forest. Our darling little Toga returned from his adventure with a companion...a tick. I found it and it made me annoyed/worried. Nathan saw it, and jumped onto the bed (reminiscent of a women seeing a mouse in a old movie). Apparently my cockroach fear is countered only by his fear of ticks. He screamed, and shivered in disgust, and then proceeded to leave to run an errand that "just came up"...hahaha. I know, what a girl, huh? But it was adorable. This big strong man that I run to for everything, is terrified of a tiny bug :) It's things like that, these little "adventures" that make life worthwhile.

In other news, the student teaching countdown is coming to a close. I only have five days left, and as great/relieving as that feels, it's more bittersweet. I love my kiddos. I love working with GT students. I love the teachers I've been privileged to observe and learn from. Most of all, I love my other student teachers. These girls have been my rock this semester. I feel like we created this amazing support system for each other. No matter how terrible a day was, no matter how stressed I became, if I spent three seconds talking to any one of them, my day was instantly better. I am truly going to miss that. I can only pray that we are able to keep in touch, and that God gives us each an equally supportive group of people to lean on next year! I hope we all hold up on our agreement to blog about our lives. I know how crazy hectic life can get, and how easy it is to fall out of touch with people...and I HATE it. It would break my heart if I never heard from them again.

This year has been such a growing experience. In some ways, I don't even feel like the same person. I have learned so much, in such a short period of time, and my life has been changed by it. On the other hand, I feel more like myself than ever. I feel happy. I feel content. I feel at peace. I think I am starting to understand that phrase, "coming into your own". There are a lot of real-life-grown-up things that are just around the corner, and I finally feel a teensy bit prepared for them. I owe that to the amazing people that continue to play a role in my life.