What I'm Reading (Blogwise)

Don't you just love a good blog?  I do.  I'm one of those nosey people who insist upon knowing what's going on in other people's lives.  I find other's life stories fascinating!

So I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite blogs!

Top of my list of course is my roommate, Tressa over @ This & That.  She frequently posts about the craziness that is her/our lives and she's hilarious.  Rarely does she ever edit her posts, which makes them all the more funnier!

Then, of course you have to stop @ Riffraff.  Take a peek at this fabulous little boutique right in the heart of Fayetteville, and if you find something you like, hop on to facebook and just tell them to run your credit card!  Internet shopping made so easy, and you've got to get it fast because they literally run out of every piece of clothing the day it comes in!

Beth Moore has always been my favorite Bible study leader, and of course they have a blog over @ Living Proof Ministries.  She not only posts spiritually relevant topics, but pictures of her family frequent it often.  Her daughters also post on there.  So fun!

In the mood for some style advice?  Look no further than Emily @ Cupcakes & Cashmere.  She combines my two loves--Fashion & Food into daily inspiration for all.

For all you photography buffs, Benfield Photography takes the most incredible pictures of all things L-O-V-E.  I loved them long before they became my best friend Ashley's wedding photographers, and after meeting them for her sessions I am now obsessed.  It doesn't hurt that Meredith is insanely gorgeous, AND they attend my church!

Do you ever feel as though people only post their blog to paint this perfect picture of their lives?  Don't you kind of wanna not like those people??  Well, venture over the The SlaughterHouse Rules and Ang always keeps it real on Keepin' It Real Thursdays where she tells you about the embarrassing, gross, and just plain crazy things that happen to her family.  She's hilarious ya'll and reminds me that we all take life way too seriously!

Finally, how could I be a NWA girl and not mention Kelly @ Kelly's Corner.  Not quite sure how I stumbled across her, but she's the sweetest, most genuine person I've met (or not met...haha oh blogs).  Not to mention she has two adorable kids that she always posts pictures of.  Kelly's pretty famous in the blog world :)

Hope you enjoy!

Wye Mountain

A couple of months ago we took a trip to Wye Mountain to see the daffadoils and take a few pictures of Miss Heelyn. For those who have never been to Wye Mountain before, it's a little place located outside of West Little Rock and for a few weeks each year they have fields of daffadoils that are in bloom. It's absolutely gorgeous.

I stole these pictures from my sister's camera, and edited them. Her Nikon takes WAY better pictures than my little digital camera. I guess you have to invest in a good camera when you have kids :)

My beautiful sister, Kyle, and Miss Heelyn who would not cooperate for the camera at this moment. The sun was a little bright for her.

Next year, if you're in town during the 2nd and 3rd weeks on March, you should head on up to Wye Mountain and see the scenery for yourself!

A Change is Gonna Come Your Way

What has the craziness  pure bliss of my life been since you've seen me last?  Let me catch you up on a few of the details....

1.  I sailed through PASSED my comps!!  Sailed through would be a major exaggeration.  For those of you not familiar with the MAT program.  Comps is the dreaded experience that cumulates our existence in the program.  We began hearing, and preparing for comps last summer, and all the preparation came to a final end on April 27th, 2011.  Comps consists of two parts:  Defense of our Thesis, and Presentation of our Portfolio.  Basically, you defend your Thesis for 1/2 an hour, and then Present your Portfolio for the other 1/2 an hour.  I love public speaking, but this made me nervous to no ends!  I was so relieved happy when my professor walked outside of the room, gave me a big hug, and told me I passed!  Now I only have one more informal observation and a week and a half of student teaching and I will have my MASTERS DEGREE!!!  I can't believe it!

2.  Thanks to my peach of a roommate, I was offered a position as a part-time photographer for Celebrate Magazine here in Northwest Arkansas.  Celebrate is one of the social magazines up here, much like Soiree in Little Rock.  It tells you the who/when and where of NWA.  My position would entail going to Charity events and taking pictures!  Fun, right?!  I would also get 4 tickets to every event!  Due to the fact that I'm not positive on where I'm going to be living next year, I'm still not sure if I'm going to accept the offer or not, but it's fun entertaining the idea.

3.  The job application process is STRESSFUL but the interview process is so much fun!  It's neat finally feeling like something is happening in the job department, and although I can't say much right now...I can say that God will put me exactly where He wants me, and there is SO much comfort in that!


4.  I'm getting very excited to move into my first place on. my. own.  However, finding that place is a long and gruesome search.  I'm very high maintenancee picky about living quarters, and my parents are insistent upon a garage and security system.  There's not too many options out there for that.

I loved Stone Manor in Rogers...

My mom is getting very excited to come decorate my new place!  Decorating is her passion, and I don't mind having her help :)   I'll tell more about my design inspiration ideas soon.

5.  I turned to big 2-3 amidst the monsoon that flooded most of Fayetteville!  In all my years of attending the U of A, and during the entire time the campus has been open, never has it closed for rain!!  I'm telling you, it was insane last Monday.  Insane and dangerous!  Dickson pretty much looked like those water rides you used to ride at Disney World.  I thought my little car was going to get swept away.  

I stole borrowed these pictures from my friend Sarah over at  Peace, Love & Sweet Tea because I am too lazy to upload pictures from my own phone.  

Nope, the U of A did not invest money in new waterfall features.  That's the water pouring off of Old Main Lawn.

Looks like there's not gonna be any tailgating here for a while.  

Yes, we're all idiots and drove through this stuff.  Lots of cars got swept away.

Insane.  That's all I have to say.  And this wasn't during the worst of it.  Notice it's stopped raining now.

This was taken coming down Razorback Rd.

I now understand why it's called a "Flash Flood".  Because "Flash!" there goes your car!

Sorry this one is sideways.  Good luck getting up those stairs!

So yea... the University closed at 3:30 that day, and we all waded home to wait out the floods, and look for an Ark.  For those of you familiar with the Fayetteville area:  Weddington, Township, Old Wire, Hwy 64, Porter Road and many others were completely shut down.  Yea...try getting home when you live on any of those roads.  Rural High School that I teach at was closed on Tuesday because of flooding.

6.  Have you heard??? William & Kate are getting married.  Just wanted to make sure you knew...it's not like the 24/7 coverage didn't clue you in...   Seriously though, I will be one of those loonies watching it while I'm getting ready tomorrow morning.  What girl hasn't dreamed of marrying a Prince and becoming a Princess.

7.  Can't forget to mention that before mentioned roommate Tressa over @ This & That has been selected as the new Executive Accounts Manager for Citiscapes Magazine!  Woo hoo Tressa!!  Now every single one of you need to go buy the magazine!  It does make us sad though, that she will no longer grace Riffraff with her presence....

I'm BACK!

The blog is back!!! So sorry for the temporary disappearance....

I will catch everyone up on my life soon, I know you're just dying to know ;)

Before then... I would like to post a prayer my sister wrote for Heelyn on her blog.  If you're not laughing at the end of this, then either 1) You don't know my family, or 2) You don't have a sense of humor.  Both, of which, are rather unfortunate for you.

"Dear lord - Please keep my little crazy head safe and healthy while she grows up. May you bless my daughter and let her meet all of her milestones on time or near the time everyone else does...no one likes an over achiever . May you watch over her when she begins to walk,  she may be clumsy for I fear that this is a family trait that will be passed on (you know all about her aunt j). Please watch over her and give her strength and courage when she makes it to grade school and is taller then everyone in her class (thanks Kyle !!!!!) .  Please help her have quick wit so she can shut down the bean pole comments but also the sense to know when and she can and cannot use this during class . Dear lord I also pray that you give her mommies abilities to sing and dance (you've seen Kyle do both, since you did not spare me this luxury please spare heelyn's friends). I ask that when heelyn becomes boy crazy you give her daddy the patience to deal with all the boys that aren't good enough for his baby girl. For the boys that are just like Kyle please give them the common sense to know that they are not going to have a chance or pull a slick one over on Kyle ... (he's been there, done that, has the ink to prove it. Nothing is going to fly when it comes to his baby girl) During this time in heelyns life please give her the patience to deal with her daddy. (he just loves her so much and doesn't want her dating a little Kyle!) Lord I would also like to ask that when she enters early adult hood no permanent ink makes it to her body , or any Chinese symbol, crown, angel wings etc... appears on the small of her back. ( I mean doesn't Kyle have enough ink for the whole family ?) I ask that when she gets older and she is sitting in a restaurant thinking "this is so easy idk why everyone said having a baby was hard" that her beautiful baby begins to sound like a small army with machine guns followed by green and orange sludge that manages to puddle into mommies lap and makes it all the way up her childs back and mats up her beautiful blonde red hair. She then at that time thinks of me and remembers at one time this was her and I , and I loved her so much that I simply laughed and pressed on with poopy stained jeans. Lastly I ask that when she is laying there at 4 in the morning with a baby gnawing and drooling on her shoulder she thanks you for giving her a little bundle of joy just like you gave me , for she has been such a life changing blessing ."

Weekly Iphone Pics

It's time for this week's installment of random iphone pictures!

We were having face time :)

Spending some time with Aunt J while Mommy went and had her hair fixed!

Assignment for class:  Lots of funny looks came my way.

Annoying guy keeps parking in mine and my roommates parking spots.  I left him a nice little note :)

She definitely looks a LOT bigger than a 5 month old.  Basketball here we come....

Precious.

Her first taste of rice cereal.  Didn't go so well.

Know Who You're Talking To

So I have grown up in a family of very, and I mean VERY independent, assertive women.  Every single woman in my family is very head strong, and not afraid to speak her mind.... Until you get to me.  I wouldn't exactly use assertive on my list of how I describe myself.

My mom and sister are always trying to get me to keep from getting walked all over.  Because in the past I have been... Walked all over that is.  I don't know what my deal is, I guess I'm too worried about coming across "mean".

Anyway, as I grow older I am becoming more and more outspoken, much to my Mom's relief.

So I always call my Mom and tell her when I have been really assertive about something and she gives me a pat on the back like I'm two all over again.  It's wonderful.

So my Grandma has had cancer since November, and while the Chemo is kicking the cancers butt (PTL)
it's also kicking my Grandma's you know what.  Poor thing just feels terrible for weeks after her treatments.  The other day I went to visit her, and we decided to meet my mom for lunch.  Well on our way, Grandma wanted to stop by the bank to deposit a rent check from her little golden girls that rent one of her rental houses (that's I'm patiently waiting to kick the bucket so I can take over renting the cute little house, just being honest here).  So up we pull to the drive through, and wait.  And wait.  And wait some more.  Seriously?  So I honk.  No one comes to the window.  No problem, I tell Grandma, I'll just run your deposit in for you.  I enter the bank and there are two people waiting on customers.  One has her little "next window please" sign in front of her.  She's typing away on the computer, probably on Facebook.  No biggie though, I wait my turn for the other teller.  Well, I guess the one with the sign decided she should probably get off facebook and actually work so she tells me she will help me now.  I hand her the deposit ticket and she proceeds to tell me that since she doesn't know me, she will need to see ID.  I inform her it's my Grandma's account and she's in the car.  The girl then has the guts to tell me that I should just go through the drive through.  Ummm... Hello?  We were just there, waiting, for 10 minutes.   So I told her, "We tried to but no one came to the window".  She then says, "Well you are just going to have to be a little patient we only have two people working today!".  Um, ok.  First of all, there was only 1 other person in the lobby and I was the ONLY car in the drive through.  I'm sorry but I don't think your little bank off of a back road in Sherwood is the happenin' place around here.  I then proceed to tell her that's fine, we will go through the drive through AGAIN, but she shouldn't be so rude.

Little did she know, my Aunt knows all the big wigs of Metropolitan National Bank personally, and my cousin is the regional manager.  And we take it VERY personally when you are mean to someone in our family, especially when it deals with Grandma!

So needless to say that teller will be a little speedier to handle the drive through window.

Lesson of the day:  Don't be rude!

And kudos to me for being assertive!

A season of lasts...

With all the new exciting changes coming into my life, I have been busy looking forward to a season of firsts...

My first time to live by myself in a place all my own.

My first time in 5 years to live close to all members of my family.

My first job.

My first summer of freedom (without having to work or take a class or two).

I've been so caught up in all these firsts, that I've neglected to realize all the lasts that will take place over the next month.

My last few weeks of living with Tressa.  Our last morning talks on the porch over coffee...

 our last nights getting ready to go somewhere together...

our last times of crawling in each other's beds to laugh over what happened the previous night.

My last Monday lunches with some of the greatest people ever.

My last time to be considered a "student"  (for now)

My last few weeks at the church I've grown to love.

Last few Thursday nights at Theo's.

My last time to walk across the stage as a U of A graduate.

The last farmer's market, the last visit to Wilson park, the last late night car ride because we're bored and wide awake.

The last lunches, dinners, and coffee dates with precious friends who have made my time in Fayetteville a time I'll never forget.

The last time to consider this town home...

And so while I anxiously await a season of firsts, I can't help but notice that it is accompanied by a season of lasts.  This season, this season of learning who I am.  The season of gaining my independence, of choosing my path in life, has ended.  I've chosen my path, I have become the woman I'm meant to be. While I'm no where near grown, and my path will wind and curve.... I can't help but realize that this truly is, the end of an era.

3 Great Loves

I've once heard that you get three great loves in your life.

I've had two, so far.  Both, completely different.

Different ages, different times of my life, different demeanors, different spriritual lives...

Different.

And while I can say the greatest heartbreak came from my second love.  It is my first love I am often drawn back to.

What is it about that first taste of love, that lingers?

Is it him I miss, or the person I was when I was with him?  Young, unabandoned, still believing in the power of love...  Still believing that one love could last a lifetime.

I do still believe that last part, most days.

Or is it who he was?  My best friend.  I would be lieing to say that I don't secretely cherish the fact that I am the only girl he's ever been fully in love with.  The only one he's ever told those three words to.

Or maybe I miss him being just miles away.  Always available for lunch, ice cream, or to just let me cry about my latest mess.

Not on the other side of the world, in completely different time zones, with completely different lives.

I wouldn't say he's a stranger now, but we know longer know every detail of each other's lives.

He's still the one I pray for every night.... Not him in particular, but when I pray for my future husband, I pray for someone like him.

He's the only man who has every completely adored me.  Cherished me.  Never dreamed of hurting me, and never did intentionally.

Many might wonder why dedicate such a post to a man who is obviously no longer a part of my life.  He might not be there, but his influence still is.  He was there for some of the most pivitol years of my life, and I turned my back on him.

He taught me how to seek God with everything I have.  He taught me the importance of prayer.  He taught me how I deserved to be loved.   He set the standard.  It took him near dying for me to realize these things...

While my first great love only lasted a few short years, I experienced love in those few short years what most people spend a lifetime searching for.  While that love was never meant to last forever, in those years God used him to grab a hold of my heart.

So while most people question why I'm not dating anyone, or why I'm too picky.  While most tell me my standards are "too high" or that "there's no such thing as a good guy", I ignore them because I know differently.

And until God brings me my final great love, I'm content from experiencing the first.

Lucky

In your life, you will undoubtedly run into a few people who just seem to be "lucky" at life.  They're the type of people who always make the 100 on the test (I have NEVER made a 100 on a test... never.)  They're going to get admitted into the college of their choice, receive the top scholarship, and upon graduating, land a great job.

Come on...you know one of these people.  Everyone does.

Of course, much of this does not come without good old fashion hard work.  I'm not discrediting these type of people at all... most of them are VERY deserving of their accolades, so please don't take me the wrong way.

But what I have learned about these type of people (I'm stereotyping a little bit here, but just go with me).   is that most of the time they only take one chance.  They apply to ONE college, ONE job... so on.  So, it seems as though they are lucky in life because they get everything they apply for, when in reality they don't take chances in which they know they have a risk of failing at.

In my life, I've failed A LOT.  I've competed in pageants that I never won, I applied for scholarships in which I didn't receive.  I have failed a few tests, I'll even admit that I have a "D" on my college transcript from a horrible horrible class my Senior year.

And now, I'm applying for jobs.  Even though "I think" that I am one of the most highly qualified applicants, I know that there will be some jobs I will be overlooked for.  There will be some I won't even be considered for, and I'm ok with that.  I'll never have to worry about chances not taken, because I've taken them all.

And so while I used to be envious of all the "lucky" people in the world, I realize now that I'm the lucky one.  With every failure I have gained humility, and learned valuable lessons.  Every accomplishment, then is just that much sweeter.

With chances, you have to take a leap of faith and completely trust in God.  It gives God the opportunity to come through in a BIG way.  You apply for a job you're way under qualified for, and score an interview.  You ace a test that you felt completely unprepared for.  You receive a scholarship just as your stressing how to pay for Graduate school.

And so with all my failures, I have also had numerous encounters with the living God who doesn't believe in "luck".

Taxes

In my mind, there are two types of people in this world:  the ones who have to pay in taxes, and the ones who receive money back.   I always thought the "better off" typically tend to have to either pay in taxes when it comes tax season, or they simply break even.  Never, never do the "better off" get money returned to them.  The latter category of people get those nice little tax return checks.  This is the category of people who make considerably less money, and the government returns to them a portion of the money they paid in taxes all year.  I always though these type of people were either young, or poor.  Both, of which, I thought I was... being a student and all.

Well, imagine my surprise, shock, and eventually anger when I found out that I would have to pay in taxes this year.  What.  The.  Crap.  Seriously??

I have to PAY IN??

For fear you might be confused, I do not have a job.  I am completely dependent upon my parents who pay for everything of mine(and I'm not ashamed to admit that :) ).  For half of the year last year I was an intern at a church, but my salary there was definitely not breaking the bank.

So how in the world do I have to pay in taxes this year?

My mom laughs that this angers me so much, because as she said, "Jen, you'll know we will be the ones paying in for you".  But still... it's the matter at hand here.

English

At the beginning of the semester, one of my professors had us write about an English teacher we had in high school.  We were simply supposed to write about our experience in the class and whether it was positive or negative and why.  After she read all of our responses she said, "Wow, sounds like you all had the exact same teacher".

We all had an extreme disdain for English.

I always hated English in school.  It's the same reason why I do not like my literacies class right now.  As a science teacher, I understand that not everyone loves science.  I understand not every one is good at it, and I try to meet each of my students on his/her own level.  I never, I repeat, NEVER compare my students works to each other.

I had a teacher in high school who would always display the "best work" on her smart board for all the students to look at after we had all turned in whatever essay we were asked to write that particular week. We would all read the students sentences (of which it was always the same few select students), and then hear her praise the "brilliant student" who thought to put into writing whatever BS he was feeding her that week.  And it was... BS, because if you deconstructed the sentences you would realize that they were actually saying nothing.  That's what I do, by the way, I deconstruct.  I'm a scientist.

I blame this teacher for my intense fear of English.  I also blame the English teacher who accused me of cheating in the 7th grade, but thats a whole different story for a different day...

I also blame the teachers who made me do Socratic Circles day in and day out and graded us on "saying at least 3 things".  Do you realize how miserable you made those days?  Did you know that the entire time I could not focus on the discussion because I was so worried about saying those stupid 3 things, so I could get my stupid points.

And so, last week when we were asked to do a Socratic Circle in my literacies class I immediately broke into a cold sweat.  I began racking my brain for what "thing" I was going to say.  I was brought back to high school all over again, and not in a good way.

It puzzles me how I managed to ace every writing assignment in every college course, yet cannot receive a perfect score on a graduate level "literacies" course taught by a high school english teacher.  Yet, all in the same, it does not puzzle me at all.  After all, my college professors realized I wasn't an English major... somehow my graduate school teacher is still learning this.

Luckily, my experience with English in high school did not damper my skills or my passions that surround the world of literature.  I still love to read, and could discuss any piece of literature with the best of them (just please, don't make me do it in a Socratic Circle format).  I'm an avid writer (probably due to the fact that my mother is a writer), and although I may not have the skill of flowery words, or eloquent sentence structure.... I can make people laugh.

And sometimes I want to go back up to those teachers.  The ones who assumed that because I couldn't tell the difference between a semi-colon and a comma, I was somehow doomed to a life of mediocrity.  Who assumed that the brightest, most promising students were the ones who could write 5,000 words on the sentence structure of Nathaniel Hawthorne (too long...simply put in my mind).  I want to tell them how miserable they made my English experience in high school.

For the ones who got it.  Who realized that I would never BS my way through an essay, or spend hours looking for the perfect word to describe my intent.  Who realized that my heart was in other content matter.  Who understand that the content was far more important than flowery words, sentence structure, or grammar.

I want to say thank you.

Because, sometimes it's nice to have an essay not completely marked in red all over.  

It is with my experiences in English, that I keep my students in mind.  I continually ask myself what they must fear most in class:  Is it being called on?  Doing dissections?  Or, possibly being forced to work in groups?  It is also why I'm always aiming to make my classroom a comfortable environment, and am possibly the most accommodating teacher they've ever encountered.  If my students are in fear in the classroom, then they have no room to learn.

And learning, no matter what form, or to what extent, is truly the matter of concern.

The Reading List

I've always prided myself in the fact that I'm an avid reader.  I feel like it makes me more culturally relevant or something.... In reality though, it probably doesn't, but I can dream right?

Here's the latest reading list...

I've probably had this on a list before, because truth is I've been trying to read it for the past month.  I'm intrigued by Middle Eastern culture, and I love reading books written by authors who grew up in Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan etc.  I'm reading this book for my multicultural class, and so far it's really good.  

I read a review of this book in a magazine recently and thought it sounded like a quick easy, pick me up, read.  It's about a group of 4 girlfriends who met in college.  The girls are all extremely different, and the book chronicles their lives through and after college in an age where we can all be "anything we want" and have troubles making decisions with so many opportunities.  Sounds perfect.

Of course I had to include the newest Karen Kingsbury book.  It came out today, and like a true fan I went out to the bookstore and bought one.  Can't wait to read it!

Spring Break To Do

What's Spring Break without a massive  much needed to do list?

2011 Spring Break To Do List:

1.  Finish reading "The Kite Runner" for my Multicultural class.
2.  Do book review on said Kite Runner book.
3.  Do book review on "Complications" for my literacies class.
4.  Start Finish applying for jobs.
5.  Address and mail graduation invitations.
6.  Complete textbook evaluation for literacies class.
7.  Re-do assignments for literacies class that my professor didn't deem worthy enough  give me a high enough "A" on.
8.  Do lesson plans for the end of my last rotation.

Yesterday, my sisters and I made the long and windy trek to Wye Mountain to check out the daffodils and take advantage of a perfect backdrop for a photo opp.

Here's a sneak preview taken with the digital camera....

The nikon ones coming soon....

Weekly iphone Pictures Vol. 2

Me and Summer, sometime over Christmas...  I love this picture.  I love her.  I love being home.  End of story.

The absolutely adorable townhouse that I am on a waiting list to move into.  I am thinking of ways to bump myself up on that list...  Feel free to offer any suggestions.

How can you not love her?  

Yes, my Dad is quite the celebrity.  He even made it to Channel 7 News... ha.  

Random Iphone Pics

I never post pictures from my iphone.  Mainly because I think it's a huge hassle to upload those pictures because the only way I know how to is to connect it to my computer.  Anybody wanna offer an easier way, I would much appreciate.

I love having a camera on my iphone because friends, family, and I always send each other random/funny pics to keep up and stay connected.

So here is the first installment of random iphone pics over the last year or so....

My aunt and my mom on the day my baby cousin, Stayton was born.

Greenlee's first picture.  Look at those lips! Precious!

Surgery #3

You have to look hard, but there is a massive copperhead snake in this picture.  Steph and I almost stepped on it during a walk one day.

Precious Reynolds.  

One of my students on nerd day.

The winning hallway design for NFL day that we spend all night working on!  I handmade all of those jerseys, and yes, it took forever!

Behind the scenes at Ashley's bridal pictures!

Boredom strikes during MAT classes, so what do you do?  Find chalk and stalk your professor.

During one of our girl's lunches last summer with Miss Greenlee.

Last, the x-ray of my leg.  I keep a copy of it in my wallet, and one on my phone for when I'm flying or going through security.