promises promises

So I'm sitting here in the hospital room, and I thought what a perfect time to keep my promise of blogging more.

I'm exhausted. Work has been busy this summer. It's awesome because we have so much amazing stuff with our sweet kids, but it's definitely tiring me out.. Please don't think I'm complaining- I'm not in the least. This is the best job I've ever had and I truly love every minute of it.

But when I'm not in the office, I'm down at the medical center with my mom. The 45+ minute long drive is definitely not fun, but there's this one part of the drive that makes it totally worth it. It's right when you go around this big curvy-loop thing (really technical term, I know), and I'm sure there's an exit or road or something I could name to identify this better, but I really don't know the names of anything in downtown because I avoid driving there any chance I can. But anyway, when you're going around this big curvy thing, there's just the most amazing view of the Houston skyline. It's breath taking. And there's this one specific moment when I look at all the buildings and I just feel so small. So insignificant. It's humbling and reminds me that there are so many things in this life bigger than my issues. Like maybe, just maybe, there's other people and places and things that matter more in this life than I do... shocking I know.

All of that to say, it reminds me of how great and magnificent our Creator is. And to think I'm just this small blip on his radar.. and yet He still loves me. Not much better than that.

---

I just went on a walk with my Mom down the hall. Please keep praying for her complete healing. We are going on over a week now that's she's been in the hospital..

However spending all this time down here has given me a chance to catch up on my reading list. I just finished The Pioneer Woman.. I love that book. I've always adored her blog, but the book was just wonderful. It made me want to marry a rugged cowboy and have his little rugged cowboy babies. I'm starting The Help next.. I've heard just perfect things about it.

Do you have any book suggestions for what I should read? Anyone? Does anyone besides my mom even read this blog?

xoxo

oops.

I did it again. (ignore the Britney reference). I deserted my poor little blog. Not that the four of you who read this have noticed, but I still feel like a terrible mom for neglecting my little baby blog.

So since my last post..

I've finished my sophomore year of college

I've started and finished a summer school class

I've started working as a Children' Intern for the second summer

We had an amazing sports camp with our kiddos at church

Spent the night with our 3rd - 6th grade girls

I turned 20

My mom had surgery

I began moving into my HOUSE

..all things that should are blog worthy and deserve posts, as well as a myriad of other things. But it's not gonna happen. Instead you're getting one giant post with all of the above in it.

I finished my sophomore year of college

okay. i blogged about this already. but its official. I'm on to my junior year of college. bring it on.

Started and finished a summer school class.

the beauty of community college is that I completed an entire semester's worth of american literature in 3 weeks, without working my tush off too much, and still managed an A. yes please.

Started my second summer as a Children's intern.

MAN I love this job. Seriously. I get to spend every day in an office of people that bring me such joy, and when we aren't working in the office, we are doing stuff with our amazing kiddos. Wednesday nights are my favorite. I get to teach the 2nd through 5th grade students with the help of my sweet friend Melissa. We spend 20 minutes of it just singing and dancing around and just praising God, and it is so truly amazing. We've adopted "the Potato Chip" song as our official song of the summer. Each week the kids add more and more verses to it, and it's possibly the best moment of my week. I leave each Wednesday night exhausted, hair in a messy bun, and so full of joy.

Sports Camp

And on the subject of sweaty, messy fun with our kids.. we had a Sports Camp a few weeks ago for the kids. This year we decided to have this Sports Camp instead of a VBS. Each night the kids got to go to two sports sessions, a bible lesson, and some fun group singing time. I was with our 4 and 5 year olds. Considering my lack of sports knowledge- that was definitely the right place for me. This week was SO MUCH FUN. It ran so smoohly and the kids had a blast. They learned about Breaking free from things of this world to the eternal. The best part of camp was the singing. We started and ended each night with some high-enegery singing and dancing to songs that said things like "You are the good news, good news! you are the dance in my shoes!" ,,The cd is still on repeat in my car.

Oh and did I mention I got pied in the face? We made a deal that if all of our preschoolers said their memory verse (Hebrews 12:1) by the end of camp, Coco (the other intern) and I had to get pied in the face... well wouldn't you know that of course they all learned their verse!

Girl's night with the 3rd through 6th graders

i remember sleepovers when I was that age. All we wanted to do was stay up all night long giggling and doing hair, and any grownup who said we needed to go to sleep was so lame. I hate to admit that I am now one of those grown ups. The sleepover was fun- we made pizzas, painted nails, did facials, swam, baked cupcakes, and even "wrapped" a house.. if you can call it that. And at midnight we put on a movie thinking all the girls would fall asleep. Wrong. At 2am everyone- except for Co and I- were wide awake. They were wide awake at 3am also when one girl decided she was soooo hungry and just couldn't bear it. And they were wide awake at 7am when everyone wanted to jump in the pool for a morning swim. No thanks.

I turned 20.

Golly, I can't be that old. I'm still playing dress up in my mom's shoes and lining up my teddy bears and dolls on the couch to play school. But somehow I'm 20. It was pretty uneventful, my mom was in the hospital, so I spent the afternoon with her (after being totally embarassed at the office with birthday gear- thanks Co). Thank you everyone who made the day so special.

And speaking of surgery.

My mom went into the Hospital of June 28 for back surgery, for what should have been an in one day, out the other surgery. She still hasn't left. With one complication after another, we are a definitely ready for her to come home. But it's looking like it still might be a few days. Your thoughts and prayers are definitely appreciated.

I have a house.

I made a quick (I'm talking less that 48 hours long) trip to Abilene on Friday and Saturday. To begin moving furniture into my house. My roommates are both already moved in and living there, but this was my first time to get to be in the house now that it's ours. and it's perfect. Kelly went with me and we cooked dinner and emptied the storage room and had the perfect time in my perfect little house. Even the perfect teddy bear American wallpaper..

Okay, I think that should fill you in on my life for the most part. I promise to be a better blogger this summer. Really, I do. Until next time..

xoxo

if you can read this, consider yourself lucky.

I love classes at ACU because at their very core, they are about our spiritual relationship to what we're studying. And that's amazing to have that integrated into the classroom on a daily basis.. So with that in mind.. let me tell you a story.




In one of my amazing education classes, our teacher read us an excerpt from Thirty Two Third Graders and One Class Bunny by Phillip Done. Now, I actually haven't read this book. But I'm ordering it from Amazon (unless someone has a copy and would let me borrow it!?), and I've had a lot of friends who have read it and loved it. And the story she read to us was about a teacher (the author of the book) who had a student in his class, Ronny, who was struggling with reading. To improve his reading skills, the teacher suggested reading at home with his parents. But Ronny's mom seemed uncooperative. The teacher sent home articles about why reading with your children at home is important, made countless phone calls to Ronny's mother asking her to read with him, and lent him books from his class library to read with his mother. Well weeks and weeks went by, and Ronny still reported that his Mother wasn't reading with him at home. She was just "too busy" or was rushing off to a night class.


Well long story short, the teacher showed up to school one evening to help with registration for adult-night classes. And there is Ronny's mom. The teacher assumes she is taking a pottery class or something along those lines. Ronny's mom asked the teacher for help with filling out the registration forms because she had "forgotten her glasses at home." After she leaves for her class, the other lady helping with registration points out that actually, Ronny's mom is there for a beginning reading class, and she is just one of many parents who had also "forgotten their glasses at home."

That just makes me hurt. Like the kind of hurt that really gets me down in the pit of my stomach. And makes my eyes get all blurry.

And it just makes me realize, how truly blessed I am that I grew up in a family that values education. That I've gotten to go to school since age 4. That I can read. Women in our country haven't always been this fortunate. And yet I sit and complain and tweet about how annoying school is, and how I'm "soooo overrr" school, and how I just can't wait to graduate- when I should be so truly thankful for the opportunity I'm presented with.


I don't know. Maybe it's just the teacher in me that has such high regard for the education system. But imagine trying to get by in this world without the ability to read.



In completely separate news: I'm HOME. And taking a summer school class- and I'm really trying to work on the no complaining thing when it comes to that! Work starts in a couple weeks and I couldn't be more excited!


..And I just got done watching the Grey's Season finale. So many tears. I won't spoil it for anyone.. but it was good.


xoxo

the show goes on

This is my last blog coming to you from Morris 111! I'm DONE with finals, the storage unit is packed for the most part- just a little bit more to do tomorrow. And then I'm headed HOME. It's been such an amazing, hectic, stressful, overwhelming, blessed semester, and I can't believe it's already over.

The thing about writing this blog is that I wrote a post (here) from the first week of school, and now I can look back at it and see how much I've grown this semester. I remember calling my mom that first week of school and being SO completely stressed out. I wanted to drop out right then and there. And I'm not denying the fact that I've had many, MANY, more of those moments this semester. But, somehow it's nearly DONE! And I couldn't be more relieved.

I'm so ready for everything this summer holds. I miss the office at Bammel and all of my kiddos so much. I'm so ready to be back there doing the stuff I love. I know that God has such amazing plans in store for this summer, and I can't wait to see what unfolds!

I don't really have much else to say. I just wanted to post a little blog saying this semester is ending.

xoxo

Abraham Lincoln had it right.

as abraham lincoln once said, "all that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." he had it right.

So this weeks blog is about my sweet Mom. Bet ya didn't see that one coming, did you? I know I post a lot about how I have the best mom in the world, but it's because I do. So since it's Mother's day, I thought I'd share a little more about her with the world.

My mom is..

my editor.

I don't know how you people without super human english teachers for mothers got by in life. I have learned so much more about grammar and the english language from being around her than I ever did in school. Even to this day she lets me send her my papers and she edits them. And it's not that I can't edit a paper myself, because I can, but it's just that she's still willing to do it even when I'm 400 miles away that means so much.

my inspiration.

oh gosh, that's really cheesy to say. and I know she's rolling her eye's reading this. but there's not another word that means 'she's-one-of-the-reasons-i-want-to-be-a-teacher' yes, the reason I'm going into teaching is because I feel truly called to it, and I love being able to teach children. But I wouldn't know that if I didn't have that modeled for me my whole life. I remember my mom telling someone once that, she didn't know why I was becoming a teacher since I watched her do it my whole life. But that's just the reason I am. She's an amazing teacher, both in her classroom and at home. If I become half of the teacher she is today, my students would be lucky.

my advice-giver.

Growing up, I didn't always take time to appreciate all of her wisdom and advice (like: Necco candy hearts at valentines day- the Brach's ones taste like soap) But I think now that I'm older I'm able to appreciate her a lot more. She's beautiful and brilliant, and somehow still loves me after almost 20 years.

my best friend.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again- my mom is the best friend I can ask for. She listens to me when I'm upset, hurting, stressed (and goodness knows, thats all the time), joyful, or just bored. I don't know how my days would go by if I couldn't e-mail her constantly.

In Between the Trees' song "She Is" -which still makes me cry because it's completely the sweetest song about moms- he sings:

Love is an action that she shows me often.

Even when it's not in her kisses

Blessed with a mom who puts herself after her children.

It dosen't get much better than priceless

And that's so true. Love you, Mom! I hope you have a wonderful Mother's day! I hope you realize just how much of a blessing you to me and so many others. If I grow up to be half of the woman you are, I would be so grateful. I wish I was home to spend the day with you- but I can't wait to see you in a few days! Love you!!

time to grow

I know I'm a couple days late on this.. Or a couple weeks. Saying I've had a lot going on would be a complete understatement. School is really piling on- but only a couple more weeks! I'm so in need of a break from school. We had Easter holiday last weekend, which was so appreciated. But it just wasn't long enough! But enough complaining for now. On to why I'm writing this..

A few weeks ago I was on the phone with my mom. And can I just stop and take a minute to tell you what an awesome lady she is. She is always there with some brilliant advice or sweet encouragement exactly when I need it. And she is still always willing to edit papers for me. I don't know how anyone else gets by in life without a brilliant grammar teacher for a mom. She's the best.

Anyway, we were on the phone and we were talking about how, due to the recent budget cuts in education, pretty much every district across the state is having to lay off teachers or shift teachers around. Which is the most frightening thing to me, considering I'm an education major hoping to have a teaching job in two years.. with pretty much no back-up plan. yikes. Anyway, my mom was talking to me about that happening within her school district and she said the phrase,

"you've got to bloom where your planted"

she gets it. so of course it got me thinking.. we're not always gonna be dealt the greatest hand in life. So far, I've been so blessed to live where I live, go to school where I do, and know the people I know. But life isn't always a cake walk. But the way you handle your struggles is what's key.

I mentioned a couple weeks ago how I've been really praying for God to just send me somewhere. And that's still my prayer. For God just to use me for His glory. It doesn't matter where I am, as long as I can make the best of my situation and be a light for Him.

I'm really applying this to this up coming summer. I'm SO excited about my internship at Bammel and I'm just praying that God will be able to use me to bring him the glory.

so that's it for tonight. I'm off to do homework and play Dr. Roommate for Morgan- she's not feeling so hot! :(

xoxo

carry me through

So I had this big blog typed up, but I just wasn't really feeling it. Instead, let me tell you about my evening. Becca came in town this afternoon. It's always so good to see her.. it feels just like old times. So once she got in town, we grabbed some dinner, shopped around the mall some, and of course got froyo. Then afterword morgan told us she had a surprise for us and she drove us out to the zoo. And behind the zoo there is the most beautiful pond..

(That's not edited at all! How beautiful!)

We just sat here for a few minutes and soaked up God's awesome presence. It was just what I needed. This week, scratch that, this whole semester has been stressful. Lots of projects, lots of papers, and lots of teachers getting laid on in Texas right now (so why am I even bothering to become one?). All of that equates to one stressed-out little courtney!

And right behind that pond is a playground! So we spent an hour tonight just swinging. It was so peaceful. The cool thing about Abilene is you can actually see the stars, so getting to spend some time just chilling out and admiring God's beauty.

At the play ground there were these two little girls playing together. They weren't friends before hand because one of them just walked up to the other and said "what's your name? want to play?" ...I miss that! I think that's why I'm so drawn to being around kids. They have such an innocent view of everything.. It reminds me of the verse Matthew 18:3..

And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

That's about it for this week. This next week I have quite a bit to think about.. so prayers would be appreciated it! But I think spending some time with God out at the pond is just what I need to get through it.

xoxo