Do what you love love what you do TEACH!

All adventures are hard! Adventures are always filled with joy and also with challenging experiences. Adventures take us places we don't always expect to be ! My student teaching has been just that an adventure and also my journey to this point has been both joyful and challenging. 

            As a student teacher, I have learned so much about myself as a teacher and a person. I have been able to see my strengths and weaknesses as a teacher. I have learned the importance of all these principles in educating students from my student teaching; compassion, flexibility, good communication, humility.

1)      I have learned that good communication is a very important aspect of teaching especially for special educators. You must communicate with other teachers as well as parents to receive and give information about the student(s). I also feel Communication is important in our relationships that we develop in our lives family , friends and significant others. Good Communication is something we always need in our lives. 

2)      Flexibility is the other important principle of being an educator because schedules change and behaviors are unpredictable. Our personal lives are also always changing and seeing the positive has always helped me as well as realize that my Heavenly Father is the one that is in control of my life and he has the best in mind for me ! 

3)       I have always felt that compassion is an important principle for teaching. I implemented the principle compassion in my student teaching and have seen the positive results as it is implied daily. I continue to believe that compassion is a fundamental aspect of being a teacher and will continue to use it.

4)       Humility is another importance principle to remember well teaching. Recognizing that you can't know it all or do it all and must continue to learn and asking for help from others is a  part of having humility. We have to realize we are just human and we make mistakes and can’t always get everything done all my ourselves, sometimes we need to get students to help or possibly other teachers.   Accepting help from others or asking for help doesn't make us a weak person , it means we are human and can't always do it all by ourselves. 

5)      Another important aspect of teaching is learning from your mistakes. Mistakes are opportunities to grow and to better our lessons and way of teaching in order to engage students.  I have also applied this principle in my personal life.  

As a student teacher , I have learned a lot of new strategies for teaching and also for behavior and class management.  I have learned how important nonverbal cues are for discipline.  I also realized that I want to work on balance discipline where it’s neither too gentle nor too strict. I want to be able to show the students I care and have fun while learning but still have control of my classroom. I have learned also how important it is to be confident in what I am doing and teaching. 

                        Student teaching has been an enlightening experience!

Today one of my fifth graders from student teaching surprised me with this bouquet of Reese's Candy! Just the fact he thought of me on my last day of student teaching meant more to me than anything else because I feel like I made an impression on him. 

I LOVE SHADY GROVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Calendar and the Thank you poster that my cooperating teacher had everyone sign it. 

Why are you so HAPPY?

               It's funny because I have been asked lately why are you always so happy all the time and smiling ? The first thing I think about is having The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in my life and having a strong faith in my Heavenly Father. He has truly blessed with so many blessings. The latest blessing I have received is the experience to be student teaching at an incredible school with friendly and hard work teachers. I also have a great teacher as a mentor who has been supportive and taught me so much. 

             I feel also that something else that makes me so happy is striving to make the choice everyday to see the positive. We are always going to have struggles and frustrations in our lives so why spend all our time being unhappy when we can find the positive and great joy in our lives all the time. It's something that takes work, it's still a work in progress for me.  I have also discovered though we have to find our own ways to be happy. So the way that works for me , won't necessarily work for everyone.  I feel also that for the first time ever I believe in my abilities and potential for great things and who I am.  

I also just love working with children and teaching (it definitely has it's intense and crazy moments but the sweet moments and rewards out weigh those intense and crazy moments).  


"Happiness depends upon ourselves. "
Aristotle 


Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties. 
Helen Keller 
9 

One of my niches

                I have been student teaching for four weeks now! I adore it. I am crazy busy and I definately have points where I get overwhelmed but it's great. I have always loved to learn and student teaching has been a wealth of knowledge. I have learned about not only student teaching but gained insights to spiritual matters.  I will be teaching all the lessons starting Monday. I am nervous but I realize my teacher will be right there and help me if needed and also I have taught lessons by myself before this point with her students and with my little pre k kids.  I love working with kids with special needs , it's challenging but so fulfilling.  Being busy also helps me to not have time to be down in the dumps or depressed as much. Of course , I have my moments of decompression. But being able to feel respected and helpful and more and working hard helps me feel better about myself. I have also been able to see more of who I am in the last month or two and I am beginning to like myself. What a thought! I am beginning to see those positive attributes that everyone else so and I just didn't believe it. There are things I want to change and need to work on but... I am a step in the right direction. 

I have come to some peace that change doesn't happen all at once , it happens in pieces and you have to celebrate every little piece or step you make.  I have to recognize those victories or I'll get stuck in the mode of seeing a far off goal that feels so far a way sometimes. But if every step we take is like a puzzle piece , it helps to complete our goal.

It's finally here

                    So this week was my last week of work for awhile because I will be student teaching coming up next week. Between student teaching and taking two classes to do a synthesis and doing lesson plans , it wasn't going to be possible to work even part time unless I was going to clone myself. It's not excited about having to live off loan money for the next several months but I have heard of worse. I am so happy for new experiences and learning and experience the area of my field: special education. I met with my teacher that I will be working with today and she is wonderful. I love her already. She is so dedicated and nice and I am so excited to work with her and learn from her. With changes and new beginnings anxiety does come but I am just going to take it a day at a time. I am still in shock that I am finally here... I knew I would reach this point one day but now it's here.  I bought the flowers in this picture to celebrate a new beginning and sort of an ending as well.

Life is a learning and growing process.....

I feel like I have learned so much in the last few months about : myself, dating and guys ( just beginning to understand a small amount), life , God's Plan for me and his love.  I have always been one to overreact and over think things. I have learned that the end of the world will not come if you don't get everything cleaned today or you make a mistake. I have finally have realized it's ok to have moments of sorrow and grief or where you just scream as long as they level out and you have more good days where you feel happiness and joy.
               I am still trying to balance my days out but... I feel like understanding these things are at least 1/4 or more of the battle.  I have had kind of lazy day. I didn't get out of bed until late and I got homework done and that was about it.  So I didn't climb Mt. Everest but I got something done and tomorrow is another day. Life is a learning and growing process where will fall but we must keep getting back up. We are all works in progress and we expect perfection in ourselves or others or we will continue to be let down. I am not saying to give up and not believe in achieve great things , I am just saying... we need to be more gentle with ourselves.
          Heavenly Father loves us so much , he sees great potential in us all. One of many struggles is to see that potential in myself . I have always based my happiness on other's acceptance of me rather then loving myself more.  I am writing about this because I know I am not the only one who struggles with self doubt or fear. Heavenly Father sent us here to succeed and not to get out the boxing gloves and start a boxing match with ourselves.  We must make our own happiness in our lives. So our lives aren't exactly the way we expected them to be right now : marriage, family, big house and big yard and more.  Is life ever the way we expect it to be ? If God let us plan our lives would we be trully as happy as we will be with God's plan for us ? I know it's hard  !It's definately especially for me to realize I have to let go of that control in my life.  The Lord wants us to take action to be proactive but realize if we are following his way we have to sacrifice some things like pride and understanding go on faith and know he will take care of you.  I struggle to give that will to God everyday because I want to know what will happen , I want to know the unknown about the details of my life but... guess what I won't know , I have to go on faith and know God loves me and he will take care of me. 

          I have learned that it's ok if you have days where every second of every day you are praying to God for strength because that means you are relying on him and finding strength in him.  As I have done this , I have also seen the hand of God in my life. I remember a day last week where I was feeling really down and it was hard to just get out of bed much less do anything else. I got up and I got on my knees and I prayed. I prayed before I got out of my car at work too. I said get me through this day... give me strength. It turned out that I was able to work with the little babies that day about a year out at my daycare. I was so busy I didn't have time to feel sorry for myself and by the end of the day I got in my car and said wow! this morning I felt like crap and the Lord got me through it by keeping me busy. I said a prayer and thanked him for getting me through the day. I have a great deal to be grateful for in my life : a degree and soon to be two degrees, a roof over my head, family and friends that love me and cheer me on, a car , a full time job with benefits of experience in my career and much more.  I know that it's going to be hard but because the Lord is my strength, I can get through anything.  I am grateful for all the experiences (good, bad, indifferent, crazy) and people that have lead me where I am and made me who I am and helped me learn so much.

Cry or Celebrate

I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father, he has blessed me so much, but I must also say I get pretty impatient and frustrated with his plan for me. I realize after some fighting that he knows best. I always come to that conclusion that he knows best but I still often doubt and lack faith in that plan.
My life of course like anybody's life is unpredictable and some times or I should say often hard.
I definately don't understand it all but I know Heavenly Father loves me and would never forsake me.
I have to simply trust in him and his plan. I pray for hope and faith every day to understand what he is having me do and often times to just get through the day. Some times we must just put him first and put one foot in front of the other. I know these are simple principles but it seems like we tend to have the hardest time with the simpliest things.

I have felt alot of ups and downs lately and I realize fighting what I am feeling doesn't help, that the feelings I am having need to happen to help mold me. I am not saying you keep negative thoughts and let them get you down. What I mean is : Let yourself cry or celebrate when you need to.  I have done plenty of crying and celebrating. I am so grateful for my friends and family who have been there for me. I am so grateful also for prayer because having that relationship with my Heavenly Father has been what has strengthened me and given me the peace I need. I wanted to write about this because one I know I am not the only one that has felt this way or is feeling this way, and also I find writing helps me think and get things out as well as is a history and some thing to reflex on later on.

A Bipoem I wrote about me!

Jennifer

Compassionate, Strong ,   Intelligent, and Creative

Half my heart belongs to Virginia and the other half of my heart belongs to Colorado.

Love God , Education, my Family and Friends

Believes in seeing the good in everyone,  and education to be so important to us all.

Need more Faith and Peace , Strength and Money

Gives all she has ; her time , love and ideas.

Fears failure and rejection

Would love to see Scotland, Ireland and the People of the World to show more kindness to each other.

Lewis

Taking the Positive and Running With It

         Today was a good day over all. I have always had a hard time taking things people comment about and making it personal. But today I was pretty proud of myself because I choose see the fact that I did my best and if this individual had a such a problem with it , they could get over it and move on because it wasn't that big of a deal to begin with. I am proud because in the past I would begin to say negative things in my brain about how awful I am or stupid but today I choose to instead say... you did your best and the students learned some thing and they had fun and you even enjoyed yourself.  I am a work in progress I like to say rather then I am not perfect. I feel like a work in progress means ... you got good things going on with you and you are adding more onto it. 

         I also received a compliment from my supervisor through another co-worker that the children had fun while I was in their class and they really liked me ! So I always choose to record the positive compliments I get because I can look back at them when I am feel down or incapable and remember I am loved and appreciated.  Seeing the positive is pretty hard but as I have been doing it , I feel better.I still have my down moments but I feel like my down moments aren't nearly as frequently or low as they use to be.  I also rely on the Lord as much as I can because getting through some moments or days seems unbearable. I am so grateful for that strength and peace God gives me each day. I am know that I will always have trials but choosing to see the good in all things helps the journey to be brighter and less stressful. 

So remember to see the positive in all.... because it will help through and God will definately give you the strength too.
             

       

Educate yourself

So pretty much everyone knows I am a  prek teacher. I carry or rather I pull a large cart behind me when I go to work. I have been told it looks like a cooler or maybe I am going on a flight some where. I love my teacher bag because I carry all  my items I need : markers, pens, books and lots more. The items all depend on the week and what we are learning that week.  I have always prided myself on being prepared.I like to be prepared... some times to the extreme but oh! well.

 I will be finishing my masters degree in teaching special education. I must say I am very proud of that fact. I have worked very hard to get to this point.  I have lots to do between now and then including sending out resumes and lots more. I am also working on bettering myself. I have been reading alot and watching less tv. I am reading Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus which has been funny to read and definately have learned a thing or two about how the perspectives of Men and Women are so different.  I have also been reading : Codependency No More. Also a good book and very informative.  I have spent alot of time trying to gain happiness from making others happy but that's not the way it works , we have to love ourselves and find happiness with ourselves because at the end of the day we are the ones we are stuck with :) . Yes, we want people in our lives to help bring us happiness but we also have to make our minds up to be happy as well. I have learned many important things from this book but one last thing I want to share from the book is that we have to find a balance between taking care of ourselves and serving others.  Balance is always one of those tricky things but we must strive for it.  So I am working on finding the good in myself and choosing joy in my life instead of always focusing on the negative. 

I have been pouring over books like these as well as my scriptures to help me learn more and educate myself so that I can find peace and joy in my life. I have also been praying alot to find that peace and joy. I strongly feel that is so important that we educate ourselves whether we pour over good books or we go to a university but that we are always progressing and learning.  Educating yourself isn't always going to a university it can be done by learning more today then you knew yesterday and applying it.

My Latest Mass Email

Hello My Amazing Family and Friends, I hope this email finds you well and happy. I am on my way to graduating. I have one more session of summer classes to go and then I will be student teaching in the fall and then I will officially graduate in May 2013 with my masters in teaching special education. It's been so amazing to learn and grow through all my experiences as a pre k teacher and through all my classes. I feel that knowledge is power and I want to help children be enpowered by knowledge and know they can do anything if they educate themselves. I have had a great deal of learning experiences in the last few months that have brought me so much closer to my Heavenly Father. I am so grateful for every experience. I am trying to see them as experiences and not trials because I know I have learned so much. I know that this life isn't easy but the Lord has given us the tools to get through them and that is prayer and scriptures. I know that everything happens for a reason and some times we just have to experience certain things that arent' fun or comfortable and some times incredibly painful but it helps us become who we need to be and learn what is needed for our next experience. Heavenly Father gives me the strength I need to keep moving and put one foot in front of another. Jennifer Lewis :)

The Lord is My Strength!!!

“Think of the purest, most all-consuming love you can imagine. Now multiply that love by an infinite amount—that is the measure of God’s love for you. God does not look on the outward appearance. I believe that He doesn’t care one bit if we live in a castle or a cottage, if we are handsome or homely, if we are famous or forgotten. Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God love encompasses us completely. He loves us because He is filled with an infinite measure of holy, pure, and indescribable love. We are important to God not because of our résumé but because we are His children. He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken. God’s love is so great that He loves even the proud, the selfish, the arrogant, and the wicked. What this means is that, regardless of our current state, there is hope for us. No matter our distress, no matter our sorrow, no matter our mistakes, our infinitely compassionate Heavenly Father desires that we draw near to Him so that He can draw near to us.” ― Dieter F. Uchtdorf Recently, I have experienced a great deal , it's been a mix of emotions. I see things I need to work on. I feel closer to God and know that I can turn to him for peace. He is my strength when I need him. I needed all the experiences I have had lately because I have been able to open my eyes to so many things ( not all easy things). Struggles strenghten us!!!! Despite how the lessons I am learning are right now I know and am grateful for every person and moment that has been part of my growth. I know It's often after the trail we see the blessings. There is part of me that wishes I could turn back time but I know God is preparing me and strengthening me every second I just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other. I am not in control , the Lord is in control. It maybe hard for me to give him the wheel but I realize despite my hard head ness some times that it's the best way. I can't see all that is to come but I know great things are to come. I must have faith in God's plan and HOPE for a brighter tomorrow. Loving myself hasn't always been something I have done. I often beat myself up constantly. If God loves me shouldn't I love myself. Many things change : Change is part of life but the one thing I can have constantly in my life is God and a relationship with him.

Let It BE/ Waiting

I have always struggled with the concept of just letting something be or just waiting. I want to fix things instantly and not have to worry anymore. I have had a great deal of experiences where the whole purpose was to learn : Let it be and it will work out. I was sitting in sacrament today and I was worrying and thinking as I have been for a long time. I had impression that was clear: "JUST WAIT". I know in the last month I have learned so much and I know it's a matter of time and being patient but it's hard. I take it a day at a time and strive to have faith and know God's plan is perfect. I was listening to Saturday's Warrior soundtrack recently and there's a part where the sister is talking about the stars and how we can't see all the stars and if we just simply forgot and didn't cherish all the stars we can't see how much we would be missing. We have to see the stars that are shining now and cherish them so we can learn and grow and be prepare for what the furture holds. I have looked at my life many times and how there's a reason for everything I have done and has happened in my life , it has made me who I am.

Unique

I have realized something recently! I have realized that everyone has their own way of reacting and doing things. There is no normal way that certain things happen. Yea! maybe it has happen alot but doesn't mean it's normal. What is normal anyway? I have always relied on the norm; oh that's how it suppose to be or that's what usually happens. Trully all we can do is do , do what is best for ourselves and understanding what happen in our own specific situation. Of course this is all my opinion and this is not be preaching but just expressing the way I feel. The one thing that is constant is that we all feel pain and joy. We feel them differently and we seek after them differently as well. I once read a quote and here it is : "There was never another like you in this world. God throws the mold away everytime he makes a man... I think he mad you what you are in order that you might do some particular thing better than anyone else in the world could do it; and if you don't find what that work is and do it, that particular work will not be done." -Hugh B. Brown We were all here for a purpose , a unique purpose. There maybe similar things that Heavenly Father is having you do that he is having Jane or John down the road do but no one will do it like you will. I have also seen that sometimes we get hurt and it's not done out of spite or malicousness it's done out the course of things and we have to pick ourselves up and learn from it and move one foot in front of the other. I am so grateful for my Savior and the atonement that he suffered for me.. I wouldn't be able to learn or grow if it wasn't for his love and sacriface for me and everyone else. It's important we all see that we are special and unique and that God doesn't make mistakes! We maybe imperfect but that is what makes us unique and helps us to see that we need the Lord in our lives.

Unexpected Blessings

I feel like most blessings we receive are unexpected when we first receive them. I know I am blessed to have a roof over my head and a bed to sleep in but day to day... there are things that happen that we don't expect to happen. I have had a great unexpected blessing come into my life.. I had no idea and who knows what will happen down the line but for now I see it as a great blessing and opporunity to understand myself more and to expand my likes. I am so happy I could shout it from the mountian tops probably but.... I'll wait !

Back up the Truck!

Enjoying the moment has never been something I would say I do. I often rush things or worry about things before their time when I could be loving the moment and finding joy in the moment. I have recently had a great experience and I spent a great deal of time worrying about what was to come when I don't even know what the future holds. All we can do is enjoy the moment ! We can't spend our time worrying about everything then we will have a life full of worrying and not of joy. So I have decided to strive to be better about just enjoying the moments that my Heavenly Father gives me and when I get more amazing moments I will be grateful. When we rush through moments we don't always see how there is to see and miss out on blessings. I know it's something that is hard but I realize and I know I'll be a happier person if I do. Heavenly Father has blessed me with so much. He has given me so many growing , joyful moments in my life and I am going to do my best to see the blessings in the moment and not rush through them.

Repetition

Today I was so grateful to hear Sister Oaks, who wrote A Single Voice and is married to Elder Oaks. Many of the wonderful things she spoke of I had heard before but that wasn't bad because repetition is something we need. Just as exercise every day may seem repetitious but it's important and in the long run we will be healthier for doing it. The title of her talk was God knows where we are!!!!! She made me laugh and she helped remind me of things I often forget when things get crazy. Repetition is not a bad thing but I just wish I could get it sooner but I guess as well have to continue to practice riding a bike we continuely have to learn how to follow God and to have faith. If it only took us one learning experience to have 100% faith in God all the time we wouldn't still be here learning and progressing in our earthly state. I am grateful for all the learning experiences I have had in my life. I have also learned from others as well from their experience. I have a friend as some of you know that was in a serious car accident and has had to go through surgeries and other struggles so she can walk again. She finds things to be grateful everyday. The few times I have been able to visit her she has brought me joy because of her optimistic spirit and the great blessings I get from just knowing her. She has helped me to see that as we use gratitude and postive thoughts everyday and continue to repeatly do those things we can have great joy. I have often been a person that thought negatively of myself despite my outward smile! I often compare myself to others thinking I wish I was like this person. Going back to the talk that Sister Oaks spoke of the fact we are each precious children and he has a plan for us... DO YOUR BEST!!!! We have heard those things before but.... I thought I am where I am for a reason. I have to be reminded of this precious principle many times because I often feel well I am just Jen Lewis but... in the last several months I have done my best to see what it is that is great about me. I have so many blessings in my life that have guided me here. I am definately not where I expected to be now but... God's plan is amazing and is timing is his own and not our own so what else could I have expected. I have friends and family that love me and don't expect me to be perfect and still love me even if I mess up ( I have always had the silly idea that if I messed up they wouldn't love me). I have a roof over my head and a car and a job as well as my education in psychology and in special education. God has lead me where I am now and where I will go! I can overcome my weaknesses and my struggles because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ which is the greatest blessing of all. It's the small and simple things in our lives that we must see and celebrate them.

Themes of my life !!!

I have seen many themes in my life. You could call it many things but I call them themes. Through out my life I have had specific concepts that have been presented to me that are repeated and strong.

1. Take it ONE day at a time ( Line upon Line , Precept upon Precept- Saturday's Warrior (lol...) ) !
2. Let it be
3. Just Do it!
4. Believe in yourself

I am sure there are others but those are the ones that have always stuck out to me. Confidence in myself hasn't always been my strong point. I tend to over think things and sometimes I just need to just do it and not worry about it so much. Let it be... is often times my hard one because I want to fix things. I want to change things as soon as soon as their broken or need changing. I have dealt with it on a small level and large level where I just had to step back and leave it alone. I guess that's where the analyzing and everything come into play. I am not saying this to put myself down but more of I realize these are things I need to work on. With believing in myself ... that's another hard one for me.. I have always been one to want everything perfect (or tried to have it that way and always fail because there isn't anything perfect except Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father ). They give us the ability to become better!

One of my strong points I feel is charity: I love to serve others. I want to help them in all ways I can. I have to say sometimes its frustrating when you can't do anything but pray for that individual but I know that prayer is the most powerful tool.


I have many blessings in my life and I have many great qualities I just need to take off my negative glasses and see the positive rather than the negative.


A ship in harbor is safe -
but that is not what ships are for.
- John A. Shedd

Heavenly Father has not planned for me to just be fearful and stay where I am comfortable always but he has great plans for me , great destinations. I just have to trust in the captain and in his course.

5 positive things 2/25/12

I am going to try to do an entry at least weekly with my five positive things I see in myself and around me everyday and than post at the end of the week. We'll see how it goes.




1.Caring Towards Others
2.Creative


3. Hardworker
4. determined when my mind is set
5. choose to take care of myself and make sure I got well and not more sick.

I am not superwoman~

I am currently in a course about the brain and the process of learning. There is so many things that affect how we learn it's unreal. This week we learned about emotions and the ties with learning. I learned that when we are in a positive emotional climate and focus on positive emotions we are healthier and optimum well-being. We are also able to have better memory, have better problem solving skills, more competent in social relationships, and much more. Alrighty so in reality I already knew this but gaining further knowledge on this subject just helps the cause more.

As some know I have been a journey of sorts. I want to seperate my emotions from eatting. I have been taking a step forward than a step back then a step forward and so forth. I realized that I need to just take it a step at a time. Which is the way to sensibly do anything and not go mad. Superwoman I am definately not.

With the newly refreshed knowledge of being positive will have my own life, I want to challenge myself to something. I am going to write five positive things about myself each day. I will try to do this without repeating. This challenge reminds me of my sweet companion Sister Vail. I don't remember how this challenge first played out but... it was for every negative thing I said I have to say two positive things about myself. It actually worked pretty well.

Goals:

Take it a day at a time.
- Start with one thing at a time.
- Drink more water
-Less sweets
- Get to Gym ( hopefully I can stop being sick and getting that physical activity will also in the long run help me be healthier over all).

Be gentle with myself.
- Compliment myself!

Be more positive.

- The world is not ending because you make a mistake.



One of the things I have come up with to remind myself is that : A mistake is an opporunity to learn and grow.

- I have always seen mistakes as huge failures and the end of the world. People will not stop loving me or abandon me because ... I make a mistake! I may not be superwoman but I am who I am . I want to make that person better but it doesn't mean I don't have great things about me already it's just refining those things.

Home Sick again!

So I was smart this time and stayed home like a good girl when I felt sick . I went to the doctor and they said Ear Infection and Sinus Infection. How lovely one less thing than last time which was pnomena on top of that. I am a hard headed girl. I get sick and I keep going or at least I try but this time I felt like I shouldn't be pushing myself to exhaustion. I know I only had early pnemona last time but it scared me... despite quility feelings of not being at work and letting people down... I knew I can't keep killing myself just to make others happy. In the end it makes me miserable or rather really sick or going to the hospital. Luckily no hospital visits , I hope there will not be any time soon.

We must take care of ourselves : physically, spiritually and emotionally and haven't been doing the best job lately. I hope that if you read this you are well and healthy and taking care of yourself.

I sit here thinking of all the things I could get done but than my head starts hurting and just get exhausted thinking about it.... sometimes we just have to rest.

After all it does say in the scriptures: Come all ye that are heavy laden and I will give thee rest!!!!!

"Don't run faster than ye have strength" ( do this all the time, not good for you over all ).


Take time to rest whether it's from just day to day cares or when you are sick. Rest is the best medicine to help us feel refreshed and take on something new! If we keep going and going and going we will end up drained and can't do anything at all.

New Adventures Ahead!!!!!

It's finally within arm reach or within sight... my graduation! I will be doing my student teaching in the Fall 2012 and graduating shortly after that. I can't believe it. It seemed like a dream almost. I can see the light at the end of the toll. It has brought some sunshine into my hard times. I have been struggling lately with a great deal of goals. This was the boost I needed to help me realize I can't give up and I have come so far and done great things. It's so easy to get wrapped up in what I don't have or haven't done and not see that I have done great things and have done alot and should be proud of myself. No! I am not saying I am vein , I am far from it but giving myself the praise I need for a job well done is definately needed. I have spent a great deal of time putting myself down and all it has done is hender my growth. I know alot of work needs to be done but I have gotten a reminder of how great I am and how amazing I can be.

I will have a busy life in the next several months, possibly even more than usual but it's going to be worth it because my degree is near.