The pages are turning, whether we are ready to read the next page or not...

The time has come.  The inevitable that I cannot stop. 
I think back to when I went to college I was sad I was happy.  I was out on my own.  Freedom was finally mine!  After years of acting as if I was an adult the time had finally come.  Put on your big girl pants and show the world your determined face.  Thankfully when I went into this uncharted territory I managed to have some VERY awesome people enter my life.  People sometimes make comments about how much in debt I am due to choosing the private college that I attended, the truth is, I cannot imagine my life any other way.  I met so many people that I cannot live without today.  My education was priceless.  

I met a woman who I think the world of!  When we first met I was hanging out with her group of friends because I desperately needed someone in my life.  I love being alone and doing things my way, but I knew I wouldn't survive on my own in this world away from my family.  So I tagged along.  That is exactly what I felt like, a tag along.  I didn't really fit in but these people were fun!  I wanted to fit in and maybe if I tagged along enough, they would just accept me.  The awkward college freshman that I was.  :)

Well, about seven years later one of those people just couldn't shake me.  I tagged on very closely to her.  We were college roommates, we were post college roommates.  We are best friends and we have decided since God didn't give me a sister and she could use one more sister, that is what we are.  Sisters at heart.  Would do anything for, share anything with, be each others right arm if needed.  

For the past 5 years she has been my rock.  When I would freak out about life, she was there.  When I could have unbelievably great luck, she is who I shared it with,  When I hit walls, she was standing there ready to bandage my life back together with me.  She is so level headed, but also the life of every party.  She is brilliant.  She either knows the answer or she will find the answer.  She is organized and task oriented.  Put a task, or challenge in front of her and she will find a way.  

I guess that is why this is all happening.  (I make it sound like a bad thing.  It's really not.)  She is off to take on the world.  At lease a different part of it.  She will be off to Africa to work for the Peace Corps.  She leaves today to start the adventure.  I am very sad that she is leaving, but I am sooo excited to share her adventures through e-mails, blogs, face time, letters, and maybe even a trip for myself.  I can't wait to share what she is doing with the world and be able to say, that is my best friend out there.  People say you take on different characteristics of those you are around the most.  I won't be around her for the next two years, but I hope I can be just like her.  Being fearless, and legen...wait for it dary. :)  A little HIMYM humor, one of our favorite shows. 

Bottom line, lesson to be learned here.  I am so proud of her, she has taught me soo much.  I can't wait to see what God is going to teach her in Africa which in turn she will teach the rest of us.  I also can't wait to see how God is going to shape me and work in my life now that my rock is floating overseas.  These next two years will be a great chapter for her and me.    

Reflecting on past reflections

This week marked the end of my 3rd year teaching in the same school district.  Each year has been a little bit different with grade levels and responsibility and that will be changing again in my 4th year, but it makes me a little bit more rounded of an individual in my teaching abilities for the day when I decide to make new leaps  and bounds.

We are starting to go 1:1 as a school district meaning every kid will have technology in their hands and we will try to incorporate these devices into daily learning to help mold our kids even more in their future- which will be filled with technology.  While at a professional development day I stumbled up on a new tool to use on Google and I found some documents that appeared from out of nowhere.  -this verified what I have been told and telling my students "what  you put on the web is out there and will continue to be out there.  You can't erase all the footprints you leave on the web."  Seriously this document that I found was from a Thanksgiving post a few years ago.  While I realize it is on my blog and will forever be on the blog I had forgotten about this rough draft that was saved in some random space on the web.
Here is my reflection one Thanksgiving after my decision to take my first ever teaching job.

God then laughed at me a bit and said his plan was a little town of Webster City.  Thank goodness He takes care of the details and I don’t need to worry (although yes, I do).  I didn't know why he sent me there but I knew after I accepted this job and nearly bounced out the front entrance this was going to be something good.  (Yes, I actually remember saying with tears running down my face from fear, excitement and just being very overwhelmed, “this is going to be something good.”)  While I was content with the feeling of “something good” I still knew I wanted to know/ find my purpose.  Why was I sent here?  What am I suppose to be doing?  Why, How, When, For how long????  The questions still come but I have my amazing family and friends that remind me not all the answers are there right now and not all the answers will come, even in my lifetime.  But as a great friend once told me, in summary of course I cannot remember the actual quote, “My faith in God frees me from needing to know all the details.”  

 I am still looking for some of those answers but a few have come.  Why am I here?  Of course for the kids that I have had the privilege of being part of their lives for 180 days.  For being near my best friend who could be my support and family in this uncertain chapter.  For bringing me to meet the man of my dreams.  I still don't know the exact purpose, duration and other details but I do know that this is still "something good".

Year 4 to commence in two months.  Maybe in 2+ years I will stumble up on this entry again and have a reflection on past reflections of reflections.  either way, life is still chugging along and I am pretty content where God is leading me.  :)

A new found blog purpose

For some reason I haven't had the ambition nor inspiration to blog.  Until now.  I had thought that I was sick of blogging because #1 who wants to read about me.  #2 nothing important is going on in my life.  #3 It bothers me that I felt like all I was writing about was my day- I had pancakes for breakfast, or complaining about something- no need for an example on this one.  Or I turn this blog into a personal work out keep me accountable thing and then I fizzle out. 

So with a new found purpose I will hopefully be blogging more, however not on a regular basis just when I feel moved to do so.  

I realized after having a girls weekend that there was nothing special about the weekend, except the people who I was with.  That being said I was inspired to take my everyday ordinary life find some transforming, inspirational things and post them. 

A quote that has inspired this is:  "Do not live on default. Live a life aware of those around you." So instead of just passing through life telling you about my humdrum day.  I will seek to look deeper into those days and find meaning for myself and for those around me. 

Enjoy!