Life.Is.Good

Life is good.

Sometimes I just kind of sit back and think about my life… I just don’t have words to explain how I’m feeling. (Side note.. I have a feeling this may be a lengthy one today. So if you’re tracking the 30 Day Challenge, see last few paragraphs). Anywho… I am just thankful for where I am today and with what’s going on in my life. When the New Year hit, I kind of got irritated because of all the “resolutions” that people make and don’t keep (pot calling the kettle black.. I admit it). But this year it just irritated me because I thought, “Why does the ‘new year’ need to be where people start fresh? You can start fresh ANY TIME THAT YOU’D LIKE.” I just kept having this thought in my head…. as I made resolutions or goals for 2012. Just to off track a minute.. I have been running this past week and when I run, lots of things go through my head. Usually it’s, PUSH YOURSELF KATRINA! But during my last run, I thought, why is it called, “resolutions?” People make goals, not resolutions.. and then the more I thought about it, the more I “resolutions” was actually good.. because a resolution is usually a cure for a problem, right? That’s what people do at the new year… find a “problem” in their life and try to stick with a resolution for it.

Anyway… just a random thought that was in my head… back to making those resolutions… I think people make them at the new year because, well, it’s the new year. It’s almost like it’s a blank sheet of paper and you get to start completely fresh. I still think you can do that at any point in your life, but maybe it just gives people an excuse to live the way they do… or for me, as I look back, I look at the year as a whole.. and wow. What a year 2011 was. SO much was gone through. I finished my first year teaching… I started my second year teaching… I had friends move across the country… I had very close friends get married or engaged… my best friend and cousin moved and is away from me for the first time in over 10years… I moved yet again… and of course, the joke of the year was always “Katrina and her boys… which boy is it this time?” Which is HILARIOUS to me, because, well, if you know me, that has never been me. I went through dating one, not sure what you’d call the next, and then a pretty serious relationship after that, then ending the year single (which I’m okay with). For each of those, hard decisions were made, friendships were formed, heartache happened… 2011 was just a whirlwind of emotions for me, lots of changes, and “grown up” decisions.

As I looked back at 2011, I knew my perspective was going to change for 2012. I had a “clean page” to look at. I wanted to go in it not knowing what was to come, but knowing that whatever God had in store, it was going to be good. And I can’t even explain that feeling to you.. but I KNEW that it was going to be a great year (not saying 2011 was.. I learned A LOT about myself). So.. it’s only February 5, and these past 5 weeks have been SO good. Maybe it’s just because my perspective has changed. Maybe it’s because I’m looking at things in a new light. I don’t know. But I honestly don’t know that I’ve ever been this happy. Let’s take a look at different areas of my life so I can explain more.

Friends: I have the greatest friends. I feel like friendships are growing deeper. I am trying to be more intentional in those friendships and new friendships that have been made.

Crossings: I can’t say how much this community means to me.. and I don’t know that I ever could. But I feel a part of something big and life changing. Through every Sunday.. through

Small Group.. through Kid City.. through Hospitality.. through FPU…

Health: I don’t think I’ve ever “stuck” to working out.. but I have the last five weeks and I FEEL good. AND I’m doing a 5K! Who would have thought. Not me, that’s for sure.

Expenses: I am SO looking forward to budgeting and not living and worrying about expenses as much as I do.

Work: I love my kids. This new year has been awesome and encouraging.

Future: I’m going to Grad School… AGAIN. What in the world am I thinking!? I have no idea… but I am so excited for “what’s next.”

Maybe I covered it all.. maybe I didn’t… but I just love my life and where I am right now. You know when you are in a new relationship and you’re just head over heels for that person and you just can’t stop smiling? That’s how I feel. Maybe I’m falling in love with my life..

Okay.. that’s my rant and what’s on my heart. Are you still with me? If you are.. well, thanks.

To the Healthy Aspects of it all…

FPU is great. I’m loving it and can’t wait for each week to learn something new. Budgeting is going to be hard, but I’m excited.

I lost 4lbs this week, so I’m at 12lbs gone! WooHoo!

30 Day Challenge.. well… I didn’t finish it. LET ME EXPLAIN. I just got sick of doing the same exercise over again. I think I’ll incorporate some of it every once in awhile, but for now, it’s not for me. I feel like a quitter sometimes because I only had three stinking days left.. but I don’t feel like I quit because it was too hard. Does that make sense? Instead, I started running. I’ve been doing that on Mondays anyway, well, part walking.. but I’ve started running this past week. I did it three times last week and RAN MY FIRST MILE! NO BREAKS! It was quite a big thing for me. I want to try to start adding a little on at a time and hopefully be able to run the whole 5k in April, but we’ll see. My legs felt like spaghetti last week.

Well. That’s all I have for today. Ha.. all I have.. it was quite a bit. Thanks for reading though. Thanks for continuing to read and your encouragement as well. It means a lot.

Hope you all get to go to a fun Superbowl party tonight! I don’t really care about who wins… I’m excited for the party aspect of it all and for the new previews shown during the commercials!

Til next week…

We got catching up to do.

Oh I am so behind.. I don't know where to start. Let's see.. I guess I have the whole summer that I missed..
Well, I am..

• DONE with grad school.. finished, finished, FINISHED! whoo!

• Moved off out of my house and in with my cousin for a few weeks.
• My sister AND my mom got married!
• Got a job teaching Preschool, like I wanted :)
• Moved into my own house (renting). I love it.
• The day after I moved in, I ended up in the ER and admitted for 4 days.. had a procedure/surgery thing to remove a stone that either a. has been there since my gallbladder was out 2 years ago or b. formed since, even though I'm gallbladder less, because, well, 1% of people without one still form them.
• Got out of the hospital and started my new job the very next day.. eased into the craziness of trying to be prepared for my kids to start.
• Kids started, a month into it, and things are going great.

Life really is pretty good right now. OH I forgot to mention.. during that time.. My poor Corsica was laid to rest. On my Friday night off, it started leaking Antifreeze like it was its job. The next day my wonderful friend went to look at it and it started pouring.. so since we thought it was the heater core and a few hundred to fix anyway, we went car shopping. After a week and a half of stress, I finally got a 2008 Honda Civic... which I LOVE.

So.. new job.. new house.. new car... things are pretty great right now. I'm enjoying everything in my life.

God is good.

the next phase of my life.

It’s been about three weeks since I’ve been back. It seems a whole lot longer than that. So much has happened. To start off with, the first weekend I was home I had a terrible ear infection. The inside of my ear was swollen shut, causing the area around my ear on the outside to swell, causing my jar to hurt, making me not eat… It was a terrible week that it lasted. I called off work one day, went home early another, had a sick day at school… I couldn’t hear anything out of it, causing me not to talk much since I couldn’t hear myself. It was one crazy week.

The next week I had an interview at Concord’s preschool. It was a pretty big church and I really liked the people there. Apparently I impressed them because they kept saying, “good answer” … “Wow..” I’m a better interviewee than I thought! That was on a Thursday and they called the following Monday to offer me the job. They kept saying, “What can we do to persuade you to come here?” That was encouraging. They wanted me to start my own class of 3 and 4 year olds and I would have a total of 6 kids. GLORIOUS. That would have been wonderful. They also wanted me there in the morning to greet the parents when the kids first arrive because they thought I’d be great with that. However, pay wasn’t much. I could probably make it work and I would have taken it (maybe).. but I didn’t. It also just didn’t feel right when I was there. And it felt more like a daycare. I DO NOT want that. I didn’t get my Master’s to be an over-priced babysitter.

So you’re probably asking yourself, “She didn’t take the job? Is she crazy? Does she know how teaching jobs are few right now? Knox County is talking about cutting 30 teachers!” Well, that Wednesday (last week) I had another interview at the ECLC (the preschool on campus that I worked at during my undergrad). That interview went great (it was different than your average interview because these two knew my answers already). That just seemed right though. So… things needed to be figured out to give me answers about other things.. And about a week ago I accepted the job! I have my very own, grown up, “big girl” job. I couldn’t be more excited. I sign papers on Monday (I think? I have a meeting at least).

Since then, I’ve been looking at places to live. On campus housing isn’t available for ridiculous reasons.. that would have been nice to fall back on. About ten minutes from campus, I looked at an apartment set up on the second floor of someone’s house. The outside is shady, but the inside is really nice. And my friend is looking to rent out his basement, so I’m also looking into that. I need to lay everything out and see what would be the best choice.. haven’t done that yet. Also, a friend of mine is needing a place and a roommate… yesterday we just looked at a house my friend and mentor teaching is renting. We both loved it (I think she did too?). It’s in a central location. It would take me about 30 minutes to get to work, but that’d be okay. If she gets the job she’s interviewing for, it’d take her about 30 minutes as well. We’re now waiting to find out if they girl that looked at the house before us wants it or not. We will see!

My Internship is also about over. The last day with my students was Friday and there are two inservice days that I go to Monday. Wednesday we defend our thesis, Thursday/Friday we correct it, the following two weeks is class, then NO MORE SCHOOL!! EVER! At least, that's the current plan.

So that’s my life, thus far. I’m going to be living in Knoxville!!!!! I HAVE A JOB!!! Grad School is almost over. I can’t wait. The next phase in my life will be starting. I’m scared. I’m nervous. I’m excited.

Thank you all for your continued prayers!

quick update.

just a quick list and some pictures of what's going on:

1. bought my tickets for puerto rico! no turning back now :] march 6-april 28.

2. my moms engaged!

possible date is july 10.

3. im back in 1st grade starting wednesday.

4. i filled out my first "real: job application (for the position of the lead teacher in the ECLC :)

I haven't turned it in yet.. still need to revamp my resume.

I'm a fan of in there :]

5. i feel like there needs to be a five... um..

home was great. Christmas was great...

and I was back in Knoxville for New Years Eve, which was great..

I guess that's all for now :]

it's a scary thing.

So I am almost 23 years old. I am in graduate school. And I don't know what I want to do with my life. It's a scary thing.

The past year or so I've been debating about whether or not I really wanted to be a teacher. Whether or not my passion lies there. Whether or not that's what God wants me to be doing with my life. I've kept that all in until recently.

August 10 started my internship. I'm at a Title I elementary school in 1st grade. I'm with a great mentor teacher. I love the first grade team I'm working with. I've enjoyed getting to know the rest of the staff. The kids are too bad either :]. But the more I'm there, the more I don't think I should be. That passion isn't there and it terrifies me. I don't have any desire to do lesson plans the rest of my life! The students just started school this past Monday, so the first week was all staff meetings. Don't even get me started on those. I don't desire to work in the school systems. At all. Wow. And I just spent 4 years working towards that. Since May I've been in class and working on my thesis, and I'm just wishing I would have done student teaching just to get it all over with.

What scares me most is I have no idea what else I would do. But here's the thing. I still want to own/direct my own preschool one day. And I even would love to do preschool right now. I know that is definitely still teaching, but it's not in the school system. It gives you plenty of more le-way with working with things and different ideas. Yes, it still has it's regulations, but it's different. That's what I've always wanted to do. And what's great, is I can do that with my degree. But I almost feel like it's narrowing my options. But if it's what I really want to do, then is that bad?

And what really really frustrates me are these classes. For those of you who don't know, we (interns) were in staff meetings for a week, with our kids for a day and a half, then pulled out to take two-four hour long classes for a week. Okay, for one, if the first two weeks are the most important, WHY are you taking us OUT!? Yes, I know what I said about being there, but how can I try to enjoy it if I'm not? And for two, all the work. I am NOT trying to be lazy, but let me tell you what we have to do, for one class, we have a five-page paper that's due every Saturday for each chapter covered, which totals eight. Yes, that's right, that's forty pages. Okay, that's not too bad since it's every Saturday. Next class, we have a 10 page research paper, a board game, a video, 2 journal reviews (three pages each), some states project thing, and I believe there's something else as well. These two class-work assignments are spread out from now until December. And on top of this is our internship which we do daily journals, a weekly report, a weekly schedule, and lesson plans for anything we teach. Oh yeah, and I work part-time off campus. And I can't not work. It's just really frustrating.

So that's my heart on the line.

a PERFECT game.

So I've been home for about a week and a half. It's the first time I've sat here and done NOTHING. I mean, I've slept, watched tv, played on the computer, and just RELAXED. Probably helps that I know I shouldn't be spending money so I haven't been going out much.

It's been relaxing though. What I don't get is why is it when you're about to leave, THEN things get busy? I decided a few days ago that I'm heading back to good ol Ktown early; next Thursday to be exact. I wasn't put on the schedule at the BBA here and I need to be working, so I'm letting Regal own me for the rest of my break. I also have another paper to write that I need to do during that time.. anyway. I'm leaving Thursday, and here's my schedule until then:
tomorrow: Ann's funeral (Dave's mom. keep the fam in your prayers please). and hanging out with Mrs Jen Thiele!
Sunday: church and family cookout
Monday: dinner with the BBA girls (holla!)
Tuesday: visiting Lisa and a movie with Monica and Brian
Wednesday: heading to Indy to stay at Cora's.
Thursday: peacin out to Knoxville and workin the midnight.

And among that time I need to hang out with Tabby, see Robbin and Dakota, go by Dad and Brenda's, go see the Clouse's one more time, and try to squeeze in another Katrina/Emilee time. holy crap. BUSY.

Things have been good though. I'm upset I can't make it to Mimi's wedding or Daniel and Cara's (incredibly sad about that one since I won't be able to see everyone!!!!), AND I don't get to see my Sox play at all. Although, it's been nice to actually WATCH a game.

Speaking of the Chi-Sox. What about that PERFECT GAME!!!?? YEAAHHH!
PUT! IT! ON! THE! BOARDDDDDDD!!!!



I suppose that's all.

Oh. and Thanks to Mr Brent Bradley, I'm addicted to Lost. (I dont know if that's mentioned at all in the last one). I went through the first season in a few days and the second in a few days as well. pathetic. I need to watch the third season. our internet sucks so I can't watch it online.

Okay. that's for real all this time.