I did not judge too well so it got a little too thin in some parts. The face ended up falling off, but with a little help from super glue I ended up with a decent pumpkin.
Only a couple more days til Halloween! Spooky spooky kuai le!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
The Great Pumpkin of '08
This year's inspiration for the great pumpkin comes from the classic movie The Nightmare Before Christmas. Oogie Boogie!
On the Flipside
Last night I walked out to the mailbox after community group. I had put on my winter coat for the first time and when I slipped my hands down into the pocket I found a $5 bill. I moseyed to the mailbox and pulled out a postcard from Kim in Vietnam, securing the worth of my walk in the cold. I breathed in the fall air and could not help but think is this what it means to be on the flipside of bad luck?
You might remember me writing about how I seem to procure the most unfortunate things in my daily life, but ladies and gentlemen life has just been too good recently. I made an "A" in my philosophy class, a 99 on Lavender's midterm (!), made great new friends,found a church where I can be challenged and centered, have found two different community groups to study with (the girls and then the intentional group), got a job that I love and come to love more each day, and my students were complete angels during and the scheduled and unscheduled observations yesterday. It is just too sweet.
I don't really believe in luck. I can't say all of this is coming about because my walk with God is great. (Sometimes the times I seem to really be going strong in the Lord, the rest of the world seems to be crashing around me.) Whatever has happened, I am so thankful. It is so nice to crawl into bed at the end of the day and fall asleep with a smile on my face.
(Note: I still have my "China" moments. This week I have missed Peach fiercely. I also find it harder to be in Quiet Time here in the States. It seems like I let that slide all around my calendar. Encourage me to find and stick with a regular time.)
You might remember me writing about how I seem to procure the most unfortunate things in my daily life, but ladies and gentlemen life has just been too good recently. I made an "A" in my philosophy class, a 99 on Lavender's midterm (!), made great new friends,found a church where I can be challenged and centered, have found two different community groups to study with (the girls and then the intentional group), got a job that I love and come to love more each day, and my students were complete angels during and the scheduled and unscheduled observations yesterday. It is just too sweet.
I don't really believe in luck. I can't say all of this is coming about because my walk with God is great. (Sometimes the times I seem to really be going strong in the Lord, the rest of the world seems to be crashing around me.) Whatever has happened, I am so thankful. It is so nice to crawl into bed at the end of the day and fall asleep with a smile on my face.
(Note: I still have my "China" moments. This week I have missed Peach fiercely. I also find it harder to be in Quiet Time here in the States. It seems like I let that slide all around my calendar. Encourage me to find and stick with a regular time.)
Monday, October 27, 2008
Picture of the Week
So today was Titans Day at school because Titans were playing the Colts on Monday night football. We were all encouraged to wear Titans gear or blue. Someone came to take our picture and this is how ours turned out. 
This captures the craziness that is teaching. I am in the process of scolding (aka- yelling) at my kids to stop making gang signs. They look like the innocent bunch, but whew... I love them anyways. :) Hopefully, this will not make it in the yearbook. ;)
Friday, October 24, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
These Days
Talk about lack in communication. I have fallen into the black pit with blogging, emailing, conversing and phone calls. I blame it on my hectic schedule, but part of it is that I am trying to be more productive in other areas.
First off, I am loving my new job. That desire for feeling purpose is fulfilled everyday. I have 17 blessings from foreign countries. Some speak English rather well and then I have a child who is one week off the boat and speaks/understands no English whatsoever. They are precious and I look forward to our time together. If you want to see more about my classroom, I did start another blog (partially due to grad school!)... Adventures in Ms. Quarles Class Will post more on there soon.
Secondly, making some other decisions concerning living arrangements and stuff. I could write a lot more about this and will at some point. However, for now I just ask for your prayers.
Finally, Tiffany and I got to go to Preds game this week. She had told me that we would be sitting behind the bench. I did not realized though until we got to the game, we were sitting right behind on the bench. I am talking first row! The Preds lost, but we had a good time watching some good hockey, fights, and good-looking, but toothless men.
First off, I am loving my new job. That desire for feeling purpose is fulfilled everyday. I have 17 blessings from foreign countries. Some speak English rather well and then I have a child who is one week off the boat and speaks/understands no English whatsoever. They are precious and I look forward to our time together. If you want to see more about my classroom, I did start another blog (partially due to grad school!)... Adventures in Ms. Quarles Class Will post more on there soon.
Secondly, making some other decisions concerning living arrangements and stuff. I could write a lot more about this and will at some point. However, for now I just ask for your prayers.
Finally, Tiffany and I got to go to Preds game this week. She had told me that we would be sitting behind the bench. I did not realized though until we got to the game, we were sitting right behind on the bench. I am talking first row! The Preds lost, but we had a good time watching some good hockey, fights, and good-looking, but toothless men.
I am ready for a weekend, even though it mainly entails school work. Hopefully, we will have a pumpkin carving too.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Grad School Update
History and Philosophy of American Education...
Thank GOD I am finished with it. Really.
First class over with for the semester... 1 hour and 15 minutes to spare. :)
Thank GOD I am finished with it. Really.
First class over with for the semester... 1 hour and 15 minutes to spare. :)
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Recent Days
This is a little pictorial outline of my days recently.
Something exciting.
Something exciting.
Something overwhelming.
Exhaustion.
I might cycle through these stages several times a day.
The biggest exciting, overwhelming, and exhausting news is that I got a teaching position. 4th grade ELL. I did paperwork and such today. Tomorrow I begin teaching! I am the students' third (and hopefully final!) teacher. Blogging might have to go on the back burner for a little while...
Monday, October 13, 2008
Home
Sometimes it is just so nice to go home and be with family.I needed that this weekend.
(My sister Leanne and I at Oktoberfest)
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Rejoice!
Rejoice...
Sometimes when you have something big on your plate that is hard to do. In a few hours, I am facing some little "big" thing.
Trying to rejoice...
And so I make this list of things I should rejoice about in order to encourage myself (and maybe a few of you) to rejoice about...
God has always watched over me, provided for my every need, and loved me without condition.
Rejoice.
God has provided people in my life when I need them the most. Whether it be my dearest friend Lemons, great teammates in China, a crazy but amazing family, or just someone to sit down a have a glass of milk with me... He knows what I need and I don't have to be alone. When a person maybe not be physically with me, I can still feel his presence. He will never leave my side.
Rejoice.
I am grateful for Marvelous Mondays even if that seems trivial. A good day makes for a better week.
Rejoice.
I am thankful for people who share. It is not always easy to open up and share your thoughts, but you never know who you might be encouraging. (Girls that were present tonight thanks for doing this.)
Rejoice.
I am thankful for road trips with new friends. For going to a new place, learning new things, and finding excitement in sharing that experience.
Rejoice.
For a new computer! It is gloriously fast, makes my work easier, and allows me to communicate with people that I love.
Rejoice.
I am thankful for doctors. A profession that I could never have.
Rejoice.
I am thankful for healing. In all aspects. In every sense of the word.
Rejoice.
Tomorrow I am heading to have another biopsy/lump removed. This isn't the first time and there are no promises that it will be the last. While I am confident that everything will be just peachy perfect, it is an emotional time. To some degree, it feels as though my womanhood is being attacked. (That might sounds silly, but some of you might understand.) It is not the outcome that makes me worry, but the scar. (Once again... silly) So I ask for your prayers... for the procedure, for Dr. Lawson, and for those silly things that lie in my head. I ask that you rejoice in your day. Rejoice for mine. Something that can be troublesome will soon be gone. That is worth rejoicing over.
Rejoice.
Sometimes when you have something big on your plate that is hard to do. In a few hours, I am facing some little "big" thing.
Trying to rejoice...
And so I make this list of things I should rejoice about in order to encourage myself (and maybe a few of you) to rejoice about...
God has always watched over me, provided for my every need, and loved me without condition.
Rejoice.
God has provided people in my life when I need them the most. Whether it be my dearest friend Lemons, great teammates in China, a crazy but amazing family, or just someone to sit down a have a glass of milk with me... He knows what I need and I don't have to be alone. When a person maybe not be physically with me, I can still feel his presence. He will never leave my side.
Rejoice.
I am grateful for Marvelous Mondays even if that seems trivial. A good day makes for a better week.
Rejoice.
I am thankful for people who share. It is not always easy to open up and share your thoughts, but you never know who you might be encouraging. (Girls that were present tonight thanks for doing this.)
Rejoice.
I am thankful for road trips with new friends. For going to a new place, learning new things, and finding excitement in sharing that experience.
Rejoice.
For a new computer! It is gloriously fast, makes my work easier, and allows me to communicate with people that I love.
Rejoice.
I am thankful for doctors. A profession that I could never have.
Rejoice.
I am thankful for healing. In all aspects. In every sense of the word.
Rejoice.
Tomorrow I am heading to have another biopsy/lump removed. This isn't the first time and there are no promises that it will be the last. While I am confident that everything will be just peachy perfect, it is an emotional time. To some degree, it feels as though my womanhood is being attacked. (That might sounds silly, but some of you might understand.) It is not the outcome that makes me worry, but the scar. (Once again... silly) So I ask for your prayers... for the procedure, for Dr. Lawson, and for those silly things that lie in my head. I ask that you rejoice in your day. Rejoice for mine. Something that can be troublesome will soon be gone. That is worth rejoicing over.
Rejoice.
Marvelous... Simply Marvelous
Another Marvelous Monday... I got a call from Metro. I am going to have an interview for teaching 4th grade ESL sometime this week. Future is still so uncertain, but I was excited that they called and I get this chance.
Master Teacher class really is wonderful! Dr. Lavender and Dr. Jones always challenge me. The book we are reading for the course The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard... a whole new perspective. Last night we discussed the Beatitudes. Wish everyone could take this class.
Then of course, there is the weekly Saucer outing. This week it was a big bash for Katie Beth (what Saucer night isn't?!) and a good time was had by all. Glad to have some newbies (Justin and Carl) out too. I really do look forward to Mondays because it means getting to great friends, fun conversations (talking in lisps!) and just being able to really sit back and relax.
Marvelous Monday... only 6 days away...
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
International Milk Day 2008
October 1, 2006... the greatest day of my life... finding milk in China... Beijing... classic tears video
October 1, 2007... Second Annual Milk Day... Old lady using her key helped us get into packs of milk to celebrate...
October 1, 2008... Third Annual Milk Day... I am in the land of milk (America), but sadly my friends are in the land of none... This video is for them.
Yichangers of the past, wish I could bring you milk to celebrate. :( Thanks to the help of the ever-so-talented Daniel and Josh, I celebrate in your honor.
Happy International Milk Day 2008!
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