The end of Fall 2011

Wow. The semester is over and I came out ok. I got one A and one B. Next semester begins my final semester as a Mathematics Masters student.

This semester has been a tad less stressful than semesters past. Could you say I am finally getting the hang of this? (of course, right before I am finished) The past few weeks have been just as stressful as they could be. I worked and studied, worked and studied.. took out my frustrations on Hunter (yeah... sorry, love!) and studied and worked some more.

Thankfully all my studying payed off, and I was willing to walk away from my last final with a huge smile.

What a journey the past year and a half has taken me on.. it is amazing to look back... see what I have been through, and where I am today. I look forward to beginning a new chapter in this life, as I journey to a teaching job, and life after working full time and going to school. Wow, what a change that will be!!!

I am enjoying a few days, cleaning up around the apartment, catching up on a few things. I also took a nap today after work! :) I am so glad that I planned ahead, and finished my Christmas shopping early. All I had to do was finish wrapping this weekend, and I am all set.

Now, for the rest of the year.. home for Christmas, and then headed to Hunter's home for new years. Working out the last few days of work, and then after the new year, going with the college group from church to Passion 2012.

Wow... it is almost 2012 already?!

It's that time

It's that time of year again... I am stressed.. Finals are looming, Christmas is here and pocketbooks get tighter around the end of the year it seems.

I know I shouldn't stress over such things, and that God will take care of me, even in the smallest of ways! But right now, these are the things that are troubling my mind.

1. Finals - a test and a project... the rush to get them finished, the pressure to do well
2. Money - (Hunter) will Hunter start getting instate tuition, will be be able to find an on campus job that will work with ROTC?
3. Money - (Me) I will be going home for the holidays, and because of the way my rent is due, I will be paying rent twice, within two weeks of each other. I know this will be fine and I can do it... but draining my paycheck two weeks in a row, scares me.
4. Work - things are stressful here, for a number of unmentionable reasons.. Part of me loves this place so deeply... but the other part, is so terribly ready to move on.
5. Jobs - Will I be able to get a job out of here? (Of course, see?? Meaningless worries)
6. PhD - Hurry up and wait. I applied in June, and will hopefully find out whether or not I am accepted in February. What a process... yet, I am rejoicing in the waiting.
7. Friends - I visited a dear friend of mine while home for Thanksgiving... she is so sick, so broken, so battered. Won't you pray for her? It was the worst I have seen her these past five years... and it is so hard to talk about. However, I am thankful that I was able to see her, even if it was just to hold her while she shook from the pain. Lord, bless her.. comfort her... keep her.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. It is a charmed life we lead. We are so blessed... but sometimes we can't even think to shift the focus off of ourselves and to the Father. What selfish lives we lead.

Lord,
Help us to turn to you in times of trouble. Help me to most of all trust you in ALL things. Help me to turn to you, rather than myself or anyone else. Teach me to be selfless, and deny the selfish nature of humanity. Lead me Lord.
Amen.

Finished!

I can't believe it! I am finished with my first YEAR of graduate school.

It was so much harder than I thought. Working a full time job and going to school isn't the cake walk that I planned it to be... but it is great! There were times when I didn't think I would make it through... But the Lord is merciful and gracious, and I have!!

After the storm, the University of Alabama terminated the semester as of April 27. The end of classes, finals and even graduation have been cancelled. The Spring graduates will now be attending the Summer graduation. Grades were to be posted as of May 10th, as is. If you didn't like your grade, you could request to take your final. Wow, what a roller coaster this has been!! In what may be the LOWEST and WORST GPA I have ever had... I have decided to accept my B's and run with them. 3.0, never in my life... and while inside I am disappointed, the stress and magnitude of what has happened over the past week causes me to just go with it. My brain is so scattered, my life a whirlwind... I am just thankful to be done, so, I will take all of my B's knowing that in the end this is what's best. God has taken away the stress of finals, He has answered my prayers. His answers aren't always what I want them to be... but I rest assured knowing His ways are so much better than mine. Praise God!

This is an amazing journey that God has brought me on. He has changed my plans, and through following Him the desires of my heart of changing. As I continue to grow I hope that I grow deeply in the Lord and that I continue to become closer to Him.

So, I continue with school starting back May 31. I am completing my research the first half of the summer, and taking Complex Calculus the second half. Hunter left for Basic training and AIT today, and will return in August. I am excited for this amazing journey God is taking me on.. and I am so thankful for how much He has blessed me!!

Date night

Good Morning to all! I haven't been able to update recently due to school being so crazy... However, I have a few things to catch you up on. About two months ago a young man who goes to my church asked my college minister to let him get to know me. I was very apprehensive at first... but after hanging out with him and the college group several times I found that he was a nice guy, and if nothing else... it didn't hurt to be friends. So I stopped completely avoiding this guy and three weeks ago he asked for my phone number. Starting that Monday we have texted and talked on the phone non-stop.

Friday night he took me on the best date I have ever been on. Wednesday night he asked if he could take me on a date on Friday. I told him yes and that was that. He worked all the details and told me everything would be a surprise. :)

He picked me up and we started driving. Me, not being from Tuscaloosa.. had no idea where we were going. As we turned on the road he asked if I could guess where we were going. Unfortunately, with my poor sense of direction, I didn't have a clue until we pulled into the parking lot. He took me to Cypress Inn, a beautiful riverfront restaurant with a great atmosphere and beautiful views and landscapes. He had reserved a table overlooking the river, and the view was spectacular.

This is a picture of the restaurant I found online... if you look at it, coming from the left of the picture, we sat at the third window from the end... near the corner. :) What a view. I had blackened tilapia that was just amazing! I can't wait to try my hand at a few tilapia recipes.

After dinner we again started driving... me, without a clue. He took me then to All Fired Up. A place where you can create, paint and fire your own pottery. it was fun picking a piece of ceramic and painting it just how I wanted it. I can't wait to get them back this week!!  It was so fun just creating whatever you wanted.. they even allow you to print out pictures so you can stencil them onto your ceramic. WHOA. I definitely started off with something simple... I just painted a cross.. and of course I painted it blue and green.

After this the night's surprises were over, and he asked me if I wanted to go watch a movie. It was having so much fun I didn't want the night to end. Saturday, after I went home to be with my family for Easter, he called and asked me to be his girlfriend. At first I was hesitant, but we discussed many things and I am at peace with the decision to say yes. He will be leaving for basic training in two weeks, but after that he will be here for good. He has promised to write me letters, and I can't wait. Honestly, how cool would it be to have letters to show your grand kids? People hardly ever write anymore... and I am excited for this opportunity to do so.

This week I am preparing for finals... I have a final Monday, May 2nd and Thursday, May 5th. I am starting to study this week... and hope and pray that I do well on each of them. I am stressed, but I know that I am blessed. Mary Allison's wedding is just around the corner!! Oh how much fun we will have. So.. here's to the next two weeks of non-stop craziness. I pray each of you have a blessed week!

I'm BACK!!!

Finals are over and I am back to life!! The question many people have asked me is, 'Was it what you expected?'

Honestly, six months ago I was ready to give up my dream of graduate school, marry the man I love, and just become a teacher with a wonderful home and family. And this has been a constant struggle throughout this semester. But I come to realize that Sean only helped me grow closer to God; and that our decision not to hinder each other's individual dreams in order to have a life together has truly blessed each of us!

Sean is my best friend, and I love just talking to him whenever, and picking on him. He is always there when I need him, and definitely there to help when something goes wrong.. with my car or something... that I am not quite sure how to fix.

This semester hasn't been at all what I expected! I thought that I was busy in undergrad... MAN! was I WRONG! Throughout my undergraduate career I was involved in my major, band, my music fraternity and so many other things including friends and family.... Looking back, so many people told me I had no time... Hah... if only you could have seen me this semester.

Let's recap. I go to work every morning at 6am (where I am now, typing this) and I work... then I get off work, go to class until about 6pm, then I go home or to Starbucks to study. As my luck would have it, EVERY last one of my finals were yesterday... So, I took the day off work, got up, got ready, started dinner in the crock pot, and did a few last minute preparations for my tests. The first test felt great, and after spending literally 20 hours a week on this one class, (yes, I logged the time!) I am proud to say every second of my hard work payed off and I earned an A in the course! Now I am waiting for my other grades to be posted... and hopefully that will be by Friday.

I can honestly say that I am truly blessed, and truly thankful to have gone through all that I went through in the major change in my life. I am blessed with a wonderful job, an amazing school at which to obtain my education, and a great church that makes me feel right at home. This semester has definitely been a growing process, and I feel God working in me. As I continue to seek His will for my life each and every second of my day, I know that He will protect and care for me, and He will give me everything I need.

I am done with my first semester of Graduate school! It was definitely harder than expected, especially with a full time job. And it more than exceeded the amount of time that I thought I would ever spend studying or working on material for a class. I have never in my life had every second of my life so deeply engrossed in something that I didn't have a second to breathe, until now. But I am a stronger person for it.

I believe in full effect that now that I understand how things must be done next semester will go much smoother. I am excited for a month of just working... when I get off work, I will be done with my day! I am planning on starting my Christmas shopping, reading, and just relaxing! I am so excited and so happy to have time to be blogging again!