I am a Master

HAHA! Wow, what a joyous time this is!! Saturday I graduated with my Masters of Arts in Mathematics.

The past two years have been probably the hardest time of my life, but... by the grace of God, I made it through. Lord knows I couldn't have done it without my friends (MARY-ANNE) and family, and definitely Hunter.

Life continues to move at a 90-to-nothing pace for me... I had another interview yesterday, and it went well. When I know more definite details of my life.. then I will be able to share. Right now, I am just working... and trying to get my life in order for the next step.

Here are a couple of my favorite pictures from the big day:

My twin sister, Donna and I, walking to the Coliseum for graduation

Family shot with the parents before the ceremony

After graduation, I had to take a picture with my home, AKA Gordon Palmer

After graduation, we celebrated with all the other graduates and our families at my church

High Five for Friday!

I am taking a little cue from Lauren at From My Grey Desk!

Hello beautiful Friday, you are the end to a tumultuous week, and I am so glad you are here!

Here are my five favorite things from the past week:

1. Gabby and I went to Olive Garden for Dinner Monday night. It was Ah-mazing, as always.

2. Taking and turning in my final exam for my last Masters class.. can you say DONE!

3. I wore a new outfit, and it made me feel good. See that post here.

4. I got all A's this semester! Talk about going out with a bang!

5. My boss, friend, and brother-that-I-never-had, Clint, gave me these books for my graduation present today! If you know me, you know I am movie illiterate. Clint uses movie quotes, all day, every day in conversation. Now, I can watch movies, and learn the quotes! Hooray for graduation!

Glad to be able to link up to High Five for Friday!

Just because

Why the idea for a spiffy new look on a rainy Wednesday night? Just because...

Because, I felt like my hair looked awful....

Because, I was tired...

Because, I am finished... DONE with my Masters degree!! Can you believe it? Right now, I cannot!

Because, I am so exhausted and I can't even tell you what day it is....

Because, I am always cold... so I need innovative ways to wear sleeves

Because, my best friend, Mary-Anne, loves fashion, and is teaching me a thing or two along the way...

Because, despite all the craziness, I believe we should all take a little time to care for ourselves...

Last night, when I got home... I breathed a sigh of relief. I had my very first job interview for a teaching position at a local high school! EXCITING! And I have all assignments and requirements for my Masters degree complete.. now I just sit and wait to graduate Saturday. :) Finally, there is a light at the end of this very tiring tunnel. The stress of it all is catching up with me, but I know it will all be worth it. Praise be to the Lord for His many blessings!

Closing Doors

Today, when I turned in my final exam, I walked out of the doors of Gordon Palmer for the last time. The building that has become my graduate home over the last two years. What an amazing feeling as I took in my breath and tried to breath in all that was around me, as if preserving this memory in my mind.

What a journey it has been. This has been one of the hardest, but most rewarding times of my life. I look forward to where the Lord will lead me from here.

Holding On

I heard this song for the first time this morning... WOW. It has really touched my heart. Sometimes, with everything that we have going on in life here on this earth.. it is hard.. hard to look up, hard to feel worthy of His love. So many times... I feel like saying, forget about me Lord, spend your time on someone else. But God doesn't want that... He wants all of us, all the time. Praise be to the God who loves us despite ourselves.

You can listen to it here.

Jamie Grace - Holding On

VERSE 1:
All the signs of life
They’re all around me with every heartbeat
I feel so alive,
I am joy and sadness,
Peace and madness
If only I can fight just a little longer
I know It’s gonna make me stronger

CHORUS:
I just keep holding on to what I believe
Oh, I believe in you
Give me the strength to fight
And the heart to believe
When it’s hard to believe in you

VERSE 2:
Oh and these are the times when doubt’s tryin’ to creep in
And I need a reason that’s larger than life when hope seems hard to find
If only I can fight just a little longer
I know it’s gonna make me stronger

CHORUS:
So I just keep holding on to what I believe
Oh, I believe in you
Give me the strength to fight
And a heart to believe
When it’s hard to believe
I’ll just keep holding on, holding on, holding on
Give me the strength to fight
And the heart to believe
When it’s hard to believe in you
Oh oh oh oh oh
When it’s hard to believe in you
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh, I wanna believe

If only I can fight just a little longer
I know I’ll be stronger

CHORUS:
So I’ll just keep holding on, holding on, holding on
I’ll just keep holding on, holding on
I’ll just keep holding on to what I believe
Oh, I believe in you
Give me the strength for the fight
And the heart to believe
Cause I’ve got to believe
I’ll just keep holding on, holding on, holding on
Give me strength for the fight
And the heart to believe
'Cause I’ve got to believe in you
Oh oh oh oh oh
Yeah I’ve got to believe in you
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh, yeah I feel so alive.

Changes

It is only at the point at which you believe your life can only slow down, that it speeds up at an inevitably fast pace.

I have finished one class.. after a minor mishap, I was able to turn in my final exam (I made a 96!!) and I have received an A in the course. One class down, one to go.

About two weeks ago my fellow Office Associate decided to quit. This has been my first week all alone, not to jinx it.. but it has been great. I told myself I would just have to work smarter not harder, and increase my efficiency. Until we hire a replacement I am working 6am-4pm. I am ready for school to be over, because then it won't be so draining.. but honestly.. I am still madly in love with how great my job is. My management team is the best, the way they value me, and how they relate to me. I appreciate them beyond words. My guys have been helpful too, and that is always nice. It hasn't always been this rosy, but we are back on the right track.

So that is me in a nutshell... I am working 50+ hours and trying to get out of school at an alarming rate. Like I said, just when you think things will slow down. HAH!

I am so thankful how well this is going, yet ready to be done with a few things. I need a few things in my life to move over to the complete pile. :)

Side note: If you are a regular reader and you are willing to pray, please pray for my friend Steph. She needs relief from the pain and healing if possible. Thank you.

Hiatus

Wow, I honestly didn't mean to take a month long hiatus from writing, or reading other blogs for that matter. Things with life and school have been exceptionally crazy in the past month, and now that a few things are behind me, I plan to return and continue regularly posting. I will do my best to catch each of you up.

Thanks!

OOTD - Birthday

Anthro - Traced Trimmings Dress (no longer available)

My mom bought me this FABULOUS dress from Anthropologie for my birthday! It was cold and rainy yesterday, so this is how I worked it up for the colder weather.

Dress: Anthro Traced Trimmings

Cardigan: New York and Company

Shoes: TJ Maxx

Dressing up and wearing heals just makes me happy. I had a great day on February 29, not only because it was my birthday, but because I felt great in this outfit too!

Some of Hunter's favorites

A couple nights ago (around February 16), I was wondering what to do for dinner, I had recently stocked up on veggies at the publix sale and needed to finish off a sack of potatoes.

Hunter had some left over steak from our valentines night out and I decided to put it to good use. I cut up the steak and added it to a frying pan with some soy sauce, sauteed it for a bit and ta-da! A whole new meal. I baked the asparagus in the oven with olive oil and salt, and prepared a version of my friend Jackie's potato fries. I sprinkle them with a little salt and some crushed red pepper. Spicy foods are mine and Hunter's favorites.

Never forget to use up those leftovers! Make something new out of something and jazz it up a bit. The possibilities with food are endless!

Birthday

My birthday only comes around once every four years... Yep... you guessed it. I am a leap year baby, and a twin on top of that. One day, when I have time..  I will conduct a mathematical study on the likelihood of this happening.. Yep, I am a nerd.

Two of my best friends had birthdays this week, also! My friend Steph turned 22, and my friend Mary-Anne turned 24. Mary-Anne had a mini mid life crisis, which really got me to thinking.

24 - (or 6 if we are talking leap years) what do we have to look forward to? Most life milestones are gone.. or long forgotten. Now we just work, hope true love looks our way... and strive for retirement. That is when a co-worker and friend of mine said, you must set many more goals. Goals in life to keep you going, to keep you young.. to keep you strong. You can check out Clint's management blog here!

Life isn't over because we are getting older, we just have a new outlook on things. After all that has happened the past few years here are some things on my list:

Goals:
Graduate with my Masters (May 2012)
Get accepted to the PhD program
Get a teaching job, with my very own classroom
Get married (maybe one day...)

I believe after these goals are accomplished, another new phase in life will get started... then, a new perspective and yet another set of goals.

Perspectives:
Not much really matters in the grand scheme of things. Stephanie has taught me through her struggle to value life and everything that you are given. Don't worry about the petty pickings of those self absorbed drama lovers. As long as we have each other and know what is important... we can do this.

Have fun, working yourself to death when you are young will only kill you - I can thank Clint and Hunter, David Tingle and Mary-Anne for this one... IDK how many break downs I have had throughout this graduate school journey. And looking back to how much fun I had in undergrad. Working your tail off isn't worth if you didn't enjoy it along the way. Clint gave me an intervention pep talk about grades and perfection, and Hunter strives daily to take me away from the desk even if just for a little bit and make me smile (I have begun watching TV again!). DT and Mary-Anne, I wouldn't know what to do without their shoulder to cry on... through the tough times, it means a lot to have someone who will actually listen.

Take the time to listen, you never know what someone has went through, me included. Stop your judgemental rudeness and have a heart. Yeah world, I said it. ;)

Beyond it all, God can bring you out of and through anything.. it may not be the way you planned it, or the way you wanted it. But that is why He is God and we are not, isn't it?  This year I asked God to heal my friend Steph for my birthday, and even though He may have said 'no' or 'not right now' somehow... this will all work out... I haven't been in the greatest mood or mindset though all of this, and I am trying really hard, but it is harder still to watch someone you love suffer. But that is another post for another day.

Here's to another year, another goal, a blessed life from God and some of the greatest friends a girl could have. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!



Here is a wall shelf a friend handmade for me, for my birthday! :)

Click here to read a short article done by the local news back home for mine and Donna's birthday.