Pictures

Here are some pictures, taken with the new camera. I am enjoying the quality I am getting with the camera, but am now working on how to make them even better.

The U.S. and Texas flags at the Texas state line

The Vicksburg bridge in Mississippi

Lauren, being pleaseantly surprised by the way a dandelion's seeds blow away in the wind.

Bradley, being an amazing photoshoot kid by posing for me.

Jackson, loving the idea of pulling up and standing up on the ottoman.

These are three of those kids I have "adopted". :)

25 Random Things

Okay, so I started doing the 25 random things on Facebook, but soon realized that I am a little more random than I thought...so, here are 75. The last 25 are blogger exclusive. :)

1. I love naps...in fact, I could sleep at anytime of day or night.
2. I always sleep in socks.
3. I was in a washboard band in college. I miss this bunch of girls!!
4. I am super organized. With this idea, also comes the fact that I eat one thing at a time, with the meat being the last thing I eat. There is an extreme organization when it comes to eating for me.
5. I love music! I wish I never quit the piano, and wish I knew how to play a variety of instruments.
6. I hate loose hair...whether it is on a shirt, floor, counter, etc.
7. I am a numbers girl...I constantly work and rework my budget to make sure it is accurate.
8. I cannot drink much caffeine because I have Restless Legs Syndrome. I do still make sure I have a sweet tea in the morning, but rarely any past that.
9. I could eat Mexican food for everyday, but not Tex-Mex. I miss white cheese dip from AL and MS!!
10.I want to live in North Carolina one day.
11.I want to travel the world, starting with a cruise, then Australia, Europe, Thailand, South America,...
12.I do not have any original hearing bones in my ears...it is all plastic. I have had 9 ear surgeries.
13.I want to take a ballroom dance class, learning all of the dances.
14.I really want to do photography full-time, after taking a class or two, and much practice.
15.I love to write, and hope to write songs sometime in the future.
16.I hope to have a home of my own one day, with a family. I am a big fan of HGTV, and hope to apply the designs one day in my home.
17.I love cooking...and experimenting with it.
18.I wish I knew all sign language...I am just slightly familiar with it, but long to know it all!
19.I want to pick back up running, so that I can get toned again, or at least feel better about my body. I miss the days of having a constantly active sports schedule...the one that made me stay in shape and active.
20.I miss being near my high school and college friends, especially now that they have families with kids. I wish I were near them to see them more, and to see their little ones grow.
21.I am competitive. I do get frustrated with myself when I do not get higher score than the previous on WiiFit. :)
22.I never ate much chocolate until college.
23.I now sell Mary Kay for some extra money. I enjoy making women feel better about themselves.
24.I rarely wear the colors white, orange, and yellow.
25.My family is phenomenal! My dad is the most amazing man! He sets my standard for a mate so high. He has taken care of my family from day one, and always loves my mom like Christ loves the church. My mom is a very strong, inspiring woman. She is a fantastic teacher, who goes above the call of duty to ensure that her students get the most out of their time together. She has chronic back pain day in and day out, but never lets it slow her down, nor let others know that she is feeling the pain. My older brother, Brock, is such an encouragement to me. He has always looked out for me, and continues to push me in keeping my standards high. Hunter, my younger brother, is one of the most hard-working, passionate people I know. He never settles for anything less than the best in work and life. He makes me feel special, and I have so much fun hanging out with him!
26. I am afraid of heights, but love flying.
27. I have a slight water phobia, due to the lack of water exposure with the ear surgeries; however, I love being near the water, such as the beach, lake, etc.
28. I miss youth group days!!
29. I am horrible at writing notes and sending birthday gifts to others that are far away.
30. I am not a phone person...I would rather meet up and talk in person.
31. I want Lumineers!!
32. I have some gray hair, and refuse to color my hair...I have NEVER colored my hair--I like my hair color!!
33. I want to lose 15 pounds.
34. I am not good at swallowing pills.
35.I went through a phase where I did not eat meat, but eat it now...just not a big BBQ girl.
36.I have lived in 3 different states, and hope to live in more.
37.I have never been on a cruise.
38.I like cutting grass, but do not have a yard to cut currently.
39.I like cleaning bathrooms...I know, gross to you, but for some reason, I like doing it.
40.I also enjoy doing laundry, although, I have been in a slump for a little while now.
41.I am a fast driver, but am pretty good at recognizing police officer headlights.
42.I always take out anything I put in my car; therefore, leaving nothing in my car when I am not in it.
43.I lived through a tornado in college...it went right over my dorm and through my campus. It totalled my car, but that was a God thing. :)
44.My best friend growing up was a guy, who is the high standard I compare to with potential guys to date now.
45.I am a very sentimental person, but trying to not be such a pack rat with the items these days.
46.I cannot let a friend go, no matter what we have disagreed on.
47.I taught 9th grade Algebra for 2 years.
48.I rarely have cash.
49.I want to be a faster reader!! I need to practice more!!
50.I am a queen of making "to do" lists.
51.I love the computer!
52.I like it to be cold in the room when I go to sleep.
53.I am very cold-natured, so I frequently take a jacket when I go out to eat.
54.I enjoy vacuuming.
55.I am a grammar freak. I cannot stand grammatical errors.
56.When I find a shirt or pants I like, I typically buy more than one color.
57.I am a matching kind of girl, when it comes to my clothes and accessories. I cannot do the bold, pop color in the shoes, when it is not in the outfit.
58.I love lounging around in my pajamas on the weekend or on days off.
59.I wish I were better at keeping in touch with my high school and college friends!
60.I have worn the same ring on my left ring finger since I was 16. I will continue to wear it until the right guy comes along.
61.I love making people laugh!
62.I am called a surrogate mother to my friends' kids. I treat them as if they are my own.
63.I do not like being set up. I am not quite myself in these situations.
64.I eat tacos with just meat and cheese...hotdogs and cheeseburgers with ketchup and mustard only.
65.I love planning surprises for friends and family!
66.I do not eat watermelon or strawberries, but love things that are artificially flavored watermelon or strawberry.
67.I am a huge texture person when eating.
68.I hate ironing, and frequently will fluff my clothes if I want the wrinkles to disappear.
69.I get overwhelmed by department stores. The huge selection typically freaks me out, so I feel like I cannot find something that I like, even though I know there are probably a vast majority of items I would like.
70.I would rather watch the movie than read the book. Often times, by watching the movie, I want to read the book to compare the two, but even more often, never get around to actually doing it.
71.I rarely print off pictures anymore. I just upload them to Facebook, and feel that I am done; however, I look around at all of my picture frames and wish I would update them.
72.My closet is organized by lengths and colors. My pants and shoes are by colors, and my shirts are by lengths.
73.I am not one to welcome a dog to my side at the first meeting, but once I become familiar with him/her, and feel comfortable, I will be more welcoming. At the first meeting, I am typically scared of dogs.
74.I have started showering at night, and have grown to love this schedule.
75.I love my friends and family so much! I find myself willing to bend over backwards for my closest, quality friends, and definitely enjoy the quality time I get to spend with both my friends and my family!

There you have it...1-75...of course, I could think of more, but this is where I am stopping, keeping more mysteries to be found out about me. :)

An update

I just wanted to write an update for those of you who actually read this blog.

I am still feeling motivated to make 2009 a fantastic year! First of all, I have already started tutoring at Huntington, after a month or two off. This is to help with the eliminating debt scenario. I bought a new car last year, and am now working to pay that off and some additional debt. Also, I am refocused on Mary Kay. I have seen the direct results of working a business smarter and harder. I am hoping that I can overcome the fear inside of me to not do the job perfectly, so that I can help women feel better about themselves. I know that Mary Kay can be a ministry in itself, so I need to step up to the plate and do the job God has placed in my life. With all of that said, I hope to be debt-free by the end of the year! :) This will release a lot of anxiety and fear in my life, so I know I need to work hard at both of these to ensure I am reaching this life-changing goal!

My classroom is yet another place of ministry. I realized that even more so on the day of Obama's inauguration. We watched it in the classroom, so that the students could see history in the making. During the prayer, I initially thought I should pray, but was worried about what the students would do while I wasn't watching, but then remembered that I should be setting the example for them. I then, bowed my head and at the end, I looked up, and saw that the whole class was lifting their heads, too. They had followed my example, whether they understood it or not. This was for sure the most pivotal moment in my school year so far. At that very moment, I realized that these kids were hungry for a leader, who sought after a God who loves them no matter what. I have since felt the strong leadership of that moment, and tried to be a more loving example of this for my students that don't even know what church is, nor what it stands for in this world.
I love my students, and want them to feel loved. I know that there are times where I get frustarted with one or two because of their attitude or lack of effort, but ultimately, they are watching me, and watching the way I will react. I have not always responded in the way I should, but am really working on my response. I am very lucky to have the opportunity I have on a daily basis to share with my students. I tend to have to show some "tough love" at times with a couple of them, but am making sure it is still out of love that I correct and re-direct these students.

January was a tough month at school, as we found out that our team lead was being moved to another grade level, and another member was being moved to another. I was really worried that I would be moved to another grade level, but in fact, I am "safe" in third. I have been trying to understand all of this movement, but still cannot wrap my head around it. I am just respecting the decisions of an authority figure, and making the best out of the situation. I know it will be fine, and will work out, but it is hard to picture next year without these two people. It is for sure challenging to picture, as we are still in the middle of this year, but we are trying to press on in the meantime.

I have already joined a small group with my church, which has been a blessing in my life. I am excited about growing with this group, and really do life together as single women. They are a great group of girls, who really are striving to be more like Christ, no matter what sacrifices that might take. I am eager to see where the Lord leads with this group. I hope to volunteer in either the Preschool or Children's Ministry next. I love serving, and really miss it on a daily basis.

I have also been taking some photos with my new camera, and LOVING it!! I have also been considering taking a photography class, so that I can further this passion in life. I love taking pictures, especially of kids, but need more growth in editing and staging to make quality pictures. I really want to explore this outlet, and will keep you posted on the progress.

The last part of this post is...if you haven't seen the movie, Fireproof, you need to today! This movie has such a powerful message. I hope that one day I find someone, who has such love and devotion for me, that he would do anything to show it. I also hope that I do the same back to him.
Before that can happen, though, my prayer is that I show that much love and devotion for my Lord, Jesus Christ. I hope that day in and day out, I reveal my devotion for him, and put all other hindrances aside, so that I can serve Him and Him alone.
I hope to find a mate in life, who accepts me for who I am and loves me unconditionally. It has been hard some days recently, as I have felt rejection in this area, but I know that God will seal my heart and lead me to the right person. I thought God had put someone in my path, but apparently, God has not shown that to the other party. I know that God will continue to work on my heart, and my future mate, so until then, I am all God's, waiting for the day He makes it clear to me and to my mate.