God's Plan Still Amazes Me

It is amazing how excited I am to jump into the Early Childhood Education classes this fall...that is considering I swore up & down I would NEVER be a teacher. I would NEVER be following in my mom's footsteps. I would NEVER be exactly what everyone thought I would be. 


But that's the funny thing about life. God know's exactly where you are suppose to be. After all he wrote your story. He has set up my entire life to end up right here...and this is just the beginning. This afternoon I spent a few hours looking up the ECE classes. Not only the required ones, but the electives that you get to pick from, and I kind of want to take them all! I feel like such a nerd, but that truth is, I think I am going to be good at this. This is where I am suppose to be. This is where I feel most comfortable. 


The next year or so is not gonna be easy. After all, I am no long a teenager. I am suppose to be a true adult. Many changes are going to come. But I pray that they are good changes. Changes that I make after much prayer, thought, and discussion. Changes that reflect the kind of person I am destined to be. 


Living to Learn 

Summer Vacation Part 2.

Well, I am bored out of my mind!! 

Lot's has happened since my last blog, yet nothing really all that challenging or out of the blue. I spent the Forth of July up in Tomahawk, Wisconsin with my family & close friend, Kate. It was everything and more. Relaxing, entertaining, and exactly what I wanted.

The weeks to follow have been normal. I work a few times a week and attend class. However, as of today I have dropped math. It was a bit challenging and I let it go for one second and my grade slipped. Nothing bad, but considering I don't need the credit as of right now I rather have a perfect grade on my transcript, than just hurry up with it. Math has always been a challenge for me and it's frustrating that it is taking me so long to conquer. But I will accomplish it. I have to. 

The month of July is full of exciting things that I planned months ago when I couldn't even taken a moment to breath. Now every weekend is full of fun, friend moments. I am enjoying every moment of it, but I feel as if I have too much air. ha! I am grateful for the break, but I am the type of person who needs to be constantly moving, accomplishing something. The amount of down time is starting to ware on me. I need to organize something, plan something, loose some sleep, accomplish a task. Needless to say  I am ready to get back into the swing of things. Full time school with new, exciting classes. Full time work, with only a few minutes in between. I need a bit of stress in my life. 

But as I always need to remember, I need to live in the moment because once it's gone ... it's gone. And I will want it back. 

Exciting things are ahead. Just need a little hard work, a few sacrifices, and the grace of God. 

Living to Learn 

Summer Vacation Part 1.

I can not believe that it is almost July! Where did the summer go!?


Since my last entry I started summer classes... or class. I decided the night before classes started to drop my speech class. It was just too much anxiety to face over one summer. So I took a small step and decided to tackle math alone. Now full swing into Math, I am glad I made the choice I did. Math requires all of my attention.


Class schedule's are not the only things that have changed in my educational journey in the last month. I have decided to put my dream of event planning on hold for the time being. I am no pursuing an associate degree in Early Childhood Education. Shocker, I know! I believe this is just a necessary step God led me to. Working with Children is my nic. It literally is the only job I have ever had! I am all ready to finish my associates in ECE degree by next year. Then I will be able to stay at MCC to pursue my bachelors degree to hopefully teach Pre-K to 3rd Grade. I never in a million years thought I would actually be a teacher, but everyone else always said I would be. And no what I have finally come to my senses I know it's the right choice. Already in my Math Class I feel a sense of relief. Less anxiety. I am actually excited to start my ECE classes!


Two weeks ago I celebrated my 20th Birthday. Holy crap, I am no longer a teenager! My day was amazing and the days to follow were as well. I am so blessed to have such great family & friends in my life. Not only did they make me feel special but my owl collection expanded! :)


I have tomorrow and Friday off from work. What a surprise! I have decided to take SkyeLeigh Rae. I love that kid and she makes my entire day worth while! Hopefully my friends and I can give Skye some good memories, Auntie time is an essential part of growing up :)

It's been awhile! May 2012

It has been several weeks, even months since my last entry. It's been a whirl wind of a semester. 

On Wednesday, May 2nd, I finished my Spring semester. Well kind of. I have 1 assignment  to e-mail in and an online final exam for my online art class. I have to say I am not too ashamed of my grades this semester. Could they be better? Yes. Could they be worse? Yes. 

After the semester I had, I am okay with the way things turned out. College isn't what I imagined it would be. I can't pin point why, either. I have had several anxiety attacks throughout the entire experience. The entire MCC environment shuts me down. The halls, the classrooms, the work. It all just gets to me. I have never been the shy type. If something makes me nervous I walk in, my head held high, and define someone to mess with me. This new found weakness is out of character . I have done everything from working myself up like I'm a big shot to going with it and hoping for the best. It all turns out the same. Heavy breathing, shaking, and near tears. 

It's all still a mystery to me, but I have 5 weeks to figure it all out. I start summer classes June 11th! I have to say, I am proud of myself. Despite my panic attacks I am chugging along in my education. I have officially been in school since Fall of 2010, no long term breaks. 

Along with school I have been working like a mad woman. I am up to about sixteen families I babysit. Not all consistently, but a majority-yes. It has been an amazing experience to be invited into these families. It has taught me the value of a job and money. It has taught me about children of all kinds and family life. It has taught me about parenting - high and low points. It has taught me lots of patience ~ truck loads of patiences. My job is definitely a challenge somedays, but I honestly, truthfully- can't say it with anymore truth- LOVE IT!! I can not imagine working a "normal" college job, I just can't! 

Amongst working with several families I have "my family". SkyeLeigh Rae and I still share Fridays together. And now even on Tuesdays! She is growing up to be quite a character! She has an attitude on her! Her language is amazing and her expressions are priceless! That little girl has stolen my heart forever. I refuse to imagine my life with out her. Just typing how much I love her I am fighting back tears- didn't think I was that emotional. The love I have Skye runs miles wide, and if I love this child- no blood relation- so much I can not imagine what it will feel one day for my own child. Every time Skye says "Auntie Cay" I smile, no matter how stressed or unhappy I am at the moment! She is the light of my life. 

Skye & I at the Children's Museum in Naperville in the beginning of April. I love this age! 

Some how my friends and I manage to find time together between work and school. I have to say beginning college last fall the group of people I called my friends was a lot different then now. I was so ignorant to think that college would not change my friends. But then again I am not convinced it did. Certain obstacles and circumstance in life bring out a person's true colors. Maybe my true colors came out in the last year because my college experience has not been as glorious as I had hoped. However, I stand in the person I have been. In high school I was a no bull shit kind of person. If you upset me in any way I was not a coward. I confronted you. Sometimes it was unnecessary or inappropriate or not even worth it. But I am blunt and genuine. I am what I am. I am not ashamed of the person I am. I stand tall in my beliefs and will not fall. That attitude has cost me some friendships though. Its hard to except I could still have a friendship with a person had I just ignored what was going on. But I have no regrets in the past. However, starting college was somewhat a new beginning. The group of friends I hung out with over last summer I did know in high school. But I didn't know them as well as I hoped to get to know them. It was chance to start over and do things right. 

Over the last year, there have been a few times I would have loved to just rip into a person. But part of growing up is knowing when to put a smile on your face or when to walk away. There have been a few friendships that I have had to walk away from. Had you told me a year ago I would be walking away from that person I would have laughed in your face, but God as a greater plan for them and me- just not together. The friendships I have had to walk away from just faded out. There was no blow up, no drama, no words exchanged. There were just fewer texts, fewer lunch dates, fewer conversations. It was refreshing. Walking away from these friendships knocked down the barriers that kept me from growing up. Friends are very influential and unfortunately you don't see the effect a friend has on you until you have stepped back. 

Over the last few months I have learned another very important thing about friendship. Right now life for me and my peers is constantly changing. For the next 3-5 years we are going to be in college and working to pay bills. But in that time a lot could happen with relationships and kids and finances. Very little in today is stable for tomorrow. To say I know who my absolute best friends are like I stated in blogs from the Fall is just ignorance. Yet, I will say I have some very close friends that get me through today! Would I like them to be there on my wedding day, on the day I welcome children into the world, to celebrate accomplishments and to get me through the obstacles - YES! Will it happen? I am now big enough to say - I don't know. Only God knows who will be there. 

To those who I consider a friend today and pray that one day I still call them friend - thank you. You have brought me memories and lessons I will keep even when you are gone. 

 

    

  

Along for the Ride

Well, it's been awhile since I last blogged. I feel like so much has happened, yet nothing really inspiring or worth writing about. 


Christmas Break flew by. I survived the holidays with the family, and enjoyed my week off hanging with friends. I started school, Spring 2012 semester. My classes aren't bad, and like my goal last semester, I want to do better then I did in high school. I can do it. 


Last month I went down to North Central College to visit my close friend Kate. Not expecting it, I fell in love. My current education journey is taking me towards North Central. Right now I am just researching it and mapping things out. But I am motivated to make it there. We'll see if my grades are good enough to get in ;) 


Jobs have been crazy. But I am loving it. Currently, I am saving like a mad woman. In May my friend Sam & I are going to NYC! I am so excited, I just wish it was May. Well, it can be May when I have all my money. Along with the trip expenses I am determined to get a Canon Rebel Camera before. Can you imagine the pictures!? I am so excited, and with a tight budget, and lots of work I will succeed.


I miss my friends so much. Its funny, looking back at my previous blogs, I thought I had all my friends figured out. The truth, since than my relationships have changed. Some for good, and of course, some for bad. I have come to the conclusion, that I don't know squat! Therefore, I plan on living life, laughing often, trusting God, living to learn. I am along for the ride. 

ONE GAME ONE CAUSE ONE COMMUNITY

ONE CAUSE ONE GAME ONE COMMUNITY 

Thunder rolls in black….Streaks strike in white but for these few nights

Woodstock UNITES TO FIGHT in GRAY!

  In March of 2010 a family of the Woodstock community lost their child, Hope Fuller, to a disease called DIPG.  In memory of Hope and in support of the Fuller family, both Woodstock High School and Woodstock North High School are coming together during this basketball season to raise awareness and funds for research for this childhood cancer.  DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma) is a disease which strikes at the heart of childhood and it is a disease in desperate need of a cure.  This disease affects the pons (middle) portion of the brainstem, rendering the nervous system function impossible.  The only known treatment is radiation because it is of the most resistant of all cancers to chemotherapy treatments; it affects primarily children (whose treatment has historically lead to innovations in many other forms of cancer), and with a “dismal” prognosis, alternatives are few!!!!  Put together these obstacles offer researchers a chance to revolutionize cancer research and prevention.  It is even suggested that a cure to DIPG might result in a cure for almost every other types of cancer.     For this reason….

The Cure Starts Now strives to generate the resources necessary for doctors to study DIPG and implement the findings in hope of curing DIPG, and hopefully all cancers.








Purchase T-shirts for $15.00 to show your support. Wear them to the 7 o'clock p.m. game on January 21st, 2012 at Woodstock North High School. 

For more information please contact

Chris Learman @ 815-245-6944 or chrislearman@att.net

OR

Rebecca Einspahr @ reinspahr@att.net

twenty-twelve

Last night my friends and I rung in the New Year. It was a great time and, yet, so odd to reflect on what happen in twenty-eleven. 

In one years time I graduated high school, started college, finished two semesters of college, bought a car, and started working non-stop. 

It's been an amazing year, packed full of so many accomplished and happenings. I can't imagine what is next in life. I pray and hope the good relationships I have now last forever and I continue to fulfill God's will.