College Ring

Yesterday before class my mom and I ordered my college ring!! I know it is a small thing but it is one of the first glorious steps in graduation. I am so happy to be getting this show on the road. There is so much to get done this semester. Other than course work for 5 classes there are practice tests, certification exams, applying for graduation, graduation meetings, and a ton of other things that haven't come up yet. Even though I am swimming in work I am so glad that I am getting one step closer to being a college grad. Only like 10-11 months till I walk that stage but believe me, in May I will be doing a happy dance because all but one of my courses will be DONE!!! Thank you God for letting me get this far in only 3 years!! The picture is kinda what mine will look like ( I don't get it till May) but it is the lower one. The girly one!!

My smart little man!

I have never been around very many kids growing up and I must say, they are amazing. My little guy has just grown so much in even the past month. I love him so much and I am so glad that he was born. His sibling that I am pushing my sister for will have big shoes to fill. He is SO SMART!! I don't know if this is normal but he can say all his alphabet. ALL of them. All 26 letters and sounds. Also he knows four of his colors. He can say them and point them out. Brown, orange, yellow, and blue! I am so proud. Okay I know, everyone thinks their family is the best but he is 2 years old and 2 months! Can I be a little boastful? I love him so much and he is my favorite nephew. Well he is my only nephew but we have a special bond!

I know some day he will grow up but I am trying to enjoy every minute I have with him. He is special to me and I can't wait for another one to play with. I want Steven to be here so I can show him off to him!! Okay enough raving about my super smart nephew!!

Sittin' at School

Hey! I am just sitting at school , waiting for my next class to start. Bored. My first class was good. The enviroment is 9 students and a teacher who sits in a desk just like us so it is cool, laid back. Good stuff. Anyway, my next class is fun too but why do I have to be here so late? 8:15 is too late! And yes, I can complain because the classes I take are offered only once so I didn't have an option. Not fair! BUT this is my last semester. So that is good. I think I will get to class now. So close yet so far!

MY PARTY!!!

Okay, so in life we have to deal with the cards we are dealt. I think that is agreed. Well it is my 21st birthday on Monday and tonight we had the party. Steven isn't here for another birthday and I miss him greatly and more than anything. But I think we are pretty smart for what we pulled!! Steven came to my party!!! He had the day off and we thought of the super smart idea for us to have the web cams at our party. Other than the fact that he got to talk to everyone he got to celebrate my birthday with me!! It was wonderful. If I couldn't have him here with me physically he was still here on the computer!!! We are smart cookies!! What could have been a depressing birthday turned into a super wonderful one!! Thanks babe!!

When it rains, It POURS!! But in a good way!!

Hello all! School started yesterday and I am already swamped. Good thing there is a holiday for public school on Friday and Monday. All my classes so far seem to be really good and beneficial but man! there is a lot of work to get done. I think my eyes might fall out from all the reading that I will have to do this semester. I go to class on Tuesday from 9:30-10:45 then from 5:30-8:15pm. Then Thursday I have class from 9:30 to 8:15pm *long day* and finally I have class on Friday from 5:30-8:15. It makes my nights go fast but when Steven comes home I will be so tired and feel bad for leaving him at night. I will be working every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for the school district. Oh boy!! BUSY!!! But I love it. It makes me be productive!! Here is a cute picture that Steven photo shopped and put himself in. It is from new year's and I think it is too cute. I love him so much! It made me laugh.

Busy Week!!

I got to work 4 days this week and it was good and bad! I enjoyed working but some of the classes (5th grade) were difficult. I love working as a sub as of now and overall the experience has been great and I can't wait to teach for real. Subs really do have a hard job. A different groups everyday is tough!! I am going back to school next week and I am excited about that too. It will be fun and stressful but I am making progress and that is what matters. I am being positive about Steven being gone cause he will be home in 56 days!!! YAY!!! He is down but he will make it! Just needs some encouraging! WE LOVE YOU STEVEN!!!!

Back to Work!!!

Tomorrow I got a job!!! I will be at Heritage MS for a half day of work. Okay I know it is only half a day but I will ease in however I can. $37.50 is better that $0.00 and sitting around on my duff all day!! I am excited. Back to a normal, busy schedule. Then after work I have a subing meeting in LaVernia. Also very exciting. My name will be on the roll there to sub also!! I love it!

Let the fun begin!!!

Since Steven has left I have been bored out of my mind. I mean, yes, I am doing things but I am not as busy as I usually am. Usually I am going like a chicken with my head cut off with school full time, observations, and working also. I needed a break but I am so bored!!! But I know that next week I will start subing again hopefully and then the week of the 14th I will be starting school again and working!!! YEH! I will be taking 5 classes this semester (3 are night classes boo!!!) and observing with my two approaches classes (the classes you take before STUDENT TEACHING!!!). In addition to that I will be subing on Monday and Friday, and sometimes Tuesday! So needless to say, once school starts it will be like full speed ahead. It will make the time waiting for steven to come home go by faster. He will just have to jump in whenever he comes home! Also I have to start taking my practice tests for my certification. Everything is starting to wind down in the direction of GRADUATION!!!!! (in Dec.) I am so proud of myself!!!

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year to everyone!!! I just know that this year will be great! My birthday is in about 2 weeks. I will be 21 on the 21st!! I hear that means it will be a lucky year! Steven will be coming home in March (yay). My sister in law will graduate from college in May. Steven will start school for good in June! (finally) And both my mother and myself will graduate from college, her with a Master's degree, and me with my first degree!! I am so excited about all the things that will happen this year. It will be a super busy time with taking test and finishing up school but it will be wonderful because I am finally finishing something I have been wanting to finish forever. Finishing college in 3 1/2 years isn't too bad eh?? I hope that everyone has a wonderful, blessed year!! My new year's resolution (even though I don't believe in them) is to have a better attitude and just let go sometimes. I need to put God in control more because I stress out WAY too much about things!

Some Good News

First off, Steven got to Iraq safely and is back in "the village" as we like to call it. He kept me very informed on his trip back overseas. I was kept in almost constant contact or as much contact as I could have! He went from SA to Dallas to Atlanta to Ireland to Kuwait to Baghdad. As much as I dislike taking off and landing I am glad that I didn't have to do that. BUT the next trip he will be taking is HOME!! As of now, on February 28th he will be leaving Iraq to go to New Jersey for ourprocessing and he says he will be home on March 8th! How wonderful!! Only a week before Spring Break and 2 weeks before his birthday. That is so cool for us. We are so happy to have him finally coming home soon. Think...less than 2 months from today he will be on his way back to the states. Super cool. We can't wait to be together again and spend time as a family. So I'm sure there will be some kind of "welcome home" ceremony by the National Guard so I will keep my ears open!

Our Christmas

This was for sure the best Christmas so far!!! It was wonderful. We spent time with everyone in our families and had great food! We spent Christmas eve morning with Steven's grandparents (nonny and poppy) and all the girls and his parents then Christmas Eve we went to my mom's house and spent the night with my grandmother, brothers, sisters, and Blaine of course. Christmas morning we went out to Frank and Kristy's house for breakfast (new tradition) and family gifts. Then we went to my grandma's for lunch and Steven's Aunt Mary's house for the rest of the evening. We finished off our super super busy Christmas by renting movies and watching them in our pjs. It was absolutley wonderful and I can't wait for Christmas next year. I am hoping to have a new niece or nephew but I don't think that will happen BUT who knows!!

Steven is gone again

Steven had to return to Iraq yesterday. We got to the airport at 6:15 am and said our goodbyes. It keeps getting harder and harder. Both of us hate when he leaves. He will be gone for approximently 2 1/2 months or sooner but still it is really hard to say goodbye to someone you love so so much! We were both really upset all day and tried to talk as much as possible in Dallas and Atlanta before he went on to Ireland (the on to Kuwait). There are no words that can describe the feeling of him leaving. When I left him and went back to the car I saw that he had forgotten the cookies I had made him for his trip so I went back to give them to him. He looked so so sad waiting in line at security. I have never seen him look like that and it broke my heart even more. But we have to be positive and he will be home before we know it so we can start our life together instead of apart.

STEVEN IS HOME!!!!

Steven came home!!! He came in on December 11th at 2:30pm!!! It is too exciting and as you can imagine we have been pretty busy with BBQs and get togethers and Christmas shopping!! There will be more to write once I have time once he leaves on the 27th. But for now we are enjoying every minute of our time together and can't wait for him to return for good in March. Hopefully before Spring Break/his birthday. Anyway, we are so glad he is home and I hope and pray that the next 2 1/2 months will go by fast so he will be home for good, safe, and we can continue our life together. I can't find the pictures from the airport but I will post them once I get them from my mother in law. Have a merry Christmas and I will post more later!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Just wanted to say HAPPY THANKSGIVING to everyone. This year is a tough one since Steven isn't home to share in the family and turkey but I know he is thinking about us as much as we think about him. We love him and miss him and can't get him home fast enough. I will be with family for Thanksgiving and I couldn't ask for better company. I even have a date!!! I have dubbed my little guy, Blaine, as my official date since mine is 8000 miles away! If I can't have Steven then I have the next best thing. Next year we will all be together as a family and it will be wonderful. A cold front is blowing in and it sounds like the house might fall over. Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving, wherever you are, and whomever you spend it with. I love you Steven and I will eat some turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes for YOU!!!

No Leave

No leave for Steven. End of story. Other stuff has happened and I will update later.

Things are looking up

Although school is rough and things are still going full steam it is okay because I can see the end of the semester. Only like 5 1/2 more weeks of school and then another semester will be behind my belt and I can say "In one year I GRADUATE". SO excited. My entire family was in town this weekend for a funeral so it was really nice to catch up with everyone. The house is a mess but we haven't seen our family in about a year so it was wonderful to see where everyone is. We talk on the phone sometimes but nothing beats the real person. Things are also looking up when it comes to Steven. We have been talking a lot and making big decisions but we have done it together and made the decisions that we think are the best. So all is well. Also, Steven said that we will be coming home as of now in March, early March, so that means only 4 more months!! Too excited. I know things can change BUT I will be excited anyway! Things are going great and God has been good to us and my family. We are super excited about everything that will be happening in the next year or two and can't WAIT! Hope everyone else is doing well too. Oh and the weather changed so even better! I LOVE FALL!!!

Fall Festival 2007

Okay, it has been awhile. Man, it is midterms here and things have been HORRIBLE. I have never done so much work in my entire life. This weekend was one long day of homework. I has a poetry conference at UTSA and went to lunch with Frank and the fall festival was this past weekend. So busy. Sunday, all day long I did homework. I got so much done but it was just a dent I have so much more to do. Things will start to calm down around November 16th or so. So long!!! One more month of super hard work I can do it!!! I feel like the worst wife in the world. I went from writing Steven everyday to not writing him at all other than emails cause i have NO time!! I need to go shopping this week for another box, when, i don't know but it will get done. So Steven, I know I suck right now but I promise things will get better in November. :) I have never read this much in my life. No kidding, I have read over 50 books for my classes so far. And sadly, I'm not joking. Only 7 more weeks!!! Love ya. I will add pictures later.

Some Sad News

Although I wasn't best friends with Richard, a coworker I regret to say that he committed suicide last night or early this morning. He had a big blow up at work and stormed out. His family called work may times looking for him and they found him today, by his mother's grave, dead. From what I know he shot himself in the head. I know that I wasn't his best friend but I did work with him, we talked whenever we worked, and he was a nice guy. I just don't know how things can get so bad in someone's life that they would do that. Personally I think it is a very selfish thing to do. Imagine his family? Us, all of his friends at work? I just saw him Wednesday and he was fine! This came as a major shock to all of us at Bills. If only we would have known maybe we could have done something to help him. Well atleast I know that I was always kind to him, talked to him about whatever was going on, and was a generally nice person to him. Maybe next time I can be more of a friend to someone who needs help.

Yesterday was Rough

Yesterday was one of those "I hate the world" days. We all have those days so I'm not horrible. It was all just getting to me. The lack of sleep, school work, work work, steven being so far away. It was just blah. But then after I got off work I went over to my sister's house and how is it that kids just make you feel better? I spent time with my favorite little man and we went to go get his HALLOWEEN costume. He is going to be the CUTIEST skunk I have ever seen!! Really now, a blue eyed skunk! I couldn't get a great picture of him but I will on halloween. He makes me so happy even when he isn't being a good boy and throwing a fit I still love him. Also this morning I got a super sweet email from Steven and he just brightens my day.

Things around here

Things have been going well lately. They have been super busy but what's new. Steven is currently on Daylight Savings Time like all the normal people in the world so until Nov. 4th I have to wait until 10:45 every night to talk to him. It is so worth it at night but I am SOOO tired in the morning. I got to school at 7:30 this morning but my class doesn't start until 11 so I took myself an hour and a half nap! I am much more rested now. I am currently applying for a substituting job at ECISD and possibly LaVernia if I could get out there during school hours which is a HARD task. I sent in my application on Sunday so we will see what results in that. I really hope I get the job so I can GET OUT of Bill Miller. Only approx. 8 more weeks of school! YES!! I really don't like this semester very much. I think it is because Steven usually cheers me on. Have a good week!