My Life on Shuffle

Put your ipod on shuffle. Answer each question using the song title that's displayed when you click "next." *Don't cheat. :)

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My Life on Shuffle

1. Tell me about yourself.  "Small Rebellions"

2. How was your childhood? "Heaven Knows"

3. What was your high school like? "Waiting for My Real Life to Begin"

4. Describe your college years. "Tattoo"

5. Any relationship advice you'd give? "Life is Sweeter"

6. How do you spend your free time? "Watching Airplanes"

7. If you could have 1 wish, what would it be? "My Future Decided"

8. What's the theme song of your life? "Famous in a Small Town"

9. Describe your hometown. "My Own Little World"

10. Describe your job. "Waiting on the World to Change"

11. Describe your family. "Livin' La Vida Loca"

12. Where will you go on your next vacation? "Boondocks"

13. Where did you go on your last vacation? "Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop"

14. Describe your current relationship. "Magic Carpet Ride"

15. What's the last advice you were given? "Fix You"

16. What's the last advice you gave? "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem"

17. What's your biggest pet peeve? "Big Girls Don't Cry"

18. What's your life like right now? "All Star"

19. Is there anything you'd change? "The Climb"

20. Where'd you go today? "Behind the Scenes"

21. What'd you do? "Chicken Fried"

22. What are your plans for tomorrow? "3 AM"

23. What do people think about you? "Joy Unspeakable"

24. How do you feel about the 2012 presidential elections? "His Eye is on the Sparrow"

25. If you had 1,000,000, what would you buy? "Red High Heels"

26. What's your biggest accomplishment? "Racing for the Train"

27. What's your biggest failure? "Talking to the Moon"

28. Describe your future. "Lovers in Japan."

29. What do you need? "Hakuna Matata"

30. Any parting words? "Open Up the Sky"

November Photo Challenge List

Here's the challenge list for November's Photo A Day Challenge.

*Source*

October Photo Challenge Day 31

Today's prompt is "Whatever You Choose..." 

Wednesdays are Kids Club days. This is everyone lined up ready to go home. Notice those smiles on their faces. I love my job! :)

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And in case you're wondering what the October Photo Challenge is, you can find the list here. It looks like fun and I'm going to try my absolute hardest to stick to it.

October Photo Challenge Day 29 and 30

Day 29's prompt was "Moon..."

Who knew you could take pictures of your "Bad Piggies" game while mid-game? I just learned that this weekend. :)

Day 30's prompt was "Clothes..."

Do shoes count? These are my favorite flip-flops. They have the standard BAMA houndstooth print, so I can feel like I have a little bit of home with me whereever I go while wearing them. Plus they're super comfy. Alas, they're starting to wear out. So I may have to retire them soon. Sad day... :(

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And in case you're wondering what the October Photo Challenge is, you can find the list here. It looks like fun and I'm going to try my absolute hardest to stick to it.

October Photo Challenge Day 28

Today's prompt is "Looking Back..."

My dad sent this picture to me this week. It's a picture of my brother and me with our grandparents. I so love these people. My Nanny died August 6, 1991 (...my birthday). But my Papa's still kickin' and is as strong as ever :) Looking back, I can without a doubt say, I had an amazing childhood with an amazing family surrounding me.

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And in case you're wondering what the October Photo Challenge is, you can find the list here. It looks like fun and I'm going to try my absolute hardest to stick to it.

October Photo Challenge Day 27

Today's prompt is "Morning..."

It’s usually dark when I’m walking to work, so I miss out on some of the “scenic” tour of my neighborhood. So since it's Saturday and I can head in a little later to do some work, I was amazed at the beautiful colors of flowers lining my path. It sometimes amazes me that in this dry, dusty, sandy place, we can still have such color and beauty. God is such an artist. Isn’t he? 

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And in case you're wondering what the October Photo Challenge is, you can find the list here. It looks like fun and I'm going to try my absolute hardest to stick to it.

The 36th Dear ______ Post

Dear 54, You're the number of days left 'til I get to meet my niece! (Insert happy, excited face here)

Dear Dinner with a Student's Family, You're what I went to this past Tuesday night. Thanks for the delicious food, the laughs, the fun movie, and the time spent with such a sweet family!

Dear David (from the Bible), I wonder what was going through your mind when you fought Goliath. How did you have such awesome faith and trust in God? I want to be more like you.

Dear October Photo Challenge, You are so much fun. I'm loving checking my prompt every morning and looking for ways during the day to meet it. And it's fun to have friends asking me during the day what the day's prompt is. YAY for people actually reading my blog! :)

Dear No School, You're what we had yesterday. I slept late, sat on my couch with 2 fans pointed at me while I did grad school work, ate lunch & took a nap, then did more grad school work 'til time for dinner. Did I enjoy myself? Yep, surprisingly enough, I did.

Dear Offering by Third Day, You've become my new favorite song. I'm pretty sure I have you memorized since I put you on repeat a lot of the time during my planning times in my classroom and during my afternoon/evening at home.

Dear Training in More than One Educational Field, I'm so thankful for you. You definitely come in handy quite often in my job.

Dear Falling, You need to stop happening in my life. This makes 3 times just since school got back. And I used most of my off day yesterday icing my foot. Seriously, I'm such a klutz sometimes. But I will say...the kid that wanted to try and help me up and brush off the dirt on my pants was the sweetest thing ever! :)

Dear Jeans, Thanks to falling on concrete last night, I got a small hole in you. Normally, it wouldn't matter, but Jeans, you're my only pair here in Dakar. Boo :( ...of course, due to it being ridiculously hot in Dakar right now, I rarely ever wear jeans since they make me immediately start sweating. Not to mention, I'll be going to the States in December and can buy a new pair then, so waiting 2 months isn't that big of a deal :)

Dear Dinner with my A/G Family in Dakar, You're what I had last night. I had such a fun time! Thanks for the good food and the laughs.

Dear Pillsbury Strawberry Cake Mix and Frosting, I made you last night for my contribution to dinner. I so love you. Too bad you're not sold here :( Side note...Anyone reading this blog that would like to buy me some and mail it to me may feel free to do so. 

Dear Retarded (the word being used in a joking manner), It makes me absolutely positively FURIOUS when I hear people call people by your name in a joking manner. Seriously, my blood pressure's rising just typing this. It's not funny. Honestly, if you do this, you're making yourself sound totally ignorant and immature. This is one of my biggest pet peeves and since I've seen a few articles lately about people connected with the presidential elections and debates using this word so casually, I felt the "need" to write about it here.

October Photo Challenge Day 26

Today's prompt is "Listening To...

The majority of my morning has been spent listening to iTunes playing a shuffled version of all of my music while I do grad school work.

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And in case you're wondering what the October Photo Challenge is, you can find the list here. It looks like fun and I'm going to try my absolute hardest to stick to it.

October Photo Challenge Day 25

Today's prompt is "People..."

This is a photo collage I made not long after my niece was born. I was (and still am) so grateful to my brother, sister-in-law, and parents for posting all sorts of pictures of my niece, so I could "meet" her through them. In this picture are some of the most important people in my life... my niece, my brother, my mom, my dad, and my grandparents. *Sorry to my sister-in-law. Somehow I missed getting a picture of you in it. But I'll fix that soon, I promise! :)

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And in case you're wondering what the October Photo Challenge is, you can find the list here. It looks like fun and I'm going to try my absolute hardest to stick to it.

You've Got A Friend In Me

Source

When I saw the comic above, I was inspired to write this post. Most people that have watched Toy Story 3 say that it left them teary eyed and feeling nostalgic. I think we all have that toy. You know... the one that we had when we were little. ...the one that's "buried" in our parent's attic. ...the one that stayed awake while we slept and fought all the monsters that were hiding under our beds. ...the one that comforted us when we were sad. For some it was a teddy bear. For some it was a doll. For some it was an action figure.

For me, it was this bear.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Teddy. I got him on my second Christmas from these people. Side note...wasn't I cute? :)

This is my Papa and Nannie. ...some of the greatest grandparents EVER! :)

Anyways... Teddy is now almost 26 years old. He's had a couple "surgeries" and has lost a bit of his fluffiness. But overall, he's in pretty good shape for being such an old guy. He's followed me through moving close to 20 times. He's comforted me when I was sad. He's been a friend when there wasn't a human version around. And even though I only see him when I'm in the States for short visits once or twice a year, I know he'll be at my parent's house waiting on me. And if I'm being honest, I'd have to say that seeing him makes me a smile a little bit each time. :)

So what did you think of after seeing Toy Story 3.

Thankful Thursday #2

On this Thursday, I'm thankful for...

• a day off from school tomorrow.
• how excited my students were when I told them they'd be taking their first Spelling test today. 
• a fun Thanksgiving craft to do with my students today.
• a great service at Kids Club yesterday.
• the parent that gave me a hug and said "thank you" after Kids Club yesterday.
• a friend that let me stay over last weekend, allowing me the chance to 1) hang out with and get to know her family a tiny bit more 2) chat with her quite a bit (something I always enjoy but due to both of us having busy schedules, don't get the chance to do very often) 3) enjoy sleeping in the awesomeness that is air conditioning. :)
• iTunes for providing my favorite American entertainment (music, tv shows, and movies).
• a gift of Oreos on a day this week in which I'd been really wanting some :)
• freezer pops which give slight reprieves from some of these extremely hot days we're having.
• the knowledge that I'll see my family in exactly 8 weeks from today.
• the knowledge that I'll meet my niece for the first time in exactly 8 weeks from today!!
• being able to listen to Christmas music any time I want. :)
• a dinner invitation earlier this week from the family of one of my students, complete with great company, delicious food, and funny Mr. Bean. :)

What are you thankful for this Thursday?

October Photo Challenge Day 24

Today's prompt is "Weather..."

What's the weather like today? Do you see that big ball of brightness in the sky? Well, it makes for a HOT, HOT day, and a pretty cool picture :) According to here, the current temperature in my fair city is approximately 32C/89.6F with 67% humidity, making it feel like 45C/113F. Translated into simple English... It's H-O-T!

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And in case you're wondering what the October Photo Challenge is, you can find the list here. It looks like fun and I'm going to try my absolute hardest to stick to it.

Feelings on Being an Aunt

me and my beautiful sister-in-law with my niece still hibernating in her mommy's tummy

I found out over Christmas break last year that my sister-in-law was pregnant with my first niece. At that point, my view was it would be incredibly exciting if she were born while I was in the States this past summer. ...not to mention possibly being born on my birthday. 

Then I got "home" this summer and my view changed. I couldn't imagine the thought of having to say goodbye to her yet. In my line of work, saying goodbye to loved ones is a sad but constant reality. But this was different. I felt different about this baby who wasn't even born yet. My view was that saying goodbye to this precious little baby would rip my heart out. So knowing her due date of arrival was not until the end of August (3 weeks to the day after I was scheduled to leave the U.S.A.), I was honestly a little happy.

Then 2 nights before I leave I have to suffer through saying calmly say goodbye to my brother and sister-in-law. And in the back of my mind, I had a feeling. ...a feeling that Miss Daisy might be arriving sooner than everyone anticipated. I'd already looked up the numbers for Delta so I had them ready to call and change my ticket. And if that wouldn't work, I'd talked to someone else that could take me to the airport since I knew it was more important that my parents be at the hospital awaiting the birth of their first grandchild. But I get ready to leave 2 days later and nothing's happened. 

On the day I left (the 7th), my sister-in-law had a routine check-up. I'm sitting in the airport in Birmingham when I get a phone call from my dad and I just KNEW. I answer it and hear him say, "Guess where we're headed." Yep, she was in labor and they were headed to the hospital. At this point, my view still was at least I didn't have to say goodbye. So throughout the rest of my time in Birmingham, then during my layovers in both Atlanta and New York, I stayed on the phone with either my parents or my brother. When I land in Dakar in the wee hours of the morning the next day, she's getting close. I spend all day alternating between sleeping off jet lag, working, and checking my phone and email for an update. I'd already decided that sleep was overrated so I'd be staying up no matter how long it took and wait for the news. And then finally at a little after 9:30 p.m. (my time) I received the following picture from my brother with a note saying, I'M A DADDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At that moment I was excited over being an aunt. I was excited for my brother and sister-in-law becoming parents. I was excited for my mom and dad becoming grandparents. But at the same time, I was sad. I was sad that I couldn't be there with my family. I was sad that my niece would be a little over 4 months old when I would meet her for the first time. I was sad that I'm going to miss the majority of her life (at least the growing up years). And I was also afraid. I was afraid that she'd be scared the first time she met me since she wouldn't be able to see me that much. 

But my brother, sister-in-law, and parents have been supplying me with a steady stream of pictures and videos like the ones below.

And yes, I will miss things. And yes, I'll still be sad at times because I miss her. But even though for the majority of her life I'll be living a few thousand miles and an ocean away, I know that I can always have short visits to the States or have Skype video calls. And  know that my family will still supply me with pictures, like the ones above and the one below, so I can feel like I'm there.

Repeat after me... Awwww :)

October Photo Challenge Day 23

Today's prompt is "The View From Here..."

I was looking for a book to read to my class this morning and when I looked up, this is what I saw. I love that they're all such sweet friends. Let's hope it stays that way all year :)

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And in case you're wondering what the October Photo Challenge is, you can find the list here. It looks like fun and I'm going to try my absolute hardest to stick to it.

October Photo Challenge Day 22

Today's prompt is "In Your Town.."

*a burned bus in downtown Dakar*

In my town right now there is rioting going on. Why? According to a message from the U.S. Embassy, "supporters of a well-known religious leader who is in police custody are protesting his relocation to a prison downtown." They go on to say, "Given the uncertainty of the potential for violence and exactly when and how large demonstrations may be, U.S. citizens are urged to exercise caution if traveling in the Dakar area..."

Stuff like this has happened before, and I'm sure will happen again. With things like this happening in town, the world would suggest I stay fearful and worried. But I'm not. Don't get me wrong. I use common sense and don't go around places where these types of events will be taking place. But I don't stay fearful for my life. Why? It's simple really...

Isaiah 41:10 - "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

* Today's photo was taken by Amy Farley, a missionary friend here in Senegal. I forgot my camera at home and when I saw her picture on Facebook, I quickly asked if I could "borrow" it for this. 

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And in case you're wondering what the October Photo Challenge is, you can find the list here. It looks like fun and I'm going to try my absolute hardest to stick to it.

October Photo Challenge Days 19, 20, and 21

Since I'm a little behind, I thought I'd triple up on today's post.

Day 19's prompt was "Letters..."

This day was Parent Teacher Conference day. I'm so blessed to have such a great group of parents to work with this year.

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Day 20's prompt was "4:00..."

At approximately 4:00 on this day, I arrived at N'Ice Cream. Their ice cream is the best EVER, in my opinion...even better than ice cream in the States. And what flavor do I always get? Obama, of course. Obama ice cream is the best. I must say! :)

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Day 21's prompt is "Calm..."

Have you ever thought about the life of a snail? They are just calmly walking (scooting?) along, going from one place to the next. Sometimes I think maybe snails have the right idea. They stay calm and move along to the next "adventure" in their lives. If something bad comes along, they take cover. But otherwise, they just calmly move along.  

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And in case you're wondering what the October Photo Challenge is, you can find the list here. It looks like fun and I'm going to try my absolute hardest to stick to it.