What’s Up December

  Happy Last Wednesday of 2021, Y'all

Today, I'm joining Shay, and Sheaffer for their What's Up Wednesday link-up. 

Every month we answer the same list of questions based on how things are currently going in our lives. 

The questions are...

 

What am I eating?

My mom’s cooking - And here's the thing...I know how to cook. And I'm actually pretty good at doing so. But there is just something incredible about eating my Mama's good ol' Southern home cooking ;)

Oh, and I have enjoyed Chick-fil-a a time or two since being back in the States, too. So I'm totally counting this as well. Ha! :)

What am I reminiscing about?

My trip back to the States for Christmas Break… Boy was it a doozy. Flight delays, spending the night in the airport in New York, ridiculously swollen and painful ankles after all that traveling… It was a lot. But I was so glad to have friends with me, to chat and hang out with, and to laugh at the craziness of the trip. They made, what could’ve been an awfully boring time, so much nicer.

 What am I loving?

Being with my family and enjoying a much slower pace, and truly embracing the no work part of vacation.

What have I been up to?

I flew back to the States about a week and a half ago. So I've been spending a lot of time with my family, a bit of shopping for supplies to take back to Senegal, and celebrating Christmas. It's been nice. I must say. :)

What am I dreading? 

I'm already dreading the goodbyes/see ya laters that will be coming at the end of next week. Ugh, that is most definitely  not a fun part of my job.

What am I working on?

Nothing… I’m fully embracing the no work aspect of vacation :)

 What am I excited about?

I am no longer a student! Yay for graduating with my second Master's degree!! A couple weeks ago, our A/G co-workers in Dakar held a mini graduation party for two of us who were graduating. It was such a fun/sweet time, celebrating our accomplishments. I wrote a bit about graduation HERE.

What am I watching?

Very little 

What am I reading?

I read 37 books this year. At first, I was a little sad that I didn’t read as much as last year. But then I realized that number was still good. And I do plan to read more in 2022. Also, it’s not like there was a requirement of reading a certain number of books anyways :) Anywho, I found a good sale at the bookstore the other day. So I’ve got a few new reads to take back to Dakar with me next week…

What am I listening to?

Nothing new… 

What am I wearing?

It hasn’t been all that cool here. However, it’s supposed to drop to below freezing this upcoming weekend. So I imagine I’ll need all the layers and thick socks and all things necessary to keep me warm. It may not be snowing or truly freezing like in the northern US. But y'all... It is quite chilly for this not-used-to-the-cold girl. I’m not complaining though. I’ll take being cold over sweating any day. That’s for sure :)

 What am I doing this weekend?

One last sleepover with my nieces this Friday/Saturday… Then I’ll be visiting my home church this Sunday. 

What am I looking forward to next month?

I can’t say I’m 100% thrilled about having to go back to work and hearing that 5:30 AM alarm clock again. But I do miss my students and look forward to seeing their sweet faces again soon :)

What else is new?

Nothing, really…

Same ol’ Same ol’

And that's what I'm up to this month.

What about you?

What are YOU up to this month? 

No Longer A Student

Guess what!

I turned in my last assignment earlier this morning.

I paid my graduation fee (which was frustratingly expensive in my opinion, especially considering I wasn't at the ceremony, but whatever). 

I still won't a lot of free time, this week because of work (both teaching and mission) responsibilities.

But still...

I'll be celebrating soon.

I'm also planning to read a book or two (for fun) this week in my "free" time.

I'm also planning to go to bed before midnight each night this week.

All because...

I am done.

I have graduated.

I now have my second M. Ed. degree. 

Here's something not everyone knows about me. 

I'm kind of a nerd. I love learning. I love taking classes and reading journal articles and doing research and writing papers and all of that. I love it. At one point, I even said I'd be a professional student if I could afford it. My dad was the same way, so I know I get that from him. And I meant that. I truly did. 

But even with how much I loved (and do still love) it...

I am so very happy to be finished with this degree program. 

The teaching part of my job (ministry) is a busy/challenging one. It requires me to put in many many hours after school and on the weekends. So add in completing a (second) Master's degree online while doing all the extra hours required by my teaching prep, along with the time required of me for my AGWM duties too... 

Well...

Most weeks, this semester, I have barely had time to just stop and breathe. 

So yes... 

I am so glad to finally be done!

I'm so grateful for the knowledge I gained through this program. I know that I will be able to take that knowledge and add it to the knowledge I gained with the others and continue striving to be the best possible teacher for the students that God has placed in my care. 

And now, for a little lightness to finish out this long post...

At this point, I feel like I'm at an awards show and I'm about to thank all the key figures, who helped in this accomplishment of mine. So, here we go.

Thank you to...

Caffeine keeping me awake all those late nights :)

Yum Yum for delivering pizza. YumYum pizza fed me almost every Tuesday night for the past few years. My classes all had assignments due each Tuesday night, so I'd let that to be my really late night each week. And since I had zero desire to cook on those nights, I got to know our local pizza restaurant's delivery guys pretty well.  

iTunes supplying the music that I played in the background while I studied since studying in silence doesn't work for me :)

Friends who were also taking classes who'd commiserate with me via text almost every Tuesday night for the past couple years :)

Southeastern University for giving me the chance to earn this degree :)

My students for being the reason I chose this particular degree path - I learned so much that has helped me to be a better teacher for them.

Stable electricity and internet, for allowing me to complete this degree while living overseas. And I know how important that is since our electricity/internet was most definitely not as great while I was working on my first Master's.

Friends who put up with me not socializing much in the evenings :)

And God for giving me the strength to get it done.

Y'all... I did it.

I'm done.

Currently

Happy Wednesday, Y'all

Can you believe it's already the first Wednesday of December?!

Today I'm joining Anne from In Residence for her monthly link-up, where we share what's currently going on in our lives. And each month, Anne gives us a list of prompts to use to guide our posts. 

December's prompts are...

  * decorating * feeling * sending * smelling * wrapping *

I'm currently decorating (or rather making plans to decorate) my classroom door. Well, mostly my students will be decorating it. I'm just going to provide the supplies for it. We spent some time during one of my groups' study halls the other day, looking for ideas. And the plan is to start today, decorating it during "free time" during study halls and a bit after school. I can't wait to see their finished product. The picture below is the idea we got from a quick google search. But we've got a few other ideas on how to make it more "ours." :)

I'm currently feeling excited as I countdown the days 'til I can see my family again. And in case anyone is wondering... There are only 17 more days from today :)

I'm currently sending Christmas gifts to my brother's house via Amazon. I ordered a few things online since I found good deals. That way, once I'm there in a few weeks, I won't have to spend as much time in a store. Win, win! :)

I'm currently smelling nothing terribly exciting. Well, that's not true. I had this deliciously smelling goodness for a highly non-nutritious breakfast this morning. 

I'm currently wrapping up my very last grad school class. I'll finish in about a week and a half (or earlier if I can get more done this weekend). Y'all... I will be finished at the end of next week. I am so so very excited! Y'all have no idea! :)

And since it's my blog and I can, here are a few more...

I'm currently making plans for a writing project I started a while back and had to pause... I'm planning to start it back up in January (or maybe even over Christmas Break), since I won't have grad school work to do by that point. I'll still have to work late every day, due to the nature of my teaching position. But at least I'll have my nights free again :)

I'm currently looking forward to time with my family. I love my job. I love that I can follow the call God has placed on my life. But y'all... I miss my family. So whenever I'm gifted with the opportunity to see them I 100% take the chance 

I'm currently thinking about my dad. It's been 6 1/2 years since he passed away. And I miss him so much. ...especially at the holidays. He loved Christmas so much. It was always fun to watch his joy over the holiday and for preaching about the birth of our Savior. 

I'm currently starting to read through the book of Luke. My plan is to read one chapter a night through Christmas Eve. Then I have a Bible Study plan that will go along with it, to help as I read/study each chapter. 

And that's about it for me at the moment.

So what about you?

What are you currently up to?

What's Up November

 Happy Wednesday, Y'all

Today, I'm joining Shay, and Sheaffer for their What's Up Wednesday link-up. 

Every month we answer the same list of questions based on how things are currently going in our lives. 

The questions are...

 

What am I eating?

Tonight some friends and I are getting together for a pre-Thanksgiving get-together, having all sorts of yummy appetizer/finger food type foods. Then, tomorrow I'll join my fellow AGWM-ers for our Thanksgiving get-together. So I have all of that deliciousness to look forward to.

What am I reminiscing about?

I've been thinking a lot about the sweet lady who gave me this travel mug. I'll tell anyone, that I feel like I learned more about teaching Special Education from working with this lady than I did in all of college and my previous years of teaching combined. She was an amazing teacher. When I started my class, she was such a valuable resource. Since she taught a class very similar to mine, she gave me so many ideas and tips and strategies. She gave encouragement. And she prayed for me too. She'd even write and check in on me before she got so sick, and even for a bit after that, being such an incredible encouragement. She passed away a few years ago, but any time I use this cup, I think of her.

 What am I loving?

I'm loving how well my students get along with one another. I love that it's like a big family in our room. My job is difficult. I go home utterly exhausted every single day. And I know I have no choice but to spend time after hours/on the weekend lesson planning. It's a lot. And it's hard. BUT still, I do love my job. And one of the things I absolutely, positively, 100% love the most about my job is seeing how my people are so great together. I love that they have each other, they have this friendship... I love that they look out for one another. I love that they want to help one another. I love that they sometimes argue like brothers and sisters, but in the end, they 100% have each other's backs. They are such an incredible group of kids. And I love it!

What have I been up to?

This past weekend, I spent some time with my fellow AGWM-ers here in Senegal, while we all worked on goal setting for the upcoming year (and beyond) in ministry. In preparation for setting/writing up my new goals, I reviewed the ones I've set the last few years. The "eye-opening" one was from 5 years ago, when I was writing goals in regards to starting my class. This adventure God called me on has been such a great one. And I have been consistently amazed at how He's worked  in the lives of my students (and me). I've been so grateful for the opportunities He's already blessed me with. And I'm looking forward to seeing what else He has in store for the future...

What am I dreading? 

We had a few nice/cool days. Then, bam! The high heat/humidity came back with a vengeance. So yes... I do kind of dread going outside at the moment. It's just so very hot, humid, and uncomfortable. And let's be honest here... I'm honestly, just so grateful to have a job where I work inside. 

What am I working on?

Lesson planning for 487 classes a week. ...or maybe just 16 :)

 What am I excited about?

I know Thanksgiving hasn't arrived yet. But still... At this point, I'm most excited about Christmas. I love being a teacher at Christmas time. I love finding ways to incorporate Christmas fun into as many of my lessons, as possible. Even if it's lame Christmas-themed math problems... And it's even more fun when working at a Christian school, where we're able to talk about the real/true meaning of Christmas - the birth of Jesus. Plus, if we're talking about Christmas, I can't not mention my excitement at the thought of Christmas Break coming up, which not only finally gives me a break from work, but along with that comes lots of days with no alarm clocks and also time with my family in Alabama. So yes... I'm definitely, super excited about Christmas!

What am I watching?

I'm considering starting to watch Grey's Anatomy. I've seen clips here or there online. So I know the general premise of the show. But I've never watched a full episode. Anyone a fan? Is it worth it to start from the beginning?

What am I reading?

I've been diving into the world of the "Elephant & Piggie" books by Mo Willems, thanks to one of my people loving them so much. We end up reading at least one a day together. They're super cute little books. And I must admit... Hearing that sweet little voice reading/laughing through the books always bring a smile to my face. I love seeing kids enjoying reading! So fun!

What am I listening to?

I've started listening to Christmas music. It's just such a fun, smile-producing addition to my day when I'm lesson planning or studying or working around the house. I love it!

What am I wearing?

Nothing terribly exciting. But I have started wearing my hair down a bit more. Does that count in this section? :)

 What am I doing this weekend?

My weekend starts tomorrow. We have a long weekend since it's Thanksgiving. School is dismissed at lunchtime today. Then we're out of school the next two days. Yay for a school in a non-American country that still celebrates American holidays :) Anywho... My plan, as of now, is to take it easy most of the weekend. I'll have the Thanksgiving get-togethers I mentioned  earlier. Then, a friend and I are planning to go get pedicures this weekend. And another friend and I are trying to plan out a time to catch up on a show we both like. Past that, I'll do a bit of grad school, a bit of housework, and I'll also have to do my lesson planning for the week after Thanksgiving. And yes, I'm planning to have a bit of relaxing time thrown in the mix as well. 

What am I looking forward to next month?

All things Christmas, of course.

Past that - I'm looking forward to being finished with grad school next week. After 25+ years of schooling from kindergarten to now a 2nd Master's degree, I am so so ready to be done!

What else is new?

Schedule changes and all the puzzle solving fun that entails ;)

And that's what I'm up to this month.

What about you?

What are YOU up to this month? 

Currently

Happy Wednesday, Y'all

Today I'm joining Anne from In Residence for her monthly link-up, where we share what's currently going on in our lives. And each month, Anne gives us a list of prompts to use to guide our posts. 

November's prompts are...

  * appreciating * getting * making * sharing * wearing *

I'm currently appreciating the ways God speaks to me through my students. My job is difficult (and at times, overwhelming, to be honest). And it's more so this year than it has been in the past, due to various factors. But at the same time, I still love that God has called me to do this work. And I love that I can be assured that He will continue to equip me with exactly what I need to do this work well.

I'm currently getting excited about seeing my family in December. I consider myself blessed to be able to afford this trip. What a gift it will be to see my people! Only 45 more days :)

I'm currently making nothing terribly exciting. One of my students made this fun poster as a creative take on explaining the stages of the water cycle. Instead of simply drawing a diagram of it, he drew a group of scientists (in lab coats, no less), discussing each step, in their speech/thought bubbles. I'm a big fan of allowing students to use express their learning in hands-on projects. And I love when they take the guidelines I give them and then go further than that and show their unique/creative sides during their working. So fun

I'm currently sharing randomness I'm thankful for via social media. Each November, I do a "month of thanks" where I try to think outside the box and express gratitude for the things I sometimes take for granted. Things that may seem small in the scheme of things, but really aren't...

I'm currently wearing fun stuff for school spirit week most of this week. Yesterday was Character Day so I was the black crayon from The Day the Crayons Quit. Today was Pajama Day, but I skipped it. Tomorrow is Throwback Thursday. I'm still trying to decide on that one... The question is, do I go lazy and wear something easy to put together or do I actually want to get creative? Decisions, decisions ;)

And since it's my blog and I can, here are a few more...

I'm currently working through the highlights of the book of Numbers with one of the Bible classes I teach. Have I mentioned lately how much I love teaching at a Christian school? I love being able to teach my students about God and His Word!

I'm currently celebrating the birthday of one of my students. Or, at least, we did earlier today. What a fun time to sing, eat yummy treats, and to enjoy celebrating one our own. 

I'm currently looking forward to opening this box full of goodness my mom sent me. Some of it will be things I, myself, ordered online. But she said she also threw in some surprise items for me too. Yay for fun mail!

I'm currently considering buying a nice journaling Bible as a Christmas and grad school graduation gift to myself. I found this one, pictured below, on Amazon and fell in love with it. It's a bit pricey, but it has all the features I'd like. 

And that's about it for me at the moment.

So what about you?

What are you currently up to?