Reflection

I love how as I child a year seems to take forever to pass by. The older I have gotten the faster time seems to go. That's one thing mom was right about. 2013 was a year full of blessings to say the least.

I began the year teaching in a 4th grade class and although it seemed to be the most terrifying thing to teach hormonal almost middle school age children about science, I learned so much from them, and hopefully they learned a little from me as well. Our class was always having fun while learning and while that is wonderful, it is not ideal in a school with open classrooms, therefore we were always being told we were too loud. Ehh, my kids were learning, who cares.

My beautiful best friend got married and allowed my the privilege of being a part of her special day, first wedding I was in as a bridesmaid, and lets just say I hope to be as pleasant of a bride as she was. This same best friend brought her first child into the world a month early and I was blessed enough to be able to go and see them and spend some good quality time with Taylor, Charlie, and of course Ben. God really does put people in your life when you least expect it sometimes. Taylor and I met as Yoke leaders at Halls Middle School and both of us still keep in touch and both will be a part of each others weddings.

My boyfriend at the time, now fiancé, graduated from LMU, which was very exciting for him but also nerve wracking because he would be attending grad school in Alabama, which seems forever and a day away, and who was I supposed to eat with and hang out with at school next year? Most of my friends were commuters..

My mom also got married this summer which meant one dreaded thing...moving. While I still haven't moved all of my things out of our old house (my sister's current house) I have enjoyed all the space I have now. No more sharing bathrooms or any of that stuff I was used to.

One of the hardest things I faced this year was moving Clint to Alabama. It's still terrible the fact that he is almost six hours away, but he is always encouraging me, and I am always planning the next time I am able to go see him. I will say long distance is never fun, it is never impossible, and it is always worth it when God's hand is in the midst of it and you know soon he will be your husband... and by soon I mean 500 and some odd days, but hey who's counting?

Going back to school, meant new roommates, new housing situations, and all that fun stuff that comes along with college. I was actually assigned the exact same apartment that Clint lived in his senior year, even the same bedroom... weird?? Nah. I was excited because then I knew who had lived there before me. Not to mention I was paired with the coolest roommate on the planet, Jenna. I would have never thought we would have come so close considering I was rarely there due to my teaching and class schedule, but we did and Jenna was constantly reminding me things would be okay, I would make it through school, May 3 isn't as far away as it seems, and of course, breathe.  She wasn't scared to be with me when I had shingles, and didn't get mad when I was up in the middle of the night dealing with Res. Life situations. She was PERFECT for me.

I was also assigned new classrooms to teach in. Kindergarten and fifth grade, and I know that sounds like a big jump for someone who will be certified to teach K-6, and it is but I am so glad LMU gives us two placements and allows us to experience a lower elementary grade, and an upper elementary grade. I can't wait to see my students this semester and spend more time teaching them and also learning from them.

Our living situation came to an end at the end of the semester when I moved home for student teaching,  but no worries I still have to travel to campus for classes and of course I'll be seeing her then, and for our wonderful roomie dates, which often consist of wedding planning, she is that wonderful.

2013 was filled with blessings and I'm sure 2014 will be even better. Ready to see what is in store ahead. Happy super late New Year to you all, and I hope you are all able to see the blessings in your life.

Forever and ever

Engagements are always so exciting...at least for the couple getting engaged. Just like most other girls I have always dreamed of little details concerning my wedding day, and was always excited for other people getting engaged or married, but for the last year it seems all my friends were gettig engaged or married possibly having children, and some all of the above, and here I was happy as could be but wondering all the time when my special day would be. For all you ladies thinking your day will never come, don't think that way. The day of my engagement was absolutely perfect and nobody could have done anything else to make it anymore perfect. Was I expecting to get a lovely diamond ring for Christmas? NO way! But even more exciting is I am now on a journey to spend the rest of my life with Clint and become a Gibson in about a year and a half. 500 and some odd days for those of you counting down. I'm sure you're dying to know how the perfect proposal took place so here goes.....

Sunday December 22, Clint and I went to church and I knew this was a "date day" for us where we would spend the whole afternoon just the two of us... This rarely happens since we live 6 hours apart. Keep in mind it's a rainy nasty Sunday outside... Rained all night and supposed to rain all day. We get out of church and head downtown toward market square to roam around and "find something to do." When we get out of the car the rain had completely stopped. Praise The Lord! As we walk around Clint tells me he has pictures printed from the other day when we had our pictures made with his parents and brother. So I flip through all these pictures being completely too critical about my bad hair days, squinting, cheesiness, and who knows what else when I come to the next to last picture a picture of Clint and I and it says Amanda I love you. Will you marry me? As I look up Clint is down on one knee and about the time he says will you I anxiously blurted out YES!!! The best part however is that his mom was around the corner the entire time capturing pictures of this super special moment!

So for all you ladies still single just be patient, your perfect day will come and it will be so much more magical than you could have ever dreamed on your own. I am so thankful for a fiancé who loves me, his family that raised him to love The Lord, and for The Lord seeing me to be the woman to soon be his wife. 

Finding hope

I've been a medical mystery before and come to find out at the end of a long two and a half year journey I had to have my gallbladder removed. No big deal. I was completely fine after that. 

Lately, like the past 2-3 weeks I've noticed every night around bed time I feel terrible, almost as if I would feel better if I could throw up. So I think I'm going to start eliminating things on my own by start a new meal plan, a healthy one, in hopes that maybe it's just all the junk I eat on a daily basis, fried things carbs etc. Who knows how this will turn out but I'm going to find hope in it that it is something minor I can fix on my own with God's help. Any suggestions, feel free to share. 

It's the little things

People have always said it's the little things in life that mean the most. I used to think people were crazy for thinking this, but as I get older I am finding out more that this is true. 

Last night some of my sweet dear college friends and I had a "hair party" and watched home alone 2. All this consisted of was straightening or curling people's hair, braiding hair, oohing and aahing over awesome styles and of course laughing at Kevin McAllister. The best part obviously was being with friends and having a great time and spending zero money. The worst part however is knowing that in just four days this won't happen anymore as I will then be living in Knoxville again.

Today I wake up and my fan that I always sleep with on is obviously not on. I get up and much to my surprise the power is out. So here we go with bed head, now no lights, heat, nothing.. What a way to start the day. Mind you my roommate has a huge final she is trying to study for. So what do we do laugh and accomplish nothing about whining how it's cold outside and what are we going to wear so we don't freeze to death.  Thankfully the power came on just long enough to straighten out the crazy bed head, and we were both able to find outfits to keep us perfectly warm on this cold day. 

As we were sitting in the dark this morning I couldn't help but think how incredibly blessed we are to have electricity on a daily basis, and how we are so dependent on electricity we had no idea what to do without it this morning. No lights, no heat, no hot water, no wifi, and still complete joy was present in Burchett 104. 

This morning I learned whatever the situation whether it be a hair party or lack of power there is always something to bring you joy this Christmas Season.

December photo challenge

I don't usually do the photo a day challenges but I decided to give this one a shot. Instagram wouldn't let me load the pictures for several days so i decided i'd blog them. Hope you enjoy! 

Day 1: selfie. Christmas countdown calendar filled with chocolate!! 

Day 2: something red. Indication of a full tank of gas is always something to be thankful for.

Day 3: best friend. This stud. Love everything about this cool red bearded man. 

Day 4: something green. Just lots of rabbit food. Not your everyday traveling companion.

Day 5: decorations. Nothing beats Christmas decorated fingernails. 

Day 6: joy. Watching this little girl grow up into a beautiful young lady warms my heart. 

3..2..1..Blast Off!

There is a first time for everything, and I have always thought people who blogged either had incredible things to say or had entirely too much time on their hands. However, the more time I have spent on Pinterest, the more blogs I have read, and the more inspiring neat ideas I have discovered. Because of this I decided I would create my own blog and if nothing else later in life I could look back and see the thousands and thousands of blessings God gives me all the time that are not always remembered. 

First off I have been reminded every day the past couple weeks what an incredible God I serve and how I love that He knows what He is doing and does not count on my brain. At the end of the last school year I was in a slight... ok HUGE panic over who my roommate would be my senior year of college. No big deal, right? Yeah right! When I came to school in August I was honestly dreading being one of six girls in an apartment. That is a lot of estrogen in one place, however, I knew this had to be good or I would be calling mom crying everyday. Little did I know God provided me with the best roommate I could have ever had, and neither of us knew each other before we moved in. In the past few months we've become incredibly close and now in a week I am moving home to live next semester. That being said I could cry everyday knowing I won't have lunch with her everyday anymore, get to tell her my lesson plan ideas before I go teach, show her all my cute ridiculous art projects I make in class, and all the silly things you do with your college roommate. When the door of us being roommates closes I am hoping and praying that God provides sweet Jenna with a roommate that is a hundred times better than myself, not near as loud, and someone who doesn't always want to take a nap. 

This is the wonderful Jenna Kimball.

I also recently finished up teaching in a fifth grade and kindergarten classroom, and although student teaching in the spring means being at the elementary schools by 7:20... I am never even up that early, I am super excited to spend every day with these children for 16 weeks, getting to know them better, teaching them, and hopefully pouring the same love into them that my teachers poured into me. I am excited to see the many blessings ahead especially from the kiddos, they let you know the things you should be grateful for, and also look forward to sharing them with you.