oh, to go to the prom again...

This past weekend was Central High School's prom.  Jess, Nic, Carson and I went over to watch some of our friends take pictures.

Prom...

The word just makes me giggle.  I think back to when I went to prom in high school and have so many different emotions.  

First Place Prom:  I was a lucky sophomore girl that was asked to the Junior/Senior prom.  Mark Wagner took me as his date.  The dress was a pink princess dress borrowed from a friend that I had always dreamed of wearing one day.  Looking back on pictures...the dress was cute, but my hair?! who knows!!  I got to spend most of the night with Mark, my sister and the rest of their friends.  I thought I was too cool!  I remember leaving from this prom early because Mark was singing at the post-prom party at school.  Yes, I went to prom with a rock star.

Second Place Prom:  My senior prom.  Andrew Southwood asked me to our senior prom after an assembly on the "M" in the middle of the basketball court (this makes me think of something that would happen in High School Musical).  My dress....YIKES!  It was a little less conservative to say the least.  I like to think of it as my rebellious stage in high school...maybe?  Loved my hair because it was simple.  I still didn't have my ears pierced, so you better believe I wore come clip-ons with bling!  My favorite part about this prom was the after party at my house!

Third Place Prom:  This award goes to my junior prom.  There isn't too much to say about this prom.  I didn't really even know my date.  I kinda got asked because I didn't have a date (my boyfriend from another school had a baseball game) and he didn't have a date,  so it made sense for us to go together, right?  He was a really nice gentleman to me that night.  I got to ride in an Escalade, and then I hung out with my friend Meghan Cox...in the bathroom pretty much the whole time.....who was I?!?!

I hope you enjoy getting a peak into what I was like in high school.

Total Geek

This Thursday my friend Rachel and I (pictured below) attended the Honors Day for the Department of Mathematics.  Now before you start to think that we may have been awarded a grant for research in Mathematics, or an award to help me pursue a further education in Mathematics, I will tell you that my award was for Mathematics education.  In my eyes, this is just as distinguished and important because without me the very smart people that are getting all the smart awards and winning all the Putnam and Mathematical Modeling competitions wouldn't be receiving such honorable awards.  I will say being in the presence of such intelligence was interesting and funny.  I wish you all could experience it with me!

Rach and I with our award

After the awards ceremony, I headed out to the last thirty minutes of club.  It was a small club.  We were going up against a baseball game and a chorus concert.  Chorus is HUGE at Central.  This surprises me about Central, but most everything at the school surprises me.  In this picture is Abbie (left) and Taylor (right).  Abbie is signed up for camp and ready to go! Taylor is not.  Goodness, I cannot tell you how many conversations I have with this girl about camp.  Here's the deal.  She wants to go, but cheerleading camp is in the way.  Her mom...awesome...said to her that if she wanted to go she could and that she would find a way to fly her home one day early.  Taylor is nervous about the flight messing up and getting in trouble with the coach if she were to be late.  I understand, but honestly this frustrates me.  So I ask you, pray that Tay's worries about the flight fade, pray that she hears Jesus calling her and changing her heart about this decision, she may not even know who it is yet!  We have all the arrangements for her to get home, now she just has to say yes!!

A Weekly Treat

This semester I have perfected the art of forgetting everything that is going on in my life for about an hour to sit, relax, and enjoy a television show.  I don't know why, but I am a person that never thinks to turn on the television.  Instead, I will study, go online, study, listen to music while studying, or in some cases read!  T.V. is usually the last thing to cross my mind.  At the beginning of the year, I lived to watch the Bachelor.  Now, I treat myself weekly to watching American Idol.  My mom and sister have always seemed to live for this show, so this season I decided to give it a shot.  Goodness, I can't get enough of it now.  I count down the days until Tuesday nights.  My favorite is Kris Allen.  He seriously melts my heart! Now you know what I do with my time on Tuesday nights at 8:00.  You better believe I just finished sitting in my soft clothes with some sort of chocolate watching American Idol!  I am thinking this new hobby may be a result of senioritis?  Who knows, but please do not take offense if you call during this hour and I do not answer...at 9:00 I will call you back :o)

A Happy Day part 2

Happy Easter!

How beautiful is the name of Jesus

How beautiful is the blood that flowed down His hands and feet, down Calvary

The precious blood that makes me whole, that washes me white as snow

How beautiful

How beautiful was the angel waiting for Mary at the empty tomb

How beautiful were the words he told her,

He is not here, He has risen

He has risen!!

A Happy Day

I love Starbucks at the movies

L, Mom and I ready and waiting for the movie

Pardon my delay in posting about my birthday!  It was a terrific day, and I felt very loved by my friends and family that love me best.  It all started Thursday night at Young Life when Jessica gave me a scrapbook after club with pictures and letters from my team and Taylor(YL girl).  I LOVED IT!!!  It was very sweet for me to read words from the people that get to see me at my best and at my worst.  I started out the day waking up at one of my YL girl's house, Taylor.  We watched Twilight and ate cookie cake the night before after Young Life.  While they were fast asleep, I snuck out to meet Jessica again for breakfast at Gourmet's Market.  Then I came back home for a little while until my friend Natalie picked me up for a day of surprises.  We went shopping, ate at Pimento's,  and a little treat at Marble Slab!! The day ended after taking cover from the huge storm at Mellow Mushroom in Farragut.  My sister and I met up with my mom and dad for pizza.  I love pizza!  Then my sister, mom and I headed over to the Pinnacle to see Monsters vs Aliens in IMAX and 3D!!!! I laughed a lot!  

It was a perfect day to turn 22.  The best part was spending time and talking to the people that I love most!!

Hard Decision

Last night I attended an intern fair where five high schools attended and talked to me about interning at their school.  I felt as if I was walking through a sorority recruitment as they were telling me all about there school and how great it is to be there.  I walked into the fair thinking Hardin Valley Academy is where I wanted to go, but as I started talking to every school I would leave their booth and say oooo, I think I want to go there.  I got to the end and was very nervous about making my decision because I wanted to pick the schools that would have the teacher that would mentor me the best.  That is overwhelming because I only really met the department head and the principals.  I walked away picking Hardin Valley, West, or Bearden.  Now it is up to the schools to pick and then I will they will place me.  Dr. Kershaw, the woman that places us, said that I should find out in the next week or two.  Goodness,  I feel like I have been waiting for this moment all four years of undergrad.  

One Month and Counting

Here we are.  It is a Christmas tradition to take a picture in the Nativity.  

Don't be surprised if this picture shows up this December in your mailbox.

In exactly one month I will be moving into the my new apartment with Natalie and Laura.  I will be honest when I say that I am going to miss the dangerous college life of living in the Fort, but I am looking forward to the welcoming and gated community I am about to live.  College life has been great and exceptionally convenient living on campus.  I cannot be more thankful for being about to walk to class (high price of parking passes), the given exercise, and the library being about 4 minutes away.  I cannot go without mentioning how convenient it was to walk to sporting events.  It really has been great and fun to have my own place at school,  but now it is time to change things up a bit.  I will be teaching next year in a high school to be determined.  I will no longer be on campus walking to and from and up and down.  Therefore, I am moving into an off campus apartment complete with my best friends.  Here is a list that we have created of what we are looking forward to the most...

*The pool.  Yes, we will have a very nice pool complete with free wifi.  Please call at any moment and come play with us.  I could never be more serious about this.  All people. All day.  All fun.

*Three closets.  We are relatively all the same size except for jean length and shoe size.  Yes, I will be the tallest, but what is new?  

*Same schedule. We will all be on the same teaching schedule.  Early mornings, fall breaks, Christmas breaks, spring breaks, summer breaks.  

*Sharing a bathroom.  I have been really fortunate growing up with having a bathroom all to myself, but I am looking forward to the laughter and giggles as I get ready with friends (Yes, that does include you Natalie).

*Experiencing growing up with these two.  The next couple of years are going to be challenging, changing my world from all that I have known.  

*Love.  I cannot explain in detail how much these two love me and how much I love them.  Honestly I can't, but just know it is incredible.  They are two pictures that give me a glimpse of how much I am loved and adored by my Heavenly Father.

A little brueggs for breakfast

I am about to run out the door for breakfast at Bruegger's Bagels.  It might be one of my favorite breakfast places. I don't know if it is for the bagel sandwich I order or for the friend that meets me there.  Natalie and I try to meet at Brueggs (that is what we call it) every now and then to be together before our busy days.  We don't live together so our busyness gets in the way sometimes of seeing each other.  I usually wake up before my alarm on these days even if it is early because I am excited to have a great time with a sweet friend.  

April...the best time of the year

I absolutely love the month of April. I love that I feel that Spring has finally arrived. I love that I have a friend's birthday to celebrate every couple of days through out the month. I love that I can study outside, I can walk outside, I can ride my bike outside, I can eat outside at restaurants, I just can be outside and it feels great! I love that school is almost over. I love that we get new Young Life teammates. I love that is is National Mathematics Eduation Month. Goodness, I love April! Here are some updates as to what has gone on so far this April.

April 1. I am pleased to share with you that no one was successful in fooling me this year. I watched American Idol. This is my new favorite obsession. I am making time for this delightful show this season. Kris Allen melts my heart. I found out that one of my Young Life girls can go to camp! She didn't think she would be able to go because of cheerleading, but her mom said she could fly home a day early. Thank you Jesus! Now, we just have to find a cheap airplane ticket!

April 2. We had club this Thursday. Two of my sweet girls came. We acted like we were the only three at club...just crazy!

April 3. What a great day. I started off early in the morning at Alcoa Middle school were my patience was tested. Not only that but an 8th grader asked me for my number. No, I did not give it to him. Before I headed back to campus I stopped by Dandy Lions to see Joy and Baby C. Goodness what a way to start your day with those two pretty girls. I rushed back to school to in nervous anticipation to find out what I made on a math test. I was worried that this test might cause me to stay at the University a little longer than intended. But no need to worry, the teacher curved and graded easy...I AM GOING TO GRADUATE! To finish a great day, I pick my friend Jessica up with sunflowers and took her on a surprise birthday date. She loves peanute butter and apples, so I made her peanut butter at the Fresh Market. She loves to read, so we took a trip to the bookstore to pick out a new book. We then headed back to the Fresh Market to make our own sandwiches for dinner. We were running out of time, so we had a picnic in my car before we headed to the Young Life house to meet Central's new team members. There we met Nicole, Jenna, and Zach. We ate ice cream and got to know each other. So fun to see such excitement!

April 4. The day is not over yet, but it began working at Dandy Lions this morning. I had a couple fun visitors. First Caroline came to pick up her locket. Then my two roommates stopped in to see me and the store. After they left I looked up to see my sister and then M-Wag walk through the door. Total surprise!!! Loved working today...well I love working there everyday ;o). I came home and took a nap! I have been waiting for this nap all week!

So, there you go. April is a great month. More to come I am almost positive!!