nobody likes you when you're 23

This weekend my house was filled to the brim with dogs and people. I like to think they were all in town for my birthday on Saturday. I turned 23 and I spent the day up on top of Schweitzer at Fall Fest with my favorite boy, our friend, my aunt and uncle who were in from out of town, and my family - minus Jim because he was too cool to drive over from Seattle (insert winky face).

The view from the top of the mountain was gorgeous and the hard cider and elephant ears weren't bad either. Plus, I'm pretty easy to please so I was just happy that everyone was here and that I didn't have to work. 

Birthday weekend celebration was in full swing yesterday too on the lake in a tube behind the boat. Every wave is a personal challenge and it takes quite a bit to throw me off into the water. The only downside I have found to this comes the next day when my shoulders and forearms scream at me every time I try to move them. Worth it.

And come tomorrow I will be walking into a classroom full of sarcastic teenagers who aren't ready to say goodbye to summer and hello to homework. It's so crazy that this time last year I was a student teacher and now I'm the one who's large and in charge. The world is not ready for me yet! I'm taking the education world by surprise. I will warp values! I will twist minds! All in the name art! Muahahahaha!

All in all though, as I look back through all of the things I have done this summer, it has been a good one. I started out in Honduras and then I spent time with Nathan. I went camping, I went to Silverwood and Boulder Beach. I went fishing. I went tubing. I cliff dived and jumped off a rope swing. I worked in a restaurant. I made new friends and caught up with old ones. I herded cattle in a truck. I took Daniel's senior pictures. I soaked in a hot tub underneath a sky full of stars. I went to the fair and ate elephant ears and jumped on a trampoline. I fell asleep to thunder and lightning. There were adventures galore. I'm not ready to see this summer off just yet, but I am excited to walk into my classroom tomorrow and start my first year of teaching.

I don't know what this school year is going to bring and I can't predict the challenges that will come my way, but I do know that this is going to be one of the greatest life adventures I will ever embark on. I am so happy that I have the family I do, that I have Nathan, that I have God watching out for me, and that I'm in the position I am in now.

I remember I used to wonder what it would be like to be 23. I wondered where I would be, what I would be doing, where I would live. I would have never imagined that I would be in a full time salaried position living in the same town where I grew up. God is so good and I am so blessed.

bow-ties are cool

Hi.

It seems I don't know how to blog anymore. And leaving comments? Dudes, I'm so bad at it. Between student teaching and heading to Moscow to visit that one boy, it's like I don't even know what to say anymore. 

So I'll try and give you the skinny about everything. It could be long, so take a deep breath. In through the nose, out through the mouth. You know the drill. 

But first! My seester! She is the best, right? I mean, really. 

And now, the stuff. And things. 

Navigating the rough waters of student teaching is proving to not be as difficult as I had originally thought. At first I was like "all my students want to be here! yes! best semester ever!" And then I started teaching lessons. And then I started pushing students to work harder, to give it their best shot. Use the wooden pencil instead of the mechanical. Add value because this is not just a line drawing! 

And I encountered some resistance. Which at first I was like *blink*blink* lol, whut? What is this madness? I kind of wanted to cry a little bit because I felt kind of like I'd failed, and then I mentally kicked myself. I went back over to his table and tried to explain it a little differently to see if maybe I could change his mind? But then when my mentor teacher told him the same thing today that I had told him on Friday and he gave her the same attitude, I didn't feel so bad. 

I knew I was going to be blessed with these sweet moments. However, they still catch you a little off guard at first. Maybe he will like the next project? We'll see. 

Moving right along, you'll notice the walls of my room have changed color. That is because I spent a week painting. It was a long and involved process consisting of multiple trips to the paint department at Home Depot and developing a great relationship with a certain employee who was more than helpful and deserves a plethora of gold stars and awards. Phew, that was a long sentence. I'm glad you made it through. But seriously? I feel like painting took forever and I'm glad it's over. 

I might enjoy oils and watercolors, but friends, interior paint and I do not really get along all that well. I mean, let's be honest here. There's just too much to think about and it all has to be even. Although, as long as we're being honest, I did enjoy strategically placing hand prints on my sister's shirt and the fact that I still find flecks of teal paint in my hair. It's what all the cool kids are wearing, right? 

And then there's the boy. He's good. I'm good. We're good. Long distance sucks. We had to keep posing for this picture until we got it just right. It took like four or five tries. Not that I'm complaining...duhh :)

The upside to getting up early in the morning is that I get to see skies like this. I actually really enjoy being a morning person, I have so many hours in the day to do things! It's exciting! Even though it's not always easy to drag myself out of bed, I'm always glad when I do. 

Ultimately I'd like to wake up early enough to work out before I shower and get ready, but I'm not quite there yet. It would take an extra hour, so my plan is to build up to that. Well, that's the plan anyway. I mean, I have my own room now, remember? So I can totally work out in the mornings if I just find the time...which is really the only problem. Excuses, excuses. Right. 

This week is spirit week for homecoming on Saturday! What up! So I played dress up tonight with my mom's closet. I feel obligated to inform you that sadly she no longer wears this awesome 80s outfit, but she almost convinced me to wear it on Wednesday for decade day. I have opted to go with something a little more subtle than this rad red outfit with the complimentary bow-tie. Although, I make it look good. You have to admit it. 

Okay, not really. But seriously. 

Bow-ties? 

They rock my socks.