Finally found some time to blog!

I have been so busy and juggling so much and doing a lot lately. But apparently not blogging. I didn't realize I haven't posted anything since November 9. Apparently I blogged the 14, but saved it as a draft instead of posting it. But it is now published on my blog where it belongs instead of hiding as a draft. I am sorry. For me, because I love to write, and for any of my followers that check it only to see something they've already seen (Aunt Michelle).

Although I have been working on a post about NCYC. But it is just so long and I haven't finished it.

Saturday Nov 12 I went to Depauw with Sarah, her dad, Bailey, and Abby for the Monon Bell Game. The Monon Bell game is huge. It is the annual football game between rival schools Wabash and Depauw. We followed Sarah's dad around the big tailgate, or "Wabash city" and he called it. It was really funny and a little awkward. Then for the game, we sat in the student section-even though we stood out in our red against everyone in their white sweatshirts. And Wabash won! Woohoo! We kept the bell again. It is in it's rightful place.

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Monday Nov 14 I got a very exciting phone call: informing me that I have been ACCEPTED TO SLU (St. Louis University). I'm so excited. I loved SLU when we went to visit. So far I haven't heard back from Depauw, Xavier, or Dayton-only SLU and Hanover so SLU is definitely my top choice! Might I add it basically is my top choice out of all of them anyways.

Wednesday Nov 16- 19 I went to NCYC. The National Catholic Youth Conference. I'm not going to write anything more because I (hopefully) will have a long post telling everything about it.

Monday Nov 21 I got a gift for my sunshine lady. Basically sunshine society is a club at my school that does serivce for the community. But you can also pick an ideal lady and it's like a secret santa thing all year long. You give them a note or gift once a month until March and sign your name with a number- I'm sunshine girl #31. And then if they have something for you they send it to your number and the office gets it to us. I love it. I got my ideal lady a pair of earrings and wrote a note using this quote, "If you want to live more, you must master the art of appreciating the little everyday blessings of life. This is not altogether a golden world, but there are countless gleams of gold to be discovered in it." -Henry Alfred Porter. I love it.

That same day I also had my first night of work! I worked an event with Alica, Candie, and Elizabeth. I love that it is on the job training, because I learn so much better from actually doing things myself. It was pretty fun. We served a pool league in Trippet hall. The people in long beards and jeans and harley davidson clothes didn't seem like they were in the right setting at the fancy dinner, but I liked the contrast. We also got to eat what they ate once we were done serving. For dinner I had beef & noodles, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and granny smith apple cheese cake with caramel sauce.

Tuesday Nov 22 we were practice gymnastics. Like always. Then Sandy showed up! She was home for Thanksgiving break and watching her brother at his diving meet. When I was a freshman and sophomore I was stuck to her side during gymnastics season. She is so sweet and sincere and encouraging and we just became great friends. I loved that she came to see us!

Wednesday Nov 23 I went to gymnastics after school. Just Maria and I. And Becca! Becca was there to paint her board of the floor, a senior tradition. I was so happy to have seen two old team members, at practice, in the same week! I love gymnastics and all of the girls I've been on a team with and the fact that it's like family.

That night after practice, we rushed home, packed, and drove to the Vanderkolk's! We stayed the night and had Thanksgiving with them. Jacqueline and I were very happy to be reunited. Although I was sad to leave Thursday instead of stay until Saturday like Maria did. I love all of the home made food and the family time that Thanksgiving entails. I'm all about it. Although I couldn't help but let my mind dwell on the fact that this year we weren't the only ones missing from Thanksgiving at my Grandma's in Iowa. No one would be gathered there.

Sunday Nov 27 I went REINdeer shopping with Sarah, Kayla, Brennan, and Marlen for NAHS. I love this program so much. I still haven't figured out if it's just a Montgomery County thing, or if its wider spread. But we buy kids their Christmas presents who would otherwise get nothing. We have their name, age, size, favorite colors, and a list of their needs and of their wants. We used $80 for NAHS and bought a winter coat, mittens, a hat, pajamas, underwear, socks, boots, a stuffed animal, a hair set (with clips and pony tails and a brush), a plastic animal toy, pencils, sticks, flash cards, crayons, coloring book, and clip on jewelry. It feels so good doing it, and it is fun seeing how much we can get with our money. I am going to do another REINdeer child with my Statistic class and am so excited. Mr. Hunt talked to us on the intercom during 4th period and said we still have a lot of children that need to be taken care of. Emma decided that we should each pitch in money and go shopping as a class. There are only 6 of us. And I'm so excited to get to do it again!

I have come to the realization, again, that I love hearing people's stories. Thus, I love reading memoirs. I finished Two Kisses for Maddy by Matt Logelin on Sunday. I also bought another one called Chalked Up by Jennifer Sey. I can't wait to get the time to read it. I also wrote a scholarship essay for Xavier about Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist. (which I must add that my friend Morgan worked hard on critiquing for me so I could edit it before sending it off).

Monday Nov 28 started our first week of real gymnastics practices. Monday-Friday from 5:45-8pm. That's always exciting!

Tuesday Nov 29 we had our first snow. This is kind of bittersweet. I have mixed feelings towards it.

Wednesday Nov 30 was a great day for senior honors (AP whatever) English. We had been working with Beowulf lately. A teacher that just retired, her husband actually translated and got his copy of Beowulf published. Both are named Doc Hudson. So we call the husband Mr. Doc. They were both in the room as he talked to us and I loved it. I loved seeing his passion for something and that he said it stemmed from a great teacher that he had when he was introduced to it. I agree that the teacher can make all the difference. I had his wife, Doc Hudson for English my freshman year. I loved her. It was so rigorous and hard. But she was so encouraging and understood what we would write, and help develop our initial thoughts into ideas that I didn't even know I could think about or work with. I loved how she would write on our papers exactly what needed to be changed so that we would know how to make ourselves improve. Besides that, she had almost every paper graded and handed back to us the next day. So that we could discuss them and our mistakes and strengths as a class when they were still relevant and fresh in our minds. She was the master grader and teacher. She would always encourage us to "write to learn" which could also be taken as "right to learn" when said verbally. Both she and Mr. Doc are so intelligent and full of knowledge, but they are very humble and don't just try to prove what big words they know the meanings of or what background of the English language that they know about. It just subtly slips into their conversation. I wish I could have more days of either of them teaching. (Though I can't say I was interested in Beowulf or most of Mr. Doc's talk, I was still co captivated to listen to him present. That's how great he is).

Wednesday I spent the night at my dad's. It was great. I hadn't been with him in so long it felt like. My car also got it's first ever night in a garage!! My dad cleaned out some of the boxes that have been piled in our garage since we moved into that much smaller house. My car, and it's driver were so happy! Especially because for once, I didn't have to scrape ice off of it when it frosted over night! Instead, I was able to take in the beauty of the sunrise. Woo hoo!

I also should mention that I was struggling and feeling behind during the rest of the week, but suddenly Wednesday everything seemed under control and still and I finally was able to just breathe. And relax. And sit back and see that everything was okay (mostly referring to school work).

Thursday was the first day of December! My, this year has gone by fast. I also worked again. This time it was with Alica and Candie and Keaton and Kecia. We served an inquiry group or something? Teacher from different colleges. I'm not sure. I do know that many of them were so engaged and intrigued in conversation that they often didn't notice I was trying to put a plate down in front of them. For dinner they, and we, had chicken with a slice of ham and lots of sauce over it, mashed potatoes, and white chocolate cheese cake with raspberries. I also learned, and helped set up for breakfast the next morning.

Friday December 2 was a lovely day. After almost an hour at my Health Careers class, we left and headed to Even Start! We love Fridays because for us they mean going to the developmental preschool and playing with the kids. We were supposed to switch classes, but I think I'm one of the only ones who ever did. Most of us fell so much in love with our initial class rooms and the kids that we couldn't switch. But finally, Laci and I found where we belong. This Friday we sat at a breakfast table in the gym with Katlin, Serenity, a boy, and Dallas. Marlee (a high school student) was also at that table. I loved that Serenity recognized me and still wouldn't talk. She's always so shy in the morning and contently eats her breakfast while I smile at her and ask her questions. Then there's Dallas. She often runs away and is stubborn. This day she continued to glare at me with an honorary look and eventually ended up throwing her packet of jelly at me. But she's not in my class. Then, breakfast was over and the kids got their coats and back packs and went to their classrooms. I followed my girl Serenity. We spent most of the time reading books together. She is so sweet. I loved that when we read I was So Mad, a Little Critter book, over and over again she eventually read it to me. She focused on the baby, who only appeared  on the last two pages. But all throughout the book she "read" about how Little Critter must be quiet because the baby was sleeping.

Laci and Hannah were also in this classroom. Laci stuck with her girl Alliah and also chased Jose Miguel around. Hannah was stuck to Savannah's side.

We sat down with them as they put glue on paper gingerbread men. It was so funny seeing some kids drive their entire hands write into it, and others barely stick one finger in the mixture of glue and shaving cream. I was sitting next to Serenity of course and Isai was next to me. He was a mess and even had it in my hair. He also got a full hand-print on my sweatshirt that was comical the rest of the day when anyone would notice.

We were so sad when we had to say our final goodbye to our kids. But we are hoping to work something out where we can go over there during our finals or something.

At school I had a present waiting for me from my ideal lady! She's so sweet. It had gumdrop lotion and cherry vanilla lip gloss and a santa with skittles and sparkly nail polish. So exciting to receive!

I also worked again on Friday. For the same group as Thursday. This time I worked with Candie, Kecia, and Quinn. I love that each time I work it seems I get to meet a new employee. Everyone is so nice and willing to help me out. This time it was a buffet, and for dinner the group and later us, had rice pilaf, vegetables, beef with mushroom sauce, salmon (I didn't eat that), and chocolate cake with raspberry sauce.