Life After College

Who would have ever thought there was such a thing??? Sometimes I find myself wishing there wasn't life without college....and then I remember all that God has yet to do with me. This time in my life has been challenging and exciting. I am not teaching just yet because of many reasons but God has opened up a door for me to nanny for the Diaz family. I am excited to start this journey with them and can't wait to see all that God does in me during my time with them.

You know people always say that being a young adult is suppose to be the best time of your life...but for my I haven't found that to be true. Instead I find it to be the exact opposite. The older I get the more I realize there is still so much to figure out about this so called life. I have got the bills part down...but how do people learn how to do taxes and buy their first car and get out of a house that sucks. I guess with time and guidance those things come.

I am in that stage in life where everything is so temporary my job, my house, my car, and my next step in life. I have finally hit that point where what's next for me is planting roots. I want to start building my life. Wherever that may be is fine with me I just want to be where God wants me to be.

Life after college is scary, exciting, sad, and much more. But I choose to take one day at a time and trust God!!!

God Knew What He Was Doing!!

Wait what am I talking about...He always does. If you know me well then you've heard me say "God knew what He was doing when He made me a GIRL!" There is nothing that makes me more happy than embracing all the girly-ness that life can bring. I see somethings pink and I want it simply because it's pink or cute. I might have no use for it but I like knowing that I have it. I love putting on a dress simply because I am a girl and it makes me feel girly. I was putting on my make-up this morning, which is something I also love doing. I don't always like waking up to get ready, but when I am awake, getting ready is something I also embrace. It's that time before the day even starts that my mind starts racing and my type A personality comes out. I plan everything I have to do for the day and try to squeeze in the things that need to get done that I've pushed off. But this morning I was taken back when I felt an overwhelming sense of emotion. Something else neat about a girl is the need for friendship. Not the kind that you catch up with every once in a while but that friend you can count on. The one that sits and talks with you for hours, sometimes about nothing, but other times about life and all it throws at you. I have a best friend but this person isn't a girl. It's Nic, my boyfriend, as much as I love to share my life with him all you other girls know it's never the same as having a close girl friend.

This is my third summer in the beautiful Sunshine State and I thought after my first summer here I could make it through any summer. It was a lot of change that I wasn't exactly prepared for. God rocked my world that summer. So after being here the last two summers in a row logically I didn't think other wise when it came to the decision to stay here this summer. I don't regret my decision but I miss not having a really close girl friend here with me. You see, I left my best friend back in my home state of North Carolina. Even though we are still as close today as we were in high school it's not the same. I can't hug her, laugh with her, or cry with her. I can't shop with her or do all the fun things that girls do. I was reminded how much God wants to have that spot in my life. He makes an incredible friend and I wouldn't be a girl without him. These simple reminders that sometimes take me back are the little things I hold near and dear to my heart. I know that God is doing something really neat in me this summer and I am buckled up and ready for the ride!!

How Time Flies

It's been a long time since I've blogged. Oh how I have missed it. I am now in the summer before my last semester in college. I can not believe how fast time flies by. I am about to start nannying a boy that is 4 and his brother that is 6. I am so excited the doors it will open and the fun adventures we will go on.

Nic and I just got back from a trip to NC to see his mom. The weekend was tough but really great things came from it. We are praying for God to work in mighty ways with his mom's body. She is a special woman and deserves the world.

Pictures and updated posts are coming soon!!!

An Amazing Date Night

Us after the show with one of the Blue Man's

Us before the show started

Little us in front of the theatre

Last night Nic took me to see the Blue Man Group...it was AMAZING. I had never been to City Walk in Orlando so it was all a first for me. About ten minutes into the show we all had to evacuate the building because the fog machines set the fire alarms off. He really out did himself with surprising me with this. After the show was over we raced on the moving sidewalks with little kids...I couldn't of asked for a better night.

Sassy Ave.

We had our first powder puff game last Thursday and you will never believe I made the only touchdown for our team. I know I am bragging but I was amazed. The whole time I was out there I had no idea what the heck I was doing. For example the coach told me to run 5 steps then to the right....so little me takes 5 steps and goes to the left. haha! It was a blast, I played center for most of the game, but we ended up losing. Pictures are coming soon. :)

BLOOM

Our Logo

2 of my girls jammin' out!

Some of my girls with Amber!

The Pink Ladies

All my girls

Our aluminum foil bathing suit. We won 2ND place!

The girls being silly

Some of the girls...they are all such great girls!

My Katie and Courtney

This weekend we had a lock-in at the church I am working at; it was called Bloom. We had about 80 girls show up and it was a blast. I was the pink (of course) team's leader and I loved my girls. We had some really neat God conversations and I was able to really love on them. We had dance parties, painted our nails, played hide and go seek, watched camp rock, and had some awesome worship time. We stayed up way too late, but it gave me an opportunity to really get to know the girls on a deeper level. Hanging out with middle and high school girls really made me think about when I was there age. It's amazing how time flies.

A Fantastic Quote

"Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God."

-Corey Tribune

The Best Spring Break EVER!

Me and Marcy

Dad picking out the perfect toilet seat...that his big butt won't break!

Me with Marcy and Bobby.

Their beautiful cake! I love this.

Me with the Bride and Groom! I couldn't be more happy for them.

Andrea showing off her wedding gift, white rainbows...how appropriate.

Brooke (one of the flowergirls) and me. I loved her and wanted to take her back to college. She was such a little diva!

Andrea and me before right before she is about to walk down the aisle. She looked absolutely stunning!

As I am sitting on the floor of the airport waiting to fly back to Florida I am overwhelmed with emotions. I have never been so sad to go back to school and leave home. The part that is so sad for me is leaving the comfort of friends and the essence of home. This spring break was one of my favorite trips ever. I got to relax so much before I went to Greenville for Andrea & Josh's wedding and I can not tell you how nice it was to sit on my butt and hang out with great friends. :) I spent a lot of time at home and the best part was my dad breaking the toilet seat and us having to shop for a new one...good times. I never knew shopping for a toilet seat could be so complex. I left for Greenville on Thursday for the wedding which was the highlight of my break and I had a blast. Having girl time and decorating for all the wedding events was just what I needed. The wedding was absolutely beautiful. And she was beautiful too. I was so emotional during the wedding too which is weird because I do not get emotional and I felt like such a loser when I cried during their first dance. I guess that happens when two people you care about start a life together. They are definitely two people that deserve it. Now I am back to reality and responsibility.

spring BREAK...emphasis on the break!

I got home from Florida early Friday evening and I can not tell you how nice it is to have no responsibilities for a few days. I almost don't know what to do with myself. I can share some exciting news that helped get my spring break off to a GREAT start...I found out I made the Dean's list for the Fall 08' semester. This is a first for me and I could not be more excited for myself. I also just finished my children's book for one of my classes...yes I wrote a children's book and it's all about Jakob. Other than that my break has been very relaxing. I have been spending a lot of time at home on the couch. I did hurt my back when I laid on the airport floor for 6 hours (OUCH) so I have been taking it easy. It's nice to be home!

Stepping into My Calling

As most of you know I am called to teach elementary aged kids. I am in my third year of college and have not gotten too much hands on experience with and kids in the schools yet. Well, I had the privilege of doing a read aloud at Highlands Grove Elementary, to a second grade class (my favorite grade). Earlier that day I was out running some errands and I just started to pray. I needed God to take away the fear I had...I wanted it to seem so natural. I had practiced reading that one little book so many times that I practically memorized it. As the kids were filing in and finding their seats on the reading rug everything in the room became nonexistent to me. The kids were so engaged and interactive with me that I didn't want our reading time to end. I got great reviews from my professor and some other reading teachers. That day really makes me excited with the direction God is taking my life. I can not wait to have a magic story carpet and help develop my very own students imaginations. I could not have left that school with a bigger smile on my face.

Waiting for Prince Charming

OK, so for all you bachelor fans out there you know where I am coming from when I say what a scum bag. If you don't know what the Bachelor is it is a show where one guy is trying to find true love out of 25 girls. Each week at least one or more get kicked off as he get closer to choosing the one he is going to propose to. I know that show is such a reality show, but I really believe some people go on the show to try to find true love...personally, I don't know how you find it on a TV show but God has different plans for everyone. Tonight made me really thank God for calling me His child and having a Prince already picked out for me. I can't imagine going after a guy that wasn't 100% into who I was. I am willing to wait for a long time if that means I will get the one God has for me and how much more valuable he will be to me because I didn't settle.

In the know

Amy and I on Superbowl night...I rooted for the right team.

Besides being one of my great friends, Amy is my Community Leader and she is my suite mate.

They say your never too old to go trick or treating :). As you can tell we went all out this year.

This is my RA team with our RD Katie (who is now a proud new mom for the first time).

Girls weekend in Sarasota. This is one of Florida's top beaches.

All the RD's kids. Me and Laura got the privilege of watching them. Baby Cullen is missing from the picture cause he is brand new. Ali is the only girl, she is such little princess.

Trent & Logan

I am so excited that I have found time to get my page together so that I can let all the people I love see what I am doing in my life. It has really been pressing on my heart to do this for some time now. An RD's wife has a blog about her kids and her family so that her kids can have things to look back on when they get older; I thought what a great idea and that is what made me want to start one of my own. As I am getting older I am realizing how important family is and how much we all miss out on each others lives. I have chosen to go to college in Florida, where God called me, and I want all of you to know the things that God is teaching me here and the fun things I get to do too. I am actually laying on the couch of another RD's apartment while there little boy Linc is taking a nap. As all of you know, I absolutely love kids of any age and I think that was one of the hardest things I dealt with when leaving home for Florida. I had no kid base here and I knew it would be hard to find families while trying to adjust to college life. Thankfully God knew what he was doing because we have 3 different RD families RIGHT HERE ON CAMPUS with kids. All together they have 6 kids and 2 on the way and boy do I love all 6 of them. They have really opened their arms to me and they all let me take their kids so I can get my fix. On top of these families I started nannying for a family last year off campus with 2 boys that I adore Logan, 9 and Trent, 8. I have become very close with their family and I love the fact I can get off campus to watch them.

College is going really good at this point besides the fact that I have NO LIFE because I am so busy. I am taking 19 credits and am involved in way too much, but I like staying busy. I am trying to get all that I can while I am here but I am beginning to think I can't do it all, as sad as that is to say. I am about to begin powder puff football...I know what everyone is thinking, Jerrica playing football, I must not have read that right. Well, you did I wanted to try something that is out of my element and I guess you can say I went a little extreme. I will definitely try to get some pictures so that you can share in my humor with that. As you saw at the top I posted some pictures of some things I have been up to this year. I love you all!