little things

I love how the little things in life can make a big difference. The last week or so has been full of those little things that just make my day so great so i thought I would share:

* random hugs
* someone saying they miss me
* a student saying they love me
* laughing over a meal with others
* driving with the windows down on a beautiful evening
* spending time with people you really have fun with
* seeing a flowering tree on a cloudy day
* a good song that totally goes with how you are feeling
* my favorite drink when i am really thirsty
* my pillows:)
*encouragment in the form of a smile or just listening to me ramble about unimportant things
* someone asking me how my day was
* watching a fun show on TV
* good smelling lotion
* hot showers


I'm sure there are many more that i can't think of right now...just look for those little things today that make you happy!

february fun!

This month has been so much fun! I've been to a ton of new restaurants, celebrated 2 birthdays and an engagement, and just had a fun month so far. It's been great getting to know people better, going to new places, having a good time---especially since it's also been a rainy month which makes me feel blue and bored! So here are a few pictures of the events! Enjoy!

Here is a picture of the group at emily's birthday dinner--it was so fun to celebrate something mid-week at a great restaurant with great friends (february 2nd)

Then the celebrating continued with my bday celebration the following saturday.

the group pictures

dancing fun:)

ricardo, yolanda and cheryl havin' fun

the girls and ricardo.

more friends-- dana and robyn

it was a late night (i actually was up till 5AM!! crazy huh?!?!) but so much fun dancing and hanging out with friends here.

So things are still going great here in Tampico and I'm still very happy with my decision to come. I am so happy at my job and making local friends here has helped make it feel like home even more.

Oh, and a random and long overdue sharkbite update---the only lasting effects now are numbness on the top of my foot still, i can't move my 4 little toes up and sometimes when the weather changes my foot feels swollen or strange. I tried to see how doing yoga would work, but my foot kept slipping and so it didn't go so well. I'm not sure if i just need to exercise it more or if my little toes, foot and ankle actually are just not strong enough to help me grip the floor for the moves. It's a little sad b/c i really enjoy yoga, but i guess i'll find something else to do.

Thanks for all the prayers, thoughts, and keeping in touch!

another year passes

instead of the usual reflection at new years, i tend to do most of my reflecting on my birthday. So this year i've decided to just make a list of the big things i remember about my year as a 26 year old:

* getting a job in Tampico

* quitting my job in olathe :(

* being surprised by friends in kansas on my birthday at the mexican place(i can think of the name anymore:()

* saying way too many goodbyes in Kansas

* packing and unpacking

* moving all my stuff to my parents house

* taking bunches of graduate classes and living at panera this summer

* going to the beach house in NC

* being attacked by a shark

* being on crutches in the hottest time of year anywhere---especially in Tampico

* arriving in Mexico

* setting up my classroom while physically hindered by crutches and boot

* meeting ATS staff

* the first day of my first classroom of 2nd graders

* kissing cheeks with many many people

* learning tons of little things about Mexican culture and language

*military guys with guns everywhere:) haha--it's just normal now

* tons of sweating

* finally figuring out how to get hot water

* visiting new places: San Miguel and Xilitla

* Mom and aunt visiting

* Halloween in Mexico

* flying home in flip flops for Christmas

It's been a year of numerous changes and probably the most eventful year of my life so far.....i've always thought i've had a good life---boring but good. Now i can say that this year changed it from boring to crazy!:) haha...but through it all i've learned a great deal and have been so blessed by the Lord this year. I'm excited to see what happens in my 27th!

Of course i didn't put down every memory i have---so if you have one, please add a comment with something i forgot!:)

thanks for being part of my life!:)

the fight is over...

(Dear friends, family, and people who have come upon my blog somehow. This post is something that is hard for me to write about, but I feel like I need to express my thoughts and feelings, so I've decided to write them down. Thank you for reading and letting me share my heart)

As a teacher my favorite part of it all is the kids. They are great---smiles, laughs, hugs, funny things they say, the way they surprise me with ideas and so much more. Never did i even think of being in the position that I would experience what happened this year; and specifically Monday, January 10th, 2010.

After an 18 month fight with cancer, a sweet girl in my class named Michelle, passed away. Just typing these words wrenches my heart and calls tears to my eyes.

I didn't even want to answer the phone Sunday evening, seeing my principal's number because of my fear of what I would find out. It is quite hard to think of not seeing her again. Today was difficult to keep my composure while still going through the motions at school. We are trying to remember her, honor her, and pray for her family. I thank the Lord that she is no longer sick and suffering like she was the last few days, but that doesn't seem to replace the sadness in my heart quite yet.

Here are some things I feel privileged to know and love about Michelle:

She had a great smile and smiled often.

She loved to talk (sometimes too much for a teacher's liking;))

She had great fashion sense and wore wonderful hats while her hair was growing out.

She was beautiful--inside and out.

She was a great friend; loyal and kind.

She was great at drama.

She gave fantastic hugs.

Michelle experienced so much in her short life and I am so glad to have known her and her family. I hope you will join me in praying for her family: mom, dad, little brother, and older sister. Pray that the Lord will comfort them through this hard time. That they cling to him and know that Michelle truly is feeling no more sorrow and no more pain.

one of her really cool hats--this one even had built in braids!:) How adorable is she?!

I love you Michelle.

Christmas/January Brrrr....

My fingers are a little cold right now, so I apologize for this being a really short post.

I had a wonderful Christmas at home with family and friends....too short for sure, but so nice. I was happy to come back to warmth, but sadly it's been really chilly here. We started school on the 7th and i had 4 kids gone, but that night it got down to 5 C which is like 40 degrees F or so. Schools and places and homes dont have any heat.

So on Friday only 6 (of my 22) kids showed up for school!!! It was like a snow day kinda---just a cold day. I wore my coat, gloves, and scarf all day inside b/c my classroom was only 58 degrees....brrrrr!! So basically we just drew pictures, played some multiplication games, and hung out:)

Here are some pictures from home in Morton, IL with all the snow and then some of me cold in my room this weekend

Christmas fun

Christmas started early for me in Tampico...I started getting my class ready to celebrate right after Thanksgiving. We put on an assembly teaching others about Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa as well as dancing up a storm!!:) It was so fun and we had a great day of Christmas fun that Thursday. After school was out I had a few warm days before heading home to COLD Illinois. Running out of the airport in Chicago in flipflips when it's 30 degrees F is not recommended!!:) haha. After having out traditional family celebration with my sister and parents Christmas eve we spent Christmas day relaxing and then went to see The Blind Side--great feel good movie! I love those! The next morning we were on the road up to Iowa to see my mom's side of the family and then finished our traveling on Monday visiting my dad's side in Illinois.

I've got a new car that will be on it's way to Mexico (thanks to my grandparents) this week and hopefully I will be able to have it in Mexico sometime in January. And my parent's were great and part of my Christmas present was to install an IPOD hook up in my car:)

It's been a great holiday at home so far and I still have the rest of the week to go! I'm looking forward to the warmer weather awaiting me, but I've been enjoying the familiarity of home:)

Check out the pictures of Christmas fun at school and such below!:)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

hot and cold

Wow...this week has been crazy! It has gone from warm 70's and 80's to cold 50's and 60's! Without heat and a bunch of humidity that 55 degrees feels like 30! I spent most of my time wrapped up in my beach towel (i haven't bought a blanket yet--haha) or in my bed just to stay warm! And finding closed toe shoes to fit has been a challenge too----i guess i'll have to go shoe shopping over Christmas---shucks!;) haha

Thankfully today, Monday, it warmed up back to normal--82!:) yaya...and tomorrow is supposed to be even warmer. It's amazing how accustomed to this i have become--makes me really nervous for the cold and snow that will greet me upon my arrival to the Chicago Airport in less than 2 weeks. Yep...less than 2 weeks...like 12 days and I will be home!

My 2nd grade class is putting on an assembly for the holidays so we have been busy getting our lines memorized, learning to speak clearly into a "microphone" (really a highlighter right now), and a dance of course!:) They are doing great and it is so fun to dance together and see them be excited to perform and share their knowledge about Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and Christmas. Stay tuned for pictures and such of that fun event!:)