I Saw God Today

I know, I know...I have been a Blog procrastinator yet again! Have no fear...I had some inspiration today!!!

On my late drive to work today (LOVE snow days and two hour delays!), I heard the song, "I Saw God Today" by George Strait (click the link for the full song lyrics). It really got me thinking. While most of the song is about babies (which I do believe are gifts from God, of course!), the part that really struck me is as follows:

"I've been to Church,
I've read the good book.
I know He's here, but I don't look,
near as often as I should.
Yeah, I know I should.
His fingerprints are everywhere,
I just slowed down to stop and stare,
Opened my eyes and man I swear,
I saw God today."

I am fortunate to see God EVERYWHERE. Sure, I don't often stop to realize it, but He really is everywhere. I should be thankful for everything He touches and everything He has blessed me with. Here is how I saw God today (Friday, Jan. 30th, 2009):

*In the ice coated trees
*In the smiles of "my kids"
*In my friend that helped me clean off my ice-coated car for a few minutes before she left for home
*In the greeting of my dog
*In the sun I saw driving to and from work (boy, have I missed it!)
*In the "light bulb" moments of learning how to read
*In the kiss from my boyfriend as I arrived home
*In the 2-hour delay and the school day that FLEW by!

How did you see God today???

Anyhow...

You all know I love Alisa's blog "Project Happily Ever After." Well, she's having this contest and the prize is a Wii! She has a list of all these ways you can get points towards winning the Wii, and one way is to link your blog to hers. Well, you all know I have already done that, so that's an easy one for me! I'm not doing it for a Wii though...you really should check out her blog. She's a great writer. I know I've already gotten my "little" addicted! ;) I love her advice, and crack up while learning things in the meantime. Therefore, I can't pick just ONE of her blog entries to share as my "favorite." But check out her "I'm Thankful For..." entry, because I think we should all start our own gratitude projects!!! Happy Reading!!!

On that note...

I am grateful for...
1.) Seeing my kids today, even when I didn't really feel like leaving the house - I missed them!
2.) Free laundry courtesy of my boyfriend! Haha.
3.) Seeing God in everything and being grateful.

Advice for a Future Daughter

Okay, so I know this sounds totally corny, but hear me out...

As I write this, a third grade girl is sleeping in my guest room (AKA "Sadie's room"). She was a former student of mine that I have nannied over the summers, and she has been begging to have a slumber party at my apartment! So I agreed, and we did all the girly things...watched movies, popped popcorn, wore our PJ's, and chatted. It was fun - for her and for me! This got me thinking about the future and how much I would love to have a daughter someday. Technically I want one of each, but I feel like I would know "what to do" more with a girl than a boy. Hopefully my future hubby could handle all the "guy" things - sports, dirt, wrestling, farting/burping (haha), and all of that!

So as silly as this sounds, I have been thinking about some advice I would want to offer my daughter someday. Things I have learned along the way that I think would be beneficial for her. I share them with all of you because maybe some of these might be applicable to you as well! :)

Advice for my Daughter

*Think about what makes you happiest and pursue those; follow your passion.

*Never forget about your girlfriends. Boyfriends will come and go, but those girls will always be there for you. Even when you do settle down with a boy someday, you will need good girlfriends in your life!

*Live by yourself for at least a year. You will learn a lot, and it's not as scary as it seems!

*See if you can picture the guy you're dating as a good dad. Why? Because good dads are kind, giving, protective, patient, and compassionate - a lot of good qualities you'll want for your future kids and for yourself!

*Wait until you're engaged to move in with a guy. You know the whole, "Why buy the cow if you can get the milk for free?" thing? It's true (I would say 99% of the time...).

*When you do move in with a guy, expect the first year to be hard. It's an adjustment. He's a roommate, but probably a messier, less organized version than your female roommates were. But that's okay - ask for help, and be willing to compromise.

*You're never too old to sing and dance by yourself, in your car, or out in public. Have fun!!!

*Don't be in a rush to grow up. Things will happen for you when they are supposed to. (This is a hard one - I know!) Live in the moment and enjoy every second!

*Talk on the phone and have conversations that last for hours. I have learned a lot about my friends, family, and myself by doing so. (Be sure to remind me of this piece of advice when you are older and I am upset about the phone bill! Tell me to buy you the unlimited plan.)

*Learn how to cook. I never did, and I wish I would have.

*Go to college and be sure to live in the dorms. You will meet some of your best friends there. By the way - college is not a place to meet your husband, but where you will meet many of your bridesmaids!

*Keep in touch with at least one or two friends from each stage of life (grade school, high school, college, career). These people will help tell your life story, and great friendships never fade!

*Be sure to say "I love you," "I'm sorry," and "Thank you" on a regular basis.

*Take lots of pictures. You will want them to look back on!

*When you are sad, frustrated, or upset - cry! There is nothing wrong with it, and it makes you feel a whole lot better!

*Don't get caught up in petty fights. Let the little things roll off your back. However, if an important issue comes along, stand your ground. Voice your opinion in a strong yet calm manner.

*Help others. Hold the door for people. Smile and say "hello" to the people you pass. If someone asks for help, say "yes." It is better to do good than to do nothing.

*Before you have a baby, get a dog. You will learn the amount of patience, love, and work that is needed to care for something that seems "cute." You will also learn how to put something else and its needs ahead of your own.

*Put 10% of your paycheck into a savings account. Try not to touch it, but I understand that sometimes you need a little extra cash. If you take some out, put it back in when you can.

*Invest in a 401K or some other retirement savings program. You will not notice the amount out of your paycheck each month, but it will add up. And since you can't take it out, you won't be tempted to touch it! :)

*Even when you're married, keep some things solely in your name (a credit card, bank account, etc.). You will need this to keep your credit score on the high side. Even though you'll want your marriage to last forever (and I'll want it to last forever, too!), sometimes things happen and you'll need good credit to move on financially.

*Try everything you are exposed to once. If you don't like it, don't do it ever again. But you'll often regret the things you didn't do more than the things that you did.

*Be spiritual. This is not the same thing as being religious. Try out different places of worship if you want to. Believe in a higher power and understand that your life has meaning. You are on this Earth for a very important reason.

*Decorate your room, apartment, home (wherever you are living!) with pictures of those you love and those that love you. Surround yourself with good people.

*Never be afraid to love. Yes, there is a chance you'll get hurt, but love anyway. If you do get hurt (which you probably will), know that you'll be okay.

*Know that your mom wanted you and loved you long before you ever existed. :)

I am grateful for...
1.)My own mother, because she is a great one!
2.)My little "slumber party" tonight.
3.)My boyfriend - he is amazing and I am lucky to have him in my life! :)

Happy New Year!

Sorry for the lack of posts...you would think that I would have countless amounts of hours to sit and write over break, but I haven't! I have really enjoyed the lunches/dinners with family and friends, shopping, holiday festivities, sleeping in, and fun outings that this break has included! I won't go into all the details, but just know that it has been very busy and a lot of fun!

Speaking of which, 2008 seemed to fly by in the blink of an eye! I think about all that has changed in my life this past year. A new place to live, a new guy to love, some new friends to spend time with, and quite the different social life! While there have been many ups and downs this past year, I am so happy with how things have turned out. I have no ill will toward anyone, I am surrounded by kind and loving people, and I have learned so much about myself and the wonderful life I am living. What more could I ask for?!?!

I know I should probably come up with a New Year's Resolution or two, but there isn't a whole lot I would change about my life. However, I have come to learn that one can ALWAYS better oneself. So here is a "Top Ten" list of things I hope to do or continue doing in 2009:

1.) Make sure the people I love know that I love them. Life is way too short, and tomorrow is not guaranteed. In my opinion, you can never hear or say "I love you" too much!
2.) Make time for friends by organizing more get-togethers. This will include girls' nights, couples' dinners/get-togethers, and other fun activities (I will be brainstorming!).
3.) Dedicate one day a week to stay after school to catch up on planning, grading, and the like. Why do I feel like I have gotten so far behind all of a sudden?!?!
4.) Continue being grateful for all that I have been blessed with, and taking time each day to reflect on my gratitude.
5.) Do one thing alone a month - shopping, bookstore, movie, SOMETHING!
6.) Try to savor the last 6 months I have with my students instead of eagerly awaiting the summer months. Summer will come soon enough, and I need to realize that once my students leave in June, I will more than likely not see most of them again. :(
7.) Live in the present. I need to stop looking forward to the future and trying to plan my life out the way I think it should be. I should be happy with where I am in this present moment.
8.) Work out more. Boy, have I gotten bad about going to the gym! I need to go AT LEAST once a week. More would be great, but once a week compared to never is a start! Haha.
9.) Cut down on my soda intake! Yes, I don't drink coffee, and Coke is my "wake up" in the morning so that I can handle a room of six and seven-year-olds. But I need to cut it down to one or two sodas a day instead of what I currently drink!
10.) Put myself first. This sounds easy, but it is not for me. While I should take other people's needs and wants into consideration, I need to remember that I will never be happy if I always put other people's needs before my own. I saw on Oprah or Dr. Phil or something a comparison between this and what they tell you on the airplane - "Put your oxygen mask on yourself before anyone else, because if not, you may not be able to help others." (Or something along those lines!)

I hope everyone takes some time to sit down and think about New Years Resolutions for 2009. I know it can sometimes sound a little corny, but what a great opportunity to look at your life and pick a few areas to improve upon!

Check out Alisa's blog about her marital resolutions for 2009: http://www.projecthappilyeverafter.com/2008/12/new-year-new-marriage-12-marital-resolutions-worth-keeping/.
I know I am not married, and some of you reading this probably aren't married either. However, she makes a lot of good points as to what we can all work on in our relationships, whether married or not. My personal favorites are numbers 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 11. But that is just me - you may have your own favorites! ;)

Cheers to a fabulous New Year!!! 2009 will be DEVINE!!!