Yes, it's true.  I am back to the blogland!  The past week I've been busy hosting Joel's family, so today's Friday Five will be mostly comprised of time spent with the in-laws.

1.  Well...I did it!  I officially graduated with my master's degree.  I have been hooded and everything.  I am so thankful to be down with that journey, and can hopefully actually use this degree someday, vice my B.S., which was fun and rewarding to get, but has been basically worthless so far.

2.  We basically took the in-laws on an "our favorite food tour" of St. Louis.  Pretty sure I gained a pound or two.  Wasn't I trying to lose weight this spring???

Bogart's BBQ (3rd rated in the country!)

Budweiser Brewery

Fitz's

Mango Peruvian Cuisine

3.  We also started a birthday cake tour!  St. Louis recently celebrated their 250th birthday, so they placed 250 "cakes" around town to celebrate.  Here are a few examples.  Can you guess where they are from?

4.  We went to our first Cardinals game of the year.  For some reason, Joel and I have only seen them play the Cubs together.  Funny coincidence, huh?  This time they won though, and despite the crappy, cold weather...we had some great seats!

5.  Non family related...tonight is the Rascal Flatts concert, and since it's an outdoor theater, we may have to take a blanket.  It's supposed to be in the forties tonight.  What's up with that, May?  Get your act together, stat!

My 2013 in One Picture

Link up here!

Well, it's NYE.  I can't say that I am sad to see it go.  Did I have some great moments?  Absolutely.  I fulfilled my dream of going to the Galapagos Islands in March, I celebrated my 29th Birthday in NYC, had frequent trips to Chicago (my favorite American city), spent time with the in-laws in Portland, OR, and finished my Master's Degree.

But this year challenged me.  I was so busy with school, I forgot about so much else.  I wasn't very good at cultivating the friendships I had made, and subsequently lost a few amazing friends this year (well, we are still friends, but it's not the same).  All that hard work I did in 2012 to lose a bunch of weight went into the trash in 2013.  I gained all of it back.  All of it.  I also had my dreams dashed of going back to Germany to live, and instead am heading to Korea, which is full of unknowns.  I have to sell my first home soon, one that I love and put a lot of sweat and tears into, my car, which is a ton of fun, and my friends, who have made this duty station so memorable.

But, as this year comes to an end, I am going to try and focus on the good that has come, and the good that will come.  Moving to Korea means that there is little change that Joel will not deploy for two whole years!  He's had three deployments and a short tour already, so this is huge.  I am moving to a foreign country, which will cure much of my wanderlust that I've been without.  And hey...I graduated!  No more school (hopefully) for a little while, and prayers that I can use this new found degree when I move abroad.


So my picture of 2013 will be a happy one, highlighting my biggest accomplishment.  And here's to an eve better 2014, where I hope to get back on track and not sweat the small stuff.

Weekend Update

This weekend was actually a pretty low-key weekend.  Friday officially marked my last day of student teaching.  The most ironic thing happened, and we ended up with a snow day that day and I didn't go in.  I don't understand that call, as there was very little snow and the roads were all clear in the morning.  But, it was nice to get to stay home.  I'm sad, though, that I didn't get to say good-bye to my kiddos!  I'll have to go in one day to see them.  A couple of them let it slip that they made me something, and I know it'll break their hearts if I don't go and pick it up.  But, either way, I am done.  And come 2 January, I will be a fully certified Special Education Teacher.  Hopefully that will help me find employment in Korea.

Saturday was doggy training with the boys.  Since we are probably going to be in an apartment in Korea, some of their behaviors at home won't be as welcomed by our new wall neighbors, so we are trying to work on bringing those behaviors down a notch.  Gomez is the smartest thing ever, but man...he is such a squeaker!  So odd!  And Pugsley just mimics him, so we are trying to quiet our cute little stinkers.

Saturday evening we volunteered to work at a charity event for the Pujols Family Foundation.  I didn't get any pictures of us all dolled up, but it was a wonderful event.  We ended up leaving before it was over because we were just so darn tired and they had a surplus of volunteers.  They always put on such a spectacular evening, and I am still so humbled by their mission.

 

Sunday was a day for errands and football.  And what a crazy Sunday for football it was!  Happy that my Dolphins have a winning record again, and praying that we will be able to make it into the Playoffs this year.  It's been a long, sad time since they've been playoff contenders.   So far, we are only one game back.  Also, you know what I didn't do Sunday?  Any schoolwork of any kind.  Say wha?  I still don't know how I am going to fill my time.  I'm sure I'll find something.  Maybe I should make a goal list for 2014 to help me out.  And, for sure, the gym will be on it.  This year has not been kind to my waistline...

My Week: A Recap

Joel successfully made it to his final destination, and the deployment has officially began.  Luckily, the good people at United Airlines allowed me a gate pass to send him off.  Everything was going fine, and it seemed fitting our last "meal" together before he left was coffee at Starbucks.  Somehow, Starbucks always seems to wiggle its way into my milestones.  Everything went well until they called for his plane to board.  I'm not going to lie: I cried the ugly cry.  You know that cry, the one that leaves you making noises that don't sound human and makes your face all puffy?  Yeah, that was me at the airport.  Luckily it was pretty apparent what was going on, and no one gave me too weird of a look.  Things have gone better since then.  Joel leaves quite often to go TDY (meaning on temporary duty), so a few days seem like normal.  I think reality will hit in about a month, or when I have to mow the grass.  Whichever comes first.

St. Louis has had some crazy weather lately.  Or at least I think it has.  I remember Februaries in Indiana being bitterly cold and usually pretty snowy.  This week it was in the sixties and I walked the dogs without a jacket on.  And then there's been the tornadoes.  Those are not so fun when you sleep alone.  The sirens go off, they make the dogs bark, I wake up.  Then wash, rinse, and repeat.  While I grew up with tornadoes (my mom's house has had damage twice), it is a little different now that I own my own home and am all alone.  I walked around, and luckily there was no damage of any kind.  Let's hope those occurrences stay to a minimum.

I had another day of observations.  I swear, I love those kids already.  Each time I go to my class, I realize that kids with special needs are just kids.  They just want to be loved and believed in like any other kid.  In one of my special ed classes, we watched a documentary called "Without Pity" which basically said that these kids get enough pity.  And I think it reigns true.  These kids are teaching me not to pity them, but to love and teach them.  It only reinforces my desire to learn all I can and to love what I do.  And every time I get a spontaneous hug from one of them, which happens at least once every time, I just smile.  Things like that completely reinforce my feelings of this is what I am meant to do.  To not only love what I do, but to make a difference.  I feel very blessed because I have the opportunity to go back to school and change careers.  Sure, I hate the papers I have to write and the long evening classes, but all of it is to teach me how to be better for them.  God is good, but sometimes he is extra great.

Hodgepodge...

This has been a super busy time for me.  I never thought, being without a job, that I would say that, but here I am!  We went to Branson, I finished my first Master's class (with an A, no less!), I completed the Illinois Basic Skills test (still awaiting results), and I finished the whirlwind experience of completing a sub packet for my county.  Whew!  I'm not sure how much of a breather I am going to have, because I am still in my other class and will be starting a new one next week.  I am also looking for a chance to volunteer somewhere, and still take care of my pups and hubby.  Oh, and did I mention that I was still looking for a job?

Also, I am finally starting to get into the 2012 presidential race.  I love politics, but have yet to side with a candidate yet.  So, I decided to watch my first GOP debate of the season.  I know I am a moderate, but the GOP debate last night made me sad for humanity. Cut all federal aid? Don't cut a penny from the defense budget? All federal employees are rich and 10% need to lose their jobs? Uhh...I'm not rich and I am still awaiting a placement. And really, enough with the freaking fence already. Worked awesome in Berlin and Israel/Palestine, right? Oh, wait...  Ok, enough with my view...for now, lol.  I will hopefully keep up with the race and have a more well-rounded opinion.  I just need for them to get better and more in touch with reality.  That goes with Obama, too.  I'm not exactly excited about him, either.

Lots O' Changes!

Sorry I haven't been around very much, but there have been lots of changes around here!  The big news is...I got into grad school!  I registered Monday, which was pretty surreal, and am taking three classes and doing a field observation.  Wowness!  I also got a part time job working from home which is super convenient, but also a downer because I will have to work Sundays.  It starts next week, so we'll see how that goes.  And the last bit of news, sadly, is that Joel was tasked for a deployment.  We knew it was coming, but it doesn't make it any easier.  I'll write more as it approaches, but right now I am letting things sink in.

We are learning our new area and I can successfully make it to the Petsmart, Starbucks, and the gym without the aid of the GPS.  Oh, and if I didn't mention it before, we got our household goods from Germany!  So, once again I am living amongst the boxes.  I promise I will do my best shortly to be a better blogger, and I will expand on all topics mentioned in this blog.  Thanks for sticking in there with me :)