A 15 Hour Semester is Going Well...

So far that is. I enjoy all of my classes, but I don't really like being at school from 7:30 am until 8 pm. on Monday's and from 7:30 am until 6 pm on Wednesday's. I come home and want to climb into bed even if the clock says 9pm. My Friday class meets every other week with online work to do on the off week. I really like the mix of online and in class time.

This has been an odd semester when considering the weather. So far, the school has closed twice because of snow and ice. I don't mind driving in snow, and will even drive with the ice. However, it's all of the other drivers who are on the road that I do mind. I've seen some really stupid, albeit potentially redeemable people, out driving at top speeds when there is black-ice on the roads. The biggest obstacle is the bridge over the lake; when it's covered with ice, it's dangerous. I'm just glad that the school did cancel on the days I didn't want to take a risk and drive over that bridge. Fortunately, none of my classes are too intense to miss a few days and still stay on top of the schedule.

Okay, so classes are going really well...maybe too well. Anyway, doesn't it always seem that when things go really well in one area, something goes wrong in another? Last Friday, I woke up at 3 a.m. in severe pain that got worst as the hour ticked by. Mike woke up when he realized that I was sitting up and groaning and asked me what was wrong. The pain was so intense at the point that I told him to take me to the emergency room, now! The triage nurse treated me as if I were having a heartattack and the Doctor had me hooked up to all kinds of wires and machines. Two and a half hours, four sticks, an chest X-ray, EKG, and green yucky stuff to drink later, the Doctor came in with some results. The great news...my heart is very healthy! The not so good news, my liver enzymes are elevated. I followed up with my own doctor and the lab results showed the same elevations, so I have an appointment to get an ultrasound on my liver. I have no other symptoms to indicate any health issues, but the liver enzymes could mean something serious or something as simple as a remnant gall stone that got left behind from my 2002 gall-bladder removal. I have trusted God to take care of my whole life and I don't plan to stop trusting Him now. I'll update as I get results. Please keep my in your prayers.

Taking 15 hours isn't as bad as I thought it would be, but the work load can be overwhelming at times. There is a lot of homework and group projects to work on outside of the school hours. However, I look forward to keeping my grandchildren on Fridays evenings (William gets to stay until 10 pm and Kayleigh spends the night). Sometimes, I have to be forced to take a break from school work and grandkids are a wonderful break to take. I'd post some pictures, but it seems that blogger isn't working for posting pictures. I'll have to find another way to post them.

Okay, my break is over and I need to hit the books again.

Spring Semester 2007 Begins

Today is my last day of free/me time. No more playing, reading for fun, watching HGTV, and no more time-intensive home projects inspired by watching HGTV. Tomorrow I begin my first semester working on content for my degree. I’m looking forward to the classes I’ll be taking this semester, but I’m not looking forward to the long days of classes. I keep reminding myself that I only have two more years before I graduate again. I know I can do 15 hours this semester, but I really won’t know what it’s like until I have my routine down with every t crossed and every i dotted.

I did get a lot accomplished while I’ve been off. As I mentioned, we work out at the gym five days a week and twice a month with a trainer. I’m going this morning to work with the trainer, but I’m going to remind him/her that I need to function without being too sore to move for my first day of school. In one month, I have lost about 3 pounds, but I think I’m more toned and have lost some inches. I haven’t taken my measurements, but my clothes are looser.

My kitchen is finished—for now. I textured the walls and painted, re-framed my artwork, and organized everything in the kitchen and utility room. I think it looks bigger and brighter in the kitchen now. The next stage will be granite counters, and then paint and glaze the cabinets, but that will have to wait until after I graduate. I found dark blue granite that will go perfectly with my floors, but it isn’t cheap.

Mike and I went to Louisiana for the weekend and took Justin and his family with us to visit Jason and his family. Traveling in a motorhome makes it much easier when you have kids. Kayleigh sat at the dinette and played, read books, and napped. William is such an easy baby; he slept most of the time going to and coming back. Being able to stop in a parking lot to eat lunch or dinner is especially nice, and it allowed Kayleigh some time to get up and move around, as a two-year-old needs to do. I like having my own bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen. Mike played with the big boys (Jason and Justin) while I played with the grandkids. Overall, it was an enjoyable weekend of getting away before I return to school.

Just finished my workout; I did back and biceps and it feels good. After lunch and a shower, I plan to spend the rest of today reading the first two chapters for each class, as I typically do. I’m also going to catch up with talking to my friends who I don’t get to talk to very often when I’m in classes all day.

I expect this semester to be busy, but I also expect that I will enjoy my classes. I do feel this is the year for great and mighty experiences, greater than what we usually ask for. Expect with me all that God has planned for this new year.

Another Year Almost Complete

It’s hard to believe this year is almost over. I’m sure that my busy school schedule helps to make it feel that time has gone by quicker than usual. However, there is a difference between time flying by and getting little or nothing accomplished, and time flying by, but getting a lot accomplished. This is one of those years where I can say that a lot has been accomplished.

Academic:
I finished my Associates degree with Summa Cum Laude honors, and five hours came from TWU transferred hours. My transfer to TWU went smoother than I expected especially the drive and parking issues. I felt at home in each class, after my first three weeks. My personality requires organization to function well, and I do whatever it takes to create it where ever I am. My English minor is finished and I begin working on my content in January.

Personal:
Mike and I joined the local health and fitness center. I signed up to work with a trainer twice a month. I really don’t like working out in a gym; however, my schedule for the spring semester is going to make it difficult to walk everyday and I hate walking when it’s dark (before or after classes). We don’t have room or the equipment to get a good weight-lifting workout, and I love to lift weights. It is easy to build muscle and with more muscle, it is easier to keep my weight under control. I don’t want to look like the typical teacher when I start teaching with the rear-end spread. Unfortunately, sitting for many hours at school and then again at home creates weight issues and lost of muscle-tone. I’m going to the gym 5-6 days while I’m home from school. Hopefully, this will give me a jumpstart on my fitness routine. It’ll also help me lose a few pounds and gain some muscles before I head back to classes. I’ll need the muscles, and the strength that goes with them, just to carry all of my books for the semester.

I followed through on an ethical dilemma that was brought to my attention during my education course. After talking a local police officer, I found out that I wouldn’t have to do anything else. The officer filled out a report, asked me a lot of questions and said she would get back with me after she talked to her supervisor. When I hung up, it felt like a ton of bricks were lifted off my shoulders. The situation deals with the abuse I was exposed to as a child. It has taken me 18 months of counseling, almost 3 years of college, and time to get to this place in my life. I have no desire to press charges and certainly don’t want my perpetrators prosecuted; however, reporting the abuse to someone in authority left me feeling empowered.

Spiritual:
My personal growth goes hand-in-hand with my spiritual growth. I understand that God equips the called, but even then, He desires for us to rely on Him. During my first 2 years at community college, I relied on Him for everything. My emotional state was still fragile from the post traumatic experience I suffered during the summer of 2003. Going to college after graduating from high school 25 years earlier was difficult. I didn’t know if I was smart enough, but God reminded me of everything I had accomplished up to the point, and He wasn’t finished with me yet. He made sure that I had teachers that would see my potential and encourage me to do more than status quo, but they did it without pushing me over the edge. With each course finished at the top of the class, my confidence grew. By the middle of my first semester, I understood that God had called me to the mission fields, and my mission field at this time is college. There are many advantages to being a “non-traditional” student: I can minister to students, professors, and the staff members I come in contact with. By my second semester, I was tutoring students from all walks of life. I especially enjoy working with students from other countries. I began to really understand how God has prepared me my whole life to enter into the world of teaching. As each semester goes by, I am encouraged as I understand my part of the picture scheme of things. I have the title to the first book I want to write and the content of what will be in this book. I know that it will include my testimony of where I have come from to where I am now, but I want the book to be inspirational. I want to say to others that they can overcome anything when they choose to do so and allow God to rule in their lives.

With this year coming to an end, I'm looking forward to the new year and all that God has planned for me and my family. Join me as I continue my journey.

Graduation 2006!

Tomorrow I graduate and receive my Associates of Arts degree. As of this posting, I do not know with certainty if my transferred hours are all A’s. One grade is posted and it’s an A; however, I will not know until next week if the others are A’s. I finished my Shakespeare test on Monday and feel confident that I made an A. I finished my Advanced Grammar and Composition test this afternoon. This class has caused me the most stress, but I have also learned a lot from my professor. I’m not sure what my final grade will be for my grammar class. There is a chance that I could pull a low A, but then there is a possibility that I will make a high B. Whatever it is, I know that I have learned and that I have done my best.

When I began my education journey, I had no idea that I would be able to achieve such high honors. However, as every semester finished with all A’s I began to work toward the highest honor of Summa Cum Laude. Initially, my intention to achieve this goal was to prove that I am worth something, contrary to what I grew up hearing. This journey has been long, but along the way, I have discovered who I am and what I can do. My strength to carry on comes from the Lord; my courage to stand fast comes from knowing Him; my hope comes from knowing His Word and understanding that He has a plan for my life. What began as an opportunity to break away from the bondage that my parents created with their words and actions, has now turned into a quest to be all that God has designed me to be with out chains to weigh me down.

I walk tomorrow and will receive my diploma knowing that the last link of bondage from my past has been broken. I walk tomorrow, free to pursue the dream God has placed in my spirit. I walk tomorrow with a new confidence as a woman of God gifted with intelligence and abilities. When I take those steps down the aisle, I will be taking with me the encouragement and support of many professors, friends, and especially my
husband.

Post Graduation: 12-15-2006

Graduation was good; I'm glad I decided to walk. I did get recognized as Summa Cum Laude (4.0 GPA), and with that I received a gold medal (hanging around my neck). There were only five students who made Summa Cum Laude and I shared a few classes with two of them. All three of us are non-traditional students, which probably makes a significant difference in our desire to do well in our studies. We are there to learn and are willing to do whatever it takes to get the most from our education.

My father-in-law came with us to watch the ceremony, and afterward, he said he was glad he went. He took one of the programs to have something to show-off at his retirement center. He's going to brag about my honors recognition. ;-) The next goal he is looking forward to is watching me walk to receive my B.S. degree in two years.

Mike said he got misty-eyed when I first walked into the auditorium. I think it's because he really knows what it took for me to take the first step and return to school. My next two years will be intensive as I focus on my content for my teaching. I'm looking forward to beginning this next leg of my journey. Last week, I checked the local school district's job postings and saw one for Family and Consumer Sciences. If last night's ceremony were for my B.S., I might have gotten a job exactly where I want to be. I have two more years and will trust God for providing me with a position.

Here is a photo of my cap and gold tassle with a Phi Thetta Kappa charm. The gold stole, and blue and gold cords are for PTK members. The red, white, and blue ribbon with the gold medal is for Summa Cum Laude. Mike wants me to mount my medal in a shadow box; I'll have to think about it later. The blue folder is for my diploma...there's a note inside that says the real diploma will come in two weeks.

One more graduation accomplised and at least one more to go before I am finished with this part of my journey.

Registered for Spring

I woke up at 2:30 this morning wondering if I should get out of my warm bed to log online and register for my classes…I didn’t. Kayleigh is great about sharing everything, including her colds, and I started feeling yucky Wednesday evening. Needless to say, I just didn’t feel well enough to get out of bed; and consequently, I couldn’t fall back to sleep. I kept thinking about the classes I wanted and was worried I wouldn’t get the ones that are on a rotation. When I finally got up and logged on just before 6am, the system was having problems and I couldn’t get in to register. I made dozens of attempts without any success. However, I could monitor the class availability and noticed the one class on spring rotations was no longer open. The combination of not feeling well and not getting to register before the class filled pushed me over the edge and I finally broke down and cried. By the time the system was fixed and I got in, it was 4 pm. Thankfully, I had already worked out a tentative class schedule for the duration of my time at the University. This allowed me to swap the classes on spring rotations. So, I switched one class for the spring of ’08 with the one class I wanted for this next spring. It’ll probably all work out to be in my best interest. I have to look at this incident as a reminder that I can’t always be in control. I have to place my trust in the fact that God is the one in control of my life, and then I must trust Him to work everything for good.

The spring semester will be busier than I am accustomed to since I will be taking 15 hours. On Monday’s, I will be in classes from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m., and I am not looking forward to having such a long day. The Monday evening class only meets once a week and my Friday class only meets eight times during the semester. I’ll have a sewing and a cooking with a lab class that should be easy for me to breeze through. I do have three reading-intensive classes, but with my other classes, I should find a balance. With all of my classes on M-W-F, I will have Tuesday and Thursday each week to focus on homework assignments. I hope that I will be able to have the weekend’s to recuperate before I hit the door running every Monday.

Despite the frustration of registering today, I did manage to get some baking done for Thanksgiving. I made orange-cranberry sauce, an apple pie, cranberry-date bars, and doubled eggs (Justin renamed deviled eggs when he was 3), but the dressing will have to wait until tomorrow morning. While I am in school, I have happily relinquished hosting Thanksgiving dinner to who ever volunteers. Since Justin and Michelle bought a bigger house with two eating areas, they are hosting Thanksgiving this year. :-)

I am thankful for so much: God has blessed me with many abilities and I am thankful for family and friends who continue to support my academic endeavors.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!