Wonderful Surprises!

I have had a wonderful birthday - full of sweet surprises and birthday wishes. My friends, Julie and Michelle, found the 2 most perfect cards to give to me! I have a small garden full of beautiful yellow roses (thanks to the rents and Tanner family).

In case you were wondering! The change happened! My hair is short and blonde. Not super blonde - but it has had its first round of highlighting to get there. Yea! I love it!

I had a perfect day!

Yearn

What Do I Yearn For?

Yearn: to have an earnest or strong desire for; long to

I yearn for the semester to be finished, to be finished with school, for ice cream, family, sleep. This is not good enough. My heartbeat has to be yearning for something more than a weekend break. That should not be the focus of my day or the prize I look for. I pray that my heart will year for the things of Christ. I pray that I will yearn to feed the hungry. I pray that I will yearn to clothe the naked. I pray that I will yearn to give water to the thirsty. I pray that I will yearn to show the love of Christ to others. This should be my only desire. This should be the center of my focus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzKCp2tLqUo

Sandwiches

I am by far one of the pickiest eaters in the world. The list of things I will not eat is endless. I do blame my family for this. They always catered to the things I would and would not eat. My grandmother would even buy a specific brand and kind of green beans just for me. She tried once to fool me, but I was quick. I caught her in the act. As I have gotten older I have tried new things and the list has gotten shorter (by new things I mean hamburgers not sushi).

Today at work we ordered food from Jason's Deli, which is common when we have meetings. I love sandwiches, but only from restaurants not from my house. (A little aside - I will only eat lasagne from my house not frozen or from restaurants - I told you I am crazy.) Back to the topic. A typical sandwich for me to order is the Club Sandwich. I love the Club Sandwich. I look forward to its arrival and savor every bite....after I remake the sandwich myself.

When my club sandwich arrives I take it apart. I remove all ham on the sandwich and sometimes even the middle piece of bread. You say "Kristin, that is a turkey sandwich". Yes it is. I eat my turkey sandwiches in the disguise of a club sandwich.

Sometimes I think this is a great analogy of my life. Don't get me wrong - I don't have this crazy alter life, but I don't always feel like people really know who I am. People at work and church know me as Kristin, Director of Preschool Ministries. They know me as the loud, outgoing girl who loves kids. They think this is me. In a way that is me - just like in a way the sandwich is still a club sandwich - but the real me loves to be alone, loves to be in the back and out of the center of anyone's attention. I don't like to be in charge of anything and frankly sometimes I just don't want to talk to people. This is the "turkey part" of the Club sandwich.

We can say my sandwich is like a turkey sandwich, but essentially it remains a Club. That is what people call it. That is what I ordered. That is what I paid for. If someone asks me "What did you have for lunch?" I reply, "A Club sandwhich." The person that loves kids and engages in conversations with mothers and fathers is the Club sandwhich part of my life. The part of me that essentially is "who I am".

Weird - I know.

Semester Finals

Semester finals have always been an interesting thing to me. I am not that great at school work or especially diligence, so they have often been a "make or break" for many grades (mainly math and science). This semester is not different than others - the end of the semester has arrived and I am frantically spending hour after hour trying to complete work that I have known about for 15 weeks.

This semester I took 2 classes: Creative Activities for Young Children and Statistics. I started the semester with a lot of prior experiences in creative activities and absolutely no understanding of what statistics is even about. As I reach the end of the semester - I can say the same is still true. I can come up with a creative activity, but I still couldn't even begin to tell you what a one-tailed test is or whatever that stat stuff is about.

The irony of it all.

I loved my creative activities class. There was a lot of busy work (which is never fun), but I learned a great deal about teaching. I learned lots of new strategies, techniques and ideas. I spent a great deal of time in a classroom this semester trying out all my newly learned tricks and teaching precious little Kindergarteners (and I loved every second of it). I just completed my final project for the creative activities class, which showed none of the things I learned. I completed every portion on the rubric and the final result (although good) shows no evidence of that which I learned this semester.

My statistics class - I took it online. That is the funniest thing I have ever done in my life. I made a "B" last summer in my technology class, so a 4.0 was no longer an option. This meant I really didn't care about anything, but passing the class. I have managed to take 15 quizzes and I have yet to learn 1 thing about statistics. I did however manage to figure out how to use the SPSS computer program to compute stats for me. I completed my statistics final project this weekend and received a perfect score.

Education is a subjectively interesting experience!

I haven't taken my final stats test and I am sure that will be a different story grade wise, but this is still an ironic ending to a long semester. I have unti May 10 to complete my final test. More on that later. (FYI - the hair is still being deliberated on - any suggestions are welcome.)

Expectations

We create expectations for other people. Sometimes these expectations are unspoken and sometimes we talk extensively about what we expect to happen or how we expect people to act. I go back and forth with people. Sometimes I believe in the good of people and the value of relationships and other times I become cynical and place little trust in what others will do for me. (I think this is a result of the awkward way I view friendship.)

This past weekend I experienced great disappointment in the let down of expectations I placed on others. With this on top of the current stress I am feeling with finals my bitterness meter was steadily going up today. Is it time to let them go? Is it time to release any need for expectations?

I had some good time in prayer and worship and began to wonder what it must have felt like on the cross. If I get this let down and downhearted about people hurting me over little things in relationships how painful it must have been to experience the ultimate let down from people created by you. How hurt God's heart must be everytime I neglect to uphold what it is expected of me as a child of God?

I must admit - I am still holding on to a glimpse of bitterness, but it made me think. I pray that I will release this bitterness and forgive with a grace that has been shown to me many times over.

Mary Kate and Ashley

This is not a normal camping experience. It is more like a Mary Kate and Ashley movie or Parent Trap. The camp "peeps" have a weekend full of fun activities planned for the families.

Attractions:
Petting Zoo
Water Park
Swimming Pool
Hay Ride/Sing Along
Outdoor Movie Theater
Karaoke
Lazer Tag
Meet and Greets with Yogi and Gang
Hiking Trails
and more

Overall it has been a good trip. I haven't finished as much homework as I needed to. I would have time tonight, but I am afraid the rain storms are headed this way. I will keep work as long as I can. Tomorrow will be a busy day - Praise Kids Concert Rehearsal, Stat Quiz due, Journal due. The key word for tomorrow will be "Focus".

On a Night Like This (I probably won't fall in love)

I was incredibly bummed out that I was missing the Dave Barnes concert tonight,

but life is still good.

I spent the morning running around like a chicken with my head cut off (tales from the farm) getting ready to leave for the weekend. My mind was very preoccupied with everything that needed to get done. I am in the middle of finals(yuck), but most of all I wanted to see good 'ol Dave play tonight (and I am so close).

I left Clear Lake around 4:00 and headed this way. I forgot the directions, so I called Julie and had her give me directions over the phone. I made it to Conroe and stopped at my favorite pit stop, buc-ees. I then routed myself through Hempsted to an interesting, to say the least, Brookshire Brothers to get an extension cord. The only way I can make it camping through this weekend is to have computer access. I have a paper, 25 journal articles and stat quiz due by midnight Sunday. I also have a big project due on Tuesday.

I pulled in to Yogi Bear park around 6:00 - the rain had started and my attitude had gone down the drain. So far things have been fun though. A very different camping experience than usual. I hung out with the families for a little bit and then went to watch Narnia at the outdoor theater. It got too cold and I was too tired to finish the movie. I am now sitting in my tiny 1 person tent. I am playing on the internet and listening to my ipod. What has the world come to? Technology has amazed me again tonight.

I must sign off and complete at least 1 assignment before I take my Tylenol PM and go nite-nite.

Cartoons with Yogi at 9:00 am - good times!

Let the Camping Begin

I am waiting on the dryer to finish and then I am headed to gather the last minute items (food from Sams) for the camping trip. I have wanted to visit Camp Jellystone for so long! I can't wait.

I am certain there will be many stories upon my return!

Happy Birthday Yogi!

Technology

Today I received a "friend request" on facebook from a guy named Brian Wood. He sent me a message that said "us Wood people should stick together". I had no clue who he was or how in the world he found me. It turns out that he is my roommate's boyfriend's old roommate (wow - if I got all of those contractions right then I am impressed).

Anyway - tonight we talked on fb chat for almost an hour. Random. Talked about life, family, friends. I made a new friend on fb tonight. Technology is amazing.

Oh - and the entire time I have been sitting here the creepy television has been turning on and off by itself. I watch way too many cop shows for that - someone is trying to kill me through the television - I am sure of it. :)

I had a great time tonight - yummy Italian food and good television -with a great man (Robert)! What more could a girl ask for?

Different Life Stages

I was born (almost 26 years ago - yikes) with beautiful blonde hair. I wore my hair long and straight. There were a few times as a young child my hair suddenly become curly after being permed, but basically never really any major difference in my hairstyle.

When I started 8th grade my hair soon began changing colors from beautiful blonde to blah brown hair. The solution - obvious - that is the moment when I first began getting my hair highlighted. After all - blondes do have more fun.

There were a few times here and there that I cut my hair or made a small change, but for the most part my hair remained long, straight and blonde for 23 years.

When I moved to Houston things changed - I became adventurous with my hair-dos. For the past 3 years I have made pretty major changes to my hair at least three times a year. I think it is funny that people here are not surprised at all when my hair is different. They almost expect it. When I see people from other stages in my life they are surprised if my hair is not long, straight and blonde.

I write this because I just spent 10 minutes looking at my hair - trying to decide what to do next. Do I fall under the pressure to change it or do I just not care and leave it alone. I must admit that I do agree - it is a very boring hairstyle for the time being.

To be continued - decisions made by next Thursday!

Facebook Therapy

Today I was playing on facebook and found a quiz "Which Personality Disorder Do You Have?". I decided to take the quiz, of course. I openly admit I am crazy and my co-workers refer to my many personalities frequently. I didn't exactly know what to expect, but the answer was not at all what I anticipated.

You see - I have the strangest job to accompany my incredibly awkward personality. I am not a people person at all - I love being alone and could spend weeks at a time with very little interaction with people (at least face-to-face....I might need a facebook status check), but my job requires me to spend a lot of time with people. This is why my friends say I have "multiple personality disorder". The change in me between Sunday at 12:30 and Sunday at 1:15 is very different. I usually don't talk to anyone on Sunday afternoons, because my people limit is maxed out.

Keeping that in mind - Facebook diagnosed me as "Dependent":
You have Dependent Personality Disorder. You can't bear the thought of being left alone by the person closest to you. You are often described as "clingy", and that you are; you go everywhere your significant other goes, even if you don't want to go where s/he's going. You often manipulate your significant other into doing things for you by playing a helpless victim role. Your greatest fear is having to live on your own with no one to take care of you.

It made me laugh - yes - I am "clingy" at certain times with certain people, but I don't know anyone who would use that as a day to day descriptor of my personality.

So I determined 2 things from my facebook experience today:
1) I should not base my perscription needs on the results of a facebook quiz and
2) My friends may describe me as "strange", but I can't find 1 friend on facebook who couldn't add that to their "all about me" list.

Blogging Time Again

So - I haven't blogged in quite some time now! I decided to jump on the blogging band wagon again. Basically it all boils down to the fact that finals week is upon me and the to do list is endless. I am looking for a way to avoid both homework and work/work.