-JANUARY-
Month 1 is tough to beat. A few days after the new year, I embarked across the country to Kenya with a team of 9 others from Biola. Safe to say this month was life changing as well as a great beginning to the new year. I came home with a new outlook on life as well as a passion and confirmation that I want to be a teacher.
-FEBRUARY-
The first day of month 2, I found myself getting up rather early for my first last day of school. Instead of riding my bike to Biola like I did the semester before, I grabbed a cup of coffee, gathered my teaching supplies, and headed to a brand new elementary school to start student teaching. I was definitely nervous. Everything was going to be so new. Instead of seeing friends during lunch time, I would be sitting in a teacher's lounge with new faces. I liked to call myself a real "adult" during this month.
With all that said, this experience was phenomenal and confirming that God's timing and placing is divine.
-MARCH-
Not too much rings a bell for month 3, but what does come to mind is this...
My housemates and I loved to pull pranks on each other. Every chance we got, a prank would be pulled. This one particular prank, though, stands out. It was a Sunday night. Friends were over, but not too many housemates. My roommate and I thought it would be really funny to take Rachel's (housemate victim) clothes...ALL of them...and hide them. We did and we left. Rachel came home to find an empty closet.
A few hours later, we come back. I noticed my bed side lamp was out in the living room. I thought it was kind of funny, but didn't think much of it. Later, I went into my room to put something away to find that the two beds that used to be in my room were GONE. I screamed and began laughing. We ran outside searching frantically for our beds, but they never turned up. It was not until almost 1am that Rachel, the housemate victim, returned our beds.
14522 Biola Ave holds so many memories.
-APRIL-
Month 4 was a very busy month. It began with Easter at my aunt's house in Santa Ynez, then I was home for a week to spend time with my family and relax. Teddi's prom just happened to be the week I was home, so I got to take lots and lots of pictures of her and actually see her all dressed up in person!
Another weekend was spent throwing a bridal shower for my cousin that was put together by myself and the bride's sister-in-law. I'll be honest, though, I really didn't do much planning.
Probably the best weekend of month 4, though, was celebrating my golden birthday on the 22nd! A big group of my girlfriends and I got together and went out to dinner. It was so much fun to have friends all the way back from freshmen year around one table...one friend coming all the way from Missouri. :-)
-MAY-
Month 5 was a staple month...because...I graduated! It was a busy month of hanging out with friends, staying up late and getting up early, and lots of last minute run arounds so I could walk across the stage. It was the last full month of sleeping in our house and the last full month of making sweet memories at Biola. Month 5 was bittersweet, more bitter because I was not ready to move on.
-JUNE-
Month 6 brought about many changes. I moved out of our house, cried like a baby, and moved all my things home. I really didn't know what the future held at that time and remember the reality of needing to make decisions set in. It was a tough month, to say the least. I felt like I had so much on my mind that needed to be taken care of, but I was not ready for it.
After being a nomad in LA for...just a week...I officially moved home and began packing two suitcases hoping I could get them under 50 pounds...
-JULY-
I got on a plane in California and got off in Colorado. For a part of the summer, I lived in Estes Park and worked at Camp Timberline. It was a GREAT summer where many memories were made. I was a camp counselor and basketball coach to some pretty awesome kids. Not only did the campers grow, but I myself, grew and learned so much.
Special Event- I was a bridesmaid in my cousin's wedding. :-)
-AUGUST-
Well, if I controlled my life with my nut sized brain, I would be living in Indonesia, teaching at a school right now. But at the end of July, I found out that my plans fell through, God shut that door, and when the end of camp came in month 8, I really had no idea what I was going to do.
I came home and began planning where I could live. After much searching and planning, God (again) shut the door of what I thought I was going to do and I decided to live permanently at home until I found something that could work out.
-SEPTEMBER-
Month 9 was a month full of changes (once again). Now that I think of it, I feel like every month is full of changes. After searching what feels like forever for a full time teaching job and not finding a single one to even apply for, I started to substitute teach, something I was not looking forward to.
By the end of month 9, I was finally cleared to sub and found out that it wasn't so bad after all. I was feeling a bit down with everything that had happened in the months past and when I got to do something I love, my spirits were lifted and still are to this day.
Special event: My close friend from high school got married this month. :-)
-OCTOBER-
Month 10 was another busy month, a very good month. I began working full time substitute teaching and got to know a few schools very well. I now work at these most days rather than going to a new school each day (I actually feel like I know people now!).
Every weekend seemed to be filled with out of town events, putting miles on my car and pictures on my camera.
-NOVEMBER-
I'll be honest. Not too much sticks out in month 11. Thanksgiving. Family time. Working. Thinking of what is next.
-DECEMBER-
Who doesn't say that the month of December isn't busy for them??? It sure was for me. Beside Christmas gatherings, what sticks out the most for me is....I bought my first car! And my last until I pay this puppy off. Now I am learning what it means to be an adult.
I also worked down in LA for two weeks, lived in Marina Del Rey and commuted East every morning. Those poor LAers that do that every morning. I would be a reck if that was me; traffic is awful! On the bright side, I got to hang out with many friends every day!
***
It was a jam packed year that I will remember for a very, very long time. As I reflect, I am reminded how blessed I truly am in the midst of these changing times. I have learned how God is sovereign. He is good. He is faithful. And I will put my hope in Him.
"The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease.
Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself,
'The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in Him!'"
-Lamentations 3:22-24
Bring it on 2011.
