New Goals for October

Today was a good day! (Minus writing on the smart board with a dry erase marker.) I got many positive comments on my outfit. As you can see from the photo below, my outfit was super cute! Of course my outfits are cute everyday ;) I also started my day with a delicious pumpkin spice cappuccino! Those are my favorite! It only comes the month of October, which is why it totally made my day :)

This day pushed me into getting back on track with eating healthy! Of course Halloween week doesn't count! This month I only want to focus on eating more veggies and working out everyday. I really want to get into a routine I will do. Waking up at five is really hard. I might try doing two mini-workout sessions, but we'll see how that goes.

I also want to try to keep up with my menu calendar. I have planned my meals for the entire month. I've tried this before, but I generally never follow it. This month I am determined. I need some structure to keep me sane!

Hopefully I will be able to fulfill these goals. If not I'll just try again next month :)

Time

I have been crazy busy with my internship. I'm generally there at seven, and I leave the school around four, to head home to plan lessons! Coll keeps asking what I'm doing. I don't think he realizes how much teaching entails.

I finally found some time to spend with Coll. We went and roasted marshmallows yesterday. I realized how much I love the outdoors and fire! It was very relaxing, which is something I needed :) We also had a surprise happen while we were there. Cooper played fetch! He actually brought the stick back! We are so proud of him. We thought he was broken. Below are our pictures and documentation of Cooper bringing the stick back :)

I also have been really bad with my health goals. I am a stress eater. In one day I ate two cupcakes, a giant pumpkin cookie, a crap load of candy, and soda. Plus, that night I ate half a pizza and graham crackers with frosting. I still feel guilty for that day :( It is soooo hard to choose an apple over sweets. I am going to work on my stress eating. I decided this because Coll took frosting away and told me I needed to stop or it will become a bad habit. I slapped him for that one and took the frosting anyway. However, he is right, this is a very bad habit! This will be my new focus for the month. Hopefully I will be able to fulfill this goal!

Marriage

Coll and I have been married a year! This year has taught us a lot and has brought us closer together. Hopefully people will stop considering us newlyweds because that term makes me want to vomit.

What we have learned:
1- We are both bed hogs
2- We both hate the dishes
3- We have learned to compromise. Like when I clean the house and Coll does the dishes :)
4- Marriage isn't easy, but it's totally worth it!

Fun Facts:
1- We love the outdoors
2- Pasta is our food of choice
3- We want to live in Montana

I can't wait to see where the next year takes us :)

Health

I have been obsessed with being healthy. That was a goal for the year and I think I'm on the right track. I have lost some weight and want to lose a little more, but then I got to thinking, "Do I want to be skinny or healthy?"

We live in a society where people are obsessed with being skinny. I don't think people realize that skinny doesn't mean healthy. We are all drilled to think that skinny means pretty, skinny means success, skinny is what everyone needs to be. So, do I want to be skinny or healthy?

I have people in my life who have made comments about my weight. I have never been overweight, but smaller girls have made comments that I am bigger. I actually dated someone smaller than me and he would comment about my size. I have also had people ask if I eat or not because I am skinny. I do eat. I actually eat a lot! These comments have gotten in my head and have made me believe I need to be a size two in order to be considered "pretty." That size will never happen since I have a naturally big butt. I need to come to terms with this because I have been obsessing about my weight.

I count my calories and I work out. This is healthy, right? Well it is but, I weigh myself six times a day. That is NOT healthy. I think I need to be anorexic skinny in order to be healthy. This is NOT true. Being too skinny causes health problems too!

I struggle because I have an athletic build, which doesn't fit the "skinny" girls aim for. I look bigger then some girls my height, but I'm at a healthy weight and that's all that matters!

I have decided I want to be healthy! I want to live a long life. I want to do all I can to prevent diseases.I want to be healthy inside and out. I don't need to be skinny, but I do need to be healthy!

Hobby

I have learned a lot about myself this summer. I have learned that I need a hobby! I have been off for two weeks and I'm going crazy! I pace the house waiting for my husband to get home. I honestly don't know what to do with myself!

The first week I was off we did a lot with our families. We went to West Yellowstone with Coll's family and went camping with mine. We had a lot of fun! (Below are the fun pictures from the week)

Now I sit at home wondering what to do with all this free time. I thought about cooking more, but I absolutely hate dishes! I thought about painting, but I don't have the patience. So, what do I do? Maybe by the time I start school I will have chosen my hobby or maybe I'll just go crazy with boredom!

NASA

This past year has made me question if teaching was the right path for me. The stress teachers deal with isn’t worth the pay they receive. They take on twenty + kids and have to bring them up to grade level. It isn’t an easy job. I have been praying lately and have been asking if this is really the career path I should be on. I have been on a health kick, which has made me question if I should be a dietician. This past summer has shown me that teaching is where I need to be right now. I know this because of two reasons:
1. NASA PSTI Program
2. Paid internship
I had to apply for these two opportunities and I was accepted by both! When this happened all I could think was, “And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” This is from my favorite book, The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho. I realized then that this is where I am meant to be.

My experience at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas:
#1 This is what you see when you first walk in the space center.
#2 It was like Disneyland here! This is the Space Center Star. He was funny. There was a moon, but I didn't get a picture. :(
#3 This was a robotic hand made out of cardboard. It was so cool to see. The cute old man who showed us this spent time cutting all the cardboard for us. I haven't made mine yet but it's on my to-do list!
#4 This is what I would look like if I was an Astronaut :)
#5 Owlbert and I with a space suit.
#6 Owlbert on a rocket. Sam was worried I was sending him to space and Coll thought I was going to blow him up. I am happy to say he is safe on earth :)
#7 I learned how how they go to the bathroom on the ISS. It was especially funny to hear Clay Anderson tell us his experience!
#8 Owlbert with a rocket
#9 Christopher Kraft was so cute! I wanted to take him home with me. He really expressed how important it is to inspire future generations to participate in NASA programs.
#10 This is Clay Anderson and he is a real astronaut!! He was freaking hilarious!

I am also certified to handle lunar and meteorite samples! This means I can borrow these samples for two weeks and show my class :)

I’m thankful for…..

Dads

My dad is Mr. Fix It. He can pretty much do anything and if he can’t he’ll figure it out. He was kind enough to fix my car, as well as, drive up to my house to put in an air conditioner. He didn’t get home till late, but was willing to help us out. I’m proud to say he is my dad. He sets an example of how we should be. He works hard all day and still finds the time to help those around him.

Air Conditioning

We have air conditioning, but our room gets soooooo hot. My parent’s neighbor was nice enough to give us an air conditioning unit. I must say it is heaven to sleep now J

My Health

I was talking to a friend from high school and she was telling me about the health problems she has been having. I feel bad for the pain she has to go through, but she is getting better (we just need to put her in a bubble for the future.) This made me start to realize how lucky I am for my health. I do have a thyroid problem that is easily fixed by taking a pill, which I hate taking, but I would much rather have that then multiple surgeries involving needles. I hate needles!!

Nephews

I was able to hang out with my three crazy nephews this week. They have me laughing over crazy things they say. I love when they give me hugs and kisses and tell me they love me. I know they mean it because kids tell you what they are thinking. It was nice to spend some time with them since I don’t get to see them as often as I would like. I thought it was funny that they had me flustered over ice cream. How can a five year old like mint ice cream? Why did the guy at Culver’s lie to me about not having any mint ice cream? Luckily we found an Oreo that was filled with mint ice cream.

July!

Thank the Lord July is here! This month will be crazy for me, but it will be fun. I go to Houston next week and I’m SO excited. I get to tour the NASA center and learn about incorporating science into my classroom. It will be so much fun. This will be the first time I ride on an airplane, which I’m nervous about. I go to Yellowstone the week after I get home from Houston. I am going camping the weekend after Yellowstone. AND……I’m QUITING!!!! Goodbye graveyards!! I am so excited to start sleeping like a normal person. Coll told me maybe I will go back to normal, but have I ever been normal?

A little bit about graveyards…

• I don’t sleep. I get like three hours of sleep then have to pull a twelve hour shift.
• I don’t eat regularly because my body is use to eating at 3 A.M.
• I’m sick a lot! I don’t think I’ve ever been this sick in my life. I am easily prone to the flu and colds, but maybe this will help me fight of germs from school.
• I never see my husband. I’m generally asleep before he gets home from work.
• The stress on my body has caused serious pain in my knees and shoulders. I am hoping that it will go away when I quit.
• I am exhausted all the time. Even if I sleep twelve hours on my nights off I still am so tired the next day.
• I almost cried when I was offered my internship because it was a relief to know I don’t have to work through my student teaching.