Snapshot.

current guilty pleasure: white cheddar cheese popcorn
current nail color: hotttt pink
current playlist: Sia Furler’s early stuff.
current read: Mud, Sweat, & Tears by Bear Grylls
current drink: ice water
current food: Baja chili salad
current favorite show: Ellen
current wish list: A new laptop, a bigger bed
current needs: to rearrange my classroom seating arrangement
current triumphs: not taking a nap after work!
current bane of my existence: My bum knee. No skating.
current celebrity crush: …probably Johnny Weir.
current indulgence: intermittent hibernating.
current blessing: a friend who understands my first year teacherness
current outfit: college tee, pajama pants, neon socks.
current excitement: finally moving into our townhome SOON
current mood: kinda blah. Would you agree that Jan-March are the blah-est months of the year?
current link: http://pinterest.com/kimber_wimber/

The year has begun.

So most bloggers write a really self-reflective post on January 1st or shortly after thinking through what the previous year has brought, and what they would like to see come out of the new year. Welp, we are already halfway through January (like 1/24 through the whole year actually!) and I still haven’t produced one of those posts. But I should probably try. Here’s a break-down of 2012…

January- Began student teaching in 3rd grade and moved back in with my parents.

February- Learned about the chaos that is Valentine’s Day in an elementary school setting.

March- Started my second student teaching placement in 9-12 ESL

April- Applied for a gazillion jobs! Played the waiting game.

May- Graduated! Got a job! Found out I was moving to another state!

June- Started teaching summer school (3rd grade & K-1st drama).

July- Went to every garage sale in town. Did the Color Run! Went to the farmer’s market every week.

August- Started teaching a new grade level (Kdg) in a new state (CO). Met all new people. Made new friends.

September- Went Colorado camping for the first time ever! Hiking, too.

October- Turned 23. Had my first parent-teacher conferences. Learned how to party it up Halloween-style in Kindergarten.

November- Deepened my new friendships. Tried new things.

December: Went Colorado skiing for the first time ever!

 

It’s funny the things that stick out to me as I sit here typing this. I feel like these were the “big” things in my life this past year, but really? A lot of times it’s the small things that are bigger. So while I may have summed it up with a couple of grander events, a lot of the in-between things helped make 2012. Things I like to record on this blog, whenever that is.

I still hold to my (un)resolution of a few years ago, here. I can’t say I’ve excelled, but the least I can do is renew my resolve. To seek God more and ask him the hard questions.

And soon enough I’ll be back to feeling the pressures of new year’s/determination/resolutions/reflections, to post again while looking back. I just hope I do that oftener than January 1st. Here’s to 2013!

Weekend.

Last weekend I had one of the most enjoyable weekends I’ve had since moving to Colorado. Seriously, almost everything about it was perfect. That is rare! No school work involved whatsoever. Friday night I hung out with a group of friends and played board games and ate food. It was so good getting to know more new people! Games are just about the perfect activity because they require talking and are fun…I’m not so much of a movie watcher (I think I have movie/tv ADD), but I’ll play games anytime.

Saturday morning I slept in and didn’t wake up to an alarm! It was glorious. I cleaned my apartment which is pretty therapeutic, at least for me. Then I got in my car and just drove and stopped wherever looked interesting. I found so many good sales. I had fun shopping for prizes for my Kindergarten treasure chest, including awesome stuff like fake moustaches and  glasses and glow-in-the-dark aliens. The only downside to the afternoon was that I found out my car is leaking antifreeze/coolant, so I was “stranded” at the mall (how awful, right?) while I waited for my car to cool so I could check things out. I ended the evening at some friends’ where they found my radiator leak and calmed my worries. We partied it up with a little Fruit Ninja on the tv and I woke up with ridiculously sore arms the next morning. :)

If you don’t really care to read about my weekend events step-by-step, you just go ahead and close the page now, peeps. I want to record it, sort of like a journal, so I can look back and remember the wonderfulness. It was so good!

Sunday my roommate and I went to breakfast at a cute little cafe with another friend and then on to church. I asked around to see if anyone wanted to go skating with me that afternoon, but I had no takers. I guess people aren’t as passionate about it as I am. ;) So I just went down the road about a mile, where all the Olympians in this city train, and checked out the public skate session. It was one of the most fun and relaxing practice sessions I have ever had, not even kidding! It was cheap and not crowded; there were people of all ages and levels there, also. Back in Omaha I always felt judged when I would practice because I’m kind of old to be learning new things along with the little bitty kids. But here there were old grandpas learning three-turns along with the toddlers and everyone in between. I forgot how much I missed skating. I am certain that an old dog can indeed learn new tricks…so I have decided I am going to start taking lessons again! I am way beyond excited. :)

I wrapped up the weekend with homemade tacos at another friend’s house, probably the best tacos I’ve ever eaten. This weekend was such a blessing. It’s amazing how God knows exactly what you’re needing and delivers. He can dish up a weekend full of sweetness better than I could, or anyone else.

click click.

I just love Instagram. It’s so fun to play around with, to feel like a professional with those little snapshots. It challenges me to look at life a little closer and find the things that make it so full. Sometimes it seems like life flits away…I want to remember it, but sometimes writing words takes too much time. Pictures solve that problem! This little blog lets me look back and remember.

Maybe someday I’ll get one of those really expensive cameras that make everyday life look extra beautiful. For now, I’ll use good old, free Instragram!