Senior Year???

It's almost the end of the week, and I just realized that I started the first part of my senior year of college! Crazy! The end is in sight! I have a three semester senior year, though.

This also has been the slowest start to a semester. No major projects due next week! I'm relaxed about school and ready to go. No tears, no pulling of hair or panicked calls home, am I sure it's the first week of school?

I'm taking second year, first semester Spanish, multicultural children's literature, adolescent development, infancy, elementary physical education and an activity class.

My Spanish professor is from Germany originally. I'm totally jealous of her multilingual ability. She's got me excited about Spanish again! She only uses English if someone is totally lost or for detailed grammar instructions. She makes us try to explain definitions in Spanish. She's awesome. My last Spanish professor used mostly English and didn't teach. We were expected to teach ourselves, and class was mostly busy work. She had a great sense of humor, though.

My adolescence professor is ok. I know I'll like the class content; however, he has an off sense of humor that I really don't appreciate. I do appreciate: no major research papers!!!

Multicultural children's literature will be a challenge. I'm going to have to really think differently about books, society and what I want to stand for as a teacher. Biggest pet peeve in the class: Dr.L using the "words" gooder, goodest, and badder. Umm.... you have a doctorate???


P.E seems straight forward, read, make lesson plans, teach and take exams.

Infancy is on Fridays so we'll see how that goes.

Someone asked me what clubs I was going to be in... outside of the Christian club, I have no clue. I'm still waiting for the full load of work to drop but until then I'm enjoying my first week of school.

So I promised a post on thankfulness and/or Thanksgiving... Right now I am truly thankful to make it through this week! I had something due everyday but Wednesday and a lot of them were writing projects or research papers. Thus, instead of a long wordy post, I will rest my wrists and give you pictures instead!

I'm thankful for:

The sky to rest my eyes and renew my heart...

Pea blossoms (which grow up to become peas!)

A certain, special cat with discerning taste!

SNOW!!!

Fall color and fruits

Family, new and old friends, new and old churches, moments of rest, learning, teaching, loving, the past and the anticipation of what's ahead.

I'm most thankful that we have personal, loving God who through Jesus Christ took the sin of the world. During this season of Advent, I'm especially reminded of how we are to be watchful, desirous and yearning for his return.

And I'm thankful.

Fall

I love fall. I love all the seasons while they are here. I love the anticipation of a new season. Each season has it's own merits for being loved. Fall is a passionate season, full of flame, bright color and high contrasts. But it's also a season of thankfulness and harvest.

On Monday, I was quite grumpy. You see, I had to drive to work in traffic and I knew it would take me an hour to go 20 miles. Never mind the fact it takes me an hour to drive to work even with my carpool buddy! I was consciously trying to change my attitude as I headed for the metering light. Thinking of things to be thankful for, like my car, the trees, the overcast morning when I saw a golden, orange and red flame! It was the first tree I had noticed with it's fall color! All the other trees were still green but here was this Chinese Pistashe in it's varying colors.
Such a joyful tree as it glowed against the gray sky. It was a light that somewhere deep inside changed my outlook on the day. What little things does God put in your path to make you smile?