GRATEFUL

This week I have been unbelievably grateful for.....

Apple Cider

Fuzzy socks

A warm bed

Hot, bubble baths

Great books

A clean apartment

One more day until we are home

Church

Prayer

Family

Sunshine

Fall/Leaves

My husband

Visiting teaching

Missionary work

Birthday Girl

This is a birthday shout-out for my little sister, Paigey. Her birthday isn't until next week, but Jesse and I are taking a road-trip home to spend time with the fams so I won't be blogging. I was telling Jesse today how sad I feel for girls who are in families with all boys because they don't get to experience having a relationship with a sister. It really is this amazing, unique dynamic to have a sister. I love knowing that she will take my side and understand me always even when I'm being ridiculous and I do the same for her. She is absolutely gorgeous and doesn't even know it, which makes it even better. She is kind-hearted and sympathetic. She is definitely unlike the rest of us in the family and that's why I love her. She gives our family some spice and flare. She has an amazing voice and is very musically talented, she definitely stole all those genes and left none for me. She is great with kids and is going to be the best mom. I could learn a few things in that area from her. She is sensitive and always there when you need her. She is more shy and reserved until you get to know her. She has great ideas and I love being around her all together. Her and I are two pees in a pod when it comes to lounging at home and watching FRIENDS. I'm grateful her and I were picked and placed in the same family. I couldn't live without her. I love you Paige. Happy Birthday!

Get a College Education: Check!

Well I'm finally finished! All I have left is to walk in the graduation ceremony in December. Student teaching ended yesterday and I have been looking forward to that day since it started. Surprisingly I was sad to leave my fourth graders and my wonderful cooperating teacher. Our class definitely took me on a roller coaster of emotions dealing with lots of behavioral problems, but overall I love them. It was a sad last two days for me. Bitter sweet because I couldn't wait to be done, but knew I would miss the kids. As I walked out of the school on that last day my arms were filled with gifts from the kids. It was so sweet. They got me flowers, chocolates, books, cards, candy, and a Willow Springs Elementary shirt. I got hugs from all of the students and they all said how they'd miss me SO much. Teachers aren't rewarded often for what they do, but I definitely was. My students told me not to leave and I was tempted not too, but now I'm moving on to getting my own class. My success of the year is a student that I worked with week after week on his math. He was really low in math and unmotivated to even attempt the problems. I was light-hearted and encouraging with him. I always patted him on the back and gave him high fives and told him I expected an improving grade on each test he took. The first math test he bombed. The next he still failed, but the score improved. This week he took the algebra test and got a 96%!!!!! I was so proud of him and he was beaming knowing that he had accomplished what I said he could. Moments like this make teaching worth the crappy pay, crappy hours, and immense amount of effort. I love changing students' perspective of themselves. Their lives change when they realize they can do something they never thought they could like Ace a math test!

One of my cute little fourth graders gave me some parting words of advice that I'm going to try and work on:

student: "Mrs. Conley I have one piece of advice for you"

me: "What's that?"

student: "TRAVEL THE WORLD!!!"

me: "hahaha ok I'll get right on that as soon as I come into a large sum of money"

Relaxing Weekend

This weekend was perfect! I am so relieved because I passed the work sample board of review for student teaching which is the last hurtle I had to jump over before I graduate. So this weekend is the first real weekend that I could fully relax knowing I'm almost done. Friday I had a nice night with the girls. Kira, Jackie, Tressa, Brittany, and I went and saw The Switch at the dollar theater. I had never been to the dollar theater and wondered why Jesse and I haven't been utilizing it yet. After the movie Jackie and I went to Jesse's flag football game, which Jesse told me not to mention the outcome in this blog haha. . . I"m sure you can guess why. After the game Jesse and I were both exhausted so we came home and crashed. Saturday was the best. Jesse and I woke up early and cleaned the house and the cars. We took a nap and then we got ready for the day. We went out to lunch, which we never do. We went and got a memory foam with our gift card and sleeping on that thing is HEAVEN! Later that night we went to the dollar theater for a date and saw Inception, which was insane. We both loved it and I can't wait to buy it when it comes out on video. After the movie we went with a bunch of friends out to the hot springs in Midway. They ended up being closed, but it was a nice drive with friends anyways. All in all it was a wonderful weekend.

What our street looks like. I love fall!

Jesse showing off his new shirt

Sunday we made homemade creamy potato soup

It tasted DIVINE!

I am so proud because I've always wanted to make a homemade soup from scratch and we did it and it was a success.

Milestone

A little over a year ago this was the milestone I was approaching. . . sending my final letter to Jesse before he came home from his mission. Crazy I know! It was a pretty big deal to walk that letter out to mail box and put it in. We had made it two years writing letters and now I just had to wait and see what would happen. I can't believe we made it! I would never want to go back and re-do those years without Jess, but I'm glad we both had time to grow and learn about ourselves before we were together again. I just can't believe he has been home over a year and my life panned out better than I thought.