Day 26: 4 Hour Chili's dates

Day 26: sitting FOREVER at Chili's with one of my best girl friends from college!

This is a continuation post from a few days ago... but I get to La Verne yesterday, the one and only hometown of my girl Kristen! I met her at a Chili's knowing that we would both be happy campers with chicken tenders and a margarita! Literally 4 hours passed. 4 HOURS! I can honestly, and proudly say that I had never accomplished such a thing before yesterday! It was so nice scratching the surface of what life has been like for the past few months for each other!

I've been trying to figure out this mystery, and I could be totally wrong and off, but I think I'm starting to get somewhere with it. I've had several conversations with a variety of my people about how we form our community of friends and the people we keep close to our hearts. I'm starting to think that we as humans sorta have this "Community Crunch Window" in our early 20s. During this time, we find people that make us feel complete and build our puzzle with ALL the pieces, edges, insides, everything! And we're not meant to spend our forever days with these people, but they hold such a special place in our heart and our lives that we will always have them as a foundation.

So basically, in other words, speaking from my own life at least, my friends that were my friends in my
"formative 20s" will always be my go-to.  I think about a lot of these friendships and even though i don't get to talk to them all the time and spend every day with them, they will forever hold a fond spot in my heart.

I'm also not trying to say that you can never add to your foundation. I've met some WONDERFUL people that have brought many laughs and happiness and all other good-feeling things that were not in my early 20s. I'm just saying that I think we as humans are sorta wired to absorb people in a slightly different, yet significant way. And maybe my early 20s just represent one of those "I'm-becoming-me" phases of young adulthood, which is a scary thought in itself.... but I'm just thankful for the people of that phase of life, and really all people. If you haven't noticed, I'm a people person, and people leave their marks on me in mostly good ways ;)

In closing, here's an all-to-true Bible verse that I think wraps it up nicely:

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

Day 24: Getting places...literally

Day 24: Today I am thankful for making it to places safe and sound!

Spring Break started for me on Friday which meant that I couldn't wait to peace out for a few days and get to SoCal for a few days to see a couple of my people! But in typical Steph fashion it had to be slightly more complicated than just driving for hours on end in an incredibly boring part of California. I started by stopping at a Starbucks for a coffee. I took a few sips, started to feel funny, drank some water, read the computer label and found out that they put SOY in my coffee. Well uhm, I'm kinda allergic to soy as in throat gets scratchy and kinda closed.....

AHH! Are you kidding me?! All I want to do is get to So Cal and get some greasy food and they are putting soy in my coffee! NO FREAKIN WAY! I found some benadryl, took one, sat at a McDonalds and let it do its magic and finally felt okay enough to start driving!

Lots of bathroom stops later, some gas station coffee which might have had like triple the amount of caffeine by body is used to, and some random CDs later, I finally got to LA! Tomorrow is Disneyland!!!!!!!!!

Day 22: Those friends that you know you'll be friends with forever

Day 22: Today's gratitude is going to my very dear friend Kristen (Sugartits(Sugatits(Tits))).

I met this girl my freshman year in college and we had this magical friendship moment where we were walking to "Trudy's" (okay really, talk about a Farm-college convenience store's name...) and we were walking probably to buy Dino Eggs and soda or something really "healthy" and one of us said "We're gonna like totally be each other's bridesmaids or something"

Well tonight, we finally, and by "finally" I mean FINALLY caught up for a little bit! I get to go down  South next week and hang out with her and her awesome family and catch up on life! There ARE bullet point lists on all the things we need to catch up on and we will chat about them all! Probably over pizza, and/or chicken nuggets and/or cheez-its!!!  

Day 16: A Special Phone Call

Day 16: Today I am so grateful for a special phone call. 

For those of you that have read my blog before, you know that I got to work with a student last year that touched my heart in a big way! This year I've gotten to keep in contact with him just a little bit... I've sent him cards that I hear he loves (HINT: Find the most ANNOYING music card, send with quick note, and find out how much child will love it!) I've made it over to the school to visit a couple times, but still nothing like what it was like working with him everyday.



Well (technically it was Friday afternoon) I got a text message from an old co-worker/friend who was working with him. She had told me that he was having a bad afternoon and wanted to know if I wanted to chat with him. OF COURSE I SAID OF COURSE!!!!! Well, he was a little embarrassed and shy because he wasn't exactly in the best space emotionally. It was random, but kind of encouraging....

Anyway, my night went on, same old, same old (Friday night= cleaning room, putting clothes away, looking at my school to-do list, etc etc) and my phone rings.... "Hi this is blah blah blah from [Place where kid lives] I have A here, and he would like to talk to you."

I talked to my little friend for 25 minutes. It was the first time he had taken advantage of having my number in about a year, and we chatted about pillow pets, letters I'd sent him, cards that he has kept, friends and school, what to do when we're having bad days, etc, etc."

I hung up the phone with him and was just in this excited-confused-humbled-encouraged state. Knowing that I wouldn't get to see him everyday was heartbreaking at the end of last year. Never did I think that a kid, a 4th grader at the time, would touch my heart that way. Even more than that, knowing that 9 months later, he still remembers me and wants to call me on a Friday night and chat about nothing and everything at the same time is SO SO humbling and encouraging.

As I've trudged through the credential program, there have been points where the only reason I want to be a teacher is simply because I can "be good at it." I mean, I think everyone is looking for some sort of job that they can be good at, that at times it seems so natural and innate that it doesn't require a whole lot of investment. I've sort of developed an idea of what a job should be based on your ability to participate in "other life" outside of it. For example, finding a job where you can still play sports, invest in friends and family, volunteer for a youth group/club/etc.

But this Friday night phone call reminded me in a big way of why I truly, whole-heartily want to be a teacher for the rest of my life (until I retire at least...). The reality is that kids are the future of tomorrow. Don't be hatin' cliches have truth.  As a teacher, I have an opportunity to affect and love kids and make them believe even if for a small minute that they matter to someone.  My hope and dream of being a teacher is that I make an impact on at least one kid that sticks with them for a lifetime. Often times, teachers talk about "one kid" who changed it all for them, and this little guy has definitely started a change in me.

Day 10: Inspiration

Day 10: Today's gratitude goes towards that feeling when you feel you've been inspired. 


Coming at you early today, but today I'm thankful and appreciative of those moments of inspiration where you can't help but write down your idea right away. I was sitting in my final class for the week, not necessarily counting down the hours-minutes-seconds type of thing, but eagerly awaiting class to be dismissed, and in the most random way, I got a blip of "HEY! That's how I'm going to teach a lesson next week!" To me, it was the best kinda of inspiration to experience because I didn't even know when or what was going to come from class.

Inspiration is such a motivating thing, when I think about it. I'm sure some of you are like "UH, Steph, DUH! That's the point of inspiration, it makes you get things done!" Okay, totally true. But I kinda mean on a little bit of a different kind of inspiration. I'm talking about the kind that not only motivates you, but also makes you feel like your insides are just that much more in line with themselves. Sort of a relieving sense of inspiration. Yes, today's mega dose of gratitude game during a moment in class, but I'm just feeling a little more lined up on the inside and I can't help but think it might be because there is a bigger sense of inspiration coming from God.

Day 5: Looking forward while loving the present

Day 5: Looking forward while enjoying the present


It is far too late to be worrying about blogging, but I'm extra gracious for all that's coming up in the next few months! Today, and this weekend really, I spent lots of time with loved ones on in person, on walks, at the movies, on the phone, over skype, grubbing down, exercising, all sorts of fun! It seems that every time I was with someone, we were planning something SO FUN! Not just throwing out fun ideas, but actually, officially (it's on Facebook soooo.....) planning fun things to look forward to. It made me realize that I have been incredibly blessed to not only have people that keep me sane and grounded and calm in the present, but have also been blessed to have a number of opportunities and events to look forward to! I mean, I don't wanna brag or anything but.... birthday shenanigans, followed by a day at the beach with my family the following weekend, then Disneyland the weekend after, then a brew tour with the amigos, then pretty much after that D-O-N-E and can say I'm a teacher, and then not to far from that.... BEACH HOUSE!!!!! Let me tell you, have something glorious to motivate me to the weekends is surprisingly grounding in the midst of the chaos. For those of you that are extra observant, yes, it is 12:30 California time, and yes, I'm thinking about missing sleep, but I feel jazzed up on the fun times coming soon!

This morning at church we were singing an awesome song called "Your grace is enough." And one particular line especially struck me: "You lead us by still waters" I sorta realized that in these first few days of my 40 Days of Gratitude, all the things that I've "chosen" have all been parts of my day that bring me by still water, or bring me a sense of calming peace and enjoyment. I guess what started as a post about being happy while looking forward to the present, is also a post in which I feel especially gracious and appreciative for the fact that God can bring me still water in a variety of environments and circumstances and still bring a sense of peace to my insides. For that, I have eternal gratitude....

Day 3: Accidental Sunburns

Today's gratitude is going to accidental sunburns. 


I'm sure there are 2 thoughts you are having right now....maybe more, but let's start with 2.
1. SUNBURN?!?! It's February!
2. Why didn't she put on sunscreen... she's been sunburned before, she knows how it works!

Well, let me tell you.... SO if I got sunburned today, that means that I was able to spend enough time enjoying this beautiful, spring-like sunshine OUTSIDE (aka not inside on a computer and/or in classs and/or driving in my car) to soak up enough sun that I got a little color, even if it is pink right now! I started the day off going on a walk through the Arbo with Kelcie with coffees in hand! We had great conversation as we walked through all those trees! Then I came home and decided that whatever homework I was going to work on was going to be done outside, enjoying the warm weather and sun, POOLSIDE! Now, it's no beach, but sitting by the pool is quite refreshing to my soul! And then after some homework, I walked across the park to Target! I think I got a nice little break from the grind of things that were these past few days today, and for that, even if I'm "marked" by a little sunburn/ weird tan lines, I'm so appreciative!

In other news.... PACT stuff was turned in. I got about 85% done, which means my professor will give me feeback on that much of it which is A-OKAY in my book!!!! Now, I'm trying to play the catch up game on other homework, but first I think I will enjoy a card night with some friends and a few fun conversations with friends and family!

Day 2: Support

Day 2: Today's gratitude is dedicated to support. 

So, in true form of this crazy credential program, I have a lot of assignments that are due right now. Because I will probably talk about it a lot, here's a quick "what-you-really-need-to-know" about this monster of a project that we have named PACT. It's basically an intensive project that will supposedly prove my competency as a teacher based on my pages and pages of planning, commentary, discussion and dissection of various teacher things. In other words, a high-stress emphasis on aspects of teaching that are innate to people.... ANYWAY! I'm in a crazy phase of this project.... deadline to submit for feedback is 11:59 tonight.....

So today's gratitude. Today I'm so thankful for the support that I have in my life. There were 3 specific things today that really struck me in an otherwise chaotic day:

1. I got a sincere, heartfelt, supportive phone call from my friend, Amy right at one of those moments today where I was feeling the intensity! Sam, Amy and I meet as often as we can to share life with each other and spend some time reflecting on what God is doing through all the craziness. Getting that phone call from her so kind and calming and brought me out of my self-induced chaos just for a moment, which was so nice. 

2. While I was in one of those chaotic classes this afternoon, my friend Nate walked through the door! It was such an AWESOME surprise because he doesn't even go to Sac State (.....yet.... ;) )Anyway, it was one of those moments when all I needed was a good hug from one of my people. I texted his awesome wife, Kelcie, and she said she was sitting in the parking lot waiting for him! Knowing how close friends are can sometimes be such a comfort of support.  God plants familiar faces just when I need to be reminded of another reality beyond the current and confined one that school sometimes brings on. 

3. I'm also thankful for getting to carpool with people on days like this. Sometimes, campanionship and chatter in a car before and after a whirlwind means the most to people! Thanks girls! 

Day 1: Warm Evenings

Day 1
Today's gratitude is thrown to warm evenings! 

Today, I am thankful for warm evenings. Today was a gorgeous day and I was inside most of the day working on homework, sitting in class, and working on more homework. Yes, productivity is a good thing, but still beautiful weather is also a good thing! I was so very pleasantly surprised to walk outside on my way to church at 6:45, yes 6:45 at night and have it still feel decent and lovely! It brought me right back to this past summer where my nights were filled with card games with friends, bike rides across town, chocolate milk, and well....... if I keep going I'll have about 7 days of things to be thankful for, so I'll stop there! Anyway. I'm thankful for warm nights that bring joy and comfort. It's the small things right now, and tonight the crisp air was quite a nice, and unexpected, gift!

40 Days of Gratitude

Well, it's been quite some time since I've sat down to write a blog post. And lucky you.... I'm going to embark on a 40 day spree of writing! Today is Ash Wednesday which marks the first day of Lent. Lent is marked by 40 days of fasting of some sort. Some people choose to add something to their life instead. I have to admit that I had a hard time thinking of something to fast from or add to my life this year. Partially because I feel like it is way to soon for it to already be Lent which means Easter isn't too far off which just seems crazy to me! 2012 is blowing me by! The other reason I have had a hard time is because I wanted to take on a significant challenge during these 40 days.

I was inspired by my good friend David, who has given up Facebook and Social Media for the past few years for Lent. This year he is taking a creative twist on it and choosing to be more intentional about blogging. I have to admit (as this is a day of confessing....) that I thought his idea was brilliant and I'm going to copy it... to some degree!

Over these next 40 days (technically it is 46 because Sunday 'doesn't count') I'm going to be intentional about giving gratitude for at least ONE person, place or thing. My hope is that by doing this, it will not only just help me recognize all the blessings in my life, big and small, but that it will also help you realize how lucky you are and that blessings come in all shapes and forms. ALSO: You have my permission to keep me accountable and on track. And without further ado.....