Wow I cannot believe it is May already! I have to tell you first off that I feel very guilty about being a rubbish blogger this year. I told myself I would be updating it every week, that soon turned to once a month, and now just about every 3. It is funny because I have so much to tell you but when it comes to just sitting down and writing it out I tend to hit a blank wall. Since I last talked to you (wrote, although I like to think of it as a conversation), some pretty significant things have happened.
First of all, I turned 20. My amazing housemates and some other volunteers took me to my favourite restaurant here, Nandos, and then went back home to an amazing cake and gifts. I have to say I was wondering how this birthday was going to go being so far from home, but it really turned out to be very special, although I still wish I was in my teens =].
On April 5, I raced to Heathrow airport, which I still find myself grumbling towards after what will now be referred to as the Christmas fiasco of 2010! Anyways, I went to the airport to pick up my mommy! Man I can’t tell you how exciting it was to see that familiar face after what felt like ages! We had an amazing 4 weeks together including taking a trip to Italy, laughing to tears on most occasions, walking around London, eating yummy food, and just being able to sit on her lap or lay and watch TV together! I think the best event of her trip was by far the Royal Wedding!! We got up around 6 am on the 29th and quickly got ready and headed out to catch the bus and get into central London before the streets were all blocked off. We ended up finding fabulous spots to see and getting some really great pictures. Mom was not right next to me because finding a spot we could both see was tricky, so Tobi and I went down where we could find some shorter people for me and mom watched it further up. After Kate and Wills and the rest of the family, including Harry my future husband =], went back to Buckingham Palace for the reception mom and I raced down there to be able to see the kiss on the balcony. It was so funny because somehow we made it right to the front although we had a huge obstruction in front of us and didn’t see the kiss, being in the crowd and excitement of it all was well worth it, even if I was pushed up against some smelly sweaty man!! Haha! So the kiss finishes and mom and I are not quite sure how massive this crowd is behind us, so we begin yelling “Turn around! Go back the way you came in!!” We desperately thought we simply needed to instruct the crowd on which way to move and we would be out of there!! HAAA were we in for a shock. Looking at magazine and helicopter pictures from the sky view we now see why no one could move to get out. THE CROWD WAS SOOO MASSIVE and we were right in front!!! Once we finally made it out of that commotion we got to a little park to sit down in, and within minutes I was fast asleep in the grass. We both got home that night and passed out around 9 pm which was the earliest we had been to bed all trip!! On, Monday the 2nd I had to take her back to the airport where we said a very tearful goodbye and promised to see eachother soon!! While mom was here she was able to come and watch me teach one day and meet all my supervisors and colleagues. It was so fun to show her everything I was doing and show her what a big girl I have become teaching my own kiddos now =]! In not long I will be heading back home for hopefully a HUGE McKasson/Johnson celebration and reunion!
Mid April, whist mom was still here, I received a letter in the mail from Seattle Pacific University. It came through the door and although I had been waiting, it took me a few moments before I was ready to open it and see that yes I had been accepted!!! As many of you may know, I toyed with the question of what I was going to do next year and should I stay here again or come home. I prayed and prayed and finally decided to apply to SPU fully believing that if I got in, it was where God intended me to be. With that, I am very excited to be starting my sophomore year there this fall and hopefully get involved in many on campus programs!! Thank you for all who were praying with me about this decision and gave encouragement along the way!!!!
I don’t have loads to tell you about my kids in this blog because I had most of April off so I am just now getting back into the swing of things. We have 2 and a ½ more months until we finish, last teaching day being July 22. It is definitely still a constant struggle trying to get through to some of them and wondering whether I have made an impact at all this year.
This year has taught me more than anything that my career choice as a teacher is the right one! I so look forward to every lesson with these kids and nothing is more exciting then when the light bulb clicks on in their head and months of work pays off!! My whole life I have believed I would teach kindergarten, and luckily this year showed me I want to teach a different grade. I think 5th grade is the year I want to teach now as I really enjoy the relationship you can have with an older child who gets your jokes and understands that working hard will pay off. Although the degree I was getting back home would have covered this as well, it is really good to know before I started a year of teaching kindergarten and then wished I had taught older.
As for my health, it is still a daily struggle. Because of my sleep apnea I am constantly exhausted and I find more often then not I am too tired to do anything after work other then just lay in bed. Other than that, I have not had any more exciting hazards like my previous concussion, falling down stair and straining my elbow, or numerous kidney infections! Haha so that is a blessing!!!!
Please continue with your prayers and support because even the littlest encouragement can sometimes get me through a whole week! I love you all and I am also praying for you!
Until I soon return.....
