Home Again Home Again..

Well after very few days home in over a month (5 days out of 6 weeks to be exact), I am home "for good" for at least awhile.  I went on vacation in Seabrook with the Groh's, vacation with my family on the boat, I was in Ohio mourning the loss of my papaw, I was spending time with Christopher in Columbus, and most recently I helped move Christopher to Charleston.  It has been a whirlwind of six weeks and so much has happened.  I am exhausted, drained, and burned out emotionally.  It's hard to believe that I need to be gearing up for another school year and teaching year. 

Leaving Charleston was difficult for lots of reasons.  Not only was I leaving this incredible man, but I was also coming home to reality.  Whereas the traveling life lends itself to postponing reality, being home does not.  August will be a month of getting our house, my family, and my momma ready for the battle (of which she has very much started) of her life, literally.  All of our focus is on getting her healthy, and the month of August will be put to good use in getting us all ready.  It was hard coming home, but I am so ready to get my mom feeling better and to see her healthy and back up to her maximum feisty levels, though don't get me wrong, she most certainly hasn't lost her feisty spark.  Tonight she was teaching us the proper hours of phone calls.  Only between 9 and 9, and make the phone call yourself if you want it outside those hours, dammit.    

Thanks for being a part of this journey with me.  This year is bound to be full of more ups and downs, but I am still holding out for the positive and good news of 2012, and trying to find it in every day.

#272:  Remembering to be grateful!
#273: 11:11.  I absolutely love making wishes and being able to wish for positivity!
#274: Safe travels on such a CRAZY day in the airports today.  It was beyond busy!
#275: I love my family so so much and am so proud of their incredible strength.

Thankful

#3: children told me I was the best part of their day (they are often the best part of mine, too)
#4: Excited for a fun weekend (that you read about in the last post)
#5: Getting to watch CMT's Top 20 while doing my large amounts of homework, as songs like Jake Owen's "Barefoot Blue Jean Night" reminds me so much of our summers on Lake Cumberland.

#6: Teachers who respond to emails as quick (if not quicker than) as I do.  It helps the process of homework and school that much more doable. 

I'm loving this little project.  1000 is a large number, so thinking of getting up to that number is daunting, but I am loving how much it is changing my mindset.  Instead of thinking of how difficult life is, or how tired or worn out I am; I am spending time looking for the good in little instances, the hope in little instances, and the joy.  It's refreshing, healing and helping me see how God is intertwined in my every move during the day.  Relying on His strength is incredibly difficult for my independent-self, but knowing I can depend on him whenever I need to provides a sense of calm.

What are you thankful for?

Wanted: Motivation

I am currently believing this with all of my heart.  I am struggling, hard core, to stay focused.  When my to-do list is sooo long it definitely feels overwhelming. 

I have, however, made quite a dent in it thus far today.  I am done with all but 1 of my readings (I had 16 total readings by the way.  Anywhere from 30-100 pages long each).  What I have not done, however, are the most important things on the to-do list: one project thing that at least has been started, and one paper that I haven't even thought about.

Football is on, I'm exhausted, I am doing laundry, and my puppy wants to play. Plus I'm working at 6 so I just keep watching the clock half hoping it slows down so I can get work done and half hoping it speeds up so I can leave and be apart from my stupid agenda (I'm sorry agenda. You know I love you, but you're a huge stressor as of late). 

Any tips for motivation? Anything that helps you focus through the pain of doing homework for hours on end on the weekend? HELP A GIRL OUT.

A win...and some worries

Way to go buckeyes!!!  I hope you all watched the BCS Sugar Bowl last night...It was quite a game; from crazy touchdowns to bad injuries and everything in between.  Pryor showed up last night prepared, and boy did he look good!  After all of the drama surrounding the players these past few weeks, people were unsure how the boys would look...but they did great in the first half.  They struggled quite a bit in the second...but were able to stop the Arkansas offense even with 3rd and 4th string defensive players.  Quite a task, too.  At the end of the day, this win was the first for OSU against the SEC and the first (I could be wrong) for the Big Ten against the SEC this bowl season.

I was SO excited watching the game! With my gluten free beer in hand I watched the game in my freezing cold house (DTE sucks).  My room mates thought I was nuts...but I loved it.  Why? Well one, I'm a buckeye aficionado, but two, it allowed me to step away from my own worries for a few hours.  I have a list of things I'm worried about.  I'll share some of them...

• Where the heck am I going to Grad School?
• How the hell am I going to pay for it?
• Will I EVER have money?
• Will I be happy in Social Work?  
• Will I find a good guy?  Will I get to have babies?
• What will life be like so far from friends next year?

Life.   It's full of worries and full of decisions and life changes.  It's exciting, it's stressful, it's painful.  Regardless, it goes on.  

That day was a happy one :)