For all you Class of 07ers from Timber Creek, we graduated a year ago from today! Our one year anniversary of being out of high school. Graduation was a lot of fun (but really longgg) and it’s exciting to look back on. I remember hearing my name pronounced in the TD Waterhouse, walking across the stage, shaking all of the administrator’s hands, getting my (empty) diploma, knowing my best friends and family was watching, getting my picture taken, then walking back to my seat. It was only a minute out of the two and a half hours of the ceremony but it was my minute and my memory to look back upon.

I just finished reading Twilight and it was so good! I started getting kind of bored about 3/4 into the book because it all just seemed irrational. I started to ponder on how a young girl could actually fall in love with a vampire and not be frightened! Doesn’t that just seem kind of ridiculous? But then Edward continued to dazzle me and I can clearly see why she was head over heels! The ending was really scary and suspenseful. I was reading it before I went to bed last night and got so tired that I had to stop reading during the best (scariest) part. I was worried that I was going to have nightmares, it was so freaky! Anyway, the book and the ending was great and I definitely suggest it for a summer read! Plus, there are two more books in the series, so the fun/suspense doesn’t stop here!

Also, there is a bird out on a tree next to my bedroom window who has been chirping merrily since 9 o’clock this morning. It’s been nearly three hours and he won’t stop. It’s so annoying

I’m obsessed with Full House and all the childhood memories it gives me. I love all the characters and watching reruns. My sister also really enjoyed watching this show when she was little and told my parents to name their baby Michelle after the Olsen twins and there ya have it, that’s why my name is Michelle. So, I have a reason to be obsessed. I’m so glad that abc family still plays the show! I have probably seen each episode like ten times. It doesn’t hurt that Uncle Jesse (John Stamos) is ridiculously good looking! It does hurt that Danny (Bob Saget) has turned into such a perv and a gross man.. yuck! Oh well, I just don’t think about that. :-p Anyway, Full house was my childhood show and it’s so nice to sit back, relax, and sit in the memories that the show brings me. It brings back the sense of peace and sweet ignorance that childhood possesses. I think all people should watch their favorite childhood shows at least once a week to unwind and forget about the stresses of daily life.

I just read online that Full House is still very popular in Japan and a lot of kids talk about the characters like they are family! I hope my kids when I start teaching will love Full house just as much as I did :-p

Summer has been in full swing for a couple weeks now and it’s lovely! I’ve had the joy of sleeping in and not having to worry about papers, finals, or projects. It’s so weird to not have any assignments due soon. I keep thinking that I have to go write a paper, then I remember that there is no more school until August 25th! Amazing! I’ve been hanging out with Dave and just enjoying having him home. I’ve helped him unpack and get settled in his room again. It’s nice to have him home for four months! woo! To keep our days busy, we have been swimming, hanging out with our families, and bowling! We love bowling! David started his job at Wycliffe today and I will be joining him next Monday. I’m excited to have a full-time job this summer. I’m already getting bored of just wasting time at home with no goal in sight. I hope to make some friends at Wycliffe while working hard on all the projects given to me. The only down side is that I have to wake up at 6AM. It will feel like high school all over again.. yuck! I’ve gotten so used to college and not having class until the afternoon. So good! Anyway, life is going well and summer is awesome!

I’m sure you all have heard about the 7.8 earthquake in China. The death toll is reaching nearly 10,000 people! That’s so sad I’m praying for these people and for God to work in His mighty ways in this country. He is forced to be hidden and prohibited to be worshiped openly in China, so it will be even harder for the believers to spread God’s love to the people who are struggling. God, work in your mighty ways! I have a friend studying abroad near Chengdu and fortunately, he is safe. I’m glad you’re okay, Will!

My sister bought me one of those flip-page calendars for Christmas and it has an encouraging Godly quote or verse from the Bible each day. I read these verses each morning for a quick motivation for my day. I ripped off January 2nd’s page because I really enjoyed the quote. I put it up on my bulletin board right behind my laptop, so I read it often. It’s very encouraging and a pick-me-up when I am having a rough day. It says, “God specializes in things fresh and firsthand. His plans for you this year may outshine those of the past..He’s prepared to fill your days with reasons to give Him praise.” – Joni Eareckson Tada

I think it’s so cool that God is planning special days for us and events that will bless each of uniquely. He wants to give us days with reasons to give Him praise. He wants to bless us so much! It’s so cool.. I love God! I often forget that He is working for good in my life. I tend to focus on the bad and the ugly, when I should constantly focus on the fact that, ultimately, His plans will outshine anything I’ve ever experienced.

I was reading a Self magazine and it mentioned that they are starting a challenge online called the 2008 SELF Challenge! I was immediately interested because I really want to work out and get in better shape this summer. This challenge is so practical because there are so many resources on the website. SELF.com describes challenging workouts, healthy meal ideas, has exciting mp3 downloads, forums and discussion boards, and tracks your progress. Before I started I entered all of my information: height, weight, age, measurements, etc. When the challenge is complete, I will be able to see my progress. I have been working with this challenge for a week now and it’s still exciting to write in my food diary and my workout log. It really motivates me to not snack throughout the day on empty calories becauseI know that I will have to write it in my food diary and it will unnecessarily shoot up my caloric intake. The challenge has encouraged me to eat healthier, such as special K cereal with sliced strawberries and bananas for breakfast, a chicken caesar salad in a whole wheat pita for lunch, fruit or yogurt for a snack, and grilled chicken or fish with vegetables for dinner. I’ve come to realize that food can be delicious and low in calories. I’ve also been more encouraged to exercise throughout the day. I’ve been walking in the morning with my mom, sister, and niece and it’s been a really great way to start the day. I’ve also been doing some strength exercises that Self.com has showed me. It’s fun to add each work out to my log and see how many calories I burned (it calculates it for you!). Basically, if you are looking for an encouraging medium to help kick-start a new healthy lifestyle, you should definitely check out www.self.com.

Also, I added a SELF Tip of the day on my sidebar. It updates each day with practical hints for a healthy lifestyle!

You may be wondering what happened 34 months ago from today? Hmm.. it was July 4, 2005 and it just happens to be the day that David asked me to be his girlfriend on a warm summer day at Cocoa beach. When I heard that question come out of his mouth, I was elated and relieved! We had become such close friends and the next step in our friendship was to enter in a romantic relationship and I’m so glad that we did! It’s so fun to be in a relationship where you are being pursued. As a girl, I can honestly say that we love to be pursued and love to be interested in. The sense of feeling special enough that a man wants to get to know her more and discover what is going on in her heart is very enjoyable. This feeling is very satisfying and really fun but it’s not the main source of my satisfaction. I know that my identity is found in Christ alone and no relationship will ever change my relationship with my Savior. Since my relationship with Christ is of utmost importance, it’s exciting to grow in my relationship with Christ with someone who also loves Him. I know David and I wouldn’t have a great relationship if we had differing beliefs and values. I just don’t think it’s a good idea to mix opposing views, someone always seems to let go of what they believe for the sake of the relationship. It can be so easy to get caught up in a relationship that causes you to let go of your values and succumb to any pressure that is being thrown your way. I believe that relationships should bring out the best in both people involved while also bringing glory to the Lord. I believe this because God does good for all of His children. He wants the best for us and He will bless us the most when we are following His plan. I think we are blinded by God’s goodness when we are in a relationship where our beliefs are less visible. Basically, God wants to bless us so much and we have to be seeking Him in all we do, including in who we date. I’ve been learning a lot about relationships through a book I’ve been reading called “Going all the way” by Craig Groeschel. It’s a great book and I have learned so much! The biggest thing I learned is about “Finding the One”. The book stated that no matter what, Christ should always be your number one and your spouse should be your number two. You should never put your spouse/significant other above your relationship with Christ. When Christ is in control, everything else falls into place. Of course there will be trials and troubles along the way but the journey will be a lot less stressful when He is in control. It’s very comforting to know that no matter what happens in any romantic relationships I will have in my life, I’m always secure in my true love, the love of Jesus!

So, I’m so thankful that David is a Christian and that he loves the Lord. I’m so glad he has the same beliefs and values as me. It creates less conflict between us and a more clear future for our relationship. Anyway, Happy 34 months, Dave! Can’t wait for our three years!!

This picture was taken on July 4, 2005, walking to the beach

I have started reading the Twilight book series by Stephanie Meyer. It’s so good!! I was flipping through my usual Time magazine when I came across an article about this book series. Stephanie was inspired to write this series from a dream she had about a girl and a sparkling vampire sitting by a meadow. After having this dream, she wrote out what she remembered and realized she wanted to make a story out of it. So cool! Stephanie Meyer is an American author who graduated from Brigham Young University in Utah with an English major. Since she is from Utah, you may have guessed that she is Mormon and you are right! Even though her books are dark and mysterious and about a vampire, it is very cleanly written. It is seductive but appropriate. It is sultry but there is no sex involved. I really enjoy the story and the tension (lots of sexual tension.. but once again, it’s somehow clean) just makes me keep turning the pages! I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a summer read(s). They are also filming a movie for Twilight that will be out in December!

I can now say, along with many of my friends, that my freshman year of college is over and now in the past! I’ve taken a variety of courses and have learned a lot of interesting things. Looking back on this year, I wouldn’t have changed anything because it was all a great learning experience. I’m glad that I ended up staying home and going to UCF. I was able to watch my niece grow up and continue to be a big influence in her development, which is really important to me. As a result of living at home, I feel I did not meet as many people at UCF as I could have. I met some great people throughout the two semesters but I didn’t find a deep relationships with anyone. One of my main goals for sophomore year is to meet more people and put more effort into building relationships. So, fall of 2007 was pretty fun! Fortunately, I quickly adapted to the college life and college academics. I took five classes: Speech (great professor), LEAD (met some fun people), European History (boring but learned a lot), Intro to Education (online, but I loved the service learning), and American History (Oh, Farly and Villio. I will always remember them and the fun Stel, Jen and I had in that class!) I love how college semesters go by sooo fast! They aren’t even four months! If each semester goes by this fast, I will be out of college in a snap! This past semester, I also took five classes: Teaching Diverse Populations (lovedddd the service learning even more), LEAD (about homelessness, loved it), Philosophy (Jen and I got tickets to the triggy show!), English (biggest joke of my life), and College Algebra (lots of work but I kinda enjoyed it..kinda). I was also in an assistantship with a professor in the college of education through LEAD Scholars. I was matched with a very kind woman who really wanted me to succeed. I worked on a lot of interesting projects that was related to my major. I learned a lot about elementary education through the work I did. Thursday is my last day of work and I will truly miss it!

I have grown in my faith so much this past year. I am super blessed to be in a Bible study with Michelle Beckman. She is so amazing and is wonderful to talk to! I’m so glad that Jen and Stel joined our study. I love hearing about their hearts and what is going on in their lives. The questions and discussions we had every Wednesday night strengthened my faith and encouraged me when I really needed it. God was my rock this semester and got me through all the lonely times. I was also able to lead a Bible study of high school freshman girls for a couple months. It was really fun to get to know these amazing girls and hear about their hearts. Unfortunately, our schedules got too busy and conflicted too much. Overall, I hope the girls learned a lot and grew in their faith while we were together.

This year was the first time that Dave and I have been separated for longer than a couple weeks. We were forced to stand on our own feet and do our own thing for a while. We pursued our passions in our academics and are getting closer in our future careers. Dave and I were forced to have better communication skills and have creative ideas while we were apart (SKYPE!). The weekends that we had together were so much fun and even though they were short, they were always very sweet. I know long distance relationships can be hard but fortunately, we aren’t that far apart and we kinda like each other…a lot.

This past year has had a lot of ups and downs. I’ve learned so much about myself, both academically and emotionally. In retrospect, there are some major events that stand out to me and here are some pictures portraying each of them.

Dave and I in Chicago, December 28, 2007. First time I saw snow! The trip was really fun
and I’m so thankful the Stokers invited me along!

Here is a picture of my niece, Faith last month. I love her with all of my heart!! She brings so much joy into my life and I couldn’t even imagine not being in her life at such an influential age.

Dave took me to the Hillsong Conference in November 2007. It was amazing! We loveeee Hillsong and they don’t come to the US very often and we have seen them twice! It was really awesome.

Here are the freshman girls in my small group the night of their homecoming. There is Olivia, Emily, Amanda, and Melanie. Don’t they look beautiful? I really enjoy these girls!

Here are Jen, Stel, and I at the UCF C-USA Championship game, which was really exciting! These two girls were a major reason why I enjoyed my first year.

This is a picture of some of the girls I worked with at Ivey Lane Elementary for my service learning. It was a great experience working at a Title 1 school and the students were so fun. I loved it all!

Overall, freshman year was great and I have so many great memories. I’m so glad summer is here so we can all just take a breather and prepare for our next semester. Fall 2008 will be exciting and I know it will be another great learning experience!

I recently just got back from Gainesville! Stel and I decided to go up Saturday afternoon and let me tell you…it was an adventure. First off, I must mention that this was the first time I’ve driven to Gainesville/driven anywhere more than 45 minutes away from home. So, we get on the 408 ready to go and about 15 minutes in, the car starts to feel really bumpy and Stel says, “What is that??”, so I pull over and lo and behold, I got a flat tire! I unfortunately ran over a nail which made the tire go crazy. So, Stel and I are on the side of 408 right before all the downtown exits. I called my mom and she called AAA and they said they would come to us in a few minutes (HINT! If you ever need AAA and there is a long wait, just say you in danger and they should get there faster). Stel and I decide to drive up about 100 feet to a part of the road with a wider shoulder. We drive very slowly and lose the hubcap along the way, but finally make it to the bigger part of the road. We decide to run back and get the hubcap while we wait for AAA (scary but ultimately, it was a very good idea). When we are walking back to the car, a towing man pulls up behind us and tells us he can help us but I say AAA is on their way. He was a little crazy but really nice! So, he stands there staring at the tire until a man in a white truck pulls behind him. We all thought it was AAA and we were like dang! it’s only been three minutes! But it actually was a highway patrol/serviceman/helpful person! I wish I knew his exact title so I could give him credit but I just don’t know! Anyway, he told us to cancel the call to AAA and he said he could change the tire. He was so great! He said he was actually on a surface street parallel to the 408 and he saw two girls (stel and I) running and thought “What are they doing? they need help!” So, he got onto the 408 and came just for us! Overall, we were only on the side of the road for about 20 minutes…we got lucky! I’m so glad we were on that spot on the 408 because if we were on the part with all the construction, I don’t know what we would have done! So, God kept us safe and it’s a fun story to have under my first road trip :-p

Gainesville was fun and it was good to spend time with Dave! I can’t wait until he is home next Saturday! He will be home for three and a half months!

I have my last day of class tomorrow. All of my finals are DONE! They all went pretty well, I think. I should get my grades sometime this week. I can’t believe freshman year is over! I will write a post reflecting on my past year as a freshman at UCF soon. This year has had it’s highs and lows but it’s definitely been a learning experience.