Life, it's a funny thing

Well this is it. My home for the past five weeks and the next seven. I arrive here at 8:15 a.m. and don't leave until 4:30 p.m. (if I'm lucky!).

The real life has come. It is here to stay.

It stinks.

I keep thinking that maybe tomorrow when I come to school, I will suddenly have my own classroom and won't have to follow Mr. Brede (that's my cooperating teacher, you can see his back in the upper right) around all day. That just maybe, I will wake up one morning and won't be a measly student teacher anymore and will instead be a full-blown teacher.

That day has not come yet. It stinks.

I know that these twelve weeks are preparing me for my supposed career in teaching high school chemistry, but I am just ready to start. But there are seasons right? I suppose this is my season to be a litte puppy dog following around a grown man all day hoping that he can shed some insight into teaching upon my inquiring mind. I'm soaking it all in, but ready to be finished.

Which leads me to a whole new topic....

WHAT THE HECK AM I GOING TO DO COME NOVEMBER THIRD?????

Heather Hendrick hit everything that I am thinking about all of this right on the nose.

I know that I have a passion--one thing that I desire to pour everything that I am into--but I just don't know what it is exactly. I yearn to find it. I yearn to be recognized by my passion. So what is stopping me from diving head first into my passion and throwing my entire self into it?

Because I just don't know exactly what it is.

I have lots of things that I like to do and some things that I am good at, but how in the world am I supposed to put them together?

A question that I will continue to ask the Lord to answer. I know that He will lead me to my passion. I just have to wait through this season (and maybe a few more) before that passion becomes a reality. Until then, I will cling. Cling to hope, cling to HIM. I refuse to be mediocre. I refused to be balanced. I refuse to be under-whelmed.

I will live a passion-filled life.

.cb.

A moment of silence please...

Above you will see the remains of my phone. May she rest in peace.
This phone served me well up until last night. She died in the Walmart parking lot by an accidental dropping.
I got this phone after I dropped my other one in the toilet. Remember that?! I must have abusive tendencies with my little phones.

I am now going through phone counseling, but in the meantime that means that no one can call me. Actually the full truth is that the bottom half is fully functioning, so you can call me I just won't hear you. Notice the nice blue light in the picture. And I can even call you, and you can hear what I say, but on my end its very lonely. Claire and Hay and I played fun little games with it last night.

I leave today for Italy! Yea! ---So really this whole phone thing happened at the perfect time. And my sweet friends decided they wanted to help earlier today by getting all my numbers out of my phone and put them in an excel spreadsheet so I could have them overseas. How helpful and perfect, considering the death that would take place later. Jesus even cares about my cell phone!

Well, seeing as there is a red blinking light on the working part of my phone that means someone called me. (Brookie, if its you, I am SO sorry! )

Thats it. We decided this blog was for the daily happenings. So there you go, my very mundane, but tragic experience.
Man, there are all kinda hints that I need to leave the country.


sv

Brookie's Birthday Review

Hey! I just thought I'd let you all in on how my birthday went. I absolutely LOVED hearing from many of you. The e-mails, messages, notes, and packages were so much fun! It's not quite the same when I can't see some of my best friends in the world..... but, I had a great 36 hours (Thailand & Texas combined) of birthday fun. :)

The night before my birthday began here, I had dinner at a couple's house that Katie and I eat at every Sunday. It was absolutely wonderful! Sharon made me an aaaaamazing black forest cake. Sooooooo yummy! You'll also see my wonderful Thai birthday hat. (Hay, it reminded me of you!)

On my actual birthday I went to school to teach... b/c that's what I do here. Above my door was a wonderful sign that made me very, very happy. It read "Happy Birthday Miss Brandon." It took me a couple periods into the school day for me to notice it amongst all of the "vote for me b/c i'm cool" student council papers everywhere. I can't believe the school already knows me as a Texas Aggie.... it's fun though. I've had to do a few of our yells upon request.... which of course I thought was really fun.... everyone else just thinks I'm crazy. Anyway, I received a few unexpected, wonderful presents from my students as well (Victoria's Secret lotion, a pretty journal, and chocolate)!!!

Then, Katie and I went out to eat with Tommy and Beverly. They took us to a very nice Thai restaurant where I had my absolute favorite: Pad Thai. mmmm---mmmm---- good. I then had incredible mango ice cream to top it off.

That about sums the birthday bash up. I mostly enjoyed hearing from so many of you! Thanks so much to all of you for making my day special!

a week of growth and another year older

Calling all chicks! Hello!

Now that I am done with training, this whole going overseas thing is starting to feel very real.
My team really is so fun. (read about them on my blog)
I has so much fun learning about living abroad and meeting new people. Specifically alot of cute boys. You can ask me about that later. :)

And since yesterday was my birthday, I thought I would tell you how fun being 23 is.
So far I really like it.
My facebook wall has never seen so much action.
I got to experience what it would be like to be the super popular kid in high school.















My parents had taken me out to dinner before I left for Colorado.
We went to the French Room in the Adolphus Hotel.
Fancy-schmancy.

For your mental picture: more silverware than you could possibly have use for. Waiters laying your napkin in your lap for you--because heaven forbid you do that yourself. Little crystal bars that your knife rests on so that you don't sully the tablecloth. And the most scrumptuous food that has ever passed your lips.

It was fantastic.
See, now I am 23 and mature enough to handle a restaurant like that.
I have arrived.

So for my real birthday (last night), my mom, sister, adopted sister Claire and Hayley took me out to dinner.
We had mojitos.
The night was a success.





(this little cocktail has lime and mint and sugar in it and whoever invented it should recieve an award)










sv

Out of Hiding!

I did it! 13 weeks at Pine Cove, DONE!

I understand that 2 new posts in one day is a bit much for the chicks, but on top of Brooke's AMAZING Thai/Aggie adventures today I must proclaim that Loop-Da-Loop has left Tyler, and I, Jessica, have returned to the place I call home, Friendswood, TX.

I have had an amazing summer. It was absolutely crammed packed with challenges, physical exhaustion, lots of SYSCO foods, approximately 100 families, 34 amazing high school girl campers of my very own, a HUGE BLUE POOL that I learned how to clean on my very own, lifeguarding EVERYDAY (my hairdresser's going to LOVE THAT), lots of amazing new friends, and continuing to learn how to serve the Lord with all that I have. I've been dressed up very silly (fortunately slash unfortunately my girls were terribly good at Bible memory), I've crawled around on my hands and knees in espionage forest more times that I can count, I've celebrated medieval knights, switcheroo, christmas in july, no siesta fiesta, caveman clash bash, camelot knights, dock rock, and zoot scoot, worn a yellow and orange Pine Cove opening day shirt and jumped like crazy to greet campers all in the name of Jesus. I've learned in a new way what 2 Cor. 12:9,10 means about boasting in my weaknesses. I've seen a lot more of mine this summer and recognize that the only way I've run this race has been through the unbelievable power of our savior. Being blessed to have my hands in the lives of high school girls for a mere six days only to let them go out into the scary world every Saturday, I've learned a lot about how hard it is for me to trust the Lord. He was so faithful to provide oppurtunities for the gospel, new friends, and beautiful scenery. In the end, it was amazing - amazingly hard, amazingly fun, amazingly stretching, but AMAZING.

As most of you know Tyler, TX will soon become that home, but for four whole weeks I'll be residing here in my parent's home (that's awfully weird--"my parent's home" we're getting so so old) minus a birthday party and bachelorette party in DFW and some partying in Austin for sis' birthday. My days will be filled with rest and relaxation. I'll play on my new computer (happy graduation, jess! love, mom and dad), and of course Mom's made about 10 appointments for me - you know those last minute appointments that parents make when their kids are no longer going to be in their care/dependent.

It is insane to me how dispersed we are all becoming. I miss my girls. Brooke's post today made me excited for her but a bit teary at the distance between us. I love you guys.
~js