The Update on Masters, Friends, Babies, and River Ridge

Wow... 2 months since I last posted. Like I've said before, I'd rather read other people's blogs than update my own. :)

My Masters
I am now over halfway through my first masters class, Advanced Educational Psychology. I have a 100 average and I couldn't be happier. I never did this well when I was getting my undergrad! I start my next 2 classes on October 26 and I will finish my current class on November 13. I'm a little nervous about taking 3 classes at one time, but I know with God I can do anything. My next 2 classes are Understanding Educational Research and Assessment and Foundations of Exceptionality. These classes will last until December 18. I'll have a break until December 28 when I will take my first intensive class up in Lynchburg, Virginia at Liberty University. The class lasts from December 28 to January 1. I'm a little nervous about the possibility of being up there by myself. My parents said they might just have to take a trip up there with me. If they don't go, I'll be all by myself on New Years Eve.

Reunited and it feels so good...
Facebook really is an amazing invention. I was best friends with a girl from 8th grade until 10th grade. After 10th grade we didn't have any classes together and never saw each other so we lost touch. Well I had looked on Facebook a few times within the past year to see if she was on there, but I never found her. So a couple months ago I got a friend request from Melissa Garland Tippett--my long lost friend. I was so excited! We've been catching up and planning on getting pedicures. She's renewing her wedding vows with her husband so she can have the wedding she always wanted. I can't wait to spend that special day with her and look forward to making many new memories. I'm so happy we've found each other.

The Most Beautiful Baby
My new baby cousin Audrey Elizabeth King is just the cutest, most precious thing ever. She was born on August 26, the same day my daddy had his open heart surgery. She looks just like her mommy and I can't wait to see her again. To see pictures of this beautiful baby and her family, visit here.

Fun Times at River Ridge Elementary School
I can't believe that we are one-fourth of the way through this school year. My students are amazing and are improving each and every day. My students are learning a routine while they are in my room. They know that when they first come into my room they sit on the green circle. Most of the children are ready to start working then, but one of my kids has to read his version of Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do You Hear? before we get started. Each child I work with is so different. I have had to learn their learning styles and what things reinforce them if they do work. Some work for tickles, some for Goldfish Crackers, some for gummies, and some for computer time. One of my kids learned his telephone number this past week. We had been working on it since school began. Last week something just clicked in his brain. I love my job, but the more classes I take, the more I can't wait to have my own classroom and be a real teacher. Oh, you can check out our class blog here.

Well it's getting late. I hope this update lets you have a better picture of what has been going on in my life. Have a good night!

By His Grace.

I should be happy...

... but I feel kinda guilty.

MeMa is moving out tomorrow. She's going to live with her niece. We've also looked into Skylyn Place in Spartanburg. That is in her price range so if things don't go well living with her niece, we have a backup plan. I've wanted this for so long. I have the patience of Job with children, but when it comes to senior citizens I have no patience at all. I think it's because I remember how MeMa used to act and now I feel like all of this is an act even though most of it isn't. She'd start crying tonight and ask my daddy what was going to happen to her. She doesn't understand that the reason she is having to leave our house is because daddy is having his heart surgery and we won't be able to take care of her as much as she needs it. She thinks we are tired of her and just want her out. Daddy will be out of commission for at least 2 months and she will just cause so much more stress for him. I just hate to see her upset. How can someone that I loved and wanted to spend so much time with when I was younger become someone that I am annoyed by and don't like spending time with?

I just feel torn.

I should be happy.

I'm getting what I wanted.

By His Grace.

The Update of all Updates

Wow! It was May when I last posted. Sorry! I just love reading other people's blogs and not updating mine, but so much has happened since I last updated, I feel like I need to clue in whoever reads this thing. Hmmm... where to start...

I took 2 math classes over the summer at USC Upstate. I made an A in my Geometry for Elementary teachers class and a B in Algebra for Elementary teachers class. If only I had done that good the first time I was in college. I was planning on getting my certification to teach from Upstate, but my plans have changed... That thought will be continued later on in this post. :)

Friday, July 31 was my last day at CVS on Reidville Road. I have a new job that I start Monday, August 10! I'm going to be a PCD assistant at River Ridge Elementary School. I'm so excited! My classroom is made up of 3, 4, and 5 year olds. The majority of them have Autism, but some are just learning disabled. There are 2 assistants and 1 teacher in the classroom. I'm mainly the assistant in charge of doing ABA therapy with the children and working with them one-on-one. Right now there are only 5 children in the class, but we already have 3 more on the waiting list to enter the class as soon as the turn 3. Children who have been diagnosed with Autism or as learning disabled may enter the class as soon as they turn 3. There is a morning class and an afternoon class so starting out we will not have all five at the same time. The teacher I will be working with is Julie Henderson. We grew up together so it's exciting that God brought us back together.

On August 5, I celebrated my 25th birthday at the beach with my family. Twenty five just seems so weird. I don't feel like I'm 25 and I sure don't act like it. I always thought I'd be married by now, but obviously God has other plans. Check out the pictures from my birthday here.

I know you're all on the edge of your seats with anticipation concerning the continuation my education so for the most important update of all...

I am getting my MASTERS!

I couldn't be more happier/excited/thrilled/etc. I will be getting my Masters of Arts in Teaching online through Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. If everything goes as scheduled, I should be done with my masters in December 2010. All of the classes are online EXCEPT for my 14 weeks of student teaching and 3 intensive classes that I have to take on campus in Virginia. The first intensive class is during Christmas break and the other 2 are during summer break. They are all 1 week long. I have to take 36 hours in all. I will be getting my degree in Elementary Education and will be certified to teach pre-k through 6th grade. Getting my masters online has ended up being cheaper than if I got my certification at USC Upstate or if I had gotten my masters at Converse. They accept my GPA which is very good since that is the main reason I couldn't go to Converse. I just love how God works. Things just seem to be falling into place!

Please pray for my brother. He's getting his wisdom teeth out in the morning and pray for my Daddy. He's going to have his aortic valve replaced in his heart. He goes to the doctor on Monday to meet with the surgeon to set up a date for the surgery. Also please pray for my family as we try to figure out what needs to be done with my Mema. She's currently living with us, but her memory is getting worse, her shoulder isn't getting better, and we don't feel that living with us is the best place for her. If she lived in an assisted living, she would be getting more therapy on her shoulder. Also if my daddy has this surgery, she will add more stress than he needs with his heart condition. I know it will break her heart for us to put her somewhere, but I believe that's what we're going to have to do. I'm thankful for you and your prayers!

I love you.

By His Grace.

God of This City

I absolutely love this song and our new American Idol sings it. I saw a video clip that Alison posted on her blog. The link she was referring to has become a private video, but I found this video today. Isn't it great that the man America chose to win American Idol is a strong Christian? I hope you enjoy!




You can also find this song on Itunes. It's "God of This City" by Bluetree or Chris Tomlin.

By His Grace.

Sweet Home Alabama... Or Not.

My brother has finished up his freshman year of college. He's met so many new friends and experienced so many new things. Later on today, my parents and I will be driving to Alabama to move David out of college and we won't be moving him back to Alabama come this fall. That's right... my brother is not going back to Samford. He liked the experience he had there, but I think he came to realize that Samford just wasn't the place God wanted him. David has changed his major from religion to Poly Sci/Pre Law. He is so in love with politics. Don't ever get him started on anything political unless you really intend on spending some good quality time discussing or debating. Come this fall David will be attending the wonderful University of South Carolina in Columbia. Since he wants to go into politics and law, he figured that it might sound better saying that he graduated from USC instead of Samford and Columbia is a big city for politics and law. I'm so happy that he's going to be closer! Go Cocks!

David may be coming closer to home for next school year, but he's going to be further away during the summer. David has been offered a paid internship with a political campaign in Indiana. The politician is a Christian and uses his campaign as a ministry. I'm excited for David and I'm so glad he's going to be doing something that he wants to do. He leaves May 21st. :( I'm really going to miss him though. He's going to be gone all summer.

LymanFest is Saturday. Come out and see all the great things Lyman has to offer. :) My church is going to have a lot of activities and booths. Bring your kids. It will be great!

Well it's getting late and I have to get up early to leave for Alabama. I'll post more later.

By His Grace.

Back to School... Back to School... To Prove to Daddy I'm Not a Fool...

So it's official. I'm going back to school. Starting either this summer or next fall I will be a student at USC Upstate. I found out today that I will need to take 73 hours of classes to get my certification to teach early childhood grades. I am so excited and so motivated. I know I am going to do well and I can't wait! I will find out later on this week more information so I will be sure to update. Keep me in your prayers.

By His Grace.

Miss Petty, Future Teacher

I really, really want to be a teacher. I want that more than anything right now! I have looked into schools to either get another bachelor's degree or even get a master's degree in teaching. I looked into Converse's masters of arts in teaching degree, but I'm afraid I won't get into because my GPA from college isn't the greatest. I decided to look into the PACE program. SC offers people with bachelor degrees the opportunity to become a certified teacher in certain at risk areas. The only problem is that with my communication degree I would have to teach middle or high school english. I am definitely NOT doing that. I decided to check into USC Upstate's college of education. I applied Thursday and sent in my transcript. Today I was looking online at their website and found out that they have a program for people who already have a bachelor's degree and want to get certified to teach. It takes 2 to 3 years, but they accept people with a GPA between 2.0 and 2.5. I would qualify! I called and talked to the dean and she told me to send an unofficial transcript to her on Monday and they would tell me within the next couple days if I'm accepted or not. I don't want to get my hopes up, but y'all I'm so excited!

I've also applied for a job working as an assistant with special needs classroom in district 5 in Spartanburg county. I want this so bad! I interviewed on Thursday and should find out within the next few days if I got it or not. I need to get in the classroom. I like working at CVS. The people are great, the benefits are awesome, and it's a pretty interesting job. I decided to try to get in the classroom because I figure that by the time I am certified it might be easier for me to get a job if I'm already in the education field. I will try to keep you updated.

On another note, my MeMa has been living with us for the past month or two. Please pray for my family. We need patience like crazy! She can be soooo annoying. The house is burning up, the TV is so loud, and she just bugs the pee out of me. Please pray for MeMa as well because she is recovering from a reversal shoulder replacement. Hopefully things will start looking up.

Thanks for all of the prayers.

By His Grace.

25 Random Things

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you. I may have tagged you even if you’ve posted 25 random things already. In this case I just tagged you because I love you!

1. I was born 2 months early. I weighed 2 lbs 13 ozs and stayed in the hospital for 27 days.

2. I've been practically caffeine free for over 2 years now. I love Diet Caffeine Free Mountain Dew. I still eat a little chocolate though.

3. My weakness is ice cream especially banana cream pie from Bruster's.

4. I've suffered from anxiety and depression since I was 13, but with God's help I luckily have things under control right now.

5. I have 4 best friends: Lauren who lives in St. Augustine, Florida, LeeAnn who lives in Belton, SC, Amanda who lives in Lyman, SC, and Elizabeth who lives in Greenwood, SC.

6. I collect movies. If I find cheap DVDs somewhere I try my hardest not to buy them, but I always do. My DVD collection is pretty big.

7. My favorite tv shows are One Tree Hill and Friends.

8. I love kids. I know God is calling me to work with children and I couldn't be happier!

9. I miss college. My years spent at Anderson University were the best years of my life.

10. I have the most beautiful god-daughter in the world, Brianna Elizabeth Keasler. She's amazing and I spoil her like crazy.

11. I've been to 28 of the US states, Washington, DC, and Canada.

12. I can't wait to get married. I just need to find the right man first. My patience is struggling.

13. I broke my arms 4 times when I was little. 1st time I was 5 and I fell off the monkey bars, 2nd time I broke both bones in my right arm while doing a cartwheel (9 yrs old), 3rd time I fell on the gym floor playing basketball (10 years old), and 4th time I fell off of my bicycle (11 years old).

14. I was robbed at my apartment at gunpoint a little over a year ago. I've lived with my parents since then. I'm ready to be on my own again.

15. My health insurance starts on February 1st with CVS and I couldn't be happier! :)

16. I was editor of the yearbook in high school. The staff voted me "most likely to become a yearbook advisor" my senior year. The truth is I really wish I could be one.

17. I'm reading the Twilight saga right now. It's really good, but I don't think it's the best thing I've ever read. I'm only on the 2nd book though. I'll let you know how I feel when I'm done.

18. I've caught the bouquet at 3 weddings. One of the weddings ended in divorce. I obviously haven't been the next to get married.

19. My weekends in college were spent at concerts or dancing at the Blindhorse. I had so much fun! I miss those days.

20. I am the worst at reading my Bible and having a quiet time with God each day. It's something I struggle with, but I'm working on it.

21. I love decaf white chocolate mochas from starbucks.

22. Brian Adams, Rascal Flatts, and Taylor Swift songs make me happy.

23. I love love love having people fix my hair and do my makeup. If I marry a rich guy, I'm going to have a stylist.

24. My family is so important to me! I will ALWAYS be a daddy's girl. I love my brother and miss him while he's at school. My momma and I will always have a special bond.

25. I don't drink, smoke or have sex. I don't believe you should do the first two and the third will be saved for marriage.

Some VERY Exciting News!

There is going to be an addition to my family! My cousin Lauren and her hubby David are pregnant! They are due in August and I couldn't be happier! My birthday is August 5th so I'm praying that it comes then. :) I wouldn't mind sharing a birthday! Please pray that Mommy and baby remain healthy.

Lauren and Me

Change is Hard

I have so much to update in this blog. I'd much rather read other people's blogs than update my own, but I felt like I needed to get things off my chest. My MeMa fell a few weeks ago outside her house and shattered the top of her right arm and dislocated her shoulder. She laid outside for 45 minutes until someone drove by and found her. She was rushed to the hospital where she was admitted and given a lot of pain medicine. This was around noon on a Friday. They didn't do surgery until around 8am the next morning. They were able to piece the bone back together, from what I was told, but they weren't really able to put the shoulder back together like they would like because the surgery would be too extensive for her age. She has been in a rehabilitation nursing home for a week or so. She is not happy there and thinks we are going to leave her there. The pain medicine is also doing a toll on her mind. This is very, very hard for me. Tonight I went to visit her. She was positive that tonight was the first night she was at this place. She thought she had been at some other nursing home since she had been in the hospital. Out of all of my grandparents, why did she have to turn out this way? I'm her only granddaughter and she's my MeMa. We've always been very, very close and I can't stand to see her this way. She feels like everyone is plotting against her. I told her tonight that we aren't going to leave her in the rehab nursing home, she's just there until she gets better an can go back to her house. She said she wishes we had told her that she was going there (the rehab place) instead of her house when she was leaving the hospital. My daddy did tell her, but she just can't remember.

Things aren't supposed to be this way...

She asked me to come live with her at her house when she gets out of the rehab nursing home. I told her that I would, but I'm sure she won't remember. I just hopes her arm/shoulder continues to heal and that she can lessen up on this pain medicine that is messing with her mind so much. I love you, MeMa.