Wordless Wednesday- Last Picture Of 2008

What a Crazy World We Live In!

Wow, so today has been a day of technology adventures.



First, my new laptop has a fingerprint scanner that allows me to access all my online accounts, profiles, and shop online all with the swipe of my finger.



Second, I went to Darque Tan today and they had me set up fingerprint scan there so no one else can tan under my name.



Then this afternoon, I set up a Skype account and proceed to call my Pawpaw and chat with him over webcam.



I mean seriously people, how much more high tech can we get? It really blows my mind that all these new technologies are available to the general public and so easy to use.



I know I sound silly that all this stuff is so exciting to me and that it completely shocks me that this is the world we live in. But I can't help it, as a culture, we have come along way.



If you think about it, just in my 26 years I have seen cordless phones, the computer, the Internet, cell phones, and cable television come into almost every home.



If you stop and think about it, it is crazy!

Sunshine!

You know that you have been in a long string of gross weather when you wake up and wonder what that crazy light is. You have to double (triple) check your alarm clock to make sure that you didn't oversleep. It seriously took a good few minutes to realize that I wasn't late or confused but rather that light coming through my window was the sun!

The weather has been gross, wet, cold, and gray for SO LONG that I had forgotten what the sun looked like. I actually had to get my sunglasses out on the way to work!

Welcome Back Sunshine! We missed you!

I Bowed On My Knees and Cried Holy

I dreamed of a city called Glory,
So bright and so fair.
When I entered that gate I cried, "Holy"
The angels all met me there:
They carried me from mansion to mansion,
And oh what sights I saw.
But I said, "I want to see Jesus,
He's the One who died for all."
Then I bowed on my knees and cried,"Holy, Holy, Holy."
Then I clapped my hands and sang, "Glory,Glory to the Son of God."

I thought as I entered that city,
My friends all knew me well.
They showed me the streets of Heaven;
Such scenes too numerous to tell;
I saw Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
Mark, Luke and Timothy.
But I said, "I want to see Jesus,
He's the One who died for me."

I Bowed On My Knees and Cried Holy- Michael English

I *heart* my family!

The older we all get the closer we have become and I love it!

Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday Jesus!

Luke 2:9-12

And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. (10) And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. (11) For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (12) And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

Wordless Wednesday- Merry Christmas To All :-)

It isn't about...

It isn't about:

• Pecan Pie
• Caramel Crunch Bars
• Brownies
• Rice Krispie Treats
• Sugar Cookies
• or even Cheesecake

But it is about:

Matthew 1:21
"She shall bring forth a son,
and thou shall call His name Jesus;
for He shall save His people from their sins."

Nope Not Me!

I did not wear a sleeveless dress and open toed shoes to my graduation because Miss Manners would not approve of such attire in December.

I did not wear my graduation regalia into Katz's Deli and hope that people told me congratulations....nope not me, I would never do such a thing.

Nope not me, I did not forget to send my uncle in Austin a Christmas card. And then send it with his Thank You card.

I did not order 2 dessert pizzas for me and the Unit. And we certainly did not eat said pizzas at 11pm!

I did not call my Dad this morning and tell him that it was "snowing" with hopes that he would tell me not come in this morning.

And I most certainly did not get sick with a respiratory infection the week of Christmas.

Now go check out what MckMama didn't do this week!

Oh Christmas Shopping....

Me and the Unit went to eat at Chuy's today after our mani and pedi appointment. The Chuy's happens to be in a shopping plaza with a lot of popular stores. And goodness gracious was it crowded! The parking lot was full of Christmas shoppers scrambling to all the different stores. But isn't it a little late to be shopping for Christmas gifts? Am I the only one who doesn't wait until the last possible days? If people started shopping on the day after Thanksgiving, they can't still be shopping!

I'm sorry I just think that it is craziness to still be shopping! The stores are all picked over and way too crowded. I just want to put the word out there, GET YOUR SHOPPING DONE BEFORE THE WEEK OF CHRISTMAS! Procrastinating on shopping only adds to the stress!

Take the time to enjoy the holidays, folks. Without the stress it is easy to focus on the real reason and meaning of the holiday.

Luke 2:9-12

And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. (10) And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. (11) For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

I Gradumawaited!

I am a graduate!

Life In A Bulleted List

• I graduate tomorrow!
• The Unit is coming tomorrow!
• I really hope that I don't trip walking across the stage.
• I am ALMOST done Christmas shopping (technically I am done but I still have to accompany my Dad when he shops for my mom)
• The fact that Christmas is next week is blowing my mind. I am completely surprised by its fast approaching date.
• Remember when it seemed like it took forever for Christmas to be here?
• It has taken a long time for me to get in the Christmas spirit.... I think too much has been going on for me to focus on it.
• I am still excited for the day though.
• My Christmas tree looks weird; I tried new things this year and I am not sure how I feel about it.
• I washed my sheets tonight and I am excited to sleep in them!
• Apparently I am incapable of washing dishes without getting water all over the counters...apparently I am 5 five years old....
• Yippee I get to wear my fancy regalia tomorrow! I love me some graduation!

(Nearly) Wordless Wednesday- Introducing Heidi Hyundai

Doing my part to help the economy by buying a new car. Here she is, Heidi, my 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe.

It's That Time Again, Not Me! Monday

If Mckmama did it then I will too.



I did not dress completely inappropriately for the cold weather twice and I did not over-layer for anticipation of cold weather that was not. Nope not me, that would be silly since I know how to check the weather.

And after the Relient K concert I did not allow myself to fantasize about marrying a rockstar. I am much to old to think about how cool it would be to be married to a (Christian) rockstar.

After spending $20 on stickers and play-doh for my clients (who are all under age 3) I did not seriously contemplate playing with them myself.

I did not not do my errands yesterday just so I wouldn't have to get my new car dirty. And I did not get a little sad this morning when I had to get my car out of the garage.

It did not take me 5 minutes to figure out how to unlock the office door this morning. I have a master's degree for goodness sake, unlocking doors is simple as can be.

It was certainly not me who was driving down Kingwood Drive this morning eating Eggo Waffles in my brand new car.

And it was definitely not me taking the elevator up 1 floor this morning because my shoes hurt my feet.

Picture Tag is Fun!

So Suz over at Steece's Pieces tagged all of us out here in blogland so her goes my game of Picture Tag.

The object of the picture tag is to:

1) Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer

2) Select the 4th picture in the folder

3) Explain the picture

4) Tag 4 people to do the same

NO CHEATING! (cropping, editing, etc!)

Here is mine!

This picture was taken December 12, 2003 and I was apparently studying for finals at Baylor my junior year. I must have been delirious to take a picture of my notes, computer, and sleeping puppy. Jamie Lynn looks cute in her little bed, but she was not a very good study buddy. And if you look closely I must not have been studying very hard because there is an AOL instant messenger conversation box up. Oh I miss college sometimes! :-)

Now I tag anyone who wants to do it.

Oh Relient K You Are My Favoritest

I was lucky enough to volunteer with KSBJ this weekend at the Toby Mac Winter Slam Concert. Kanda and I ran the prize wheel booth outside the concert from 2 until 7:15 then we got AWESOME tickets from the radio station to see the show! The whole experience was awesome; I love volunteering and I love Relient K...all in all it was a perfect night!

We are the cutest volunteers!

B.Reith is Christian music's Justin Timberlake, and he is a cutie :)

Family Force Five......Christian Death Metal....Who knew?

Relient K, I *heart* you....they played my 2 favorite songs. I was a happy girl!

*Sorry for the poor photography...I am still figuring out my new camera.

Ok so I know this video is completely lame and ridiculously short but it was my first attempt at shooting a video and uploading it here. So just grin and bear it y'all :)

(Nearly) Wordless Wednesday- OMG It's Snowing in Houston!

It's SNOWING!!
Snow on my arm!

Can you see it falling!

Snow on the neighbors car...mine is in the garage so it is snow free

These pictures aren't very good, I don't know how to take pictures at night with my new camera.

Sorry for the cheesy excitement, we just don't get weather like this EVER this far south. I am EXCITED! I can't help it! Plus seriously this is only like the 3rd time I have ever even SEEN snow!

What I have done so far today at "Work"

• Drank lots of hot tea
• Tried to fix the heat
• Designed and Redisgned 2 blog headers
• Listend to my itunes
• Entered 5 files into Xactimate
• Wrote a deposit slip
• Eat pita chips and salsa
• Stared out the window
• Watched Sabrina the Teenage Witch and King of the Hill
• Listened to the salesmen belittle the "new guy"
• Talked to my mom about dog sweaters

Man I have had a busy day.... EXCEPT NOT!

SOMEONE GIVE ME SOMETHING TO DO.

*Edited to add: After I finished this post my brother took pity on me and gave me something to do that occupied me until it was time to leave.

Open Letter To My Neighbors

Dear Fellow Residents,

If you drive a dual exhaust truck, motorcycle, or any other vehicle with modified exhaust system; please don't park outside my window. But if you must park there then please, for the love of all things holy, do not start your vehicle and leaving it loudly idling at 6am. I do not have to be awake until 8 and I would appreciate not being awaken by your noise inducing exhaust. We live in this fine town that affords us warm weather 365 days a year thus there is no need to start your car to defrost or let the heater warm up. Your mindless idling only serves the purpose to annoy me.

We all must coexist together folks.

Your compliance would be appreciated,
Ashley

Rules For Teachers In 1915

Pensacola School Board Set These Rules For Teachers in 1915:

1. You will not marry during the term of your contract
2. You are not to keep company with men
3. You must be home between the hours of 8 PM and 6 AM unless attending a school function
4. You may not loiter downtown in ice cream parlors
5. You may not travel beyond the city limits unless you have the permission of the Chairman of the Board
6. You may not ride in a carriage or automobile with any man unless he is your father or brother
7. You may not smoke cigarettes
8. You may not dress in bright colors
9. You may, under NO circumstances dye your hair
10. You must wear at least two petticoats
11. Your dresses must not be any shorter than 2 inches about the ankle

It is definitely a good thing I didn't live in 1915.

I'm Going To...

I'm going to enter this contest and you should too!




It all goes to a good cause!!

Thanks MckMama :)

I Haven't Seen This In A While

Its 3:30 (ish) in the morning and this is the first time in a long time that I have stayed up this late. For the past few months I have been on a "normal" schedule.

I have to be honest, I have kind of missed 3:30am...there is some quality TV on at this time.

I mean come on, it doesn't get better than vintage Degrassi: The Next Generation. :-)

The Reason For The Season

I Celebrate the Day by Relient K

And with this Christmas wish is missed

The point I could convey

If only I could find the words to say to let You know how much You've touched my life

Because here is where You're finding me, in the exact same place as New Year's eve

And from a lack of my persistency

We're less than half as close as I want to be

______________________________________________

And the first time

That You opened Your eyes did You realize that You would be my Savior

And the first breath that left Your lips

Did You know that it would change this world forever

_______________________________________________

And so this Christmas I'll compare the things I felt in prior years

To what this midnight made so clear

That You have come to meet me here

_______________________________________________

To look back and think that

This baby would one day save me

In the hope that what You did

That you were born so I might live

To look back and think that

This baby would one day save me

_______________________________________________

And I, I celebrate the day

That You were born to die

So I could one day pray for You to save my life

_______________________________________________

I found this song here and now I am in love with it.

I Can't Believe It Is Over

Today was the last day. Now its over. I turned my portfolio and its finished.

I have my master's degree in early childhood education. I cannot believe it. It still feels surreal.

I turned my life upside down to pursue this goal and now that I have accomplished it I don't know what to do next.

I do have some things in the works. I am really concentrating on praying for God's will to be clear to me. Some of choices in the past have been made on my own, and I giving this next step of my life to God. He is control and I want to do His will.

Please pray:
- that I am really able to take myself out of all this and let God be in control
- for the couple of interviews I have lined up
- I feel confident that I seeking God's will and not my own ambitions
- I listen!

Not Me Monday

Ok I am back with a Not Me! post.

I did not curse at the christian radio station for only playing Christmas music. I did not rant about how annoying Christmas music is.

I did not come home early from work to do my homework, but instead read Perez Hilton.

I did not eat 3 breakfasts this morning.

I did not really want to tell one of ECI moms that her baby can't hold his head up because his head is HUGE.

I did not almost go to Journey's to buy baby checkerboard vans because that would be weird since I don't have kids.

And I did not waste 15 minutes tonight trying to connect to the wireless network on campus so I could do a Not Me Monday post when I should have been working on my portfolio.

Please Pardon This Blogging Interruption

I made a blog for a project in my special ed class. I want to link it here so it will be easy to get to tomorrow for my presentation.

My Guiding Principles



Now back to your regular blogging program....

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all

I hope everyone out there in the internet has a happy thanksgiving filled with food, family, friends, love, and thankfulness.



Thanksgiving is a day for everyone to count their blessings from God.



Thus, I am thankful for:

- my God for saving me

- my family

- my friends

- my health and the health of my loved ones

- a place to call home

- stability in an unstable world

- hope

- love

- faith

Total Blessing

I am sitting in class waiting for it to start and I have been trying to figure out how to post from my Blackberry since I got it so we will see how this goes.



Today has gone by in a flash; it was a productive day but I feel behind a little. On thursday of last week I totaled my car and ever since then I feel like I have been one step behind. I did get news about my car today; State Farm gave me a good price for my car and it will be completely paid off.



This whole wreck situation has really been a blessing. I know that sounds crazy but things could not have gone any smoother on all aspects of it. The Lord is really teaching me a lot through this. I have truly trusted Him with it. I have offered nothing but thanksgiving for it all and He has blessed me in return.



Now I just pray that I remember to keep God in it as I shop for a new car. I want to make a responsible choice for my new car. I pray that I remain humble throughout my decisions and that I give thanks for the blessing of whatever car I get.



I would have never guessed that wrecking my car would have been such a blessing but like everyone always says, God works in mysterious ways. Life is full of teachable moments if you open your mind and heart to see what God is showing you.

November is a month of birthdays in the Crandall/Meyer household

Wordless Wednesday- Just Cause I Felt Like It

Blogging Niche

I am searching for my place in the blogsphere......

Mommy Blogger? nope that one doesn't fit

Newlywed? nope that one doesn't fit either

Sex and the City? nope sorry, I don't have random sex and date hundreds of guys

Career Women? nope currently unemployed, thanks

Working Mom? nope, no kids and no job

Adopting? nope, would need a husband for that (in my opinion)

Crafter/Cooking? nope, while I am learning to sew I cannot say I am crafty

Anyway, you get my point. I don't really fit anywhere. Why isn't there a category (and a readership) for blogs about nothing. Come on people, Seinfeld was about nothing and it was the top rated show for a long time. My blog could be the Seinfeld of the blogsphere.

Not Me Monday

This is my first "Not Me Monday" post for the blog carnival sponsored by Mckmama. So here it goes:

I did not plan to wear a hat today so I didn't have to wash my hair last night.

I did not buy 2 boxes of brownie mix at the store because I am on a diet and it would be wrong to buy brownies.

I did not chicken out from writing a post about the 1 month anniversary of my grandmother's death because I didn't want to deal with the emotions.

I did not leave a load of clean dry clothes in the dryer because I didn't feel like folding them. And I did not just lay my other clean clothes on my bed instead of hanging them up.

I did not get up yesterday only to go lay on the couch and sleep for another hour.

I certainly did not debate for a long time about whether it is weird or not to pray while laying in the tanning bed.

Also I did not get a little superstitious about writing a "Not Me Monday" post because the last time I planned on writing one, my grandmother died.

Nope, Not Me, I didn't do any of those things.

A Day At The Zoo

Today was Educator Day at the Houston Zoo, which basically means it is free for teachers to get in, there were classes to take about animals, science, and teaching science curriculum. So I was not going to pass up a chance to go the zoo for FREE. I hadn't been to the zoo in a really long time. The Houston Zoo is awesome and huge, so it did not disappoint.

Aww baby and mommy monkey!

This monkey was posing for each person and moving down the line so each person could take a picture, so cute!

NEMO!!!!!

Lazy Lion.

I loved the giraffes, they were out and playing around.

This was the most beautiful snake I have ever seen. He was grey blue with deep blue eyes.

These were some hungry turtles!

I love the zoo!

Wordless Wednesday- It's About That Time

Happy Birthday Kristina!

I am so disappointed

A completely disgraceful event happened at Baylor on Tuesday, and once again Baylor University is in the news for something horrible.

I am embarrassed to be a Baylor Alumni today.

Get it together Baylor, we are better than that.

He is one insightful son of a gun

Quote from Best Friend Robbie:

"They are not looking for diversity, they are looking for minority."


*In regards to the option to write a diversity statement for the Yale University Graduate School Application

Life Updates

Teach for America:
- I had my final interview last week so now all I have to do is wait for November 17 to see if there is a big move in my future. I can't believe after all the little things I had to do to complete the TFA admissions process that all I can do is wait.

TeXes Test:
- I passed my EC-4 Generalist Test!! Yippee!!! Now I need to start studying for my PPR TeXes test.

ECI Internship:
- Going completely awesome! I love love love love love it. It is going to be tough deciding about going straight into the classroom or working with ECI for a while.

School:
- On December 8 I will be ALL done. Then on December 19 I walk across the stage to officially make me a master. :)

I guess that is the highlights.

Silly Silly DSL Man

Well the DSL Fixer Man called me at 8 am this morning to tell me my DSL was back up and running. I should have wanted to praise him and give him gifts but instead I wanted to go out there and punch him in the face.

No one appreciates getting woken up at 8 am on a Saturday.

Internet Woes

DSL down again.....

Embarq, you have a comment this time?

Divine Inspiration In An Unlikely Place

Excerpt from LOUDER THAN WORDS, by Jenny McCarthy

"Looking back, I'm amazed at the strength it took for me to put one foot in front
of the other, but I did. Day after day. Instead of getting mad at God, like I'm
sure a lot of people do, I decided to make Him my buddy in this. I remember
saying to Him around this time, 'God, I know you gave me an autistic son for a
reason. I know I'm supposed to do something with this, and I don't quite know
what it is yet, but I need you to help me out. I need to be always pointed in
the right direction. I need the messages to be loud and clear so that I can
serve my purpose in your calling.' " (Pg. 90)

When I sat down to read this book, I did not expect to receive a lesson in faith. I didn't know much about Jenny McCarthy and honestly, I certainly didn't expect her to be a person of such faith and devotion. In this book she talks about the beginning of her journey with her son's diagnosis with Autism.

As the quote excerpt points out, when she was faced with a huge challenge and uncertainity she gave it to God and decided to trust Him completely in his purpose. She leaned on him for support and guidance. I like to think that I would do the same thing, but I can't honestly say that I know what I would do. I do not doubt that everything is a part of God's plan and I can do anything through Him, but I don't know that in the face of a great challenge or hardship that I wouldn't get angry or question God. So I am going to take away from this lesson that Jenny McCarthy taught me, and try to remember that no matter what is dealt our way we have to make God our buddy in all of it and trust that He will lead us out of the bad times. All we can do is learn and grow from faith in God and His plan for our life.

Thursday Thirteen- Standardized Test Edition

1. I have taken the 5 ridiculously long standardized tests. (not counting TAAS Tests and all the practice tests I took for the other "official" tests I have taken)
2. SAT
3. ACT
4. LSAT
5. GRE
6. TeXes EC-4 content exam
7. I have at least 3 more ridiculously long standardized tests to take.
8. TeXes PPR exam
9. TeXes ESL Supplemental exam
10. Praxis II- Social Studies
11. After every test I come and take a ridiculously long nap
12. Tests make my brain fried
13. I am pretty much a standardized test taking expert.

Wordless Wednesday- What is wrong with this picture?

I am posting this just so I never forget.

*This is the eulogy I read at my grandmother's funeral. I wanted to put here so that I will always remember it and I can never lose it.

There are no words I can say that will express how much I loved my Mawmaw and there are no words that can adequately describe the amazing person that she is. She was the most wonderful person that you will ever meet and I am so lucky that she is my Mawmaw. She offered me help countless times and she was my source of strength countless times. And you know what, this time is no different. My Mawmaw was there to help me with this too. On the very last page of her bible she had some bible verses written down. Those verses are perfect for today.
First I found Philippians Chapter 1 verses 20- 24 which reads:
“For I live in eager expectation and hope that I will never do anything that will cause me shame, but that I will always be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past, and that my life will always honor Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living is for Christ, and dying is even better. Yet if I live, that means fruitful service for Christ. I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: Sometimes I want to live, and sometimes I long to go and be with Christ. That would be far better for me, but it is better for you that I live.”
It was definitely better for us that she lived. But now Mawmaw is rejoicing in heaven with her Lord.

Also on that last page Mawmaw had written II Timothy Chapter 4 Verses 6-8 which reads:
“As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me.”
No one deserves that prize more than her.

In this time of great sorrow, all we can do is lean on our Lord God for strength. In the book of Isaiah, the Lord promises to dry our tears and smooth out the road in front of us. We must find peace in these promises.
The final piece of wisdom Mawmaw laid out for me was found bookmarked in her bible. I Samuel Chapter 2 Verse 1 reads “My heart rejoices in the Lord! Oh how the Lord has blessed me!”
And that is true, we must thank the Lord God that we have been truly blessed by being privileged enough to have a woman like Mawmaw touch our lives.

Eating my Feelings

Even though I have had a significant weight loss this past year. My issues with food are not resolved. The past month I have been eating my feelings.

First after Hurricane Ike: I ate when I was anxious, I ate when I was relieved, and I ate when I was bored.

Then it was my birthday: I ate when I was excited, I ate when I was happy, and I ate to finish the cake.

Finally my grandmother passed away: I ate when I was sad, I ate when I was anxious, I ate when I was mad, I ate when I was numb.

I hate that I do this, but honestly I have no idea what to do about it. I know I have put back on some of the weight I have lost but I am too scared to know how much.

Wordless Wednesday- I just can't believe she is gone

My heart is aching.

You can never be prepared for the death of a loved one. But this came as unexpected as you can possibly imagine.

At 12:57 this morning my grandmother passed away. She was fine one second and then the next she was gone.

I don't even know what to say. My heart is aching.

Sewing Class & My First Project

I got this sewing machine for my birthday. I had no idea how to use it so I decided I needed to take a class. After a Google search I found an awesome place in Houston to take a beginner's class. Sew Crafty Houston is a seriously cool place in the Heights and my class was perfect. If you are in the Houston area, you should really check out what Sew Crafty Houston has to offer.

This is my very first sewing project EVER. In my class the project was to make a craft apron. Overall I am satisfied with my apron. There are things (which you will see) that I would change, but for my very first time ever touching a sewing machine, I am pretty pleased with the outcome.

One mistake I would like to change. After my backstitch I got a little crooked.

My decorative embellishment stitch is most definitely not straight. But oh well. Practice makes perfect.

I am pretty proud of my pockets. I did 3 pockets: 1 big one, 1 medium one, and 1 pen, pencil, or scissors pocket.

My wonderful class. Some of those ladies were definitely more crafty than I am but it was a ton of fun and we all had super cute finished projects. I definitely plan on taking another class at Sew Crafty!