Not all of your dreams come true at once.......

Be patient knowing that all of your dreams don't come true at once - celebrate each one as it does. (NMG)

This is what I woke up and told myself this morning. After feeling very down last night after another pregnancy announcement, I needed a new attitude today. 

Don't get me wrong, of course I am very happy for all my friends and family who are expecting a baby or recently delivered a baby. I feel extremely selfish for being sad about not being at that place in my life yet. I know that God has a plan for me and I need to be patient.

I think the whole baby thing is harder for women than it is men. We feel so much more pressure to have children (for me, mostly from family). I know today, I am not alone (even though I feel like it), but a lot of women are having children later in their lives, because they have put some of their other dreams first. Education and careers have taken priority for several women these days, and that's true in my case. Not that I don't want to have children, because I do. The timing just hasn't been right in my life. 

I used to feel that my divorce put a kink in my plans to start a family, but now I see it as, it provided an opportunity for me to chase another dream of mine first: a Master's degree. I try to see the positive every day for the way my life has turned around the last two years, and I am so thankful for the kind words, love, support and encouragement from my friends and family. 

So, instead of feeling sorry for myself, I have come to realize that not all dreams come true at once, so celebrate each one as it does and be grateful.

baby boomers part II?

Wow. I can't believe how many people I know who are pregnant or just had a baby.

I just went to my friend, Gretchen's baby shower. She's due in February. Her and her hubby haven't decided on a name yet for him.

My friend, Amanda, had her baby shower earlier this month and is due the end of December with baby Bennett.

My Jazzercise instructor friend, Stephanie, is due in January with Landon. She is still teaching and working out. Love her!

My friend, Becca, just gave birth to her second child, Rachel, before Thanksgiving.

My dear friend, Jamie, went into labor last night and called me at 3:45am to see if I could watch their daughter, Nora. I was still out of town, so I wasn't able to help out. :(  She is scheduled to deliver baby Connor today.

Baby Nash was born just a couple months ago, along with baby Hadynn, a month earlier.Koye was born just before the school year.

I do have to say I am very impressed with the baby names these days. I am in awe of all my family and friends and how they are able to juggle everything. I hope I will be able to do the same when I have children. I am thankful to have so many friends to call on if I have questions. :)

Where have I been?!

OK, I know it has been awhile since I posted anything. Wow. Life has simply been busy. The semester is nearing the end (woo hoo!), so that means grading, writing final papers, finishing up projects and studying for my cumulative school counseling final exam (yuck!). I will be done with this semester Dec 12 after 6:00pm. I'm not counting down or anything. :) I have also been finishing up my practicum observation hours for my school counseling class. Boy, 50 hours is a lot! I finished that just in time for Thanksgiving. Yay!

I am really looking forward to Christmas. I get to see my youngest brother, home from the Marines, and my niece, Jade, both in from out of state. Of course, I can't wait to see all of my family. I love Christmas. I love the smells, the foods, the music, the movies and the time I get with my family.

Thanksgiving was good. Exhausting, but good. It was a small family gathering - my grandparents, brother, parents and aunt. We drove up to Michigan just for the day. It was a lot of driving (I fell asleep on the way home.......oops!).

We got home around 11pm. I went to sleep and got up at 4:00am to meet two of my friends for some Black Friday shopping. We were "late" shoppers. It wasn't too crazy, because we didn't do the midnight shopping like a lot of people did. We had a great time though. I had most of my shopping done already (I know, crazy!). We are excited for next year. Let's just say it will be at midnight with tutu's and sweatbands. :) I love my friends - they're so fun.

I hope to get back to my regular blogging schedule now. Hope you keep reading.

I wanna fall in love

Check this song out.

I discovered it on another blog and just really like it. (http://www.thewiegands.com/)

Playing "house"

As a little girl, I loved playing "house." What little girl doesn't? You pretend to be married, have a big house, babies, and pets. You make-believe everyday life situations - cooking dinner, shopping, birthday parties, celebrating holidays, playing with your children. This simple imaginary game of life can entertain little girls for hours. Even playing Barbies mimics this game of playing "house" but with smaller dolls as ourselves. When do these games end though?

I think of myself and my friends who have continued playing "house" into our adult years. We move in with boyfriends/girlfriends and our childhood imagination gets the best of us. I think too often women want that game to become a reality and when it doesn't result in marriage, they are heartbroken. I lived with someone before marriage and I swore I never would, but financial circumstances brought us together under one roof - it just made sense. I hear that all the time - "we moved in together, to save money." I agree, during these economic times it is smart to save money wherever you can.

After my experience failed, I am living on my own again, and you  know, I am loving it. Matt and I have our own houses and we are happy where we're at and our relationship. I am in no hurry to play "house" again until there is a ring on my finger and we've exchanged vows of a forever life promise of commitment. This is just my personal preference. It's not a religious thing. I know a lot of people who live together and aren't married. I cast no judgment upon them - it's simply a matter of choice. I've witnessed several friends' relationships result in heart ache and disappointment, including my own, that I just don't want to continue playing "house" - I want the real thing. This is all my own perspective of course. Everyone is entitled to their own and what's best for them individually.

the dress has arrived!

My bridesmaid dress for my brother's destination wedding was delivered to my office yesterday. I am so excited. It needs to be taken in a little bit and hemmed. I can't wait to wear it.

My brother is getting married this March 2012 in Jamaica to one of my (now) best friends. I am incredibly happy for the two of them. Matt will be standing up for my brother too, so it's even more special.

you never really know

I love chatting and getting to know my students outside of the everyday hustle and bustle of work and school. I occasionally will stop and ask them how they are doing and what's new. I try to be the boss I would like to have. All business and super formal is not my style. Of course, I feel my students know when to work and be professional and when they can have fun. I think I have created an environment for my students to work in that is comfortable, creative and professional. Our office is like a "real world preparation classroom."

Today, I realized you never really know someone, their family life or their situation until you take the time to get to know them. I learned some very valuable and personal information about one of my students. It's amazing how much they open to me about their lives and their families. In this instance, it was about her family. This helps me understand her even more.

When we really know the people in our lives, we tend to "get" them more......where they came from and how they became the person they are today. As someone in their life now, I see my position as an opportunity to help shape their lives and their futures. I try to teach my students valuable life and professional lessons, not just how to make copies, do data entry or how to give campus tours.

I cherish each moment when I get to learn more about my students and how I can help them grow to become better future leaders.