What I Read

Now that I’m finally out of school, I finally have time to read for fun again! I am beyond thrilled about this. The only problem is I have so many options, I don’t know where to start!

During the month of May, I tried to read through some of my ebook collection, as well as re-reading a favorite novel. I’d love to read even more in June.

Books I read in May:

• Redeeming Love

Ebooks I read in May:

• Eat that Frog!
• Amazing Coconut Oil
• Healthy Snacks for Kids
• Detox Your Finances
• 47 Ways to Make $100 in a Day

I LOVE Redeeming Love. I think that was my 4th time reading it.

I wasn’t impressed with most of the ebooks I read, except for one. Eat that Frog was great. If you’re a procrastinator, and you’re looking for a kick in the butt, check this book out. It’s got practical tips for getting stuff done, starting with the hardest thing first. I’ve gotten so much done since adapting this principle when prioritizing my to-do list. Highly recommend it!

What did you read last month? Do you have any book suggestions for me?

Patting Myself on the Back (Photo Dump)

Who remembers this song from the glorious year 2000?

The fashion kills me. I can’t decide what my favorite part is – the belly shirts, the decorative chain hanging from the beltloops, the hairstyles. It’s just so 90s. Or 2000s trying to get out of the 90s. This song was released two years before I graduated 8th grade, and 6 years before I graduated high school. No matter the school, every graduation season this song gets stuck in my head without fail. Well, 14 years after the original release, I am officially a college graduate.

And it only took me 7 years to complete my college education.

In the last 7 years, I:

• started college at Tyler Junior College in Tyler, TX,
• left my internship at Teen Mania Ministries and moved back to my hometown of Modesto, CA,
• transferred to Modesto Junior College,
• got married in June of 2010,
• endured two miscarriages,
• graduated from MJC with a double major in English and Language Studies in 2012 while working 2-3 part-time jobs,
• transferred to California State University, Stanislaus to finish my BA in English,
• lost all of my part-time jobs and had to move to accommodate our lower income,
• decided not to pursue a teaching credential,
• took on two consecutive 18-unit semesters of upper-division English coursework,
• tutored two semesters in the university writing center, which became our sole income for almost 8 months after my husband got laid off,
• praised God for constantly providing for us, especially for each of our current jobs,
• endured 3 car thefts (all for the car I am still currently driving),
• and graduated Cum Laude with a BA in English and a TESOL certificate from CSU Stanislaus.

I know it’s lame to toot my own horn, but TOOT TOOT. I am patting myself on the back right now. I did it, and I’m proud of myself.

 

Now for pictures!

Graduation pictures from my iPhone:

Empty chairs

The sun melting me at rehearsal

Necessary reading material for a long ceremony

My favorite professor

The real work begins

At the beginning of my senior year, I got to take some “Last First Day of School” photos with Giana Silva Photography. I loved doing this fun photoshoot with Giana (and all my books for one semester).

 

I’m so blessed to have gotten my professional grad photos from Scot Woodman Photography. Witty, quirky, and with an eye for detail, Scot is a brilliant photographer and a wonderful guy.

(All following photos are copyright Scot Woodman Photography.)

 

So that’s my college education in a nutshell. It was a lot of hard work, and I’m so glad to be DONE. I’m definitely checking “graduate college” off the proverbial bucket list. Onwards and upwards!

September & October Review (Fall Bucket List 2013)

It’s been a while since I posted last, but that just means I’ve been busy! October was my busiest month at school this semester, so I’m hoping things will calm down a bit as the semester winds down.

In my last post, I wrote about our fall bucket list. Just for reference, here’s the list once more:

Here’s what we’ve accomplished so far:

September 28: Decorate the house for fall

I picked up some gourds at the farmer’s market and brought out the fall scented candles.

Oct 3: Watch hockey at home

We’ve managed to catch almost every Sharks game so far this season, and we’re looking forward to going to the Tank in November!

Oct 11-12: Take a trip to the cabin, Make (and eat) caramel apples, Admire the fall foliage on a nature walk/drive, Go stargazing

We crammed a lot into the two days we spent at the cabin. I love that place.

Oct 25: Visit a pumpkin patch, Navigate through a corn maze

We had a blast getting together with our college & careers bible study group for a great night of corn maze madness. My husband and I were the only two of our group to successfully complete all 12 checkpoints in the 4.5 miles of corn maze to win free pumpkins. I call that a success.

Also, the maze was in the shape of Kaepernick.

Oct 31: Dress up for Halloween, Volunteer for the Fall Fun Faire, Carve pumpkins

Well, I dressed up (as Audrey Hepburn). And I carved both pumpkins myself. Halloween isn’t my husband’s favorite holiday. I’m glad we could get into the spirit together by volunteering at the church’s Fall Fun Faire.

 

Whew! It’s been a really busy season so far, and I’m loving every minute of it. We’re about halfway through our fall bucket list. How about you?

 

Falling in Love (Fall Bucket List 2013)

If someone asks me what’s on my life bucket list, I find myself coming up at a loss. However, I love making bucket lists for short periods of time. I remember the first time I made one was my senior year of high school. We had just finished Christmas break, and I knew that senioritis was going to set in at any moment. I wanted to make the most of my time left in high school, so I made a list of things I wanted to do before graduation (learn to drive stick, buy myself flowers, etc.). Since then, I’ve periodically made bucket lists for short seasons of my life. Partway through the summer, I decided to make a summer-themed bucket list for us as a couple. I liked it so much, I decided to write one for us for fall.

(Spending an evening organizing the office was my husband’s addition to the list.)

What’s on your fall bucket list?