Classroom Chaos

Hello my dear sisters!!

I hope life is treating all of you well. I miss each and every one of you so much and would give anything to have a weekend together back in the Swamp. I have a few seconds to breathe, so I figured I would update y'all.

This summer was incredible. I interned for the second year in a row for Disney Summer Project. It is hard to describe this summer in anything short of a novel, or a five hour conversation. The community I experienced on my staff team was incredible- there were 11 interns! We formed a tight-knit family within the first two days and the goodbyes were incredibly painful six weeks later. The leadership side was incredibly hard this year though. All four of the girls I discipled had significant things in their testimony (rape, abuse, loss, etc) and it was so heartbreaking and intense trying to speak into that and point them to Jesus. The highs this summer were really high but the lows were really low. I felt like I was on the most insane roller coaster ride of my life, probably even more so than when I was a student on the project back in 2010. I had a lot more leadership than some of the other interns since this was my second summer, which was really incredible. I got to give a few talks to the whole project and multiple talks to the women. After the first Women's Time talk I gave, a girl named Ashley came up to me and asked if we could talk some time. That conversation turned into a summer-long (and probably life-long) relationship where she revealed a lot of incredibly heavy stuff that she had never told anyone before and that was deeply impacting her life and her walk with God. I spent a few hours with her at a time several days a week really breaking down the Gospel and what it means to experience redemption and sanctification. It was the most challenging, heartbreaking thing I have ever done, but it has made the Gospel and the Bible relevant in ways I have never really known before, so it was incredible at the same time. It brought out a bunch of my own skeletons that have been hanging out in my closet a loooong time, and that's never fun, but it allowed me to experience a lot of freedom in my own life too. I am so so thankful I got the chance to go back again, and as hard as it was, I would do it all over again if I had to.

My discipleship group- Naomi, Megan, Kendra, and Liz

Our intern team- ten of the greatest friends I could as for

Ashley- the girl who rocked my world

I was home for about three weeks before heading back to St. Louis. I just love this city. It feels like home. I am so happy to be back at my church here especially. My church is awesome, and I am part of an incredible community group that is really all about missional living. We work really hard to serve each other in any way we can, and it is so easy to see God moving because of it.

School is super challenging this year though. This semester I student teach 20 hours a week (8-12 every day), then I drive back across town to school where I take class from 1-4 every day (except Friday). I am also starting to work on my Independent Study, which is basically my program's version of a thesis (by May I will have basically written a 50+ page research paper and presented my findings in front of 200 people). The pace is exhausting, and I am only two weeks in. I ADORE my first student teaching placement, preschool, but I am at basically the toughest site. It is the nicest school for the deaf in the whole midwest (arguably the country) but the expectations are super high. The learning curve is veryyyy steep, and I am exhausted when I leave at noon every day. Today was day 8 of student teaching, and while most of my classmates are still getting settled in I have already turned in two assignments and gotten both back and had to redo them. I feel like I will never catch up, but I am learning so much I wouldn't trade it for anything. I think the hardest part to get used to is the "no free time" part. Last year, I was taking 18 credits and working three jobs, but our classes went from 10-2 every day so I could stay up late doing homework or hanging out with people. This year I am up at 6 every day, and by the time I get home at 4:30 I barely have enough time to get all my homework and lesson plans done before it's bedtime. For an extrovert, its very draining. And considering my love language is words of affirmation, it kinda sucks to be told you suck all the time.

I will get used to it though. I absolutely love being in the classroom, and I love teaching pre-k so much more than I thought I would. I feel like a sponge soaking it all in, and I am so confident I am following the career path God designed for me.

Me, Landon, and LJ- two of the little stinkers who stole my heart last year (I was their lunch/recess/afterschool aide)

Anyways, I miss you guys. I want to hear updates on your lives too! And, you should watch this video. It will make you want to come live here with me and Melissa. It shows a ton of my favorite places in this city. Love you guys and praying for you always.


Kel

A New Adventure

A New Adventure

Hey Girlies! I have been thinking recently about how much I am missing out on your lives and what a better job I could have done to stay in touch and thought maybe I could update u guys about my life and hopefully get to hear about all of yours. I was so blessed by your friendships in college and realize how much I’ve wasted by not keeping up with you all. So here’s my life up to date. I hope you all are having great summers!

After 23 years living in Gainesville, I moved to Fort Myers a little over a month ago to start classes at FGCU. As long as I complete my Physics and Anatomy course, I will begin the FGCU Masters of Occupational Therapy Program in August J I feel so blessed to have the opportunity and feeling the confirmation that this is where I am supposed to be. I applied to UF, FGCU, and FIU and got into the latter too, but lets face it… I’m not cut out for Miami. lol. The irony is that I turned down FIU and then a month later, Tanner moved there to start a job. I don’t think its coincidence that Tanner didn’t get the offer before I had to give FIU my decision because I might have gone if I had known. Fort Myers/ FGCU is a better fit for me and while long distance is not really fun, I know it is for a purpose, and that it will be good for us in the long run.

I haven’t found a church here yet, it’s a work in progress lol. I tried the church my roommates go to, ( roommates- God knew what he was doing when I asked a friend if she knew anyone looking for roommates that weren’t crazy lol) but while I love my roommates, and some of the people I’ve met that go there, I just had an ehh feeling about the actual church.

Between being in new city, new school, trying to make new friends, find a new church and my own projects (trying to be healthier, on a budget, and organized) lol, this is DEFINATELY a new adventure lol.

How are all of you all doing???

Love,

Caitlin

Hello!!

Hello my sweet beautiful friends!

Well to start, I miss you all an incredible amount. While God has been really faithful and has provided a lot since I moved to Arkansas, it will never be the same as g

etting to learn and grow with e

ach of you on a daily basis. I'm really glad we are doing this - and sorry it's taken me so long to post.

So it's been eight months since I moved out to the Natural state to start the corporate life I had always dreamed of. And actually, it is everything I thought it would be. The program I am in is nine months long and there are 11 other people in it (6 guys and 6 girls). My group is really close and I thank God all the time that He put us together. We work together, work out together, eat together, run errands together, stress together, and celebrate together. Also, I am in the 7th class of the program, so there is a huge network of people that were once in my shoes and a lot of them have become really good friends. Thankfully, I always have stuff to do and people to do it with!

Work has been really challenging, but equally rewarding. God has definitely been putting me in the right place and the right time and I've been able to work on a ton of projects and do some awesome things! I got to buy our Patriotic program for 4th of July, novelty party favors, and our "Fun Under $1" program that sits in the Celebrations department. I should have mentioned that I work in the Celebrations and Seasonal area - so it's a party all the time. My boss is awesome and I hope I can continue to work with her once the program is over. I am meeting with my Senior Vice President on Thursday to talk about the next steps after the program because I have no idea where they will place me as a planning analyst. Overall, things have been going really well and I am working on not being a slave to my job and making sure I keep my priorities straight.

I've also plugged into a great church called Fellowship. I go to a bible study through there and have met some fun people that also work at Walmart (or for suppliers). Unfortunately, it's nothing like being part of Theta Alpha or CRU. I am still missing some close friendships where we can talk about Jesus and be on the same page - so I am constantly praying for that. I've met a lot of nice people, but getting close to them has felt kinda forced.

The boy department has been a little crazy since I moved down here. To sum it all up - I've met some nice guys who are absolutely crazy. And I probably let their craziness make me a little crazy. So I am working on not being crazy. The end.

Family stuff is good as well. Jordan got engaged in early December!! Him and Andrea are looking to get married in May (I know, I know) in Ocala or Gainesville, so I've been helping her pull that together and get organized. They are on a super tight budget - so yay for DIY weddings! At first I was a little freaked out that they were getting married so quickly, but they are going to counseling and really trying to go about it the right w

ay. Andrea is a great girl and I am excited to have a sister (Maggie is excited too).

The biggest thing right now is making sure that I find a group of people to hold me accountable. I feel like I've been trying to live out all these moments I didn't experience when I was in college and I know that they're not always God honoring. It's been a difficult balance to find, so if you could all pray for that, I would really appreciate it.

Love you girls SO SO SO much! I'll close with some pictures :-)

The Happy Couple

Most of my MLP group (missing 2 guys and 1 girl). The girl next to me (Laura) and the girl behind me (Cherish) have become my Arkansas BFF's. So thankful for them.

A better picture of my Arkansas loves. Dana is the girl not pictured above (blonde).

I'll upload more photos last time. Arkansas is beautiful and you should all come visit!