Thursday Thrills...

I like alliteration. So...here you have it, friends. "Thursday Thrills" though not-so-thrilling to anyone else but me that they might be! I'm glad you stopped by to read!

Lately I have been craving salsa. A LOT of salsa. It was only just a few years ago when I would only dip my chip in the "juice" enough to get flavor but avoided all chunks at all costs! Hmmm...yes I just said chunks. Yum. Haha...Now it's nothing for me to pour it into a bowl and scoop up a big bunch on a chip, pop it into my mouth, and enjoy its tasty goodness! Mmmmmm...

Today I found out that I received the money for the grant I wrote in January through the American Orff Schulwerk Association. I was. So. Surprised. You see, it was a competitive grant, and people all over the nation apply to use the money for summer training, classroom projects, and instruments. Wow. They. Selected. Me. (I suppose I'll stop typing with incorrectly punctuated incomplete sentences soon...but I need to make my point.) Yes, friends, I am the recipient of $1,000 to be used toward classroom instruments (world drums!) for my music program at Pick Elementary. I feel blessed. And excited for my kids and the learning opportunities they will soon be able to take to a new level.

I love to write. Letters, cards, reports, grants, articles...I've never really considered myself great at it, but I guess I should rethink that since my writing has helped me to be the recipient of multiple local/national scholarships my senior year of high school, an A on my Music History paper in college, a trip to Europe my senior year of college, and two large grants since I started my job as a teacher. I actually enjoy writing grants, and I think I might seek further training in this area eventually. Oh, but I ALWAYS write things at the last minute. I mean ALWAYS. And I couldn't do it any other way....something about that deadline pressure...I think it's because if I try to start ahead of time, I think too much about what I "should" write. But if I write it at the last minute, there is no time to think.

I am still waiting on Part 3 of my Journeyman application. It's hard to wait! I don't think it took this long the first time I applied at the end of college, but I also think they are trying to be very wise about who they send where right now due to budget issues. I also feel a peace knowing that someone out there is really reading and praying over my application carefully and not just sending me on to the next phase because I applied. I have to admit - the news about the grant today made me want to stay at my school for even more years so I can build on and use the instruments we will have soon. But then I realized - I committed to finishing this application, and if God allows me to have the third part, I will finish it and rely on His peace and direction for the rest, even if it means leaving the wonderful new resources behind.

Last night I went to Wednesday night church, which I confess that I haven't been attending since last summer. I would love to go in the middle of the week but never seem to make time for it, and am usually just finishing exercising before the service and don't want to bring with me the lovely aroma of sweaty, work-out-ness. Hmmm...I think I should create a new body spray and name it that. I really like the "ness" part I added on the end. So anyway, I was singing my heart out during the worship time, and after church, the associate pastor who had been sitting in front of me came to me and said, "Two words. Praise. Team." This is not the first time that has come up in the past few months, and I'm considering giving it some serious thought and prayer. We'll see.

I lost 1.8 more lbs this week and found out today at my Weight Watchers weigh-in! Last week I reached my first goal of 5% of my starting weight - 10lbs. Now I'm at -12.2!! I'm on my way! :) It's so exciting to have a program I can feel successful at and see results. I'm loving it, and also keeping up with my Curves workouts a few times a week! Fun times! Yesterday I got a pedicure to celebrate the 5% loss. A real pedicure, at a real salon, where I spent an hour and a half laying in a massage chair, with a free diet coke, watching Gilmore Girls on t.v. with headphones. It was so relaxing! And I didn't think about anything important at all. I could get used to that!

I love my kids at school. Every day they say or do something else that makes me smile. And sometimes they do and say things that don't make me smile. Uggh. But at the end of the day, their hugs, and little minds, and smiles make teaching worth it. Children are precious! (Psalm 127:3) Also - I am having my very first observer come on Monday. A college student home on Spring Break. Coming to MY classroom. To get music practicum hours. Wow - it was only three years ago that I was doing the same thing!

It's only 2 weeks from tonight until I will be going to Arkadelphia! I'm so looking forward to staying with my family from church, visiting friends that I miss SO much, going to church there, and just...visiting! So far I've made a trip there once a semester since I moved away and spent some summer and Christmas vacation time there too. I can't help but wonder how much longer I will be able to do that/still know friends who are in college there to do that. Soon even more of them will be graduating - crazy!

I'm looking forward to a day off tomorrow and a relaxing weekend celebrating love far greater than anything I could put into words. The love that my Savior demonstrated when He chose to put His son on a cross to die for me. For ME. Wow. I feel more in love with Him this year than ever, and I'm so thankful and undeserving of the sacrifice He made. I only hope that I show that love to others each day through the joy in my spirit. I'll also be going to a Casting Crowns concert tomorrow night! Fun times! :)

So....there you have it - the book of Thursday Thrills from the mind of a marvelous music teacher! (I told you I like alliteration!)