The End

This week has been crazy busy. I was up until six in the morning yesterday trying to get caught but that did not work so well. I have really been trying to get caught up but it has been really hard. I am hoping all my grades end up turning out okay. This semester has been the hardest semester ever. It was had enough just transferring this semester but on top of that I was stupid for taking eighteen credit hours. On top of that four our of my six classes were online and I learned that online classes are just not for me. It is so much easier to put it off until the very last minute. I will never do that again. I have just been praying that this week will just hurry u and get over. Now I will just keep telling myself to make it through. Once I am done with school it will help relieve my stress and I will be able to focus more just school and focus on all the small things in the wedding. We really need to hurry and finish flipping our house before we move in. I am starting to get scared that it will not be done on time. My fiance and I have really been trying to put as much work as possible and jet everything done okay. I have full faith that everything will work out. My dad has put a lot of hard work into that house and I could not ask for a more giving father than him. He has done almost all the work on his own along with help for other family members of all. It is hard cause here I am trying to write this blog and I am starting to fall asleep so for some reason if any thing does not make sense. I would like to say even though at times it was hard to write blogs I did enjoy it especially in such an exciting time in my life. I liked it because it allowed me to just say what I was feeling and express myself in my own way. Not only has doing this blog help me with this class but also in my education class when learning about blogs. I would have never thought the two would go together but they do. Well I enjoyed reading everyones blogs, great work, keep expressing yourself. I hope you have a wonderful summer, I know I will. And you never know I might just keep blogging now that I am really starting to like it. Plus I might like it more once it is no long going to be for a grade. Is that not how it always seems to work out. Well I wish you the best, stay safe! 

Dad

Ever since I was a little girl I remember going to the baseball fields with my mom and sister to watch my dad play one the church softball team. Even though I am twenty that still has not changed. My dad is still out there on that field giving it his all, and supporting his number since high school, twenty-one. I am going to brag on my dad. Even though he is forty-seven my dad is a pretty good ball player. My dad plays on our church league with guys ranging from the age of nineteen to fifty. The thing I love the most is that our best player is our oldest. He has hit more home runs then anyone else. The position that my dad plays is pitcher. The thing that some people is different is that my dad pitches right handed and bats left handed. Not only is it fun watching the game but it is also fun just hanging out with all our friends from our church. Our church friends our more like our family. We always have a great time with them and share a lot of laughs. Not only our family members of the players there but also their pets, it is literally a family affair. I am not amazed that my dad is still playing softball. He has always been into sport his whole life and even played multiple sports in high school. Not only that but my dad just loves getting out and having fun. My dad would have to be the person I look up to the most and look for approval of on things. My dad is an amazing Godly man. He is really easy going unless you make him really mad, then it is best to stay out of his way. I learned that one watching my sister grow up before me. I have to thank her for saving me from getting in trouble by letting me lean from her mistakes. She was not a horrible child she was just a teenager at the time. Talking about all this has brought back so many memories. It is crazy how little things like that can trigger something that makes you recall hundreds of memories at one time. Like I remember the numers times I have gone fishing with my dad. I went from having him put my worm on the hook, to now doing that myself. I do however to let him still take the fish off the hook. I remember one time when I tried to take the fish of the hook and I end up pulling the fishes eye out, so now I leave it all up to him. If you have not gathered by now I am a huge daddy’s girl, unless you ask my mom and she will say I am a mommy’s girl. But if you ask my sister she will just say I am spoiled by everyone really bad even her. I love my family very much! 

Life is Good

I am really starting to get excited about the wedding. I get married in twenty four days! We are just finishing all the last minute details. Tuesday my fiance and I had our cake tasting. It was something that I had really been looking forward too. I am really in to cakes. I love watching cake shows. My dad even gets annoyed by how many shows I watch. I think cakes our like an art, I know it might sound funny but it is true. The people that make those cakes put so much time and energy into those cakes. All of that is what made me excited about going. The cake was so good. We chose for our main wedding cake to be white cake with strawberry filling, it tasted amazing! Both of us knew once we tried it that it was what we wanted. We also decided to get some sheet cakes of just your basic wedding cake and chocolate cake for those who do not like strawberry. My fiance also decided what he wanted as his grooms cake. He decided he wanted a Red Bull can. He also decided that he wanted the Red Bull cake to be lemon cake with lime filling. It was so cute he was really excited about it all. I love it when he gets excited about things like that. On top of the cake testing we found out that our engagement pictures are ready to be seen. I am so excited to see them. Josh Carter is a great local photographer, I love all his work. So some time next week we will be going to look at them! On top of that I tried my dress on for the last time before the wedding. I was scared it was not going to fit but it fits great. Everything is just coming together. That also includes the flowers. We are getting our flowers the same place that we are getting our cake. I decided to just go with roses. My wedding colors are red, white, and black. We are going to have red roses for everyone except the groomsmen and all the bridesmaids, they will have white. Wow. It is really starting to hit me. It is crazy to think of where my life was just a year ago and where it is now. I would have never thought I would have met the love of my life and be marrying him. God has truly blessed my life. Not only did he give me an amazing future husband but also amazing soon to be in-laws. My in-laws love so much already and I do them as well. Not to mention that me and his two younger sisters get a long great as well. I am so grateful for everything and one I have in my life. I am truly excited to start this new chapter with an amazing man you loves me with his whole heart. Life is good. 

Six Lovely Ladies

There are six lovely ladies that mean the world to me. Those six lovely ladies would be my bridesmaids. My matron of honor is Amy. Amy is the wife of my youth pastor, which is how I got to know her at first. Through high school and part of college was my mentor. I talked with her about everything. She helped me through so much and was always there for me. When it came to choosing my matron of honor it was a no brainer for me. Amy is someone I look up to not only in relationship with God but also in her marriage. Amy is not only a great mentor but a great friend. Amy and I have had a lot of amazing times together, from coffee dates to canoeing. After that is my sister, Stacey. Stacey is six and half years older than me. With such a big age difference there is no doubt that we have had our ups and downs, but she will always be my sister. When we either one of have really needed the other one we have always been there for each other. Then there is Noelle, who has been my best friend since the eighth grade. Noelle has truly been the best friend I could ever ask for.  What to say about Noelle… there is so much I could say. Noelle is probably the only person who fully understands me. She is the type of friend that you can do absolutely nothing with and still have an amazing time. I know we will be best friends for the rest of our lives. Next is Ali. The only word to describe Ali is independent. I can always count on Ali. Let’s just say never get on her bad side or do something to hurt any of her friends. I met Ali my senior year of high school in walking class. We would walk and talk about everything under the sun. During that time Ali became pregnant with amazing little Bella. Once Ali had Bella she asked me to be her god mother. Bella is also going to be a flower girl at my wedding a long with Amy’s daughter, Ally.  Then there is Shelby. I met Shelby my freshmen year of college. She lived on the same hall as me and was two doors down. Shelby basically lived in my room. Shelby and I would stay up late talking about boys. Shelby is one of the caring people I know, she would do anything for anyone. Last but not least is Jessica. Jessica was my roommate my freshman year of college. Jess and I just have this bond. I could have not asked for a better roommate and friend. Jess is also my crazy KU fan. She is the biggest KU fan ever; I don’t care what anyone says. Jess and I always take random trips together. I would say what we enjoying more than anything is putting of doing homework by watching One Tree Hill. I could have not asked for better bridesmaids. They completely support me and are always there for me. I am very lucky God has blessed me with such amazing friends.

Sunday Nights

Sunday night is probably my most favorite night of the week. “Why?” you might ask. Well Sunday night is a set night I spend with my family and then my fiance. The first part of the evening I spend with my mom and sister watching two of our most favorite shows. After watching my shows with my family, and after my fiance gets off, I go over to his house. It started off that I would watch his two favorite shows with him but after a while I enjoyed them also. 

The shows I watch with my mother and sister our both military related shows. One is a reality show and the other one is not. The first show on Sunday nights that we watch is Army Wives. Army Wives is very much a heart touching show. It takes the lives of four army wives shows there ups and downs. The show gives you great insight to what military families really do go through. I think that is one reason my family enjoys it so much. Another reason it is one of our favorite shows would be because we can relate to it, because my father was in the Air Force for twenty-one and half years. Do to that fact it is become easy to connect with the families of the show. There are countless times I hear my mom say, “I remember having to go through that, it was one have the hardest times.” Even though the families in the show are not real, the stories are. The second show we watch is Coming Home. It is an amazing show that I have not made it through one episode with out crying my eyes out. Coming Home is reality show about military men and woman coming home and surprising their loved ones. Just like Army wives this show touches our hearts so much more do to the fact we can relate. I remember being a little girl and my dad having to go away for work. The moment he came home was the best moment ever. 

Sunday nights became like our stay at home date night. I go over to his house after he gets off work and we just spend the evening relaxing and watching our shows. At first they were shows I had never heard of, and for some reason right now I can not remember the names of them, but now they are shows I really enjoy. The one I like most out of the two is about a young women in her twenties that takes care of six younger siblings. Her dad is an alcoholic, is in trouble with the law all the time, and is never reliable. There mom has not be around since they were little and she ran out on them. The shows are good but my favorite part is just being able to spend quality time with my fiance. We are both really busy and on the go all the time so it is great to just sit down and relax. 

Teen Death

It feel like teen death is not on the rise. It might not seem that way everywhere but in Carthage, Missouri it feel like it. I graduated from Carthage and while in high school three girls just in my graduating class died, all with in about a year. That was just in my graduating class, I can think of at least five other that have died with in the past three years, right off the top of my head. Everyone of those deaths had a huge impact family, friends, and the community. I personally was not that close to any of them but I did have friends that were. During those times of sadness and loss I watched our community come together and support each other like I have never seen. 

Hannah Smallwood was a great girl that always had a smile on here face. Hannah’s mom was a physical education at the high school. According to the Joplin Globe, “the one-vehicle accident happened at 7:35 p.m. Friday (December 8th 2006) on County Road 120, four miles east of Carthage. Authorities said the vehicle hit a utility pole and overturned several times. Smallwood was thrown from the vehicle.” Hannah’s death effected the whole school, and something no one would ever forget. 

The sad thing is Hannah was not the only one lost to soon. The following are just a few teens from Carthage, and there story. 

“McKenzie R. Kisling, 14, and Kayla D. Story, 16, of Carthage, died in a one-vehicle accident at 7:21 p.m. Friday (June 2007) when the vehicle they were in ran off the west side of the road, struck a utility pole, and overturned, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.”

“Johnson said Jeff Coggin told him his daughter saved him before she was crushed by one of the trees. "He'd been sleeping and his daughter was the one who saved him," Johnson said. "His daughter hollered at him and said we have storm warnings and he got up, went toward the living room -- that's what he recalled -- and then all he remembers her saying was 'tree!'”Johnson said he found Casey Coggin crushed beneath the tree that fell on the north side of the trailer.”

My fiance told me story of a girl he went to high school with. One day he had gotten to school and was walking into the building. As he was walking up the side walk into school, the girl jumped from the top of the building and land right in front of him. He shared with me that it was one of the most horrible sounds he has ever heard. He also went on to tell me that he had been so close that her blood had gotten all over him. At this point I thought the girl had die but he went on to tell me that she had survived. 

It is sad to think this girl thought things were so bad that the only way to get out was by jumping off a building. And the sad thing she is not the only one. 

Last Week

Last week was a crazy week for me. What am a kidding every week for me lately has been a crazy week. Last week on top of my normal schedule of work and school, my fiance had his wisdom teeth taken out. I learned that he is a baby when he is in pain. He wanted me to take care of him the whole week, which I did not mind doing. The funny thing is his pain medications made him totally out of it. There was one time when I was leaving to go home and he called me as I was walking out of his front door. He was completely out of it and asked me what I was doing. I continued to talk to him and he kept going on about random stuff. Then I asked him why he called. He then went on to tell me he did not call me and told me I needed to call his mom so she could give him his medicine, and she was in the same house as him. The next morning when I went over there I told him about the conversation we had had and he was clueless about it. 

Also this last week I got together with my mother and future mother in law to plan out the decorations and layout for both the church and memorial hall. It was not a short process at all. I am really big into details just like my mom so you could only image what it is like when you have us both together. The good thing is that we have it all planned out now. The bad part is we have to still make it all happen, but I know it is all going to come together in the end. My mom has been amazing at helping me with the wedding, she has been like right hand women the whole time. She has even made a binder to help organize everything. It really helps me that she has been so involved since I also have school to focus on. 

The thing that has been the most crazy part of my week would be trying to find out fits for both my church wedding shower and engagement photos. I had been looking for a while but just did not have any luck with finding something I liked. So my mom and sister decided to take me shopping. The first store we were in I found something. It felt amazing to have something and not have to worry anymore. I was now ready for both my wedding shower and engagement photos. Now that I am writing all this it does not seem that crazy of a week, but it sure did feel like it while it was all going on. I am sure I will have a lot more crazy weeks in this next month leading up to the wedding. Lets just I am ready for summer break, that way I have a break from school.  

Past Two Days

This last two days have been great. Yesterday I had a “me” day. After my classes I went to the mall to purchase some makeup, where I ended up having a great conversation with the cosmetics girl. You know some times conversations with complete strangers are the best kind of conversations. I have also learned that those type of conversations are the ones that usually make peoples days. Anyways, after that, I went tanning. Tanning is not something I do often but since I am getting married in June I did not want to be a ghost for my wedding. Plus it is something that is relaxing to me and I enjoy. After tanning I went home and cleaned my parents house. It was not something I looked for to doing but it did make me feel very accomplished after I was done. Yesterday I also got to see my god daughter Bella, she is almost two years old. My fiance and I had put together an Easter basket for her. It was full of sweets, bubbles, a dress, and sidewalk chalk. She was unsure what to think about it all until I told her it was hers and then she went straight for it. It was so cute she kept calling the Peeps cookies. She also demanded me to blow bubbles for her. By the time it was time for her to go she was loaded with sugar. I am sure her mom had fun with her that night. After that I went with my future sister to get manicures and pedicures. It was my first time getting a pedicure and it was amazing. It was so relaxing. After that I spent the evening just relaxing with my amazing fiance. 

Today was an exciting day do to the fact that we had our engagement pictures taken. We had our engagement pictures taken by Josh Cater, a photographer in Carthage. He is an amazing photographer, I love his work. My fiance and I had an amazing session with him. He makes the experience fun and personal. I can not wait to see how our engagement photos turned out. After our engagement photos we went back to my fiance's house where he made me a great lunch, chicken alfredo. After he went to work I spent the afternoon with my mom. My mom and I are really close and love spending tome together. It was fun just getting to go grocery shopping with her. After our shopping we came home to watch our show that we had recorded, called Coming Home. Coming Home is about a member of the military force coming home to surprise a family member. Lets just say I lose a lot a tears while watching the show. Now I am doing homework and trying to get caught up on everything. On top of my homework I am doing laundry, which is much needed. Oh and I am also waiting on our photographer to put up a couple of our pictures from today, he said he would have some up by tonight.   

Since starting my second job, at Wal-Mart, my life has been crazy.  I have been totally stressed and tired all the time.  I came to the point where I knew I reached my limit.  I realized that I could no longer handle having two jobs, where I worked a total of over 40 hours a week, taking 18 credit hours of classes, planning a wedding that is happening in less than two months, and also trying to have a life.  With working all the time I am ready to just crawl in bed by the time I get off work.  With everything going on I have allowed myself to get behind in school which I am not proud of.  By getting behind in school it has put even more stress on me.  I knew I had to change something and fast.  After thinking about everything, I realized my only option was to turn in my two weeks’ notice at Lane Bryant.  I enjoyed my job there very much but it was not worth all the stress I was having.  Before making the choice to give my two weeks’ notice I had to look things over with my fiancé and see if we would be able to do it financially.  We both decided that my education was more important than having that extra money.  I still have my two weeks left but a lot of stress has already been lifted off.  Now I am trying to get caught up in school which has not been easy.  School has never been this hard for me.  I believe part of it is because I transferred this semester.  Not only am I trying to get use to things here but I am also missing my old school and friends.  Since moving here I have felt it hard to connect and feel like I belong, even though this is where I went to high school.  At this point I am just trying to make it through school.  I have already decided to only take 12 credit hours next semester and to not take any online classes.  Even though I know it is best for me to only take 12 credit hours it is still hard for me because I have never taken less than 16 credit hours.  I know it is going to help but it is going to mess up my plan of graduating early.  I have learned that when biting off more than you can chew it does a lot more harm than good. 

Spring Break

      Spring break was a crazy, busy week for me. Over spring break I started my second job. My second job is at Walmart. I got hired as a lawn and garden cashier. I enjoy working in lawn and garden, so far. It is nice because it is not as busy and crazy as up front, except on the weekends. Even though I work in lawn and garden I have been used in many different ways. I have worked up front as a cashier, in electronics, in toys, and I have even helped moved an aisle. What is also nice is that I make more and receive more hours, then my first job. Do not get me wrong, I enjoy my first job too. My first is as a stylist at a clothing store. All the people I work with are great. My favorite thing about my job is the customers. I enjoy helping them find the perfect outfit or piece of clothing that fits them great. At the store I work at we try to build a relationship with our customers. I have never been to a clothing store that has helped their shoppers as much as the the company I work for.

 With working both jobs I worked everyday of break except one. That day I took a road trip with my future sister-in-law to Kansas. We went to Kansas to go to the zoo and visit my college friends from MidAmerica Nazarene University. The night before our trip we stayed up late making road trip CD’s. We ended up making four CD’s. The next morning we made our lunches so we could have lunch at the zoo. After that we got our coffee and hit the road. We were planning on actually listening to the CD’s that we made but we ended up talking the whole time, it was great. My future sister-in-law is a great girl. She is a freshman in high school, but she is really mature for her age. Plus she is lots of fun to be around. 

     We had a great time at the zoo. We were a little disappointed that half the zoo was closed because they were doing remodeling. We both agreed that our favorite part was the polar bear. Another part that I thought was really neat was that there was no fence between the park visitors and the kangaroos. I thought it was very trusting of the visitors for the park to do that. Another cute part was a baby orangutan. There was a male visitor that reached his hand out to the baby orangutan. The baby orangutan reached his hand out also and touched the man’s hand.

     

   On top of an amazing day at the zoo, getting to see my college friends was great. We did not do much but it was nice just getting to spend time with them. We were able to have dinner together and just hangout in the dorms. Over all it was good spring break. The only thing I wish was that it was just a little bit longer.    

Being Accepted

At some point in time in our lives we have worried how people viewed us. From the way we look, the clothes we were, and the we act. Some people let this worry run their lives. They have to have the best clothes, body, and act a certain way. The biggest reason people worry about all this is they want to excepted by their peers. Many people think when you talk about being accepted it means being popular or being in the “popular” group but that is untrue. I have know people that have just wanted to fit in with different group besides the “popular” group. When you hear all this you probably think of junior high or high school students but wanting to accepted does not end once you are out of school. Wanting to be excepted that happens your whole live, in once shape or another. There are many times a person wants to feel accepted.  From wanting to fit into a group at school to being new at a work place and wanting to feel welcomed by your coworkers. In order to be accepted many times we change to fit the profile of the people we are waning to fit in with. Some of those changes can be minor but some of the time those changes are major. I have known people that have colored their hair, starved themselves, and did something they never really wanted to do just to be accepted. Once these people get to where they think they want to be it tends to not be anything that they expected it to be. The people they wanted to be there friends are their so called “friends” but if they were true friends you would not have had to change just to be part of their group. By that time they have forgotten who they really are, which can lead to being unhappy. I asked a friend why she thought people changed to fit in and this is what she said, “People in general mostly change to fit in because they just want more and are insecure. They already have friends but hey they want to be the most popular kid on the street, so they change to get more friends or even "better", "cooler" ones to them. Everyone wants to fit in and feel wanted but they don't know that changing themselves to make them more like someone or something else won't help that problem and turns them into jerks a lot of the time.” After people change they tend to wish they could just be themselves again and not have to put on an act. If you just be yourself you will build more self confidence and be truly happy. If you are yourself you will find friends that care about you for who you are and not ask you to change for any reason. 

How It All Started

It was a Sunday morning in early August, and I was at church. My church had recently hired a new worship pastor and it was his first Sunday at the church. Our pastor had the new worship pastor and his family stand up at the front of the church to introduce them to the congregation. As my pastor went through introducing everyone in the family he came to the worship pastor’s son, Chandler. Not going to lie my first thought was, “he is kinda cute.” After service my friend was talking to him so I thought I would be nice and go introduce myself, because I know what it is like being new in town. I am kinda of a shy person until you get to know me so I did not really say a whole lot. Later that night when talking with one of my best friend, I was a typical girl and told her about the new worship pastors son. She went on to tell me that I need to put myself out there and just have fun because I am always really cautious. A week later after our college Bible study he invited my friend from church, another guy, and me over to his house for a little bit. After we were at his house we all decided to go to the movies. My friend from church was not able to go, so I was not going to go. I was not going to go because the “other guy” that was there was my ex boyfriend. My ex boyfriend and I had dated for over a year and had broken up six months prior. So it would have just been me, the guy I kinda liked, and my ex boyfriend, but for some crazy reason I said yes. I think it was because I  could not get what my friend said out of my head, “Put yourself out there Amber.” It was probably one of the most awkward things ever. Poor Chandler did not know that he was my ex until after the movie when he was in the car with my ex and he told him. Just because it was an awkward night it did not keep me from putting myself out there. The next night I invited Chandler over to my house to watch a movie. It was a great night just hanging out and talking. That night he invited me to go to Tulsa with him to help his family move the last of their stuff. So the next morning I went with him to Tulsa. I had never done something like that before. I had only known this guy for like a week and a half and I was going to go with him to Tulsa, just me and him. The car ride their was great, we talked the whole way there about everything under the sun. It was probably one the deepest and meaningful conversations that I have ever had. After we got to Tulsa we had an amazing day together. I was able to learn a lot about him and the things he liked to do. In addition I got to meet his family that day including his grandparents, which I loved from the very beginning. After our trip we both left to go out of town, I went camping and he went to Nebraska The whole time we were texting and talking to each other whenever we could. We both had told each other that we interested in each other, but that was as far as we had really talked about it. When I got home from camping I checked my Facebook and I noticed I had a relationship request. When I clicked it, it said Chandler request to be in a relationship with you. It brought a smile to my face and made me laugh. After getting that I texted him, “so what’s our relationship status.” And that is where our story begins.       

Crazy Day

Today has been a crazy and a little bit stressful day. Let me start off by letting you know that about a month ago my fiancé decided to surprise me with a puppy. The only problem is we do not have our own place so we both live with our parents. My parents would not let her stay at their house so she is staying at his parents house. His parents were not to happy at first about the fact, since they already have two dogs. Maya has now become part of the family. Lately my fiancé has been bring up the idea about getting other dog, I told him one is enough for now. Well this morning I get a phone call from him asking me about how I would feel if he brought home an alaskan malamute and wolf mix dog from the humane society, that is where he got our first dog from too. Of course I was not a fan because that would make four dogs in a small house. When I get to his house there is the alaskan malamute/wolf, which is not a small dog. I told him that he was not allowed to go to the humane society without me any more because he does not have the will power to say no. He has too big of a heart to turn away a dog that needs a home. I am sure if it was up to him and if he was able to he would bring all the dogs there home. He tells me that they asked him to foster her for the weekend. I figured we could handle a weekend with a gigantic wolf. That was until I walked out into the back yard and she was no where to be found, she had jumped the fence. Luckily she had not gotten far and we were about to get her back pretty easily. My fiancé then decided to go get a stake to put out in the yard. While he was out getting it I got a phone call from him, he wanted to let me know I was right and that he would be taking her back tomorrow. Do not get me wrong she is a adorable, sweet, and loving dog. There is just no way for us to keep her at this time. If you are looking into getting a dog I recommend the humane society. Our dog Maya is an amazing, loving, and playful dog. So is the alaskan malamute/wolf, Summer, that we our fostering. 

Cosmetic Surgery To Avoid Bullying

         Have you ever been teased or made fun of? Have you ever wanted to change something about yourself? Have you ever thought about having surgery to fix the things about yourself that you do not like and get teased about? Well that is what more and more teens are starting to do, to avoid bullying. In 2007, around 90,000 teens underwent cosmetic surgery. The most common procedures were nose jobs, breast reductions, breast augmentations, ear tucks and Botox.

         You might ask, What causes many of these teens to want to have surgery? The answer to that question is bullying and low self esteem. One in five high school students are bullied every year. One in twenty students miss school to avoid bullying. The question that many people are asking is if this is a good way to deal with bullying. One surgeon likes to make sure the issue of bullying is taken care of before performing surgery. He also makes sure the teen is mature enough. On top of that he advises many teens to what to make the decision until they are adults. Many people believe this is not the way to handle bullying. A majority of bullying happens because the bully has low self esteem themselves and it is a way for them to make themselves feel better. The bullying usually wont stop just because the teen being bullied changes the thing about them that they get made fun of. 

         In an ABC News report two teenage girls talked about there experience with bullying and cosmetic surgery. One was a high school senior, Erica. When she was growing up she was made fun of for having a big nose. It got so bad that she would miss school and she tried to brake her nose by banging her head against the wall. This was all because she was so fed up with the bullying. Her mother saw that it was a big problem and decided to let her have plastic surgery on her nose at the age of 15. Her and her both feel like it was a good thing because it allowed her to feel good about herself and feel beautiful.  

         For me I do not know if I would be willing to go that far to change something about myself but that is just my personal belief. I believe bullying effects people in many different ways and for some people they believe the way to solve that is to get cosmetic surgery. I do worry about teens getting it done so young. I do not think if I was a mother I would let my 15 year old daughter have plastic surgery. I think having cosmetic surgery is something that should be thought about and researched before actually doing it. I agree with the doctor in the interview that said he feels like teens should wait until they are adults to make that decision. I feel this way because the thing they might have wanted to change as a teenager might not be as big deal as an adult.   

Valentine’s Day

        This Valentine’s Day was my fiancé and I first Valentine’s together. He is not really a fan of Valentine’s Day so I did not know how it was going to turn out. Me on the other hand, I really enjoy the day. I see it not just as a day to show someone you love them, that is something your should do every day, but a day to something different and special for the one you love that you do not normally do. 

         My Valentine’s Day started off at one in the morning. I was up since I could not really sleep, so I decided I would decorate the house for Valentine’s for my family. I am one of those cheesy people who like to decorate for everything. I blew up balloons, hung up streamers, and made posters. By three thirty in morning everything looked really great. When my family woke up they loved it, it made their day. For lunch my sister and I went out on Valentine’s date with our dad. He took us to one of our favorite places, Johnny Carinos. I was a great lunch, we had a lot of fun helping our dad plan a romantic candle light dinner for him and our mom. At lunch I also came with the idea to feel my fiancé’s car up with balloons, so when he got off work he would find them. It was his first day at his new job which made the idea even better. So after lunch my sister and I went and picked up two dozen heart shaped balloons and fifteen white balloons. We then stuffed them all into his car, which was a tight squeeze. Once he got off work he called to tell me that I was crazy and that he really liked it. Later that night we went over to his house to have dinner with his family. We had an amazing stake dinner. At dinner I handed him a box that looked like a ring box. He ask me if I got him a ring, because he always jokes with me that is unfair that I get an engagement ring and he does not. I told him he would just have to open it to find out. When he opened it he was shocked to find out that is was a ring, just not the ring he was expecting. Instead of getting him a ring I got him a ring pop. I think he might have ended up liking the ring pop more then an actual ring. He then surprised me with my Valentine’s gift which was a hundred dollars to go shopping with. He knew that there were something I was wanting but was holding off getting because they were not really things I need and he wanted me to have them. 

         He is such a sweet and loving guy and I am so lucky to have him. It was by far the best Valentine’s Day I have ever had. I look forward to spending the rest of my Valentine’s with him. 

Finding the Dress

        Every girl waits for the day when she to meet her prince charming. Every girl dreams of the day they get to wear their very own white dress and be a princess for a day. I am one of those lucky girls that have found her prince charming. The next step is getting the perfect dress. For me this was something I had always dreamed of. After watching countless wedding shows and see hundreds of dress on television, I had no idea of the type of dress I wanted.

        The day came for me to find that perfect dress. Since I knew I had no idea what type of dress I was looking for I knew it could take a while to find “the” dress. The first dress I put on I really liked but I was not sure if it was the one so kept looking. Every dress after that was pretty but just not the right one for me. Then I came to this one dress that was pretty. It was simple a simple dress, just like I am a simple girl. I liked the way I looked in it and my family loved it. Compared to the first dress it was the cheapest out of the two and I felt like I like it just much, so I said yes to the dress. I was so excited and could not wait for everyone to see it. As time went on I started to have some doubts. I started to wondered if I had looked around enough or if I had chosen the wrong dress. I started to have these thoughts because I could not get the first dress I had tried on out of my head. Even though I am a simple girl I wanted a dress that was not so simple and this first dress was not so simple. I had these thoughts for about for over three months. Then I decided to tell my mom. She told me to contact the store. After contacting the store they told me they would exchange the dress. So I made an appointment and tried that first dress on again. Once I put the dress on again I knew that it was the dress. 

        I have watched hundreds of wedding shows where a bride would change her mind on her wedding dress or have second thoughts. I told myself countless times that I would not be one of those brides. In the end I became one of those brides and I am okay with that. I am okay with it because now I know I am truly happy with the dress I have now and that my fiancé will love it too. Today was my last fitting it was exciting to be able to put on my dress and realize that here in just three short months that I will be marrying the love of my life. Finding that one dress ended up being an experience that I will never forget.  

Neglect

         Neglect is offend ignored, due to the fact that not many people know what to do when the find out about a situation where a child is being neglected. Neglect is also overlooked some times due to the fact that it is not always as noticeable as physical abuse. Since it is some times not that noticeable, there are secretion signs that you should look for if you think a child might be neglected. There are four major types of neglect; physical, educational, emotional, and medical. For each of these four types there are different indicators you should look for. Neglect is also some times over looked because of a certain culture or a communities way of life.    

        Child neglect is not just segregated to one area or region. Child neglect is something happens every where. Although it has been shown that neglect is more likely to accrue in larger families and or lower income families. Large families run into issues with the parents being able to provide for all their children with the things they need, like clothing, food, healthcare, and nurturing. This is due to the fact that their paychecks have to provide for more than a normal size family home. In addition with a larger family it is more difficult for a parent to show each child love and compassion. Just like in a larger family, lower income families are not always about to provide their children with the things the need to maintain a healthy and happy life. Most of the time, parents of lower income house holds work multiple jobs, which either leaves the child home alone or costs them more for a babysitter. In most situations of neglect, the three major contributors are the lack of time, money, and knowledge. Many parents are unaware of the ways in which they can receive the help they need to be able provide for their children’s needs or are just simply unwilling to use resources provided. Many parents are not willing to admit that they are incapable of providing for their children, but by doing this, they put there children’s health and well being at risk. In many of these cases, the government has to step in for the sake of the children’s welfare. 

       Another contributing factor to neglect are culture and the standards of care in the community. In the United States of America, we are extremely blessed to have the resources to provide for our children and all of the things they need. However, this is not the case in other parts of the world. In places such as South America and Africa, parents struggle to be able to provide their children with one meal a day. This means they do not have the money to take their child to the doctor if they get sick or to send them to school or even buy them clothes that properly fit their children. Many of these families are not provided with the resources that we have here. In some cultures, it is common for a parent to leave a child to fend for themselves or they are seen more of an object than a person. Many times parents will sell one or more of their children just so they are able to feed and take care of their other children and themselves. The children that are sold are usually sold as child work slaves or as sex slaves.

      If someone believes a child is being neglected, in any way, there are signs they should look for. The most noticeable indicators is poor hygiene, such as dirty skin, body odor, unwashed hair, unclean clothes or clothes that do not properly fit. There are also the indicators of poor health and malnutrition. Children who are malnourished will do just about anything for food, such as beg, steal and even rummage through the garbage. Malnutrition leads to poor health, which is usually gone untreated in a home where the child is neglected. Things that teachers should be concerned about, if they notice these things in a student: the child cries easily when slightly hurts, comes to school without breakfast or with no lunch or money for lunch, falls asleep in class, does not want to go home, has a poor self image, or has trouble with school work.( Some children will show one of these indicators but a child that has been neglected shows more than one or all of these signs.  

     Neglect is something that happens everywhere and can happen to almost any child who is having any kind of issues at home. Each child neglect case happens for a different reason. However, when it comes down to it, there is only one main reason neglect happens. Child neglect occurs because the parent is incapable of providing their child with basic needs and no one stands up to defend the child.

Why I Want To Be A Teacher

        There were three teachers in my life that impacted my decision to become at teacher, Mrs. Stanley, Mr. Conklin, and Mr. Huff. They also had an influence on what kind of teacher I want to be. I want to be one of those teachers that has an impact on my students, by giving them a since of worth and like they can achieve there goals. The teacher that did that for me was Mrs. Stanley. 

        Out of Mrs. Stanley’s second grade class I was probably one of the worst readers and spellers. While the other students would make fun of me for not being as good as them, Mrs. Stanley encouraged me every day to my best. She believed in me when it felt like no one else did. Mrs. Stanley would work with me to improve my reading and spelling skills, she even made it kind of fun too. Mrs. Stanley was one of those teachers that you can tell really cared. I know this because she was not only caring and encouraging to me, she was like that with all her students. If any of her students need help she was right there to assist them. So it is not a surprise to me that she is the person that help me decide I wanted to be a teacher, in the second grade. I looked up to her so much that I wanted to be just like her so I decided I wanted to be a teacher too, and that hasn’t changed since. 

        Another teacher that has impacted me was Mr. Conklin. He wasn’t one of those teachers that you want to be like, he was quite the opposite. He was a very intimidating person. When I would mess up he would make me feel like I couldn’t achieve at  any thing. I remember when our class read How to Eat Fried Worms and I was having trouble comprehending what I was reading so I went to and talk to Mr. Conklin about it. He didn’t even seem to care and was not willing to help me. The one good thing that Mr. Conkiln did help me with was teaching me what kind of teacher I did not want to be. He made me realize I want to be a teacher that makes students feel they can come to if they have questions or just need to talk. He also taught me that every student needs to feel like they can succeed and it is my job to make they do. 

        Then there was my fifth grade teacher Mr. Huff. Mr. Huff taught me what kind of teacher I wanted to be. He made everything we did in class fun. We would reenact history and create board games using our math skills. Even today I remember so much of what we did in class. He taught in so many styles. One day things would be hands-on and the next it would visual, no matter his teaching technique he would always get everyone involved in learning, that is the kind of teacher I want to be. 

         I decided to become a teacher to impact children's lives in a good way. I want them to feel like they can achieve anything they set there mind to, or work hard for. I want to be a teacher to make a difference in at least one students life. I want to make learning fun to where every student wants to learn and develops that passion for learning.

Homeschool

       “Should I homeschool?” is a question many parents have been asking lately do to the increase of home-schooled students. Around 1.5 million children are home schooled, across the country, and that number's growing. Within eight years, home schooling has grown nationally by almost 75 percent and has a growing rate of 7 to 15 percent each year. Before choosing to homeschool their child/children parents pose the question, “is this the best thing for my child/children?” To answer this question parents tend to collect research and talk other parents. After doing both those things most parents tend to weigh both the pros and cons. 

  Many people believe homeschooling is the best way to go in educating their children. I am going to share with you the top reasons parents lean toward homeschooling. To start it allows the parent the opportunity to have quality time with the child, which gives the parent the chance to know and understand their child/children better. Being able to observe their child’s need allows them to adjust the curriculum at the pace which is best for the child, which is another advantage. Not all kids learn at the same pace of their classmates. Some students have difficulties in some areas and need more time, while in other areas they excel and are ready to move on before others. Since a teacher has a class from 20 to 30 students to help not every student gets that one on one attention that they will be able to get at home to help them in those problem areas. Plus when they are ready to move on they are able to do so while being home schooled. Being able to choose the curriculum allows parents to do more “hands on learning.” Parents are able to take their child to parks, museums, and zoos more easily then a teacher is able to take their whole class. This allows the student to see more things first hand then just from a text book. One of the things that many parents worry about in a public school that they do not have to worry about so much in homeschooling is peer pressure. Not having constant peer pressure allows the child to make their own choices based on what they want rather then what their peers are pressuring them to do. One of the biggest reasons for homeschooling is the freedom of religion. Many parents want to include their child’s religion into their education, which they are unable to do in the public school systems. 

  Even though homeschooling has its plus it also has its drawbacks. For the parent it takes up a lot of their time. They have to take time from their schedules to not only plan the lessons but to also carry them out. On top of that they are with their children almost 24/7 which can some times be hard on the parent. Since one parent tends to stay home with the child it tends to cause financial restraints, with only one parent working. Plus you have to pay for all the materials needed in order to do your lessons. One of the most common stated drawbacks would be social interaction. This is not so much a draw back now as it was a while back. There are now team sports for homeschool children and other homeschool activities. The only problem is some of the things are not offered near every family. Many people see homeschooling as outside the norm. This causes many home-schooled child to automatically get the label as socially awkward. 

  Homeschooling is not for everyone. It is something that works for some but not everyone. Not everyone has the time for financial stability to do it. On top of that not every parent or child has a desire to homeschool. Just because you do not homeschool does not mean you care any less about your child’s education then of the parents of a homeschool child.  

Engaged and In School

This past September my boyfriend planned a great dinner to my favorite restaurant. On top of that he invited both our parents, siblings, and my old youth pastor and his wife, both who I am extremely close with. I know he was up to something due to the fact that I know he would not get all those people together for no reason. We were all having a good time laughing and joking around, as our waitress started bring us your food. I started to notice that everyone was getting there food but me. Before I was able to put to much thought to it the waitress set my plate in front of me, but it was not food. Instead I looked down at a plate with a crisp white napkin folded in the middle of the plate with a gorgeous ring laying on top. At that moment the biggest smile went across my face and my boyfriend lend over and whispered in my ear, then placed the ring on my finger. After that I was so excited that I was not able to actually finish my dinner, instead I just enjoyed in the excitement with my family and friends. My favorite reaction of the night was of my youth pastors two year old daughter. She went around telling, more so yelling, at everyone that I was going to be a princess. I must say it was one of the cutest things ever. 

My fiance and I had only known each other for a short time before getting engaged so I was unsure how my friends and family would react. For the most part we had full support of our friends, family, and church family. There still where some people that thought we are to young and jumped into it to soon. Over time most of those people have changed their minds after seeing us together and how happy we truly are together. 

I know many college students, including myself, who think being in college while engaged or marriage is a hard thing to do. From the very beginning we both set finishing school at the top of our priorities. In doing so my outlook on college also changed. It is no longer about having the full “college experience” but instead about just furthering my education. Even though at times it has been hard it is nice to always have his support and the support of others. Even though none of my friends are thinking of marriage anytime soon, they support my decision and know that it's for the right reasons.

These past five months have been the most exciting, fun, crazy, and stressful months of my life while planning for our wedding in June, but I would not change them for anything. I have a spectacular fiance that has stood by me and helped me with everything along the way, every thing from wedding planning to helping me transfer schools. I can not wait to see what our future together holds. 

School Weight Report Cards

The recent question “Should schools send home weight report cards?” has brought a lot of controversy. These “weight report cards” would be entered into the state wide data system that would allow officials to determine what part of the state has the greatest problem with obesity. Not only would these report cards be sent to the state but also the parents. Many believe that doing so will inform parents if their child is at risk and give them tips to help them. “A 2007 study from the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital found that only 13 percent of parents with obese children ages 6 to 11 rated their child as being very overweight, compared with 31 percent of parents with obese children ages 12 to 17. While, less than 10 percent of parents with obese children ages 6 to 11 said they were "very concerned" about their child's weight.” 

Even though child obesity is a major issue many parents are out raged about schools giving their child a “weight report card.” Many parents feel it will hurt the child's self-image by having it made a big deal about getting weighed. There is a fear that it may lead overweight children to develop eating disorders and become self conscious about there bodies. Some parents think this will cause kids to be consumed by what they should look like and they believe they should not have to worry about that at such a young age.  

Parents feel like child obesity is something that should be taken care of but should be done in different ways. One of those ways would be during health by focusing on what the child should be eating and how their food choices will effect them in their future. If schools are going to get involved in child obesity parents feel like they need to start with the food the school is providing the students. Many wonder how schools can tell students to not eat a certain food, then they turn around and serve it to them at lunch or have it available to them in vending machines.

I can say I have experienced this from the other side, as an overweight child. I remember being weighed in P.E. classes during elementary school and it being one of the most embarrassing moments during my elementary years, besides being made fun of for being overweight. I remember being taught to eat more fruits and vegetables but never how to limit less healthy foods. I do remember my teacher giving us BMI charts that way we could figure out our BMI on our own, so we did not have to do it in front of our peers. 

I think it is a fantastic idea that they are wanting to improve our children’s health, but I feel like they could approach it in a little bit different way. One of these ways could be by sending out a monthly newsletter including nutritional tips and facts about child obesity, that way parents become more aware of the problem. Furthermore by taking charge of the foods that are available to students at school. That would include school lunches and vending machines. Even though children are taught to make better choices they are not always going to do so if the wrong thing is available for them. 

About me

Hi :) I am Amber Gourley. I just transferred to MSSU from MNU in Olathe, KS. I decided to transfer closer to home after getting engaged, in September. I will be getting married this June. I am very excited about starting this new chapter in my life. When I am not going to school or working I enjoy spending time with my friends and family. When I have extra time I enjoy photography, being outside, and traveling.