Woodleaf Weekend

Great weekend with Colleen and Carly! 

MLK Day, a day on, not a day off

While, I usually welcome the MLK day off with open arms, this year it was nice to spend my day giving back. City Year celebrates Dr. King's birthday as a "day ON, not a day off” by honoring his legacy through service projects such as painting murals, restoring park areas, landscaping community spaces and leading educational activities for children. For City Year Sacramento, today was a day spent aiding in the MLK 365 march. We split up into different teams, some cheering people on as they marched, others helping sell t-shirts, some helping with set up, a group manning an educational and fun booth for kids, some helping with take down, and just doing  whatever they needed us to do. I spent my day working closely with the woman who was in charge of all the activities happening in the convention center. This job meant talking with different vendors, checking in with different people, and pretty much just running around everywhere, which is a job I've come accustomed to :). It was a great day, with a big turnout, and our Rosa Parks Student Pride Breakdancers even made an appearance, performing onstage. Of course I rushed to the front to take pictures and cheer! A lot of my students are in the group and they've really been working hard! Anyways, today was a success and I hope that even after my City Year life is over I'll continue to do some type of service to honor Dr. King on his special day! 

San Fran for the week-an! :)

Spent this weekend with my friend Annmarie from UT and also from Sydney, Australia! She's living in LA and we met up this weekend along with her friend from Australia! We had a blast and walked around literally half the city. Beautiful weather and so much fun! ( She has all the best pictures) :)

Twin day at Rosa Parks! I definitely had the best one!

We've got talent...how 'bout you?

Today I am proud. The RT (regional transit) System had a contest awhile back, open to elementary and middle schoolers asking participants to either draw a picture or write a 10 line poem that incorporated both civil rights and the transit system in some way. A winner was chosen in each grade. I'm excited to announce that for seventh and eighth grade Rosa Parks took home the gold! And today I got to be the one to let them know! These students worked really hard and I'm very proud of their work! :) 

Fun in art club!

 Ms. Sammie's art club: The only place where it is not only normal to put animal heads on people's body's, but it is expected :) 

I decided to mix things up a little in my art club this week. We used magazines to make some fun art!

The dreaded Monday fast approaches

Yesterday I bid another farewell to family and friends as I returned to the Golden State! Hard to leave, but excited to get work done! Had some fun at the West Brook track with Maddie and Jeanan before heading out and my friend Stephanie went to great lengths to see me before caught my flight, meeting me at a nearby gas station for a quick chat! I am beyond blessed and I can do the work I do in Sacramento because I know I am so well loved in Texas! :)

I'm already missing the stars at night, big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas, but it's back to school tomorrow! Despite the daily challenges I encounter, I can't say that I'm not excited about coming back to the schools tomorrow.  I missed these kids. I missed my team. I missed Rosa Parks. I missed Sacramento.

There's something to be said about working fifty hours a week in a low income school, or probably in any school.  There are never days that are absolutely perfect in every single way and there are never days that are completely awful.  This is not to say life for everyone isn't all bad or all good on most days, but with this job it remains a constant balance daily. I think this is how life is supposed to be. Not easy,  not hopeless,  not unrealistic,  not pessimistic, not all roses and butterflies, but not thunderstorms and rain clouds either.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

(Imagine me screaming that in the midnight new year's eve voice that is usually accompanied by confetti and fireworks)

I'm excited for 2014! Only God could know what's in store for me! 2013 was pretty jam packed with graduations and starting a new life in Sacramento, so I say, "Bring it on new year! Show me whatcha got!"

I've seen so many posts about making resolutions, but my only real  resolution is the one I want myself to live out daily: love others well and in return be loved well.

It's funny how this time last year I had absolutely no clue what would lay ahead in the upcoming school year,  and this year is no different.  I'm not sure what I'll be doing when the clock strikes midnight this time next year, but I have faith that God has way better plans for me than I could ever think of on my own.

Surprising Nola at her birthday dinner! 

Here's to a great year! Glad I got to bring it in in my favorite city with some of my favorite people! Wish I could have spent more time in Austin, but the time that was spent there was excellent! I got to see Jess the Best, run all over campus with Jeanan, spend my day battling the insane additional percent off the already on sale merchandise shopping and playing with puppies with Savanna and Shannon, surprise Nola at her birthday dinner, spin under the Zilker tree with my favorite cousin ( note: My Unlce Norz says anyone who goes to the Zilker Tree and does not spin, has no soul) visit with my aunt and uncle, see Christina and Jamie, and last but not least, ring in the new year with my old roomies on the infamous sixth street! :) 

Cheers!