What now?

What a day! People have asking "So, do you feel any different?" And the answer is I don't know. I don't think it has really hit me yet that I just graduated from college. Even sitting in the rows waiting for my name to be called didnt really help everything sink it. Graduating from high school, yeah that felt different. . But college not so much. This was a humongous step in my life. If you haven't been following along this little journey of mine then here's a quick run down of my timeline.

September 1, 1989- born
August 1992-started kindergarten
February 5, 1993- became a big sister
October 5, 1994- became a big sister again.

(Skipping the boring stuff)

August 2003- began high school
May 13 2004- diagnosed with an Astrocytoma Brain tumor
June 11, 2004- surgery to remove said tumor
August 2004- sophomore year of high school
October 2004- began having seizures
February 2005- first day back to school since seizures began
April 2005- first date

(Skipping more boring stuff)

May 2007- high school graduation
August 2007- began college at MTSU

(More boring stuff)
December 25, 2010- engaged to high school sweet heart (first date guy)
August 11, 2011- married high school sweet heart
December 15, 2012- graduated from college

So do I feel different? Not really. But i have realized how thankful I am for all the people that got me to this moment.
-I am thankful for the amazing parents I have that we're always there through the good, bad and the ugly.
-I am thankful for my mom. Who has always been my best friend. Held my hair back when I was puking, held my hand when I was scared, and always open for a much needed hug.
- I am thankful for my sister and brother. I don't know how things would be today without them. After sharing a room with my sister for oh 16 years, I still miss it today.
-I am thankful for all the friends and family that kept encouraging and praying for me throughout my life.
- And finally I am thankful for my husband. I am glad it was raining that April day otherwise We might not be together today. Thank you for always being right beside me in everything I do. You always believed in me with everything I did and will do. I am so happy to be able to share this time with you. I can't wait to see what God had in store for us on the next leg of our journey.


So, what's next? I am a college graduate with a degree in chemistry and biology and a minor in education. I survived cancer, epilepsy and I am going to be a teacher. I want to inspire students just as I was to reach for the stars. With hard work and perseverance you can be anything you want to be. Just look at me!

Christmas Lights and puzzle pieces

Yes, I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet and I have already changed my layout but what can I say, I love Christmas. I have already put lights around the living room window. Christmas cards a almost filled out. The only things that has not been done is the Christmas tree and playing the Christmas music. Soon enough though.

31 Days until graduation! That means I have spent 5 1/2 years, that's 84 weeks, 588 days, 14,112 hours, 846,720 minutes, 50,803,200 seconds of college and it all comes down to 31 days left. That's insane and scary at the same time. Who would have thought that a girl who had a brain tumor and has epilepsy could graduate college with a degree in Chemistry and Biology and a minor in education. Life is like a puzzle and God has the box. At least some of the piece are beginning to fit together.

Since our year anniversary, people have been saying or asking something about children. "It's been a year, you know what that means?" I don't mind the asking but the last few days it has brought back memories. I have my days when the memory gets triggered but overall, we were just going with the flow of things. It has almost been a year since our little one went to heaven. This year hasn't been the easiest. Since the PCOS diagnosis in April, our lives have changed directions again. It was an answered prayer because now we know what is going on. I just have to trust in God that he has a plan for Allen and I and this was just a step in the journey. He never gives us anything we can't handle, right?

We have decided to take the next step since my regular doctor has no clue about PCOS and how to treat it. We finally made an appointment with a reproductive endocrinologist for December 4. I guess I was scared to make the appointment. I was unsure of the unknown and another doctor on top of the 5 others. But one thing I do know is that in order to begin our family we need to find out how to help this PCOS or at least how to get it under control. So, a new journey has begun. The only thing is that I want a cup of coffee that is actually caffeinated.

Never too old to learn something new

9 weeks down 7 more to go! During the past 9 weeks I have learned several things. Like never leave your favorite pen on your desk or some child will take it. Bribery still works with students especially with ice cream sandwiches. When something happens unexpected, like almost catching the school on fire, don't freak out! Yes, it did in fact happen.

 My first placement was definitely....... enlightening. I learned a lot about myself as a person and a future teacher. I also learned that college did not prepare me for the classroom. I learned that students think you are older than you look because you are classified as a teacher. I learned to never turn your back.

I have now moved on to my second placement. On my first day, I learned another new concept. Middle schoolers are totally different than high schoolers. Sadly, I want to stick with high schoolers. I can blow things up and set things on fire. They don't wear their hearts on their sleeves. I can definitely do more of what I like to do.

How has this experience effected our marriage? Considering we see each other 2 nights a week, really it is only 1 since i have to work one of those, it is going.....who am I kidding. It is crap. I think it is harder on me since I am the one that is home ALONE after school and while he is home he is asleep then goes into work so he doesn't notice it as much. When Allen first got put on first shift I was excited. Get to have him home more, actually sleep in the same bed, not be home alone at night. It would be great! yeah, it was up until, oh 9 weeks ago! If this is how it is going to be when I start teaching then I want a change. WAHHH! (stomps feet)

No, I dont always act like a child when I dont get my way. The Lord convicts me of it for sure. Sometimes, I would just like to cook dinner a hot dinner for two instead of a hot dinner for one and a microwave plate for the other. Oh the joys of being the wife of a second shift security Sargent for Nissan.   

Interesting Night

If you know Allen and I pretty well, you would know that we are very different when it comes to our movie selections. Allen has been watching scary movies since he was little (around 4). He loves a good scary/bloody/halloweenish movie. His favorite holiday is halloween because of all the new movies that come out.

 I however grew up never watching scary movies. The scariest movie I watched as a child was Sleeping Beauty and Snow White with the evil queens. As of today, I still hate scary movies because I over think things and freak myself out. Don't even think about movies that spew blood because I will most likely puke on you.

Well, monday night I tried to be a good wife and let Allen pick the movie and where we at dinner on our date night. I think I only watched maybe 30 minutes of the whole movie because my eyes were either dug into Allen's shoulder or trying to read my ebook on my iphone. Needless to say, my nerves were shot when it came time for bed. My husband, being the concerned guy he is, said I should take 1/2 of a sleeping pill so I am not up all night. Ok, 1/2 of a pill, that's not that much. I'll be able to get up at 5:45 no problem. LIES!!!! Yes, I did get up at 5:45 but I fell asleep in the shower, eating breakfast, blow drying my hair and almost driving to school. So, me being so smart, I stopped for coffee with 2 shots! I'm awake now and it's a good thing I was not teaching anything new yesterday hahaha.

Changes

Fall is finally here! I love fall and everything that comes with it. While grocery shopping today, I found the cutest wall hang of which I hung on the outside of our door. I love the cool days and nights, pumpkins, apples, Hoedown, and the homemade soups.


Well, I have some news...... No I'm not pregnant and I'm sorry if that was your guess and you are totally bummed.
Marley is no longer with Allen and I. No, she isn't dead just was sent to another family. The morning that became aggressive with me was her last week with us. She was sent to a family that has no child (she doesn't like children) and they have another chihuahua. Her new own says she has adjusted to her new home with ease and is very friendly.


 11 weeks until graduation! This student teaching experience has been going well. So far, I have learned that students can be bribed with ice cream sandwiches. Luckily  there are only 2 1/2 more weeks left at this placement. Student teaching is definitely an adjustment for the both of us. My day starts at 6 and lasts until 4, not including the days I work at the church. Allen is at work from 2 pm-10 pm. Most nights, I am in bed before he gets home and he is asleep when I get up and going. We really only get 1 night together because I work on the other one. I have learned that I am a jealous when it comes to time and it is something I need to work on.

Other than marley's departure our life has been pretty boring. I guess it is time to shake things up again.

Song of Solomon 8:6-7  Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised.

Greetings from Philly!

I just learned there is an app for blogger so now I can write on my phone. So in my three days in Philadelphia I have learned many things

1) 97% of the streets are one way and the green light is your signal to walk
2) being other shoes besides heels and flip flops
3) don't ask for sweet tea because they will laugh at you
4) hashbrowns doesn't exist above the mason Dixon line.
5) dont speak to anyone because southerns, including tennesseans, will be laughed at immediately.
6) instead of saying excuse me just push your way through.
7) scrapple is like the southern equivalent to hash.

So far, the convention has been wonderful. We presented our posters yesterday afternoon and last night. Yesterday afternoon was all the undergraduate students. The following presentation was a mix of everyone( including professionals, professors, graduates and undergrads) however, they only excepted 25 of the undergraduate posters out of 400 total and both of our posters were accepted. We go a certificate, pretty ribbon to put on our name badges and popcorn. Overall it has been a great trip but, I miss home. Especially my husband. i think this will be the last research presentation for me.

1 year and counting

Well, we made it! It's hard to believe it has been a year already. People say that the first year is the hardest. I, however, disagree. Our first year was actually really good. Now some days weren't as easy as others and it did require lots of prayer and perseverance but overall not a bad first year of marriage.

As I was growing up, Walt Disney was a big part of my life. In every movie that contained a princess, she and the prince lived happily ever after in a HUGE castle with no care in the world. But he forgets to mention that in the real world when a princess finds her prince and the marry that things are a little different. You don't start off in a castle, you now have added families members and there aren't dancing kitchen objects that cook extravagant meals for you. Oh, the imagination of a child.

To celebrate, monday night we went out to dinner to The Stockyard in Nashville. Let's just say it was worth every penny we spent. This is my steak. it was HUGE. I ate a 1/3, Allen ate 1/3 and the rest was for lunch the next day. Yes, it did come with one onion ring. We then came home to dig into the top tier of our wedding cake. I hope it tasted better the first time because the only person who liked it was Marley, well she not really a person but you get my drift.

Since we didn't do the whole smash the cake in the other persons face deal we decided to have some fun with the dry crusty cake. 

 As I lay in bed that night, I just kept thinking about how blessed we have been. The Lord says not to worry about anything which I am really bad about. Everything was taken care of this year. We paid off Allen's car. My yearly MRI was crystal clean. My hormone levels are dropping. I got a wonderful student teaching assignment although it seemed kind of sketchy at first. and I am graduating in December. Everything is just falling into place as far as I know, but only he knows the true plan for this journey.

Day 2

Whew! I am pooped and it's only my second day. If you didn't know this already, I am student teaching this semester. I am four months shy of being a High School Chemistry and Biology Teacher. I'm crazy right? Who in their right mind would teach chemistry and biology let alone with high schoolers? I guess this girl is. If I can teach college students then high school should be easy peasy. Maybe? Tomorrow is the BIG day. I get to meet my students, well first period anyway.

This whole student teaching this is a real adjustment. Instead of sleeping until 8-830 (sometimes 9), like the past 3 months, it's 6 AM for me. That was a real shocker yesterday. My body did not want to get up let alone try and get ready. But I did. My cooperating teacher is really nice now to see how the kids are tomorrow.

As far as any yummy concoctions from the Kitchen goes, I got nada. I cant remember the last real meal that I have cooked beside just cooking for me or picking at leftovers. Last week I did make these scrumptious whole wheat garlic and herb pretzels. For being healthy, they were actually pretty good.  

baked not fried

Yep, you guessed it, another recipe. But this isn't just for your knowledge, it's for me too. I can come back here for pictures and the recipe if i ever lose the paper copy.

If there is one thing I love to do that is go to the farmers market in town and get fresh veggies every week. This week I decided to make something I haven't made by myself yet. Eggplant Parmesan! Allen was really excited when he asked what was for dinner that night but I had high expectations to keep up with. The first time Allen had eggplant was when his mom made it a few years ago and this night would be the second.

Traditional Eggplant Parmesan when the eggplant is fried has an about 550 calories per serving (1 cup). So, I decided to make my own that has almost half of those calories.

Beaked Not Fried Eggplant Parmesan

2  sm eggplant, cut into 1/4" slices
1/4 c + 1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
2 lb plum tomatoes or 1 can (28 oz) tomatoes, chopped
20 fresh basil leaves
1/2 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Generously oil 2 non-stick baking sheets.
2. Put eggplant on pans and brush tops with 1/4 cup of the oil. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Bake 30 minutes or until softened.
3. Heat remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute.

4. Add tomatoes, basil, pepper, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and cook until sauce is thickened and reduced to about 2 cups, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Transfer tomato mixture to food processor and puree until nearly smooth.

6. Coat bottom of 8" x 8" baking pan with 1/2 cup of the sauce. Add one-third of the eggplant, and top with another 1/2 cup of the sauce and 3 tablespoons of the cheese. Repeat twice (eggplant, sauce, cheese), ending with remaining 6 tablespoons cheese.


7. Bake until browned, about 30 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition (per serving): 300 cal, 10 g protein, 24 g carbs, 11 g fiber, 20.5 g fat

Now, When I first bit in I wasn't sure. I am a TOTAL Texture person. So tofu, cottage cheese, sour cream, ricotta cheese, refried  beans, peas out of the question. The texture was.... different (not crunchy or gooey), not bland tasting but needed a little more cheese but overall pretty good. And to my surprise, Allen enjoyed it too. It wasn't his mamas but then neither and I.

scrumptous

Happy 4th! a day late though.  Allen and I got to take a mini vaca for a few days. We drove to Crossville and went camping. No internet. No facebook. Just him and I for 3 days. Monday we did head farther east  to visit his mom and our new nephew. Zamsom Alexander Gillis- 5lbs 12 ozs. Allen was so scared to hold him worried that he was going to drop him. Precious he is and I can't wait until we get to see him again. 

So I have a new recipe... I know your dying to hear what tasty treat I have made now. A picture says a 1000 words so here is a picture.

 Yum! right? Strawberry Oat Muffins.

• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup strawberry puree (toss a few large hulled berries into a food processor and pulse until you have 1/2 cup of puree)
• 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1/4 cup honey or other liquid sweetener of choice
• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup hulled & diced strawberries (measure after chopping)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Coat a 12 cup muffin pan with canola oil cooking spray or line with paper cups.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients (through cinnamon), and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the next 7 ingredients (applesauce through egg).
5. Add the dry ingredients into the wet, stirring until moistened. Gently fold in the diced strawberries.
6. Use an ice cream scoop (for uniformly-sized muffins) to spoon batter into prepared muffin pan.
7. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

tiny voices

I was on my way to work Thursday night and  having a hard busy week. I was tired, stress, and just thinking about all the things that I needed to do for the up and coming conferences. Turning on the radio on Way FM and Melissa and Matt were talking about how God does things and we don't even realize it that he is playing a part in them. Then Mandisas' "Stonger" came on. It's not like I haven't heard it come on before but have you REALLY LISTENED? And it got me to thinking about everything that has happened the past 8 years.

 

A few weeks ago after the PCOS diagnosis, I felt like I was drowning. First the tumor, then epilepsy, the miscarriage, now the PCOS. What next? But after listening to their conversation and truly listening to Her song I was enlightened. Finding out about the PCOS was a God thing. Without finding out about it, we wouldn't know we couldn't have children, why I couldn't loss weight and find the reason for our loss.  I already have an amazing God story from my brain tumor and the seizures.  

Today, I got my 8 year MRI results. Still the same a the day after surgery. One more year down not sure how many to go. I am a stronger person than I was 8 years ago even if the storms seemed impassable until now.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with Thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6

A new leg

No, I didn't receive a new leg nor did Allen but better yet a new leg to our journey together. If you don't know me I HATE DESPISE going to the doctor. Dentist, optometrist, neurosurgeon, neurologist, internal medicine. You name it , I hate it. They give me the heebee geebees. This time it was one of those appointments that you have to make because you are an adult and being an adult means making an appointment when you need to and of course what do they want every time I go into the doctor. BLOOD. Except this time she took like four time more blood than normal. I think it was a total of 13 tests they were doing. A pint of blood total. The human body has 10 pints of blood circulating throughout but at the end of that appointment I had 9 and a very empty stomach. After that appointment Allen and I decided we were going to change the way we were eating and begin counting calories. So far, pretty good. Doing better that I thought thanks to my handy dandy Iphone!

Anyway... Thursday she wanted a follow up with the results of the rest of my blood work. Thyroid- fine, blood- count fine, hepatitis b and c- no but another issue arose. I have Poly-cystic Ovarian Syndrome, more commonly known as PCOS. Keeping my composure in the office, I was freaking out. First the tumor, then epilepsy now the PCOS. What next? I wasn't really paying attention when she was explaining what it all was, I guess a mental road block. So, I went to find a book. Of course the only book two stores had was "PCOS for Dummies".

So, if you read my blog and somewhat enjoy it, glad to hear. This new leg of our journey has effected us a lot. Instead of writing about my fabulous cakes, desserts and funny things that happen with Allen and I, it will be twisted a little. About our journey with alternative cooking, PCOS challenges, marriage funnies and yummy desserts just much better for you. Stay tuned in if interested, if not, see you on the flip side.

 

yummy goodness

 Finally able to close the door to MTSU, well at least to class anyway. It's hard to believe 5 years of school has passed and almost finished. Student teaching begins in August and a new leg of the journey begins. Now, it's working all summer in the Women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) office and at the church of course.

So everyone knows I love to cook. I love to try new things and make a mess in the kitchen. The latest recipe I got from pinterest. This yummy goodness couldn't have been easier to make.

White Chocolate Oreo Cake

6oz of Hershey's Cookies n Cream Chocolate Candy Bar
1/2 cup of Sugar
1/2 cup of butter
Melted over medium heat until melted

Whisk in 2 lightly beaten eggs and ½ teaspoon vanilla

Add:
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
Stir until mixture is incorporated and smooth

Pour into greased 9" springform pan
Bake at 350°, 20 minutes 


Remove from oven
Immediately pour 7oz. sweetened condensed milk over top of brownies
Layer with ¾ cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips
Let cool

The girls loved it. Yes, I had to taste check before I let anyone else eat it hence the little square taken out.
\

Happy Purple Day!

With my seizures fire within my speech pattern, so one sign that one has occurred is that I can't speak. 

Okay, so Purple Day isn't until the 26th but it was on my heart.What is Purple Day you ask?

Cassidy Megan (on left) created the idea of Purple Day in 2008, motivated by her own struggles with epilepsy. Cassidy's goal is to get people talking about epilepsy in an effort to dispel myths and inform those with seizures that they are not alone. The Epilepsy Association of Nova Scotia came on board in 2008 to help develop Cassidy's idea which is now known as the Purple Day for epilepsy campaign.

 I along with 3 million other Americans have epilepsy. That's 1 out of every 100 people. I have two types of seizures:

• Absence seizures: consist of brief episodes of staring for a period of 5-30 seconds. Impairment of awareness begins without warning and ends suddenly, leaving the person alert and attentive. You probably wouldn't even notice it was happening. A person may have 50 - 100 absence seizures a day. 
• Atonic Seizures: usually begin in childhood (lasting for less than 15 seconds) and are associated with an abrupt loss of muscle tone. 

A person may have 50 - 100 absence seizures a day. Without treatment, the seizures may interfere with learning. Absence seizures almost always begin in childhood (four to 14 years of age) and often resolve in late teenage years.

 With my seizures fire within my speech pattern, so one sign that one has occurred is that I can't speak. Sometimes it only lasts less than a minute other times hours or even days. In the beginning, We (family and friends) wrote notes back and forth but that got tiring. So, i brushed up on my sign language. My mom was the only one that really knew what I was trying to say but others tried to learn too. When I started dating Allen, we sat around for hours learning his letters to at least be able to spell things. Although I could hear him, he wanted to be able to practice speaking back.



 Everyday I wake up is a gift from God. Well not just for me but for all of us. The very breath that we breathe is a gift. I am often asked how do I do it? They are amazed how far I have come. At the age of 14, I was having brain surgery, at 15 battling epilepsy and at 23 graduating with a double major in Chemistry and Biology. WOW! It's called the power of prayer. For all the skeptics out there prayer works and I am proof. I don't know where I would be today without all my friends and family that were praying for my healing. 7 years ago I couldn't add or subtract in my head and now look. 

Mother's Day

 Happy (almost) Mother's Day. I love my mom. She has played a big part in my life that I don't know what I could do with out her. She's been a Girl Scout mom, Band mom, a Choir mom, Ashely's mom, Paige's mom and Chad's mom.  On Mother's Day 2004, My mom awoke to a phone call from my band director saying I had passed out while on a band trip to Chicago. She quickly got ready, got a flight and flew up to Chicago without her license. lol. After a Cat scan, the doctors knew something wasn't right. There was something in my brain. We flew home that night to return for a MRI. A few days later we received the news that at the age of 14 I had a brain tumor and needed to meet with a neurosurgeon soon. After many appointments and more scans, the surgery was set for June 13. I don't know how I could have gotten through the surgery and the recovery without her by my side. She stayed with me during the hospital stay. Drive me up to Vanderbilt 3 days a week for therapy. Anything I needed she was there.

Once school began, I developed Epilepsy because of where the tumor was taken out. Through all the seizures, hospitalizations, medication changes and side effects mom was always by my side. Always there to hold me, cry with me, and help understand what I am trying to say. See, when I have a seizure I dont flop like a fish or pee on myself. My seizures, well I have two types. One you wouldn't really even realize it's happening. They are called absence seizures, just like staring into space. The second kind are called atonic seizures. I lose all muscle tone and fall where ever I am. I also lose my speech because they fire in my speech pattern. My mom took a sign language class while in college. Using her book I learned the letters years before. Instead of writing billions of notes, we signed, even if they were having to spell everything out.

When I got sick things got pretty bad, emotionally that is. Although no one understood, mom tried her best to make things as easy as she could. 7 years later she (and my father) gave me away. This year is my 8 year MRI. Cancer did not beat me, I beat cancer.

Happy Mother's Day Mom.

 Love,

April showers bring May flowers

Welcome to May! April showers bring May flowers however we haven't had too much rain here in little Murfreesboro.  In our tiny apartment I have attempted to bring a little herbaceous life in doors and so far success! My little flowers are growing everyday and almost above the rim of the pot. I will continue to keep you updated on how my little ones are growing.

May is a very special time for me.  It brings back a lot of memories of where God has taken me on this journey of life. May is Brain Tumor Awareness month. Did you know there are over 600,000 people in the US living with a brain tumor of some kind? Don't mean to make you paranoid. At the age of 14, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. See that dark spot in the scan? That's where the tumor was. Anyway, I don't have time today to write down my WHOLE story. Will save that for another day.

School is over! Finally! About to leave to turn in the paper that I have had done since Sunday. If it's been done since Sunday then why have I waited to turn it in until today? Well I have a method to my madness. I figure that the the later I turn it in the less time he has to grade it thus the less time he has to analyze it. Cleaver ah?

face lift

So, I decided for my mental sanity to take the morning off from studying and finishing this dreadful Ecology paper. Instead I cleaned, at lunch with my sister and gave the blog a face lift. What do you think? I liked the old layout, don't get me wrong, it just wasn't springy enough.

Speaking of spring.... WE HAVE GROWTH!!!  No I am not excited one bit hahaha.

 School is almost over and I couldn't be more ready and excited. In my time here at MTSU I feel as though I have spent WAY too much time for my degree.

Time allotted:
English- 9 credit hours
History- 9 credit hours
Humanities- 9 credit hours
Mathematics- 9 credit hours
Social Sciences- 9 credit hours
Chemistry-  26 credit hours
Biology- 22 credit hours
Physics- 8 credit hours
Education- 30 credit hours

That totals to 131 credit hours. 5.5 years.  That's 154 weeks= 1078 days. But..... in December it will be all worth it. December 15th to be exact. I will have a degree in Chemistry and Biology with a minor in Education.

spring has sprung

 Allen says I do not have a green thumb. That I kill any plant that is given to me or that I attempt to grow. Examples: Strawberry plant- never sprouted. 2nd attempt strawberry plant- never sprouted. Parsley, Basil- both dead

 Here is the Orchid that Allen gave me for Valentines Day. Of course then it was a beautiful bloomed flower but now it is just a twig in a pot.

About a week ago I planted sunflower seeds when I got home from Church this afternoon,  I found this.... I SEE GREEN!!! THEY'RE ALIVE!!










 I couldn't have been more happy. Finally, 1 plant/seed I haven't managed to kill in the few months we have been here in our little home. More updates on my little seedlings as they grow.


What's up with Marley:

Marley at her finest. She had definitely found a place in our hearts. But she doesn't like other people. The only time she barks or growls is when then neighbors come around or someone comes over to visit. She's bit my mom, tried to bite Ivy (age 3), and charged my sister. I know she was abused before we got her but can take the chance of her attacking Ivy or one of our future little ones. So, Allen is going to try one last resort. He want to try and train her. Let's see how this goes.