Internship and Student Teaching

I just found out today that I am the newest intern at University High School in Normal, IL. I will be interning in the Biology department in the fall and then in the spring I will be student teaching. This is an opportunity of a lifetime and I can't wait to take this experience for everything I can. I am working with amazing teachers and another intern that is one of my good friends. I am excited that all my work has paid off!!! Woot....Woot!!!

Spring Semester 2011

To my few followers please look at my last few posts that I finally posted after going dormant for over a month. I finished school today and will try to make more time to blog. I keep thinking of things to blog about and want to make it fun to read for anyone who wants to "blog-stalk" me! I only have one more year left and I will be on the job search!!!

Hobbies: How I go from 26 to 80 in an hour!

Gardening

I have a love for gardening and growing herbs and plants but really have no where to put them because our back yard is completely covered with shade by trees. A few years ago I started to dig and get a good place to plant and found a sidewalk about six inches down. So after that I would just plant flowers in pots and hope and pray that the college kids would leave them alone (which never happens) but I tried anyway. Then I moved to herbs but never really used them or would kill them. I have a new plan this year and that is to plant vegetables, herbs, and flowers in pots and see how they grow. I think this is something that I might actually want to blog about and show my experience!

I went for a run on Saturday with my friend and came home and decided to use my Seize the Deal (gotta love it) to Casey's garden shop! I picked up Taylor and we were on a mission. She wasn't as excited as I was but we had a lot of fun shopping. We came home and play with the dogs and I planted the veggies and flowers! Matt came home and told me that is was going to rain for the next ten days so when I got done we moved them into our sun room and here they are!!!

 My Heirloom tomato plant

 This is the lavender (aren't you always supposed to grow lavender.. I learned that in a movie once aka Practical Magic), mint (maybe for yummy drinks), and oregano.These are definitely going to have to go to something bigger!!!

 

This is the red pepper, green pepper, jalapeno peppers, and cherry tomato plant!

 Little flowers in a pot Matt got me with flowers in it for our second anniversary!!

 Last of the herbs we have cilantro (my favorite) and basil....of course!!

 One pot of pretty flowers that Tay helped me pick out and yes that is the game of Life on a microwave in our sun room. I needed more plant stands and thought this would work!

 This is a little house plant that Matt surprised me with a week or so ago that I re-potted.

 I underestimated how many pots I had and still have flowers to plant!

These are the plants that started it all. I have had both of these since 2006-2007 in my last year of college. They have moved five times and have been put through a lot and are still alive. See I don't kill everything!!!

Nox-Ace Bottling Works Pekin, IL

My dad found these bottles by the creek behind our house when he was working with the backhoe and gave them to me. They were really dirty (I wish I would have taken a picture) but they cleaned up really well. They are really interesting and really unique. On the back it sales they can not be sold? I have been doing research but I can't figure out what was in them soda? beer? If anyone has any ideas or thoughts let me know. I am going to use them as decorations but right now they are in my china cabinet (my bookshelf I have all my pretty glasses on).My goal is to do something with them, they are really thick glass and almost in perfect condition! Thanks Dad!! Now I want more!!

 I know they aren't the best pictures but I was trying to hold my folder behind but couldn't hold my camera with one hand!

Gary Allan at the Assembly Hall

When we found out Gary Allan was going to be at the Assembly Hall in Champaign we knew we had to go. This was the fourth Gary Allan concert that we have been to together since we have been dating. This is the first married concert we have seen him at. He is such a great performer and equally great to look at. Every concert I look forward to seeing his dog Lucy which is a poodle and golden retriever mix and you should have seen me when I saw her backstage! I was so excited. Matt said I was more excited to see her than Gary himself. How the Assembly Hall was set up it was probably only one fourth or one-eighth used so it was a very small venue and are seats were one one side so I could see behind stage the whole concert! It was pretty cool. He always sings different set lists and usually a new song or two. We will never get tired of seeing him live!! One of his crew members gave me and Matt guitar picks (which I have wanted for a long time) next goal to meet him in person....not fan club style but hang out with him, ha ha ha!!! I can dream right??? Here are a few pictures! We had pretty great seats!!

 Here he is! Brooke look at those rugs!! I think you would have loved them, haha! IKEA maybe?

 And here is Lucy! You have to see her on stage....too cute! I told Matt if we ever live in the country we need to adopt one just like her!

Springfest!

The night of Springfest we were supposed to go to the bout at the Coliseum and support our girl Jenna Owen and the McLean County Misfits but come to find out it got canceled. A few quick phone calls and a trip to the store we had a cookout on our hands. Brooke, Blake, Sean, Kaitlin, Taylor, Matt, and myself cooked out and had a fire. Me and Tay were the masterminds of this cookout but like usual Matt did all the grilling!! We managed to take no pictures while we were at home but we went downtown to see Brushfire at Daddios later and here are a few pictures from our night.

 Sean and Katilin at Daddios....Where Brushfire had just finished when we got there. We realized we should have looked to see when they were going to play! Woops!

 Me and Tay!

Black cardigan crew, hahaha! We got ready really quickly!

We ended up leaving and went to Six Strings to meet up with my friend Kati!

Cody Canada and the Departed at Six Strings

 We got invited to go to a concert at Six Strings by Cody Canada and the Departed formally known as CCR or Cross Canadian Ragweed. Aaron Riegler bought the tickets for us and invited us to go. The funny thing was it was "Fool's Fest weekend" so we really didn't know what to expect but we ended up having a great night!

 Tay got me all dressed up for the occasion!

This is one that doesn't happen to often but a good picture of me and Matt!