Showing posts with label Exciting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Exciting. Show all posts

2/04/2009

Sweet Moments, First Steps

I work at a church nursery every Wednesday. I usually don't look forward to it before I go in because I'm already tired and just want to read a book for the rest of the night, or now, research SEO for my new job. I don't know why I have this feeling when each week I always leave feeling like I just spent time with some of the coolest kids on the planet. =-) Tonight was no exception.

I got to help a little girl take some of her first steps tonight. It was such a remarkable thing to see and be a part of. She has some health issues that prohibit her from using her muscles correctly (it will take her a lot longer to learn how to use them than other kids), so to help her achieve this was so amazing for me. She was grinning from ear to ear and didn't want to stop. I am very excited about being able to help her again next week!

1/24/2009

Exciting News

I'm very pleased to inform you that I have a job! These past couple days, I interviewed for a position called SEO at a small company in San Antonio. (SEO is "Search Engine Optimization," for those who don't know- It's what makes sites number one when you run a search on Google or Yahoo!) I have a lot to learn, but I am very excited about it. It's 3:24 am and I've been researching it most of the night. I've been reading a few books on my Kindle, too- which is awesome. I can't wait to write more about my job- I start training next week! God provides.

Russell is here this weekend and we are going to celebrate by doing different SA things tomorrow- exploring the riverwalk some more, looking at possible apartments, and of course- cooking (eating!). I'll have to take some pictures of our adventures.

I suppose I should go to bed- it's pretty late!

12/24/2008

Graduation Update :)


I graduated!!! I am now a UMHB alumna! :)
Nice ;)


12/15/2008

Exciting events...

So I have one more final exam tomorrow and then I am finished with my BA degree!!! Woo-hoo!!!! So far I have two As, and am hoping for a 3rd :)

I also have a JOB INTERVIEW (again) on Wednesday! This one is going to be a little different though- I'm interviewing for a technical writing position in San Antonio. I really want it! I would love to say, "Oh, I'm a writer" when asked what I do for a living. I mean, really. How AWESOME would that be???? :) I'll keep you posted!

On Saturday I receive my diploma and then go home to SA! Russell and I are spending Christmas with my folks and I'm super pumped about that. We'll be there for about a week and then we are driving to Tennessee for New Years to spend it with his mom. So it will be a fun month!! Then, I come back to the REAL world. Eeeeek. Maybe I'll stay in Tennessee a little longer... ;)

11/08/2008

Weddings and Tests

I take my content exam today for teaching English. I'm not nervous at all! I've passed all the practice tests already, so it should be great. :)

I'm so excited! Last night, when Jenn and I were studying, she asked me to be her Maid of Honor!! I can't tell you how honored ;) I am that she asked!! She and Dean got engaged one week ago today, and I am sooooo excited for them! Now the helping with wedding plans begins! I can't tell you how happy I am about this. So if anyone out there has any "being a Maid of Honor" (I've only ever been a bridesmaid) tips, please feel free to pass them my way!

And who knows, maybe I'll be needing "being a bride" tips soon...

10/20/2008

"i see a light... it's so beautiful!"

Do you recognize that Bug's Life quote? :)

I got really excited today. I was officially approved for graduation, got fitted for my graduation regalia, AND picked out my college ring. Craziness- I graduate in 60 days!!

This semester's been good- even though I'm only taking 9 hours, I've earned an A on everything I've done, including my midterm for American Lit! Right now I'm focusing on a presentation I have to give for that class on Thursday. 10 minutes long, over Walt Whitman. There is just not enough research on the topic I'm doing.... but it's almost over! After Thursday, I will be 100% happy girl.

Well, not much is new... job fair next Tuesday! Maybe I'll get hired? :)

3/21/2008

Here's my story... as of late..

Long time no see? Sorry about that. :)

Life has been great. A lot has occurred since my last entry, so I shall update thee:

Academically, things are going well. In fact, there is a lot to be said for this area. I made the huge decision not to teach this semester, and that puts me at a point where I need only 3 classes in the fall to graduate! Yes. :) This semester has been rough though. I've been in 2 classes where I needed field experience, and it has been torture. Okay, that's a strong word. But it hasn't been the best experience. I am thankful for these classes because I realize that I do NOT want to teach. Ever. You may remember a post of mine back in December where I referenced my desire to go into speech pathology. These plans are definite- I even visited a school yesterday. I got to meet with the dean of the department and even got a personal tour. I know I'm a nerd (which I am totally okay with) because I have made it a standard that whichever school I choose has an exceptional library with very good hours. Anyways, I'm going to be working full time this summer in San Antonio (Where? I don't know. Possibly with a newspaper as a journalist- it's something I've always secretly wanted to do.) and taking a prep course at UTSA for the GRE. I HAVE to score high on this exam. My goal is to get anything above a 1300. I'll keep you posted. :) I've been in contact with many grad schools across Texas that have a Speech Pathology program- ACU, Lamar, Texas State, OLLU, Baylor, TWU, and UNT. I am planning on applying to all of them. So, once I graduate in December, it is off to grad school for 3 years. This may sound like a lot to you but I know that this will be worth it. If you want to know more about this, feel free to ask me! :)

My classes that I am taking right now have been going well too. If you ever need me, I'm probably off diagramming sentences for grammar, or writing essays for rhetoric. I'm really enjoying those classes. :) Next fall (my LAST semester as an undergraduate!), I will be taking Poetry, Literary Periods and Genres, and American Literature I. It is absolutely crazy that that is all I need!

Well, I hope you are all doing well.
Until next time!
~Krista

1/04/2008

Louisiana, Grad School, and Friends :)

So I'm back! Actually, I've been back for a few days... I've just been lazy with my blogging lately. :) Due to uploading time... I think I will only upload a couple pictures of my trip. But, if you want to see more, just go to: http://umhb.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2017895&l=af10b&id=183000054 :)

We went to an alligator ranch!! We touched alligators, and even fed them MARSHAMLLOWS!! It was pretty neat! The kids seemed to enjoy it, too :)

We also did other fun things, like bowling :) I love these kids! Now, aren't they just the cutest? :)
I had a great time in Louisiana. I learned that states are different in very funny ways- Lousisiana has a lot of TREES and WATER. I saw my first Pine Tree (I know, I know) and about a million others!! It was neat :)

During my trip, I talked to my friend Rachel (the mom in the family) about my future plans. We talked about how time flies (I'm graduating in a year!), about guys, and about careers. I told her that I had become interested in Speech Pathology for the past semester, and wouldn't you know- her best friend is a Speech Pathologist. Isn't that wild? I got to meet her (Amy) and she was so encouraging. So, now that I'm home, I've been doing my research, and I am seriously thinking of moving on towards gradaute school. As of right now, I'm looking at Texas State, Abilene Christian University, and Our Lady of the Lake University. They all require a few prerequisites that I don't have.. but I'm not going to let small obstacles stand in my way. I've already had 2 of those schools call and e-mail me to help me out! So I guess I'll keep you posted on that ;) The reason I'm even interested in Speech Pathology is because I really have a heart for children that have a hard time speaking for various reasons. My two younger cousins have difficulties with this- and I would love to be able to help in some sort of way. Anyways, in all, I would be in school for 3 more years, but that's just one year longer than most students who go to grad school. So if you can, just keep me in your prayers as I seek the Lord's will for this.

Anyhoo... I feel like my time in SA has been short, probably because it has. I haven't had much time to do anything because the few days that I've been here, I've been working! But I did have time to hang out with my friend from school, Analy. We did the typical San Antonio things: browsed the mall, walked the river walk, and ate Taco Cabana! :) Now that's a fun day :)

I head back to Belton on Sunday, and I'm sure that there will be many fun times (and picture posts!) :)

12/27/2007

Vacation!

I think that time is so weird sometimes... Somehow it makes sense when I think about it, but when I say it... "This break feels like it's going by so fast, but it's taking forever!!" I mean, come on, how weird is that?? How can a period of time be slow and fast??

I have no idea. :)

Since finals, I have worked at my new job in Temple at a place called "Paperdoodles". This place is exciting- I get to sell paper (and other knick-knacks, too)! I get to look at pretty invitations and help brides pick out the best ones... (By the way, did you know how expensive invitations are? It's absolutely crazy!) After a couple weeks at Paperdoodles, and enjoyable, peaceful days in Belton, I drove back to San Antonio. The very next day, my family and I drove to Fredericksburg to seem my mom's side to celebrate Christmas. We had a wonderful time, and it's always fun to see family and catch up. Since Christmas I've been working at the retirement home serving food too all of the residents. It's fun to see them again- their smiles make me happy :) Tomorrow I fly out to Louisiana! I'm visiting the family I used to babysit for. I can't wait to see Nathan and Anna!! They are the cutest kids ever... I have some proof:

I wish I had a recent picture of her big brother, but I will after I get back from my trip! I'll be there until New Years day, when I fly back. I'm very excited! I'll be taking a ton of pictures because I got a camera for Christmas, which is very exciting!! So, I guess all I can tell you is, "Stay tuned!!" :)

12/23/2007

Home! :) and a little randomness!

So I'm home now. I can smell the lovely scent of my mom's Apple Cake. How will I survive until tomorrow without biting into it?! :)

It's nice to be home. I'm just sitting in "my" room and relaxing. I'm acknowledging this because I do not want to take for granted the time I have now to rest... next semester won't be too bad... I don't think. I'm taking Advanced Grammar, which is supposedly the hardest class for English majors. I am still excited about it because I know there is so much about grammar that I don't know, but I've always wanted to. I'm also taking Advanced Rhetoric, Curriculum Methods, Classroom Management, and an easy one- General Psychology. I also find out where I will be student teaching. I'm not sure if I want Salado or Belton yet... so I will probably be observing in both districts to get a better idea. I think next semester's going to be fun, also! :)

Guatemala notes: I start fundraising next semester!! My Guatemala trip will be set for sometime June or July this summer... I get to choose the dates. It will be a prayer/relational ministry and I am very excited!! More updates to come... I will probably make a Guatemala blog, too. My adopted mom, Shanon, will be teaching Spanish classes at church for the Mexico mission trip, and I'm going to go to learn more for Guatemala :) It's very exciting!

Well, I guess I'll leave you with a quote that I read a couple days back:
"May your presence fill the nonanswers, empty glances, and lonely times of my life. Amen." - Robert Wood

12/04/2007

*whew!!*

So, I haven't posted in a while, right? Wow, sorry about that!

I'd be surprised if anyone still checks this! ;)

Well, let me update you on a few things:

After about 2 months of long practices throughout the week, pageant finally came and went! Our theme was "De'Masque," which means "Unmasked". It was an awesome experience! Here it is through some pics (there's a lot!):

This is at our banquet the night before pageant. We ate yummy food and each of our sponsoring organizations had a beautiful place setting waiting for us at our seat!





The first night was talent night and I performed a pantomime skit about true beauty. It turned out to be a huge hit! ;)


Julie and me before we went on stage to perform our dance on the second night!



Beautiful girls!


This was during evening gown walk- I wasn't nervous at all!


Stroll!


I made top 10!!


Then I made top 5, which is crazy! I answered my questions without an ounce of anxiety in me! God answered my prayer!


My proud, proud parents with me at the reception afterwards. It was so much fun and I wouldn't trade the experience for anything else. By the way, I made 4th runner up!! :)

Life after pageant has been pretty busy, surprisingly. I thought I would be bored without having practices to go to, but I got a new job (my third one!) and I'm still keeping up with classes- mainly writing and reading a LOT. More than the average student, I'm sure! haha :) I hope you enjoyed this post! It was due!

9/21/2007

Well, another week has passed! September seems as if it is just flying by :)

This week went well. On Monday night we had pageant orientation and it seems as if there will be many fun times to be had. I was so comforted because everyone seems to be in the same boat of anxiety. So that's nice. Practice starts on Monday, and will be on M,T,Th from 6-9 until November! We perform our talent on Tuesday night, so I'm practicing my mime skit!!

I got to meet up with my mime teacher on Wednesday. She has studied under Marcel Marceau- I am so blessed! She is so nice and had so many great ideas :)

Tonight I went country dancing which was way fun. I've learned all the steps to the songs which is really nice :) All of the instructors are so nice. I even get to babysit for 2 of them!! :)

Well, that's a summary of my life right now. Tomorrow I begin planning for Guatemala trip!!!

9/05/2007

A Rediscovery :)

I really feel as if I'm finding my thing. Or re-discovering it rather. Tonight I had to write a rough draft about an event in my life that could be a short story. As I wrote, I felt the creativity begin. I don't really get frustrated when I get to write. I enjoy it! I'm loving seeing my words on the screen, and knowing that they will be read and can make a difference. I'm very excited about what God is doing with this new passion. I do enjoy reading, and I never thought I'd enjoy writing just as much (maybe even more)! I love talking about other writings, too. I like trying to find the symbolism in others' stories and analyzing.

I'm probably going to be posting some of my assignments on another blog. My little "creative spot". So, be looking for that :) I just thought I would share with you the passions that are growing in my life!

8/27/2007

Life Back at UMHB

Hello everyone!

I'm sorry I have been neglecting this blog for quite sometime now... I will try to get back into it! :)

Well... I'm back at UMHB and it's been great so far. I haven't mentioned that Lauren and I are STILL not in our house because they had to rid it of fleas and do a few minor repairs... but we should be moving in sometime this wee. This is completely okay because this has given us time to find a dining table, and a free one at that!

I also have some news that is even better than that... my dad is now in El Paso going through all of the debriefing classes and he should be home in San Antonio by the end of this week! This is very, very good news! My parents have waited so patiently for this time in his career- retirement! He will retire very soon and we will never have to worry about "war" again!! There is a lot of rejoicing in the Quinn family right now!

This week is our first full week of classes and I'm actually more nervous that I thought I would be! :) I've already been reciting Shakespeare with all of my fellow English majors, and this week I will be reading Japanese literature, and writing- a lot! I'm very excited about all of this, but I'm also quite nervous about staying on top of things.

Well, that's my update! :) I know it's not a lot, but I don't have too much to say.

MY DAD'S ALMOST "HOME, HOME"!

6/29/2007

Days With Mom

So this week has been pretty great :)

To be quite honest with you, I wasn't really ready to come home this summer. I may have alluded to that in past posts, but I'm just saying the plain truth :) I'm sure it exists with every mother-daughter relationship, but I wasn't ready to come home to less independence, more chores, and being told whether or not my hair looks good that day. :{ So, I prayed before the summer that I would somehow find the strength and wisdom that comes in being a good daughter, and resisting my fleshly wants.

We've had our moments. But this week has been great. We've had wonderful conversations, funny moments, talks about our soldier (dad) whom we miss and can't wait to have back, and just an all around good time. God is definitely giving me strength, and a deeper love for my mom. (Don't get me wrong, I've always loved her, but we are becoming much closer.) I'm excited about this. God is amazing. He is such a faithful Father, and I am so thankful.

Tomorrow, my mom and I will be spending the day out as we look for dresses. I'm very excited about this!! We are also going to look for videos or books that I need to help me out. It will be a lot of fun!! :)

6/27/2007

Question and Answer :)

What's new with me? Well, hmmmm...

I have enjoyed my day off, and am excited about another one tomorrow! I had a test in my History class today, but it wasn't bad at all. Then I tried to go to different bookstores to find a book of skits, with no success :( This is going to be really hard.

Stephanie- to answer your question about pageant. I can't believe I haven't told you!! Well, MHB has a pageant each year, and I will be representing the Student Foundations group on campus. Student Foundations is an organization that helps out with different events for the alumni. It's very fun to talk with them and hear their stories about their time at UMHB, too. :) Anyways, the pageant will be held in November, and I think there are about 25 girls that participate each year. We have a platform, talent, evening gown walk, and a private interview with judges. Before coming to UMHB, I remember seeing pictures of it, and thinking, "Wow that looks really neat, but I would never do it." When I was given the chance to participate, I hesitated, but decided to do it. It's going to be a long journey, but I am very excited about meeting all the other girls and seeing what God has in store. I know there will be a lot of growth, and I look forward to it. Oh, and guess what I've chosen for my talent? Mime! I even have a "mime coach"! Finding skits is the hard part though... :)

6/20/2007

Hawaii, Pageant, House, and High School! :)

Well I'm awake at 11:28 at night and I'm writing on my blog. For some reason, I haven't had any desire to blog lately, so this post may be a little random.

Tonight we had Hawaii night at work, and I got to dress in something besides my uniform :) I wore a purple Orchid in my hair, and it was very fun! We even had Hawaiian dancers perform for all the old people. Some of the old people even got up with them and learned a little dance. It was very cute and fun to see them in a different setting! However, the Hawaiian theme really made me want to get away and have a vacation. I'm not even that busy! I have a feeling that adjusting to college life will be a little hard for me when I go back...

I'm still excited about going to MHB. Lauren and I got into our house that we wanted, and we are very excited! My mom gave me a couch that is quite comfy if I do say so myself. We have everything we need for the house except for a dining table, which is especially important because we have a nook, and every nook needs a dining table. Well, I need a dining table, too, but a nook is all the more reason to have a dining table. :) Here are some sneak peeks of our house that is just waiting for us to move in:



Now how cool is that? We have a loft and a fireplace. I'm just so excited!

About next year, I have a wonderful feeling about it. I know this is probably natural since I have so many things to look forward to (like my dad being back!), but I really do have a good feeling. I know God has big plans and that a lot of growth is in store. I'm very excited!

Lets see.. what else? Pageant planning is making me a little nervous. My mom and I are supposed to go look for dresses soon.. I have one in mind, but I want to look at all of them. I'm also still trying to find the perfect skit for my talent. Who knew that I'd ever be a part of this? I'm excited, but very, very NERVOUS! :)

This probably should have been one post in itself, but I am definitely teaching high school English now! How exciting! Everything fit perfectly on my schedule, which is very important since I'm trying to fit in my last year. I always hear that it's hard to do. In a year from now I will be preparing to student teach, which is just a tad bit crazy! This upcoming semester I will be taking:
-World Literature
-Shakespeare
-Advanced Composition
-American Literature to 1890
-Students and Learning

It is going to be quite the busy semester, but after that, I only have to take 12 hours in the Spring! I'm excited about that break! I will have to be diligent with my schedule this fall. I will have to say no to things when I need to, and stay on top of my studies. I mean, look at those classes! As intriguing as they sound, they will require a lot of time and studying. I think I am most excited about World Literature. :) We shall see!

Not much else is on my mind :) I've just been doing summer school and work lately! :) I hope you're all doing well. If you read through all of this, you are awesome!!

5/23/2007

All Good Things

With my dad being gone in Kuwait/Iraq, life is always different when I come back to SA. These past couple weeks have been weeks of transition. I moved out of my apartment in Belton and came back to San Antonio. I've been back for breaks, but I haven't lived here in 3 years. So it's definitely a change for me.

I started my job at the retirement home. The average age of the people dining is 82. It's very fun to see them every day and get to know them some more. They are extremely nice and understanding, and even tell me that I am beautiful. I love that, because who gets to go to work to be told they're beautiful? My biggest task to overcome was lifting and balancing trays of food on my shoulder. It's definitely an art I am still trying to master, but I have become more confident that I won't drop anyone's meal... that's actually my biggest fear. ;) This job has proven to me that I can do anything I set my mind to, because I was not expecting to be waitressing this summer! God provided a wonderful working environment and I am so thankful.

Life at home has been interesting. My pugs have been a little high maintenance lately. We still give Edith daily eye-drops, and both her and Khaki have recently been attacked by fleas. I bathed them twice, but we eneded up taking them to the vet. My pugs are seriously like my children, because I worry about them when they stay at the vet all day, and I get so excited to pick them up. I have always been very protective of them, so it should be interesting to see how I am when I have kids one day!

Summer school starts in about a week 1/2. I'm a little nervous. Nothing is like UMHB, but it should be fun to meet some fellow San Antonio students. Although I must say that I really hope I have a good teacher... I'm taking a History class, and I NEED a good teacher to stay awake!

My dad comes back to the states in 91 days, as of right now. He is definitely retiring once he gets back, and I am so excited that my family can be "civilian normal" for the first time in my life!

Guatemala plans are happening! My adopted mom, Shanon, and I are looking at different venues and talking to our missions team at our church. I am so excited about this. We have a chance of leaving in December, but we are leaning towards next summer. Yay!

Oh, and if you read all of this, good job! ;)

5/14/2007

Day 1 - The Life of a Waitress in a Formal Dining Room

I must say that I absolutely loved every bit of tonight. I was honestly overwhelmed by everyone's kindness. Not only were my fellow employees nice, but the wonderful people I served tonight as well! They completely blew me away with their consistent curiosity as to whom their new waitress was. They truly care, ever for their waiters! Now I know that not every single person I serve will be as nice as they all were tonight, but I think I can handle it when the time arises. This is (aside from my jobs with children) byfar the best part time job I've ever had. God knows what He's doing!

The co-workers are a blast so far :) Luckily, I was not the only new girl tonight, as a girl named Morgan was starting tonight as well. Her brother, Cameron, who is another waiter, got her in. We shadowed him for part of the night, which was quite hilarious when we went to take the single men's order. One of the guys told Cameron, "You have these 2 girls following you, aren't you just lucky?" to which Cameron replied, "I know, they won't stop following me." It made me laugh. Senior adults always manage to say a joke that makes me laugh. :)

I'm looking forward to the summer. While I am still a little bit scared, and "a lot a bit" rusty in my skills still, God has provided graceful management who want to give us a week long training. Hopefully by then, I will have it down ;)

5/11/2007

Blessings and Anxiety

:)

I got the job at the retirement/nursing home! Now I will finally be doing something productive and making a little bit of money! Woo! :)

Although, I must say that reality kind of hit today when I registered for my summer classes. All of the online classes ended up being full, which is mainly my fault for registering so late, and so I'm now enrolled in one class for each session. It should be an interesting summer as I have no idea what to expect with the pace of the classes and a new environment. I'm sure it will be fine, but sometimes I just wonder what I'm doing!

Speaking of which, I've been feeling a little overwhelmed by the future. While I am so thankful for the blessings God has given me- a job in less than a week, the opportunity to take classes for much less than UMHB, a loving mother at home- I'm still anxious about it. I feel like I have never been as scared by the future as I do now. I guess I just never realized how uncomfortable I am with unfamiliarity. I'm worried about the classes, the job, and especially next semester. I really need to completely trust that God has it under control. Isn't it odd to know that but not trust? Isn't even more odd to be thankful for what you are worried about? Have you ever felt like this?