K is for Kimberly

So....K has been alluding me for an idea.  My catch-up ideas were not working for the letter K.  So tonight, I said to my husband--I need a word that starts with K to write about.  And he was like "K is for Kimberly..." in this "duh" why haven't you thought of this tone.  And I was like yes it does....but how do I write some thing about my name.  And he starts with suggestions....and then I stop him and I'm like that doesn't go with my theme of "catching-up" on what I haven't written this year.  And I love him for this---he said, "It will catch people up on who you are that haven't ever been to your blog before--and isn't that the point of this thing." So I now have my idea!!! This one will be a tricky one to write but here goes nothing.

The first suggestion my husband gave me about my name was actually pretty good--explain why my name is Kimberly not Kim.  It's actually become a pretty good way for me to know if people actually know me or not by which name they call me. So, my mother named me Kimberly because she liked the name.  As a kid I thought that was a lame answer because you seem to want to have a meaning to your name like other kids.  But now that I'm older I get that more.  But at school people would call me Kim--teachers/other students/friends etc.  And I didn't really care.  My mother would always tell me to correct people and I didn't like doing that.  She would even tease me when someone would call the house asking for "Kim".  One of my best friends in high school was Kim too and we had fun being Kim squared.

As I got older, I started to care like that I was Kimberly and not Kim. I'm not sure if it was because of maturity, if I finally understood what my mother had been telling me all these years (I named you Kimberly and that is your name!), or if I realized that I actually had a preference. But I had been Kim/Kimberly for so long in one place that it was hard to really fathom correcting that many people. When I went to college I made a commitment to correct people I met no matter what. As a result, everyone there called me Kimberly and knew me by that name.  That commitment was tested pretty well with my husband ironically.  We were on our first date and he was calling me Kim.  I really liked this guy--and I didn't want to offend him with correcting him--but I also didn't want to actually start dating him and have him be calling me the wrong name.  So I remember sitting in his car waiting for the other couples to catch up to go into the house where we were all going to play games. And I just said it--and he was so understanding.  He even has started correcting people for me.

The ironic thing is that some people still never catch on no matter how much I correct them--but that really is a test of someone's commitment to a relationship in my mind.  If they take the time to learn someone's name (and I have noticed even how to spell it), it shows that they really care about building that relationship with you.

Pinterest as Inspiration

So first off....I am way sad that no one responded to my Count of Monte Cristo read-a-long plea....I still don't know what to do! And I am trying to figure out what to write about today...I am way tired and getting really sick of being in pain.  Actually...that gives me an idea--can I vent about that for a sec?

To catch you up---collapsed/fainted in April with a sharp lower abdomen pain...rushed to ER....no idea what happened...so I see a bunch of doctors trying to figure out if it is ovarian issues/related uterus problems or digestive issues.  We seem to focus on the women's stuff...but finally a doctor decides to focus on the digestive because I definitely have those problems which might be why we can't figure out the women's stuff.  So we get rid of the digestive system stuff then we can get everything else....so he sends me to the surgeon to get a colonoscopy---this is now end of July that I did this.  

The doctor learns that my colon is inflamed and prescribed an antacid because the theory is that I might have an excess build up of acid in my colon that is causing it to be inflamed.  The instructions were that in 2 weeks call him if it didn't get better.  This made sense and I was so excited! I wanted a pill...it was a simple fix...and I finally had answers.  2 weeks went by and I didn't feel better but I felt like it might be getting better so I gave it more time.  After a month, it clearly wasn't going to be getting better so I called the doctor.  They had talked about referring me to a gastrointernologist so I figured that was what was next.  But the doctor never called back after I left a message with the nurse.  So two weeks later I was sick of waiting so I called back....and she said the doctor had been out of town. He was back Friday (this was last Friday) and she would talk to him and call me back.  I figured I would probably hear early this week because he was coming back from vacation.  But no....I haven't heard anything and I am now about ready to hit two months with this pill--and my pain this week has been so not fun.  

So now I'm contemplating what to do next...I am sick of calling them and it not going anywhere.  I am feeling like I am pestering them by calling and I know that they must be busy...but seriously I have been waiting for a month for answers. I have also thought about making an appt. with the doctor that sent me to the surgeon in the first place....see what he thinks.  I have also thought about just making an appt. with the surgeon so that maybe they will actually talk to me.  I also really just want someone to stick me in a machine to see if my colon is still inflamed...I want to know if these meds have done anything!  

Ugh.....this actually brings me to why I started thinking about this--my Pinterest inspiration.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/35536284533349061/

I have woken up a couple times this week wishing that I could just stay home....but I am already super behind in my grading--why would I get farther behind?!

A Review of June and Coming Soon

Wow, can't believe another month has come and gone.  As I typically do on the first of the month, I do a run down of the top posts of the previous month and what's to come up this month.

3. We had a tie for third place...so you get two posts!
Classics Club Meme This one was actually a lot of fun!  I enjoy participating in the Classics Club, and doing little things with them.  It has no pressure and I love that!!
Article Review: Sending My Child Away I was actually glad to see that this one made it on the list. I debated actually posting this one, but I was very impressed by this article and wanted to share it.  I hope that it helps someone out there.

2. Shakespeare Plus Autism Another fun one to write! I love talking about Shakespeare!  I have a new found love for him with my job, as I mentioned in this post.

1. Another Doctor's Appointment I should have predicted that this one would be first, all the rest of my ones about my health issues have been.  It is nice to see that everyone cares.  This gives me an opportunity to catch everyone up on how I'm doing now. I have good days and bad days, and because I was having good days I thought that I would get better on my own. Biggest reason, I am done with doctors!  This weekend was a testament that I maybe shouldn't do that anymore.  So I called today--and I have another appointment next Monday.  I'll update then.

Upcoming this month...July will bring lots of new changes and busy times.  We will be closing on our new house this month!! How crazy is that! So my life will be full of signing and boxes. I have a family reunion that I am looking forward too and hopefully I will get my teaching license renewed this month too.

Blog wise I will be participating in my first ever read-along with To Kill a Mockingbird and RoofBeam Reader. This is one of my favorite books and I want to share some lesson plan ideas that I have had.  Feel free to join in too! I also really need to finish a blanket for a good friend who is having her first baby this month and I will share that too!!  I also hope to hop on some more blog hops. Finally, I am looking forward to possibly fixing up my blog following ways.  I need a better system...I am thinking about Bloglovin' or Feedly.  I can't decide...but I need too because I don't want to miss stuff!  Suggestions?

Our new house!!!

Family History

Okay so my day has been BUSY!! Came home from work and had dinner and visited with Brian for about two hours.  Then I went visiting teaching. Visiting teaching is a great opportunity for the women in the ward to get together, check on each other and make sure everything is okay, and then leave a spiritual message.  I just barely got home...threeish hours later.  I visit with some great women and they sure like to talk a lot! But the message I gave tonight was about family history and I thought for a quick blog post I would share a great quote.

As members of Christ’s restored Church, we have the covenant responsibility to search for our ancestors and provide for them the saving ordinances of the gospel. They without us cannot “be made perfect” (Hebrews 11:40), and “neither can we without our dead be made perfect” (D&C 128:15).

Family history work prepares us for the blessings of eternal life and helps us increase our faith and personal righteousness. Family history is a vital part of the mission of the Church and enables the work of salvation and exaltation for all.

President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said: “When we research our own lines we become interested in more than just names. … Our interest turns our hearts to our fathers—we seek to find them and to know them and to serve them.”²

It is great to be able to learn about those who came before.  Shout out to my aunt and grandmother who do such great work and always tell me about their "dead people" :P They are my inspiration today!

http://www.lds.org/images/Magazines/NewEra/Archive/neweralp.nfo:o:d59.jpg

Places You Will Go!

So I am plum out of ideas about what to write about today....so I looked to Paula's Place for inspiration.  Her prompt today is: "Someplace you'd like to move or visit".   I have lots of places that I would like to go visit.

1. Washington D.C.
2. Boston
3. Philadelphia
4. Palmyra, NY
5. Kirtland, OH
6. Mount Rushmore
7. Italy
8. France
9. England
10. Germany
11. Switzerland
12. Spain
13. Vatican City
14. Hawaii
15. Nova Scotia
16. Prince Edward Island
17. Australia
18. New Zealand
19. South Africa
20. Visit all the LDS temples in the lower 48

I could probably keeping going but I like the evenness of 20...it will be funny if I actually ever go to all of these places.  It sure sounds expensive for a girl who doesn't have a passport or a lot of time off and not a lot of money to spend on extra stuff like that. But I want to dot the world!

www.mapsofworld.com

P.S. I am blogger famous!  I got a shout out on Trish's blog, go check it out! 

Life, it is full of...

Life, it is full of....

drama

stress

heartaches

drama

pressure

headaches

Yes, life is complicated, hard, and confusing sometimes.

Today was a hard day....but I've done hard days.

And today was so hard that I really don't even know how to process it.

But life is also full of...

happiness

perspective

growth

and learning

So though I have learned a lot on this roller coaster

I don't like that I can't seem to get off the roller coaster

I have survived before, I am going to survive this time.

P.S. Thanks guys for letting me be vague and vent even if it was through some pretty lame poetry.  I hope you see that I'm fine and just needed to get it all out!

Thanks to this link http://www.boolumaster.com/mixes-dj-blog/positive-quotes-11-9-11-enjoy-your-life/ for their great thoughts

Proud Moment

Okay so today is one of those days in which I have zero idea what to write about...surprise surprise.  So I glanced at the June Blogging Challenge question that some of my blogger friends are answering today and it is a moment in which you were proud of yourself.  That would be college graduation for me because I graduated with honors.

At BYU graduating with honors is not just a GPA thing but it is a well-rounded education and participating in activities that you might not usually along with a thesis.  This thesis is not just a paper from another class but an original work that you researched, came up with etc.  Mine became quite the endeavor.  I ended up writing a 150 page thing.  It was insane!! My entire last semester that was all I really did along with student teaching.  Ended up pulling two all-nighters for this thing too.  I was very determined to get that medal around my neck for graduation and I was very proud when they put it around my neck!

You can kind of see it in this picture...but this is the nearest picture to me right now.

Day 1: Life Story and Day 2: Education

So, as I mentioned yesterday I am going to do the Blog Every Day in May Challenge.  I am not a big fan of multiple posts on one day so this is a two for one post.

My first prompt is to write the story of my life in 250 words or less.

I was born in the Washington D.C. area and lived a great childhood for nine years there.  When I was nine, my parents moved to the St. Louis area.  I became the oldest of five and I love my four other siblings. I learned to play the violin and piano. I participated in lots of music things, including a great choir throughout my high school  I graduated from high school and went on to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.  Moving at eighteen continued my division of thirds in where I lived.  I started my history teaching major early on and then later added an English teaching minor and Political Science teaching minor.  During college, I met my husband Brian.  We were married in 2008 about halfway through my college career. I ended up graduating with honors in 2010 and promptly started looking for a job.  I accepted a position at Cedar Ridge Academy as the Social Studies teacher.  I have since become the English teacher and lead teacher as well.  I have been in Roosevelt for three years now.  I have really gotten use to the smaller town life and I hope to be around this area for a little while longer.  But maybe in 2014 I will be destined to move and keep with my life in thirds.

My second prompt is to:

Educate us on something you know a lot about or are good at. Take any approach you'd like (serious and educational or funny and sarcastic)

To be honest, I have no idea what to write about here.  I educate on a regular basis so I should have lots of ideas. I guess that I am plumb out of ideas. I guess people at work would say that I am good at teaching because I explain things well.  So I will talk about that for a minute.  The idea that a concept can be hard to understand is something that students struggle with everyday.  I try to do the basics first--I pull on visuals and audio learning.  Sometimes that works and the problem is solved.  Other times, I pull in examples from their lives or what they are familiar with.  By relating it to something that they already understand it helps them to grasp it a little bit easier.  One thing that helps students too is actually applying what they are learning. They need action! So...relate it to things they know and let them practice!