Eve of my 2nd week

Tonight, as I officially joined the ranks of the Sunday-night-teachers'-preparation crowd, I couldn't help but be thankful. I had a momentary thought of, "Oh the days as an aide..." but then I remembered my lack of excitement for work (some days) and the dread of the non-teaching position and was past that really quickly. I also remembered that I'm getting paid (better than my long term sub job days) to do this and God found the absolutely, positively best niche for me where I'm at. I LOVE my team, I enjoy the rest of the staff, my boss is awesome and my kids are unique and special and I love them each for a different reason. This is such a different environment than I was in before. It's amazing how fewer "procedures" are required of the staff here. They, I mean WE, can actually focus on our jobs, not a whole bunch of other 'stuff'...ya'll know what I'm talking about!
Reflections on my first week (you're getting bullets or this would be 100 pages):
-I'm starting to become a morning person...sorta...don't get too excited Antho ;)
-I love the room decorating...when I have more time.
-I don't have to be so OCD about things...especially when in a time crunch like being hired less than 5 days before school starts.
-Creativity can wait until I have a couple weeks under my belt.
-I am overwhelmed by the amount of stuff you have to learn when moving to a new district from another...I guess I forgot from my internship days.
-My kids are diverse...and so unique.
-On Wednesday, I got my first, "Miss Krieg is the best teacher!" comment.
-I'm glad school starts at 9:15am so I don't have to get up dreadfully early!
-I don't mind the drive...although I think I can only do it a year---max!
-There's so much to learn and remember.
-I've learned all the kids' names....slowly learning all the staffs' names.
-I've had so many staff members welcome me and provide encouragement and assistance in my mad-scramble.
-I'll get in a routine, I'll give my best this year and re-evaluate come next year...hoping I don't have to wait the summer to find out if I have a job in the fall...what will I do with my extra emotional energy over the summer...lol!!!!!
-GOD HAS ME IN THE BEST PLACE and I'm excited to see if this is my teaching home for many years to come!!!!!

The New Teaching Journey Begins

Well, I officially signed my first teaching contract today! I'm going to be teaching 3rd grade and my students start Tuesday which is why this will be the shortest post I've ever written. I'll post pictures and more later! :)

HUG a friend, L-O-V-E a friend

Did you know that humans need at least 10 human touches a day? Do you ever feel like you could just use a hug? Do you have that one person that gives the best hugs ever? Or two, maybe three?

Over the past week or so, I've been craving a hug. It's not that I've not had any because I've certainly had my fair share of hugs that have melted my heart. It's just that sometimes we have a friend (and if you have more than one..lucky you!) that give us hugs that melt away anything going on and we just want to rest in that person's arms. I have a friend that I get to see very rarely but gives some of the best hugs I've ever had in my life--my nieces are trying to give this person a run for their money I must say. I've been craving that hug for some time now and can't wait until I get the next one!

I have had some great hugs from students this weekend and those are always very special. My nieces BOTH squeezed the heck outta my neck this weekend and it just sent a chill down my back because they give all their love! What would the world look like if everyone loved with everything they have?

Go hug a friend....you never know, it may mean the world to them but seem to insignificant to you!

Looking Back on La Paz

This morning I awoke and found that students from GEBC serving in La Paz had updated the blog and pictures had been posted. As I read the students words, I couldn't help but remember my time as I entered a world unknown to me last summer as I, along with many others, led a group of students into the unknown of La Paz and have a yearning in my heart that makes me wish I was there with them...even if it's hotter than it is here right now. My adventure last year was like none I'd ever experienced. You can read about it here. (It's long...) Something welled up inside of me as I browsed the pictures, saw my sister, many students that went with me last year, places I knew, and some of the amazing fellow leaders that I worked with. My heart loved La Paz differently than it's loved other places. I look back on the different mission trips I've experienced both as a student and a leader...each one was so unique and even when I was in the same place more than once, it certainly wasn't the same. There will probably never be a time when I know exactly why La Paz was so different but some of the reasons are irrefutable:

• It was my first time leading a trip outside the US.
• It was only my second time leading a trip but I wasn't the main leader in charge, see here for a taste of that experience.
• My sister and I were there together although I was not in her room and I worked most closely with other girls.
• God taught me a lot about patience with one of my best friends and how to love him despite my utter frustration with him at times.
• God began a restoration of that same friendship and allowed us to have some very special moments that I'll never forget and always cherish in my heart.
• Although I had very little, some might say practically no(ne), Spanish speaking skills, I was able to grow more in one week than I had in my one semester in college (a whole other story you can ask about later).
• God changed my heart and I'm confident that God has a plan far greater than any I could ever imagine for myself.

As I impatiently await the arrival of my sister and the other students to come home, I have to remember that God has them there for a reason. Just as he had me not help lead this trip for a reason, and I think I'm starting to see why.

All Things Fitness in Chicago

In my last blog post, I ranted and raved about the amazing opportunities for fitness in DC. Although I still really think that trail has a leg up on Chicago, and it's -land, I have to recant and give Chicago the credit it deserves. I've been more observant and tuned into fitness opportunities as I've driven and visited so many different places in Chicago and the 'burbs since my trip. [Side note: I drove into downtown Chicago on my own for the first time last week. I normally take the train or graciously let someone else drive.] While taking a day trip for my sister's birthday last week, I realized there is plenty to do along the lakefront of Lake Michigan...it is just a matter of how much I'm willing to pay to do so. To go jet-skiing for 30 minutes, it's $75...not in my budget...that's basically half my gas allowance each month. The beaches are great as long as you get there early to avoid the masses and you also won't have to walk miles away either. I have yet to bike or run along Lake Shore Drive...but it's in the plans for the near future. My brother and I have gone out to Geneva twice in the last year to ride bikes along the Fox River. I found out this time, that is goes much further than I realized and that you can rent paddle boats too.

So although I love DC, Chicago and the 'burbs have some neat things to do if you just look for them. I've compiled a list of just some of the wonderful things you can do fitness-wise in the area:

1. Bike/Walk/Run along the Fox River
2. Rent jet skis and other water equipment along the lakefront
3. Enjoy the splendor of the Western Trail or the Prairie Path
4. Bike/Walk/Run along Lake Shore Drive
5. Swim in Lake Michigan

Go find your fitness area...and if you find some neat places...let me know.

HAPPY FITNESS HUNTING!

The 2nd Fittest City in America

I recently came across an article talking about America's fittest cities. This past weekend I had the pleasure of visiting #2 on the list....Washington D.C. Fortunately this is where my dad and stepmom have chosen to "retire" and they have "officially" moved for the last time...we'll see how long that lasts...yes Dad...I know you will be reading this! ;) Anyways, I have determined that it truly is an inspiring place to be even though I don't think I'll be moving there anytime soon, if ever. Along the Potomac River near George Washington Parkway, from basically downtown DC to Mount Vernon and possibly beyond, there is a fitness path. For those of you in the Western Suburbs, this is no prairie path or western trail. It is paved with strength training stops along the way and there are always, and I mean ALWAYS, people at every level running, walking, biking, etc...down this trail. There are drink stops and you can pretty much see the river along a majority of the path. Just driving past it a good number of times was inspiring much less seeing the fact that the people on the trail ranged from fit to, well, unfit. There are plenty of places to walk...all through downtown DC would be plenty. If you've visited, you know what I mean. Then you have the trail and you have the water sports along the river and nearby. Now I know that we have Navy Pier here in Chicago but that requires a much more significant drive than does this wonderful trail. It is literally across the street from thousands of homes over its 14+ mile length.

One time I visited, my dad and I paddled around between the Washington Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial. Here is a picture from that event circa 2008 or so:

This time we went canoeing...we don't have a picture because let's just say that three people in a canoe is far too many...at least when they are all adults. We did do plenty of other things like walking around downtown, eating out at restaurants...since the kitchen in their newly renovated home is not in complete working order quite yet. One of our frequent stops was breakfast at Breugger's Bagels...

They used to have some here in the western suburbs but I am not sure many exist with the proliferation of Einstein's and Panera as well as the few remaining Great American Bagels.

Anyways, gettting away always provides a fresh and new perspective on life and this trip could not have come at a better time as I had really been struggling through some things since my job ended earlier this month. I can't believe that July is almost here and I will certainly be better at posting in the coming weeks and months.

Hope you are able to get away and get a new and fresh perspective and can come back and be absolutely inspired to do what you need to do and want to do.

Happy End of June and "official" beginning to summer (a few days late)!



One week into Summer and I'm LOVING it already!

Summer may seem like it's the same each year but for me it's filled with uncertainty, sometimes pain and loneliness and sometimes it's entirely too busy that I seem to miss the "enjoyment of the season" altogether. This year is different. Fortunately, I've been blessed by the long term position that I took in March and therefore do not have to work full time this summer to pay the bills. In fact, if I stay on budget each month, I technically don't have to work at all. However, I want to do some special things and they require just a little money so I'm still doing some work here and there, I'm fortunate to not feel the stress I've felt for as many summers as I have before.

It's only been one week of summer break and I've been in heaven. Last Friday was my last day, then I planned, shopped and crafted until my sister's graduation party on Sunday. After that, my summer truly began (even though it was fun...I felt like I was still on a spinning wheel). Monday and Tuesday mornings, I leisurely awoke and made my way to the deck where I soaked up the sun, did a little planning, read some magazines and drank iced tea! Now I could certainly get used to that... I also took on a last minute long weekend "sitting job"...the kids are going into 7th grade and one will be a freshman...let's just say its really fun to do extended times when they are older than toddlers! My sister has jumped in to tag team with me since I've had some other things planned. Today I hit up the beach with my two dear friends Jaimie and Katie and the three little peanuts between them, Maddie, Haley, and Brooke! We had quite the adventure and look forward to many summer adventures together! We ventured to downtown Chicago in the van...all 6 girls and made our way to North Ave. Beach. Let's just say, I'm so glad I'm not in high school anymore! :) Tonight I am participating in an adult sleepover (girls only of course) and I am really excited!

I'll share more soon and hopefully get pictures from Katie to post of our day at the beach!

Summer Break is here!

In case you have not seen me lately, I'm officially on summer break and free to relax and enjoy!

The past 3 months have been a whirlwind and I feel like I had to let most things fall by the wayside to keep afloat at work. Over the coming months, I'm looking foward to getting things in order around the house, posting some under utilized things around the house on Craigslist, having a garage sale, using Rosetta Stone to work on my Espagnol and building up my photography skills and business.

If you are around or come into town...let me know! I'd love to see you and hang out! :)

Missing the blog world...indeed I am!

Well, my last post was just days before I took a new job and my life went from 180 to 360...0 to 60 doesn't work in my case! LOL! Anyways, I unexpectedly took over a maternity leave in my building. Fortunate for me and the lovely lady is that I was her long term sub two years ago for baby #1. This made the transition...if we had one...easier for both of us. I knew her style, I knew her classroom, I just didn't know her kids. Well, that changed very quickly. Within a week, I had two parent conferences and a host of other meetings! I also found out that same week that my friend (and worship leader at FCCC) was leaving and then at the end of the week that my principal (boss and friend) would be leaving my building at the end of the school year. Needless to say I had a very rough Friday (right before Spring Break--my saving grace in all of this) because I was (A) exhausted beyond belief (B) started the day with a very DIFFICULT/ROUGH parent conference (C) found out about my principal after school and the topping on the cake (D) Fridays are my long day with very few breaks already (we even had a staff meeting during lunch).

That's about all I have time for now but I thought I'd post so you didn't think I'd disappeared into oblivion! :)

Where are the 'dents' in your life?

(Let me start by saying that even admitting this happened in public is difficult because as many of you know, I pride--see below-- myself on being a good driver.)

A couple weeks ago, I was having lunch with a friend and was leaving the restaurant. Well, this parking lot has these measly 'posts' that I don't really think serve a particular purpose other than being in the way. Anyways, I was backing out trying not to hit the car that was next to me, since they parked too close, and as I turned my head to look back, I heard the most awful sound...ccrrruuunnnccchhhh. OH NO! I was looking back at this point and could not see a thing...that is because this fine little pole, had found itself hiding behind the one corner I could not see between where the side window ended and the back windshield began. Needless to say I have a nice indent on the rear bumper on the passenger side. I went a couple days later to get some estimates since it happened after all the places had closed on a Saturday afternoon. At any other point in my life thus far, I think I would have just melted in shame and balled my eyes out to the point that I was dehydrated but because of all the work God's been doing in my life, I chose to look at the positive side: no one was hurt, no other cars or people were involved, and it really won't matter once I finally am able to get it fixed.

Furthermore, I found myself really examining my pride. I realized that there are quite a few things that I take pride in...ones that don't affect others but rather my own self-confidence and self-concept. Actually, this extends to most things in my life. Those things that I do that are a reflection of myself such as driving, how I decorate and keep my room/office/spaces, my musical/photography/teaching skills, and just about everything else, are the things I put my 'pride' in because I lack self-confidence. This pride is also an extension of the high expectation (my half Type A personality appears here) I have for myself. I don't want to be thought of as a careless driver because I certainly am not, I don't want people to think that I'm not as musical as I portray, I don't want people to know that I'm scared, lonely, and would much rather become a hermit at times. All of these things go against what God wants for me. Satan is trying to attack through these because he knows how much I'm pleasing God with my life...or at least how I'm intentionally desiring and trying to please God with my life and choices.

DE-RAIL with me for a minute: As I write, this song is playing on the radio:

It's What Love Really Means by JJ Heller

I will love you for you

Not for what you have done

Or what you will become

I will love you for you

I will give you the love

the love that you never knew...

These lyrics hang in the air as I am trying to write this because I know that God will love me no matter what I do or who I am as long as I'm in relationship with Him and striving to be closer to Him each day.

BACK ON TRACK: Last weekend, I attended a retreat that was truly life-changing. The theme for the weekend was grace...something I often struggle with. I always thought I understood the concept of grace in my head but believing it in my heart was something I now realize I never did. Growing up, I always tried (and still do) to be a people pleaser so when I would make mistakes, I felt like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders and would always get REALLY down on  myself and certainly never extend grace to myself. I felt like I let my parents, or those that were affected, down and couldn't understand why they would still love me and show me grace. I NEVER knew and still struggle with accepting grace in my life...the same with LOVE and FORGIVENESS. Therefore, why would I believe that God could put aside my sin and truly love me when I've let Him down so badly with my sin? This weekend, I felt like I started to understand and accept all of this. One of the most profound things I realized is that I often let the sin in my life paralyze me from allowing God's love and grace penetrate my heart and the remnants of unforgiveness in my life stem from not being able to forgive myself first and extend grace to myself. If I can give these to myself, how can I extend them to others freely?

I think that I already extend grace and love and forgiveness to people at a level beyond my own capacity but truly as evidence of God's work in my life. For example, I have a friend that struggles with his own past sin and felt I couldn't possible love, extend grace to and forgive him despite his sin. But for me, I was able to put all of that aside and love him for who he was with all of his dents and I think it was the first time I've been able to do that without holding on to the little pieces of hurt in our relationship...I was able to truly LOVE him. I could identify with him because our self-concepts were similar, before this weekend of life-change that I was able to experience. He felt that his past sin would keep him from having the good things that God was giving to him and that he wasn't good enough for what God was blessing him with. Unfortunately, I think that we all allow our sin to keep us from experiencing the blessings that God has planned for us.

This song played on my way home from the retreat and I couldn't ask for a better prayer as I left this weekend:

I see each of these things as 'dents' in our lives. Things that keep us from becoming the 'vehicle' God created us to be. We beat ourselves up for each of these dents and until we do the work required...getting estimates and truly letting go and allowing God to "fix" our dents, we won't be able to be the person God created us to be. Where are the 'dents' in your life? Where do you need to give up control?