Master's Degree: Conferred!

I am pleased to announce that I received my Master's Degree in Community Counseling last night! 

I don't think I could ever adequately explain what this journey through Graduate School has been like for me. It was never in the plans. It has been THE HARDEST thing I have ever done! Seriously; beating cancer four times was easier than this because there were doctors, nurses, etc. to help me. In Grad School-it was up to me. God has molded me, shaped me, carved me, and grown me in ways I never would have imagined. So many times, I felt like giving up...and it was as if God was saying, "Do you trust Me like you say you do?" How humbling!

The friends I have made during this journey will be lifelong friends for sure. We all went through this together; each of us with our own struggles and doubts. Raw emotions shared, frustrations vented; and even though we were all near a breaking point at one time or another, we lifted each other up. By doing so, we strengthened our own willpower to make it, and we all were able to persevere!

So, I'm closing the book. No more college for me. I want to live my life and enjoy time that I am not constantly thinking about the paper that is due, the test coming up, and the finals I will endure. What lies ahead? I'm not sure, but I believe that God has helped me through this for a reason. It's a NEW book just waiting to be written with new dreams and ambitions. How exciting!

For now, I will rest and clear my mind before I take the state licensure exam in January.

Merry Christmas to me!

Could not have accomplished this without my guys!

Stay Tuned!

Very shortly, I will catch you up on my life...for now, it is back to the books!

Heads up: I will graduate GRADUATE with my Master's Degree in Counseling in 1 month & 6 days from now! Hoooray!

See ya soon...

Summer...

WOW, where did the summer go? Here's a recap:

June--Keegan graduated; went to Disney World with the band for a week; took a road trip to Mt. Rushmore with his dad; and hung out with friends.

Me--took a summer class: wrote chapter reviews, took a few tests, and wrote a 10+ page paper. Blah!

July--We watched the 4th of July parade; my friend Julia from California came to visit; went to a two day orientation at Keegan's new school; and took a trip down to Galveston Island!

August--I spent a few days with a friend; and moved Keegan to his apartment on campus...He started classes on the 20th, I started on the 27th.

Galveston Trip 2012

Never be afraid to sit awhile and think. 

Lorraine Hansberry

"A Raisin in the Sun"

I took this picture of Keegan on the West End of Galveston in July. It was bittersweet because he was about to move away to college. It has been a huge blessing and we are very happy for his opportunity, but it changed our family life forever...

We Have A College Freshman!

Been so busy, I have not posted in a long time. However, I wanted to share the good news that Keegan has started college and is starting his third week of classes already. We were happy that he came home for a visit this weekend! We are very proud of our young man!

Apartment

The important stuff in his room--electronics

Nice view of the pool area from the balcony

Keegan & his roommate--full kitchen

Wasn't he just in Kindergarten?

Love our boy & we are so proud!

Welcome Back!

I just finished my first year in Graduate School. WOW, it has been a challenge. 'LIFE' continues even when I have papers to write or tests to take. What does that have to do with anything? Well, it has helped me grow as a person, enabled me to admit that I am not perfect (gasp!) and reminded me that God has a plan, and this is all shaping me for the purpose He has for me. 

There were times that I doubted myself (MANY TIMES), doubted my abilities, and doubted any purpose. However, I see the growth, I see the confidence and skills, and I see that this really IS where I am supposed to be. The key to remember is that I need to be ok with asking for help, for not being perfect (LOL), and for doing what I will ask my clients to do: take a look at myself and work on what needs to be improved. 

Huge thanks to my family, especially Keegan & Ricky! Dropping everything to be at school has been a sacrifice, so I appreciate their patience. To my friends that cheer for me when things are hard, and to others that have already been through this and give me inspiration to hang on. THANKS, y'all!

To my special lunch buddies: your friendship is invaluable and has helped me more than you will ever know. I am proud of all of you! Keep up the good work, because you have a very bright future ahead of you!

The End. hee hee :D

Until further notice...

The editor of this blog is on hiatus from said blog, until further notice. Don't worry, just busy living life as a graduate student, wife, and mother to an 18 year old high school Senior about to graduate!

Here is a look at one of the many things my Senior is involved in these days:

Robotics! They have now won 2nd place at the Alamo Regional, San Antonio,

TX; 1st place at the Chicago Regional, Chicago, IL; and most recently 1st place

at the Dallas Regional, Dallas, TX! Next stop: World Championships, St. Louis, MO at the end of April. Good luck Robowranglers, you've got this!

The playing field, where all the magic happens!

Our Scorpion Robot, Team 148

This is a triple balance! 40 extra points!

The Robowranglers, Team 148

Great group of students, teachers, sponsors & mentors!

First week of school...

Finished the first week of classes for the Spring semester. I am taking three classes total, with two of them 'face-to-face' and one online. From all that I learned last semester, I am ready to attack this workload head on! Bring it!

Change is good....right?

Due to 'budget cuts,' I am no longer employed as a Graduate Assistant. I am very disappointed, but there are some positives to this situation. The biggest is that I will have 20 more hours a week to study! On the negative side, a big loss of money. I may have to go back to tutoring, which doesn't excite me. LOL

God is good all of the time, so I will just continue to trust Him and see what comes next!

Psalm 56:11

New King James Version (NKJV)

In God I have put my trust;

I will not be afraid.

What can man do to me?

FOUR. POINT. OOOOOHHHH!

So excited to be DONE with the fall semester! And praise the Lord, I achieved the 4.0 GPA that I was hoping for in my first attempt at Graduate level courses!

This was a very difficult semester for me trying to balance everything: home, Keegan's Senior year (last marching contests, last half-times, etc), 10 hours of course work, 20 hours of work, and trying to stay healthy. I was at school for 12-13 hours a day, and that was tough. I learned so much about myself, my work and study habits, and the importance of self-care. Next semester should be much better! That is what I am hoping, anyway.

For now, I will concentrate on cleaning the house, cooking for my family, and just enjoying the time at home!

I Really Hope It Is Nothing, but...

Friends, I have shared my recent 'road block/speed bump' with only a few because it has really kind of thrown me for a loop. But, I ask you now to pray for me in this situation...

Before I had the braces put back on, June I think, I saw a Periodontist to make sure my gums were healthy enough to proceed. They are. However, he noticed a spot on the underside of my tongue. He wanted to watch it, and if it was still there the next time, he wanted to do a biopsy. It was still there, but since they do not file on medical insurance, for some strange reason, I had to pay a very large sum of money up front. I chose not to have it done, but would tell the Orthodontist and my Dentist to look at it. It was a white 'milky' looking thing with red in it too; kind of like an ulcer. I went to WebMD and found pictures that look just like my 'spot'! I know, going to WebMD is not always a good idea, but I needed some facts. :)

I saw the Dentist last week, and she and the Hygeinist both made it very clear (with my cancer history, or not) you should NOT WAIT to have it checked. Oral cancers are fierce, and they move quickly. Thankfully, I was able to get in today to have the biopsy. The Periodontist had some anexiety about it (you know, they act differently when they think something might be serious. My thyroid doctor was the same way.) This procedure (and I have had MANY different kinds of procedures done! :) This was the strangest I have EVER experienced! Nurse was on one side of me, grasping my tongue and pulling it toward her; Doc was on the other, first giving shots. Ouch! Then, I he did the biopsy and put in 4 stitches--Ouch, again. He says that we should have results by the two week point, which is when I go back to see him and get the stitches out.

My question for him, "If this does turn out to be cancerous, what do we do then?" His answer, "I will send you to a really great oral surgeon that I use." The little bit of research that I have done on this points to radiation and/or chemotherapy as treatments. If cancerous, it was caused by the radiation I had 22 years ago to cure me of Hodgkin's Disease (Just like the thyroid that had precancerous cells). I am maxed out on both radiation and chemotherapy. I am not 'going there' to think past the results. Too scarey. :(

So, please pray specifically that if it is God's will, there will be NO CANCER. I do realize that God has used me through my medical trials, to minister to others. But SURELY, that is enough? LOL I know, I totally get it, but darn it, I do not like living my life wondering about what the next 'thing' will be. I really try not to think that way; it is just when something suspicious comes up!

This is especially hard right now, because I am at a point in my life that I am training for a career! I feel that God has placed me where I am now, blessed me with not only Grad school admission, but a GA position to help pay for it! I am feeling selfish right now, because I really want to proceed with my education, NOT battle cancer again.

These are my thoughts, and once again, I wait for results. Glad I will be very busy over the next few weeks to keep my mind off it. However, my tongue pain is a stark reminder of what has been done.

Thank you, sending hugs out to all of you who have supported me so much through all my 'stuff!' God is in control, I just need to remember that my fears are covered. I am open and honest about them, in order for others to see that this is real life. That one can be full of joy & thanksgiving, and full of anxiety at the same time. That is very tiring, so I am working really hard to give it all to Him.

Deuteronomy 31:6

Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

A Beginning...and an End!

WOW! Once again, we enter a life changing time in our family. The beginning of my graduate school work for my career, and the end of Keegan's own high school career! The rest of this year is going to be one hectic time for all of us!

Keegan is a SENIOR--still trying to get used to that. They started school on the 22nd, and I think he finally fixed his schedule last Friday. He is Head Drum Major again, and has been busy most of the summer with band related things. What a busy, exciting time for him and his friends!

My graduate school classes begin on Monday, the 29th. They are all online, except one that meets for the month of October. Plus, my Graduate Assistant job officially starts on Tuesday! I will be working for my professor who is compiling information for a new program that the Dean wants to implement. I will be doing a lot of research, and who knows what else. It is exciting to me that I get to be 'in on the ground floor' of something many people will benefit from! God has really blessed me with this position, and I am thankful.

It looks like my schedule will be similar to last year, just not staying as long at school. Sure will be nice to eat dinner with my family, at least a few days a week. Still may have some 12 hour days there, but hopefully they will be few and far between.

So, here we go....it's going to be a GREAT year!

Happy Photos From My Graduation Day!

I finally did it!

Sharing my day!

Aww....

We are happy!

Keegan, Me, & Ricky

iROAR

Being silly

In the Alumni Garden

Us

How did he get so tall???

I GRADUATED Today!!!

Click on the picture!

Hi, Friends!

This message is for all of you that live in other countries, and visit my blog. Welcome! It would be great if some of you would sign my guest book, so I can get to know you.

Interesting that this came up, because I have been thinking about all of the new friends I made at school this year. I am especially happy that I met so many International students! Taiwan, Gambia, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Columbia, India...to name a few of the countries they represent. They show great patience with me, because I am terrible at names. In fact, I had been calling one of the ladies I met by the name Kathrine. When I went to introduce her to others, she said, "My name is Teresa." She will always be Kathrine to me! However, I did add her into my phone as Teresa-Kathrine. And poor Justin, I called him Kevin for the longest time. Ha ha!

It is also very interesting where I met all of the friends I made this year--in the cafeteria! The beginning of each semester was very busy in the cafe, so there were many times that I had to ask to sit with someone that I did not know. From that, a large group of us became 'lunch buddies' who would sit together every time we ate. It is amazing how much we shared with each other over a meal. I am going to miss our time together as we leave for summer. And by next year, I won't even see most of them...

So, thank you to my 'lunch buddies' who were always happy to see me, who shared their life with me, and who accepted me even though I was old enough to be a mother to most of them. We were all equals. Friends. Yes, I will miss them.

I. Am. Free. !

The last papers have been turned in, the last presentations have been made, the last final has been taken--I am free! My undergraduate work came to a close today, after my last final. This has been such a long journey! I am so thankful that God has allowed this to finally happen for me in my life. On Saturday, I will be recognized as a College Graduate....finally!

When I left high school in 19-- (something, something,) I set out to be a nurse. Chemistry class was not my friend, so I found another major--Occupational Therapy. My college career was off and on several times through these years, due to cancer, marriage, a child, etc. In fact, after having Leukemia and all the chemotherapy I had for that, I gave up on my dream of going back to college. I was convinced that I would never be able to do college work again.

The years passed as I raised my son, volunteered at his school, and tried to keep up with him. When my son was in 3rd grade, I began substitute teaching at his elementary school. Four years of substituting was enough for me. When K. started high school, I started thinking about what I could be doing while he was so busy. I decided to try one class at the community college to see if I could handle it. I started with Spanish as my only class! It all started coming back to me...

I soon realized that I could finish my Associates degree and move on to finishing my Bachelor's. May 2010 I graduated! I was finally able to say that all the years of work I had done in school were completed. No one could take those away from me.

While I prepared to enter college again, I found a program that would apply some of my work toward a Liberal Studies degree. May 2011 finds me ready to graduate with my Bachelor of Science degree...Dreams can come true!

However, I never planned anything beyond getting the degree. What would I do with that? The answer is Graduate School. My major for my Master's degree has changed a few times, but now I am settled into the Master's of Counseling, continuing at the same university. The real significance of this is that I am looking into the future now. For so many years, I have not let myself think past one year at a time. This is due to being so close to death, and knowing that it could all be over at any time. God has healed a part of me that now allows me to look forward and make plans for the future. What a blessing!

So, for now, I will do some observations and volunteer work during the summer, and hit the books hard in the Fall. I will be working toward a career this time, not just trying to finish a degree that had started many, many years earlier.

I am free. I have a real sense of not being stuck in the past anymore. I thank God for His wisdom in my life, because all of it has been for this time. I have been through a lot, and now is my time! I am so grateful for that!

One Week from Today....

So exciting: just one more week, and I will be a college graduate! Of course, I have finals to finish first.....

Note To Self:

I am my worst critic!

I just spent a weekend sick as a dog because I am so hard on myself. I really need to learn to figure out how to manage my stress in new ways, because my body WILL take over if left too long without some release.

My Senior Seminar research project is about using Music Therapy with Children that have Autism. Since April is Autism Awareness Month, here is a little reminder. These kids learn differently, but they can still learn. If you know of someone who is affected by an Autism Spectrum Disorder, see if they receive any kind of Music Therapy!

The quote I like the most is:

“Music and rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul.”(Plato)

Only 31 more days until Graduation! Yep, I'm gonna make it...I think!