A Sign From Somewhere

So, I'm not a very religious person.

But I have been struggling a lot lately with trying to decide what to major in. I'm absolutely hating my science classes, but I love my math classes. So I was thinking about switching to a math major. But teaching has always been in the back of my mind .. I absolutely adore kids, and I love working with them. 

Well, I just got back from an appointment with my academic advisor and I had discussed with her how I'd love to teach, but I feel like I'm supposed to do something else because everybody thinks I have these great abilities to do something else, and I don't want to waste them. Well, I came back from the meeting not sure what to do or what to major in. I checked my email before I headed to breakfast, and an email with the link to this program was in my inbox:
 http://www.clemson.edu/hehd/departments/education/academics/graduate/MAT/scholarship.html

Now I don't know about any one else, but if that's not a sign, I'm not sure what is...

They'll give me 10k for the next two years to get a double degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) area plus an education degree in that area. Dual degree, 10k, and the option to do whatever I want after I graduate-- teach, do research, get my masters, or go to Med school. 

Thoughts?

My New Home

Clemson University.

After arriving on campus for Orientation, I checked in, parked the car, and began to wonder around for someplace to get food. Keep in mind this campus is HUGE. Well, while wondering around campus, I just so happened to come across one of the most famous spots at Clemson University. And I saw this:

All I could do was take a deep breath in and smile. I knew I was home. I mean come on, LOOK AT THAT LIBRARY. 5 stories!? It's heaven on earth for a nerd like me. :)
Honestly though, after all the stress of applications and recommendations and worrying if my ACT scores were high enough, everything turned out just fine. I am positive that I made the right choice. I get to spend the next few years of my life on this gorgeous campus in the middle of a rural South Carolina town where nothing is important but family and of course, football.

I can't wait to experience that first home football game. I'm definitely going to feel like I'm living in a sea of Orange with southern accents and "Yes, sir"s and "No, ma'am"s :)
Honestly, I don't know why anyone would choose to go to college anywhere else. :)

I'm so excited to be a Tiger and become a part of the Clemson family. :)

A Year of Changes

I finally have some free time again! 2011 has been super crazy so far. I'll try and hit the highlights. :)

I survived my first year of college classes, and managed to pull out only one B. Damn Economics beat me. I found out that as long as I did well on my AP Calc exam (which I think I did), I will have enough credits to be considered a Sophomore at Clemson University. Oh yeah, and I picked a college. I'm headed to Clemson University in the fall! I added a countdown at the bottom of my blog page. :) I truly fell in love when I visited. It's a huge university, but it's not in the middle of a huge area. To be honest, it's out in the middle of no where, just like my hometown. But it still has all the opportunities, people, and activities of a large school. As I've heard it described several times, Clemson is like one big happy family. I'm so excited to become a member of that family. :)

I graduated high school! Woot woot. :) And although it wasn't official right away, I found out a few weeks ago, that I'm officially the Salutatorian of my high school class. They had to wait until my college grades were in to make it final. And I was lucky enough to have EVERYONE at my graduation. And by everyone, I mean everyone! My grandparents, almost all my aunts and uncles. A good majority of my cousins. And the best part, Aaron, my sister and her family, and my brother and sister in law were all about to come home for it!

Aaron graduated Power School!! I'm so incredibly proud of him. It really is such a huge accomplishment. :) And I had a wonderful trip out to Charleston for his graduation. He got to come home for 2 WEEKS afterwards for a lil R&R before he had to head back and start the dreaded prototype. On that leave, he PROPOSED! :) And I said yes. :) We don't have a date yet, or even a time frame. A lot is going to depend on deployment schedules. I mean, after all, it is important that the groom makes it to his wedding. :) Meanwhile, he's in about... week 8? of prototype. This is his first week of on-crew which means rotating shift work. It's going to be extremely interesting trying to combine our schedules in a way that we can talk a  least a lil each day... I have a feeling my sleep schedule is going to be extremely screwed up. :/ Oh, the things I do for love. :)

And to wrap things up, I'll touch on the beginning of  my summer. My sister and her family were here for 2 weeks. Even though I was only able to spend a week of it with them, I'm so thankful for the time I got to spend with her and the lil rascals. :) They sure keep me busy running around and lil Lafe definitely makes sure that I don't get to sleep in on any one day. :) After a week with the family and finishing up finals at Wright State, I took a road trip to Clemson for orientation. It was hot, and tiring (verrrry tiring), but I had a lot of fun! I met a lot of new people... I only wish I would have gotten those people's last names so I could actually look them up on Facebook. :/  And I am officially registered for Fall semester. :) I am so so soooo excited to move down there, if I haven't already made that point clear! ;)
After Orientation I drove four hours over to Charleston to spend the rest of the week with my wonderful fiance. :) I spent the day hanging out with other awesome Navy girls like Emily A., Callie, Amy, and my cousin's fiancee Erika, and I was lucky enough to spend the evenings with Aaron. It was truly one of the best weeks of my life. And I can't wait to finish my degree and actually move in with Aaron. :)

I'm going to try so hard to start writing regularly again... hopefully I'm more successful in keeping up with my blog writing than I am with my working out and scrapbooking. :)

A Huge Thank You

I'm alive, I promise. I know I haven't posted in a really long time, but between fall quarter craziness and a comment that really upset me, I haven't had the desire to write (or blog) in awhile. When this amazing girl, Emily, asked me if I was done with my blog, I was amazed that someone even cared enough to ask. :)
Basically, I owe a huge thank you to Emily, Amanda, and all the amazing moms over at Navyformoms.com. I finally have the motivation to write again and I owe that to you guys. Sounds corny and probably weird, but I've become extremely fond of the Nuke Moms. They've accepted me into their group, and I couldn't be happier to be there. They keep me company when my days get really long!

Recap: Pulled a 4.0 for Fall Quarter. Took a trip to SC for Thanksgiving. AMAZING. I spent four amazing days with Aaron; there was not a happier girl in the universe that weekend. :) I got to meet a few wives while I was down there, and even the famous Casey from navyformoms.com! Charleston is simply gorgeous, and even though I ended up in tears after we saw downtown because I wore the wrong shoes to walk in, I fell in love, and I can't wait to go visit Clemson University next month!

I didn't know it then, but they filmed several
scenes from Army Wives on this bridge!! :)

I managed to get some pretty amazing pictures
even though I suck at photography :)

After Thanksgiving, I got busy at home doing things I've been meaning to do for awhile. I went to Jo-Ann Fabrics A LOT, and I managed to make some pretty cute purses which I gave for Christmas gifts. :) 

Aaron was able to make it home for two weeks for the holidays... I was pretty spoiled with three visits in three months at the end of the year!! And the day after Aaron came home, we got to drive to Illinois to pick up my sister and her kiddos. We all ended up sick, but it was still a wonderful holiday season! 

OH! Added bonus: We all got to meet my new sister-in-law, Kerri. My brother eloped much to the entire family's surprise, but I think he definitely picked a good one! I even got to go on an adventure with her to the Dayton Air Force Base to get her a military id... And yes, it was an adventure!

New Years Eve came and went, and Aaron left that morning. Definitely a sad goodbye... I think they're always worse when you don't know when you'll see each other next. At least we know we'll see each other in April for Power School Graduation (which I've officially started a countdown for: see below!). Maybe goodbyes just get harder with time instead of easier... 

Alright, well I suppose I'll head to bed for the night. I have scholarship applications to fill out tomorrow! :/

These are from his A school leave from October.
He took me on a "fancy date" since he missed Junior Prom,
Senior Homecoming, and soon to be Senior Prom.
I loved showing off my sailor. :)

I got a sailor kiss!! :)