A Hopeful Beginning

Hey everyone,
It is so surreal and a scary thought knowing it's my last year in college. Wait... Last year of college? That makes me feel so old! I can't imagine how old that makes my parents feel. (Love you both!) So many questions have been going through my mind, "Where do I go from here? Will I get a job? Am I doing what I really want to do? Will I be able to inspire and help all of the children I am hoping to?" Right now the answer is unknown, but this is the final chapter of college and I will discover in my future what the answers will be to my questions.


I decided to start a blog to keep everyone up to date with my life, my family, and my journey to reach my goals and dreams. Every time I write an entry in my blog I will address the three items above. I will inform you of my life as it is now, my crazy family, and my journey to accomplish my goals and dreams.


To start, my life is really crazy right now. When I saw crazy, that is an understatement! I have to take 3 classes in 5 weeks. These 3 classes should be taken over the course of a semester, but this insane education department decided they would put us future teachers to the test and see if we can handle the stress. So far so good. I have roughly 1 week left of the madness. I am almost there. With the homework and the group projects it has been very stressful. However, I have some great friends, family, and Hope College Faculty that have been helping me through it. So, I'll keep you posted on whether or not I make it through the last week. If I do I will be student teaching full time!!! Woot! Woot! Some more madness coming my way! What did I get myself into??? Haha! :)


Then there's the family! Oh yes, them. Well dad is still at the Marshmallow factory. I know when I receive a package from him, because it isn't packed with packing peanuts, it's packed with marshmallows! Yep, and by the end of the year I probably will have a case of them that I can just bring home for them to hand out for Halloween! Boo! Then there is mom, one of the strongest women I know. She was diagnosed with Breast Cancer earlier this year and is now cancer free! She has been an inspiration and every time I feel like I just want to give up I think of her and I push through it! So thanks mom for everything you have done for me! As for Kendall, she is still working for the park district teaching kids swim lessons. She decided not to swim this year, but she is managing the girl's swim team instead. I guess the smell of the chlorine just couldn't keep her away! Us Craig girls, we love our chlorine!!! Last, but not least, my little pooch Peppers. He is getting to be so old! He is 14 1/2, and yes at this age you have to count the halves. He is blind in one eye and completely deaf. However, when you have food he drops about 30 years in age and is right there in your lap begging. That's my boy!


Now the progression on my goals is getting closer to being accomplished. One of my main goals was to graduate college with a special education degree. I have less than a year left and then I can check that as being done! It is unreal to think that I am that close. It's scary not knowing where I will be next year, but I am learning that what I set my mind to I can accomplish. With everyone's support I will make it! I know I can do it!


Dream. Love. Hope.