Happy Thanksgiving from England! I love Turkey Day. Wish I was going to be home to eat the best meal ever with my family but my little London family will have to do :)

Things I'm thankful for: I am thankful for my parents and brothers. I am thankful for America. I am thankful for Ben. I am thankful for my best friends. I am thankful for my home. I am thankful for good food. I am thankful for Baylor community.

Being gone makes you realize what you miss about people. I miss Lauren's hugs and talks. I miss my mom's daily phone calls. I miss Ben's interesting facts. I miss mexican food. I miss discipleship. I miss Tri-Delt. Also, I really miss my phone (haha). BUT YAY FOR ENGLAND!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!

{Independence Day!}

Happy 4th of July!!! I love wearing red white and blue. And I really love American flags. So grateful our country was founded on biblical principles. So thankful for freedom!! 

P.S.-  April and I painted our nails alternating colors--Red, White, Blue--with sparkles. Awesome.

I never knew...

Dear family, I never knew how strong you were until that was our only choice we had. 

Thanks for letting me be a part of all of your crazy lives. You are so loved. 

Kam

sista sista.

Dear Lauren,
I'm finally doing a post about you. I know that it has bothered you that I haven't haha. I just have so much, too much to say about you. I don't even know where to start! Here goes....

Laur, there are many things I love about you but the first that comes to my mind right now is the knowledge that you will always be there for me. What a comforting thought! When I visualize my life I see a few people standing next to me as the scenes change behind us. Jesus, my family, Apey, and you. I don't know if I've ever really developed that thought till now but I really do see that in my mind all the time! It's a combination of two things: 1. you are an amazing friend and 2. I never want to lose you. I will expand on point 1. You always listen to me, whether I'm sad or happy or mad or scared or worried or stressed. I find so much comfort when I think that I know I can always come to you and talk. And I do always come to you. I love that you are so wise. Whenever I talk to you about things, I know I'll get a good response. I love that sometimes those good responses aren't what I always wanna hear, and even though I may react badly to that, I love that you care enough to tell me I'm being ridiculous. I love that when I found out about my dad, you held me while I cried. I love that every time I am sad, I can be completely broken with you and not have to think about judgement. I really really love when I can be there for you when you are sad, I love it when you walk in my room after a hard day and crumple onto my bed and I scratch your back. I love how you love your family. I love how you genuinely care about everyone's life. I love how you ask a million questions to people when you first meet them! You make me laugh. I love to laugh with you. We both love the same things: coke, nail polish, reading (teen books), sci fi, mushy gushy movies, foooooooood, sunshine, etc etc etc. I love that you are so intentional. I love that you are bible study/discipleship chair, I'm so proud of you!! I'm so proud of who you are and how much you've grown since 6th grade. You are such an amazing woman. You are so loyal and caring. You are so selfless to help me with Tshirts every time. You are so understanding! I love that we are both non-confrontational but we can confront each other ;) I love that we can talk about what we struggle with and it's usually the same thing.

Your friendship means so much to me my precious sister. One of my favorite things is hearing songs or seeing movies or reading quotes that remind me of our friendship. The best thing about us is that we have been friends for a decade :) I cannot wait to graduate and teach together. I can't wait to have little play-dates with our kiddies! I am constantly reminded of the verse in Philippians 1:3 when Paul says, "Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God." That's how I feel about you Laur. I am so thankful for you. For who you are. For your selfless friendship. For your example.

I can't even imagine how much He loves you, so lavishly, wildly and immensely!

I love you more than I can explain, my best friend.

Mountainview Mustang.

Today was my last day as a Teaching Associate at Mountainview Elementary!!!!! Really bittersweet. I have been awaiting this day pretty much all year but now that it has arrived, I'm so sad!

Reasons I don't want to go:

1. I love the girls that I taught with. Our 3rd grade little team has been such a blessing to my year. Erin, Jessica and Kelsey have blessed me beyond what they could ever know. Seeing each of their face at 7:15 every morning, doing life together, sharing stories and laughs, and just being a team. I loved it. I am going to miss them so much next year as I'm interning at a different school.

I will share one story I love to tell: A month or so ago, I was having a really rough week. I felt like I was drowning, being forced down beneath the raging waters with the reality of situations and even lies that I was believing. I was feeling useless, not good enough, selfish, stupid, emotional and just downright depressed. I remember coming to the point in my prayers where I cried out saying, "Lord I just really need encouragement today. I need joy and happiness that comes from you. I need encouragement because I feel so utterly discouraged." So I go to school like every other day and had a mediocre lesson. My little team could tell I was upset and as I was leaving Mountainview to go back to Baylor, Erin handed me a card. When I got into my car, I read it and started bawling! Erin was so unbelievably encouraging and my heart felt so full!! It could not have come at a better time, thank you Jesus!!! Erin even said that she had the card for a while :) PTL that He has perfect timing. PTL that He blessed me so much with 3 amazing girls to work with and love!!!!!

2. I love my students. I loved seeing their sweet, shining and sometimes obnoxious little selves every morning! My favorite was Jami. Yes I know I shouldn't have favorites but I just can't help it. She was HYSTERICAL. She wore a parka when it was 80 degrees! AND she was such a Belieber. She wore a Justin Bieber shirt every day. Don't worry that they were "hand-crafted." She also looked like the little chunker from Up, except a girl hehe :)

this little gem is Jami. #1 fan!!

Another story: today one of my students said to me that she "had to tell me something right away."
Me-"Yes, Angelina?"
A- "I have to say that I've always thought of you as an older sister."
AW. I just about teared up, what a sweetheart. See, those moments are the moments in teaching that I live for. The moments I know I was called to do this. Because that's what teaching is all about for me, that's why I'm going to do this energy consuming, majorly underpaid job. I really believe that this is my calling. I can't wait to be the teacher that really affects her students. I can't wait for the parents of my students to think, "Hey there is something different about her. She has something I want." GOD!! JESUS!! THE HOLY SPIRIT!! Ah! I can't wait!!!! I just want to love my students. Bah I can't believe He loves me so much.


So basically to sum up this post, I just can't wait to teach my own students. I have said this before and I'm sayin it again! Not many people get to have true joy when doing their job, and I'm so thankful that I am called to something that compliments my gifts and my interests! I love kids and I cannot wait to teach 20 some odd little ones :)

Before our last day of class! We played Math Kickball :)

Hugs for me!

My favorite girlies!

P.S- I love being called Miss Caldwell.

The best job ever.

Lemme tell you a little story about today.

Dialogue:
Grace- "Ms. Caldwell, did you straighten your hair today?"
Me- "Why yes I did, thanks for noticing!"
Grace- "I really love it. You don't look like a cook today."
Me- "Excuse me, a what?"
Grace- "A cook! You usually look like a cook."
Me- "Um you mean like a chef kind of cook?"
Grace- "YES! Exactly."
Me- "Okay. Thanks? Is that a good or bad thing?"
Grace- "Definitely good. I love food."


I just really can't wait to be a teacher with my own classroom and my own, hilarious students that make life more exciting and adventurous.




P.S- One of my students' this semester is named Romance. Literally Romance. And he's a boy.

He gives me strength.

Isaiah 40:28-31

Have you never heard?
Have you never understood?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
He gives power to the weak
and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired,
and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.

anna sheridan.

Hi my friend. Today I wish you a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I'm so grateful for you my best friend and roommate. I can't believe it's been almost 3 years since I met you in line at Fright Night. Thank goodness for Tri-Delt :) 

I love laughing with you, making funny voices, eating too much, watching movies, crying, talking, spazzing out, screaming taylor swift songs at the top of our lungs, shopping together, vacations (so many), taking pictures, sharing clothes, reading blogs together, braiding your hair and watching you make the same lunch every day haha. There are so many more but most of all I love that you are a leader. I love watching you lead your 50 freshmen in FLO and being such a good example. I love that we share the same ideals. I love that you never give up. I love that you're positive. I love that you always make me laugh. I love that we are complete freaks together. I love that you are my best friend. I love that you always want us to say goodnight before going to sleep. I love sending you pictures on our phones. I love our inside jokes. I love that you share a love for our Jesus. I love talking about deep things.

You are so beautiful Ans. You are so dear to me. So so grateful for you and the friendship we share. 

We'll be friends forever. 

my christmas miracle.

well the fam has been really struggling with money lately. no surprise since my dad can't work anymore. it's gotten really difficult for him to talk/walk. i've been stressing and worrying about how i'm going to not only survive the baylor materialism mindset but how my family is going to pay the bills. 

it really is silly that i was so overwhelmed. i always do this! typical kambly, picking up the burdens and worries that He tells me to leave behind with Him. 

my family has a really cool, unique story of how the Lord has provided to us when we had literally no way to pay the bills. for example, when i was a freshman in high school, our car got repossessed at least 2 times (i would ask my parents but they aren't home). if you aren't familiar with what it means to get your car repossessed, look it up. it's humiliating and extremely humbling to look out the window and watch our car get towed away (i don't know if i've ever thought about that before). well our neighbors paid for us to get it back once and somehow we were miraculously given money the second time. 

our ac has broken during the summer....no way to pay for it to get fixed....and we find an envelope of cash in our mailbox. countless stories such as these and i STILL WORRY. 

get it together kam, get it together. 

so i'm sure you're wondering (you few people who read my blog) what it is that happened?! what is this christmas miracle that is referenced in your title!?!?!? 

let. me. tell. you.

fact one: we have no money. fact two: no christmas presents this year. fact three: life sucks.

BOOM

some ladies my mom used to work with tell her to come to the preschool because they have a present for her. mom and i walk in and they are all standing in a circle. they give her an envelope with a $500 visa gift card and and a $500 check. cue the waterworks from mom. bawling. i'm shockingly able to keep it together. all the ladies move and there are three little christmas trees and a poster with gift cards and cash covering them (money really does grow on trees!). every year, each preschool class chooses a family in need that they can help. every class chose ours. once again, humbling. wanna see a picture? here i'll show you.

as you can see...lots of gift cards to lots of places. wanna know how much it added up to be? 

i'll show you that too.

 

yea. ummm. speechless. God REALLY provides.

oh! another cool thing: this lady wrote my parents a letter and was like "i want to give you something that lasts longer than a night" etc and basically said that since she is an occupational therapist, her clinic place is going to look at our house for free and tell us what improvements need to be made for my dad. 

well people. if you are worrying about money....just stop. because He will provide. He will. HE WILL!

i hope this brings you happiness. because He once again showed up and totally rocked my stupid human mind. i hope He rocks yours this christmas season

it truly was a christmas miracle. i'm feeling a really corny song coming on right about now....

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

happy turkey day!

holidays are hard, i've decided. everything is different these days.  

reminder to self: give thanks for the good :)

cute little turkey treats!

#1 thing i'm thankful for today: another thanksgiving with daddy.