Hello, all!!

Hey friends! So, life has been SO busy lately, which is why I haven't posted anything! Sorry about that! Here's an update:

1.) I am LOVING my job-it was hard the first few weeks, and, in some ways, it still is, but I LOVE it-I feel very fulfilled teaching these amazing kiddos!

2.) Avi is graduating soon! I am SO proud of him! I can't WAIT!!! It's going to be great to meet some of his family that I haven't met yet! :)

3.) Sarah took AMAZING pictures of Avi and I-check them out on my Facebook page! I love you, Sarah, YOU ROCK!!!

That's basically it. Life is chaotic and hard, but it is beautiful too!

Smile!

Times, they are a changin'

Hi there, everyone!! Sorry I haven't written in awhile. I have had SO much going on in my life lately! The biggest is that I got a new job! :) FINALLY! I am going to be teaching at an after school program at Cesar Chavez Elementary School. It's part of the GRPS Schools of Hope YET program. It's basically a  program designed to help kids who are behind in their reading. I am SO excited, but nervous. I am going to do my very best though, and work SUPER hard so that it is a GREAT success. Plus, things with the divorce are moving forward. My parents went to mediation earlier this week, and it didn't go so well. I am not sure if we can keep it out of court, so I am probably going to have to testify. BLECK! I don't want to, but I will if I am asked. Anyway-please keep sending positive energy and thoughts my way! I could use it! :)

Times, they are a changin'

Hey, there friends!!! Hope you all had a great labor day weekend!! Wow, so much has been happening for me lately. The other day I got calls for 4-yes, 4!-job interviews!!! I'd LOVE to have any one of them!! It'd be great to have a steady job, so I can help my Mom, and also pay my own bills!! :) I am struggling, however-which job should I take? Will any of them offer me the position? Am I wasting my time? Shouldn't I be focusing on teaching?! UGH! SO much to think about. What should I do...??

Coulda, shoulda, woulda

Hey guys-sorry, I know it's been awhile since I have written anything. It's just been kinda crazy for me!! :) I am working as a temp right now at Network 180, so between that and trying to spend time with Avi my sweetie, it's been a busy couple days. While it has been crazy, it's been great. I have a wonderful man who loves me. I am VERY proud of him-he starts Football Frenzy this week, and he graduates in December from GVSU!! He's been AMAZING through all that's been happening lately! I am very grateful to have him with me.

It's kind of hard to describe how I am feeling these days. Mostly, I am pretty happy. I am working, I have great friends, a great family, a great boyfriend....but there's a sadness too. I can't really describe it. It's a sadness that just kind of comes over me at the oddest times. It's a sadness for what my family was. It's a sadness for what my family could've been. As my Mom said, it's like a death. I am grieving the loss of my family. Or, rather, what my family was and could have-should have-been. I SHOULD have had a Dad to walk me down the aisle. My nieces and nephews SHOULD have their Grandpa. Andrew (my brand new nephew), SHOULD be able to know his Grandpa. My Mother SHOULD have her husband, the man she was going to grow old with. Instead, she is sad, and there's nothing I can do for her right now. I try to help as much as I can, but sometimes I feel it isn't enough.

In the midst of all this, I am trying to achieve life goals. Get a license and car. Get a good job that I love. While this hasn't exactly worked the way that I wanted it to, I know it will happen eventually. I just wish it was NOW sometimes!!!

Anyway-that's my life right now...and despite it all, I wouldn't change it for anything....

Slow and steady...

So, today, I got a LOT of stuff done. I cleaned around the house. I packed for the bachelorette party this weekend. Just basically was very productive. But I didn't really feel like I had accomplished much of anything. Even though, in reality, I did. I really got a lot of loose ends tied up, and done. Which SHOULD give me a sense of accomplishment, but it only highlighted the fact that I still have so much to do. I still have to get my license. I still have to get a job. I still have SO much I want to accomplish and do with my life. Especially now, with the divorce. I NEED to get my life in gear, but it feels like I am running a race. And even though I am running, I am falling behind everyone else. I feel like I need to be SO much closer to the finish line than I am. I am not sure why I feel this way...but I DO know that I am just going to keep on going....after all, slow and steady wins the race!!

The D-I-V-O-R-C-E

So, as some of you may know (and some of you may not), my parents have recently started the process of getting a divorce. In May, my Dad went to work one day while I was out of town in Chicago. And he didn't come back. I found this out from my sister when I woke up the next day, after getting back home very late the night before from the trip.

While this situation hasn't been fun, easy, nice, whatever you want to call it, it's been a good thing for me for several reasons. The biggest is that it has made me take a good, hard look at myself and my life. There are many things in my life that I want to change, in order to make my life happy and healthy. Here's what they are...
1) I need a job
While right now I am employed as a temp through OfficeTeam and as a substitute teacher, it is FAR from a consistent paycheck, which I need right now. I have been searching for a teaching job and applied for several, but haven't heard back. I am waiting to hear about a job interview I had about 2 weeks ago, but I am not sure if that will pan out...
2) I want to get my license
I took the test once, but failed it. It's become quite a strain to have to have people take me where I need to go. Although I have figured out the bus system here in GR, it's not how I want to get around forever. I want to be able to go wherever I want, whenever I want, and I can't. It's SO frustrating!!
3) I want to get healthy
Most of you who know me know I am overweight. I don't like it!! I want to lose some weight, to be a healthy person with a healthy self-image.


Luckily, I have AMAZING people around me (specifically my incredible family, my wonderful boyfriend, and my friends Betsy Degraaf, Kelsey Kohmenberger, Sarah Smith, Sarah Stier, Michelle Steffen, Kyla Uekert, and SO many more!). I love you all more than I could possibly say, from the bottom of my heart! I feel so lucky to have you all in my life!!! LOVE YOU ALL!!!!

So, if you know me....bug me about this stuff, would ya?!

Hello there, world! It's me, Leslie

Hello there, everyone!!

So, lately, I have been Facebook chatting with my dear friend, Sarah. She recently got married, and started a blog. I had been thinking about doing one for awhile, but never really got around to it. Finally though, she helped me start my first ever blog!! I will update daily and post pictures! Hope you enjoy my ramblings!

THANKS SARAH! LOVE YA! :)