Still A Winner

Many of you know that I was up for People's Most Awesome Star Encounter of 2011 with Josh Groban; I didn't win but the entire process made me realize just how lucky I am and have been.  The last 5 months have been an incredible roller coaster all because of something that happened on one very amazing summer night.  I was fortunate enough throughout the voting process to get an incredible amount of support from my fellow Grobies and have been blessed with getting the chance to get to know a few of them much better.  The real prize in all of this has been the amazing journey that I have gotten to share with Josh these last few months; I mean when else am I going to be able to say that he RTd me not once but twice trying to get us votes!  I feel so incredibly lucky to have gotten to have this experience with him and I sincerely hope that it doesn't end.  In a perfect world we would meet again and have the chance to get to know each other the way two people usually get to but life isn't perfect so for now all I can say is that I am a winner for getting to be a small piece in the story of his life.

The Josh Groban Experience Continues

So some of you may have read my post The Day Josh Groban Learned I Exist and know what happened that amazing night exactly 4 months ago (and if you don't know click the link and read all about it!).  Well I thought that was the end of the experience....but I was wrong.  People magazine is having it's annual Best of 2011 contest/poll and one of the categories is "Most Awesome Star Encounter"...I submitted our story and picture, had an online interview with someone from the magazine, and found out the other day that I made the finals!!  I am now 1 of 7 competing for the title and the winner will be determined by who gets the largest amount of votes.  So this is my request to all of you reading this...please click on this link: Most Awesome Star Encounter and vote for me and Josh Groban!  You can vote as many times as you want and the winner will be announced December 16th.  Please help me out and keep this amazing journey going!  Thank you!!

Bad For My Health

I've come to the determination that watching the Patriots play every weekend is bad for my health, especially my heart and blood pressure.  I'm so attached and invested in them that I take every loss way too personally...and these last two have been killers.  However, no matter what anyone might say about my boys I am ALWAYS going to support them!!!

Time For A Change

I have been thinking about this for awhile but it's time to actually do something about it.  For a long time now I have been really unhappy with how I look...I don't feel attractive or confident at all.  Other people say I look fine but I feel terrible about myself....but I'm done.  So today I went to my first class at the gym and am going to really try to hold myself accountable to going at least twice a week.  I am sick of feeling lousy about myself...I don't want to feel like nobody could ever love me because of the way I look.  I know that is a ridiculous notion but that's how I feel...right or wrong.  Here's to taking the first step to change!

Yes, You May

Where’s Maury Povich?? (an inside joke between Josh and I…I’m totally serious!)

Happy Halloween!

AARRRGGGGG!!!!!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You win some, you lose some...

Today's game was super painful to watch but that doesn't mean that I love my boys any less.  I hate the stupid mistakes they made but I'm still proud of them.  The good news is that the last time Brady lost to the Steelers they won the Super Bowl so here's hoping!

Truth

This came up on my Pinterest this other day (OBSESSED...follow me if you have one!) and it is so accurate...and so relevant to my life right now.

Long Time No Blog

It seems like it has been forever since I have posted anything of any kind on this blog....I blame grad school and student teaching.  These two things combined leave no room for anything else...especially not anything fun or enjoyable (at least lately).  Don't get me wrong, I love teaching....but things would be so much easier without having to do work for 4 classes as well as working on my action research project at the same time.  I'm going to really try to get better about it though...even if it is only a few sentences or something as simple as a picture or posting I have found that day on Pinterest (one of my obsessions) or somewhere else.

I will leave you with this today...it's a little too accurate for my own good ;-)

God Created The First Teacher

My mom sent me this today and in honor of me starting my student teaching this week I thought I would share:

God Created the First Teacher

On the 6th day, God created men and women.

On the 7th day, He rested.

Not so much to recuperate, but rather to prepare Himself for the work He was going to do on the next day. For it was on that day, the 8th day, that God created the FIRST TEACHER.

This TEACHER, though taken from among men and women, had several significant modifications. In general, God made the TEACHER more durable than other men and women.

The TEACHER was made to arise at a very early hour and to go to bed no
earlier than 11:30 p.m. - with no rest in between.

The TEACHER had to be able to withstand being locked up in an air-tight classroom for six hours with thirty-five "monsters" on a rainy Monday.

And the TEACHER had to be fit to correct 103 term papers over Easter
vacation.

Yes, God made the TEACHER tough... but compassionate and gentle, too.

The TEACHER was equipped with soft hands to wipe away the tears of the
neglected and lonely student... of those of the sixteen-year-old girl who was not asked to the prom.

And into the TEACHER God poured a generous amount of patience. Patience when a student asks to repeat the directions the TEACHER has just repeated for someone else. Patience when the kids forget their lunch money for the fourth day in a row. Patience when one-third of the class fails the test. Patience when the textbooks haven't arrived yet, and the semester starts tomorrow.

And God gave the TEACHER a heart slightly bigger than the average human heart. For the Teacher's heart had to be big enough to love the kid who screams, "I hate this class - it's boring!" and to love the kid who runs out of the classroom at the end of the period without so much as a "good-bye," let alone a "thank you."

And lastly, God gave the TEACHER an abundant supply of HOPE. For God knew that the TEACHER would always be hoping.

Hoping that the kids would someday learn how to spell...

Hoping not to have bus duty...

Hoping that Friday would come...

Hoping for a free day...

Hoping for deliverance...

When God finished creating the TEACHER, He stepped back and admired the work of His hands. And God saw that the TEACHER was good. Very Good!

And God smiled, for when He looked at the TEACHER, He saw into the future. He knew that the future is in the hands of the TEACHERS.

And because God loves Teachers so much, on the 9th day God created "Snow Days" and "Summer!"

- Author Unknown

The Girl You Sang To (A Thank You)

As many of you know I was the lucky girl who Josh Groban sang Happy Birthday to at the Washington DC concert on July 27th.  It was such an amazing night for me thanks to Josh and I thought he deserved not only a thank you but to know a little more about the girl he sang to.  So here it is...it might sound a little cheesy but it shows a glimpse of who I am...I really hope he reads it!

A Poem For Josh, From the ‘Pretty In Purple’ Girl You Sang To

Sending this Straight to You dear Josh,

Some further ‘inspection’ for your need.

You sang Happy Birthday to me in D.C.

Jenna – an elementary teacher to be.

Entering my grad year,

I’m not The Wandering Kind.

Teaching the little ones,

Their talents Hidden Away I hope to find.

To wonder like Galileo,

Teaching them to read and write,

My teaching specialty for grad year,

Is to help them find their light.

Hearing your thoughts on If I Walk Away,

I’ll think of the song in a different way.

Not only of love, but of a students’ heart,

Their own true worth I hope to impart.

I grew up dancing and singing my way through school.

Dancin’ in show choir and travelin’ around.

Virginia, DC, Florida, New York….

Heard those Bells of New York City, a beautiful sound!

You Raise Me Up daily in your video posts,

I crack up over your crazy goofiness.

My Confession to you – we are much the same

Light-hearted and passionate, seeking love and happiness.

By the way ….. on how ‘you owed me’- do you remember the q?,

in Richmond you sang to my friend Jess* - now ‘you owed me’ big!

Game on! Climb through that Higher Window, I can do it too!

It truly was my birthday, just needed that text to jump out at your crew!

Love Only Knows I spent two weeks phrasing it,

Determined to succeed, I Never Let Go of my goal.

When you called my name I couldn’t believe it.

The dream of a lifetime I would now come to know.

Time stood still.  What really happened?  Everyone watching.

Thank God for Facebook and Twitter, pieces of the night streaming in.

Don’t Give Up I tell myself….keep on searching

The clarity of the night no longer veil thin.

Thank you dear Josh, from the bottom of my heart,

I’m your number one Grobanite from your career start.

Now you know the girl you sang to and hugged,

Don’t ever forget that You Are Loved!

*(Hint:  She asked if you about what’s the worst trouble you’ve gotten in and it involves Italy)

So there you have it...a little bit of me for you.  Josh, if you are reading this I would love to know that you did!!  Thank you can't begin to express how you made me feel that night...but it's the best this teacher can do right now.

Contact Me at:

Twitter= @JennaShevlin

The Day Josh Groban Learned I Exist

I know it's been awhile since I've written a blog on my personal account and not on my Reality Check blog but there just hasn't been much to talk about....until now.  Last Wednesday (July, 27, 2011) I went to the Josh Groban concert at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C.; now I knew that this night would be amazing but I had no clue just how amazing it would become!  Before the show began you could text in questions for him and 3 would be chosen and given to him to read/answer during the show.  I texted in a question thinking that it would never get chosen but what did I have to lose...well I was wrong because it did get chosen!! 

My question was the 3rd and final question and it took me about 5 seconds to realize that it was my name and seat information that Josh had just read...I then proceeded to jump out of my seat and scream.  My question read like this "Today is my 22nd birthday and it is my wish to have you sing to me.  Will you please make this the best day of my life?  PS-You owe me and I can prove it."  That in turn provoked some "I'm not the father" comments which was just fine with me!  That idea, even just for a few seconds, was more then I ever imagined he would say to that (and to me) but it was perfect.  Then came the big moment....he left the stage and came straight to me (I had floor seats and was at the end of a row)!  He stood there alternating between holding my hand and having his arm around me and proceeded to sing me the best rendition of Happy Birthday I have ever heard, along with the entire arena.  I stood there beaming, looking into his eyes and knowing that he was looking back.  When he was done he gave me a hug which was one of the most amazing things that has ever happened to me and certainly something I will never forget.

It is several days later and I'm still in disbelief.  I find myself constantly wondering whether it really happened and then I close my eyes and can see him looking straight into my eyes, I can feel his arm around me while he was singing as if to keep me from floating, I can hear him saying my name multiple times, I can smell the delicious scent that stayed on my clothes for the rest of the night, and I can feel his arms around me and his scruff on my face; I then know that it really happened.  I am living proof that dreams really do come true...this was one dream that I NEVER thought would come true, but it did.  It is a night, a feeling, and a memory that will never leave me....it is a special moment that he and I shared in front of an audience of thousands that nobody will ever be able to have, it is mine and mine only.  It is without a doubt the best night of my life and will be incredibly hard to ever top!  Josh Groban knows that I exist in this world and to be able to say that is a dream come true in itself, the rest is just icing on an already amazing cake.

Graduation

I'M A COLLEGE GRADUATE!!!

It's official....I have a BS in Psychology from the University of Mary Washington....I really did it.  I feel like half of graduation is lost on me because I'll be back at UMW in 3 months for grad school so it doesn't seem very final to me.  I thought I'd just mention some memorable moments of the day instead of going the sappy, sentimental route.

• Not being able to sleep the night before, half due to the loud and obnoxious people still partying next door and outside at 2am and half due to being too anxious.
• How freaking complicated it is to put on that hood!
• Losing my shoe on campus walk during the procession and having to stop to put it back on.
• Being able to turn my tassel from the right side to the left.
• Having my name called, walking across the stage, shaking President Hurley's hand, and getting my diploma
• Cheering and clapping for my friends as they walk across the stage and get their diplomas
• Being hit in the head by a mortar board cap while everyone else in the vicinity avoided them...welcome to my life
• Seeing Andrew before hand without any weirdness, only smiles....and the fact that he decided to wear khaki shorts and boat shoes to graduation
• Hearing my parents cheer and yell my name throughout the ceremony
• Getting the traditional parent/daughter picture that eluded us at my high school graduation

It's been a fun 4 years Mary Wash....see you again in 3 months for grad school and student teaching!

Good Day Gone Bad

For the last couple years I have hated April 15th and it has nothing to do with the fact that it is tax day.  It used to be a happy day but now it is tainted with what once was and will never be again.  It symbolizes one of the best things and one of the worst things that has happened to me; it is a day that I would rather forget.

On this day 7 years ago someone made me extremely happy, and then proceeded to break my heart 2 years later.  I used to think that it was solely him that I missed but I think that is only part of the truth.  I think I also miss what he represented, the future that I saw that eventually disappeared.

I think part of me always thought that it wasn't really the end, that it was just a case of right person wrong time.  I guess that isn't the case since he is getting married in August to someone that isn't me.  I have to accept that the dream I held onto for so long is just that....a dream.  I'll never have what I thought I would and that's a hard one to swallow.

April 15th is always a day that I dread.  I don't want to dread it anymore and each year I think that it will be the last time that I am left feeling empty at the thought of it, but it never happens.  I need this to be the last year that I care about this day...I need to find a new dream, a new reality.  I want to be able to remember that day and those two years with a smile on my face and while I'm a lot closer then I used to be, I still have a ways to go.  Here's hoping this is the last year April 15th will be a day that makes me feel empty and incomplete.

Crazy Life

It's been awhile since I've posted....thank you life for that one.  I've barely had time to breathe these last few weeks let alone actually sit down and write about absolutely nothing of importance when you really think about it.  I figured I just give the highlights of the last few weeks...here goes nothing.

I was officially accepted into the Master's of Elementary Education program at UMW...woohoo!!  Even though I didn't get the specialization I really wanted I'm choosing to believe that everything happens for a reason.  In the long run it doesn't really matter anyways...I'm getting my Master's and that's all that matters!

I also have a place to live next year which is such a relief!!  I'm leasing a room in this cute house and the rent is really good!  It'll be interesting sharing a house with 3 other people that I've never even met before but at least I have somewhere to live!

There is less then 1 month til graduation and I am so ready for everything to be over and done with.  I'm not looking forward to having to say goodbye to all of my friends but I'm more then ready to move on to Master's year and teaching full time!

I have officially completed my duties as an officer in the Student Education Association!  The Student Teacher Reception went off without a hitch and I can't tell you how much stress that has been causing me!  It's so weird to think that this time next year I will be the one attending the STR and not the one organizing and executing it!  It's scary and exciting all at the same time!

That's all I can think of at the moment...I'm really going to try and be better about writing things as they happen...but no promises (at least for the next couple weeks)!

Spring Break

This year's Spring Break was probably the one that was the most all over the place.  Here's a quick rundown of what happened.

1. My dad had shoulder surgery a week and a half ago and can't move his arm at all.  Due to the surgery he was running a fever that ranged from 99 to 101.6 for a week.  I played nurse for a good portion of the week and got really good at reading the old school glass thermometers.  Luckily his fever finally broke and he's getting back to his normal self...minus the use of his right arm.

2. The most exciting thing that happened over break was I got tickets to see Josh Groban in concert on July 27th!!  But I didn't just get tickets....I have FLOOR TICKETS!!!  I will be in section 1 at the Verizon Center in row M which means I am 13 rows from the stage!!!  I'm on the aisle too so who knows who may walk by!!  SOOOOOOO EXCITED!!!

3. I got dragged to the doctor because my mom has been worried about how run down I am and there's some unexplained things going on and long story short I have been advised not to work this summer.  Even though I feel like I should, it probably really is best for me to focus on myself and my health for a few months.  Plus I have to look my best for the concert....you never know what may happen!

Now I'm back at school and I have 2 months until graduation....it seems like such a short amount of time and such a long amount of time all at once.  I just know what I am so over with this whole school thing and just want to be done.

I Just Haven't Met You Yet

So I meant to write this yesterday but as always life just got in the way.  As you all know yesterday was Valentine's Day, a day which I dread every single year.  This year I really tried to be good and not dwell on the fact that I am alone for another year and how jealous I was of all the couples celebrating...and I did better then I expected.

And then a song came on my iTunes and it reminded me of my "anthem" (Glee reference from tonight's episode...forgive me).  The song is "Haven't Met You Yet" by Michael Buble and it is amazing in every way imaginable.  As long as I can believe that he is out there somewhere and that one day (hopefully sooner rather than later) we fill find each other I will be okay.  For the first time in a long time I didn't spend the day completely miserable..maybe that's a sign of things to come.  They do say after all that you find love when you aren't trying to find it...so that's what I'm trying to do.

In honor of this life changing song I leave you with these lyrics....

I might have to wait, I'll never give up
I guess it's half timing, and the other half's luck
Wherever you are, whenever it's right
You'll come out of nowhere and into my life

And I know that we can be so amazing
And, baby, your love is gonna change me
And now I can see every possibility

And somehow I know that it'll all turn out
You'll make me work, so we can work to work it out
And I promise you, kid, I give so much more than I get
I just haven't met you yet

Me & Football....Who Would Have Thought?

Football is something that I hated 5 years ago...I thought it was pointless and didn't understand or get the appeal of it at all.  But slowly something changed and over the last couple years it has become increasingly evident that I have caught the football bug.  If you had told me all those years ago that I would be watching every game my team played (including those not televised), reading articles, keeping up with stats, and wearing a jersey after a big win I probably would have told you that you needed to be committed.  All those things are a reality now though and when I really think about it, it baffles me in some respects.  If someone had told me that I would be this invested mentally and emotionally in the New England Patriots I would not have believed them....but I am.  They are my boys and I love them as weird as that may sound.

My evolution into a NE Patriots fanatic has led me to a more introspective observation...one that goes beyond sports and touches on change and who I am and who I have become.  I am not even close to the person I was this time 4 or 5 years ago...and I am so thankful for that.  I didn't like the person I was and I didn't like how I felt all the time.  Now I'm not saying that I'm completely happy with who I am now but I am a lot closer to being the person I want to be.  Change can be good sometimes and for me the last 5 years, good and bad, have made me someone I can be proud of.  There will always be things that I don't like or wish I could change but I am no longer that high school girl who felt like no matter what she did or said she wouldn't fit in.  I know who I am and I know where I want to go...that is something to be happy about.

Who would have thought that football could lead to something so philosophical?

Hello Blog World!

Hey everybody!

I decided to create this because I promised myself that I would try to record memories, thoughts, and events more in 2011 and this seems like a good way to do that!  This is just going to be a blog chronicling events in my life....all the love, laughs, and life that I experience.  I can promise you that it will be very random with probably very little theme to it....but isn't that half the fun??  I hope you will join me on this adventure!

See you soon!