Week 14: Rodeo Sunday!

It's Rodeo Sunday!

The Houston Rodeo kicked off at Reliant Stadium this weekend, and that meant it was 'Rodeo Sunday' at River Pointe Church! It's one of the wildest experiences you could have at church. River Pointe transformed into a petting zoo, a country music concert, and a chili cook off. They had expert calf ropers, horse riders, zoo keepers, banjo pickers, and fiddle players. All of the kindergartners grabbed their hats and boots, and were ready for some fun! We played rodeo games, visited the petting zoo, guessed rodeo trivia, and sang lots of songs. These kids were fearless when it came to the petting zoo. They were chasing those animals, picking them up, and pulling their tails! I loved watching all of my girls giggle and skip in their western attire! This was also the final week of our 'Kindness' series. We finished off our small group discussions with second chances. Our God is known for giving second chances. Everyone deserves a second chance, and we should all be willing to offer second chances to other people. To forgive the people around us is an act of showing kindness and demonstrating true strength. God forgave us, so in turn we should forgive others and more importantly forgive ourselves. It was a very successful Rodeo Sunday and I can't wait to see what's to come in Week 14!

Week 15: Baseball Boys!

This weekend was the Katy Tournament for the Austin baseball boys. We played two games on Thursday, two games on Friday, and one game on Saturday. That is a lot of late nights and long bus rides! They played well; however, they only won one game. Our pitching was lacking, but did well at the plate. I love being a manager with Savannah and I love talking to the players in the dugout. I have never been surrounded by so many guys, and it's incredible how different the conversation flows and how crazy the jokes are compared to girls. They crack me up. The tournaments are a little too much baseball for me, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. I have learned more about baseball in the past two weeks than I ever thought I would need to know. In the last picture, you can see the matching candy bracelets that Collin Cobb gave me and Savannah. They were as our newest accessory and sweetest treat on Saturday! <3 "Let's go HAM!"-Jamail Mubashshir

Week 15: Camp Write-A-Long

The writing TAKS test is on Tuesday, March 1st. Our 4th graders have been preparing, brainstorming, writing, and editing many compositions. It seems like Mrs. Sebesta and I are more stressed out about the test than they are! After countless weeks of instruction, they deserved a much needed day off. Friday was Camp Write-A-Long day! Camp-Write-A-Long is focused on helping fourth graders prepare for the TAKS writing test, but emphasizes creativity as opposed to mere test-taking skills. They had an enormous tent set up in the classroom and were all wearing their camping gear. We decorated t-shirts for them to wear on testing day. They painted different sayings related to scoring a 4..."Go 4 it!" "Shoot 4 the Stars!" "Score a 4!" The shirts turned out to be adorable and the kids had a blast making them! We sang camp songs, ate s'mores in the tent, and used the literary elements word search as a time filler! I never experienced Camp Write-A-Long as a fourth grader, but I won't ever forget this experience as a student teacher! The kids said it was the best day of fourth grade ever!

Week 15: Just For The Birds



Prom is right around the corner, and that means it is prom dress shopping season! For most girls, this is a very exciting time to try on beautiful dresses and have some special mother/daughter bonding time. However, this was me and my mom's third day dedicated to finding the perfect dress. We have spent two entire Saturday's and one entire Tuesday afternoon/evening, and we have found nothing. I have tried on easily over 75 dresses and have finally concluded that I am the pickiest girl on the planet. We have traveled ALL over the Houston area, not to mention all of the hours spent searching the internet! The first day we went to the Galleria (Macy's, Saks 5th Avenue, Nordstrom's, Cashe, Dillard's, etc.), Impressions Bridal, and Formal Gallery. On the second day, we went to Muzzies, Eesh, and Glamorous Bridal. On the third day, we went to WD Prom, The Silver Hanger, Affinity, and Camille's. Speaking of Camille's... that is an interesting story to share. My Mom, Shannon, and I have been traveling all around using the Map Quest feature on my iPhone. On this application, you can search for local stores, restaurants, etc. I decided to type 'Prom Dresses' into the search engine. A store called Camille's in Old Town Spring popped up. That sounds like forever and a mile away, but where we were it said it was only 5 minutes away. We went on countless back roads, made many U-turns, and refreshed the directions one too many times... all to find Camille's! Once we FINALLY got to this place, it turned out to be an antique furniture store. Mom and I were disappointed and slightly upset, then Shannon said that she saw a place called 'Just for the Bride' down the road. We walked past a couple of buildings, and spotted the store. I looked at them and said, "Well, I guess they sell bird houses as well as bridal gowns!" Then we all looked up at the sign and realized that it was called, 'Just for the Birds'! I fell to the floor dying of laughter, and realized that this was the perfect description of my prom dress shopping experience. I still have had no luck and have yet to find the perfect dress. The Engle girl's are frustrated, annoyed, and extremely tired of searching the endless racks.

Dear Perfect Prom Dress, please come find me... preferably soon.

Week 15: The Ultimate Duo.

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity."

-1 Timothy 4:12-

There are officially fifteen weeks until graduation and I don't think time could be flying any faster. Tonight, Taylor Woods and I spoke at FCA. I have been involved in FCA since my freshman year, and in all of those years two leaders have never spoken side by side. We decided to mix it up tonight and let the ultimate duo preach together! We based our talk on 1 Timothy 4:12. Taylor and I switched off between the five topics mentioned: Speech, Life, Love, Faith, and Purity. For each section we read scripture, asked the audience questions, and listed specific ways that we can set a Godly example. Our lives should be a constant reflection of Christ, and most days that is way easier said than done. Every single person struggles in their own way and is currently fighting their own battle. The greatest way that we can show Christ's love is by simply loving the people in our life. We can have confident faith that Christ will stand by our side and be our biggest cheerleader throughout the good times and the bad! We often talk our way out of the spiritual life by refusing to come to Christ as we are. Instead, we decide to wait until we are ready to come to God as we aren't. We decide that the way we lived yesterday, last week, or last year makes us "damaged goods", and that until we start living "right", we're not "God material". Some of us actually believe that until we choose the correct way to live, we aren't chooseable. That until we clean up the mess, Jesus won't have anything to do with us. Taylor and I stood up there tonight and told them that the EXACT OPPOSITE is true. Until we admit that we are a mess, Jesus won't have anything to do with us. Once we admit how unlovely we are, how unattractive we are, how lost we are... Jesus will show up unexpectedly. As you go through this week, remember to set an example in what you say, in the way you live, in the way you love, in your faith, and in your purity. Be the example that reminds people just how much Christ cares.

Week 16: Mr. & Mrs. Clayton

  

Terrace Clayton married Stephanie Lavey this afternoon. T is the youth pastor at River Pointe Church and I met him on a mission trip in Mexico many many years ago. He is my friend and my mentor, and I have gained an incredible amount of wisdom from him. He has always been there for me; whether it was supporting my fight against human trafficking, speaking at my FCA meeting, or constantly making me laugh. He is witty, sarcastic, and full of love. I knew God was saving an incredible woman just for him. We always used to talk about the day that he would meet his future wife and get married. I specifically remember him describing everything he wanted out of his spouse, and I am happy to say that Stephanie far surpasses his expectations. The moment I saw T walk up to the altar, I lost it. I was in tears for nearly the entire ceremony (as was the rest of the audience). It was not an accident that a small town boy from Oklahoma met a sweet girl from Dallas nearly a year ago. God always knew this moment would happen... he always knew that they would eventually find each other. They are now united as one and can begin their journey together. Their marriage reminded me of how excited I am to meet the man of my dreams and marry my best friend one day. Marriage is an incredible gift. I know God has a love story for each one of us and the best part is... true love stories never have endings. 



Week 16: Cabi

Tonight my mom hosted a Cabi party at our house. Janet Colborne, our neighbor and close family friend, is a Cabi Consultant. Cabi carries woman's clothing that is sold at house parties all around the area. It is a fun and fresh way to get your shopping fix in! Shannon Colborne and Diane Muller came in town for the weekend from Texas A&M and Katy came to model with me as well. There were also a few mom models, since Cabi clothes can suit any age and size. Most of the outfits were adorable, however some of the pieces were rather interesting. I was assigned to wear a pair of skin tight hot pink jeans- not the best look for me and certainly not my style at all.  Even Shannon, my little sister, walked down the aisle in a Cabi blouse with our ugly dog, Mylie. We had a great time modeling the new spring collection and strutting our stuff down the runway! The life of a model is exhausting. Overall, it was an enjoyable girl's night in at the Engle household! If you're interested in checking out the Cabi Collection.... here' s the link:  http://www.cabionline.com/

Week 16: Lizzie.

This is me and my little PAL, Lizzie the Lizard. She is such a joy to be around each and every Thursday. Elizabeth is full of life, laughter, and plenty of love. She is only eight years young and has so many exciting years up ahead. The PALs head over to Oyster Creek during class twice a week (every Tuesday and Thursday) to meet up with our little PALs. Today was the first day that we were able to play outside in the past few months (since it's been SO cold)!! It was thrilling to see the kid's smiling faces return to the insane tire swing and their aggressive energy compete on the basketball courts once again. I can only pray that the time we spend over there is worthwhile and somewhat meaningful to them. Lizzie reminds me every week what this life's all about and makes me feel like a kid again!

Week 16: Be Mine.

Valentine's Day is the perfect day to show kindness and see kindness all around you! You certainly do not need a valentine to show some love to the people in your life. I was amazed by all of the sweet things people said, the sweet cards people made, and yummy treats people baked for others. It is a breath of fresh air to see a crowd of individuals thinking of someone other than themselves once in a while.  Throughout this Valentine's Day, I made a list of random acts of kindness and memories from the day. I hope the things on this list brighten your day as much as they did mine!
1. I woke up to a little Valentine's Day surprise from my mom.

2. My Dad left flowers, cards, and M&M's on the counter for his one and only valentine.

3. I made cards for my mom, my little sister, and my two best friends (Mom and Shannon brought the waterworks this morning!)

4. When I got to school, I saw a card and a surprise sitting on my desk from my friend and fellow PAL, Taylor Woods.

5. A girl brought red velvet cupcakes for our entire first period Calculus class and shared with everyone.

6. I texted Jason, "Happy Valentine's Day" and he responded, "Don't let cupid shoot you in the butt."

7. The choir brought a singing valentine to a boy in my Calculus class. I was lucky enough to hear their amazing voices and dance right along with them!
8. Lolly, our PALs sponsor, treated all of us to Chick-fil-a at lunch!

9. Melinda handed out chocolate chip cookies to me and various other people throughout the day.

10. Bailey and Anam brought cupcakes and shared with our "B" sweet crew at lunch.

11. I went to Shannon's valentine's day party at her school and also visited my 4th grade class. All of those sweet valentine's hugs and smiles made my day!

12. A shy boy named Michael brought a bag of Hershey's kisses and shared with our entire English class. By this point sweets were the last thing you wanted to see, but it was definitely the thought that counted!

13. Ben Wood's asked me to be his valentine... I said yes of course!

14. We had split night at FCA and talked about relationships. So encouraging to know that God has a plan for you to meet your one true valentine some day. <3

15. Kathleen, Taylor's mom, put together a little bag of kisses for me.

16. Taylor told me that the card I made for him was amazing and almost brought him to tears. He also said that I should make Hallmark Cards in the future. ;)

This Valentine's Day has been filled with friendship, love, laughter, and plenty of kindness. I was overwhelmed by the joy surrounding me and in turn it made me smile even brighter. Whether your Valentine's Day was spent with that special someone or you're still waiting for your Prince Charming, don't lose faith. Someone out there loves you way more than you could ever imagine, and His love is the only one that matters. <3

Week 16: Go Kinda Crazy.

Week 16 is the week for Kindness.

 In the Kindergarten Ministry at church, we are teaching our kids how to be kind and treat others the way Jesus would treat them. My goal this week is to intentionally try to make other people's week brighter. I want to be patient, I want to be kind, I want to be unselfish without being blind. There are plenty of opportunities around us every day to make a difference in someone else's life. There are chances to show love, chances to forgive, chances to serve, and chances to lead. Be kind to the people that don't deserve it... they need it the most.  I challenge you this week to break outside of your comfort zone by looking for opportunities to show kindness to others. Too often we underestimate the power of a hello, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. Be kind this week, everyone is fighting a different battle.

Week 17: Twenty Three.

Happy 23rd Birthday, Jason!!

Saturday, February 12th was my big brother, Jason's, birthday. He recently moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, so we weren't able to celebrate with him this year. Jason is one very social guy, so I am sure he went out and celebrated with some of his new friends over there! He can instantly make anyone laugh within seconds and tends to be the life of the party. I can't believe he is already 23 years old! When I talked to him on the phone this morning, he told me that he just finished checking for grey hairs. I know a lot of people are missing him in Texas, but he is doing big things in North Carolina! Jason, I am sorry you had to get your birthday card via the blog. I wish I could've made you sweet cupcakes and other yummy treats, but I had no way to get them to you in one piece. I know you told me to walk them to you... just know I am still considering it! ;) I love you SO much and I hope you had a GREAT birthday!!

Week 17: Blind-Folded

On Friday, the baseball boys played Klein Oak at 3:30pm and 7:30pm. Savannah and I were at the first game, keeping book and keeping each other company in the dugout! Here is a picture of a few of the guys (throwing up the immortal sign, of course). As for the second game, I had to leave early because I was committed to attend the Life Skills dance. The Life Skills dance is a dance planned by the AHS PALS and FLO/SAIL students for the special education program at our school. It was Valentine's Day themed... so there were pink streamers, red hearts, and plenty of tasty sweets everywhere! We played pin the tail on the donkey, bent our bodies underneath the limbo bar, colored plenty of unique drawings, and danced the night away! This year there was a much lower attendance of Life Skills students than in previous years, which made us all very sad. However, the students that did show up had an absolute BLAST! After the dance, the girl PALs blind folded the boy PALs and treated them to a surprise Valentine's Day dinner. Originally, we planned on taking them to 5 Guys (since there are 5 guys in the class). However... within five minutes of leaving the school, we decided to be spontaneous and take the guys to CiCi's Pizza. All of the girls snatched up a guy, blindfolded him, and carpooled to dinner. Each PYPM group also gave their boy PAL a little present! Once we arrived to the CiCi's parking lot, we all said, "You'll never Ci what we Ci. Even though there are 5 Guys in PALs, we're not at 5 Guys..."and then we unmasked the location! The night was super fun and a total success!

Week 17: Coach Sebesta!

The writing TAKS test is less than three weeks away and I am starting to get nervous for my little fourth graders. On March 1st, they will all sit down in their uncomfortable wooden desks to take this highly anticipated test. It consists of editing four stories for grammar, spelling, and punctuation AND writing a composition from start to finish. The prompt is unpredictable and will not be given to them until the day of. Mrs. Sebesta has been working her tail off to get her kids prepared for this big day! As her student teacher, I can only do so much!  Every time I am there, I try my best to help her class become better writers! Mrs. Sebesta is passionate about teaching and baseball; she usually combines the two on a regular basis! We have our 'World Series Writing' method, our 'Spelling Sluggers' wall, the 'Reading Dugout', a list of 'Grand Slam Vocabulary', and a 'H.O.M.E.R.U.N.' acronym that is a useful writing tool! She is SO creative! Since writing is the hot topic for fourth grade students across Texas, they have written several compositions over various topics this year. All of their essays are placed in their portfolios and this afternoon we had a Portfolio Party! Their parents were welcome to stop by, see their portfolio, and read all of their awesome stories! The kid's have yet to strike out as we head into the final innings before the writing TAKS day... we're just hoping those judges don't throw them any curve balls!

Today I made this sign for Collin Cobb, Taylor's younger brother. This is the first sign I have ever made for him and I think it was about time this sweet little baseball boy got one!

Week 17: Baseball Brownies!

Tonight the 2011 baseball season kicked off with scrimmages at Cinco Ranch! With all of the excitement stirring about, I decided to make 'Baseball Brownies' for the Varsity players to eat after the game. I headed straight to the grocery store after school and bought all of my little ingredients. I spent most of my afternoon baking, creating, and decorating. I absolutely LOVED the end result and I wish y'all could have seen me while I was making them. I was home alone, prancing throughout the house like a little kid on Christmas morning!  It was freezing cold at the scrimmages tonight... and freezing isn't an exaggeration. We were all shivering while bundled up under sleeping bags in the dugout! The boys kept begging and begging for some warm brownies, but I made them wait until the very end. I hope they don't expect sweets after EVERY game from now on! If Savannah and I could withstand the chilly winds tonight, then we can make it as the managers for this crazy season! :)

Week 17: Pride

Mondays are always FCA nights! Tonight went exceptionally well. We played 'Over and Under' as our group game. Everyone was numbered off into two teams and the goal was to be the first team to touch their ball to the bulldog that was painted on the wall. Brelynn and Taylor would toss the balls into the air,  across the gym, and all over the place... while the teams had to chase their ball and begin the process of going under your legs and over your head. This game was very intense and SO much fun!! Afterwards, Sam, Brelynn and Ira spoke about pain and suffering. It was the first public speaking engagement for all three of them and they did awesome! I realized that it all comes down to pride. We are so prideful; at least I know I am. I am strongly independent and an undeniable control freak. Usually, I have trust issues with relationships in my life, and I can see those issues reflect in my relationship with Christ. I am too quick with the 'I can do it myself' attitude and too hesitant to admit that I need help. I took quite a bit from their message tonight and I am so proud of all of them! After FCA, Ira texted me... thanking me for helping her prepare her message and reminding me that she's seen 'the best' speak at FCA since sophomore year (implying all of those Monday nights that I've stood up there and talked). She will never understand how much a compliment like that means to me. Ira is a sweet and witty girl; I am so thankful that she is a part of my life! <3 

Week 17: Super Bowl Sunday



Week 17 started with Super Bowl Sunday!

I worked at 9ers all afternoon and spent the evening watching the big game at a family friend's party! They had plenty of tasty food and desserts galore. My Mom made the most incredible brownies and I even delivered some to Taylor. I felt bad that he was stuck at work during the Super Bowl! I enjoyed singing and dancing along to the Black Eyed Peas and Usher's performance during the half-time show! There are plenty of haters out there, but it was the best show I've seen since Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake! The Greenbay Packers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25. The actual game was predictable and boring; however, I enjoyed the food and the company! After the game, I headed home and talked to my parents for a very long time about yesterday. The story was long and very detailed, but I love how open I am with them. My Mom loves feeling included during 'story time' and I love taking advice from my Dad.

Bottom line...

Working at 9ers Grill... Average & Easy.

Super Bowl Sunday... Relaxing & Fun!
My Relationship with my Parents... Amazing.

Week 18: Unpredictable.

Saturday, the weather was in the mid-50's! The ice melted and everything shifted back to normal, even though nothing happened according to plan. All day long, my Mom and I were prom dress shopping. We were very unsuccessful and it was discouraging. I am learning that I am extremely too picky and I was way too in love with my dress from last year. I will eventually find the perfect dress for my Senior Prom, but my head is too wrapped up in the style and color of my old dress. After a failed shopping attempt, the rest of the day did not happen according to plan either. My original Saturday night plans were cancelled and other things kept falling through as well. In the midst of my disappointment, I learned that my presence was much needed elsewhere for this evening. God works in mysterious ways and I am certain tonight's misfortunate events were a part of His plan. Unpredictable is the perfect word to describe this week, and I will admit I shed a few 'unexplainable' tears. Having faith in Him was the light that guided me through the darkness. Take a deep breath... Week 18 is finally over!

Week 18: Ice Ice Baby!

This weekend, my original plan was to attend the PALs Ropes Course in New Braunfels, TX. We were scheduled to leave at 7 am on Friday morning. However, due to the current weather conditions and the fact that school was cancelled on Friday... our trip was postponed. Friday was 'Snow Day' throughout Sugar Land- even though there was NO snow in sight. We had extremely icy roads and the temperature remained in the twenties. My Mom and I decided to be productive on our day off, so we cleaned, reorganized, and rearranged my bedroom. We cleared out my entire closest and got rid of items that I never use. Some of my clothes still had tags on them... embarassing. We made a stack to send off to the Goodwill store in hopes that someone may find good use of them. After our cleaning rampage, I spent some time with Shannon and ten other 9 year old girls. She had a 'Snow Day' party at the house and they were going nuts! I talked to them all about their excitement for middle school next year, and they were most excited about meeting new boys... shocker! The remainder of the day was spent relaxing at home, catching up on my favorite shows, and cooking dinner for the family. I made a Tuscan-Style Tomato Basil Soup... thanks to the genius sample booth at the local H.E.B. It looked extremely unappetizing, but it turned out to be quite the tasty little dish! I forgot to buy basil at the store (sort of a key ingredient) and I accidently used vegetable oil instead of olive oil (whoopsie)! Cooking is definitely a learning process. After dinner, I spent my 'Snow Night' with some of my closest friends. We played Just Dance 2, drank hot chocolate, and hung out! I spent the night at Brittany's house with Katy and Anam. We ate freshly baked chocolate chip cookies dunked in milk and had pillow talk for many hours. I LOVE Snow Days!