Oh how life passes you by...

Hi friends!

Sorry it has been so long since i have blogged. Since my last post much has been going on...

• Finished my senior year of college! see ya later undergrad!
• Had a bridal shower for my roommate Allison.. she is getting married on Aug. 3 to Zach... i share the role of Maid of Honor with her sister Katie. so fun!
• Moved out of my dear apartment on University Ave. major sad face :( This also included leaving my dear roommate, Allison..
• I celebrated my 22nd birthday!
• I finished the semester with my third graders. another sad face. They were such a great class.
• I spent 2 weeks at home in New Jersey, where I substitute taught at Avon School and RELAXED! It was a great 2 week refresher.
• Saw 'Mary Poppins' on Broadway! amazing!! Thanks mama :)
• I bought a new car! a VW Jetta -- red! and I LOVE it. great on gas...
• Now I am in Hampton Beach! I arrived here Sunday afternoon to a crazy memorial day weekend crowd.

The last 2 months in pictures:

Me and my friend Lauren at our Year 4 Brunch

Katie, Allison, and Me at her bridal shower

My awesome third graders on my last day. They made me cards!

Allison in our [very] bare apartment on move out day.. sad.

Heather, Allison, me and Brooke at my birthday BBQ, thanks Barnetts!
Mary Poppins!
The new wheels.

I will try to update more now that i will have a little more time!

Much love to all of you.

:)

Hampton Beach 2008

Hampton Beach 2008

Here is an update about my summer plans! I am heading back to Hampton Beach, NH again this summer to do ministry with Campus Crusade for Christ. Most of you know that I was Hampton Beach last summer on summer project. Summer Projects are my favorite thing that Campus Crusade offers.

There are 5 areas that this summer project grows you in:
Leadership

Intimacy with God

Character

Ministry Skills

Community

And last summer was huge in all 5 of these areas in my life. I am STILL learning and growing from my summer, which was almost a year ago! (how time flies!)

I was asked by the directors of the project to come back this summer. Not as a student, but as a "student staff." So instead of being in Hampton Beach for 10 weeks I will be there for just 6 weeks. I will be among 15 other staff people who will mentor/disciple a small group of students from all over the United States. (so far there are students coming from Penn State, Virginia Tech, Towson, West Virginia, and Maryland just to name a few) I am so excited to have this opportunity to do full-time ministry for 6 weeks of the summer. Last summer my favorite part of the summer was discipleship and bible study...so I am EXCITED to do it as a full time job!

Here are a few pictures from last summer:

Pancake Outreah at the house!

We gave out free pancakes to the community after a concert on the boardwalk.

"What the Heck" Party

I will be in Hampton Beach from May 26 - July 5. Then I planning on living in Morgantown for the rest of the summer. :) I've never had a Morgantown summer.. so it should be fun!

I am praying for a group of prayer and financial supporters for my time in Hampton Beach. Please contact me if you are interested in joining my ministry team! kristin.boden@gmail.com

Multi-Cultural Week

Multi-Cultural Mobiles

This past week in school my kids have been leaning about different cultures and the importance about learning this. To really study this I had the students break up into 6 groups. Each group was given a country (Ireland, Mexico, Ghana, India, South Korea, and Brazil)

Each group had to research the country and create a mobile! (see above) They had to include the country flag, map, entertainment, food, religions, etc. Then on the last day they had to present their mobile to the rest of the class. They did an awesome job! My host teacher and I were very impressed. While they presented we also found each of the countries on the classroom world map to see where they were in relation to Rivesville, WV. We decided that Mexico is the closest to us and South Korea was the furthest.When they are all done presenting we hung the mobiles on a string across the classroom:
During the week we also listened to music from around the world! They really loved the African Drums. What a fun experience!

The Fall of Man

I would love to make Satan into snakeskin shoes...

This semester my Bible Study is studying a book of Genesis. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth....there were 6 days of words speaking and things coming into existence. On the last day he created man. He created man in HIS own image. Man will rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air. He will rule over all the creatures of the earth. (Gen. 1)

I have had 7 loaded weeks of this study so far... discussing topics such as man and woman, our sinful nature, marriage, work, and God's characteristics of truth and grace. Here are some key things I have learned so far that have been resonating in my thoughts lately:

• God created a perfect world. Man/woman had no shame and were in a perfect relationship with God. Everything God made was "good." (gen.1)
  
• Adam and Eve were deceived by Satan for the first time, they ate from the tree God instructed for them NOT to eat from, and sin entered the world. (gen. 3) The world would never be the same. Sin reigns in people and the physical world. Adam and Eve were filled with shame, "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves." (v. 3:7) FOR THE FIRST TIME THEY WERE EMBARRASSED!



• God is gracious. Adam and Eve deliberately disobeyed God, yet He was merciful! The Lord made them garments to cover their shame even though they sinned against him. How sweet! It is sweet also to see God giving his sinful children Jesus. He gave us Jesus even though we don't deserve Him. "While we were sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) God continues to see us fail but graciously gives us things to "cover" us. How beautiful!



• In Genesis 4, Cain and Abel are born. Cain kills Abel. God does not have favor on Cain because of his heartless sacrafice that he gave to God. During the time to sacrafice Abel gave God the best of the best part of the animal in his sacrafice, his heart was in the right place and he was honoring God, he gave though faith. Cain on the other hand was not genuine in his giving of the sacrafices that were required by God. God did not show him favor and Cain grew angry and murdered his brother. Here is an example of a JUST God but also merciful. When Cain grew angry he warned him not to give into sin and that sin is "crouching" at the door. God warned Cain! Cain sinned anyway. The chapter goes on to continue to show God giving Cain mercy and protection...

How is it that the Creator of the universe can care so much about the details?? He created the details! Studying Genesis really helps me to see the characteristics of our loving God, especially his need to be Just but soo full of Mercy. Truth and Grace. He just seems to let everything make sense...even if we don't see it right away.

My Sweet Bible Study

Amy, Sarah, Brooke, Mary Faith

me, Heather, Lindsey

Wellness Coordinator

Today I received an email from the Resident Hall Director for Fieldcrest Hall. He offered me the job as Wellness Coordinator (WC) for the dorm!

Just a side note, I only went through the RA interview process, making sure to tell them I was ultimately interested in doing WC. These interviews took place 2 weekends ago and I just got the email from him this morning saying he wanted to offer me the job prior to the general application process! I was very relieved and I am very excited to work in Fieldcrest.

What does a Wellness Coordinator do??

The Recreation and Wellness Coordinator will serve as the liaison between Residential Education and the university residence halls, the Student Recreation Center, and Student Health Services. The Recreation and Wellness Coordinator will encourage and promote healthy living through active planning of, participation in, and recruitment for residence hall and Student Recreation Center programs and activities.

What an answer to prayer! I won't have to worry about housing for next year.

Consume me from the inside out

A thousand times I've failed
Still Your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
I'm caught in Your grace
Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame

In my heart and my soul
Lord I give You control
Consume me from the inside out
Lord let justice and praise
Become my embrace
To love you from the inside out
-Hillsong

Action Reseach - the beginning of my journey through the tunnel

Today I had a meeting with a sweet faculty here her at WVU, Joy Saab. She teaches my EDUC 414: Promoting Creative Expressions class. I love her passion for education and she has really encouraged me to study arts integration into early childhood curriculums. Finally something I am really passionate about!

I decided on my action research question:

Do the uses of integrated arts instructional activities affect comprehension detail use in stories used in the kindergarten literacy program at Rivesville Elementary School?

My Action Rearch Project is the final product of my 5 year program. I will design the research, use others research and data, and next semester, carry out my teaching strategies in the kindergarten classroom and document to see if this strategy is successful. I am pretty excited about it regardless of the amount of work.

Here is a picture of an arts integration activity I did with my students in 3rd grade:

They had to replicate one of the collages from the story in the book called: Hottest, Coldest, Highest, Deepest. This one is a replication of Sangay in Venezuela, the most active volcano in the world. They were encouraged to use many different collage techniques and many different textures and materials. This student did a great job!

So I am excited to have a start on this project. I will be presenting the findings in April 2009 to a panel of faculty and staff (and family).

Family Feedback

It has been great to get some good feedback from the family. I am excited about the blog and to let you all know what is going on in my life!

Me and my roommate, Allison, went skiing a couple weekends ago in Maryland at Wisp Resort. We had an awesome time. What a fun way to spend a Sunday! I though I would include a picture:
It is fridged here. I am praying for a snow day or 2 hour delay tomorrow from elementary school. Oh speaking of school! Let me put a picture of my school that I teach at 4 days a week:

Rivesville Elementary and Middle School

Home of the Rivesville Rams!

I am spending this semester in 3rd grade where I have 17 lovely students. (They are all sick or getting over being sick! Fun Fun!) Next semester, my final semester of student teaching, I will be in Kindergarten! :)

Ok, bedtime.

These 6:30 mornings are killing me.

RA Interviews & Lost

So I was really looking forward to blogging today. It's still so new and fun! I received an email from Aunt Edie this morning who was excited about the blog. So I am considering that the go-ahead with this whole blog thing. :)

I spend last night creating this blog and watching 4 episodes of LOST, my new (maybe unhealthy) obsession. I started watching Season One 2 or 3 weeks ago on abc.com and realized it is impossible to watch just one episode. So now, 21 episodes later, I am completely hooked. Favorite characters so far: Charlie and Claire... but they are all so sweet.

So i went to bed a little later than I anticipated because the creators of the show love to leave you hanging at the end of each episode (which is a good thing) so you have to watch another! sheesh.


But the RA interviews were this morning/afternoon. Three group interviews and two individual interviews. I am hoping to get a Graduate RA spot in Fieldcrest Hall. I love that it is small, away from campus, and the people there are awesome! So pray I get the spot. I felt pretty confident at the interviews, so we'll see.

this one goes out to the family...

So.. I was inspired. By a few friends, and a few people who don't know I have even looked at their blogs. Thanks to them, who helped me with the aesthetic appeal of this beautiful page. :) It really bothers me that I cannot figure out how to center this image on the top of the page. (If you know how, I'd appreciate the assistance.)

Anyway.

The real reason for this post. Like I said, I was inspired to blog. I think it may be a fun way to keep up with my family members who I rarely see (but love so much). This includes, but is not limited to, the following people:

Mom & Mike, Aunt Cathy, Aunt Edie, Memere & Pepere, little brother Dan, Dad & Linda, Michelle, Jen and Kim

also for my long distance friends Marisa & Megan who are in the southern part of the US. Love you Texas girls!

so i hope you appreciate the shout out. This blog is for you.
It may not be very interesting and I may use poor grammar and punctuation. Luckly this thing has spell check.

[FYI my next post will be about the pro's and con's of Microsoft Word and its tools such as spell check and grammar check. It's ruining my educated life...]

Some things that may be included in the blog:

• the ups and downs of my professional life as a pre-service teacher
• my life as a college student in West Virginia
• Jesus and ministry
• thoughts on different topics (such as Microsoft Word)
• anything that I feel necessary to share with the cyber world ;)

Some things you will not find in my blog:

• anything about my love life... there are just some things I am against sharing with blogspot
• welp... thats all i can think of..

So enjoy.. sorry that was drawn out. I felt the need to preface. **Beth Willis Crouser, if i forget a comma or semicolon or spell d-e-f-i-n-i-t-e-l-y wrong... i apologize ahead of time. thanks.