Hello Again!

I can't believe it has been almost two months since my last post!! Here's what I've been up to for the past few months...

I spent October preparing for the very first session of youth classes at the YMCA. In my position I am the director for an elementary before and after school program and an after school at program at the middle school between the two programs we have nearly 165 students and 18 staff. It keeps life exciting, that's for sure!! It is an awesome responsibility and although some days are better than others, I know that we are making a difference in the lives of the children in our programs and for me that's what it's all about. In addition to the school-age programs, I also oversee our youth classes at the branch and for our first session of classes we offered several dance and gymnastics classes, home school gym and a couple preschool age classes. I spent most of October preparing for classes, hiring and training staff and getting everything ready to start on November 2. We are now in the last week of classes for this session and (knock on wood) I feel like everything went pretty well. Exactly 6 months ago today I started my job and I can honestly feel that 6 months in I am starting to feel like I am really getting into the grove of things, which is good. I appreciate all of the support, prayers and happy thoughts from everyone!

As far as how things are in my personal life, I would say pretty good. As we near the end of the year, I stop and reflect. For me, 2009 was all about growing. As all of you know I was an ELC for my sorority and traveled around the country on my own for 10 months, it was an adventure that started in the summer of 2008. Two weeks before I started that adventure a 6 year relationship with my high school boyfriend abruptly ended and I was devastated. But I've always been a believer that everything happens for a reason and that God lets things fall apart so that good things may fall together, and for me that's what happened.

I would say that I've never really been afraid to be myself, I just wasn't always brave enough to stand on my own to feet. I would also say that I've always known who I am and what I want to become, but I got to the point where I made myself believe I was someone else. For me traveling for the fraternity was one of the most liberating and life-changing experiences of my life. It was what I needed to find myself again and really figure out how to stand on my own two feet. The motto of our fraternity is "inspiring women to realize their potential," and as I spent months on the road, going from campus to campus, I met amazing women who inspired me to realize my potential. I also learned that I am strong enough to pick up the pieces, to hold my head up and move forward. It wasn't easy, but with the love and support from family and friends and my faith in God, I did it.

Here I am now, with so many blessings and so much to be thankful for!! (I forgot to do a Thanksgiving Day post, so consider this part my ‘Thanksgiving Day post…) I am 6 months into a professional career working with youth, teens and families and I am doing what I love to do, which is work with children and with people, and I am thankful for my job. I am thankful for my supportive and loving family who make me laugh and who have helped make me who I am today! I am thankful for great friends that, even though we don't get to hang out and even talk as often as I'd like, are there for me through the ups and downs and who also love and support me. We have fun together! I am thankful for a great roommate, her house has become my home here in Lincoln. I am thankful for a great guy who treats me with kindness, care, respect and who makes me laugh and brightens my day. I am thankful for my wonderful little dog, Chloe, who I truly believe was made just for me. She makes me feel safe and has taught me a lot about unconditional love!

I needed to think about this stuff. The past two days have kind of been grey days and it’s so easy to get down in the dumps and start complaining about all the negative stuff that comes up in a day. I needed I stop and think about it, and when I did I realized I really don’t have room to complain because I do have a lot to be thankful for. I know there are others out there who don’t or who’s “grey days” are a lot darker than mine. I needed to take a second to stop and “smell the roses,” so thank you for listening.

I hope that you are all doing well! I promise, I will get better at updating my blog and reading my fellow bloggers blogs! Thank you for your support!

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

Love,

I realized today...

I believe that everything happens for a reason.
People change so that you can learn to let go.
Things go wrong so you can learn to appreciate them when they’re right.
And sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.


May we all take the time to see the light that comes out after the darkness.

Have a wonderful week everyone!!

My Little One!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

I got a puppy!! On Sunday, September 13, my mom and dad took me with them to look at dogs. I have been thinking about getting a dog for a long time, but I had no idea I'd get a dog so soon! I had been putting it off because I was really busy with the new job and I wanted to make sure it was the right time and that I could be a good pet parent. I also knew that if I ever got a dog, I would want a shitzu because we have Harley, a shitzu as our family dog and my aunt and uncle have a shitzu as well. They are very great dogs, kind, sweet and well behaved.

So on that Sunday, we went just to check out shitzus in the area, price them out, see what was out there and to see if I was very serious about getting a dog. We went to one store and met a very cute, 5 month old male shitzu, who was a little wild man. Very cute and it was hard to say good-bye to him, but on we went. At the next store the shitzu was all the way in the last kennel in the row. She was sitting there with a little brown poodle. Tiny little black and white shitzu sitting next to a little brown poodle, and she looked up at me like as if to say hello. One of the clerks, Rachel came over to assist us in getting the little puppy out and into the little play area so we could check her out and play with her. The little puppy didn't really want to play, she just wanted to cuddle in my arms. I sat on the floor and held her in my lap, close my stomach and chest, so her little check was on mine and she was looking into my eyes. I sat with her for a long time, scratching behind her ears, petting her head and cuddling her, and she sat there, just looking into my eyes, resting her little head on my shoulder. I instantly felt a bond. My dad looked at me while I held her and said, "Em, this is your dog. She is such a little lady and she's already bonding with you." My mom agreed. They decided that since my birthday was about a week away, they would get her for me as a birthday gift! And a gift she is!!

Chloe Krysl was 10 weeks old and 4 pounds on the day I brought her home. She is now 12 weeks old and almost 5 pounds. So far she's been almost perfect. Because she as used to being in a kennel at the pet store, she never spent a night crying in her kennel when I brough her home. She did wake me up at about 4:00 AM each night for the first week, but just so I could take her outside, where she would pee and poop. Then she's back inside and sleeps the night away. I go to work every morning and then come home at lunch to let her out in play. She loves to play and meet new people, she loves to cuddle and she is the perfect little companion. She follows me around the house, she looks out for me and she loves to give little kisses. Call me crazy, cheesy, whatevery, but I truly believe that God made little Chloe just for me. I couldn't handle a crazy or high mainence dog. But I wanted a dog to love and care for, a dog that I could be responsible for and a dog that would love me in return, and that's just what I got.

So far Chloe has met most of the family and many of my friends. She loves to play with our family dog, Harley and she loves to chew on her favorite rope bone. She keeps me on the move, she keeps me laughing, and I feel so happy to be in her life and that she is in mine.

I am so thankful to my parents for one of the best birthday gifts. I am so thankful to God for blessing me with Miss Chloe.

My Crazy Life!

It has been WAY too long since my last post!! I am so sorry everyone!! The new YMCA I work at is finally opening this weekend and my life has been totally crazy getting ready for this exciting adventure!!!

I am feeling a mix of emotions- excited, stressed, nervous, happy! I cannot believe it is almost September 1! When I started this job on June 15, 2009, September 1 seemed so far away, but tomorrow morning I will get up at 6:30 AM to get ready, go to work and start moving into the YMCA! We will be moving into our offices and Child Watch.

School has started and both of my school-age child care programs have started at the elementary and middle schools. We have 94 kids in our middle school after school program and 73 in our elementary school before and after school program- they are growing by the day! It's been an adjustment- we have a great deal of children in our programs with special needs and behavior disorders who are adjusting to a new school, new program and new staff so we are learning a lot!

My staff is amazing and I am so proud of them and how hard they have been working. I am also very lucky to have amazing support around me. Kim has been my life line and sanity on most days. Dana, Jonathan and Gail, my fellow directors, have been awesome and my boss JP, super supportive! The principals and school staff have been great! Everyone has been reaching out to help out in anyway they can and I am so thankful for that.

Life may be crazy right now but it is totally worth it when I hear kids laughing in our programs and when I see them growing and having fun! It is totally worth it to be a part of such an exciting and special project- the school and the YMCA coming together and a new YMCA coming to an area of the community that is very welcoming and supportive. I would like to thank God for blessing me with such a great opportunity and all of those who have been praying for me, loving and supporting me. I AM SO THANKFUL!

I need to get to bed for the night. Sleep well everyone!! THANKS AGAIN!

Love,

Emmalie

All Grown Up

Well it's official, I am all grown up! I have been working as the Fallbrook YMCA Youth, Teen & Family Director for about a month now. It has been awesome! I am happy to say I love my job, I enjoy the people I work with and I am having a blast getting everything ready for the fall!

I have also officially moved to Lincoln. I am living with a friend Melissa in her house. She is the Aquatics Director at the Cooper Branch and we get along great. The house also has a lot of space, so it works out nice. In the collage below you can see my spaces in the house. It's such a cute house! I have my own living room, ladybug bathroom, bedroom, craft/office room and a guest room, and Melissa and I share the living room and the laundry room. I am also enjoying my new car this summer! I bought my beautiful, red Nissan Sentra in March and I love it!

Other than that, I am just enjoying the summer! We went on a family camping trip to Honey Creek State Park, 5 hours away in Iowa and we had a blast!! This weekend we are taking another family trip to Okoboji, and I can't wait! It has been a summer full of great memories- hot tubbing with best girls, singing at the church festival, playing at the park with Mason and Alyssa, and going out with friends!

Camp Quality 2009

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On Friday, June 5, I drove to Kansas City to pick-up my good friend Winter (we both traveled as ELCs this past year) and we drove to Camp Quality, near Stewartsville, Missouri, to spend a fun emotional, inspiring and life-changing week with some of the most amazing kids I've ever met!

Camp Quality NWMO is a non-profit, all volunteer organization, affiliated with Camp Quality USA, Inc. Any child who has been diagnosed with cancer (any stage of treatment or remission) can attend Camp Quality, campers must be 6 to 16 years of age. Camp Quality funds the entire expense of camp and the year-round support program for every child. The goals of Camp Quality are to give the children a week of new experiences and friendships, and to give their families a break from the routine of taking care of a sick child. The goals and aims of Camp Quality NWMO are to allow children with cancer to be children again; to create a stress-free environment that offers exciting activities, fosters new friendships and helps give children courage, motivation and emotional strength; and to give children hope for the future in that the camping experience will be such fun they will look forward to and anticipate their next camp; and that the memories from their special week will sustain them in the weeks and months ahead as they continue their medical treatment. This year there was about 105 campers at camp and every camper is paired with their very own companion!

Winter and I met during our Educational Leadership Consultant training last summer, which is where we met Corey, who was also traveling as a Consultant for his fraternity. The three of us have become very great friends, and because both Winter and I are majored in education (Winter- Early Childhood and Me- Elementary) and we love kids, Corey recommended that we apply to be companions at Camp Quality. We were selected to serve as volunteer Companions and were paired with first time campers. My camper was a sweet little girl named Josephine and after our week together, I know we will continue to be friends! I had so much fun with Josephine and all of the amazing children I met at Camp Quality! These children are so inspiring, so brave, so kind and fun to be with- they truly each touched my heart forever.

I was in a cabin with 6 first time campers and 6 first time companions, and we had an amazing dorm mother, Gala! She took the time to get us organized before Camp and she came up with the theme Princess Power! We turned our room into a castle and put together goodie bags of princess prizes and gifts. They loved it!!

A typical day at camp starts around 8 a.m. with breakfast followed by morning activities consisting of horseback riding, swimming, archery, fishing, hair dressing, crafts, canoeing and paddle boating. Lunch starts around 11:30 a.m. and continues until nearly 350 people are fed. Afternoon activities include swimming, water games and inflatable games. Invited guests come by to entertain the children with puppets, storytelling, petting zoo, magic shows, music and so much more. Evening entertainment consists of the ever-popular dance, a talent show, scuba diving, hypnotist, campfire and fireworks. In addition to the daily happenings, our week of Princess Power consisted of make-over parties, nail painting, playing dress-up and having our own parade through Camp, singing songs and dancing, riding on the train, visiting the country store, giving the Camp Director- Tom a make-over during his nap, dancing in the Talent Show, blowing bubbles, plaiyng at the park, playing in the sand box, swinging on the swing and playing pretend. We had a blast!! It was an unforgettable week and it was very hard to say good-bye, but we are all looking forward to the reunion this fall!

Camp Quality NWMO holds an annual reunion in which campers receive memory-mate photos, camp logs and video tapes. This gives the camper an opportunity to share the "Camp Quality Family" with their individual families. Camp Quality is not just a five-day experience, but includes a year-round support system. Unfortunately, some children do not get to come back. So it is very important to make camp a happy experience they will never forget. We look forward to the day that Camp Quality will no longer need to exist, but until a cure for cancer is found, Camp Quality Northwest Missouri will continue to raise money for their annual camp.

To learn more about Camp Quality Northwest Missouri, to donate or get involved, please visit: http://www.campqualitynwmo.org/aboutus.php

May Madness!

So far the summer has been off to a great start!! I've been a busy lady, here's what I've been up to:

May 2, 2009- Alysa's Graduation Party was so much fun!

May 9, 2009- After LeAnna's graduation party on Friday, Tricia, LeAnna, Andy, Amanda, Matt and I kicked off the summer on Saturday and went to an Omaha Royals game. We had a blast!

May 14, 2009- My mom, brother (Ryan) and I went to see Wicked with a few of Ryan's friends. It was an awesome show and I recommend it to anyone and everyone who loves a great show!

May 16, 2009- My great friend LeAnna's Bachlorette Party was a blast with a 1980's party theme. We dressed up, dolled ourselves up with bright blue eye shadow and big curls and headed out for a night on the town. Totally a night to remember!

May 22-26, 2009- I took a trip to Chicago with two of my great friends Beth & Dana to visit my friend Amanda. We had a great time going out, shopping, seeing the sights, hanging out with her Chicago friends and going to a Cubs baseball game. I now love that city! It was so great to spend a weekend with a few of my great friends!

May 29- May 31, 2009- LeAnna & Andy Brown's wedding weekend consisted of a beautiful ceremony on Friday, a rocking reception and a fabulous day after lunch/gift opening party. LeAnna's been one of my best friends since high school we were in choir and theatre together. My group of high school friends is still very close, and like my friend Teri's wedding reception, we often broke out into choreographed dance routines from high school and sang at the top of our lungs. It was so much fun! After spending a few hours at Andy and LeAnna's house on Saturday, Lauren, Tricia, Alysa, Carrie and I went back to my parents' house for Pink Lemonade margaritas, LaCasa's pizza, hot tubing and marshmallow roasting around our fire pit. Talk about some quality girl time! On Sunday we had my aunt, uncle and cousins over for a grill out and a fire! Nights like that are what summer time is all about!

This Tuesday was my day working at the Cooper YMCA. I am headed to Camp Quality tomorrow to be a volunteer for a week and when I return I will start my job as the Youth, Teen & Family Director. It was a bittersweet last day at Cooper, sad because I know I won't be working at Cooper anymore, but exciting because I know I will still be working with Kim, and she will continue to be a great mentor and friend!

Wednesday was craft day because I spent most of the day sanding and repainting a dresser I bought from my aunt. It turned out great! You'll have to check out my crafty page, The Crafty Ladybug, to see photos of the project. Today, my great friend Corey came from Blue Springs, MO to visit me in Omaha. Corey spent this last year traveling as a consultant for Theta Chi Fraternity, which is headquartered right next to Alpha Xi Delta's Headquarters. Corey will be traveling a second year and had a few weeks off, so he came up to check out Omaha. He will also be volunteering with me and our other great friend Winter at Camp Quality for the next week.

Well I need to get packing! Check in next week for a post about my week at Camp Quality!

E

Change is Great!!

I am trying to get better at updating my blog. Since coming off the road as an ELC I find I am not online as often as I was, and when I do get on I am checking emails and facebook, but Kim has been helping me and my goal is to redo my layout by the end of the week and then update my blog once a week about the exciting new changes in my life!

After a few weeks of searching, applying and interviewing I am happy to announce I’ve got a job!! Starting June 15, 2009, I will be the Youth, Teen & Family Director for the Fallbrook YMCA, a new Lincoln YMCA branch opening on September 1, 2009!

As the Youth, Teen & Family Director, I will be responsible for writing the curriculum, planning activities, hiring the staff and overseeing the YMCA Adventure Club Before and After School Program at Kooser Elementary School and the YMCA Teen Time After School Program at Schoo Middle School. The Fallbrook YMCA will be one of the only YMCA branches in the country to be physically connected to a middle school. I will also oversee the Child Watch Care Center at the branch. This will be a challenging, but exciting position in which I will use my education degree, my past experiences at the YMCA and the skills I developed as an Educational Leadership Consultant this past year. I am looking forward to this exciting experience and I appreciate all of your love and support, which is why I wanted to share this information with you!

I will be moving to Lincoln into a place all on my own. If you, or someone you know is getting rid of or selling furniture, dishes or appliances please let me know, I’d love to take a look! As I also mentioned, this will be an exciting but challenging experience and I would also appreciate continued prayers and positive thoughts!

Thanks for all of your love and support!!

Look for an all new layout coming soon!!!

E

It's Been Way Too Long!

Wow!! It's been way too long since my last post on March 4! A lot has happened. Here is a little play-by-play….

I spent my last month as an ELC visiting many of my focus chapters from the past year. I visited the sisters of Iota Delta at the University of Central Oklahoma and had a wonderful time! They are a chapter of sweet and amazing women! I facilitated a developmental program and met with the chapter officers.

I also visited the sisters of Alpha Eta at Purdue for the last time as an ELC. I have enjoyed getting to know them and work with them this semester. I facilitated a developmental program and met with the chapter officers. My last visit to the chapter went great and I am excited to say I will be staying on Alpha Eta’s National Team as the Recruitment Director.

I also visited the sisters of Sigma Chapter at the University of Iowa. I have had a blast working with this chapter and helping them prepare for recruitment by facilitating their recruitment workshops this semester. They are a great group of women!

I also visited the Gamma Delta Chapter at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, which was cool to visit a chapter in my home state. It was so great to meet these women and spend a few days working with them. Their advisors took me to dinner at Jams, a restaurant I had never been to, and it was so nice to meet them and talk to them.

After my final ELC visit, all of the ELC reunited in Indianapolis to finish up all of our reports and conclude our year of travels. It was so great to see everyone again and we were able to have a lot of fun on our last night together, but it was very bittersweet. Saying our goodbyes on Thursday was very hard, there was a lot of crying, hugging and sentimental moments.

Being an ELC was the most amazing experience of my life. The past 10 months have been life-changing and I am so thankful that I was given the opportunity to be an ELC. I feel so blessed to have met all of the amazing sisters from all over the country, to have done the things I was able to do and to see the places I was able to see. “Some say friends pass through your lifetime and they touch you on their way,” my life has been truly impacted by those I met and worked with, my heart has been touched by the kindness and care of the sisters I visited. Every chapter I went to I was embraced by sisters who wanted to learn from me and who were open to letting me into their lives. In my 10 months as a consultant I never once got homesick- I never once felt lonely. I was always surrounded by sisters; I inspired them, and in turn they inspired me. I can honestly say because of the sisters I met, the experiences I had and the lessons I learned as an ELC, I am now a stronger, wiser, braver and more inspired woman than I was when I left Omaha on July 14, 2008. I owe much of that to Alpha Xi Delta. I will miss working those I worked with and I will miss visiting the chapters I’ve really made a connection with. Although I am excited to start the next chapter in my life, I am sad that this chapter has come to an end, it is definitely bittersweet, but I am looking forward to continuing on this amazing journey called life.

Since completing my travels as an ELC, I have been getting adjusted to life back in Nebraska- I bought my first car (Mom & Dad didn’t even have to sign on the line!), a red 2009 Nissan Sentra and I love it!!! It has a smart key that can stay in my purse while I unlock the doors and turn the car on and drive. It is connected to my phone through a Blue Tooth, so when I get a phone call or call someone it goes through my car speakers and I can keep my hands on the wheel. It’s pretty freaking sweet! It’s been nice to spend time with family and friends.

After my last day as an ELC, my family went on a vacation in Florida. We had an amazing time! We arrived on Thursday, April 9 and spent the evening in Downtown Disney then we went to dinner at the Hard Rock Café at Universal Studios. On Friday, we spent the day at Bush Gardens and had a blast riding the rides and just being together. My dad and brothers even convinced me and Stef to ride on this huge rollercoaster that literally went straight up and straight down and had an upside down loop. We went spent Saturday at Discovery Cove, an amazing place where guests can swim with dolphins, snorkel with string-rays (with their barbs removes) and other tropical fish and feed tropical birds (that are so friendly they would land on your hand to eat)- it was so awesome! They had also had fresh-water pool and lazy river. We spent the day swimming and relaxing in the sun, it was great! On Saturday night, we went to T-Rex, in Downtown Disney, for dinner. Colin had spotted the restaurant on Thursday night and really wanted to go there, and we all were open to checking it out. It was a pretty cool restaurant and we had a lot of fun! On Sunday, we celebrate Easter Sunday by attending mass at the Mary, Queen of the Universe Shrine. The priest was awesome, the musicians sang beautifully and there were close to 2000 guests at mass. It was a moving and inspirational mass. After church we headed to Coco Beach on the Atlantic side of Florida. We visited Ron John Surf Shop, but then things got a little crazy. It took us a while to find a place to eat lunch, but in looking for a place we witnessed a stripper fight (in front of the strip club called Cheaters) and a few random people yell profanity at us as the drove by. We eventually made it to the Pier and found a great place to eat, right over the water. It was worth the crazy trip!! We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing on the beach and playing in the ocean. On Monday, we headed home. It was a great vacation and it was so nice to spend so much time with my family.

Since I’ve been back, I have been working for Kim doing a few projects at the Cooper YMCA in Lincoln and I have been staying with the Pair Family. It has been a lot of fun!! Kim and I are pretty close and I am so thankful she can let me work and stay with her!! I have also spent a few days working at the Sarpy YMCA, with my good friend Shaun, who is the director for the summer program. It’s been fun working with him too!

Last Friday, I hung out with a few of my good friends from my chapter. We went to dinner at Bison Whiches and then Anita and I spent the night at Beth’s. I spent much of the day on Saturday, April 18 with Rho Chapter Sisters celebrating Founder’s Day. I was the guest speaker! It was a great honor and I am happy to report with went great. Founder’s Day was well attended, well planned and went great. It was SO GREAT to see everyone and spend time saying hello and talking to everyone I’ve missed so much.

After Founder’s Day, I headed back to Omaha and we celebrated Easter with the Padilla side of the family, which was so much fun, and again, it was so nice to just spend some time with my family!

Everything’s been going pretty well, I just am getting life reorganized and I’m getting caught up on everything. Tonight I hung out with Liz- we went to dinner and got manicures and pedicures! It’s just great to spend time with my friends too!

I think that’s pretty much it! Sorry it’s so long… I just had a lot to get caught up on! My next post will be pictures from events mentioned in this post! Keep an eye out for it!

Thanks for reading!

Love,
Emmalie

Can you believe it's already March?

First let me just say I can't believe it is already March 4!! In exactly one month I will head to Indianapolis until April 8 for my last week as an ELC :(! It is bittersweet to think about, because although I am excited to be reunited with my fellow ELCs, the LCs and the rest of the Alpha Xi Delta staff, I am sad because this experience is so close to being over. This has been the most incredible and life changing journey I've ever been on and I intend to make the most of the next month!!

On another note, The Celine Dion concert was so awesome!! Our seats we so close and she puts on the best show I've ever seen. She performed for an hour and 45 minutes, with two encores, ending with My Heart Will Go On. Omaha was her last stop on her World Tour (because it was rescheduled from November), so she talked to the audience at the beginning of the show and was so genuine and sincere. She also stopped several times curing the concert to accept gifts and cards from fans and gave them hugs and kisses on the cheek. She sang beautifully, danced with her amazing dancers, and interacted with the audience and the band- hands down the best show I’ve ever seen!!! She even cried at the end of my heart will go on and stayed on stage to hug her band, dancers and continue interacting with the audience. She also hugged and thanked fans on her way from the stage to the back stage. She is so inspiring and I will always remember that night! I am so glad I was able to share it with my mom and sister.

After the concert I headed to the University of Iowa. It was a short but successful visit. I facilitated a recruitment workshop on Saturday and had a full line up of meetings on Sunday and Monday. I also did a program on effective communication with the chapter in Monday night. It was a great visit. Right now I am sitting in the airport getting ready to head to our chapter at the University of Central Oklahoma.

Hope all is well in your corner of the world!

All my love,

E

Sitting in Panera...

As I write this, I am sitting in Panera Bread in State College, PA. I arrived at our chapter at Penn State yesterday, after a quick visit to West Chester University. Although Penn State is a huge, Big 10 school, they do not have wireless internet on campus, so this morning I trekked 20 blocks, in stiletto boots, while it was snowing, just to get on the internet! Pathetic, I know, but I can't really work without the internet... so here I sit, listening to jazz music, working in Panera. It's been a very productive day, but I decided to take a little break to update you all on the happenings of my life.

As I said, I just visited our chapter at West Chester University. I had a fantastic time during my visit and the women were so sweet! I had just visited our Alpha Eta Chapter at Purdue before that, so I had to fly from Indianapolis to Chicago, Chicago to Philadelphia. It was snowing in Chicago, so my flight was delayed an hour, which gave me some time to work on reports until my laptop died. I then pulled out Eclipse, the third book in the Twilight series, and started reading that. I finally boarded the plane and was on my way. The women at West Chester were prepared and knew my flight was delayed. Everything was going smoothly, until the Captain came over the speakers to announce that because of our delay we could not yet be cleared for landing. We had to "hang out" over Harrisburg for an hour before we could land in Philadelphia. The poor sisters had been waiting for me for almost two hours with all of the delays and such, but they still greeted me with welcome arms and smiling faces!! I was so thankful for that. We then drove the 45 minutes to West Chester to the house I would be staying at, where (despite the fact that it was almost 1:00 AM) the President met me to welcome me. She gave me a Bath & Body Works gift set, a welcome letter, a detailed outline of my visit, a campus visitor's guide and map and a list of all of the officers' phone numbers- all nicely organized in a cute purple folder! Mind you, because of a lat minute switch in my schedule, she only had three days notice before I arrived!! I was impressed!!

They even planned a sisterhood event in my honor for Friday night!! Twenty-two sisters took me to dinner at Chili's and then to the movie, Confessions of a Shopaholic, after taking me to The Christmas Tree Store. It was so much fun!! On Saturday, I facilitated a program with the chapter and then attended Sigma Phi Epsilon's philanthropy rock concert, which raised money for VH1's Save the Music.

So far my visit to Penn State is going well. I will be facilitating a sisterhood program tonight and I have been meeting with each of the officers. I will admit, I am excited to go home for the Celine Dion concert on Thursday- it should be a blast!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

On this Valentine's Day I am thankful for all of the love in my life!!

"I am everything I am
because you love me."
-Celine Dion-

Snow, Snow, Snow!

I have been back on the road for almost a month, and most of my visits have been in the Northeast and Midwest. I feel like I am surrounded by snow! It is very pretty, but makes for some very cold and adventurous visits!

On January 5, 2009, I officially began my second semester as an ELC. I visited the women of Pi Chapter at Ohio University, January 5 to January 8, to train the new officers. It was a very productive visit and we were able to accomplish a lot of great things. I was supposed to leave Pi Chapter and fly to my next visit on January 9, but the campus is very far from the airport and not very many women have their own cars their. So one of the members, Erin, drove me to Psi Chapter at Ohio State on January 8, and the president of that chapter, Lauren, was able to give me a ride to the airport, which was only 10 minutes away. Coincidently, Sam, one of my ELC friends, was actually visiting Psi Chapter, so it worked out great, and Sam and I ended up spending a few hours at the McDonalds on campus talking and catching up. It was so much fun and I was so happy I got to spend some time with Sami!!

From there I went on to visit our Alpha Beta Chapter at Cornell, to help them prepare for recruitment. Heather, another one of my ELC friends, was also sent to help the sisters of Alpha Beta prepare for recruitment. Our main focus was helping them perfect their skit, prepare for proper recruitment conversations and prepare for the Preference Ceremony. Heather and I had a great time working together and with the women in the chapter. I left the chapter on January 13, but Laura, another one of my ELC friends, arrived on January 12, so all three of us were able to work together for one night. Laura and I ended up having to share a twin bed that last night, which we thought was just hilarious, and we spent a good hour laughing and talking before we could fall asleep. Oh the joys of life on the road! I seriously love it!!

After a wonderful visit at Cornell, I headed to one of my focus chapters, Alpha Eta, at Purdue University. I have really enjoyed working with these women and I always feel good about the things we are able to accomplish during my visit. My main focus during that visit was to help the new officers prepare for the remainder of the year and prepare for the upcoming COB call-outs. We also put together PR gifts and prepare for February’s PR project. I also went to Indianapolis with the Executive Board for their Exec Board Retreat. I worked with Jen and Elizabeth to help facilitate the retreat. It was a lot of fun and a very great visit. Before leaving Indianapolis, a few of us headed down town, for a little shopping and dinner at the Hard Rock Café. I had so much fun!

Something funny happened to me when I first arrive. I had just come from Cornell, and in their skit, they used a life-sized Zak Efron cut out, which I loved, because I have a huge crush on him. Well, I arrived at Alpha Eta, where I have my own room and bathroom, and I walk past my bathroom and nearly had a heart attack when I see someone standing in the dark, in my bathroom… that is until I realized it was another life-sized Zak! I thought the guy was following me- which I would not mind, if it was actually him!

After I left Purdue, I headed to the University of Iowa’s Sigma Chapter, for more officer training, to facilitate a Recruitment Workshop, to help the chapter prepare for Informal Recruitment, and to help out with Area- Wide Training. Sigma is also one of my focus chapters, and I also really enjoy working with them. I always feel very much at home, I love working with the women, and I always feel like we are able to accomplish many great things. After Area Wide Training on Saturday, some of the members took me out to dinner at Chili’s and we went to see Rachel Getting Married (very interesting movie- by the way). It was a fun night!

I had to go to the dentist to get a crown put on, so I left Iowa City and drove to Nebraska to go to the dentist and fly out of Omaha. It was nice to sleep in my own bed for a night, and I was able to eat dinner with my family and hang out with Tricia and Matt for a few hours, which was nice, because I ended up spending the next 27 hours trying to get to Williamsport, PA!

I flew out of Omaha at 1:30 PM on Tuesday, January 27 to the Chicago- O’Hare Airport. I flew from Chicago to Philadelphia and I was supposed to fly from Philadelphia to State College. Well, I arrive in Philadelphia, and as I was walking to my next gate, my phone rang- Orbitz Alert- my flight to State College was cancelled. I was not about to sleep in an airport, so I called Tracy and she gave me permission to check into a hotel, and I was able to get the “distressed passenger rate” at the Quality Hotel. I checked out at 7:30 AM on Wednesday and took the shuttle back to the airport. I headed to my gate and shortly after that they announced that my flight was cancelled. I was then booked on the 12:45 PM flight. So I had some time to catch up on emails, work on reports and read New Moon, the second book in the Twilight series. I sat at my gate and at about 12:15 PM, they announce our flight was delayed. More emails, work and reading. At 1:45 PM I finally boarded the plane to State College. Once I arrived there I waited for the President of our Iota Mu Chapter at Lycoming College to come and pick me up, which took a while because it was still snowing and the roads we a little scary. She and her roommate, arrived safely and we then began the two hour and 30 minute drive to Williamsport, PA. I took that long because it was still pretty scary out. At about 6:00 PM EST, I finally arrive in Williamsport, PA, which is where I am at until next Thursday! I am helping the chapter prepare for recruitment, and I will be here to help them during recruitment. I have worked with the women of Iota Mu before, and I really like it here, so I am excited and very happy to be here. Recruitment starts on Monday. We have already had two nights of recruitment workshops and they went great! It should be a great weekend! I am very excited!!

Well that’s about it for now!! Have a great weekend!!
All my love-

Emmy

Best of 2008

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Best of 2008 & Wishes for 2009

1. Student teaching 6th grade at Scott Middle School and Graduating from the University of Nebraska- Lincoln with an Elementary Education degree were two of the best things that happened to me in 2008. I had an amazing time student teaching and I really connected with my cooperating teacher, Mr. Daharsh and the 6th grade students. I was also the site director for the YMCA after school program at Scott for the past three years, so I have a true connection with the faculty, staff, students and families at Scott Middle School and it felt natural to do my student teaching there. Graduating was an amazing feeling, 4 years of hard work and dedication paid off and I am so proud to have been a Husker, to be a graduate from UNL. Thank you so much, Mom and Dad, for all of your love and support and for giving a great college education. Thank you to all of my family and friends for all of your love and support, and for making my years a UNL fun and memorable, and for celebrating with my at my Graduation party. I love you all so much!!

2. Being hired to be an Alpha Xi Delta Educational Leadership Consultant. Ever since I learned what and ELC was, it became a dream of mine to become one. Alpha Xi Delta has given me so much and I was so inspired by my own chapter advisor, Becky, and by the other Alpha Xi Deltas I’ve met at the National Convention and The Workout, that I wanted the opportunity to give back and inspire other Alpha Xi Deltas. I knew that as an ELC I could inspire women to realize their potential as I continue to realize mine. Alpha Xi Delta is truly an amazing organization and I am so thankful to be a part of it. Traveling as an ELC I’ve been able to see so many great places and meet so many amazing people! I thank God everyday for all of the memories and lessons I am learning as I continue on this amazing journey. I love my job!!

3. I was able to do many fun things with my friends in 2008, and the next few items on the list are my favorite memories from the year. I kicked of 2008 by going skiing in Silverthorne, Colorado in January with my Alpha Xi Delta sisters from my new member class of 2004. It was our big trip as a class, as a group of friends. We had an amazing time and it was a very memorable trip of snow tubing, shopping, going out, hanging out and just having fun.

4. Teri & Abram Clark’s wedding was so awesome. Stephanie Murnan, Alysa, LeAnna, Lauren and Alison were Teri’s bridesmaids. Everything from getting our hair done at the salon to the beautiful ceremony, to the rock star reception, it was a memorable event. Ross, Andy, Matt and a bunch of our other Gross High classmates met us all at the reception. Because we were all in drama and choir together we busted out a few choreographed moves during the reception. It was so much fun!! Love you, friends!! Helen & Josh Cool’s wedding was also a blast! I was a bridesmaid in that wedding as well and it was a great weekend!! We sang to them, we danced! I will say small town boys know how to dance!

5. Alpha Xi Delta’s Senior Week & Spring Formal. Senior Week was a little bittersweet, but very memorable. Spring Formal was so much fun; we ditched our guys and decided to go to formal as a group. We had a blast!! Definitely a high light of the year! I love you girls!!

6. The “Sraguoc” family reunion at Platt River State Park. Tricia, LeAnna, Lauren, Steph, Teir, Alysa, Amanda, Matt, Andy, John, Abram, Zach, Liam and Jared, thank you for being such great friends and for such a fun trip. Can’t wait until we can do that again at the end of 2009!!

6. Weekly hang outs with Liz. Elizabeth has been my best friend since I was 9, and in the last few years, despite the fact that I went to school in Lincoln, we just didn’t get together that often. However, my last semester at UNL, Liz and I were able to get together almost every Wednesday night, we’d meet for drinks and appetizers at Applebee’s, go shopping, eat dinner at Breada, just hang out at her house or get our nails done; it didn’t really matter what we did, but it was great to catch up and reconnect. Love ya, Liz!

7. Training in Indianapolis with my ELC sisters! This was a life changing time. I left home, newly single and fresh out of college, and very nervous of what the next few months would bring. I was so blessed to have 5 other women with me, going through the same thing I was, supporting me, loving me, laughing, growing and learning with me, as we all learned how to stand on our own to feet. These women have become my best friends and I love you all so much. We had an amazing time together in Indianapolis, in St. Louis and in Atlanta!! Memories I will cherish forever!! I also had an awesome time in Indianapolis with my ELC and LC sisters in December. It was so great to get to know the my LC sisters a little better and to all be together again. Winter, Laura, Mary, Heather, Sam, Samantha and Margaret, I love you all.

8. First dates- dinner, smoothies, ice skating and movie- all in one night!! Hand holding and first kisses that take your breath away.

That’s the best of 2008. There were a lot of other great things that happened in 2008, but these items listed above take the cake! 2008 was fun, exciting, challenging, life changing, emotional, interesting, inspiring and amazing! Although 2008 was pretty great, I just have a feeling 2009 will be even better! Here are a few goals I have set for 2009:
1. Get a teaching job.
2. Buy a car.
3. Get a place to live, other than Mom & Dad’s house.
4. Fall in love.
5. Adopt a pet.
6. Go on a few summer vacations with my family & friends.
7. Learn something new, everyday.
8. Dance a little more often.
9. Be brave, take a risk, take a chance.
10. Become a better person, do more good.

I wish you and yours all the best in 2009!

Lots of Love,

Emmalie