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

Make a Smilebox slideshow

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