November In California

Hey Blog Followers!

I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving Day! There are many things to be thankful for and I hope you have been able to take some time to reflect on all the good things that you are blessed with! This blog post is dedicated to my loving and talented family members!

The Table is Set: My sister-in-law (The same one I have mentioned in previous blogs) is truly amazing at creating a beautiful and welcoming setting! She helped me with my sister's bridal shower and this year she felt inspired to set a fall themed Thanksgiving Table. I love every detail that she implemented that I had to share it with you guys!  Take a look at the pictures and maybe you can find some things that will interest you for your table settings!

                                
                                 

                           

                                 

Family and a Fall Walk: 
I'm so thankful to God for placing me in the family that He did. My sister and her husband just got married this summer and I'm so thankful they were able to spend their first Thanksgiving as Newlyweds at our house! I was able to take some pictures of the ones I love and some fall inspired pictures around my block.

                                    

                                  
                                  

What were some things that you were able to do this year Blog Followers? I want to hear from you too!!!

These are the things I had to say.

#Dreasaidit

I Don't Believe in Coincidences

Hey Blog Followers,

It's been a while since I have posted last! I wanted to share some stories that happened this past week of how God has been SO present in my life.

The first story, which is fresh in my mind is, this morning I was feeling a little down before going to church and the song that popped up into my head right away was "Our God" by Chris Tomlin and if you're not familiar with it, then  CLICK HERE

Immediately, I felt the urge to play this song out loud on the piano before going to church....and guess what one of the songs they played at church today?!?!

For a person who doesn't believe in coincidence this was such an amazing moment for me. I was filled with so much joy, mainly because it was God's confirmation to me saying,  "I hear you and I know you, I know your heart, your pain, and I know what will make it feel better!" The part of the song that I love to drill into my brain and heart is: 

"Our God is greater our God is stronger..."

Anything you are going through, the God that loves me and that I love, is so much greater than anything we are going through! He is for us and not against us!

The second story was on Thursday night when I shared my testimony at church. Maybe one day I'll have the courage to write it down and share it with you in detail too, but for now I'll keep it to the point. I shared my 5-7 minute testimony and right after we listened to the pastor speak a message and it was based on the biblical story of when Jesus talks with the Samaritan Woman. (Read John 4). Man, God spoke to me loud and clear that night....what a blessing to hear that story! The pastor didn't know my story and again, I don't believe in coincidence! God put the passage on his heart to share and it totally went with my testimony! God has cleaned my stains, he died for ME, he has and is making me new!

Lastly, the car accident story! First, everyone is ok and I thank God that it wasn't worse than it was! I got rear ended on my way going to work, but God provided the friendliest people to help me out! A person who was OFF duty for AAA pulled over to help me and check on us to make sure we were getting the proper help! What a blessing! I believe that God put every person involved for a reason...sometimes we don't know exactly why, but I'm sure this story is still in the making!

All these stories the good and the bad have revived me to share the hope and love of Jesus! Right now I feel like "screaming it from the mountains, and tell it to the masses, that He is God." That was a song that was played at church today and it's moved me to share these stories with you! Click Here if you don't know what song I'm talking about!

I want to hear from you too blog followers!!! What are some stories that God has whispered to you or you have no explanation for?!?!!? So appropriate for this week on reflecting on thankfulness! Happy Thanksgiving!

DreaSaidIt!

Photo Credit: https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2611/3914363448_51d3a30223.jpg

  

Sci-fi and Christianity: How they are the same

Hey Blog Followers,

 

Today's blog post is a little random. I just got back from watching The Maze Runner and oh my goodness... I'm sure my blood pressure is off the scale now. I love movies that keep you on the edge of your seat and make you think. I've been thinking anyone who loves sci-fi is just a cool person and I need to be your best friend! You must have a brain that is so creative and able to appreciate other people's creativity just as much. There is no way around it really, because that's exactly what sci-fi settings and characters aresuppose to do... They are suppose to take you to a place that doesn't exisist or Introduce you to creatures or things that there is no description or defintion for. 

I HAD to take a sci-fi writing class at APU during my sophomore year of college. Yes, it wasn't a choice... We had writing classes that had certain focuses, so since I signed up late I got stuck with sci-fi writing. It was probably one of the best classes I took and I still remember it clearly. The main thing that has stood out to me throughout the years is how the professor compared sci-fi and the christian faith. He said ultimately they both are about Good versus Evil and in all good stories, including Christianity there is a savior who sacrifices themself in one way or the other. 

I often say things before thinking and one thing that I have laughed with my friends about is when I shared with them (and now you) the time I thanked God for creativity, because He allowed Twilight to be created. Haha, well, I'm still going to thank God for all the authors who have created stories that are so good, because ultimately they come from God. He's the one who had the idea first of having a plan of Good v.s evil and having a savior come save the world, including me and you! 

What are some of your favorite sci-fi books and movies that just make you think, even to this day? I want to hear from you blog followers!

These are the things I had to say!

#dreasaidit 

How in the world did I end up in middle school

Hey blog followers,

Man oh man, I've made it to week 3 of teaching and one question that I keep asking myself is, how in the world did I become a MIDDLE school teacher!?! It's extremely different than elementary level! The planning, the age group, the drama,  the attitude (ok ok, not always that different...) but goodness, it's a hard thing for me to swallow and really comprehend at times. It's not that I don't like it... It's just different. I never thought this day would come, but I feel I'm forgetting what it's like to be a kid. Dealing with discipline in middle school is different than elementary in many ways. There is the obvious that I'm not asking kids to pull a card if they did something wrong, but I will say calling parents at any grade level  is never fun. I feel I'm gaining some tough skin that I didn't even know I had in me. My greatest strength is also my greatest weakness: compassion. I have no idea how I'm ever going to discipline my own kids, because I feel like if I start to tear up with strangers kids, then how in the world am I going to deal with my own? I miss being with the kinders everyday, but I must say I'm sure one day I'll look back and say the same about my middle schoolers. Life is weird... I never saw myself where I am today. Basically to sum it up is the only thing we can really expect in life is to expect the unexpected. These are the things I had to say!

#dreasaidit

Mentoring

Hi blog followers,

This message is for my 20 something friends who feel they are to young to be a mentor. I don't believe you are to young. If you have experience and are able to share with others how God has worked in your life then I think you are capable of being a mentor to someone else. Sure, we may not know it all and we still are learning just as much, which I believe it is important to invest in a mentor too! 

I'm going to commit to finding a mentor and being a mentor to someone younger than me too. Maybe it can be a short goal and commiting to seeing them  at least 1 a month in person and weekly emails! I just encourage you to find people you can reach out to who may need an extra ear. Today I saw it first hand and it has inspired me to go out and give. Give time. Give wise advice based on experience. Give hope in Jesus. 

These are the things I has to say. 

#dreasaidit

Not neglecting!!!

Dear Blog Followers,

This blessing (my new job) is taking over my life, more than I would like it to. Being a first year teacher is exciting, but for sure has it's challenges. I'm so overwhelmed by all the things I have to do. The biggest shift is trying to learn a new school culture, staff, and even the campus!!! It's been go go go since I started that I haven't even taken a tour of the whole campus! I'm also going to have to do BTSA (induction program to clear my credential) and having teacher evaluations at some point on top of keeping up with grades, lesson plans and a lack of sleep. People say it'll get easier as time passes, but as of now I'm literally taking it day by day.

So, with that said, I apologize to my friends and family if it seems that I'm neglecting you or ignoring you... I'm not. I'm simply sitting in traffic and not texting/calling back, I'm home shutting out from the world for a bit, or sleeping. I hope to get back to my blog and vlogs at some point, but at this point I'm just treading water with this new position. 

These are the things I had to say.

#dreasaidit

First Days of Teaching

Hi Blog Followers,

I hope you had a great weekend so far and let me just say, I'm going to start loving my weekends so much more! My first days on teaching were easy and hard at the same time. It was easy, because I love what I get to teach. The hard part is I'm walking into a classroom that is 3 weeks in and it's hard to establish classroom management at this level if you've never done it, which I'm sure middle school parents who are reading this probably don't want to hear that. Plus, I have paper work to fill out that the majority of it I feel I have no idea what exactly I'm signing for and I don't even want to list everything else that I have to do, because it's going to sound Negative, and I really don't want to sound negative, because I do believe it's a blessing. I'm just overwhelmed to say the least. 

The staff at my new school is super kind and helpful, which is a huge positive! However, driving to LA everyday is going to be  tough. God doesn't give us something that we can't handle though and it's a great time for lots of prayer and singing time ;) A funny story is when I looked at my GPS map it said I was 2.7 miles away from my school and I was relieved that I was so close, but 30 mins later I was freaking out, because I was going to be late on my first day. I'm not sure if I had tears in my eyes or if I laughed it off...it's been a blur.

 Like I said, I still believe that this job is blessing, but as Rumplestilskin says from "Once Upon a Time" ( I can't wait to watch season 4 this fall!),  "Everything comes with a price."  

These are the things I had to say.

Drea said it. 

Change of MY plans...Right on track for God's plan

Hey Blog Followers,

I know it's been a while since I have posted last, but  I'm so excited to share with you that I have change of plans on what I will be doing this upcoming year! One of my most recent blog posts titled, The Sky is the Limit talked about how I was going to be subbing this year and I can say, I was able to sub for a total of two weeks (I can still say that I've been a substitute teacher, right?). I'm not going to say that I learned everything I needed to learn as a teacher with those few experiences, but I will say if I learned as much in those two weeks as I did, then I can't even imagine what I would have learned at the end of a school year. 

Well, the change of plan is I am no longer going to be subbing this year, because I have accepted a position as a Computer Elective Teacher for Culver City Middle School (Go Panthers)! I'm still processing all of this, so if this post feels scattered well it's because it still feels scattered in my brain. 

I have been a Kindergarten aide for two years and for the ones who really know me, know that my nature is very suitable for younger children, because I can be very soft spoken at times and I have a high tolerance level for things that other people find annoying. I tell people all the time that being a Kindergarten Aide is a dream job for  many reasons...seeing cute kids everyday, still teaching without having to plan, helping out the classroom teacher with all kinds of tasks, not knowing what your getting for the day...alright alright, it's not a dream job for everybody, but I think I would have been happy if it was my job for the rest of my life. I feel after getting my credential my main focus was I had to get an elementary teaching position, even though there were times that I felt 3/4 of my heart wanted that and 1/4 was unsure. I would say that 1/4 was open to something else, but I just wasn't sure what it could be.

Well, as many of my teacher friends know, when it comes to applying for teaching jobs, Edjoin becomes your best friend and many times you find yourself applying to the most random places and get to know of areas that you didn't even know existed, near and far. I vaguely remember applying to a post that was titled, "Computer Teacher" back in early August. Well, when I wrote my blog post, "The Sky is the Limit", I felt all the jobs that I really wanted were already filled, schools already started, and the chances of getting hired for a full time position was starting to narrow down. 

This is the part that I know God laughs at and reminds me, ANYTHING is possible with God. Last Thursday, I was at a sub job when I found out that I could interview for a computer teaching position. I went in the next day, Friday, for the interview, and was offered the job on Monday (yesterday). It has all happened so fast, but I do believe that this position couldn't have been more perfect for me. The Chinese philosopher, Confucius, said, "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." That is exactly how I feel right now...I will be getting paid to teach kids how to use computer programs that I use daily, I am still getting to use my credential, and it's a "job" that I will want to keep growing in, which means looking into taking classes that I would be doing regardless of this position or not, because technology is always changing and I need to stay up to date of course. I will admit that I didn't see myself ever teaching middle school students, but I'm so excited to enter this world!

Above all, I have to thank God for everything He has done. He gives me things even when I don't deserve it. I have doubted Him, complained to Him, and cried to Him for the things that haven't worked out, but yet He still gives me the things that are the best for me! Anyone that is going through a period of uncertainty, I pray that God will release you from that. On my Instagram account I posted a picture that said, "We were made to thrive" and I got it from the Casting Crown song, "Thrive." This song reminds me that ANYTHING that God gives us is all for Him and He can equip us to do the impossible  when we choose to ask Him and bring Him into our lives. I say, lets keep dreaming, keep praying, and continue to be persistent. I will humbly admit that I might forget this feeling someday or these words that mean something now may feel empty in the future, but that's the beauty of writing...I write so that I can come back and be reminded of all the beautiful things!!! 

These are the things I had to say.

#Dreasaidit

Holocaust inspired music

Hey Blog Followers,

I wanted to share a piano music  piece that I created. I wouldn't call myself a history buff, but I can say that I have a great interest in certain time periods and events in history. The Holocaust is probably one of the most devasting, yet fascinating events that took place on this earth. We look back and ask ourselves, how in the world did humanity let that happen? Sadly, maybe in many years from now younger generations will be asking us the same thing about the genocides in Africa or global human trafficking. 

I want to explain the break down of my song, so maybe you'll be able to understand it better. It first starts off slow and it's suppose to represent officers coming door to door collecting people. Then there is a part that is suppose to demonstrate that as the door bells are ringing people are trying to gather there things as quiet as possible and get out. The song moves on to a fast pace part which represent the people are running away and I picture it as if they are running at night; scared, not able to see, in the woods or remote alleys. The song gets a little happier which represents the sense of hope that maybe everything will be ok. The ending represents that the officers start to give up on ringing the door bells. 

These are the things I had to say! #dreasaidit

The Sky is the Limit!

Photo credit: Andrea Moncayo

Hi Blog Followers,

Normally post grad students don't like hearing the question of what they will be doing next. Well, lucky for you I will just tell you and you didn't even have to ask. 

This past May I received my multiple subject teaching credential and M.A.in Digital Teaching and Learning. I have no regrets about doing the program, because 1) The people that I met in grad school were all worth it and 2) I really enjoy the digital world and the digital programs that exist, including this blog.

Becoming a substitute teacher wasn't exactly in MY plan for this year. I thought, oh gosh I'm going to 25 years old and if I don't get a teaching job this year that means it's another year of waiting (yes, some teachers get jobs in the middle of the year, but as Effie from The Hunger Games would say, "May the odds be ever in your favor."), but realistically if you don't make it on the band wagon this year, then usually you have to wait until the next school year. 

Ok, so I accepted the fact that I will probably not be a teacher of my own classroom this year, but I realized there is so much that I can do as I sub. The main one that I'm greatly  considering  is traveling at times that most people probably don't get to. It might be short term or it might be long term (If it is long term it can't be until January, because i'm  in TWO weddings this December that I wouldn't miss). Some things I've been thinking about are: I can go learn French in Paris or perfect my Spanish in Spain or in Latin America. I can go see the fall leaves in the East Coast in October or visit the ocean in Hawaii before it gets to cold. I can go hold babies (MY DREAM JOB!!!!) where babies need more human interaction. I can stay here and learn piano songs that I have always wanted to learn all because of YouTube. I can start my Homemaker in Training Project, or study some more so that I can get a single subject credential in History or Spanish, or take the GRE and apply to Ph.D programs. I can keep up with blog and vlog hobbies. But, wherever I go or end up, I can finally start writing the book that I have always wanted to start. At this point in my life I feel the SKY IS THE LIMIT! I don't really have anything holding me back and plus since I'm young now and have the energy, I better take advantage of it. 

Of course I'm realistic and realize that in order to do all the things that I want to, I will need to find a way to pay for it. However, my main point is, if I really want to do all these things and if they are meant to be, then I'm going to find a way, because if I don't dream or have a goal then life for me can feel depressing and that's exactly what I'm trying to avoid. What are some of your dreams that you are hoping to achieve if you believe that the sky is the limit? Or what are some sacrifices that you are making now in order to achieve your dreams in future! I want to hear from you too blog followers, so that I don't feel that I'm alone in this!

I'm looking forward to seeing where I end up, because one quote that I find to be very true is: "Expect the unexpected." Don't worry, once things start falling into place and when I have a better idea, I'll be sharing about it with you! Part of sharing the struggles is also about sharing the victories!  

These are the things I had to say.

Drea Said It

Freak Out Moment

As many of you know my younger sister (11 months and 2 weeks younger) is getting married this weekend! Ahhhh!!! I have so many mixed emotions right now that I don't even know how to handle it, which is why in writing this emergency blog post! I have felt absent through this process even though I have been "here". I thought this was going to be a summer of traveling through Machu Picchu and taking some traveling risks. Well, I'm not meaning to sound like I'm complaining, because trust me it is such a honor to be in people's weddings and I do enjoy it! However, I feel emotionally drained right now and it's a mixture of things! It's the fact of balancing responsibilities such as, the job search and making decisions (I have a whole blog set aside for that topic), being there for others even when they don't deserve it (trust me I don't even deserve it myself), remaining positive even when the odds don't even seem to be in your favor, and the greatest struggle for me is accepting that life is continually changing. I truly feel I am going through a quarter life crisis. I struggle with time and expectations that are meant and it's something I need to erase from my head. I pray and pray that I'll truly get to enjoy this weekend with my sister, live in the moment, and share this time with her. Thanks for reading and this was my freak out rant right and these were the things I had to say. 

#dreasaidit

Montana

Hey Blog Followers,

I'm back from Montana and describing this trip in words isn't  going to be easy, so that is why I'm in the process of uploading my vlog about it on Youtube and who knows when it will be uploaded. (Still surprised by how much time it takes!) 

But, until then, I wanted to share some of the pictures I took. It was a quick trip, but filled with many new special memories and fun times. 

Photoshoot with my favorite baby nephew

Field of flowers

Running into his father's arms

Brother and nephew

We all fall down sometimes :)

River Rafting 

On our way to the lake

Avalanche Lake in Glacier National Park

The path to the lake

The beautiful bride

My First....VLOG!

Hey blog followers,

Today I created my first vlog with my canon camera and my new waterproof camera! Trust me the content isn't that great, video/audio quality can always be better, and I am still figuring out how editing works; however I am so proud of my first video creation! I sometimes give myself pep talks and many times I allow family and friends to give me  their input too, but today was the day that I said, "I won't know if I like it if I never try and I won't get better unless I practice!" So I went out, bought a camera, put my words into action, and voil`a (accent mark is suppose to be on the a, but whatever-close enough).

My goal with my vlogs is to film my travel adventures near and far. I am making it a goal to travel many more places. Why not? I don't really have anything holding me back and I might as well take advantage of this stage in my life. I do have a question though-How do you daily vloggers do it!? My couple minute video seriously took so much time, which means I'm probably doing something the long way or you guys never sleep! 

Check it out below! #dreasaidit

Gaby's Bridal Shower

Hey Everyone!

It's been a while since I've posted last, but Gaby's Bridal Shower was worth writing and sharing on my blog.

Let me first start off by saying, I totally understand why people have party planners now. As a teacher we always have to plan for everything and I mean EVERYTHING....lesson plans, seating arrangements, scheduling, and etc. I would say party planning is just as much. You are planning for weeks to see  how this one day will turn out.

My sister-in-law, Sara (I've mentioned her before in my previous blog posts), is such an amazing person in general, but wow her vision for my sister's bridal shower surpassed my imagination 100x's more than what I could have came up with on my own. We went with a "Kate Spade" theme party with pink, black, and white colors, with hints of gold. If you were to ask me a few months back, "What is a a Kate Spade themed party?" I would have said (actually I did say, "What is even Kate Spade?") Well, our version of it included, bows and polka dots. The invitations, the decor, the food, the guests, and so much more than I can even mention indescribably perfect for this, "Kate Spade" themed party.

The Lay Down of the Party
First we had a greeting table, where everyone had name tags (super helpful and recommend these for parties like these), had pictures of Gaby and Brian, a count down display, and note cards for people to write down words of advice, favorite bible verse, or a sweet thought. I decided I would make those note cards into a little book for Gaby to have.

Then guests could go find a seat where the tables were beautifully set up and had balloons hanging above them. Guests could then find their name on a cup and sip on sparkling lemonades from Trader Joes or snack on some crackers with cheese or hummus. (Gaby's favorite)

After appetizers, we did a prayer for Gaby we got to eat a wonderfully prepared meal that so many people helped put together. First, guests could build there own salad, and then from a variety of sandwiches and slices of different pizzas. It was delicious and so fun. While guests, finished there meals, we also played a little game of mustaches and lips where if they think the groom answered the question then they would raise the mustaches and if they think the bride answered the question they would raise the lips. It was a non-competitive, but yet fun way to get everyone involved without having to embarrass anyone.  

We were able to watch Gaby open her gifts, but she did it in such an awesome way. Every gift she opened she would talk about how she knew that person and it was a neat way to acknowledge that person who came out and for others to see the relations. Many guests came up to me after and told me that was one of their favorite parts. During gift opening, the guests were able to savor a delicious chocolate dipped strawberry and a vanilla or chocolate cupcakes, Yum!

I would have to say my favorite part was taking pictures of Gaby and her guests at the very end of the party. I made a photobooth with the help of my amazing friend, Alisha! Not only is she a talented singer (She'll be singing at Gaby's wedding), but her hand writing is amazing! (By the way Alisha, you got a lot of  compliments on that!)

Alisha, Gaby, and Alisha's  mom Trish

Bride and mom

Gaby, cousin Trisha and cousin Rachel

Gaby's Law School Friends

Gaby and Future Mother-in-law, Joan

This party was a success to say the least and I am so thankful that I have a sister to throw a party for, a sister-in-law with a creative vision, hardworking, and loving heart, all the people that helped (including the men who did behind the scenes like take care of babies, lift and hang things.), and all the guests that helped Gaby feel so special.

Sisters

Gaby and Sara

Sara and Me <3

I would post all 70+ pictures on my blog for you to see, but there are just to many. So I've posted some here and the rest I will put in a Facebook Album, so be sure to check them out there too!