Engaged!

Carl popped the question! And I said YES!!!

Right after I said yes! Complete euphoria...

So I'm a little late with this announcement....it actually happened 2 weeks ago tomorrow. We're totally on cloud nine right now! I can honestly say that I did not see it coming, which I know Carl is quite proud of. We were in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, and just relaxing and watching some tv. I got up to use the bathroom (TMI, I know, but it's part of the story!) and when I came back he asked me to marry him! There was more to it and it was in his own tricky way, of course, because he didn't want me to know where he was going with it until the last second. But it was perfect. Very laid-back, very us...

Anyway, we're already well into planning the big things! The date is set for May 27, 2012 and we are in the process of finalizing the location. More info will be coming. I haven't yet decided if this blog will turn into a wedding planning blog, or if I should start a new one. Thoughts? Either way, all that matters now is that we're engaged, and I can't wait to marry my best friend!

Nomnomnom....

Look what I did!

I baked some chocolate chip banana muffins, which also have some cocoa in them...DE-licious, if I do say so myself! I have become quite the capable baker. Now if only that applied to cooking as well, and we'd be getting somewhere. The only trouble with knowing that I can bake up some yummy treats means that I'm eating them, which is not so ideal. So when I bake, I always have to make sure that I have someone to share with. I'm sure my roommates and Bible study girls don't mind...

Saying Goodbye

Carl visited this past weekend. We had a good time. Friday night we went out to dinner at Old Chicago--I had an amazing calzone and he had lasagna. I finally saw Taken, which is only a big deal because he's been wanting me to watch it for some time now. Turns out it was pretty good, so I guess I should stop shying away from movies just cuz I think I won't like them! Other than that, we saw a bit of the Bulls game on Saturday and ran some errands. It was a typical weekend for us. But I realized something when he was leaving.

We're pretty much immune to saying goodbye at this point.

I mean, he got in the car and practically drove off before realizing that I was standing there waiting for a hug. Now, I can remember times when it would take some serious effort to hold back the tears until after he drove away. And then there were times when both of us just couldn't help falling apart and leaving would become a drawn-out ordeal, waterworks and all. But now, it's pretty much routine and doesn't have that kind of effect anymore, which is weird. We've been long-distance for 2-1/2 years and I guess in some ways, it's a good thing that we're used to Goodbye because it's hard enough without making it...well, harder. On the other hand, it's kind of sad that it's no big deal, right?

Maybe I'm just a weirdo. Either way, I'm so happy that we both can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Come next August, I'll be student teaching somewhere in the Chicago suburbs, much closer to Carl. At that point, these three years will finally be behind us, and I can't wait!

New Look!

The blog needed a face lift. (AKA I didn't want to work on homework!)

Also, I had an absolutely amazing weekend at a retreat with 24/7, a campus ministry that I'm a part of. It was so great to just get away from reality and school, and focus on God! I will definitely be posting on the whole weekend soon!

Moms Are the Best

So, my mom is pretty much the most amazing woman. I love her to death for many reasons, but one fabulous thing about my mom is that literally, just days after she tells me that the bills are kinda crazy this month and that I should wait for a tote bag...She calls me up and tells me that she found one for me! Now, to be clear, I'm not a spoiled brat that gets everything that I ever want. I told her about wanting a "teacher tote" to transport a laptop and mountains of books to school and back. BUT, I did say that it was not a need at this very moment, and that was the end of that conversation. Then Mom does it again...she flexes her amazing Mom Muscles and spoils me anyway. What can I say, I'm a lucky girl. And as a result, I have this beauty coming my way in the next week:

Isn't it pretty?

And even better, because Mom loves a great deal (and so do I), we got this $70 tote for just $29.99! Amazing! Moms are the best, aren't they? Maybe I should tell her about this here blog, because I know I don't show my appreciation like I should.

Love you, Mom!

New Friends!

So, I know I haven't blogged in a while. And a lot has been going on. I really have been meaning to type some stuff out because there is just so much fun to share! Truthfully, it has just been really difficult because of general busyness.

One of the exciting things that has simultaneously taken up a LOT of time is my practicum! I started last week with a 3rd/4th grade class, and I absolutely love it! My new friends (that is, the kiddies) are just adorable and such a joy to be around. I'll call them my "friends" because this is a term that I've heard some teachers use, even though I'm not too fond of actually using it with the students. I don't know, it just feels weird to me to announce, "Okay friends, today we're going to talk about agriculture!" For 3rd/4th grade, it seems baby-ish, but for blogging purposes, it works =)

Okay, seriously now...I am having so much fun! My cooperating teacher is great and I feel like we have really clicked. I taught my first lesson on some science concepts that the students had questions about. I won't go into too much detail, but let's just say that this was the first time that I've actually been up in front of a class teaching, and I felt a total rush from it! Seeing the kids raise their hands with eager expressions and knowing that I had inspired that excitement was just awesome.

For Monday, AKA Valentine's Day, I decided to make valentines for the kids rather than buying them. Immediately regretted that decision. It took f.o.r.e.v.e.r. Seriously. But, maybe it was worth it in the end? I thought they turned out pretty cool, but in the future I might save myself the hassle because let's face it, as long as they get candy, kids don't really care!

The finished products...

Other than that, I've just been trying to stay balanced and organized with school work and such. Oh, and I went to see my friend, Katie, walk in a bridal show a couple of weekends ago!! It was so much fun, and she looked gorgeous!

Shout out to Katie!

Weddings and Football

This weekend was nice and relaxing...quite the change of pace from how the school week was! My friend and roommate from last year, Katie, was walking in a bridal show, so I went to that on Saturday. She looked gorgeous!! It was also fun to chat with her current roommate, Kristen, and just get to know her a bit more. We had so much fun that we made plans for Sunday, too!

Yes, it's true. I had no plans for the Super Bowl until the day before. Blame it on the fact that the Bears lost and I had no interest in seeing the Packers play. And win. That was not cool, but the three of us had a good time hanging out, eating some wings, and laughing at the commercials. I think my favorite was either the Doritos commercial, or the Pepsi Max ones. I also liked the one of the talking baby, but that's a given :)

Other exciting news is that I started my practicum placement today! I'm with a lively 3rd/4th grade class. They were quite chatty today, but I can already see that it is going to be fun getting to know them and working with them this semester. They had some great questions for me when I introduced myself...favorite sport (baseball), favorite color (orange), why my last name is what it is...lol. I wasn't sure how to handle that one, so I lamely said, I don't know...I was born with it! (They must think highly of me now...) Anyway, I really like the teacher. We seem to get along really well and I know that I will learn a lot from her.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa

Today was my Grandpa's Birthday, and while I think of him often, today I revisited some of the sweet memories I have of him. He passed away a year and a half ago, when I was a freshman. He was the first person that I was really close with that I lost, and it really hit me hard. I'm so thankful for all of the wonderful times we had and can look back on his life and smile.

I was his only granddaughter and her certainly knew how to make me feel special. He called me Leah Bella, and I can still hear his voice calling me that in his sing-songy way. He made me feel a true connection to my Italian roots with all of his stories...who knew how many of those were actually true, as he was the kind of character who would embellish to make things more interesting. Either way, I wish now that I could hear the same stories again, even though in my younger years I did an inner eye-roll when he would talk about the same things. Gosh, what I wouldn't do to hear his voice now.

My grandpa was the one who taught me to gamble...in cards and at the race track. It was so fun to watch him play poker, always taking chances and betting outrageously or not even looking at all of his cards! I always felt so special when he would ask me to play his hand when he would leave to smoke a cigarette. And I'll never forget the time when he yelled at my mom for making me change which horse I bet on at the track, because the horse had terrible odds, but of course it won!

He also taught me Italian...the clean and dirty stuff. Most of the time, he would just tell me to repeat something and I would have no clue what I was saying. And then he would just laugh. I wish that I had remembered more of that. For some reason, I only recall how to swear in Italian now :)

At my Grandpa's funeral, both my Uncle Jim and second cousin, Johnny, related Grandpa's life to the Frank Sinatra song, My Way. Even the funeral director, who knew my Grandpa personally, played that same song at the funeral, and the three of them had no clue that the others had the same idea. But My Way really is so fitting for Grandpa. I think he would say he lived a full life, and had no regrets. He "faced it all and stood tall," and he certainly did it his way. Some of us may not have agreed with everything he did, but there is no arguing that he did it his way and wouldn't have changed a thing. And for that, I truly admire him.

Always in our hearts, Grandpa. I love you and miss you!

It's Been a While...

Wow, haven't been here in a while. This semester has definitely been a busy one, but I'm so relieved that it's almost over. I finished my last big project yesterday and can thankfully coast through the rest of the week. AND, I don't have any finals! First time I can say that!

Classes were definitely tougher than I had anticipated at the start of the semester. It has also been a roller coaster ride emotionally and that has taken its toll. Some very tough spiritual questions and situations have pushed me out of my comfort zone, but God has definitely pulled me through and I think I am stronger because of it. It's always hard to confront the deeper heart issues behind sin, but this semester has been good as far as learning to approach my relationship with God in a more honest way than I ever have before. My goals for winter break center around spending quality time in prayer with God and truly seeking to know Him more. I usually fall into old habits when I'm at home, so I'm really hoping that I will fight against that tendency.

I also hope to get into more of a routine with writing on this blog. One thing I learned in class this semester about teaching writing to kids is that I have to be a writer myself and take it seriously. I can't expect to know what I'm talking about as a teacher if I haven't experienced the process myself! So here's to forming new habits, both spiritually and academically in preparation for my future.

Gotta Get This Out...

Classes have started, and I'm slowly getting into the swing of things. I'm taking an online course called Organizational Leadership in order to satisfy a random degree requirement. Well, I've never taken a class like this, didn't really know what to expect, and I wasn't sure how much it would really apply to becoming a teacher. I mean, yes, obviously guiding a group of children every day requires some degree of leadership (ok, a certain mastery of leadership), but this course is not specifically in the college of education, so it's not geared towards teaching. 


Anyway, before I get off onto a tangent about nothing, I received a lesson in teaching already that was very unexpected and unintended by my professor. Our first assignment was just to write up a page about ourselves so that she could get to know us, since we won't ever interact in person. I slapped some stuff into a Word document and uploaded it, not really putting a whole lot of effort into it. When I saw my feedback today, here was my professor's one comment: "Well written introduction, Leah-the first I have read that didn't require editing."


Let me make myself clear by saying that I am in no way trying to toot my own horn or show off. My point with this is that, really, writing a commentary about YOURSELF is a simple task, no? How hard is it that no other person submitted a paper yet without any errors? I mean, I really hope this doesn't come off in a snarky way, but it does take some effort and accomplishment to be admitted into ANY institution for higher education, be it ivy league, state school, or community college, and each and every person who does this should be commended. That being said, why are we falling short in doing something so simple as writing about yourself? Especially in a world where you can't type on a computer anywhere that doesn't have spell-check, this just saddens me.


I realize that many of us, myself included, often use short-hand when texting/emailing family and friends. However, this class is taught by a professor who has written over 140 books and contributed to 16 scientific journals in her field. I just don't see why it would take so much effort to proofread a one-page introduction that others just choose not to do it.


I also realize I may be *slightly* overreacting, but my whole reason for writing this is to point out that somewhere along the line, a lot of teachers have been snoozing on the job. If we have reached a place where college students cannot use the English language properly, there is a problem. Maybe teachers are lazy, or maybe they don't know the proper usage themselves. Either way, a simple comment from my professor has made me realize that I have my work cut out for me, and makes me all the more anxious to learn to be the best that I can be for the sake of my future students.

This Weekend...

...I was in Chicago! Aaaannnddd it was a blast. I got to visit Carl and his family, and we had a great time!


On Friday night, Carl and I went to the Sox game. There was a rain delay during in the middle of the 7th, so that was a first for me. They ended up resuming the game over an hour later and won, so Carl's nasty streak of going to games where his team loses is finally broken lol. Here are some pictures of that night:

A before shot, which I enhanced. My camera doesn't produce this nice of a picture on its own ;-)

It was Elvis Night! We're both not huge fans, but it was fun.

The view from our seats. We were a ways up, but at least we were under the covering when it started to rain! 

On Saturday, we went jet skiing and tubing at a lake by a friend of Carl's dad. I had never met the couple before, so it was fun talking to them and enjoying the sunshine. They had the cutest house right on the lake, and I actually drove one of the jet skis myself! Tubing was also a blast, but I'm definitely sore from one or the other. It's interesting how clenching onto a jet ski or tube for dear life can take such a toll on your body the next day!

Here's the view of the lake from their yard...so pretty.

Yesterday, Carl and I just went shopping for some odds and ends I needed. Overall, it was a very relaxing weekend. I wish I was still on the lake!

How Many Miles?

24,884. That's how many miles Carl and I have driven to see each other since becoming long-distance 2 years ago. And yes, I'm a dork and actually sat down and tried to figure out an exact number. And thus, my blog title was born :)


But, I think it's kinda cool to know. I mean, we have both spent a lot of time in the car driving between Chicago, St. Louis, and Iowa. It's a sign of our commitment to each other, because I know that long-distance is not for everybody and sometimes, it doesn't work out. But when we started this journey, we already knew that we wanted to spend forever together (sounds cheesy, but true), and we decided that what wouldn't tear us apart was only gonna make us stronger. And as that mile total has grown, our relationship definitely has as well. 


I don't take him for granted, that's for sure. The summer after we started dating, we literally spent every free second together. And since we had just started dating, it was still exciting, but I know that had we continued that way, things might have lost their flavor after a while. That's where distance has its perks...After I left for college, I quickly realized that we were blessed to be together for over a year. Now, I cherish every moment that we are together, since I know that it might be a few more weeks before I see him again. And distance has a way of keeping things fresh, too. I mean, I feel like a seven-year-old on Christmas morning when I know that Carl is driving to see me and I will soon be wrapped in one of his bear hugs :) It doesn't get much better than that, people.


Don't get me wrong, I know there are people out there who endure much longer distances than Carl and I do, and for much longer time. And to those people, I give major props. It's hard. It takes work. But it has made me love Carl more than I thought possible, and it will make life that much more sweet when we get to be in the same zip code again.

An Intro

Hello, blogging world! My name is Leah and this is my first attempt at a blog. I've read others and have been inspired and enlightened along the way, and while my goal is to do the same, I'll probably just end up embarrassing myself... 

So, a little bit about me. I'm currently sitting in my apartment that I just moved into, getting ready to start my junior year at the University of Iowa. I'm studying elementary education, and hope to someday end up teaching back where I grew up, in the suburbs of Chicago. That's where my boyfriend is...his name is Carl, and we have been dating for over 3 years. We met in high school and have since endured 2 years of long-distance-ness (I frequently make up words), since my family moved during my freshman year of college. While it hasn't always been a fairytale, Carl is my rock and I cannot imagine my life without him. But, I'm sure you'll hear plenty more about him later!

Right now I just wanna talk about this lovely apartment. Let me tell you, after 2 years of dorm living, this is pure bliss! Don't get me wrong, my freshman roomie and I got along well enough to live together, and my sophomore roomie and I were already friends. So it wasn't torture or anything, but I'm super excited to take on this responsibility and have my own space while still living with some awesome girls. It's actually the cooking part that has me nervous, since I've been extremely spoiled my entire life with a mom who has amazing skills in the kitchen. I tried to collect recipes over the summer, so we'll see how this goes. Let's just say that I don't want to resort to eating junk food, since I also have some weight loss goals. 

Anyway, there's a quick intro into the life of me. Hopefully I didn't bore anyone, and I promise that these will get more interesting as I get used to this and find my voice in the blogging scene.