Smiles For Days!!

I was a slacker this weekend... only a blog slacker though! I actually had a super productive weekend with lots of positives in it! I took some CSPA candidates on a tour of JMU - my first tour to other people! I attended a retreat at the Catholic Campus Ministry house and enjoyed some fellowship, food, and faith building discussions.  I went back the next day for a meeting and enjoyed more prayer then as well. I hung out with another awesome CSPA candidate who stayed with me on Friday night. Saturday after my meeting I went antique shopping and purchased a KY Derby glass from the year I was born! Saturday night I went out for Maggie's birthday and met her family that was in from out of town! I loved meeting those Southerners! The weekend ended with lots of studying on Sunday and dinner out with more CSPA candidates. Whew! Well that is a brief run down of what I did for the weekend and there were lots of positives in there but now I think I've messed up my count!

That's fine with me though, as the title says, I'm gonna be smiling for days after the wonderful Monday I've had!! I'm gonna list out enough positives in one post for the whole week!!! (Of course, I'll still try to post though :)

1. The morning started at Blue Ridge Community College with my friend, ex-roomie, and ex-co-worker, Leah, sending me a quick email. It was hilarious!! It was a complete inside joke from back when we lived together but I lost it. Right there in the office I was laughing so hard! Just cracking up! I was so happy from my laughter that I emailed her and said "This is my positive for today. Nothing could beat that!" I may have spoke too soon but Leah - you should did start my day off right!!

2. At 12:00 PM today, NODA internship sites (schools I've been interviewing at) were permitted call and offer positions as part of the summer job search process. 12:01 PM hit and I got nervous. With one eye on my phone and one eye on my computer I saw the clock strike 12:03 PM and my phone rang!!! It was a call from the University of Pikeville in eastern Kentucky offering me a summer orientation internship for May and June!!! I hardly let her speak before I blurted out, "Yes! I would love to accept!!" I was thrilled!! We both just kept saying how happy we were!! And of course there was lots of laughter. You can actually read part of my interview with them here. It just feels so good knowing that the connection I felt with them during the interview they felt with me too! I have so much to look forward to this semester but knowing I'm going to be at UPike this summer makes it even harder to be patient! It is a very small school and I already almost feel like I am a part of it! I'm adding people on Facebook and they are writing on my wall! I'm in love with them!! Ah, smiles for days!!

3. After I called David and Dad (who I started crying with I talked with him) I got back to work. I didn't want to put anything on Facebook until I could talk to Mom on the phone. I talked to her on my way home and drove up to a package at my doorstep. I couldn't quiet figure out what it was or why it was there. I had already gotten a Valentine's Day card from home (Thank you Gigliotti's) so I didn't expect a package too. I hadn't ordered anything recently. There were pictures of children all over the outside so I thought a church charity I donated to really went all out with their thank you's! I got inside my apartment and was able to get a good look at the label. David. That sneaky Valentine's Day trickster! He sent me a gift!! I wasn't expecting anything at all! We've never really even celebrated it before. He had ordered me a pair of TOM's shoes and mailed them to me with a letter. A very sweet hand written letter. And new shoes!! I was just tickled. I sent him picture messages of my new shoes in the kitchen, in the living room, on my feet, etc! What a special surprise. Thank you David!

4. My student's had a program tonight and it went very well. They did a great job which just kept up my spirits. Afterwards I met with Maggie and Marcus to work on a group project which also went well. I actually might have had a little fun doing it too. I kept trying to chat while everyone was trying to work! Maggie did a good job putting up with me though. Here is what really just made my night as I was on Facebook in the library being distracted. My mother made her first Facebook status update!! What's my mom's mind you ask? Let me show you!

I am so proud!! And was so honored that I was enough to push her over the edge and write a status update! She doesn't even have a profile picture but the woman can write a status!! I just loved it!! Can't wait to see her and the rest of my family over spring break.

5. Lastly, I am participating in a prayer project for CCM and the things we were meeting on last Saturday. I offered my Mass for that intention on Sunday and tonight I'm beginning my first set of specific prayers. It's made me refocus some of my spiritual life and I think God was trying to teach me a lesson. Well, God, I think I figured it out. I usually worry, worry, worry. With my summer internship, I kept trying, over and over, to give my worries to God. And I did! I had let it go. I knew what I wanted but I wasn't praying for that - I was praying for the Lord's will to be my will. After I got my call from UPike today I just had the feeling that God was smiling at me saying "Listen, Emily, I am taking care of you. Don't worry so much. I already have it all figured out for you." It's just a thought I am preparing to ponder as I close for the night.

I hope all of you have found a reason in your day to smile. There is always a reason to smile. As for me, I'll be smiling for days!!