good things come to those who wait :)

Well....here I am. July 15, 2009. No job, no money, and no decisions made. But let me tell you about the amazing summer I have had already!

Kristal and Cade's Wedding was just so sweet! I was so blessed to be apart of it! It was a huge success!! Everything was so beautiful, Kristal was STUNNING, and her family is just so special! Here is a picture of us from her wedding day!



I volunteered to help out in the children's ministry at the church I grew up in, Kaufman Church of Christ back in April, with no real understanding of what was in store for me! I decided I wanted to help because I was trying to find something beneficial for my time this summer and I certainly was not ready and willing to start my first ever SLP job just yet. I wanted to take a few months to just relax and get myself together after a long and difficult 2 years of grad school. I knew that the church needed help in many different areas, but for some reason I felt called to the children's ministry. That ministry is definitely a part of the person I have become. I felt like I needed to give back to this church for all that it has done for me and my family over the past 24+ years. SOOO here we are!!

• VBS was a HUGE success! We had about 70 kids each night and about 60 volunteers who made it such an amazing event for our church! I can't thank those volunteers enough for all their hard work decorating, planning, and praying for the success of VBS 2009! We couldn't have done it without them!!
• I am teaching Summer Kamp Kidz on Wednesday nights this summer and these kids are so much fun! I love listening to them sing and talk about bible stories! They are teaching me more and more about Jesus everyday in a way I haven't ever thought about!
  
• My only wish right now is that more adults in our church would feel the call to come serve in the children's and youth ministry! We have some amazing teachers already but I know there are so many more that would make our ministry even more successful!

Miss Camillie came to visit for 6 days while VBS was going on!! She had a blast!!! She learned the Booster Booster song and got to go on a treasure dig every night where she chose the same star sunglasses but different colors every night! Enjoy this sweet picture that I took right after she left the treasure cave!!



THE JOB HUNT:

Well.....I should probably be more pro-active about it, but I cannot get motivated. Also, I think I have eaten my words about not working in a school setting. I have an interview with Lewisville ISD tomorrow! ha ha! I have been praying about it and I just feel like a school placement would be the best fit for me right now! Also I am in a family full of educators and I would not be a happy camper if they were all livin it up for 2 weeks at Christmas time without me! So pray for my interview tomorrow!

I think that's all for now! Back to work!

-B

10 days

Until I graduate!!! I can't believe it is actually here. I never thought I'd see the day where I can sign my name:

Brooke Johnson, M.S., CF/SLP!!!!!!

Holy Cow! I mean not as good as the CCC/SLP but we're getting there! That's right people, I am almost an official Speech Language Pathologist. Apparently I am going to be trusted enough by my future employer to assess and treat people with communication disoders! Whoa! Anyway---if you know of an SLP job opening in a Skilled Nursing Facility (nursing home) let me know! I am planning on moving home to my parents house for the summer so that I can job hunt in the area. My plans are to work in the metroplex so I can be closer to my family and my neice and "hasn't graced us with his pressence yet" new nephew! That's right....if you have heard my sister is having another baby but this time it's a boy! Yay!! I can't even explain how much I love being an AUNT! It's my favorite job in the world!

Okay Diary of a Bride'smaid update :)
1. Kristal's Lingerie Shower is this weekend and I am pumped because the famous INAPPROP cookies will make an appearance!! And Briana and I are planning some fun games to play at my house after dinner!

*Kristal's Wedding Bride'smaid dress----CHECK!

2. Briana asked me to be a Bride'smaid in her wedding this coming October! I am so honored :) She and her mom are going dress shopping on Friday but I have to miss it because of my internship. BUMMER! But hopefully there will be more dress shopping trips in Dallas this summer that I can attend!!

*Briana's Wedding Bride'smaid dress----IN PROGRESS

3. Megan and Will were in Abilene this past weekend to take engagement pictures with the amazing Erin Kelley Woolsey (sp?)! They have some awesome shots and one picture that they looked like they could conquer the world! I love them! They took me to lunch on Friday before they headed out to Midland for a wedding and it was so fun catching up with them for a bit! They are getting married November 1.... Yep--Bri's wedding Oct. 24 and Meg's wedding Nov. 1.

*Megan's Wedding Bride'smaid dress----CHECK!

That's about all that's going on here....WELL I'm turning 24 on Sunday!! and moving away from Abilene for good the next Sunday. Such a weird thought to be moving away from Abilene. It's been my home for 6 years and to think I probably won't ever live here again is sooo bitter/sweet. I knew this day would come sooner or later.....

Here's to new homes, new jobs, new lives, and new experiences!!

the Praxis is tomorrow :(

Say a little prayer for me and my fellow SLP buddies because we are taking our national certification exam tomorrow at 11. Yikes! I am a little anxious to take this test because I do not do well with testing of any sort. I have lots of test anxiety which usually gets in the way of the information that I actually do know! Super Annoying! Anyway....just pray for us between 11 and 1 tomorrow if you think about it! Much appreciated! :)

5 weeks from yesterday...

.......I'll no longer be a student!! WEIRD.

Well TSHA was this past weekend in Austin. I haven't laughed as hard and as much as I did at TSHA in a long time!! I had the best time hanging out with the girls from school, friends from ACU who went to other grad schools (Sara, Kami, Courtney), friends who have already graduated (Katie), and of course my teachers and supervisors (TB, B Squared, Mrs. T, Corrie, and Dava Lynn). My research group had to present our project we have been working on for the last two years of our lives so it was a huge burden lifted on my shoulders to get that done with!! I am so glad to be done with that! So COMPS and Research are down....PRAXIS to go. Barf. April 25 is rapidly approaching...

Well while in Austin, I called up the boy from last summer. He works downtown Austin and only a couple of blocks from the convention center so I thought well, I should probably call him up and see if he wants to do lunch one day while I'm there. I know I am such a nice person. You don't have to remind me. We actually hadn't talked in a while so I wasn't even sure if it was actually going to happen, but he finally called me back and made me think he was actually exciting about meeting for lunch. So we went, it was weird, and haven't heard from him since. That is actually how exciting lunch was also. He was weird around me. Honeslty, I'm not shocked. BUT-there was nothing left between us. I was so over it. We are in different places in our lives and I don't think we would ever be in the same place. Done.

BTW-Have I mentioned lately that 4 of my best girl friends have gotten engaged in the last month. WTF. Just too weird. And 4 girls in my grad program have gotten engaged in the last month. holy cow. I just need/want a date. So the confessions of a bridesmaid are coming soon. So far I've got a wedding in June and November of 2009! those would be number's 7 and 8 on the list of weddings I've been apart of. None of them have been my own. Too bad. :) Oh well, my day will come according to everyone who has an opinion about my love life. Also---God has someone amazing out there for me. No Doi. But I don't want to hear that right now. I want to hear my phone ring with Zac Efron on the other end asking me on a date. A girl can dream....

Plans for the summer-

1. Move home to my parents house/save money.
2. Work with the children's ministry at KCOC.
3. Be a bridesmaid in Kristal's wedding.
4. Go to a beach---hopefully.
5. Hang out with my favorite sister, niece and cousins! :)
6. FIND A JOB.
7. FIND A PLACE TO LIVE.
8. Lose some grad school stress weight.
9. Read for pleasure.
10. RELAX!

Alrighty- time to go do the dishes!

-Brooke

I know, I know...But here's my excuse:

COMPS are tomorrow!!!! I haven't been keeping up with my blog very good and I have definitely heard about it from several of you (i.e. Leslie, Felicia, Megan, Sara, Krystina...the list continues) but I have been just so out of it for a while trying to get prepared for all the BIG things I have to do in my LAST....yeah I said it...LAST semester EVER!!! Please say a little prayer for me and my fellow second years as we take this test that has been looming over our heads for quite some time now. We start at 8ish and working on the test all day so if you every think about me and my speech path friends tomorrow just say a quick little "give them strength and knowledge" prayer for us, I would greatly appreciate it! A better update will come over Spring Break. I promise.

PS. Happy Birthday to my old friend Penny JoAnn tomorrow! Love you!

-Much Love :)

My Love for HSM.....and I am not ashamed!

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Yes, I was there on opening night to see HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL3! AND IT WAS AWESOME! My very wonderful friends Krystina and Briana went along with me! Some may say that I am obsessed or that I need to grow up, but I'm sorry I can't not love those movies! I have even decided that I think Heaven for me will be me and Zac Efron (Troy) dancing around and singing and all of my friends/family/innocent by standers will break into a choreographed song and dance for all of eternity. Sounds amazing right? Well this lovely little video was made for me by my good friend Kristal who knows my love for HSM and Zac. She even loves my Zac Efron folder for Voice Disorders class! I love my friends!

I'll update soon about ACU Homecoming! HSM was just a little more important in my book! ha!

-B

UPDATE!!!

Well.....I am dying for a Dr. Pepper and would love for my withdraw headache's to go away! That is how much I was addicted! So. Sad. I was out to eat with some friends tonight and one of my friends ordered a DP and I almost grabbed it out of his hand at one point because I was having a weak moment! PATHETIC. I KNOW. I am also dying to get on facebook, but I haven't. One time though---I turned on my computer, clicked on the internet icon, typed in facebook.com, opened the sign in page, and then I yelled at myself. It was just out of habit but still...I can't even look at the sign in page or I think I will give in. I NEED A LIFE.

This past week was actually been pretty good for me. I really feel myself changing. I know it has only been a week, but God is working! I know it's weird to think that getting rid of silly things in your life (i.e. DP, facebook, etc.) will give you some clarity, but it does! I know that this year is going to be better because I have been blessed with close relationships with the girls in my class. I have really loved getting to hang out with Kristal so much these past few weeks! I wish we had hung out more last year! I've been missing out! We are grad school soul mates! I think people might be a little annoyed with us in class...but hey, we think we are funny and we entertain ourselves so we don't really care!

This coming weekend I get to see my family! HALLELUJAH!! I am in desperate need of family time!! It's been too long! It's Camille's 2nd birthday bash. Holy Moly....she's 2. When did that happen? She has grown up so fast already. I love talking with her on the phone because we can actually have a conversation. Instead of me talking in a baby voice to the phone for her to hear...I can ask her questions and she actually answers them with correct answers! She's so smart! Anyway--I got her a snow white dress up set that i think she will love...solely because there are high heel shoes! A girl after my own heart! LOVE HER!

74 days Until CHRISTMAS!

-B