Day 12

  I would like to apologize again for not blogging since day 5. I have yet to get into a blogging rhythm! I wanted to start of this blog thanking EVERYONE for the kind e-mails, encouraging comments on my blog and calls on my Magic Jack. Reading and hearing those things makes my day so much more brighter. I really cannot thank you enough - even if you did do it just because it was your "homework" (thanks Dad!).

  Well, since this was my first week teaching alone at school, and my second week here, I though I might just tell a little bit about my daily schedule.

4 AM - 6 AM: School starts at 7, so my roommate and I try to get up every morning at 6 to get ready. I say TRY because I, no matter what time I go to bed, cannot sleep through the hour of four o`clock. Let me explain: it doesn't matter if I am in bed at 8, or if I stay up doing something and am completely exhausted at midnight... every single morning I wake up at 4:00 am. Serious! I wake up, look at the clock, and it ALWAYS says 4:00 AM. Never 3:59, never 4:05... It is the weirdest thing ever. So, I lay there and try to sleep until 6. But this hardly ever works - instead I just lay there thinking about how I miss my family and all the problems I have (this runs in my family - my mom will also stay awake in the morning or at night and just worry about stuff). Upon telling my dad about this problem, he suggested that instead of wasting an hour in bed worrying and starting off my day all wrong, that I should use that time to just be with God. And that is what I have done this whole week. I wake up at 4 AM, try and sleep for another hour (sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't), and then at 5 AM I just get up, and get my essential things:

The best Devotional Book EVER.

My favorite bible - have had it since I got baptized almost 10 years ago and it has tons of 9 year old Ansley scribbles in it

Everyone told me before coming here to KEEP A JOURNAL. So, I am. And it has been so good! I end every journal entry with "FTTBTFT" (Five Things To Be Thankful For Today). 

One of my Christmas presents this year was from Bronwyn. Every Sunday and Wednesday I get to open an envelope that has a letter from her and a print-out of an inspiring quote. I LOVE IT!!

Have I said on this blog yet that I have the BEST FAMILY EVER? Well, I do. Every single day that I will be here, I have a letter to open from someone in  my family. They pretty much make me cry every day. And I cannot even say how much I love love love them. 

Sometimes I take my boyfriend's book with me to read if I have any time leftover before six. Yes, Tim Tebow is my boyfriend. He just doesn't know it yet. I am obsessed with him - completely respect what he does and says in the media. And if you don't, you are insane. Just read this.

6 AM - 7 AM: Get ready for school! This means professional-looking clothes- no jeans! Which stinks for me... I am a jeans girl. Twice a week we can wear sweatpants, and those are my favorite days. Yay for 5 dollar sweatpants from Walmart!

7 AM - 3 PM: Work. Not my favorite part of the day, but it is still fun! I love working with the younger kids and I love recess and lunch and breakfast breaks. Sometimes I stay until 4 to tutor kids that need it or get detention. I taught some of my students/friends how to play the card game "kemps", and they want to play it EVERY SINGLE DAY. We have so much fun. Different people play everyday, but Christian, Erick, Romer, Holger, Juan David and I always play. Here is a picture of me with Christian (left), Romer (middle) and Erick (right). They look very serious in photos but are actually hilarious.

3 or 4 PM - 6 PM: My FAVORITE part of the day. Walking down the hill with the cutest kids ever, playing with them, knocking on Maritza's (my Ecuadorian bff) door, just being around kids and people that I love. Yesterday, for example, I got home from school, played kemps, sang and played guitar with Christian, cleaned up the apartment (with help from Juan David), and then was called to participate in a heated soccer game. They all wanted to see the "brazilian" play soccer. I'm sure my dad and brothers are laughing at this... but I actually am not that bad at soccer! I can take the ball away from people and make some decent passes. So the kids were all wowed and starting patting me on the back. OH YEAH, GARRETT! Anyways, here are the teams. Team Number 1 - Maritza's team. Players: Cyntia, Christian, Jorge, Esteban, Fabian and Adan. 

And then Team Number 2: Ansley's team! Players: John, Luis, Juan David, Matias and my baby (Anthony).  

  It was a pretty awesome game, even though we lost 5 x 0. BUT - I am still not used to the altitude here and after about 3 minutes of running around I could hardly breathe, so I had to stop many times. I told the other team that was why they won, but they weren't buying it. Maybe before May I will be able to kick their booties in soccer!! You never know.

6 PM - 9 PM: Also a really good time of day. I get to call my parents (PRAISE GOD FOR SKYPE AND MAGIC JACK. SERIOUSLY), eat yummy suppers and watch Seinfeld before bed. (P.S.- Seinfeld: MY FAVORITE SHOW EVER).

 Thank you once again for all of your support and encouragement. Every day gets better and better, but every day there is at least one moment where I just get discouraged and miss my family. I know it is normal and it will probably go away but it is very hard to deal with right now!! Thank you for your prayers, they are working - I feel more and more of God's peace everyday!! I will try to post on the blog 4 times this week. Maybe more!!

 Love, Ansley

P.S.- Typical Saturday morning at the Hacienda: waking up at 6 am with the most annoying yellow bird EVER tapping on your window. Waking up again at 7 am with the girls singing "Little Drummer Boy" in Spanish and playing the flute along with it. Gotta love it.