~Artistic -- My mom always pushed us to be well-rounded people. For holidays, she used to make sure we had gifts that motivated exercise/play, linguistic skills, imagination, and creativity. She used to hang my artwork up in the house. She would let me pause movies we were watching so I could sketch the actress's dress. My sister Jill taught me how to draw people, especially in profile. Whether it was landscape paintings, miniature clay figurines, or my latest endeavor, painting letters for nurseries, I've always craved artistic outlets.
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| My latest letter-painting project, for Jill and Jodi to give to their friend, Stacie |
~Christian -- Being Christian definitely defines me. Major life decisions (joining Campus Crusade, not dating Jason back in 2004, living in Maryland for a summer in '05) were results of my Christian faith and without those decisions, I wouldn't have the same set of beliefs or friends or the same love story. My faith in God and Jesus has gotten me through tough times and filled me with praise during good times. I feel a sense of belonging and a purpose to life because of my beliefs.
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| Where artistic meets Christian -- Jason and I love photography, and in photographing nature, we have found a greater appreciation for God's creation and its intricacy. Here, I was taking a picture of a ladybug, and didn't even see the tiny bug hanging out a few needles over. |
~Scientist -- Being a Christian and a scientist may seem contradictory to you, but the more I learn about the world and science, the more convinced I am that a Higher Power had to be responsible for it. No, I'm not still working as a chemist, but I am a scientist at heart. I am organized. I may no longer write down how a reagent was made, including lot numbers and precise weights, but I can share a recipe in detail with a friend. I may no longer manage ten ion chromatography jobs for ten different clients at once, but I am a multitasking, errand-running, list-following fiend! I am passionate about science. I love science documentaries like last night's "If We Had No Moon," narrated by Mr. Jean-Luc Picard himself, Patrick Stewart. I have t-shirts that say "Help me, I'm Diene" and "Safety Goggles are for Losers." I have my own lab coat (thanks to Kristen B.) and safety goggles. I have glasses shaped like beakers and spice jars shaped like test tubes (thanks, Mom & Dad, for both of them). To say I love science is an understatement!
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| Our super-organized (and super-busy!) job board on my last day at Enthalpy |
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| Passing the love of science on to a future generation. A chemistry onesie for Kristen S. (a former chemist herself) and her daughter, Hannah. |
~Teacher -- While you may imagine a chemist-turned-teacher as a hard-hitting, lab-a-day, these-are-the-facts-and-you-must-learn-them dictator, I couldn't be farther from that picture. Maybe it's the artistic person coming out in me. Maybe because in science, like Christianity, it's important to know WHY you're believing what you're believing and not just memorize facts because people have been saying it for thousands of years. All I know is that I'm more of an activity teacher than a lab teacher. Don't get me wrong. I cherished the 40 hours a week I spent in the lab. But I'm a science geek. The majority of students I will be teaching are not. That's why I love posters, rap songs, artistic representations, and transformations of childhood things, all for the sake of science. Every moment is a teaching moment, and whether I'm in a formal classroom setting or answering an inquisitive toddler's questions about Jason's tripod at a state park, I'm happy.
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| Every moment is a teaching moment. Here, I was teaching my cousin, Adam, that it's a bad idea to beat me at Wii swordplay. |
No, these aren't my only characteristics. I'm an OCD, goofy, love to sing, really bad at singing, curly-headed, big-foreheaded, freckly, country girl who lives in the big city. But that's another post...
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