Nov.22-30

Day 22: I am thankful that I am not a picky eater. Sure there are several things that I don't want to ever eat and some things that I have given up over the years (mostly pork). I will eat most things  and really I just like to eat food that someone else cooks for me.

Day 23: Leah Blake - Lots of amazing things that I could say about 1 of my best friends. Lately I just am thankful that we have kept in great communication even though we are living in different countries and time zones. I love how she randomly tells me that I am great or she loves me. I think she is a great friend, an amazing mother to her children, a great wife to her fun husband...for sure a woman that I am very thankful that the L-rd allowed our paths to connect.

Day 24: FaceTime - with a few of my closest friends living in other locations I am super thankful for this. It allows my quality time bucket to be filled up!

Day 25: Maya - I love having a biological niece. It is so great to watch her grow up and be involved in her life. Grateful that she lives close to me so I can do random drop-in visits.

Day 26: All the kids in my life - I have several nieces and nephews in my life (non-biological - but pretty much family anyways). Most of my friends have kids and I am thankful they allow me to be part of their children's lives. From playing dress up, taking them to movies, going sledding, ice cream dates, watching them play sports, etc. I am just glad that my friends with kids let me (the single girl) be a small part of their family!

Day 27: Living in a place that has all the four season. I really enjoy nature.

Day 28: Snow Days! I enjoy them - even though my district usually has us make them up. However, a spontaneous day off out of nowhere is a fun thing. Movies, sleeping in, drinking tea in my sweats = a great time.

Day 29: Traveling - I enjoy taking trips on the days I am not at work. I have seen some pretty amazing places!


Day 30: Debt Free! I have been debt free for a few years now and I just love having a little extra cash to spend on others or to save for trips!

Nov. 8-21

Day 8: My grandparents. I was blessed with pretty amazing grandparents. We did fun things together growing up: spending the night, gardening, eating at fritzs, playing in the yard. They all did a great job of being involved in my life whether it was phone calls, fun mail, or just coming to watch me in my sporting events. My Grandma Marlin is still here on earth - almost 89 - I still get to see her and talk to her on a somewhat regular basis. There are lots of days where I miss my Grandma Maasen - she was funny and had some pretty great stories about my dad as a kid!

Day 9: My 4Runner - I am just thankful I was able to buy a car that I have wanted for a long time. It is more reliable than my old car that was barely hanging on. I ma just glad I have a car that I can count on to get me from point A to point B - which is mostly to work, but sometimes on road trips to Ohio!

Day 10: Coca-Cola Classic! It is tasty and it makes my day a little brighter when I guzzle down the fizz! YUM

Day 11: My dad - 1. he is a veteran, and I am thankful that he helped in the Vietnam War. 2. He loves me a lot and shows me on a regular basis - mostly through random acts of service or gifts. 3. He is a softie, he acts tough but really he cries at most of my coaching or teaching stories - he has a big heart.

Day 12: Pets. I currently do not have a pet and that is okay because I live in an apartment and I coach long hours so that would not be fair. I loved having pets as I was growing up, just fun to play with them or when I was having a bad day they would just make it better. I do miss my Harley Dog pretty often because she was fun, softest fur ever, and a great dog. So until I get another dog, I will continue to dog/house sit for friends and get my dog fix that way.

Day 13: College - I went to Northwest Missouri State university, home of the Bearcats. I fell in love with that school when I went to visit there. The main pull was that they had an elementary school on campus - so I could get lots of my teaching credit and observation hours right on campus. I loved my professors/mentors that I had in the P.E. Department. I made several friends through my degree and my sorority, many of them I still actually see and talk to on a somewhat regular basis. Seriously one of the best decisions I have made  in my life!

Day 14: My Former Athletes - I enjoy keeping in contact with my former athletes. I love to see what is going on in their lives and not just what is on Facebook. I love when the out of town girls text me or ask to meet up when they are home for breaks or vacations. Sometimes they even contact me when something difficult has happened to them or their family - this is usually really hard on me, but I am still thankful that they care about our relationship to let me know about it. I am glad that they do not just look at me as a person that coached them for a year or so and then move on, I love staying connected to them.

Day 15: Bible Study Girls - I meet with 12 high school girls on a monthly basis to discuss life, the Bible, and how to continue to make great Godly decisions. They were all my students and/or athletes in middle school. They are all terrific young ladies and it has been really fun getting to know them on a deeper level. They are already amazing women working for HIS kingdom I am excited to see what else HE has planned for them.

Day 16: Raining days on the weekends - I am not a huge fan of rain, however I do love some cloudy, raining, lazy couch days on the weekend, it is almost as great as a snow day!

Day 17: Torah study with Emma - It is just fun to read the Torah portion out loud. Look up cross references, look at maps, and read the scripture in other versions. Just pure fun!

Day 18: College Football - I like to watch college football games on TV or in person. I like the pace of the game better than the NFL.

Day 19: Kingdom Living - This is my church/community. I love it. I enjoy the people that come to the community, I love our closeness we have built over the years. I just enjoy being part of a group that is trying hard every day to do what God wants us to do.

Day 20: Boot Camp - Yes it is at 5:00AM 2 days a week - however once I get there it is usually a grand old time. Great fun ladies!

Day 21: My Health - I am thankful that I do not have any real health problems and that I rarely get sick. It is just great to be able to do what I do and not have too many aches and pains to hold me back!

Nov. 5th-7th

Day 5:  I am thankful for Mark Patrick Maasen! He is amazing brother, man, father, son! I could talk about all the ways he is great for hours. I am just so blessed that God gave me a brother that loves me and wants to hang out with me on a regular basis. I love that he is funny, sweet, caring, and giving. He is a treasure!

Day 6: I am thankful that I am able to be a coach. I have coached for several years. I love it, true it does take up a big chunk of the time in my life (especially during softball season) but I really think it is what I am suppose to be doing. I love listening to kids, talking to them, and coaching them. It is just plain fun. I enjoy being called coach! It is just a great job!

Day 7: I am thankful Harmony Middle School. I have a great job, a great building filled with really great people. The people in my building care about the kids and the adults. It does help that the administrators are fantastic as well! I have been here for 13 years and I cannot imagine leaving. LOVE IT HERE!

Nov. 1-4th

So lots of people are posting things that they are thankful for since it is November. I try very hard to be thankful for all things (even the hard, difficult things), sometimes I stink at it but I still try. So I decided since I am not so great at blogging anymore - mostly I am lazy and not really sure what to write about - that I would post my days of thankfulness for all to read.
Day 1: I am thankful for Jesus and that He died for me. I honestly do not know where I would be, who I would be friends with, and lots of other things if I would not have started walking a life that is about trying to walk out my faith each and every day. He has given me so much!

Day 2:  I am thankful for my mom. She is great! I love all the silly things that she has done in my life (notes, voice mails, etc.). She has always been my #1 fan since December 9, 1977. I love that she stayed home with my brother and I as we were growing up - a huge blessing.

Day 3: I am thankful for Melissa Yoh. She is my best friend on the planet. I love that she can tell me exactly what I need to hear at even given moment. I love how she can still surprise me after being friends for this long. Even though sometimes it is hard to be so far away from her - I know that our relationship will continue to grow and withstand the distance.

Day 4: I am thankful for Wyatt William Blake. Though his life here on earth was short I am so thankful I got to be part of his life. I often have memories of him being a cheetah or a lion. The days when he would change superhero outfits numerous times a day. When he learned how to wink and we practiced together. Playing soccer in the front yard, Legos. Him and Cassidy playing games in my closet when he was my roommate. I miss his voice, his laugh, his sensitive hear, his hugs and just the way he yelled my name when I came home!

It's back

Well readers I have an announcement  - - --
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Photo of the Day is BACK! This year I am trying to take all the photos with my phone or iPAD. I have them on a page just like last time (right about this post)

The photos might not be in actual order and right now I have not labeled them (one step at a time), so enjoy! I will get around to labeling them and putting them in the correct order soon. If you are on facebook then they are in ordered & labeled there.

Thanks for reading my blog and looking at my pictures.

Pure Joy To MY Heart

Both of these girls bring a huge smile to my heart every time I see them. I just wanted to share with my readers in hope you get a smile on your face as well. 

Maya

My niece has been here on the planet for a little over a month now. She is so great - of course. I have not gotten to see her as much as I would like however when I do get to see her beautiful face it makes my whole week better.
One of the greatest parts of her being here is I get to see my brother be even more amazing. It is really fun to watch him love on his daughter, be protective of her, be sweet with her, snuggle her, oh man I could go on and on. I knew he would be a great dad - but man better than I imagined. He is such a great man and for that I am thankful God made him MY BROTHER!

There will hopefully be many more posts on my niece!!

Summertime Maasen Style

It has been brought to my attention that I have not blogged in a long time - I do not really have a reason other than i just don't think about it.
As a teacher there are a few questions that I get asked VERY often:

1. What do you do ALL summer? 
2. When do you go back to work? 

To answer the first comon question, I will tell you what I have been up to this summer. Mostly I have been relaxing and just enjoying not having to do much. I tend to stay pretty busy and work several hours during my 9 months of the school year. So here is some random things that I have done this summer so far.

• going to the pool to work on my tan/even out my coaching tan lines (my feet are finally pretty tan) 
• went to a leadership training for work
• worked a softball camp for a few days
• drove to Ohio and back for about a week to visit my best friend
• went to Italy for 8 days - Florence, Venice, and Rome - so great I have posted pictures on facebook and I will be blogging on that trip soon 
• working out at the gym - i started a new workout program, I'm only on week 2 but it is pretty good so far
• house/dog sitting for a lady i work for
• tea time with Deann and Susan 
• spending some time with my Granny 
• going up north to hang out with my favorite mom (mine) 
• reading some books
• staying up way to late 
• sleeping in 
• watched my friends dog Coda at my apartment 
• drinking QT summer drinks - mostly the Mango Tea since I am not drinking pop right now
• 4th of July supper with the Johnson Family 
• a day of relaxing and flea market shopping with Angel 
• watching the ALL STAR Game 
• spending some time with my brother 
• eating home grown tomatoes from my dads huge garden 
• FaceTime with the TBlakes
• meeting with 12 high school girls for a Bible Study once a month

Alright now on to question 2: 

I have to go back to work on August 10th. Volleyball starts on August 15th and the first day of school with students is August 16th. I love my job and I don't mind going back to work - I really just miss my free time to do things for myself. 

coaching

It is spring - my season of full on coaching, lots of time spent with high school girls, updating stats, and just being outside on the diamond. Overall, we are having a pretty great season we are currently at 5-7 and I am pretty sure we have a few more wins in us. We have been hitting the ball really well this season which is a huge bonus from last year. We had a few games where we had some errors on defense and left a few people on base instead of scoring them - which kept us from winning those games. 

Also this semester I have been going through a book called InSideOut Coaching with my Coaches Bible Study on Wednesday mornings. It has been a great addition to my coaching principles and ideas. It encourages coaches to go inside their own lives to find out why we are coaching so that we can make sports a life changing experience. I have known for awhile that as a coach I have the potential to influence the lives of many, many children so I try to do it in a positive and uplifting way. This book and the Bible study have helped me enhance that ability to be uplifting coach and person to children.  One of the things that the author of this book challenges us to do is to write a mission statement. It is still a work in progress and I am sure it might change over the years as I learn more. 

"I am called to coach so that I can build long lasting relationships with my athletes. I use my compassion to stand by and encourage them as they journey to become honest and loyal women of God." 


I know that this might not happen with everyone I coach but it is at least my goal for them. 

The APT.

As most of my readers/followers know I moved into an apartment in December. I finally have it set up and cleaned up enough to post some pictures. The walls are still blank and super white and boring, but I am in the process of working on that as well. The apartment life is pretty okay, it is sometimes boring to live alone - but its okay, I am around people almost all day so it is a nice balance I guess. I do miss living with the TBlakes alot and just sharing our days/life together but I am pretty sure this is going to be a great season for all of us. I will post some more pictures when I have some things on the wall, so stay tuned.

 living room

 living room

 living room (the view from the couch)

 My bedroom

 bathroom

 kitchen and laundry room

(the far set of doors is the washer/dryer)

dining room

its about time

Its about time I posted...don't you think? I do not have any pictures for this post just words so hopefully you will stick it out and read.

Wrapping up 2011.....
The month of December went quickly and was jam packed with things.
I have been going to the Chiropractor since right before Thanksgiving (I am still currently going), I had some serious pain in my hip/leg/lower back, it is getting much better in fact it is pretty much back to where I was before the pain. The most annoying part of the injury was I unable to work out for about 6 weeks - this was super hard on me for several reasons but mostly because I enjoy exercising and I also have great alone time with G-d!! I chose to do an enzyme test with my Chiropractor, mostly because he felt that some of my muscle pain and issues was due to nutrition. So I did the test at the end of December and the test was hands on and I could tell a difference as the doctor went through the test which was confirmation for me as the patient. The results came in and I am super low in Vitamin C, and my body has difficult digesting carbohydrates and proteins. So I am eating slightly different - lean meats, lots of veggies, and no coke (Sad FACE) and I am taking some supplements. I get rechecked on Tuesday to make sure that the supplements are working correctly in my body.

I moved into an apartment in Peppertree (6806 Antioch Rd. #236) on December 18th. The move is good but it was sad to leave the TBlake home. The apartment is coming along, I still have some decorating to do - which will most likely be lots of my photos, the problem is deciding which ones and where to put them! I miss coming home to people especially fantastic people like Tom, Leah, and Cassidy. It was just nice to hear people say things when you came in and to hear about their day and share about my day. But with that said it is also nice (at times) to live by myself. I know that I am suppose to be living by myself for awhile so my heart feels good because I am doing what I am suppose to be doing. It is just a tad hard, but thankfully I see my roommates a lot still at least until February 15th. Then it will be super hard but thank the L-rd for Skype!! I also helps the TBlakes move their stuff to 2 locations and clean up 6860, it was lots of work but I enjoy work and it was quality time so I was in a good place. It also meant I got to hang out with the Franz clan which was a super time. They are such great people!

The year ended with a pretty great Family Christmas. I had a hard but good conversation with my dad. Then on my moms side of the family I got to speak good truth to my cousin Kyle. On my moms side we just enjoyed each other and good food! We took some family pictures, mostly because my grandma is going to be 88 and she has not been feeling so great - so we felt it was important to take a large group photo.

Okay I think that is all for the end of the year wrap up - I am sure I forgot something but oh well.

The beginning of 2012....
On New Years Day I went out to my Uncle Gary Maasens house for his 60th birthday. This is the first time I have seen any of the Maasen side of the family in 2 years. Since my grandma Maasen passed away we haven't really done any family things on that side (or at least that I know of). It was fun to see my cousins, aunts and uncles that showed up. Just like all Maasen events it was loud, crowded, and not everyone was there. Still is was great to see those who were there.

I have been doing more things to get settled in my apartment, which is a long and boring process. I have been trying to exercise on a more regular basis now that I am released to do so. I did play some soccer with the KL Kickers last week - found out my body is really not ready for that yet, i was really really sore! I have a freshman girls group that I am leading and we met just the other night, it was great! We are doing a study on Winning G-ds Way, it talks about still choosing G-d and His ways through athletics and high school situations. It is a great study for me as a coach as well as for them the athletes. I enjoy my time with them and I think that G-d is going to do great things with them and our group - I already have some 8th grade girls that are counting the days until they are not my students so that they can join the Bible Study group!

As far as the year of 2012 here is what is on my plate for it:

• spend lots of time with the TBlakes before the move
• Blog once a month or more
• get my body and nutrition figured out and stay on task
• spend lots more time reading His Word 
• More daily quality time with the L-rd
• Trip to see Yoh - maybe a few times 
• Trip to Italy this summer 
• softball season 
• a few coaching clinics
• photoshop class 
• learn more about photography before my trip to Italy 

What A Blessing

I was awarded the Excellence in Education Award in the Blue Valley School District for the month of November. I felt so honored to be chosen by my principal as the winner. I love my job almost everyday for several reasons, too many to really name. It is just an amazing feeling to be recognized for what I think is fun. I work in a great building full of wonderful teachers and students, it is truly G-d's work that I am even there to begin with. Many blessing have occurred in my life since He gave me that job. I love trying to be a righteous teacher for an Awesome G-d! 

Here are a few pictures from the night.

My certificate and my engraved school bell

My family

My Hero - Charlotte Marlin

My amazing mother who helped raised me right

My fantastic dad who helped raised me right

6860 REPRESENT

My principal

My brother 

My shortest roommate

Funny

A tragic example of an in-bread dog!

September Update

I am super behind on blogging and updating my photo of the day. I am sure I could come up with lots of reasons on my lack of blogging, but i won't bore you. Anyways here are some updates - in bullet form - to keep my readers happy!

• school is in full swing, progress reports go out Friday - which means that 1st quarter is almost over...FAST!! 
• I am coaching 8th grade girls volleyball right now, we are 1-1, we recently just beat up the Oxford Knights, my roommate Leah went to school at Oxford so it is ALWAYS fun to beat them. The girls like to beat them because Oxford also feeds into the same high school where my students will go...so they can rub it in for 4 years. :) 
• I help co-lead a group called FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) at my school. We meet on Friday mornings at 7AM. We have had 2 meetings and 50 kids have showed up both times. It is so fun to watch middle school kids talk about G-d! 
• I am going to a coaches Bible Study on Wednesday mornings at 6AM. It is a great way to fellowship with coaches around the district. It is early but always a great time. Tomorrow one of my new volleyball coaches is going to go. I am excited for that, plus that will bring the female number up to 4. There are usually more guys at coaching type functions in case you did not know this. 
• In the photo business: I have 3 family photo shoots lined up for October so that is fun and great news for the photography side of my life. I would like to do more but people just aren't signing up, which is fine. Whatever happens-happens.  
• I've been reading a few books lately: Covenant Relations and Captivating. I am doing a Bible Study with some freshman girls on Captivating - super great to be with them. Covenant Relations is a great book, if you haven't read it you should. 
• My roommates are going to Israel soon(ish) - most likely for 3 years! Whoa! I am excited to for them. BUT I will miss them all a TON. Skype is an amazing thing and I will be using that often. 
• I can get on blogger at work now - which is great news on days I don't have much planning to do or meetings. 
• I am still working out - however I am not doing as much as I was this summer. I am still not at my goal, however the lack of motivation is not as strong as it was this summer. I am hoping that changes soon. 

Lots going on here in Michigan/Ohio/a trip to NC. I have done some fun things throughout July while I have been away from Kansas. I have added the best photo of each day to the POTD section, I will also add some on this post for those of us who like photos and words. I have gotten lots of quality time in with my best friend which is the main reason I come to Michigan/Ohio. We have gone to the pool, gotten pedicures, watched some movies, eaten out at some fun restaurants, gone to her mothers house, gone to 4-H Camp, gone to 2 beaches in North Carolina, been to an aquarium, fed 2 horses, played with little girls, moved out furniture so carpet could be ripped up from water damage, played some games, ate ice cream, and lots more. I will be here for about another week which is packed with fun already which includes some pudgy pies, cedar point, cowboy boot shopping. 

Here are a few photos...in no particular order

quick one

Okay so I finally updated my POTD Page!!
I know! I know! I was far behind.
I am also working on a real post about some things that we have done in Michigan so far. You can look at Big Cassie's page to see a little of what has been going on!!
Thanks for checking out the photos.

Who Is Diving in....

The answer is Big Cass and Angie Welton! 

Here are some full process-diving-in-shots...

Summer 2011

Well I believe that lots of people wont read my blog if there is not any pictures to grab the attention first. Let's be honest pictures are more fun than words! Anyways so here is a picture of two of my friends diving into a pond, can you guess who?

So it's summer - my favorite time of the year! It has been my favorite part of the year my whole life not just because I am a teacher. I use to play lots and lots of softball games in the summer and spend all day at the pool with my friends - -loads of fun!

Lots of people have been asking me so what do I during the summer or all day since I don't work. To be honest my first reaction is usually I RELAX! Mainly because during the school year I work 50-55 hours per week during my non-busy seasons (August-February) and I work around 65-72 hours per week during my busy season (March-May). So relaxing is something I don't do much of from August-May!
Other than that here is what I have going on this summer: (bullet points to keep you focused)

• relaxing with my roommates
• some pool time
• updating and enhancing my photo business
• working out - I have been told I am working out a lot and I probably am but I have a goal and I will not have the use of a fitness center in July, so I need to get my time in now. I have reached some of my short term goals so that keeps me motivated. But I still like drinking cokes! I will probably have one this week. 
• reading books (currently Covenant Relationships)
• working 2 softball camps (one for BVNW and one for FCA)
• doing a small group/Bible study with some of my students that are now technically freshman girls 
• going to Michigan for the month of July to see my best friend Yoh (this is always super relaxing and fun for me) 
• maybe playing a softball game or 2 while in Michigan with Yoh's sister 
• going to North Carolina for a week with Yoh's family
• staying up late 
• sleeping in 
• going on some photo taking trips

Best Friends

TCTWWMD

So April 28th was National Take Your Child To Work Day (TYCTWD - what teachers use for this day), well as you know I do not have a child, however I have a fantastic 4 year old roommate so we made it Take Cass To Work With Maasen Day (TCTWWMD)!!
Words really cannot tell you how much fun we both had - that is why I am going to post pictures too. All my students wanted to talk to her and wanted to know how I knew her, I had to let them know that she was not my child, but my roommate who I love dearly, she is one of my most favorite people on earth. She had fun too she was giving out high fives and hugs like it was her job! The students loved it, she even hugged a few 7th grade boys - super awesome to witness that. Most of my students could not get over how cute she was!
We ran and played a game called gladiator and Cass jumped right in after she woke up and played with the big kids. I think she had a great time - I am pretty sure her favorite part was the size of my fridge in my "study"(which is really my office but she kept calling it a study - like Papa's) "The fridge is just my size Maas", she kept saying. It really is the little things in life!
Here are some pictures of the day - too bad I didn't take a picture of the fridge! ENJOY!

Eating breakfast together at my desk 

 A quick stop to pick some flowers

Getting her ball ready for Gladiator 

 8th grade girls she played with

 She had to test out the pencil sharpener

 Adding some lessons to my calendar for me

 Eating lunch with some 6th grade girls

 Two cool chicks at lunch

 Talking to the 6th grade girls while stretching

Playing Gladiator like a champ!