Christmas Day

They say as you get older, Christmas loses it's magic. I haven't found that to be true.

As I've gotten older, there have been a few Christmases that have been disappointing and heart-wrenching because my expectations were too high or there wasn't as much suspense and childlike wonder.

As I've gotten older, though, I've appreciated the little things so much more. I appreciate giving gifts rather than receiving. This year, I bought presents for everyone and didn't tell anyone what I wanted. Because I truly don't desire anything. I've found that when I really get a good prospective on what Christmas is, the celebration of Jesus' birth and family traditions, receiving presents is not as exciting. I appreciate the love and bonds my family shares. I appreciate a warm house, cozy blankets, a good book, and peace and quiet to enjoy myself. I appreciate family games and fighting over rules. I appreciate not having to be anywhere, but setting my own schedule. I appreciate sleeping in rather than waking up early just to see how many presents are under the tree and count how many I got compared to how many my siblings got.

This year, we spent the morning opening our stockings and eating the treats inside, and opening presents. I got the book 'Wonder' from my brother, who was my secret Santa. I have read this book and really wanted to own it, because it's amazing! I also got a pair of boots and sweatshirt/shirt from my parents.

I spent the day pretty chill, played a new game my brother got with my siblings, read Little Women (which I finally finished), and watched the movie, watched New Girl, brought some baby bunnies inside for snuggles, and after our Christmas dinner of ham, potatoes and Brussels sprouts, we watched Christmas Vacation as a family.

It was a nice Christmas. It was very calm, snowy, and peaceful. I couldn't have asked for a better holiday. I hope you all spent time with the ones you love and had a great day.

Happy New Year,

Holly be Jolly

Christmas Eve Traditions

The Wisniew family has many traditions. We have some with my more extended family, my dad's brother and sister and their spouses and kids, and with our immediate Big Wisniew clan. We are called the Big Wisniews and my dad's brother's family is called the Little Wisniews. My dad's sister's family are the Currahs. Our Grandma Dawnee, my dad's mom, lives in a nursing home in Shoreline (Crista). The Currahs live in Tacoma, and us Wisniews live in Everett. We are separated by Big and Little because not only is my dad the oldest brother, making him bigger by default, our family is larger as well. We have 5 kids and so far the Little Wisniews only have 3. Anyway.

Our Wisniew-Currah tradition is to celebrate and exchange gifts on Christmas eve. I guess this is what my dad's family did as kids. So we hold to the tradition. This year, we drove to Tacoma for the party. We did a secret Santa gift exchange and chose names on Thanksgiving, which the Little Wisniews hosted. So since Thanksgiving we've been getting things ready for our secret person. I had my little 2 year old cousin Helena, of the Little Wisniew clan, and I got her a monkey board game.

As soon as all three families arrived, we ate a late lunch/early dinner (around 3pm), and did the gift exchange after that.

During the gift exchange, it started snowing!!

After the presents, all us kids went outside to play in the snow and we ate our dessert (brownies), in the snow. Eventually we left and braved the snowstorm back to our warm cozy house where apple cider and Christmas music was waiting.

Our close family traditions also include a secret Santa. We do a SS between the siblings every year and once or twice we've opened the SS gifts on Christmas eve. I had my sister, and I got her a journal (she's been letting us all know she needs a new one), and a Dutch Bros gift card because coffee is her favorite thing. If you buy her coffee, you win her heart. This year, we're saving all the presents for Christmas day. On the night of Christmas eve, my mom, sister and I ususally watch a Christmas movie and make goodies and wrap presents. This year, my mom and I watched New Girl while I wrapped my brothers' presents and my mom made her sunflower seed butter cups and peppermint cups. They are basically like Reese's peanut butter cups but dairy, gluten, nut and everything free.

Then I went to bed, excited for presents and chill family time and bunny snuggles on Christmas day.

Merry Christmas to all,

Holls be Jolls

Color Blindness Is The New Racism

My class this quarter on culture and equity in the classroom focused a lot on race and we learned a little bit about why colorblindness, when we're talking about race, is harmful in the classroom and in life. I had the opportunity to talk to my uncle about it over Thanksgiving. His original thought was that color blindness was something that was good, and meant that you saw everyone as the name and looked past their skin color and just saw the person they are.

If you are unfamiliar with the term of colorblindness, when it refers to race and the color of your skin, it basically means that you don't see the color of people. In theory, this seems great. It seems that if you can do this, you have overcome racial differences and race in general - and see only people and who they are inside.

But, it is actually detrimental to the goal of eliminating racism and segregation. If you claim that you see everyone the same, and you don't see race, you are claiming that you see everyone as of the same race: yours.

Colorblindness seeks to eliminate racism but it in fact creates more separation. Most white people can very easily ignore racism in our culture and call themselves "colorblind" meaning that they don't see race. This means they are ignoring the racial tensions that do still exist, and the only thing they are doing to combat that is saying that everyone is the same. Just calling everyone the same doesn't make them all the same.

Minorities experience racial tension very differently than most white people do. Since they are typically on the receiving end of the racism, it's nearly completely impossible to ignore. You will never hear a person of color calling themselves "colorblind". However, it's becoming increasingly popular among the language of many white people. Trying to ignore color is not going to get us anything but more racial tension.

When you think deeper about colorblindness, it suggests that there is something wrong with being "of color". If colorblindness equals peace, than people of color do not equal peace. It suggests that there is something wrong with having colored skin or being another nationality besides Caucasian. Colorblindness says that because you're not white, your race doesn't matter. A black person would never say to someone who is white, "I don't see color, I only see people for who they are on the inside." I'm sure there are exceptions, but just think about it. 

To call yourself colorblind, you are imposing that race doesn't matter. That if everyone was the SAME, we could all get along. That if we don't see race, we can live more peaceful lives and eliminate racism. However, any person of a minority nationality will tell you that race DOES matter. Even as a white female, I know my race matters. My race has to do partly with who I am as a person, due to my culture, family tree, and experiences I have due to my race. Because I'm white, I do see and experience things in a different way than minority races do. That's just the way it is.

Race can separate or bring together cultures. It doesn't have to be bad, just because it's there. We like to ignore it because talking about racial inequalities and things of this sort are awkward and uncomfortable. We can't ignore it just because it doesn't make us feel nice and bubbly inside. Differences in cultures - such as race, ethnicity, holidays celebrated, etc., should be CELEBRATED, not ignored. They should be viewed as SPECIAL, not scary, just because they're different. The only way different races and ethnicities will be totally unified, is when everyone treats every race as important, special, and worthy. We won't get anywhere by ignoring these differences.

How about instead of not seeing culture, we don't see the stereotypes and messages that are attached to the skin color. How about we see people for who they ARE - their whole person, on the inside and what is on the outside, because what is on the outside influences the inside. Our race, color, gender, etc., all influences how we see and perceive the world and our culture and experiences are adapted from this. Let's celebrate differences between individuals. Let's find similarities. Let's not ignore important aspects of who we are as people. We were created with these differences for a reason.

I did some research to prepare for this topic and I encourage you to do your own if you want to learn more. There are some amazing websites out there that have way more information than I can give.

Stay cool, stay you, stay beautiful,

H.L.W


P.S. The quote above is not my own, I found it on Google :)

Favorite Christmas Songs

My mom is very strict about Christmas music, and the Christmas season in general. We are not able to listen to Christmas music until the day after Thanksgiving. Even if we SING Christmas music before Thanksgiving, or on Thanksgiving day, we must stop. This year, I needed it. Christmas music gives me peace. It makes me feel quiet, like the world has slowed down, kind of like snow does itself. So this year I listened to it in secret the week before Thanksgiving, at school while I was doing homework, or in my bunny shed where no one but me and the rabbits could hear. That way I could enjoy it and my mom's Thanksgiving holiday wouldn't be tainted.

My friend Connie told me the other day, as we were listening to Christmas music at work, that when people ask her why she's so happy, her answer is, "Because I listen to Christmas music all year long."

Christmas music is special. Some specific songs or artists are more special to me than others, but all Christmas music becomes an anthem for the season.

Winter Snow by Chris Tomlin ft. Audrey Assad


All of Bing Crosby's Christmas songs!


Silver Bells


Love Came Down at Christmas by Jars of Clay


It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year


Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow! by Dean Martin

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel by Fracesca Battestelli


A Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives


The Christmas Songs album by Jars of Clay


The Christmas Song (Chestnuts roasting) by Celine Dion


All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey


Go Tell it on the Mountain by Tenth Avenue North


Michael Buble Christmas album


Deck the Halls


Jingle Bells


Have a Holly Jolly Christmas,

H.L.W

I don't need to be Rescued.

One day my prince will come. One day I'll be rescued by a knight in shining armor. These are all the stories we hear growing up, all the things we're told about our future husband. Well I have news for you.

I don't need to be rescued.

I am rescued.

As a Christian, I know that the man I marry someday won't be my everything. He won't save me and solve all my problems. We will fight, we won't get along all the time, and that'll be okay. He's not supposed to complete me. He's not supposed to be perfect. Without a husband, I am not a lesser being. I'm not half of a whole.

I'm a whole human being, and he's a whole human being, and someday, miraculously, we'll find each other and when we marry, if that's God's will, it'll be a covenant to Him that we will represent Jesus and his Bride - the Church - and then, from that moment on, after we've made the covenant, we'll be one flesh.

Until then, I'm not waiting in my high tower for him to find me.

And I'm not searching for him either.

Sometimes, in Christian circles, marriage can seem like the ultimate goal. Sometimes, it feels as if people feel bad for older women who aren't married. And as a 19 year old, people assume marriage is right around the corner, right? Oh, you're not in a relationship yet? ...Why?... Don't you want to get married? Your mom was married and pregnant when she was your age...you have to catch up.

Yes, I desire to be married. No, it's not my ultimate goal.

If marriage happens for me, that is God's will and I will rejoice and be so glad and thankful for that.

But if it doesn't, I will not be any less joyful or any less thankful. Because that is also God's plan for me.

In the place I'm at right now, I am so thankful I don't have a significant other. I am doing well in college and working a lot, and that's already hard enough. Adding a relationship into the mix would be overwhelming. But if it happened, and God made it clear to me that's what He wanted, I wouldn't reject it. It would just be hard, and I'm thankful that God has me here without a relationship for now.

My entire family, my parents, aunts and uncles, were married and had their first child by the time they were 20. As a little girl, the only thing I wanted was to be a mom and a wife. I wanted to be married when I was 18. I hated the idea of college and there was no point to that for me.

God took me down a very different path. I'm 19 years old, I've still never been in a relationship, and I'm not afraid to admit that.

Today's society wants to put a lot of pressure on women to look a certain way, live their lives a certain way, and start dating at a young age. Some people might think I'm weird or odd for still being single, or for never being on a date.

If you think that way about me, that's okay. I've never been scared of looking weird or odd.

As a Christian teen, yes, I desire a Godly marriage to the "man of my dreams". But do you know what I desire even more?

A fulfilling and passionate relationship with my Maker. This is ultimately what God wants for every single one of us, married or single, man or woman.

A Godly marriage is indeed a gift. But not everyone receives that gift. And that isn't because of anything they have done or haven't done. And, for the record, singleness is a gift as well.

I can be complete, joyful, and sustained without a man. And I am.

Yes, I do desire to be married. I want to have babies of my own and raise them to love Jesus. But I am fully confident in the fact that the Lord, the maker of my heart and the keeper of my passions, will let me know when the time has come.

And I'm constantly learning to be okay with that, and to fully rejoice in the season that I'm in.

Three articles that I love that I encourage you to read to better understand my viewpoint:

http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/five-questions-to-ask-before-you-start-dating 

http://www.stewardship.com/articles/3-ways-you-can-serve-god-because-you-re-single?ectid=10.16.6289 

http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/wait-to-date-until-you-can-marry

On December 1st

Wow, guys. Just wow.

It's almost 2018.

December is here. I feel like this year has gone by very quickly, but parts of it felt very long. I wonder what this new year will bring.

December never lasts long enough. Christmastime is my favorite time of the year, and yet it feels the shortest (much like summer). Can I just slow it down a bit this Christmas and take each day as it comes, instead of rushing around and being busy and making each day feel 2 seconds long?

I'm so grateful because I get 5 weeks and 2 days of Christmas break, the longest I've ever had before. I don't start classes again until December 9th.

I'm looking forward to such a long break, but already the days are filling up fast. My sister and I will spend a week in California (less than 2 weeks from now!!). Of course, I will be working, hopefully a little more than usual, especially because of the trip I'm taking. Tomorrow I'm going to my friend and coworker Josh's Beauty and the Beast play. He's the Beast! He's incredibly talented and I'm so excited to see this play. Next week I'm going to the Nutcracker at the Everett Performing Arts center with my aunt and cousins and some friends, and I'm so excited!

Christmas is in full force at this point. We have a Christmas party tomorrow night, and one for work on Tuesday night. Our church's family Christmas night is the 10th. Unfortunately, because my sister and I will be out of town, we will miss our youth group Christmas party on the 20th. But I'm sure we'll be doing something fun in California!

What are you looking forward to this month?

I hope you get to relax & be jolly this Christmas season,

Holls

Thankful Thursdays pt 4

November 24th:

I'm thankful for my three crazy, amazingly smart and Jesus-loving brothers. I'm also thankful for every single one of my cousins, near and far!

November 25th:

Christmas. music. And second thanksgivings!

November 26th:

I'm thankful for my desire to be a teacher and change kids' lives. I'm so excited to see what God has in store for my future kids and classrooms!

November 27th:

Thankful for chill sunshine after a week of rain and darkness. I don't mind the cold as long as I'm not wet!

November 28th:

I'm thankful for my sissy and that we've always been pretty great friends, even though sometimes we hate living with each other.

November 29th:


I'm thankful for God's Word. It needs no explanation.

November 30th:

I love having rabbits. I'm so thankful for each of my "babies"!


Until next time,

H.L.W

Dutch Bros Anniversaries

I have a weird thing with dates. I remember them quite well, and I can tell when I'm nearing a date that has some sort of significance even if I don't remember what happened on that date right off the bat. Around my birthday I had the strongest feeling that the anniversary of when I was hired at Dutch Bros was coming up. For some reason, it was a big deal to me to find out what day it was. I found the date in my journal, and for some reason I subconsciously counted down the days until it came.

On November 18th, 2016, I had walked into a local hotel where Dutch Bros had scheduled their interview party to hire employees to launch DB Everett.

On November 18th, 2016, I walked into the room with messy hair and food on my shirt, because I didn't expect an interview. I only thought I was dropping off an application. I had no idea how much these people would mean to me. How much my life would change because of Dutch. How much I would change in the year to come.

"I wouldn't come to work like this," I remember saying to Sammers, the one who looked like she was in charge. "But I didn't know I was going to have an interview." She just said she was glad to meet me and gave me hug. She made me feel special and I loved her instantly.

They were conducting 5-minute interviews of over fifty candidates that day, but I waited only around 10 minutes before they called my name and I was led into the office room with a panel of five interviewers, Teal and JD, Kate, and some guys I didn't see again. Sammers and the other ladies and gents that were entertaining in that main room said "Good luck". In the interview, I felt like I fit right in. We joked together, laughed together, and the interview went by quickly.

On November 19th, 2016, Teal called me and said I pretty much had the job, we just needed to meet again to have a second interview and discuss scheduling.

On November 20th, 2016, which I remember being a Sunday, I had a second interview with Teal at our stand and she told me they usually do a second interview, and ask more questions, but they knew I was hired and so they didn't do that with me. She just discussed the shifts and how they could build a schedule around my school schedule and such.

On Monday, November 21st, I had orientation and received paperwork to fill out and my manifesto to memorize in a week.

On November 28th, training began! There was a 2-week period of training prior to our stand opening on December 13th, 2016. It's almost been a full year since our stand has been running smoothly!

Until next time friends,

Holls B Jolls

Thankful Thursdays pt 3

November 17:

I'm thankful for my friend Connie, who covered my shift at work today because I was so sick!

November 18:

One year ago today most of us had our Dutch Bros interviews :) So thankful for the friends DB has brought me, and the money I've made to be able to pay for school with no loans!

November 19:

One year ago today I was told I had the job. I'm so thankful for my manager and franchisee Teal, her fiancée JD, and their puppy Tucker. I really couldn't have gotten a job with better leadership, especially for it being a brand new stand in this area and my first job.

I'm also thankful for my puppy Odin. Today we played fetch for around 30 minutes in the back yard, and cuddled afterwards. He finally knows how to drop the Frisbee when you toss it. It only took him a year to learn. He's a good dog, even though sometimes he's not.

November 20:

Thankful for the beauty of fall.

November 21:

If you know me, you know I hate coffee. But I LOVE white coffee. It keeps me alive during early morning shifts and late class nights. 

November 22:

Today I'm thankful for my youth group and my church, and the amazing people I get to spend every Wednesday night with!

November 23:

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Today I'm thankful for my big, messy, loving, and passionate family who has made me who I am today.

I hope you spend the day as thankful as I am.

H.L.W.

$10 and Under Half Price Books Haul

On the 18th I went to Half Price Books to spend the $25 gift card my mom bought me for my birthday. There were a few books I have wanted to add to my collection for a while, and then I love to look around to see new things from authors I love or classics I've heard of and have always wanted to read.

I wanted some specific books, but didn't have much in mind. I hadn't shopped for books in a while so I was excited to look around. I primarily wanted to get Wonder (one of my favorite books), and the last Eragon books I didn't already have to add to my collection. I ended up getting lots more than I originally anticipated, and I didn't get everything I wanted, but I'm so excited about my purchases.

• Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee. This book is kind of a sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird, but also can be a standalone. Mockingbird is one of my favorites, and although I haven't read Watchman yet, I'm excited to start it very soon. $8
• Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. It was only $1 but I actually already owned it. I guess it's one I'll add to a box for my future classroom, or donate to a school near me. 
• Gregor and the Code of Claw by Suzanne Collins. This is the fifth and final installment of the Gregor the Overlander series, the only one I didn't own. My sister, brother, and I have all read and love this series. My 11-year-old brother is currently reading them. $5
• 
  
• Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. I haven't read many of Dickens' works, including this one, but I want to read more classics, and I've heard such great things about Oliver Twist that I'm sure I'll love it. 

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-glass (a collection), by Lewis Carroll. I also haven't read these classics, but I've wanted to for a long time. $3

Little Women, Little Men, and Jo's Boys (a collection), by Louisa May Alcott. I read Little Women when I was much younger, and I've wanted to reread it. I'm excited to read the sequels. $8

Eragon ($7) and Inheritance ($10) by Christopher Paolini. These are the first and last books in the Inheritance Cycle, I already own the middle two, but these were missing. Now I have the full set! My sister, dad and I read these books years ago and we all love them. They are classics to us. 

I didn't get Wonder, because of the new movie coming out, they had all brand new copies that were about $15+. It's cheaper on Amazon (around $12), so that's where I'll be buying it.

Now you know how much I spent on books (my gift card did not cover it all). But I wanted to include prices because I think Half Price usually has great deals and lots of people don't realize they have great stuff too.


Keep reading adventurers,

H.L.W.

Birthday Blessings

On Saturday I turned 19 years old! Today I want to talk about what my family and I did to celebrate. It's a big age. Maybe it doesn't seem or feel as big as, say, 16 or 18, but it's my LAST YEAR as a teenager! WHAT. Next year I'll turn 20. Then I'm REALLY an adult. I can't use the excuse of being a teenager for everything I try to get away with.

WHAT.

Thursday night, my classmates sang me happy birthday. My birthday this year fell on a Saturday. Because I worked 11:45-6:30 on my birthday, we began the celebrations on Friday. My mom gave me money, and my sister and I shopped at the Everett mall (Old Navy and Burlington primarily), ate dinner (she got enchiladas and I got soft tacos), and got some tasty sorbet at the new froyo shop inside the mall.

Then, we watched Thor: Ragnarock Friday night with the whole family. Marvel movies are our favorite. We always see all the newest Marvel/Avengers movies in the theaters as a family. I usually see Thor movies for my birthday each year because they come out in November. This movie did not disappoint! It was hilarious and very entertaining.

On the day of my birthday, I woke up around 7:30am (as much as I tried, I couldn't sleep in), and I opened presents from my mom and siblings. My sister made me a fancy H with 19 things she loves about me, chocolate, and a jar she made as a pencil holder. She also picked out some flowers my mom bought for me. A couple brothers got me homemade cards, and one of my brothers bought me a scarf. My parents got me gloves, hats, a gift card to Half Price Books, chocolate, and an umbrella (the necessities). They also gave me money to buy whatever at the mall the day before. I was trying to buy these things I needed (hats, umbrella), but Sydnie told me not to, and so I pretty much knew what I was getting from them. Haha. 

I worked from 11:45 to 6:30, but I had a great time having fun with friends and customers, and dancing to good music. Around the time when my shift ended, my manager/franchisee Teal, my assistant manager Sam, as well as one of my shift leads, Maddie, surprised me with flowers and a present.

After my shift, I discovered that my family's car had broke down and my mom wasn't able to pick me up from work. Unfortunantely, this meant that I had to take the bus home and we didn't get to eat at the restaurant I had picked out for my birthday dinner. But it was okay. We walked home from the bus stop together, ate pizza, had brownies with frosting and watched This is Us until after 11.

On Sunday, we walked to an Indian restaurant because they were having a lunch buffet, and ate there. It was a great relaxed day.


I felt so loved and celebrated. It's definitely a day I won't forget.

Not every day is perfect. But each day has it's share of perfect moments.

Take care, friends.

H.L.W

Thankful Thursdays pt 2

November 10th:

Today I'm thankful for malls, theaters, fluffy sweaters and time with family.

November 11th:

I'm thankful that I made it another year. I'm thankful for my amazing and loving coworkers that I can't imagine life without.

November 12th:

I'm thankful for tasty treats like chocolate and brownies!

November 13th:

I'm TRYING to be thankful for the rain. I got soaked today but the rain was beautiful, and somehow calming.

November 14th:

I'm so thankful for books and the ability to travel to new worlds, become a new person, have new experiences through them.

November 15th:

A sweet coworker, Connie, sent me a long text wishing me a happy birthday and telling me everything she loves about me. I'm so thankful for who she is.

November 16th:

Even though I hate the dentist, I am thankful for them.

That's all I have this week. Until next time!

H.L.W.

19 Things for 19 Years

Tomorrow I turn 19 years old. My LAST YEAR AS A TEENAGER. I'm freaking out just a little bit inside.

Here are 19 things I want to do in my 19th year.

1. Read all the books on my reading list that have been there for longer than a year. I have tons of books that I've wanted to read and I keep putting it off, or life gets too busy, or whatever. I want to pick up some of these books and make reading an important part of my day. It's such a great way for me to unwind and relax.

2. Get my driver's license (I still only have my permit).

3. Buy a car. So I can get around.

4. Start working in schools on a regular basis, more than just my practicums (volunteering, possibly becoming a paraprofessional, etc.)

5. Read my Bible and journal daily.

6. Buy a camera. For better videos and pictures for YouTube and all my socials (for my rabbits)!

7. Post on For the Love of Everything Good at least weekly. As long as I plan well and write and schedule posts on my days off, I should be good to go!

8. Take 3 trips for myself (besides family vacations or church retreats).

9. Take a camping trip alone to refocus and reenergize.

10. Register to vote.

11. Post on YouTube (Holly's Hollands Rabbitry), at least twice a month.

12. Post on my HHR blog at least once a month.

13. Develop social medias for FLEG (For the Love of Everything Good).

14. Travel by plane for the first time. Hopefully I'll knock out this one in December!

15. Work out 3-5 times a week. I usually work out 3 times a week right now and it's rarely enough for me. I always forget how much I love working out until I do it.

16. Put $1000 every month into savings. This is a shorter, more manageable goal that will lead up to my long-term goal of graduation Western without student loans, buying a car, and tickets to visit CA.

17. Do a hardcore cleanse and detox for my body. My body has a lot of inflammation, psoriasis, etc. To totally get rid or minimize the effects of this I will need to do a hardcore detox. This might require time off work, because detoxing my body in the way it needs will not feel good. But I'm sure I'll feel a thousand times better afterwards (and look better, if my psoriasis goes away!).

18. Keep at 3.7 GPA in school.

19. Take time for myself. Prioritize my health. If I slack on taking care of myself I can't be the best me that God wants me to be.

Thankful Thursdays pt 1

Every Thursday in November, due to Thanksgiving, I will be posting about what I was most thankful for every single day that week. I was thinking about daily posts, but in one day I might not have enough to write about to warrant a blog post, and posting each day is too overwhelming with everything else I have going on. So weekly it is. Let's jump right in.

November 1st:

Today I'm thankful for work friends and Thai food after an early morning shift.

November 2nd:

It was hard to find something to be thankful for today. But I'm thankful for my family's support and my mom's willingness to take an hour out of her day to drive me to work if need be.

November 3rd:

Sunsets & snow.

November 4th:

Today I'm thankful for productive days, where I can just do homework and hang out with my bunnies without worrying about having to be anywhere.

November 5th:

Today I'm thankful for my desire to try new things and not be afraid of change.

November 6th:

I'm thankful for cozy blankets and heaters.

November 7th:

Thankful for baby bunnies.

November 8th:

I'm thankful today for the friendships Dutch Bros has brought into my life. I love you Sammers.

November 9th:

Thankful for my cohort at school. They sang me happy birthday because it was our last day of class before I turn 19 :)

Revisiting my Goals

I made goals for my 18th year last year and that's pretty much where I stopped blogging. But since I've picked it up again, let's review what I set to accomplish and see if I actually did.

Click HERE to visit the post I made the day before my 18th birthday (it seems like a lifetime ago and yesterday at the same time).

So these are the goals I wrote for myself last year and my explanation to whether or not I achieved the goal.

1. Write in my journal at least 3 times a week. I didn't continue this through the entire year. I went months without writing when I first turned 18, and then I wrote almost every single day all summer long, so it pretty much balances out, right?! I didn't think so either. I'm trying to get into the habit of writing everyday. 

2. Read my Bible every day and start studying God's Word. I have definitely been reading and studying the Word more than I have in the past. Of course, some days I would fail this goal. But every day it's a goal and a choice to make God a priority. 

3. Start spending more quality time with family and friends, and people I love. I guess yeah? How did I plan on measuring this? 

4. Get a summer job and save money. I actually got a job two weeks after writing this and it's been almost a year now! And I've definitely been saving money because I paid for my first quarter of school with no loans and I almost have all the money for next quarter, too (even though it's not due until January). AND I'm doing my best to save for a CA trip in December! 

5. Buy a car and learn how to drive. I got my permit and I drive all over, but I don't have my license or a car of my own yet. But next year for sure. 

6. Visit a state I haven't been to yet. I have a plan in the works to visit California before the end of the year :) 

7. Make new friends and strengthen current friendships. I started working at Dutch Bros, made great lifelong friends there, and started at Western which has introduced me to a group of 14 other future teachers and we're all great friends already.

So, there you have it. Lots of goals achieved, which I'm very excited about. And some that were not, which is okay, but it makes me even more excited for my goals for next year!

Stay tuned for a post on my 19 goals for my 19th year! Make sure you're subscribed (put your email into the box on your right) so you know right when I post it and you don't miss out!

Smiles (this is how I had a professor sign off on a message to all her students, isn't it fun!),
H.L.W.

With Unlimited Funds, Change is Easy

In my diversity + equity class on Mondays, we have fishbowl discussions. This is where half the class sits in a circle and has a discussion, over a topic the professor chooses, and the rest of the class watches them and takes notes and discusses their observations after the discussion is over.

Our discussion topic this past Monday was to make a brainstorming list of everything that we felt contributed to a gap in the achievement of low income or minority students in American schools (because there is a huge gap from kindergarten to high school, you know). Our list consisted of:

- Teachers' low expectations

- Almost all teachers are white females

- Parents working 2+ jobs, with not enough time to help with homework

- Language barrier (parents don't speak English, can't help with child's homework, child is learning English and can't understand many things, etc)

- Poor child readiness (child comes to kindergarten/1st grade never having been read a book, not knowing how to count or what their colors are, the family doesn't own any books, etc)

- Loud/hectic household, child unable to focus on homework

- Because of low income, child may not eat at home or have enough food and go hungry

- Anxiety/stress because of low income

- Poor health

- Parents may be unable to attend conferences or meet with the teacher

- Child may need to take on more responsibility at home, such as child care for younger siblings, household chores, or parents think family time is more important than homework

As we've been learning in all our classes, these are all things that contribute to the academic achievement gap that occurs in minority or low-income students and their families. As prompted by the professor, we needed to choose our top 3 that contributed the most to the gap. We chose language, teacher bias/low expectations, and families not spending time with their child getting them ready for school or setting them up for success inside a classroom (such as reading to them, teaching the alphabet song, etc.).

When I say that these parents failed to set up their child for success, I'm not bashing the parent. It may not be their fault at all. As a low income parent, their primary responsibility is to work and earn money so that the family will not be homeless, have food to eat, and hopefully clean clothes to wear. And when a single parent or both parents need to work multiple jobs to make that happen, it becomes impossible for the parent to make sure the child is ready for school; their biggest concern is making sure their child is safe and healthy. How can a parent who is just trying to keep their families' heads above water in a system that is settling THEM up for failure, be able to make sure their children are at the same level in kindergarten as rich white kids?

The next thing my professor told us to do was to role play as women on a school board and we had unlimited funds to make changes in our schools and provide resources to families to fix these top 3 things. What would we do?

- Provide classes so parents and families could learn English together.

- Provide clubs or daycare/preschool programs designed to help families get books, food if they don't have enough, and help children be ready for school and feel successful.

These are the two I remember the most, although there were many more that we discussed. And of course, there were issues with these too; a classmate of mine, whose parents don't speak English said they had the opportunity to learn when she was in school but it was really, really hard and inconvenient for them to learn. They didn't want to. They may have felt forced and there's no way that someone who does not want to learn a language will learn it easily and be any help to their student.

Our professor ended the discussion by saying that we will have the same groups next week, and the discussers (myself included), needed to do the suggested reading and come up with ideas to fix these issues we saw in the current system. It was really easy to come up with ideas when we had unlimited funds and resources. But now, in the current system, how can things change?

Maybe next week after my Monday class I'll share what we talked about and how our ideas could be implemented in today's system, to fix the system.

More Police but Poor Education

Remember last Saturday's post? Click HERE if you haven't read it yet, because you definitely need to read it in its entirety before continuing with this post.

My mom shared an article with me that she thought fit into Saturday's post. Unfortunately, I couldn't fit the article into what I had already written, so I decided to just do a new post on it. Here it is, if you want to read it all: https://www.kiro7.com/news/north-sound-news/snohomish-county-proposes-property-tax-levy-to-pay-for-more-deputies/629709759

Basically, the Snohomish County is proposing an increase to property taxes to hire and pay for new police officers. Because we need a bigger force to keep the public in check. But we don't need to better fund our schools first?

It's governors and politicians like these that make me so angry. We are setting children up for failure. We are paying for more police officers, and a better police force, but not paying to educate a student better. We're paying for more people in jail, but not for more books for kids.

We're paying for kids that the public school system failed, to be incarcerated. Because we know they'll fail. We know there will always be "bad kids". "Bad people". And nothing we could've done could've prevented a teen from turning to drugs or theft? Nothing we could've done could've prevented a child from joining a gang?

Of course, these things will always exist. We live in a sinful world and perverted people will always be here until the end of the time. But that doesn't mean that we can't help those kids that were led astray and lied to BEFORE it happens. If we're really concerned with lowering crime rates, why don't we start at the core of the issue? Why don't we start with the schools?

If we raise property taxes, can it please be for something that doesn't just affect the low-income and minority children the most? We all know that low-income, minority children get in the most trouble in school and have the highest rates of turning to crime and getting caught. If we raised property taxes to fund schools, provide more books, provide better curriculum, provide more GOOD, EFFECTIVE teachers and paraprofessionals, WE WOULD

HAVE LESS CRIME IN THE FUTURE.

Of course without Jesus, and in a world where there are bad people and where evil lurks, we won't ever have a totally peaceful society and what we do in schools or on the police force can't change that. But that doesn't mean that we have a right to not try, just because that's how it may always be.

I understand we have to deal with the crime we have now. We can't just let it go, and let the current gangs grow, and let people get shot, and let banks be robbed, and let adults kill themselves with meth. But we also need to think more and more clearly about our future kids. Are we giving them a good future?

Are we setting them up for success in society? No? Then we need to change something. Or at least try to start at the heart of the issue.

See you Saturday,
H.L.W.

If you Want Change, Make it Happen

I recently watched the movie, Teach Us All, on Netflix for one of my classes. It came out this year and it's about 80 minutes long, so a relatively short movie.

Teachusallfilm.org describes the movie as, "A documentary film + a social justice movement."

The synopsis, as posted on twomovies.tv, is: "On the eve of the 60th anniversary of the 1957 Little Rock school desegregation crisis, educational inequality remains among the most urgent civil rights issues of our time. With its school district hanging in the balance following a state takeover in January 2015, Little Rock today presents a microcosm of the inequities and challenges manifesting in classrooms all across America. Through case studies in Little Rock, New York City, and Los Angeles, Teach Us All seeks to bring the critical lessons of history to bear on the current state of U.S. education and investigate: 60 years later, how far have we come-or not come-and how do we catalyze action from here?
Read more: https://twomovies.tv/watch_movie/Teach_Us_All

The answer is, we haven't come far at all since 1957. Yes, there is no visible segregation such as black and white schools like we had in the 40s and 50s. But, children in almost every school continue to be segregated by race, income, and language.

Do you want to hear some startling statistics?


"Poor children that can't read on grade level by the 3rd grade are 13x less likely to graduate high school."

"Kids that drop out are 4x more likely to go to prison."

"Los Angeles spends on average $223,600 to incarcerate a juvenile and only $9,000 a year educating a student."


These quotes are all from the movie. What are we doing wrong? These kids are NOT dropouts. They have been FAILED by our system. My heart aches for these kids who were never really given a chance at all. How can we be the United States of America when we are casting these children aside, saying their education doesn't matter as much as rich white kids? My dad was one of these kids. He was underprivileged, teachers hated him, and he went to jail at least once after dropping out or being expelled (he did get his GED when we was 16). He was one of those kids that bad teachers and the school system had failed. That's one of the biggest reasons why he wanted to homeschool us in the first place. He had no faith in the public school system.

Watch the movie for yourself. It doesn't matter what race you are, what background you come from, whether you homeschool your kids or go to public school or want to make a difference in society. It's so powerful, incredibly moving, and I cried while watching it. This movie isn't just for educators; it should be for all of society. If we want our society to change, it has to start in the schools. These kids are the next generation. These kids will lead the world. When we're gray or gone, what kind of world do we want them to lead?

One thing they did not talk about in the movie is disabilities, or kids with special needs. Students with special needs are also discriminated against. And the issue of special needs is a RACE issue too, believe it or not. Did you know that African-American children are twice as likely to be diagnosed with intellectual disabilities and emotional disturbance, than all other races? (This statistic is from my sped textbook). It's not because they are less smart or more emotional than children of other races...it's because we make school incredibly difficult for them, when many of them are coming from incredibly hard backgrounds already, and we make school easier for white kids, or kids with a lot of money and family time.

What can we do to change these numbers?

What can we do to make all children feel welcome and succeed at high rates, instead of just the white kids?

What can we do to insure that every child feels loved, cared for, and put into positions where they can learn and grow without being held back or fear that they aren't good enough?



I'm going to start by learning all I can, working with kids in any way I can, and sharing my opinions and what I'm learning in school, until someday when I can be a teacher myself and make an impact on my district, my city, and my kids.

Change is possible. But we have to be willing to try incredibly hard. Whether you're a teacher, parent, involved in schools, with kids, or not, you can help create change. You just have to believe that change can be created and that it starts by changing you.

Advocacy for a change in our schools (and our country), starts by becoming an advocate and desiring change. Standing up for what you believe is right. Calling attention to things you believe are wrong with the system. Participating in your district, talking to people, helping your kids with their homework when you can, raising kids that see our flawed society for what it is and desire to create change. If we want society to change, it has to start with our schools and where we're putting our money. I'm realizing that more than ever now.

Until next time.

H.L.W

What's in a Name?

A name is an identity, in some way. It's who we are. Names can change; identities can change. But I thought I would make a post talking about my name. One of my instructors this quarter had my cohort do a presentation at the beginning about what our name meant, the history behind it, or however we wanted to go about it. He gave us a lot of freedom, which I appreciated because I like to do what I want. ;)

I talked about why I was named Holly Lynn Wisniew. One of my classmates didn't have a particularly good story about why she was named, so she decided to do her presentation on other names she's called. I thought I would throw a little of that in here also, because I go by lots of names, especially at work.

HOLLY

I was born November 11th, so within the holiday season, and a family friend suggested that since I would be born around Christmas my name should be Holly. That's where that comes from. It's a winter plant, and no profound meaning.

LYNN

My middle name is really special to me. My parents didn't care about the name Lynn or what it meant. However, my grandpa, my dad's dad, who passed before my parents even met, was named Leonard. Everyone called him Len. My dad's middle name is Leonard, and so is my cousin's. They wanted to give their first child a middle name that represented this. If I had been a boy, my middle name would've been Leonard. But since I'm not, they chose something similar enough. Lynn means "beside still water" or something like that. Leonard means "lion-hearted".

WISNIEW

Wisniew is a Polish name that was originally, "Wisniewski", pronounced with v's and not the way it looks, at all. It means cherry. I love my last name because it unifies me with my close and extended family. I'm a Wisniew. I love last names. They signify belonging, and family.

OTHER NAMES I'M CALLED

Hollybejolly

Holls


Hollsballs

Bjolly/bjolls

Hollsbejolls


Holliba

The bunny girl

At home, I'm only called Holly or Holliba (by my dad; don't ask). Hollybejolly was my baby nickname started by my aunt, again because I was born around Christmas, and I told someone at work my "nickname" and variants have spiraled out from there. And the bunny girl, because, well....that's me. Everyone calls me something different, but I love it because it's unique, and each name means something different to each person. Each name comes from a bond we share and I think that's so cool.

Comment down below what your name means and your most-used nickname. Let's talk about it!

Thanks for reading. See you on Saturday, right here! My next post is going to be a little controversial, possibly...subscribe so you don't miss out!

H.L.W.

Where I've Been

Life has been busy. If you can't tell, I abandoned this blog...and I'm pretty sure I said that in my last post too. It's literally been almost a year since I've posted (if you haven't noticed). I haven't made a post since I've been 18. I'm almost 19. So why am I posting now?

I wanted to update on where life has taken me since I posted my 7 goals for my 18th year, and where I'm at in life now. I want to have a spot to vent my frustrations, share my passions, and talk about my new journey becoming an elementary school teacher.

To be fair, I have been writing...I have at least 10 drafts I've wrote over the past year and just never posted (I don't know why). Most of them are gutsy ramblings I never really intended to share, but to be honest, if no one reads these posts, I won't mind to much. I want a place where I can be honest with myself. And if someone finds this blog and follows along, that's okay too.

I do keep a journal, but that's different. I don't know how, but it just is. Handwriting can get tiring after long nights of pulling shots and taking notes. But typing is not.

So let's just get started on where I am now. What life has been like in the past 11 months since I've been absent.

I haven't mentioned it on this blog yet, but back at the end of August, we introduced a puppy to our family and so now we have a dog too. He's a chocolate lab and let's just say he's the 6th kid.

I turned 18. I guess that's kinda a big deal. I still haven't registered to vote, but I plan on doing that before I turn 19 (I hope!).

In November, the week after I turned 18, I applied for a job at Dutch Bros here in Everett and I've been working there for almost a year now. I love being a barista, but the atmosphere at DB is why I stay.

A week after I started training at DB, I got my braces off. That was one of the highlights of my year for sure!!

In June, I graduated from Everett Community College, with High Distinction and my associate's in Elementary Education.


At the end of June, through the very beginning of July, I spent a week at Lakeside Bible Camp for a Sr. Girls (ages 10-13) summer camp. It was amazing and I grew so much in this time.

At the end of July, I received the letter that told me I had been accepted to the only college program I applied for - Western Washington's Woodring program at their Everett Community College campus. Also in July, I got my bunny shed in full working order.

In August, my family did VBS at our church and I was a skit actor and a helper in the 2nd-3rd grade class.

In September, I got my driver's permit and now I'm roaming the streets. Look out world!

And that leaves us at this present moment. It's coming up on my 5th week at the WWU program and I'm enjoying it so much. My cohort is amazing, homework is not overwhelming yet, and my instructors are very effective and fun. I'm especially excited that I paid out of pocket for my first quarter at a real school. It was relatively inexpensive (compared to Western in Bellingham for the same program), which is so nice since my parents can't help me out and I haven't found good scholarships yet. I feel so incredibly blessed to have a job that is flexible around my school schedule, but can still give me enough hours to go to school. I'm grateful that I've had the opportunity to raise rabbits because the income I get from that hobby helps as well. My hope for these next 3 years as I go through school is to not take out any student loans; and to pay out-of-pocket as much as possible. I will not have to pay for the next quarter until January and already I have almost everything I will need!

Although life has been crazy, I want to find time to blog here. I want to share what I'm learning in school and how God is working in my life, and what He's teaching me, as I'm becoming a real adult. I hope to share a post weekly, but let's see if I can stay that consistent.

Until next time,

Holly L. W.