Sprucing Up the House

I should remember to take more pictures, because this blog could be much more interesting.

We had an extremely productive and relaxing weekend! We cleaned out the entire garage, organized the workbench, spackled and painted some of the walls, hung curtains, and replaced all of the knobs and pulleys on the kitchen cabinets!

Steve and I decided to update out kitchen in baby steps, with the major (expensive) makeover being a new countertop. Our first step was changing the old, brass, ugly knobs for new, bronze ones that match out lights. I wasn't sure how much of an impact it would have, but it looks really nice.

We even had time to take the dogs to the dog park on Saturday morning. We've done such a great job lately of keeping them in my study with a baby gate, so they can't be on furniture, etc. We decided to reward them with some play time with other dogs. Our weather is so gorgeous now that it was nice to be out and walking around.

We have been given some baby stuff by a couple in our church. some of it needed to be thrown out, but we got a crib mattress and a car seat that should be nice. We haven't even started thinking about it on our end, but we're holding onto anything we're given. I figure we won't start to do much until we know if it's a boy or girl. I have an appointment on Friday, but I'll only be 14 weeks by then, so it may still be too soon. We'll see...

We're Back

Okay, okay! It's almost been a month since I've posted. Time flies when you're having fun. No wonder you guys never check this thing. Since the last time...we had our first ultrasound appointment and got to see the baby move! We also got to hear the heartbeat, which was really cool. We have another appointment on the 10th and hopefully we'll be able to tell the baby's gender by then.

In non-baby news, Steve completed his first major paper for class. It was a 5 page paper on McCain's leadership style. I'm pretty sure he hated every minute of it, but I read the final product, and it was really good!

Finally Feeling Better!

It seems like each week I'm thinking about how busy the week is! Steve and I saw each other last night and then won't see each other again until Friday. Monday night we had dinner at a friend's house, Tuesdayand Wednesday night, he has class, I have Cubbies on Wednesday, and he's got a bank Officer's dinner on Thursday night. Whew! He also has early breakfasts to attend on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, so he is a busy man! He always handles everything in stride, so he's doing okay. I think he's become a master at budgeting time well. And he's really enjoying his classes, which always makes a difference!

I've been feeling better Monday and today. It's nice to feel a little more normal. I had a cold over the weekend and couldn't take medicine for it, so that was not fun. The cold symptoms have subsided and my nausea seems to be under control. Steve said I was like a new woman last night at dinner, so it must be getting better!

I'm definitely ready for my doctor's appointment on Friday!

Open House

Whew! It's over! We had Open House tonight at school; those days are always long ones. It's an interesting time because you never know if you'll have happy parents or ones who want to challenge you. I thought it went great! Steve was great and met me at school with dinner since I didn't get a chance to get home.

Steve finally got to stay home tonight. I came home to him sitting on the couch, watching some TV. He definitely deserves it after the work he's done this week.

Our goal this weekend is to trim the hedges and fix our awful paint job in the half-bath downstairs. We'll see how that goes...love you guys!

Changing appointments

I left school early today because I was getting too sick. Every woman I've talked to who has ever had babies keeps telling me that it will be over soon and then I'll be in my 2nd trimester. I am trying to remind myself of that, but it can be hard during the daily tiredness and nausea. Don't even get me started... :)

I spoke to my doctor today and she needs to change my appointment due to a family thing she has. My new appointment is on Friday, the 12th at 3:00. Since my doctor will be out of the office all next week, this appointment will be with a different doctor in her practice. That has me a little disappointed, because I wanted to talk to the doctor I was familiar with, but at least I know all of her fellow doctors are well-respected. I'm sure I'll have plenty of time to see her in the next year!

Steve goes back to school tonight. I think his work has been more stressful lately, but he's handling it well. He's been pretty awesome to have around while I'm sick and loafing. I actually got three loads of laundry done today while home sick, so he'll be happy! Wahoo!

That was my big accomplishment today. Tomorrow...Open House!

We're Back!

Okay, family, here we are! I am writing a new post! We are successfully in the swing of our Fall schedule and I'm trying to adjust to not having Steve at home two nights a week. Tuesdays are usually "crash" days for me, but tonight Steve will be home, so we're cleaning instead. Steve picked up the dogs this morning and said they were THRILLED to see him. I'm hoping they don't go crazy when I see them this afternoon. When we got home last night, our 12 year old neighbor, Jacob, had put a large "It's a Boy!" pin in our mailbox with a note. I think he's hoping for a boy, but either way - it was a cute gift to come home to. My nausea is still coming and going, but the pills help. I go to see the doctor on September 10th, so I will keep everyone up to date!

Dubai Update

As of this past Friday we have $5,015.00 of our support goal for our trip to Dubai! We only needed $5,000.00 and God brought in $4,700.00 of it in the first 5 days! Needless to say we were amazed. Please keep praying that the rest of our team will be as blessed as we were, some are still waiting to reach their goal. We leave in less than 20 days!!!!!

Nostalgic

This blog is clearly all or nothing for me. You'll just have to pretend that I did all of these posts on different days. I was feeling all nostalgic since our 3 year anniversary is coming up (we're veterans now) and thought I'd post some of these pictures from our honeymoon.

The first one is of Steve at a place called the Glass Window - you can look over a bridge and see the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean joining in one swirl. The second picture is my first meal as a newlywed. Last, is the view from our back door; there was literally nothing but ocean, it was gorgeous!

Woodstock Middle School

I wanted to attach a link in case anybody wants to check out the school, etc.

http://www.cherokee.k12.ga.us/woodstock-ms/default.htm

Wahoo! Jesus is good!

It was a crazy week, but I have a job!!! I had two interviews and was offered BOTH positions! That was an amazing "God thing" in itself, because Steve and I had really been praying for options. The position I accepted for next year is an 8th grade Language Arts position at Woodstock Middle School in Cherokee County. They get off an hour earlier than the school I am currently at; plus, they get one week off in September and one week off in February...these are VERY important facts to a teacher. I really think that God just worked in amazing ways. I hadn't even applied to this school or to the county, until the principal offered me the position and I had to rush my paperwork through.

I'm giving a SHOUT OUT to our awesome peeps, Melissa and Kevin! Kevin, you're in my top 20 and Melissa, girl, you don't even have to ask. Love you guys! Thanks for praying; you're the best!

An Interview!!!

Two posts in one night should be a record!

When I finished my earlier post, I checked my e-mail and I had a letter from a principal who asked for an interview! I have to e-mail him back about a time next week, but as soon as I read his e-mail I just looked at Steve and started crying. It's not a job yet, but it was a relief to get an interview.

Still waiting...and praying

For those of you who have been praying about my job next year, here is an update...

I had a really good lead last week that my principal actually pursued for me. When I e-mailed the principal and sent her my resume, she e-mailed back and said that the school was in the middle of re-zoning and would lose 15 positions. That means the chance of them having a position open for me is slim to none.

I am finishing my applications for the next county over (Cherokee) and for the Christian school that is affiliated with our church (Eastside). The Christian school would be about a $5,000 salary cut, but it'd be worth it for a year if it got me closer to home. The bottom line is, I'm trying to give God as many options as possible!

Our Sunday School teacher had a great lesson on Sunday. I think she may have prepared it just for me. It was "How to know when God is saying 'No'," and focused on Paul and Silas' missionary journey when God told them not to go into Asia. It was a great reminder that God has a perfect plan for my life. Denise reminded me that when God closes a door, we should rejoice because that is a clear sign that God has something better for me.

I'm still not 100% "OK" with returning to my same school next year, but I'm praying daily for peace. I e-mailed 10 principals at 4 different schools today to pursue positions at their schools, so I'll try to keep everyone updated. Thanks for your support!

Crazy Week!

I'm with Julie in wondering where the week went! Monday night, I had a "ladies neighborhood social" and learned how to play bunco. I still have NO idea what bunco is, but I was surprised to have such a great time with an older set of ladies.

I agreed to coach soccer for the 6th and 7th grade Hispanic boys after school. We started practicing on Tuesdays and Thursdays; and by "coach" I mean that I run around the field with a whistle and call off-sides. It's not too exciting, but I'm having a great time. The boys keep complaining that I'm playing American soccer instead of real "futbol."

Steve had some warts frozen off of his foot on Tuesday, so he has been a little tender. We had another softball game on Tuesday night, but luckily his pain killers kicked on by then. Steve's been practicing and can field the ball pretty well.

Wednesday night was Cubbies, so we ran around with 20 screaming 3 year olds. "Mr. Steve" is a crowd favorite at game time. Tonight was soccer practice again. I finally convinced them that since we were playing in Georgia, we should probably play by American rules. I still think they seriously doubt the knowledge of a girl, but I'm breaking them down.

And finally...Friday night we have our first team meeting for Dubai. Whew! Crazy week! I am so ready for the summer!

Easter Pictures!

This is my third attempt to post pictures from Easter, so we'll see how it goes. These are pictures we took while messing around in the car. Maddie, and especially Braden, loved seeing their pictures show up on the screen after I took the picture. I think this was when I had the most fun with the kids....this AND throwing spaghetti at Braden during dinner. :)

Spring Break!

This week is Spring Break and I am trying to enjoy every minute of it. I agreed to dog-sit for a co-worker this week, so we now have four (yes, FOUR) dogs in the house. It makes it a little crazier, but it's not too bad. Gucci is a Rottweiler/Cocker Spaniel mix and Paris (who names their dog Paris?) is a Chihuahua/Terrier mix.

Tonight was our Sunday School class' double-header softball game. We've been undefeated up until this point and worked our tails off tonight, but ended up losing both games to the same team. It was a tense game and there was lots of yelling. We're pretty competitive and we love it! In case anyone was wondering, the umpire was a jerk who decided to take his issues out on our team. Not that I'm taking it personally. :)

School Update

I had a talk with my pricipal this morning and found out that teachers from Lindley (my school) may have a problem transferring to a different school because of Lindley's bad reputation with the media. Unfortunately, many of Lindley's problems have come from our actual teachers who have exaggerated complaints and gone to the media or school board. My principal said he has received a few calls from principals who were interested in me, but they said their own superintendant would be hesitant to approve the hire since I was coming from Lindley. That feels very frustrating since all of those factors are out of my control. Of course, my mom reminded me that God is in control and He knows what is best for me. It's hard for me to remember, but I'm working on it daily. Keep praying!

Dubai

For the last month or so, I have had the desire to go to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates with our church. This afternoon was an informational meeting, and Steve said he would like to go, too. At this point, we are praying about, and planning to go to, Dubai this summer - from June 27th to July 6th. Our mission would be to minister to the "humanitarian aid workers" that work in Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and the United Arab Emirates. Please pray as we begin thinking about all of things that need to come together in order for this trip to happen.

Pictures!

Julie showed me how to post pictures, so I'm finally able to do this! The weekend with Matt, Julie, and the kids is going awesome, but I'll add those pictures later.

This is a picture of Mel and I over Christmas. It was my "practice" picture.

Long time, no see

It's been awhile since I've sat down to do a post. Luckily, Steve has been adding comments here and there. Praise God! Steve was accepted to UGA's business school!!! He's very mellow about it, so I'm acting thrilled in his honor. It seems like God just blesses everything he sets out to do. Which is what God promises for those He loves, right? Meanwhile, I am still pursuing a new position at a school closer to our home. My commute is about an hour each way, and it is becoming very draining. I've been in contact with a few principals and I've applied for about four positions, so now I'm just waiting. I won't really know anything till after Spring Break, but I'm praying diligently that I'll find a position soon. Matt and Julie are coming in tomorrow with the kids and we're so excited!!! Hopefully, Matt can show me how to post pictures to this thing.

MBA Stuff

Just wanted to update everyone on my grad school progress from this past weekend. I had my admissions test on Saturday that went very well. I got the average score that UGA is looking for, so I was happy. I had my UGA admissions interview today and it went great, she all but told me right there I was accepted. I should have my official letter by the end of the week she said. Thanks everyone for praying, God made the interview very easy and I had some connections with the lady that made conversation go very easy. Thanks everyone for praying! Now I can relax until August when classes start!

Birthday Surprise

My birthday was awesome! At school, one of the teachers on my team baked a cake and my 5th period planned a "surprise" party for me. I could hear them planning the whole thing, but it was still really sweet. Steve sent me tulips at school and they're just beautiful. I have the best stud of a husband ever! Tonight, Steve had planned a surprise party with friends at Red Lobster. We had 20 people there - mostly couples from Sunday School - so I felt sufficiently spoiled. I love big parties! We had a good night. And I can't forget that I got sung to on the phone 4 different times - Steve, Mel, my mom and dad, and our Ohio family. It's a great tradition!

Steve's First Time!

This is offically Steve's first post! I just wanted to let everyone know that I have my graduate admissions test, the GMAT, on March 15th. I found out today that I have an admissions interview with the University of Georgia, my top choice, on March 17th. Please pray for me on both days as they'll be key in my application process. I've been taking practice tests and have been scoring right at the average for UGA, but obviously would like to get as high as possible. The interview makes me nervous, but it's supposed to be a "casual conversation" for about 45 minutes. It might be "casual" for the interviewer, but not on my end! Anyway, please keep me in your thoughts and prayers over the next week as all this comes to a head. Pray for a good test, a great interview, and acceptance to UGA! Thanks and I love you all.

James

We adopted a boy from Kenya! He's not actually living with us, but we're supporting him through a small, local orphanage in Nairobi. There are organizations that feel very distant and you never get to really communicate with the child that you choose; but this one lets us write back and forth with James and even send him small packages. James is 12 years old and has lost both of his parents. He wants to be a pilot when he's older and loves working with the animals. He currently live with a neighbor who has taken him in. I'm excited to send him my first letter!

Bonding and Sickness

This past weekend, Steve and I each had our bonding time with friends. I went with about 10 other girls and participated in the Ladies' Retreat at our church. We drove up to Amicalola Falls, which is in North Georgia. It was a ton of fun, but not much sleep. Steve and the guys had to keep their minds off of their missing wives, so they all went camping together. I'm pretty sure they froze, but it was good male bonding. Saturday morning, I woke up with a fever and a pounding headache. It's now Monday morning and I'm home from work with the same fever and headache...now I've added a hacking cough. Steve's been taking good care of me and I've been doped up on DayQuil for the last 2 days or so. It's just such a miserable feeling. Bleh! Steve's got a class today at a much closer branch, so he should be home earlier than normal. other than that, it's business as usual. We're trying to have a low-key week so we're not total strangers.

It's a Record

Three days of straight blogging! How can I whine about begin exhausted when I clearly have enough time for this? I still have to find the time to post pictures and all that. My sisters, Stacey and Julie, have videos and slideshows - show-offs. I'll get there eventually.

I survived my first field trip! 200 6th graders and 15 adults visited downtown Atlanta and made it back to school in one piece. Well, there was one fight, but MOST made it back in one piece. We visited the Black History Museum on Auburn Ave., which is where MLK, Jr.'s house is and Ebenezer Baptist Church. Then we took the kids to The Varsity - a diner downtown that is famous with the locals. It turned out to be a pretty good trip overall.

Now I just need a hot bath and a footrub.

Love Being a Teacher

I've been planning my first field trip this month and I think I might go crazy! It all happens tomorrow, so after tonight, I guess I'll be much saner. I'm taking 200 6th grade students to downtown Atlanta - am I crazy? Steve is currently in his last night of his GMAT-prep class, so I have a few hours of quiet to finish up all my details. His test is in two weeks and he's working hard on studying for his GMAT and his business school applications.

A New Experiment!

This is definitely going to be a work-in-progress! I'm not sure if I can stick with this on a daily basis, but I'm going to try. I might even make Steve post every once in awhile. We'll see how it goes.