I'm not sure if I've posted about wanting a home water birth. I've told most of my family members my intentions, and I've gotten the whole spectrum of reactions from my mom's "Go for it!" to my Uncle's "I will keep my opinion to myself unless it's asked for." I knew I would get reactions like that though. You may be one of the extreme reactions I received, or maybe you're somewhere in between. I have many reasons for wanting to labor and give birth at home. Most of them are reasons others have for doing the same thing; then there are the very personal reasons.
1. It's a better transition for the baby to go from a water environment in the womb to a water environment outside the womb.
2. The water helps to ease the pain of labor considerably.
3. Being in warm water helps the perineum to stretch and there's less chance of tearing during the birth.
4. I would like to give birth in a calm environment. I don't want doctors or nurses running around yelling for instruments, yelling at me to push/not push/count/how to push/etc., or telling me what I am or am not allowed to do while I wait for the birth of my child. I would like to give birth in a quiet room, with the lights dimmed, candles lit, relaxing music in the background, and the ability to eat or drink whatever and whenever I want.
5. I know that women have been giving birth naturally without the aid of drugs or medication for centuries. I know God made my body to know what to do when the time comes.
6. I want my husband to be able to bring our child into the world. Fathers are never allowed to catch their baby as it is born while in a hospital setting. My husband will be catching our first child (and hopefully subsequent children) as it is born. And I must say, he is SUPER excited to have such a big part in the birth!
7. Lastly, and most importantly, I wanted to give full control of this pregnancy and birth to the ultimate caregiver! It took me a long time in my personal life to give control of my happiness to God. I was convinced that I wouldn't be happy unless I had a job, a house, and a baby. As long as those were my thoughts, I remained unhappy and utterly depressed. I finally realized, after a couple years, that God would never bless me with what I wanted unless I would be happy with the life he had blessed me with at that moment. I had to learn to be content with my life, which was no easy task and took close to a year. When I had honestly reevaluated my life and was able to honestly be content with where I was in life, things started to change. My husband and I were able to buy a house less than 2 blocks from the church where my husband works. We felt so blessed! I was so happy with life. Then I started to think if only we had a baby. That's when we found out we were pregnant and had a miscarriage all in one week. It shook us to the core, especially me. I began to reevaluate my thoughts and life again and tried to get back on track. On a side note, my little sister has had problems conceiving as well and I knew that if I got pregnant first, it would affect her terribly. I was finally able to be content with my life again that I secretly prayed she would get pregnant first. I truly meant it too. Not long after, we found out we were expecting again. I decided that the only way I would be able to trust God with 100% of my life was to give 100% of the control with the pregnancy and birth over to him. I am trying to live out my faith by trusting him with my life as well as the life of my unborn child. And even though at times it's a little unnerving, I know that whatever happens will be God's Will. I feel relieved to know that he has control and not me or some doctor. Especially since he has also blessed me with a job! Shortly after we found out we were expecting, I was contacted by a woman who wanted to hire me as a full-time homeschool teacher for her three kids! Both my husband and I trusted that, if God were to bless us with a baby, he would also bless us with the means to provide for that baby. How's that for proof that there is a God and he will bless you if you put your full trust in him!
I know I will still be getting strange reactions to my decision to birth at home in the water, and I'm sure I will have some try to talk me out of it. However, I feel I have the ultimate answer to their concerns: I put my trust in God to handle every aspect of my pregnancy and birth. Who better could I find than the ultimate caregiver?
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Friday, December 7, 2012
The Nursery
This week we got to start painting the nursery for our little blessing. We started out with a completely white room. It now has some color. A light brown will be the main color of the room with accents of yellow, green, red, and a darker brown. As you can probably tell, they're pretty much neutral colors. This is due to the fact that we won't be finding out the gender of the baby until it makes it's debut into this world. Here's the plan for what we want the room to look like.
We've decided to go with a Winnie the Pooh theme. I can't decide if I want the leaves around the outline of Pooh or if I want to go with bees. I'm rather picky about my Winnie the Pooh, however. I told my hubby that if we were to decide on that particular theme for the nursery, I didn't want classic Pooh, baby Pooh, or pink or blue Pooh. I want the Pooh with the neutral colors. And I prefer just Pooh. I don't have anything against his little friends, but I like Pooh the best and would like to have just Pooh. Anyways, here's the room and what we started out with. I'll post "after" pictures once we finish!
I'm sort of at a loss of what to do with the tiny window. It's the only window in the room, so I don't want to cover it up too much so the natural light can come in. I'm thinking of going with sheer curtains. I'm also not sure how long to get/make them. I considered having them go down to about halfway between the window and the outlet. Surely that's not too long or too short. We also decided today while painting that we will be getting rid of the closet doors (on the wall to the right) and putting up curtains instead, mainly due to the doors being the sliding ones on a track. They keep getting stuck or jumping off the track and I don't want to have to mess with them. Anyways, we have bought a full bed that will probably go against the wall with the window for when my parents or inlaws come to visit. When it's not in use, I'll dress it up as a day bed. The crib will go against the left wall in the corner you can't see. Of course the furniture can be moved around, so it may not end up where I think it will. It's just a matter of getting everything in there and seeing what works where. I'll try to take an updated picture tomorrow so you can see the color of the walls.
We've decided to go with a Winnie the Pooh theme. I can't decide if I want the leaves around the outline of Pooh or if I want to go with bees. I'm rather picky about my Winnie the Pooh, however. I told my hubby that if we were to decide on that particular theme for the nursery, I didn't want classic Pooh, baby Pooh, or pink or blue Pooh. I want the Pooh with the neutral colors. And I prefer just Pooh. I don't have anything against his little friends, but I like Pooh the best and would like to have just Pooh. Anyways, here's the room and what we started out with. I'll post "after" pictures once we finish!
I'm sort of at a loss of what to do with the tiny window. It's the only window in the room, so I don't want to cover it up too much so the natural light can come in. I'm thinking of going with sheer curtains. I'm also not sure how long to get/make them. I considered having them go down to about halfway between the window and the outlet. Surely that's not too long or too short. We also decided today while painting that we will be getting rid of the closet doors (on the wall to the right) and putting up curtains instead, mainly due to the doors being the sliding ones on a track. They keep getting stuck or jumping off the track and I don't want to have to mess with them. Anyways, we have bought a full bed that will probably go against the wall with the window for when my parents or inlaws come to visit. When it's not in use, I'll dress it up as a day bed. The crib will go against the left wall in the corner you can't see. Of course the furniture can be moved around, so it may not end up where I think it will. It's just a matter of getting everything in there and seeing what works where. I'll try to take an updated picture tomorrow so you can see the color of the walls.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Trunk-or-Treat 2012
This year for our annual Trunk-or-treat, we decided to down-grade our "car". Instead of using our car we decided to use a little wagon (we thought it'd be cute). We both dressed up as pirates and hubby handed out the candy for the pirate ship. Here's the photos I took this year.
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| Hubby sitting next to our "vehicle" for trunk-or-treat. |
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| Hubby and I with our pirate ship. |
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| Our vessel! |
Friday, November 16, 2012
Christmas ball wreath
I have been busy updating all of my posts today and thought I'd post my newest art project! I've been seeing a lot of Christmas ball wreaths all over pinterest and decided I'd like to try one. Mine was a little more expensive (around $30 total) but I LOVE the outcome! What do you think?
It took a couple of hours simply because I didn't buy enough balls. So I just made the hanger circle a little tighter so that the wreath was a little smaller. I used small silver and blue balls to fill in the gaps and the ribbon on top to hide the fact that I ran out of balls. Not bad for a first try if I do say so myself!
Another new piece to the puzzle
I wrote a few months ago about a tutoring website I put my info on and prayed for something to come of it. Well, something did! I was contacted about a month ago by a woman with 3 kids. Her husband is getting transferred to our city and she is looking for a full time homeschool teacher to teach her kids! I jumped on the opportunity! I will probably be starting after the first of the year, but I just can't wait to start! I guess God wants me to continue teaching the way I am! What a tremendous blessing this will be to my husband and I, especially with a new baby on the way. We always said that if God wanted us to start a family, he would also provide us with the means to support that family. He has answered our prayers once again! Thank you God!
Ending the first Trimester
It's been a while since I've posted due to the overwhelming changes that have been happening. As of tomorrow I will be 12 weeks pregnant and finally ending the "critical" point of pregnancy. I have been slightly afraid of a miscarriage, but I also know that God wouldn't have had me go this long if it weren't for the reason of having this baby. My symptoms are not as full-blown as they were 3 weeks ago and I now have more good days than bad. I'm getting better sleep and my nausea is less than it was, though it's still a problem. I've noticed another side-effect that I can honestly say I didn't expect. I have become (though I am very ashamed to say it) selfish. I find I am focused on myself a lot more than I ever have been and am voicing my opinions very matter-of-factually. If you knew me before I became pregnant this would be impossible for you to comprehend; I used to be a very shy and cautious person when it came to saying things around people. Now I just don't care. I've had friends tell me that it's normal and that I'm supposed to be a little selfish, that I'm not just thinking about myself, but the baby too. This is true. I think about this little thing growing inside me every second of every day.
I'm looking forward to Sunday (today is Friday) because this is when we are telling the rest of the world about our big news. Sure our family and close friends know, but our church family and distant friends don't know yet. I also can't wait to tell the group who where with us when we had our miscarriage. They will be so excited for us and even more excited when they actually get to see the baby. We have planned out how were are telling everyone. My husband usually gets up to make youth announcements at the end of the church service. He will get up and make his announcements like normal and then announce that we are starting a home expansion project on our new house. We will need lots of help with it because we've never done something like this before. Then he'll say, "We are expanding our home by two feet. Two tiny little feet!" I can just imagine the cheers that will ring out. After church, we will come home and on facebook I will but as my status "We made a plan, God laughed, then he showed us his plan. Sometimes we tend to forget that God is in charge of our lives and not us. We wanted to start a family over a year and a half ago, but God had other plans. Now he has shown us what HIS plans are and guess what? Baby Monk will be arriving June 2013!" I can't wait to see all the comments I will get on this status!
I still have difficulty comprehending that our lives are about to change forever. It's been just my husband and I for over 4 years (married for 4, together for 3 before that). Even though we've heard a little bit of a heartbeat, even though I'm beginning to show already and I still have symptoms, I still can't wrap my head around the thought. We're even collecting baby stuff and looking for a crib, stroller, carseat, etc. and I still can't imagine how much our lives are about to change. I also kind of feel detached from my baby. I guess I'm afraid to feel something in the off chance that something happens. I am confident that it won't, but I still can't shake the fear, probably because of my past miscarriage.
Our next appointment with the midwife is Monday and we will almost definitely get to hear a full heartbeat this time. She will also try to see if she can more accurately pinpoint my due date by seeing how big I am. I may also be relieved of my restrictions since I've made it to 12 weeks. We shall see!
I'm looking forward to Sunday (today is Friday) because this is when we are telling the rest of the world about our big news. Sure our family and close friends know, but our church family and distant friends don't know yet. I also can't wait to tell the group who where with us when we had our miscarriage. They will be so excited for us and even more excited when they actually get to see the baby. We have planned out how were are telling everyone. My husband usually gets up to make youth announcements at the end of the church service. He will get up and make his announcements like normal and then announce that we are starting a home expansion project on our new house. We will need lots of help with it because we've never done something like this before. Then he'll say, "We are expanding our home by two feet. Two tiny little feet!" I can just imagine the cheers that will ring out. After church, we will come home and on facebook I will but as my status "We made a plan, God laughed, then he showed us his plan. Sometimes we tend to forget that God is in charge of our lives and not us. We wanted to start a family over a year and a half ago, but God had other plans. Now he has shown us what HIS plans are and guess what? Baby Monk will be arriving June 2013!" I can't wait to see all the comments I will get on this status!
I still have difficulty comprehending that our lives are about to change forever. It's been just my husband and I for over 4 years (married for 4, together for 3 before that). Even though we've heard a little bit of a heartbeat, even though I'm beginning to show already and I still have symptoms, I still can't wrap my head around the thought. We're even collecting baby stuff and looking for a crib, stroller, carseat, etc. and I still can't imagine how much our lives are about to change. I also kind of feel detached from my baby. I guess I'm afraid to feel something in the off chance that something happens. I am confident that it won't, but I still can't shake the fear, probably because of my past miscarriage.
Our next appointment with the midwife is Monday and we will almost definitely get to hear a full heartbeat this time. She will also try to see if she can more accurately pinpoint my due date by seeing how big I am. I may also be relieved of my restrictions since I've made it to 12 weeks. We shall see!
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Using a Midwife
As stated on a previous post, I am using a midwife for my prenatal care for my first pregnancy. I chose a midwife named Mary who I felt a deep connection with. It's important to have a connection with whomever you wish to care for you on this important journey. You want to have someone taking care of you that has the same viewpoints and beliefs that you have so there isn't any tension between you and your care-giver. My husband and I chose Mary through an interview process. I always thought it would be a little weird interviewing people to take care of me and my unborn baby. Anyways, she came to our house and spent about an hour and a half telling us about herself and answering any questions we had for her. What helped me to decide that I wanted her to go through this journey with us was the fact that, after she was done telling us about herself, she had already answered 99% of the questions I had typed out and ready to ask her! Also, she just has such a calming nature about her and easily helps me to calm down when I have a question about something or am worried for one reason or another.
I wanted to let you know what midwives do during a typical appointment. However, I've only had one because I'm not that far along in my pregnancy (approx 8 weeks). So I'll just tell you what went on at this last appointment. All appointments are at our home which is wonderful! This time she brought with her an assistant, Jessica. Jessica works as a neonatal nurse at the best hospital in the city, which makes me so happy that she'll be at the our birth. They figured out my due date, which is a very rough guess due to the irregular cycles I've had all my life. They talked to both my husband and I about the water-birth process and some of the things we need to expect. Of course, we also signed some paperwork and discussed cost. This was a MAJOR issue to my husband and I because we don't have health insurance. She gave us a small list of things we would need to supply for the birth such as towels that can be thrown away. Most of the things we need to provide we either already have or can be bought at the dollar store. She also had me lay down and she felt my abdomen to see if she could feel the baby yet. She said she could and tried to help us feel it also but I couldn't feel anything yet. She also answered any questions that we had. My urine was checked for glucose and protein, both were negative thankfully. I also had my blood pressure checked which came out normal. Apparently it was a short appointment. In later appointments she will be teaching us about labor and delivery and all the things you'd expect to learn in a birthing class. I can't wait until we get started with that!
I did have some restrictions put on me because of my previous miscarriage. I'm not allowed to lift things and turn, like what you would do putting groceries into the trunk of a car. I was also told I wasn't allowed to have intercourse until after the 13th week, just to be on the safe side. Better safe than sorry! Just in general I need to take it easy. Being a youth minister's wife this isn't very easy, especially when we're trying to keep our pregnancy a secret until we've hit the 2nd trimester. Anyways, It's pretty much the same thing that goes on at an appointment in a doctor's office from what I can tell except I'm not required to do all those prenatal tests. Honestly, being a Christian, I don't see the point in them. It's not like I'm going to get an abortion if my child has down syndrome. I will love my child no matter what kind of problems they have and will not deny them the right to live. OK, ranting aside, I will let you know how my next appointment goes, but that won't be for another 2 weeks.
I wanted to let you know what midwives do during a typical appointment. However, I've only had one because I'm not that far along in my pregnancy (approx 8 weeks). So I'll just tell you what went on at this last appointment. All appointments are at our home which is wonderful! This time she brought with her an assistant, Jessica. Jessica works as a neonatal nurse at the best hospital in the city, which makes me so happy that she'll be at the our birth. They figured out my due date, which is a very rough guess due to the irregular cycles I've had all my life. They talked to both my husband and I about the water-birth process and some of the things we need to expect. Of course, we also signed some paperwork and discussed cost. This was a MAJOR issue to my husband and I because we don't have health insurance. She gave us a small list of things we would need to supply for the birth such as towels that can be thrown away. Most of the things we need to provide we either already have or can be bought at the dollar store. She also had me lay down and she felt my abdomen to see if she could feel the baby yet. She said she could and tried to help us feel it also but I couldn't feel anything yet. She also answered any questions that we had. My urine was checked for glucose and protein, both were negative thankfully. I also had my blood pressure checked which came out normal. Apparently it was a short appointment. In later appointments she will be teaching us about labor and delivery and all the things you'd expect to learn in a birthing class. I can't wait until we get started with that!
I did have some restrictions put on me because of my previous miscarriage. I'm not allowed to lift things and turn, like what you would do putting groceries into the trunk of a car. I was also told I wasn't allowed to have intercourse until after the 13th week, just to be on the safe side. Better safe than sorry! Just in general I need to take it easy. Being a youth minister's wife this isn't very easy, especially when we're trying to keep our pregnancy a secret until we've hit the 2nd trimester. Anyways, It's pretty much the same thing that goes on at an appointment in a doctor's office from what I can tell except I'm not required to do all those prenatal tests. Honestly, being a Christian, I don't see the point in them. It's not like I'm going to get an abortion if my child has down syndrome. I will love my child no matter what kind of problems they have and will not deny them the right to live. OK, ranting aside, I will let you know how my next appointment goes, but that won't be for another 2 weeks.
Monday, October 22, 2012
A New Piece
A new chapter, or should I say, new puzzle piece has been introduced in my life. I am 8 weeks pregnant! This will be our first baby and I'm a little nervous. I dealt with a little infertility which was fixed with weight loss and also a miscarriage that occurred while on a vacation of sorts. My husband and I have decided that we want this journey to be one of peace where we relinquish all control to God. Therefore, we have chosen to have a midwife be my caregiver and to deliver our baby in the comfort of our own home through a water-birth. Upon announcing our news and plans to family and friends, we have come across some skepticism along with elation, grief, fear, and excitement. I am determined to show the world how safe and wonderful a home birth with a midwife can be and to help those understand who are skeptical.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Scrapbooking for others
I LOVE to scrapbook. Unfortunately I don't get much time to do so. I also like to scrapbook for other people. Most of my gifts, whether they are wedding, baby, or birthday are albums that I've scrapbooked for people to out pictures in. I'm one album behind (my older sister's wedding album; she was married in March!) simply because I haven't had the desire. Now that we have a baby on the way I am starting to feel "creative" again. Especially since, in a perfect world, I would love to have one completed for the baby when it arrives. But, of course, I digress from the topic. I love scrapbooking for others so much that I even tried to start a business with it. I ordered business cards, created a flyer, and started getting my name out there. Unfortunately, no one understands what goes into making a scrapbook. Those things take TONS of time to complete and quite a bit of money,
What exactly goes into making a scrapbook? Imagine you have just gotten married and want all your wedding photos put into a custom scrapbook. You have 200 photos. The average scrapbook page consists of 3 photos, some imbellishments (these are the brads, flowers, swirls, and do-dads that go on the page), journaling about what is happening in the picture(s) or a backstory for the picture(s), and a title. All of these have to be the right color, style, and size to be able to look right on the one page. That one page can take anywhere from 15 minutes to a couple hours. So if you wanted all those wedding photos put into an album it would be 66 pages and could take anywhere from 16.5 hours to 132 hours. Now don't forget, we have lives outside of creating your scrapbook! We have houses to clean, kids to tend to, husbands that need our attention, and other friends and family to spend time with. The point is, that we love spending time on you, we just don't have all the time in the world to do it.
Then there's the subject of cost. First of all, all scrapbooks are created using special paper. Sometimes just the right color or pattern of paper can cost over a dollar per sheet! And it's always so much better to use more than just one pattern or color of paper on one page. Then there's the embellishments. Every page needs some sort of embellishment, whether it's a button to dot an "i" or a cute little giraffe on a baby page. Sometimes those can cost up to $5 each! Then there's the need for recoloring photos and having them printed using either our own printers (the cost of ink is usually factored in here) or another service (walmart photo center) which is at least $.09 per picture. As you can see, doing this for others is NOT cheap, but for some reason, it's expected to be. When someone asks me what I would charge to do a scrapbook and I tell them, I never hear from them again. I take less than $40 profit off of one album. Just making one for a gift for someone costs me at least $100. However, If you're wanting to pay me to make you one it will exceed your expectations.
In any case, don't expect a custom scrapbook album to be cheap if you're looking into it. But if you're serious, let me know! I'd LOVE to create something you'll cherish for years to come! A scrapbook about your life can be passed down through generations and your great-great grandchildren could know more about you than they ever would have if you didn't have one done! They are great discussion pieces if laid out on a coffee table and it's great to sit and laugh at the pictures with family and friends! I've created so many for my family to keep and look at when I'm gone. I'm so glad to know my life will not go unnoticed!
What exactly goes into making a scrapbook? Imagine you have just gotten married and want all your wedding photos put into a custom scrapbook. You have 200 photos. The average scrapbook page consists of 3 photos, some imbellishments (these are the brads, flowers, swirls, and do-dads that go on the page), journaling about what is happening in the picture(s) or a backstory for the picture(s), and a title. All of these have to be the right color, style, and size to be able to look right on the one page. That one page can take anywhere from 15 minutes to a couple hours. So if you wanted all those wedding photos put into an album it would be 66 pages and could take anywhere from 16.5 hours to 132 hours. Now don't forget, we have lives outside of creating your scrapbook! We have houses to clean, kids to tend to, husbands that need our attention, and other friends and family to spend time with. The point is, that we love spending time on you, we just don't have all the time in the world to do it.
Then there's the subject of cost. First of all, all scrapbooks are created using special paper. Sometimes just the right color or pattern of paper can cost over a dollar per sheet! And it's always so much better to use more than just one pattern or color of paper on one page. Then there's the embellishments. Every page needs some sort of embellishment, whether it's a button to dot an "i" or a cute little giraffe on a baby page. Sometimes those can cost up to $5 each! Then there's the need for recoloring photos and having them printed using either our own printers (the cost of ink is usually factored in here) or another service (walmart photo center) which is at least $.09 per picture. As you can see, doing this for others is NOT cheap, but for some reason, it's expected to be. When someone asks me what I would charge to do a scrapbook and I tell them, I never hear from them again. I take less than $40 profit off of one album. Just making one for a gift for someone costs me at least $100. However, If you're wanting to pay me to make you one it will exceed your expectations.
In any case, don't expect a custom scrapbook album to be cheap if you're looking into it. But if you're serious, let me know! I'd LOVE to create something you'll cherish for years to come! A scrapbook about your life can be passed down through generations and your great-great grandchildren could know more about you than they ever would have if you didn't have one done! They are great discussion pieces if laid out on a coffee table and it's great to sit and laugh at the pictures with family and friends! I've created so many for my family to keep and look at when I'm gone. I'm so glad to know my life will not go unnoticed!
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Tutoring
So Hubby and I were discussing the possible need for me to get a job, since I didn't get the last job I interviewed for. I have no intention of using my talents of teaching at a burger joint flipping burgers or at a store bagging groceries. So, I got online to see what I could do in my city in regards to tutoring, I found this awesome tutoring website called WyzAnt.com. It connects students of all ages (even adults) to people in their area who are willing to tutor for a fee. You set your hourly rate, distance willing to travel, even the tutoring schedule you want to follow. You can apply for tutoring opportunities or someone can contact you specifically. I decided to create a profile in the hopes of earning a little of an income. I hope and pray someone uses me!
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Halloween Craft
I recently saw a
pin on Pinterest and decided I loved the idea, but didn't have the time
or money to go out and buy the wood blocks the project called for, so I
decided to use what I had on hand: a few empty medication boxes! I
taped the ends shut and wrapped them in patterned paper. Then I cut out
the letters with my Slice (die-cut machine) and inked them with white
and black ink to give them a spookier aged look. I then turned the
black stamp pad upside-down and rubbed it on the boxes to give them the
same look. I simply stuck the letters on with adhesive, let the ink
dry, then hot-glued the ribbon onto the back. I LOVE how it turned out!
God's Canvas
Fall
is very quickly approaching. Kids have gone back to school and the
temperature is beginning to drop (finally). It's this time of the year
that I look forward to; my favorite time of the year. The leaves on the
trees aren't quite changing colors here in Texas yet, but I am waiting
for them to change with the anticipation of a child on Christmas Eve.
The first or second weekend in November my husband takes me hiking in a
canyon a couple hours away from us, known for it's fall colors. Here's a
few pictures of the AMAZING colors I captured last year.
These pictures just don't do the colors justice. It's just so amazing how God can create such beauty! The Earth is God's canvas. Whether it's Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter, there's always a beautiful sight to see if you just take the time to stop and look. I encourage everyone to take just 5 minutes and look at God's beauty that surrounds you. When I think of the day I took these pictures it makes me cry. God blessed me that day. I got to see a colors I'd only dreamed of seeing in real life. So as I sit here curled up in my chair, wearing my comfy socks and robe, listening to the wind blow outside, I'm filled with an overwhelming sense of contentment, even though I've got a HUGE pile of clean laundry on the couch and a sink full of dirty dishes.
These pictures just don't do the colors justice. It's just so amazing how God can create such beauty! The Earth is God's canvas. Whether it's Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter, there's always a beautiful sight to see if you just take the time to stop and look. I encourage everyone to take just 5 minutes and look at God's beauty that surrounds you. When I think of the day I took these pictures it makes me cry. God blessed me that day. I got to see a colors I'd only dreamed of seeing in real life. So as I sit here curled up in my chair, wearing my comfy socks and robe, listening to the wind blow outside, I'm filled with an overwhelming sense of contentment, even though I've got a HUGE pile of clean laundry on the couch and a sink full of dirty dishes.
Be a Worker for the Lord
On Sunday, our
preacher talked about how we need to be dedicated to our work as if we
were working for the Lord. That's what the Bible says we need to do!
Colossians 3:23 says "Whatever
you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord..." A
lot of people say TGIF on Fridays. This means Thank God It's Friday for
those of you who don't know. He challenged us to think TGIM. Thank
God It's Monday. If you put forth the effort into your work as if God
is your boss, you may find that your work goes much smoother on
occasion. I want to be a worker for the Lord. I challenge you to do
the same!
Our Homeschool Schedule
The schedule
that we go by with our homeschooling is a bit different from the average
schedule in that the students I have aren't my own kids. During my
first year as a homeschool teacher I found that teaching two different
students of different grade levels at the same time was VERY difficult.
I would work with the younger one, then the older one. But then, the
younger one would need help so I would have to either stop what I was
doing with the older one to help the younger one, or tell the younger
one to wait. If I did the later he wouldn't have a clue what he was
learning by the time I got back to him. So...in order to avoid all of
this chaos I decided it would be so much easier for me to teach, and
both students would learn more, if I taught them at separate times
during the day.
- I wake up at 7:30 every morning and eat breakfast with my husband. We have an hour and a half to ourselves until my first student arrives.
- I have the older student @ 9am every morning. It doesn't take too long to do everything we need to and he's usually done by 10:30.
- This gives me about 2 hours to clean the house, write in my blog, do some scrapbooking, take a shower, eat lunch and whatever else I need to do.
- The younger student gets here at about 12:30. The two of us work until about 2:30 or 3.
- After that, the rest of the day is devoted to my husband and I doing whatever we need to do.
Free Teacher Websites
Since I
homeschool, I've spent MANY hours online looking for free worksheets and
ideas to use with my students. There are quite a few places out there
that have FREE (my favorite word) worksheets for teachers to use.
Here's a list of the many places I have found. Some of them require you
to create a free account.
HaveFunTeaching.com - LOTS of free printables in any subject you can think of! You can also create your own worksheets if you can't find one that fits what your looking for.
freereading.net - "A high-quality, open-source, free reading intervention program for grades PK-6". An AMAZING website with decode-able reading passages, a word-list generator, and so much more!
education.com - This is one of my favorite sites! TONS of worksheets you can choose from. There are also articles & tips you can read for parents and teachers alike. This site does require you to create an account, but it's free and well worth it!
schoolexpress.com - 17,000+ Free worksheets. Another great site. You can also get a few "extras" if you sign up for their email newsletter.
tlsbooks.com - I use this one frequently. Lots of good, age appropriate worksheets!
teach-nology.com - Great worksheets, plus rubrics, lesson plans, and other teacher resources!
I'm sure there's more out there, these are just the main ones that I use. If anyone finds another, let me know and I'll add it to my list. Please make sure it is 100% free. There are some sites that require you to pay a fee for a membership, then allow you to print off their worksheets. This is a list just for free worksheets.
HaveFunTeaching.com - LOTS of free printables in any subject you can think of! You can also create your own worksheets if you can't find one that fits what your looking for.
freereading.net - "A high-quality, open-source, free reading intervention program for grades PK-6". An AMAZING website with decode-able reading passages, a word-list generator, and so much more!
education.com - This is one of my favorite sites! TONS of worksheets you can choose from. There are also articles & tips you can read for parents and teachers alike. This site does require you to create an account, but it's free and well worth it!
schoolexpress.com - 17,000+ Free worksheets. Another great site. You can also get a few "extras" if you sign up for their email newsletter.
tlsbooks.com - I use this one frequently. Lots of good, age appropriate worksheets!
teach-nology.com - Great worksheets, plus rubrics, lesson plans, and other teacher resources!
I'm sure there's more out there, these are just the main ones that I use. If anyone finds another, let me know and I'll add it to my list. Please make sure it is 100% free. There are some sites that require you to pay a fee for a membership, then allow you to print off their worksheets. This is a list just for free worksheets.
The Cost of Youth Ministry
After reading a
letter online of someone negatively discussing youth ministry, I
decided to write about the costs that youth ministry has.
First, youth ministry isn't possible without the support of those outside the group. This includes parents, other church members, and of course the rest of the church staff. As with a majority of churches these days, ours is trying to stay afloat. Included in that, is our youth group. We are having to look for low cost (no more than $10) and no cost things to do. This is extremely difficult with today's teens who seem to need something as stimulating as the technology they have in their hands 24/7. A "movie night" or "family game night" isn't going to cut it, especially since most are "too busy" for these options. How do you plan something the teens will enjoy, want to invite their friends to, make the parents happy because it doesn't cost anything, & still have time for your own private life (because you DO have one, unlike most people think)?
Then there's the topic of fundraising. I don't know what your local laws are, but where we live, you have to buy a $100+ permit for EVERYTHING!! One summer, we decided for a service project, we would hand out FREE water to everyone at the park across the street from the church building. This went really well until a few of our kids were told by a police officer that they weren't allowed to do that without a permit. We aren't allowed to go door-to-door in order to sell things without a permit. We aren't allowed to do a bake-sale outside of a store without first purchasing a permit. We aren't even allowed to have a car wash because of the constant water shortage (city law). This leaves us with ALWAYS calling on the members of the church in order to fund not only our major activities (youth rally and summer camps) but also minor things (cost of gas for in-town trips). After being asked to shell out money for other activities the church does, it seems there's never anything left for our teens. Has anyone out there figured out how to get around obstacles like these? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
First, youth ministry isn't possible without the support of those outside the group. This includes parents, other church members, and of course the rest of the church staff. As with a majority of churches these days, ours is trying to stay afloat. Included in that, is our youth group. We are having to look for low cost (no more than $10) and no cost things to do. This is extremely difficult with today's teens who seem to need something as stimulating as the technology they have in their hands 24/7. A "movie night" or "family game night" isn't going to cut it, especially since most are "too busy" for these options. How do you plan something the teens will enjoy, want to invite their friends to, make the parents happy because it doesn't cost anything, & still have time for your own private life (because you DO have one, unlike most people think)?
Then there's the topic of fundraising. I don't know what your local laws are, but where we live, you have to buy a $100+ permit for EVERYTHING!! One summer, we decided for a service project, we would hand out FREE water to everyone at the park across the street from the church building. This went really well until a few of our kids were told by a police officer that they weren't allowed to do that without a permit. We aren't allowed to go door-to-door in order to sell things without a permit. We aren't allowed to do a bake-sale outside of a store without first purchasing a permit. We aren't even allowed to have a car wash because of the constant water shortage (city law). This leaves us with ALWAYS calling on the members of the church in order to fund not only our major activities (youth rally and summer camps) but also minor things (cost of gas for in-town trips). After being asked to shell out money for other activities the church does, it seems there's never anything left for our teens. Has anyone out there figured out how to get around obstacles like these? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
A Difficult Job
Youth Ministry
isn't for the faint at heart. It's an extremely taxing and often
lonely profession. If it's something you or a loved one is considering,
please consider the fact that you will NEVER please everyone you come
in contact with. Some parents will dislike the way you teach as will
some teens. Some teens will dislike the fact that they can't go on the
trip because they didn't get their permission form and money in by the
deadline and will hate you for all eternity (if not for this reason, than some other).
Some parents will believe with all their heart that, no matter how busy
you are and how many activities you are planning, you aren't doing
enough for their teen. There will be relationships formed and broken
off within your group which will cause all the teens in your group to
"take sides". You may even have some parents who don't want their teens
in your class or going to your events at all. Don't take any of this
personally. You aren't here to please everyone that comes through those
doors. Your job is to teach to word of God to these teens and hope and
pray that they turn their eyes and lives toward him. This is not
something you can force these teens to do. You will have some who
ignore what you teach completely. You will have some who will take what
you say out of context. You will have some coming from different
religious backgrounds and will questions everything you say and do. You
will have success stories (teens who heard the word, and are now living
their whole lives for Christ), but more often than not, you will have
stories of disappointment of teens you seem to have lost along the way.
It's so easy to get caught up in those disappointments. Just remember,
that when you are in a dark place in your ministry and Satan is telling
you that you aren't a good youth minister and you probably need to find
a different profession, that you may have planted a seed. This seed
may one day grow into a healthy and strong faith. It may take YEARS for
that seed to even begin to grow into a healthy plant, but it would
never have grown at all without someone putting it there. Also, if
you've reached even just one teen, they can go on to plant more seeds
elsewhere. I say all these things not just for your benefit but for my
own as well. Sometimes I need a reminder of what we're doing here. God
wants my husband and I to plant seeds. The hard part of it is, you
almost never get to see if those seeds will grow.
Trunk or Treat
As it is now
September, I am deep in thought about what to do for Halloween this
year. It's my favorite holiday and I'm always trying to come up with
fun things for the youth to do at their party. I am also trying to come
up with ideas for our annual "Trunk or Treat" that our church puts on.
For those of you who have never heard of this, it's a safer alternative
to trick-or-treating in the neighborhood. All you do is gather a group
of cars in a large parking lot, decorate your trunk, and hand out
candy. This is only the 3rd year our church has participated in this
activity, but I try to outdo myself in coming up with ideas for us to
decorate our car each year. The first year, since we weren't really
sure what to do, we did a monster car.
Hubby did a REALLY good job bringing the vision to life! Last year we went a little crazier and took a lot more time to prepare! We decided to make our car into a dragon. I would be a damsel in distress and he would be my knight coming to slay the dragon!
The legs, head, fire, and wing outline are all cardboard. Hubby had too much fun with this one! He drew and cut out all the pieces and we spray painted them green. Of course, we had to hand paint all the little details like the teeth, eye, toenails, and horns. The tail is made out of butcher paper with a small triangle of cardboard at the tip. The light green parts that are covering the car, the tail tip, and on the inside of the wing are plastic table cloths! If you ever need to decorate a large area of something, USE THESE!!! They are ubber cheap and you can find them in any color. Anyways, with this project we figured it would be better to decorate only one side and just have the other side facing away from everyone. We got some great comments on it, especially since our costumes went so well with it.
This year, I think we've decided to be pirates and our car a pirate ship! Check back in November for a picture!
Hubby did a REALLY good job bringing the vision to life! Last year we went a little crazier and took a lot more time to prepare! We decided to make our car into a dragon. I would be a damsel in distress and he would be my knight coming to slay the dragon!
The legs, head, fire, and wing outline are all cardboard. Hubby had too much fun with this one! He drew and cut out all the pieces and we spray painted them green. Of course, we had to hand paint all the little details like the teeth, eye, toenails, and horns. The tail is made out of butcher paper with a small triangle of cardboard at the tip. The light green parts that are covering the car, the tail tip, and on the inside of the wing are plastic table cloths! If you ever need to decorate a large area of something, USE THESE!!! They are ubber cheap and you can find them in any color. Anyways, with this project we figured it would be better to decorate only one side and just have the other side facing away from everyone. We got some great comments on it, especially since our costumes went so well with it.
This year, I think we've decided to be pirates and our car a pirate ship! Check back in November for a picture!
My Infertility Story
So, I want to
discuss with you a little bit about my situation with infertility. Some
info might be a little TMI, but I want to share it with you. My
husband and I decided we wanted to start trying to have a baby in May of
2011. We were poor with only one income, living in a rent house 20
miles from my husband's job (which in the city is quite a commute). We
knew we couldn't afford a baby at the time, but after lots of prayer and
consideration (and a call from my sister-in-law that they were
expecting their 2nd) we decided maybe it was our turn.
So I went off of my birth control pill and gave the reigns to God. I decided to go into my doctor's office to have a physical before we conceived. While there she gave the the whole work-up and said I was good to go. She set a time limit however because I hadn't had a normal cycle after getting off the birth control. If I hadn't gotten my cycle in 3 month to come back. Well, 3 months later I was in the office again and she pas putting me on Progesterone to cause my cycles to start. After a couple of months trying with the hormone, she decided she wanted to see what my body was actually doing. So I was sent to get a sonogram so they could look at my ovaries. Back at the doctor's office, she told me I wasn't ovulating at all and that she wanted to put me on Clomid. For those of you who don't know, Clomid is a hormone that causes your ovaries to produce eggs. This is sometimes a controversial drug because it's been known to cause multiple births , due to releasing more than one egg at a time, quite frequently. Hearing that I wasn't going to get pregnant without the help of medication was devastating to me. I had always suspected that I'd have problems getting pregnant because my cycles were so sporadic when I was younger. However, I never thought it'd be this hard.
Anyways, after a couple days of crying my eyes out I finally decided that this is something God wanted me to go through. Otherwise it wouldn't have been put in front of me. My husband and I talked about the pros and cons of the medication and decided to go ahead with it. I went 2 cycles on it and had no success. By this time in our lives, we were going through a lot and I was missing my appointments to start another cycle. I decided I would take a break from the hormone treatments and would try something new, loosing weight. My cholesterol was high and I was about 30 pounds over weight. I started on Weight Watchers and ended up loosing a little over 15 pounds. I was so proud of myself! Loosing the weight caused me to have, for once in my whole life, a normal cycle. I was ecstatic the first time I had a period on my own without the help of any medication! My doctor was excited at the news as well and encouraged us to keep trying on our own.
During all of this, we bought a house and moved 2 blocks away from my husband's office (which we know was a HUGE blessing from God)! Then summer began and so did the busy season for youth ministers. One Sunday morning, before leaving for camp, I decided to take a pregnancy test. I hadn't been feeling great and I was also about a week late on my cycle. The test showed up positive. I was shocked! I showed it to my husband and we cried and held each other thinking it had finally happened. We went to camp on cloud nine and told almost everyone at camp. Sadly, our joy was very short-lived. Wednesday night I began to cramp and by Thursday morning I was bleeding. We informed everyone who knew about the pregnancy that we were going to the hospital and to pray it wasn't a miscarriage. I had never felt so blessed to have the people I did surrounding me. Unfortunately, the doctor said I'd miscarried. In fact, he said I had probably miscarried even before I took the test, but my body still had enough of the hormone to turn it positive. I felt as if I was in a dream world. I wasn't sure what to think. My husband and I stayed the night in town so that we could deal with it on our own. It was hard for me to even grasp what had happened. We hadn't known for more than a few days and it was over. It just seemed like a bad dream. When we got back to camp I was embraced by so many people and they all cried with me.
Getting back home to normal life was difficult at first. The next week of camp we shared a cabin with a couple who were expecting. I ended up avoiding her as much as I could because the pain was still so real. There are still times when I just have to sit down and cry. I thought I'd finally gotten over it when my husband's best friend mentioned they were expecting. This news hit me like a ton of bricks. I was so envious of them; I found myself welling up with anger and hate. When this happens, I always turn to the internet. I find articles of women who have gone through the same things in order to find some form of comfort. I found an article where a woman stated that when her friends and family were getting pregnant all around her, she had the same feelings of anger and hate. Then she would calm herself down by saying a prayer for the mother and her expecting child, a prayer for a safe and healthy pregnancy and that they wouldn't have to go through what she went through. This humbled me and I found myself saying a pray for our friends and their unborn child. I even found myself getting onto their facebook pages and telling them how excited I was that that I was praying they would have a very health y pregnancy. This made me feel so much better. Yesterday I got on to find that they had gotten to hear the heartbeat. Once again, another blow and reality check. I may just have to stay off of facebook for a while.
I heard something once that puts it all into perspective for those of us that are having issues conceiving. Why is it so hard for me to get pregnant when the 16 year old teenager in the back of a car has no problem? I know one day it will happen for me (although I'm sick and tired of hearing this). I know God has a purpose for everything. I just wish I knew what his purpose was.
So I went off of my birth control pill and gave the reigns to God. I decided to go into my doctor's office to have a physical before we conceived. While there she gave the the whole work-up and said I was good to go. She set a time limit however because I hadn't had a normal cycle after getting off the birth control. If I hadn't gotten my cycle in 3 month to come back. Well, 3 months later I was in the office again and she pas putting me on Progesterone to cause my cycles to start. After a couple of months trying with the hormone, she decided she wanted to see what my body was actually doing. So I was sent to get a sonogram so they could look at my ovaries. Back at the doctor's office, she told me I wasn't ovulating at all and that she wanted to put me on Clomid. For those of you who don't know, Clomid is a hormone that causes your ovaries to produce eggs. This is sometimes a controversial drug because it's been known to cause multiple births , due to releasing more than one egg at a time, quite frequently. Hearing that I wasn't going to get pregnant without the help of medication was devastating to me. I had always suspected that I'd have problems getting pregnant because my cycles were so sporadic when I was younger. However, I never thought it'd be this hard.
Anyways, after a couple days of crying my eyes out I finally decided that this is something God wanted me to go through. Otherwise it wouldn't have been put in front of me. My husband and I talked about the pros and cons of the medication and decided to go ahead with it. I went 2 cycles on it and had no success. By this time in our lives, we were going through a lot and I was missing my appointments to start another cycle. I decided I would take a break from the hormone treatments and would try something new, loosing weight. My cholesterol was high and I was about 30 pounds over weight. I started on Weight Watchers and ended up loosing a little over 15 pounds. I was so proud of myself! Loosing the weight caused me to have, for once in my whole life, a normal cycle. I was ecstatic the first time I had a period on my own without the help of any medication! My doctor was excited at the news as well and encouraged us to keep trying on our own.
During all of this, we bought a house and moved 2 blocks away from my husband's office (which we know was a HUGE blessing from God)! Then summer began and so did the busy season for youth ministers. One Sunday morning, before leaving for camp, I decided to take a pregnancy test. I hadn't been feeling great and I was also about a week late on my cycle. The test showed up positive. I was shocked! I showed it to my husband and we cried and held each other thinking it had finally happened. We went to camp on cloud nine and told almost everyone at camp. Sadly, our joy was very short-lived. Wednesday night I began to cramp and by Thursday morning I was bleeding. We informed everyone who knew about the pregnancy that we were going to the hospital and to pray it wasn't a miscarriage. I had never felt so blessed to have the people I did surrounding me. Unfortunately, the doctor said I'd miscarried. In fact, he said I had probably miscarried even before I took the test, but my body still had enough of the hormone to turn it positive. I felt as if I was in a dream world. I wasn't sure what to think. My husband and I stayed the night in town so that we could deal with it on our own. It was hard for me to even grasp what had happened. We hadn't known for more than a few days and it was over. It just seemed like a bad dream. When we got back to camp I was embraced by so many people and they all cried with me.
Getting back home to normal life was difficult at first. The next week of camp we shared a cabin with a couple who were expecting. I ended up avoiding her as much as I could because the pain was still so real. There are still times when I just have to sit down and cry. I thought I'd finally gotten over it when my husband's best friend mentioned they were expecting. This news hit me like a ton of bricks. I was so envious of them; I found myself welling up with anger and hate. When this happens, I always turn to the internet. I find articles of women who have gone through the same things in order to find some form of comfort. I found an article where a woman stated that when her friends and family were getting pregnant all around her, she had the same feelings of anger and hate. Then she would calm herself down by saying a prayer for the mother and her expecting child, a prayer for a safe and healthy pregnancy and that they wouldn't have to go through what she went through. This humbled me and I found myself saying a pray for our friends and their unborn child. I even found myself getting onto their facebook pages and telling them how excited I was that that I was praying they would have a very health y pregnancy. This made me feel so much better. Yesterday I got on to find that they had gotten to hear the heartbeat. Once again, another blow and reality check. I may just have to stay off of facebook for a while.
I heard something once that puts it all into perspective for those of us that are having issues conceiving. Why is it so hard for me to get pregnant when the 16 year old teenager in the back of a car has no problem? I know one day it will happen for me (although I'm sick and tired of hearing this). I know God has a purpose for everything. I just wish I knew what his purpose was.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
That piece doesn't go there.
So today I received a call from an interview I had last week. Once again, I didn't get the job. I guess the puzzle piece (employment) that I thought I'd found a place for didn't quite fit and will have to go somewhere else, later. I'm trying to look on the positive side. At least I can still homeschool, which I LOVE doing. Plus, if I'd gotten that job, it would have meant a 2 hour commute every day. It's times like this when I get so confused and my emotions become jumbled (like a bunch of puzzle pieces out of place and piled into one spot). There are pros and cons to not getting a job. However, even though I smile sometimes and say I don't mind, I find myself questioning my abilities as a teacher and whether or not that's what God has called me to do. Hubby is SOO encouraging, as are my friends and family. They all tell me I'm a great teacher and that there's a job out there with my name on it. It's the perfect job and it's exactly what God wants for me. I know all of this. However, none of that helps with the disappointment, or the difficulty of hearing that they decided to go with someone they thought was better than you. The reality of it all is that we all go through it and some more than others. I want to encourage anyone who it going through the same things I am that, some day God will put you right where he wants you to be. Waiting is hard, but necessary if you want to live your life for God. He will reward all your patience in the end if you put your trust in him. There's a saying that Hubby and I use when things get difficult. To whomever is having the difficult time we say "God will take care of it" and the other person says "He always has". This helps us to remember that God is in control of our lives. He is the person putting your jigsaw puzzle life together.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Living a Jigsaw Puzzle Life
I've always loved to write. Now I have somewhere to do it. I hope, in writing this blog, I can inspire others to do the same.
I have recently discovered that I am living a "jigsaw puzzle" life. There are many different roles that I take on that makes me who I am. Sometimes it's hard to decide where and how those roles can fit into my hectic and busy life. I know they fit; I've just got to allow God to move things around and try them out in different areas to decide where they all fit together. Only God can see the full picture and knows where all those pieces go.
1. My God - Even though he puts together my jigsaw puzzle life, he is also a puzzle piece. Not only did he make the puzzle, he also is the first piece that was laid out for the rest of the puzzle to be built around.
2. My hubby and his ministry - My hubby is a Youth Minister at the church we attend. His ministry is a big part of our lives. Most of what we do focuses around the teens he ministers to and their growing faiths in Christ.
3. My red-headed friend and her family - I volunteer my time as a home-school teacher for red-head's boys. One is a Junior in High School and the other is in 2nd grade. They are also a big help to us when it comes to hubby's ministry.
4. Unemployment - I have been unemployed since I graduated from college in 2009. I have a teaching certification for both the state of Texas and New Mexico. I have applied for over 50 positions, gotten interviews for a small hand full of them, and have yet to receive a teaching position. I'd rather teach for free than not at all, which is why I'm a home-school teacher.
5. Infertility - Hubby and I have been trying for a while to start our own family and have been unsuccessful. I have been diagnosed with PCOS which has made conceiving a little difficult for us. I had a miscarriage in July of this year and I pray daily that this puzzle piece is not a crucial one in my life. Thankfully I'm not alone in my struggles. My younger sister is also dealing with infertility and PCOS.
6. Loosing Weight - I used to be on Weight Watchers until the miscarriage. The program gave me a GREAT starting point and I decided I would try to loose the weight on my own, while still using the tools and tricks I learned online. I have quite a long way to go, but I know I can do it!
7. Crafting - I LOVE crafts! I scrapbook, craft anything using scrapbook paper, and am trying to get into photography. I'm also crazy addicted to PINTEREST and anything "crafty" on this site.
I have recently discovered that I am living a "jigsaw puzzle" life. There are many different roles that I take on that makes me who I am. Sometimes it's hard to decide where and how those roles can fit into my hectic and busy life. I know they fit; I've just got to allow God to move things around and try them out in different areas to decide where they all fit together. Only God can see the full picture and knows where all those pieces go.
A list of the puzzle pieces that make up who I am:
Sometimes God puts things into your life that you weren't expecting. These new things are new puzzle pieces that God has added to create an even better picture in the end. I will be adding more puzzle pieces to this list as God sees fit to put into my life.
1. My God - Even though he puts together my jigsaw puzzle life, he is also a puzzle piece. Not only did he make the puzzle, he also is the first piece that was laid out for the rest of the puzzle to be built around.
2. My hubby and his ministry - My hubby is a Youth Minister at the church we attend. His ministry is a big part of our lives. Most of what we do focuses around the teens he ministers to and their growing faiths in Christ.
3. My red-headed friend and her family - I volunteer my time as a home-school teacher for red-head's boys. One is a Junior in High School and the other is in 2nd grade. They are also a big help to us when it comes to hubby's ministry.
4. Unemployment - I have been unemployed since I graduated from college in 2009. I have a teaching certification for both the state of Texas and New Mexico. I have applied for over 50 positions, gotten interviews for a small hand full of them, and have yet to receive a teaching position. I'd rather teach for free than not at all, which is why I'm a home-school teacher.
5. Infertility - Hubby and I have been trying for a while to start our own family and have been unsuccessful. I have been diagnosed with PCOS which has made conceiving a little difficult for us. I had a miscarriage in July of this year and I pray daily that this puzzle piece is not a crucial one in my life. Thankfully I'm not alone in my struggles. My younger sister is also dealing with infertility and PCOS.
6. Loosing Weight - I used to be on Weight Watchers until the miscarriage. The program gave me a GREAT starting point and I decided I would try to loose the weight on my own, while still using the tools and tricks I learned online. I have quite a long way to go, but I know I can do it!
7. Crafting - I LOVE crafts! I scrapbook, craft anything using scrapbook paper, and am trying to get into photography. I'm also crazy addicted to PINTEREST and anything "crafty" on this site.
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