He Walks With Me

I've always loved walking.  I used to walk to the corner and back when I lived with mom and dad.  I love our road now because it's flat!  :)  A few nights ago, Dustin came with me and we took the dog.  This morning I took her and went by myself.

Picture this.  Hunting dog sniffing everything weaving from one side of the road to the other.  No leash, we use her yard chain that is super long.  Pregnant me in highlighter yellow being drug behind her, singing hymns.  Our orange tomcat following behind a few paces.  We a ragtag team, but thankfully we don't have much traffic!

This morning was BEAUTIFUL!  It was the perfect temperature and the sun felt joyful and warm as it kissed my skin.  I just feel such a release of pressure of everyday things when I walk.  Before I know it, I am spilling my guts out loud to God.  I get on a roll, and don't stop.  And then I sing.  I sing when I hang laundry on the line, and I've been singing a hymn a night to our little boy.  I've been singing hymns all my life, so why stop now?

Sometimes when I sing, I'm taken back to Sunday mornings singing classics like Power in the Blood, and I can almost feel the boom of Chuck Hicklan's powerfully deep voice.  I'm reminded of all those glorious mornings with the sun streaming in the windows as we worshiped. 

Today as I walked, one of my favorites came to mind.  In the Garden is just such a joyful song about spending time with the Lord.  It always leaves me feeling like I have just a little extra spring in my step.

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own,
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

And if you need anything more to put a smile on your face after singing, just picture me being drug by the dog, out of breath, attempting to sing this beautiful tune.  :)

Pregnancy Perception

I realize that I haven't posted in soooo long!  It's been such a crazy, busy summer for me!  I thought I would finally write a post about the pregnancy journey I've experienced so far.

Dustin and I were both pleasantly surprised when a plus sign showed up in late April.  He rode a bit of a roller coaster for a while with his emotions.  I was just thrilled and tired.  For the first trimester my middle name was tired.  Before my ladies knew, they insisted I was fine and that I just needed to go to bed earlier.  Then I started eating quickly and hiding at my desk the rest of lunch.  I just became more reserved because I didn't want to spill my secret just yet.  Dustin told his grandpa and dad right away.  We decided to wait until after the ultrasound confirmation at 9 weeks.  I finally had to tell my ladies a week before then because I got cornered one day to ask if anything was wrong because I had been so quiet.

That first appointment was pretty cool.  It was so amazing to see our little peanut shaped baby on the screen.  It kicked and we could see it's heartbeat flickering away at 180 beats per minute.  Dustin was in shock.  We started by telling his parents.  Tammy knew something was up in the weeks before we told.  You just can't fool a mom or a nurse.  Steve is still getting used to the idea of being called Grandpa.  I went home and told my dad right away.  He was shocked.  After the initial shock wore off, he turned into a very happy grandpa.  This is #4 for my parents.  I told Abbey and Tim when they arrived at about 1AM.  The next day was  Peyton, Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Karen.  Grandma had never really seen an ultrasound picture before, so it was pretty cool to point out things to her.  Finally, mom came home and I could shock her as well!  She is very happy to have another grandbaby on the way and especially one that is closer to home.  She can't wait to find out what we are having so she can start shopping!

Week 12 came with a check up and the finger prick/ultrasound for testing.  Our baby actually looked like a baby!  The first view was the top of it's head and its fists.  I was so enthralled watching, I just didn't want it to end!  I was about halfway through summer tutoring at the time and wondering what the heck I was thinking!  I was so tired that a couple of days I had to lay down and take a nap in between sessions!  By the end I would come home and get busy!  I started nesting and was cleaning windows at 8PM, or some other sort of crazy cleaning!

I've been feeling this jazzy feeling from time to time since before the 4th of July.  During the fireworks my belly was doing a happy dance!  Mom came up the next week and came with me for my 16 week appointment.  It lasted about 10 minutes and Mom got to hear the heartbeat at 152 beats a minute!  Tammy is thinking a girl from the heartbeat.  We will see in about 2 1/2 weeks what we will have!  :D

I have had 4 dreams that it's a girl.  Dustin has had a couple of girl dreams as well.  These scare him!  :)  I did the baking soda and ring tests, and they both leaned toward a girl.  We've got names picked for both genders that will not be revealed until the birth, so don't even bother asking!

I have truly been feeling great!  If I'm working in the garden, the heat wears me out faster that I thought it would.  I thankfully don't have to take a nap every day like I was doing.  My 2nd trimester headaches have slowed down, but again, it just depends on what I've been doing.  I've been eating great and working in the garden or walking daily.  I have been craving sweets!  If I get a bowl of ice cream, I get a scoop or two more than I usually would.  Pepsi sounds so good all the time, and Dustin has to drink it when he's not around me!

Bonnie has become more watchful.  She will lay where she can watch me from the bedroom, and if I go work in the kitchen, she will stake out a chair.  She also loves to check out any new baby stuff we bring in the house.  I know it will be an adjustment for her, but I think she will be the first to be in the room when the baby cries.

The weeks are flying by and it's hard to believe that in just a couple of weeks this journey will be halfway over and we'll know what gender we will be bringing into the world.  Yesterday at church, Dustin and I were brought to the front and prayed over.  Naturally, I cried.  I think I would have cried pregnancy hormones or not!  I have just been feeling so loved and blessed and I know that our baby is already loved and blessed by so many people.

S'more Last Day of School Fun

I know I say it every time I write about my kiddos, but seriously, I LOVE MY JOB!!  My second year of teaching is in the books, my standard license is on its way.  My kids have made so much progress in so many areas, and I have felt myself grow into a more confident teacher.  My kids amaze me everyday, and naturally, they had some of their biggest breakthroughs in the last month of school.  We spent the last week of school learning about camping!  We read around a TP roll and tissue paper fire, had a tent, and made s'mores.  We 'roasted' marshmallows over our fire and the kids loved their s'mores that my ladies made in the microwave.  we all had marshmallow all over our faces, but the smiles all told me the mess was worth it! 

4th graders-  One of my fourth graders has gone from a fighting mad boy to a talkative story teller who can add, tell time, and write so much better than he did at the end of last year.  He has been transitioning to the next school for the last 6 weeks, and the time was so bittersweet.  We are so excited for him and all he will accomplish in the coming years.  I cried as he walked out that door on Friday.

My other little fourth grader gets to stay one more year.  After much deliberation and pros and cons lists, we decided another year would be best for her.  She has come so far in the last few months by answering yes/no questions.  We worked on it last year, but the pictures were on one strip.  Who knew that cutting the pictures apart would make a difference?!  She is also starting to walk into the bathroom when she feels the urge!  Seriously, potty training is a big deal in my classroom.

3rd graders-  Conversationally he has come very far compared to last year.  He is starting to ask better questions, and is learning how some of the things he says don't relate to the topic at hand.  He has gained friends this year.  His mom has gotten to see this outside of school. We've worked on independence this year, and on the second to last day of school, he took books back to the library for me and came right back, all by himself.  It made me sooooo happy to watch him walk back to me with a big smile on his face!

My other little guy has started to respond more.  He is actually starting to understand how his eyes are being used to communicate and how by him hitting a switch is giving him a chance to respond.

1st graders-  My little girl has blown everyone out of the water.  She is so smart and she went farther than any of us expected her to go this year.  Once we tapped into the fact that she can write answers, it opened up so many doors.  On the last day of school, she was answering what her favorite part of first grade was.  Her answer?  'My teachers helping me talk.'  Boom.  The majority of my kids aren't able to express feelings like that.  It made my tear up when I heard.

My other little guy has amazed us with all the secrets he kept last year.  He is able to read.  The words he is able to verbally read is growing.  He can count, it still takes plenty of practice, but compared to last year, he is a whole different kid.  He loves to follow the examples of his peers in first grade, and has hugs that can literally take you to the floor.  His smile is only gone from his face when he is sleeping, or really tired.

Kindergartener-  This little girl keeps us giggling all day long.  Seriously, some days that's all she does is just sit in her chair rocking and giggling with this big gap-toothed smile on her face.  She has gotten so tall and so smart!  She has kept us on our toes with thinking of new ways to get her to tell us what she knows.  She is able to build sentences, add, subtract, and spell some words.  Sometimes the battle is getting her to pay attention.  She knows, you just have to get her focused enough to answer the question.  This girl is full of sass! 

The team I get to be a part of is beyond amazing.  each of my ladies has a heart of gold, and we could not do what we do for these kids without everyone's help and each of us working together.  If you walk into my classroom, it does look like a flurry of activity, but if you stay long enough, you will see my ladies picking up where another one left off.  One goes to help with a student, another steps in to keep feeding, one lady starts with a student until hers gets to school.  My team is so vast, but so helpful.  The team includes teachers, a speech teacher, 6 paraprofessionals, principal, AEA reps, PT/OT, and anyone else we need to call in!  At the end of the day, I could not be more blessed to work in the room I work.  I love to talk about my kiddos and all the funny things they do!  It is just so crazy that I am done with round 2!

Married Milestones

Well, we made it folks!  Dustin and I have been married for a year!  Some days it seems like it was just yesterday, and some days it seems like it was years ago! 

Our first year of marriage has been full of bliss, but we have had our newlywed share of fights and disagreements.  I always tell him that there is no one I'd rather fight with, take a break, talk about it, pray about it and make up with than him.  We've fought about the usual things like money, and we've also fought about my things and moving his things.  He had a hard time even changing the direction of the loveseat, or getting rid of his dirty stained bed sheets.  I guess that's what happens when a man lives by himself for 5 years before someone comes along!  I mean, I did changes gradually.  I did the bathroom and bedroom coverings as soon as they were bought, but my sewing room didn't get put together until October which meant my treasured snow globes stayed tucked away in their boxes until then.  Then Hobby Lobby opened and I had to lay the new fabric for the pillows on the couch for a couple weeks, just to let him get used to the idea of new pillows!

And we've had our fair share of fun in the kitchen.  Probably about a month after we got married, we were having the very fancy frozen pizza for supper.  I was sooooooo hungry!  I still don't even know how it happened, but all of a sudden, that pizza hit the wall and slid down...  I almost cried and then decided to laugh hysterically instead.  And then there is our differences in cooking.  I can make a whole meal while using under 5 dishes and I've gotten better at 'cleaning as I go' as my mother suggested I needed to do.  Dustin, my dear sweet Dustin uses almost every dish he can find and covers all the counters in dishes and food and crumbs and it sits there for days.  Our most fun is when we cook together.  Our specialty is meatloaf, where more than once he's tried to tease me and claim he lost his ring while mixing the meat!  He always keeps my heart racing!

And we've had plenty of new additions this year!  A week after we got married, we had a little black and white baby show up, and she's been around ever since.  Our home is just a little cozier with Bonnie Blue in it.  In the fall when our garden got plowed under, we added a little more room for more tomatoes!  Because we didn't get enough salsa made, and Dustin is just a little ambitious!  In December we added 7 more acres of land where we will someday build a house.  Around March, Dustin decided we didn't have enough trucks older than 20 years old, so he bought a 1974 Chevy with a lift box in the back to be used for wood.  And then at Easter, that was the best running truck, so we added a 2010 big red Chevy.  Along with all these things we've added more bills!  but isn't that what happens in life! 

We've also made some subtractions in our year together.  We've gotten rid of all of the tattered, worn out, stained sheets, blankets, and towels of his bachelor days.  We've gotten rid of all the outdated food from when it was too lonely for him to eat at his house and would rather eat at his parents house.  And I think our saddest goodbye was when the '94 Chevy drove down the road with a new owner.  This is the truck where we shared our first kiss, and the truck that brought us to our house on our wedding night. 

We spent our anniversary waking up in our own bed just the way we woke up on our first morning as a married couple.   We went to church where we were serenaded with 'Happy Anniversary' by the congregation.  Then for lunch, Dustin took me out to Mexican which has become his favorite restaurant.  For the afternoon we came home and took a nap snuggled on the couch with Bonnie resting close by.  The evening will probably end with popcorn and cards, just the way we like it.

We've made so many of our married dreams come true this year, but we still have plenty more dreams to fulfill together.  Good thing we're sticking together for the next 50 to 60 years, or however many we are blessed to share together!  

Girl Meets World

Ok, confession time.  Last year while living alone, I blew through all the seasons of Boy Meets World.  Thanks to Alison for letting me borrow them!  :)  Now, I've been watching the spin-off Girl Meets World.  It definitely has a Disney Channel vibe, but it is so good!  It's got all the crazy Cory stunts, classic Cory and Shawn bromance, and now, Riley and Maya, the girl version of Cory and Shawn.  The theme song makes me get up and dance, no matter what I'm doing!  It's so catchy and so true!

I've been waiting
For a day like this to come
Struck like lightning
My heart's beating like a drum
On the edge of something wonderful
Face to face with changes
What's it all about?
Life is crazy
But I know I can work it out
'Cause I got you to live it with me
I feel all right, I'm gonna take on the world
Light up the stars, I've got some pages to turn I'm singing "go-o-o"
Oh oh oh oh
Take on the world, take on the world
Take on the world
Take on the world, take on the world
Take on the world

 So the girls are the best of friends.  They do crazy stunts together, go to class together, hang out at each others houses, talk about boys, having fights, and giving tough love.  Every episode has some underlying theme that connects to my friendships with my top ladies!  I've been there with all of them!  We've talked about boys and other tough stuff.  Now, we're talking about husbands, and babies, and bills.  I've been in their weddings, and they've been in mine.  With everything, we give each other tough love, but real love.  We take on so many things together, and every day is something wonderful to experience with them, or excitedly tell them about over the phone or a good meal.
 
It's just so important to keep up our friendships and the best friendships are the ones that pick up right where you left off the last time you talked!  As this girl continues to meet the world, I couldn't imagine having any other girls by my side!
 







And then, sometimes, you just need to wear a Disney shirt and go see a princess movie, even if you are 24.

   

Whale Watching

What a week it has been!  I decided last weekend that my hair NEEDED to go!  I was going to wait a few more weeks, but I just couldn't stand my ponytail getting caught under my armpit anymore!  I made the appointment and counted down the days!

We've been learning about the ocean for the past few weeks and the kids have loved the different crafts and experiences we've had!  And I stepped it up this week!  I wish I could share all the pictures of them in goggles, and in the boats.  The laughter that we had made me about wet my pants more than once!

On Thursday I did a lesson on identifying ocean scenes through the use of yes and no.  My students have a hard time with this concept.  They all had on goggles and we pretended we were swimming and then I would hold up a scene and say, "Is this the ocean?" and then they would hold up a yes or no card.  I handed out the goggles before I gave directions.  Wrong move.  By the time they got the goggles on, I was laughing HYSTERICALLY because they were all too small and my kids' faces were getting all smushed in such a cute way!  Oh yeah, and I was getting observed by my mentor!  She got a kick out of it!  Later that day we made binoculars to use the next day for whale watching.  The kids were loving them!

That night I had to paint the boats, so I stayed late jamming to George Strait while I painted.  I really only tried my hardest on one side of the first boat.  The other sides weren't as good, but I see us doing this again in a few years, so there is room for improvement!  And then I thought we could do an African theme next year and take them on a safari and do a jeep ride!  Oh the possibilities!

Friday I was giddy!  I even wore my hair down for the last day!  My neighbor let me borrow some Hawaiian shirts so Stacy and I looked like tour guides.

And so we set off!  The ladies all had an animal and they were making noises and the dolphin even sprayed the kids!  The shark came from around the corner and I don't think I'll ever forget the laughter and smiles the kids had!  Teachers we met in the hall acted like they were swimming and the paper dragging on the floor even sounded like a boat cutting through the water.  It was so much fun and it was my workout for the day because one of my kids wasn't helping that much with his feet on the outside of the wagon...

The kids got out early so Kelsey, Stacy, Kelly, Jacob and I went out to Culver's because I had been craving it since last week!  Those chicken strips and Turtle Sundae never tasted sooooo good!  :)  It was even better in good company!

Dustin, Lu, and Alison were all against me cutting my hair.  I had to prepare them.  I showed Dustin where it was getting cut too.  I kept reminding him that it will grow back.  It was time, and when my student grabbed a huge chunk to pull, it was even more of a confirmation that it needed cut.  I don't need it anyway, and it grows so fast that I can do this every few years.

It feels so good to have short hair again!!!!  :)  I love it!  I know for a while I will still end up with huge globs of shampoo in my hand, but the adjustment will come!  Just in time for summer!!  :D

Marathon Week

Conference week is a long one.  We often refer to it as Marathon Week.  Monday and Friday were the only days I was home at normal time.  And I was sewing trying to finish a bow tie quilt before Bonnie was able to take it all over the house!

The days were full with laughter and lessons taught to to really great kiddos.  The evenings were spent talking about our kids and what more we could do for them.  Truly, we didn't have a crazy conference schedule because they were covered or will be covered with IEP meetings.  We only had four, and they were on Thursday evening and Friday morning.  Having an open schedule like that makes the conferences take longer. 

On Tuesday, Stacy and I got a second desk!  Last year, Cindy and I shared, and it was alright because we only had one computer.  This year, Stacy and I both got a computer and we were sharing one desk.  It worked, but we were on top of each other.  We asked, and Loma delivered a new desk for us!  It was a little strange separating the things on 'our' desk onto our desks.  But we LOVE the space that each of us share.  And now, our desks are tidy and that's the first thing people mention when they enter our room.

 We seriously love our job!  Our conferences tended to go a little over the 20 minute allotment because we just had to tell one more story.  Friday was the busiest with 3 conferences in the morning, and then Stacy, Kelsey and I went to Taco John's.  It was Kelsey's first time, and I think she liked it very much!

All in all, it was a pretty great week filled with long days, bad dance moves, laughter, and loads of love poured into my kiddos!  Basically, I have the best job ever!