Thursday, December 27, 2012
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Merry Christmas!
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
Isaiah 9:6
Happy birthday Jesus!
Snow!
We had our first real snowstorm last Wednesday. I was (obviously) hoping to wake to a snow day setting my alarm early to allow extra time for driving in case I wasn't so lucky. Instead I woke up to completely dry roads and grass. Booo! So I went back to bed like normal and woke up a half hour later. While getting ready Jason tells me it started snowing hard and was already accumulating.
I've learned the hard way that a little snow on the ground in Colorado means an added 20-30 minutes to my usual 30 minute commute. First off, Denver doesn't get the amount of snow that everyone thinks they do. Yes, they get lots in the mountains but snow doesn't fall that regularly here. And when it does, no one can drive! I'm going to blame it on all the transplants from California or Texas but whatever it is its really annoying.
So yes, I was about 5 minutes late to work but at least that meant my students bus was also stuck behind the crawling cars so my student was even later than I was!
As I type this, be reminded that I'm writing this from a Midwesterners viewpoint so a little naive in how Colorado does things but in my 18 mile commute I didn't see a single snow plow! I did see one car who meant to turn but instead crashed head-on into a light post. I was shocked at the lack of effort as the snow was beginning to accumulate.
So I made it to school safe and sound and as the day went on the snow continued to fall. It was so pretty! I was convinced we'd have had a snow day if it had started falling over night as predicted. I've been told we already have two snow days built into our school calendar so why not? Guess I'll never know. It did stop snowing around 2:00. As I left the school I realized none of the sidewalks were shoveled and none of the parking lots were plowed. Weird..and my trusty Honda accord wasn't appreciative of this one bit.
Day went on and I went to bed.
When I woke up I was shocked that the roads weren't much better than the day before. They had not salted anything. Roads were still snowy and slippery! Why hadn't they salted at all?
Well as the day went on the sun came out. Nearly all the snow melted and the roads were completely melted. By 5:00 the roads were not only melted but completely dry! That is why they didn't salt! Naive Midwesterner that I am can't even fathom the snow melting in a day!
Snow is a completely different experience in Colorado and we love it!
I've learned the hard way that a little snow on the ground in Colorado means an added 20-30 minutes to my usual 30 minute commute. First off, Denver doesn't get the amount of snow that everyone thinks they do. Yes, they get lots in the mountains but snow doesn't fall that regularly here. And when it does, no one can drive! I'm going to blame it on all the transplants from California or Texas but whatever it is its really annoying.
So yes, I was about 5 minutes late to work but at least that meant my students bus was also stuck behind the crawling cars so my student was even later than I was!
As I type this, be reminded that I'm writing this from a Midwesterners viewpoint so a little naive in how Colorado does things but in my 18 mile commute I didn't see a single snow plow! I did see one car who meant to turn but instead crashed head-on into a light post. I was shocked at the lack of effort as the snow was beginning to accumulate.
So I made it to school safe and sound and as the day went on the snow continued to fall. It was so pretty! I was convinced we'd have had a snow day if it had started falling over night as predicted. I've been told we already have two snow days built into our school calendar so why not? Guess I'll never know. It did stop snowing around 2:00. As I left the school I realized none of the sidewalks were shoveled and none of the parking lots were plowed. Weird..and my trusty Honda accord wasn't appreciative of this one bit.
Day went on and I went to bed.
When I woke up I was shocked that the roads weren't much better than the day before. They had not salted anything. Roads were still snowy and slippery! Why hadn't they salted at all?
Well as the day went on the sun came out. Nearly all the snow melted and the roads were completely melted. By 5:00 the roads were not only melted but completely dry! That is why they didn't salt! Naive Midwesterner that I am can't even fathom the snow melting in a day!
Snow is a completely different experience in Colorado and we love it!
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Apparently I've been living under a rock the past 33 years but I decided to come out tonight and watched a Charlie Brown Christmas! Oh my gosh that is the cutest and funniest Christmas movie!! I was laughing hysterically at Snoopy and his amazing guitar and dancing skills! It was so wholesome, simple and sweet. This movie will definitely be added to our must watch Christmas movie list and will become a tradition with our future kids! Love, love, love this movie!
Sunday, December 16, 2012
A Grown-Up Decision
Jason and I made a very grown-up and responsible decision the past month. As everyone knows since I will not stop talking about it...I want a house. And bad! We've looked at many and found many we can afford and love but every time it came time to make a decision we've felt this wasn't the right time. I've had the hardest time explaining it except that God was telling us to wait.
Through the waiting and after much praying, discussing and looking at our finances we made the decision to hold off on the house and instead pay off all my grad school loans. The rate was ridiculously high on them (over 6%) and over a ten year period which meant the payments were high. We agreed this was the wisest financial move for us.
Paying off my loans means we will have a pretty long time ahead of having to save to replenish our funds for a down payment for a house but we both knew this was the route we are supposed to take. I blame Dave Ramsey for this prompting...but in all seriousness it's the most freeing feeling too.
I have still looked at homes on Zillow every single day...sometimes several times a day but at this point I know it's just that -- just looking. I'm getting more and more comfortable with the idea of living in our apartment for a (long) while longer. I'm so thankful that both Jason and I are on the same page and listening to God and where He's leading us. The feeling of being (almost) debt-free is pretty amazing. Seriously, thanks Dave Ramsey for all you've done to help us get here! Buying our dream house someday will really be one of the most rewarding feelings!
Through the waiting and after much praying, discussing and looking at our finances we made the decision to hold off on the house and instead pay off all my grad school loans. The rate was ridiculously high on them (over 6%) and over a ten year period which meant the payments were high. We agreed this was the wisest financial move for us.
Paying off my loans means we will have a pretty long time ahead of having to save to replenish our funds for a down payment for a house but we both knew this was the route we are supposed to take. I blame Dave Ramsey for this prompting...but in all seriousness it's the most freeing feeling too.
I have still looked at homes on Zillow every single day...sometimes several times a day but at this point I know it's just that -- just looking. I'm getting more and more comfortable with the idea of living in our apartment for a (long) while longer. I'm so thankful that both Jason and I are on the same page and listening to God and where He's leading us. The feeling of being (almost) debt-free is pretty amazing. Seriously, thanks Dave Ramsey for all you've done to help us get here! Buying our dream house someday will really be one of the most rewarding feelings!
Christmas Present...a Little Early
Jason told me he wanted us to do a joint present this year. I agreed (I mean he must have a great gift idea in mind so why fight it?!) As soon as that conversation was over he began hinting at it and wanted me to know what it was. I love surprises and love the anticipation of waiting until Christmas so I kept putting him off. Finally last week he said, "you know what the gift is because it showed up on Mint" which is how we track our expenses. At this point I was pretty sure I had figured it out from his many hints plus I knew he just wanted to know.
He got us an iPad! I am so excited! The only reason he wanted me to know about it was because we'll use it for the trip back to Illinois so we want to get it all set up before we leave. I am so excited! I had one for 3 months while I student taught but being that it was for school, I didn't really use it that much for personal use. Now the sky is the limit! Right now besides all the many obvious reasons I am excited, I am happy we'll have FaceTime! While I have it on my phone the iPad is so much bigger...who uses FaceTime or something similar and wants to chat!?
Thanks Jason! I know we're going to love this new little gadget!
He got us an iPad! I am so excited! The only reason he wanted me to know about it was because we'll use it for the trip back to Illinois so we want to get it all set up before we leave. I am so excited! I had one for 3 months while I student taught but being that it was for school, I didn't really use it that much for personal use. Now the sky is the limit! Right now besides all the many obvious reasons I am excited, I am happy we'll have FaceTime! While I have it on my phone the iPad is so much bigger...who uses FaceTime or something similar and wants to chat!?
Thanks Jason! I know we're going to love this new little gadget!
Fill in the Blank Friday...on Sunday
Happy Sunday! I am a couple days late in filling in the blanks but after learning about the shooting on Friday I didn't have it in me to write a joyous 'Fill in the Blank Friday' post. My heart goes out to the families and community of Newtown, Connecticut and I will continue to pray for them.
As for the Blanks...I loved this one so much that I had to do it! Join Lauren next week and every week!
1. When it comes to holiday shopping, I absolutely love it! Growing up I would always find myself out shopping last minute on Christmas Eve to finish or sometimes just begin all my shopping. Back then it was a rush to be able to find that perfect gift in a short amount of time! But as I grew older and once I lived in Chicago it was really hard to get all the shopping done how I wanted to at the perfect stores so I would take a day off work and drive out to Yorktown and get 90% of my shopping done there. This year I completely forgot about my day of shopping and couldn't get a day off work so had to do it in pieces but still loved every minute of it. Next year I will plan accordingly and take that day off to do it the right way! .
2. A few things on my Christmas wish list are... Ha! What isn't on my list?! I love getting gifts so while I have a really long list out to each family member it's really more about the thought than the gift! .
3. An intangible gift I would like to receive is enjoying time with my family and being back home this year. I am really looking forward to seeing my nieces and spending quality time with my parents and family. An added bonus is that we get to spend a couple days in the city..I miss Chicago so much! .
4. A gift I would like to give this year is all the gifts we're giving. We did the Operation Christmas Child for the first year this year..Jason gave to a boy, I gave to a girl. I'm excited to make that a tradition for us each year and we've been talking about how we're going to get more involved next year in giving back to our community and those in other countries. I've already set a reminder in my phone for October so we'll have plenty of time to plan ahead .
5. My Christmas will be spent in Illinois with my parents. Christmas Eve will be with my brothers family and then later at my grandmas .
6. My most favorite Christmas gift of all time was a horse! How many girls can say they got a pony (in my case,a horse)for Christmas? Best present ever! .
7. The best thing about the holidays is the season of giving and loving on others. I am trying so hard to remember the 'reason for the season' and I just love everything about Christmas time! The lights, the Christmas tree, all the sweets around the office (or in my case, school), Christmas songs, the gifts, the parties, the decorations, Santa, hot chocolate Christmas cards ( I LOVE getting mail!) Love it all! .
Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
A New Job (AGAIN!)
Yes I know I just started a job in August so it's kind of unreal to be posting that I will be starting a new job in a little over a month but in a way that only God can make happen...I am.
Back in July I posted here about my job situation and my decision to take a teacher aide position over a teaching position. Over the past few months I have been praying for an opportunity to get into a teaching position but it was not something I would seek out on my own and it would need be very clear to me that it was specifically meant for me. Selfishly, I want a teaching job because that's what I went to school for and the pay as an aide doesn't even begin to cover my student loans, let alone allow us to save. But I would never have sought out a new job on my own as I had committed to this student and school for the entire year.
A couple months ago I was told about a job opening at an elementary school that would be a long term sub position for a teacher who is going on maternity leave for 3 months. I originally said no.. It came up again and I said that I didn't want to leave my student and the school I was at because I had made a year-long commitment to the school. But after more praying I realized this opportunity was exactly what I had been praying for...it was job that I didn't seek out, someone recommended me for and brought to me, plus it's an elementary school! I called the teacher and talked to her about the opportunity. She was excited to talk with me since I had come recommended by someone she trusted. Just in our 30 minute conversation I knew this was the perfect opportunity for me to get the experience I want and need without all the anxiety that I have previously had. She plans to come back after her 3 months are up but then next year I can apply and interview for her position because she doesn't plan to come back in the fall. I set up a date to meet with her and see her classroom.
About 3 weeks ago, I got to see her classroom with students in it for about and hour, met most of her aides and sat down with the principal. I was there for 3 hours that night and while I think it's going to be soooo much work, it's the ideal situation It's all I could have asked for and more!
After doing the necessary online paperwork and steps, I had an interview this past Monday night. I was incredibly nervous but had asked some friends to pray and when I went in I felt it was a great interview. I could be honest and open about where I may need support and just felt really comfortable.
I can only attribute this opportunity to God. It really came to me and is everything I think I would want in a job. The teacher seems to really have a grasp of how special ed is run (I have some really big shoes to fill!!!) but special ed is hard. Really hard. But in this situation, I have to start somewhere and everything about this position seems right!
My last day at my current job is January 11. I plan to sub until she has her baby (due Feb 1) and will also be able to spend sometime in her classroom while the kids are there (as long as she lasts until past January 11!) After the 3 months are up, I can sub for the remainder of the year. It will be hard to leave the student I'm currently working one-on-one with but hope we'll be able to stay in touch. (ummm, he has a goldendoodle, even the same color named Cooper...how cool is that!? We're thinking we'll have a doggie play date soon!) But initially it was a hard decision to leave him and all the people I work with who have been really supportive of both my role as a para but also to my moving here to a new state not really knowing anyone. I'm so thankful for the few months I got (and month I still have) at my school but am so excited a doors already been opened for me as a future teacher! God is so good!
Back in July I posted here about my job situation and my decision to take a teacher aide position over a teaching position. Over the past few months I have been praying for an opportunity to get into a teaching position but it was not something I would seek out on my own and it would need be very clear to me that it was specifically meant for me. Selfishly, I want a teaching job because that's what I went to school for and the pay as an aide doesn't even begin to cover my student loans, let alone allow us to save. But I would never have sought out a new job on my own as I had committed to this student and school for the entire year.
A couple months ago I was told about a job opening at an elementary school that would be a long term sub position for a teacher who is going on maternity leave for 3 months. I originally said no.. It came up again and I said that I didn't want to leave my student and the school I was at because I had made a year-long commitment to the school. But after more praying I realized this opportunity was exactly what I had been praying for...it was job that I didn't seek out, someone recommended me for and brought to me, plus it's an elementary school! I called the teacher and talked to her about the opportunity. She was excited to talk with me since I had come recommended by someone she trusted. Just in our 30 minute conversation I knew this was the perfect opportunity for me to get the experience I want and need without all the anxiety that I have previously had. She plans to come back after her 3 months are up but then next year I can apply and interview for her position because she doesn't plan to come back in the fall. I set up a date to meet with her and see her classroom.
About 3 weeks ago, I got to see her classroom with students in it for about and hour, met most of her aides and sat down with the principal. I was there for 3 hours that night and while I think it's going to be soooo much work, it's the ideal situation It's all I could have asked for and more!
After doing the necessary online paperwork and steps, I had an interview this past Monday night. I was incredibly nervous but had asked some friends to pray and when I went in I felt it was a great interview. I could be honest and open about where I may need support and just felt really comfortable.
I can only attribute this opportunity to God. It really came to me and is everything I think I would want in a job. The teacher seems to really have a grasp of how special ed is run (I have some really big shoes to fill!!!) but special ed is hard. Really hard. But in this situation, I have to start somewhere and everything about this position seems right!
My last day at my current job is January 11. I plan to sub until she has her baby (due Feb 1) and will also be able to spend sometime in her classroom while the kids are there (as long as she lasts until past January 11!) After the 3 months are up, I can sub for the remainder of the year. It will be hard to leave the student I'm currently working one-on-one with but hope we'll be able to stay in touch. (ummm, he has a goldendoodle, even the same color named Cooper...how cool is that!? We're thinking we'll have a doggie play date soon!) But initially it was a hard decision to leave him and all the people I work with who have been really supportive of both my role as a para but also to my moving here to a new state not really knowing anyone. I'm so thankful for the few months I got (and month I still have) at my school but am so excited a doors already been opened for me as a future teacher! God is so good!
Monday, December 10, 2012
The Good and Bad to my Car
As I've posted before, Jason's a sweetheart and has been known to take my car on Saturdays to get it washed. Well last weekend he did just that and I got a text that my car rolled faster than the rollers and hit the car in front of it - Oops. The car in front was actually a truck and that truck had a very large hitch. So now there's a big hitch indentation on my hood!
But...that means the car wash is paying for a new hood for me! So if all goes well with the body shop and rental car this is really a win for me because I get that huge dent from whoever jumped on my car fixed!!! :)
And also...this proves that my car really does roll faster than some people drive!! ESPECIALLY people in Colorado (slowest drivers ever here!!) So if I get a ticket soon that's my excuse! :)
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Weekend of Sking and Catching Up
This has been another very busy weekend but I did catch a bit of a break today! Jason and I planned to go skiing all weekend booking a hotel in advance. We got up really early yesterday and were on the slopes by 9:30. It was a pretty great day of skiing. There were a lot more runs open than last month and the conditions were pretty good! I did about 6 runs and Jason boarded much longer, doing about double what I did. We went to get dinner at a local brewery and while there it started snowing...a lot! It was so much fun to be in a town where everyone is excited to see snow and lots of it! I have always loved snow but I feel like no matter where I'm at there are people who complain about it. Totally not the case in the mountains! Loved it!
We went to check into the hotel to quickly learn that our room was actually booked for next weekend, not this weekend. Oops. And being that we now had about 2 inches of snow in a little over an hour and expecting up to 9 inches more overnight the hotel was booking up very quickly. We were able to get a pretty discounted rate given our wrong date booking but considering we may not be able to get our money back for next week's reservation we decided to brave it back home. The roads were a mess but Jason did a great job getting us home safely!
Jason couldn't really find a plus side of us not being able to ski/board in 10+ inches of powder today but I could! First off the temps today were in the single digits, with wind chills making it feel like -1 degree. Ummm, yeah, spring skier me doesn't do well in those temps. Plus we got to sleep in, go to church, get some Christmas shopping in, finish our Christmas cards, I got to take a nap and get some laundry and cleaning done today. And I get to spend some time blogging for a change! I am looking forward to getting back on the slopes again very soon but as for this weekend I'd say this has been pretty amazing!
We went to check into the hotel to quickly learn that our room was actually booked for next weekend, not this weekend. Oops. And being that we now had about 2 inches of snow in a little over an hour and expecting up to 9 inches more overnight the hotel was booking up very quickly. We were able to get a pretty discounted rate given our wrong date booking but considering we may not be able to get our money back for next week's reservation we decided to brave it back home. The roads were a mess but Jason did a great job getting us home safely!
Jason couldn't really find a plus side of us not being able to ski/board in 10+ inches of powder today but I could! First off the temps today were in the single digits, with wind chills making it feel like -1 degree. Ummm, yeah, spring skier me doesn't do well in those temps. Plus we got to sleep in, go to church, get some Christmas shopping in, finish our Christmas cards, I got to take a nap and get some laundry and cleaning done today. And I get to spend some time blogging for a change! I am looking forward to getting back on the slopes again very soon but as for this weekend I'd say this has been pretty amazing!
Friday, December 7, 2012
5 Years Ago Tonight
Jason and I had our first date. Awwwww. It feels like it has been so much longer than that, I can't believe its only been 5 years considering all that's changed since then.
It was such a fun night that we now love to tease each other about...him showing up with his cousin and me thinking it'd just be him. Loved everything about that first date and then the first "real" date that followed later in the week.
Love you Jason and so thankful for this night 5 years ago when you texted me to meet you out for a drink! Cheers to many more dates in our future!
It was such a fun night that we now love to tease each other about...him showing up with his cousin and me thinking it'd just be him. Loved everything about that first date and then the first "real" date that followed later in the week.
Love you Jason and so thankful for this night 5 years ago when you texted me to meet you out for a drink! Cheers to many more dates in our future!
Monday, December 3, 2012
Sick Day
I had to actually use a sick day for being sick! Not fun and not what I had been planning on! After the game last night I got sick in the middle of the night...several times. And might I add, Jason slept through it all!
I took it super easy today only eating a little chicken noodle soup and some rice then thought I was better so had some yogurt and now am all queasy again. It's no fun. Thanks to Jason for going out to get me some Sprite to hopefully help settle my stomach a little. On the plus side I got to finish up the laundry, cleaned the apartment a little and got to watch a couple episodes of Ellen! Hoping I am better after some Sprite and more Ellen!
I took it super easy today only eating a little chicken noodle soup and some rice then thought I was better so had some yogurt and now am all queasy again. It's no fun. Thanks to Jason for going out to get me some Sprite to hopefully help settle my stomach a little. On the plus side I got to finish up the laundry, cleaned the apartment a little and got to watch a couple episodes of Ellen! Hoping I am better after some Sprite and more Ellen!
First Broncos Game
Yesterday we went to our first Broncos game! We were invited by friends from church and I have been looking forward to it for the past couple weeks.
Awesome time and the Bronco's even won! Thanks so much Sarah and Randy for the invite!
Thankful Thanksgiving
It's been almost 2 weeks since Thanksgiving but I've been way too busy to write. I didn't write as many "Thankful" posts as I had originally intended but one that I really wanted to write but never had a chance was how thankful I am for my family.
My family has always had traditions of what we do for Thanksgiving and Christmas and birthdays. Thanksgiving was always at one of the aunts houses and for Christmas we always went to Christmas Eve at my grandma and grandpa's. I grew up being very close my 6 cousins, always begging our parents if we could have sleepovers every time we were together. My cousins Laura and Tim were a little over 10 years my senior but I always looked up to them so much! Tim was the older "cool" cousin and Laura was super pretty and basically could do no wrong in my eyes. I've always felt like we were so alike and I can't help but find the similarities when I look at the places we've lived. We literally lived on the same street in West Chicago, then both moved to the "big" city of Chicago when we were old enough and then both made the big move to Colorado when we were much older. Though we were almost never living in the same city at the same time I still look up to her a lot!
I have three girl cousins who were all close in age...the two sisters, Annie and Amy who lived in a different town and Karrie who went to school with me just trailing a couple years. I have an older cousin, Joey, who I also really looked up to. In middle school I thought it was the coolest thing that we both ran track together. In high school he always had my back no matter what...he played that "older brother" role for me. My cousin, Wade and I have recently gotten back in touch thanks to Facebook!
While over the years cousins slowly started moving away, I still feel the closeness that we all shared growing up. I'm particularly close to Karrie and Joe(y)'s kids since we lived within a few short miles when they were born and have tried my best to keep in touch with the cousins who aren't as physically close.
In addition I am close to my aunts and uncles. My aunt Shelby has helped me through one of the hardest times of my life and for that I am forever grateful for a bond we share. Growing up we joked that I thought maybe I was really her child instead of my moms since we were so similar but as the years have gone on...I'm becoming more and more like my mom so I know that's not true! :) I am also super close to my Uncle Dennis. He's always been sort of like a second dad to me always sharing in my personal milestones. I know if I ever needed anything, each of my aunts and uncles would be there for me and what a wonderful way to go through life!
My grandparents on my mom's side have also helped shape me. They were such great examples of what a family should be. No matter who I was dating, they would love on him like he was a grandson...and now that I am married they have another grandson who could do no wrong in Grandma's eyes. :) I remember many trips up to their mobile home when I was little. They never missed a birthday or big event. Over the past few years I've gotten even closer to my grandma with our almost monthly trips to Olive Garden and now that I am in Colorado we have sleepovers when I visit. It is there that I am getting to know my Grandpa who was very quiet when he was still with us. He was such a great family man who was a great example of a man who lived his life for the Lord.
My Grandma on my dad's side was one of the sweetest ladies on the planet. She taught me how to make the tastiest scrambled eggs and that you should always try a new food because "if you don't like it, you don't have to eat it!" I miss her so much and wish I had spent more time with her while she was here.
My parents are amazing and I've tried to honor them in past posts from Mothers Day and Fathers Day and will continue. They have been so supportive of me over the years always providing for me in the best way possible. They have given me the opportunity to travel to other countries and many different cities They gave me the gift of a horse when I was 10 which has completely changed and shaped me as a person. Putting me on ski's and then sticking me in ski lessons for days while the family all went skiing made me a little bitter when I was a kid but has allowed me to have one of the best shared interest with my husband. They've always encouraged and supported me when I changed my major about 10 times in college and took 7 years to complete my undergrad. Their love and support continued through my studies in grad school which was immeasurable. What I have appreciated the most from them as of late is that they have never made me feel even a tiny bit guilty for moving to Colorado. I can't imagine that that would be an easy task for a parent but they've been nothing but supportive. This move has had some pretty hard days and I can't even put into words how much it means to not have the guilt of my parents missing me to help me through.
My brother and I had our typical brotherly sisterly relationship growing up. He wasn't really interested in having a little sister when I arrived and we were as opposite as could be. But by high school when he went on to college we were practically inseparable I was at his college several times a year and he would write me cards and letters to keep in touch. He even set me up with my first email account way before anyone was using emails. He was always there to help me with my computer problems and had me chatting away in chat rooms and on the very first version of AOL. As soon as he got his licence we would jet out of Thanksgiving dinner a little early so we could hit up the newest movie at the theater. Once we were a little older the scenery changed from the movie theater to a bar with a local cover band. This went on for years until he got married. He now has a beautiful family who I am so thankful for. I've known his wife Tiffany since Shawn's college days and she even came and visited me with Shawn one year when I was at ISU. I've appreciated her help and wisdom in the world of teaching when she's always been there to help me on my new career path. Their daughters, Kaylee and Kaitlyn have opened up a completely new world for me (and Jason). They are amazingly wonderful and while I still cannot believe my brother who pretty much hated kids is the best dad to those little girls. They are such great parents and have given me two of the most precious nieces!
This year Jason and I spent Thanksgiving far from my own family but instead in Iowa with his family. I am so thankful that he has a family who has been so welcoming to me into their family! They've taught me a lot about the life in a farm country and small towns and are so great to me!
Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and are as blessed as I am to have a wonderful family!
My family has always had traditions of what we do for Thanksgiving and Christmas and birthdays. Thanksgiving was always at one of the aunts houses and for Christmas we always went to Christmas Eve at my grandma and grandpa's. I grew up being very close my 6 cousins, always begging our parents if we could have sleepovers every time we were together. My cousins Laura and Tim were a little over 10 years my senior but I always looked up to them so much! Tim was the older "cool" cousin and Laura was super pretty and basically could do no wrong in my eyes. I've always felt like we were so alike and I can't help but find the similarities when I look at the places we've lived. We literally lived on the same street in West Chicago, then both moved to the "big" city of Chicago when we were old enough and then both made the big move to Colorado when we were much older. Though we were almost never living in the same city at the same time I still look up to her a lot!
I have three girl cousins who were all close in age...the two sisters, Annie and Amy who lived in a different town and Karrie who went to school with me just trailing a couple years. I have an older cousin, Joey, who I also really looked up to. In middle school I thought it was the coolest thing that we both ran track together. In high school he always had my back no matter what...he played that "older brother" role for me. My cousin, Wade and I have recently gotten back in touch thanks to Facebook!
While over the years cousins slowly started moving away, I still feel the closeness that we all shared growing up. I'm particularly close to Karrie and Joe(y)'s kids since we lived within a few short miles when they were born and have tried my best to keep in touch with the cousins who aren't as physically close.
In addition I am close to my aunts and uncles. My aunt Shelby has helped me through one of the hardest times of my life and for that I am forever grateful for a bond we share. Growing up we joked that I thought maybe I was really her child instead of my moms since we were so similar but as the years have gone on...I'm becoming more and more like my mom so I know that's not true! :) I am also super close to my Uncle Dennis. He's always been sort of like a second dad to me always sharing in my personal milestones. I know if I ever needed anything, each of my aunts and uncles would be there for me and what a wonderful way to go through life!
My grandparents on my mom's side have also helped shape me. They were such great examples of what a family should be. No matter who I was dating, they would love on him like he was a grandson...and now that I am married they have another grandson who could do no wrong in Grandma's eyes. :) I remember many trips up to their mobile home when I was little. They never missed a birthday or big event. Over the past few years I've gotten even closer to my grandma with our almost monthly trips to Olive Garden and now that I am in Colorado we have sleepovers when I visit. It is there that I am getting to know my Grandpa who was very quiet when he was still with us. He was such a great family man who was a great example of a man who lived his life for the Lord.
My Grandma on my dad's side was one of the sweetest ladies on the planet. She taught me how to make the tastiest scrambled eggs and that you should always try a new food because "if you don't like it, you don't have to eat it!" I miss her so much and wish I had spent more time with her while she was here.
My parents are amazing and I've tried to honor them in past posts from Mothers Day and Fathers Day and will continue. They have been so supportive of me over the years always providing for me in the best way possible. They have given me the opportunity to travel to other countries and many different cities They gave me the gift of a horse when I was 10 which has completely changed and shaped me as a person. Putting me on ski's and then sticking me in ski lessons for days while the family all went skiing made me a little bitter when I was a kid but has allowed me to have one of the best shared interest with my husband. They've always encouraged and supported me when I changed my major about 10 times in college and took 7 years to complete my undergrad. Their love and support continued through my studies in grad school which was immeasurable. What I have appreciated the most from them as of late is that they have never made me feel even a tiny bit guilty for moving to Colorado. I can't imagine that that would be an easy task for a parent but they've been nothing but supportive. This move has had some pretty hard days and I can't even put into words how much it means to not have the guilt of my parents missing me to help me through.
My brother and I had our typical brotherly sisterly relationship growing up. He wasn't really interested in having a little sister when I arrived and we were as opposite as could be. But by high school when he went on to college we were practically inseparable I was at his college several times a year and he would write me cards and letters to keep in touch. He even set me up with my first email account way before anyone was using emails. He was always there to help me with my computer problems and had me chatting away in chat rooms and on the very first version of AOL. As soon as he got his licence we would jet out of Thanksgiving dinner a little early so we could hit up the newest movie at the theater. Once we were a little older the scenery changed from the movie theater to a bar with a local cover band. This went on for years until he got married. He now has a beautiful family who I am so thankful for. I've known his wife Tiffany since Shawn's college days and she even came and visited me with Shawn one year when I was at ISU. I've appreciated her help and wisdom in the world of teaching when she's always been there to help me on my new career path. Their daughters, Kaylee and Kaitlyn have opened up a completely new world for me (and Jason). They are amazingly wonderful and while I still cannot believe my brother who pretty much hated kids is the best dad to those little girls. They are such great parents and have given me two of the most precious nieces!
This year Jason and I spent Thanksgiving far from my own family but instead in Iowa with his family. I am so thankful that he has a family who has been so welcoming to me into their family! They've taught me a lot about the life in a farm country and small towns and are so great to me!
Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and are as blessed as I am to have a wonderful family!
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Sunday Song - Great is Thy Faithfulness
Happy Sunday all! How was your Thanksgiving? Enjoy today's Sunday Song!
We sang this song at church this morning and it reminded me of this exact time back in 2006 when my heart was broken over a breakup with a boyfriend and how I wasn't sure if I'd be okay. During that time, I listened to this version almost every day on my way home from work, blasted at the loudest my speakers would allow so I could sing along and not hear how off pitch I was. God had a better plan for me those months, so much better than I could have ever imagined. God is so faithful!
This Thanksgiving was a wonderful one with Jason's family in very rural Iowa. We're back now and I enjoyed singing this song loudly at church and reminded me of just how awesome of a God we have to worship to every day. Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season.
*Always a special thanks to Teresa for sharing her "Sunday Song" idea with me!
Great is thy Faithfulness -- by Lincoln Brewster
This Thanksgiving was a wonderful one with Jason's family in very rural Iowa. We're back now and I enjoyed singing this song loudly at church and reminded me of just how awesome of a God we have to worship to every day. Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season.
*Always a special thanks to Teresa for sharing her "Sunday Song" idea with me!
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Sunday Song - Whom Shall I Fear
How was your weekend? We had a great weekend playing catch-up with laundry, cleaning and all sorts of errands. We even saw a movie (Flight) and took advantage of Olive Garden's 'Dinner Today & Dinner Tomorrow' deal! Good weekend! Enjoy this weekends "Sunday Song!"
Whom Shall I Fear -- by Chris Tomlin
Chris Tomlin is going on tour again and is coming to Denver..not only is he coming to Denver but he's coming to Red Rocks! Red Rocks is, in my opinion, the best venue to see a concert, it's absolutely gorgeous and the acoustics are amazing! We were able to get tickets in the pre-sale so are guaranteed seats in the first section. I was so excited the night I got the tickets I couldn't sleep! So I thought the perfect song for this week is his new song, Whom Shall I Fear. Hope you had a wonderful weekend! Love to you all!
Friday, November 16, 2012
Thankful for my Health
I am so thankful for my (and my families) health. I was watching my favorite show, Parenthood, this week and the storyline is focused around one of the main characters (a mom) who is going through treatment for breast cancer. I appreciate the storyline so much and am thankful that they're digging in deep with a very real and very tough storyline.
I cry through every episode of that show but these have been especially hard. I relate it to myself and my own mom and can't imagine what it must be like to have to go through cancer or any other disease/sickness. I get sick with a runny nose and I'm cranky and upset. Give me the flu and I think I'm going to die. I'm so thankful for my good health today. That even when I complain about my lack of sleep, which I do too often at least I am able to get lots of sleep. I can get up each day. I can go to work. I can eat whatever food or drink whatever drinks I want. I am so thankful for today where my health is and for my own families health. Every day truly is a gift and I thank God that my body is healthy today.
I cry through every episode of that show but these have been especially hard. I relate it to myself and my own mom and can't imagine what it must be like to have to go through cancer or any other disease/sickness. I get sick with a runny nose and I'm cranky and upset. Give me the flu and I think I'm going to die. I'm so thankful for my good health today. That even when I complain about my lack of sleep, which I do too often at least I am able to get lots of sleep. I can get up each day. I can go to work. I can eat whatever food or drink whatever drinks I want. I am so thankful for today where my health is and for my own families health. Every day truly is a gift and I thank God that my body is healthy today.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Thankful for our Apartment
Today I am most thankful for our apartment. As I've shared a few too many times, I have been really sad having to wait on buying a house but our apartment really does rock! Minus me thinking it's one too few rooms so Jason could have an office since he works from home it's really spacious! We have a nice kitchen with granite, an awesome balcony that overlooks open space. There's coyotes out back that howl in the night which is super cool. It's super private with lots of bright light. It's open and has a fireplace that I love. There's ample parking plus we have a garage. It's just wonderful. It's more than we could ever need. There's so many people who don't have shelter every day and night and we do, we have more than we could ever need here. I need to constantly remind myself of that and be thankful for what we do have.
Happy Birthday Jason!
Happy birthday to my best friend, Jason! We celebrated big this weekend by activating our season ski/boarding pass in the mountains. Jason boards, I ski. (Technically Jason does both but for the most part enjoys boarding best.)
I love birthdays so wanted to do something special for the guy who doesn't love a lot of attention of much attention to birthday. Plus, I'm not big into cold weather skiing but figured this was a great way to get out there and use our passes and celebrate Jason! We even found a great deal on a local hotel so we were able to make a weekend out of it.
Saturday morning we woke up at 5:00 so we could be packed and on the road by 6:30. We first stopped in Breckenridge to drop Cooper off at daycare but were on the slopes in Keystone by 9:00.
It was snowing for much of the morning which meant it was really cold (and wet) but also made for some great conditions early in the day! It was super crowded as there were only 3 runs open. By the end of the day it was getting icy and well...we're a little older now so our bones and muscles get a little sore a little earlier than they used to! We considered it a good day and called it quits around 2:00.
We had dinner (nachos and soup) at Backcountry Brewery and were back at the hotel before the sun was down. Spent some time in the hot tub and I think I was asleep by 8:00!
Sunday morning we woke up, had breakfast and were on the slopes by 8:30. The lines were significantly shorter and we got about 7 inches of snow since the day before! The conditions were much better but it was only about 7 degrees. Did I already mention that me and cold don't mix well?! I did about 4 runs and Jason did an extra without me. Pretty sure he could have boarded all day into the night but we had to pick Cooper up by 2:00.
We got Cooper from daycare, picked up a large hot chocolate for the ride home so I could thaw out and got home around 4:30. Jason and I spent some time in our community hot tub which was pretty peaceful and romantic. I made soup while he unpacked and we finished the night by watching the Bears game, Dexter and Revenge.
Today we're both off (Jason for Veterans Day, me because it's his birthday!) but he has to study for a test. I'm happy to have today to get caught up from everything I couldn't do this weekend. We're going out to dinner tonight to Maggiano's where he'll open presents. YUM Maggiano's!
Such a great weekend, especially for a guy who doesn't like attention or like celebrating his birthday. I'm glad we got to do something he enjoys doing...I look forward to many more trips to the mountains to ski. I am so thankful for an activity we both enjoy and are both at around the same level! This weekend really strengthened our marriage and gave me more of an appreciation for living in Colorado, which I needed!
Happy birthday Jason! Hope you feel extra loved this weekend and today - you deserve it! xoxo
Jason <3
I love birthdays so wanted to do something special for the guy who doesn't love a lot of attention of much attention to birthday. Plus, I'm not big into cold weather skiing but figured this was a great way to get out there and use our passes and celebrate Jason! We even found a great deal on a local hotel so we were able to make a weekend out of it.
Saturday morning we woke up at 5:00 so we could be packed and on the road by 6:30. We first stopped in Breckenridge to drop Cooper off at daycare but were on the slopes in Keystone by 9:00.
It was snowing for much of the morning which meant it was really cold (and wet) but also made for some great conditions early in the day! It was super crowded as there were only 3 runs open. By the end of the day it was getting icy and well...we're a little older now so our bones and muscles get a little sore a little earlier than they used to! We considered it a good day and called it quits around 2:00.
We had dinner (nachos and soup) at Backcountry Brewery and were back at the hotel before the sun was down. Spent some time in the hot tub and I think I was asleep by 8:00!
Sunday morning we woke up, had breakfast and were on the slopes by 8:30. The lines were significantly shorter and we got about 7 inches of snow since the day before! The conditions were much better but it was only about 7 degrees. Did I already mention that me and cold don't mix well?! I did about 4 runs and Jason did an extra without me. Pretty sure he could have boarded all day into the night but we had to pick Cooper up by 2:00.
We got Cooper from daycare, picked up a large hot chocolate for the ride home so I could thaw out and got home around 4:30. Jason and I spent some time in our community hot tub which was pretty peaceful and romantic. I made soup while he unpacked and we finished the night by watching the Bears game, Dexter and Revenge.
Today we're both off (Jason for Veterans Day, me because it's his birthday!) but he has to study for a test. I'm happy to have today to get caught up from everything I couldn't do this weekend. We're going out to dinner tonight to Maggiano's where he'll open presents. YUM Maggiano's!
Such a great weekend, especially for a guy who doesn't like attention or like celebrating his birthday. I'm glad we got to do something he enjoys doing...I look forward to many more trips to the mountains to ski. I am so thankful for an activity we both enjoy and are both at around the same level! This weekend really strengthened our marriage and gave me more of an appreciation for living in Colorado, which I needed!
Happy birthday Jason! Hope you feel extra loved this weekend and today - you deserve it! xoxo
The roads on our way out there!
Amazing how it's a completely different world of weather
in the mountains compared to where we live!
Jason boarding toward me
Hot husband ;-)
Busy slopes with lots of snow!
Top of the gondola...snow clearing to blue skies
Resting point for a quick pic!
Beautiful views once the snow stopped!
Our reward for the day- we each got one...(they are small...this pic makes them look huge!)
Jason <3
Me :)
Hot Tub felt SOOOO good after two days of skiing!
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Thankful for my Job
I am so very thankful for my job! After losing my job in 2009 I never really realized the impact that would have on me, good and bad. But now that I am back in the work force I'm realizing how much I really missed working. Sure I nannied, even full time for almost a year but I missed being around people and being challenged but now I am getting both of those.
I work with an awesome kid who has an great mom who supports him, (well the whole family probably is but I mostly talk with her). I also work with some really amazing people who are in the profession for the love of the kids and love of special needs. Even on my bad days I still come out of my job knowing I work with a great team and with some pretty awesome students! So thankful for this new profession and for the opportunity to learn all that I am learning!
I work with an awesome kid who has an great mom who supports him, (well the whole family probably is but I mostly talk with her). I also work with some really amazing people who are in the profession for the love of the kids and love of special needs. Even on my bad days I still come out of my job knowing I work with a great team and with some pretty awesome students! So thankful for this new profession and for the opportunity to learn all that I am learning!
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Thankful for Gorgeous Weather
I am so behind on these posts! I don't have enough time in the day...but that doesn't mean that I don't have a lot to be thankful for.
Today I am most thankful for the gorgeous weather we're having here. It's been in the lower 70's all week with sun shining every day. It does get really (really!) cold at night and temps drop dramatically as soon as the sun goes down (which is so early now!) but it's so comfortable outside during the day and into the early evenings. Today there was not a cloud in the sky and no wind so it felt like it was in the mid to upper 70's. Gorgeous.
Today I am most thankful for the gorgeous weather we're having here. It's been in the lower 70's all week with sun shining every day. It does get really (really!) cold at night and temps drop dramatically as soon as the sun goes down (which is so early now!) but it's so comfortable outside during the day and into the early evenings. Today there was not a cloud in the sky and no wind so it felt like it was in the mid to upper 70's. Gorgeous.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Sunday Song - Forever Reign
One of my fellow bloggers used to always do a "Sunday Song" and I have always loved the idea! So much that I asked her if I could copy and do the same thing. Thanks Teresa for saying yes!
Forever Reign by Kristian Stanfill
Another one of my favorite songs since we've moved here. Amazing worship song. I wish I could go to Passion Tour but I'm a little too old. Think it would be a life changing experience.
Happy Sunday!
Thankful for Jason
Today I am thankful for Jason and marriage. I wish I had taken the time to write yesterday because it was the 5th year anniversary of us meeting! It was only one month later that we were we both asking our mutual friend for each others phone numbers. We dated for almost two years before he proposed (me thinking he waited 9 months too long) which you can read about here and our wedding day which was the best day of my life! (You can read about that here).
Moving to Colorado has added a new dynamic to our marriage. I think it's been a lot more fun but we have also had some growing pains the past 7 months. We really only have each other to depend on but that also means when we have an argument we still only have each other to depend on. We've grown in a way that only moving across the country together can bring.
In the past couple months I have really realized how blessed I am to be with such an amazing guy, even in times when I have thought it'd be easier to be back in my single days when I didn't have to answer to anyone. Yes, he can be a pain in the butt sometimes (I love you Jason) but I really did luck out when I found him. Just to list a few of the reasons...He has provided for me since we got married while I finished grad school. He puts up with my grumpiness when I get home from work. He's eaten every meal I've cooked and always says it's good. He takes my car and gets it washed all the time. He puts up with my rules of the closed bathroom door every morning so not to let the heat out while I'm showering. Many cold mornings I've gone out to my car to find it already started with the heat blasting. He puts up with my incredibly messy self. He spends his Sunday afternoons helping me grocery shop since I absolutely despise grocery shopping, and has gone alone many many times. He changes our sheets almost every single Saturday because I have to have clean sheets but hate actually changing them. The list goes on an on.
Marriage is a lot of work. While I really had no idea what it meant to say "till death do us part," I'm slowly learning it's a lot of compromising and forgiveness and I really couldn't have found a better guy to do this with. Thank you Jason for being such a wonderful and loving husband, I love you so much!
Moving to Colorado has added a new dynamic to our marriage. I think it's been a lot more fun but we have also had some growing pains the past 7 months. We really only have each other to depend on but that also means when we have an argument we still only have each other to depend on. We've grown in a way that only moving across the country together can bring.
In the past couple months I have really realized how blessed I am to be with such an amazing guy, even in times when I have thought it'd be easier to be back in my single days when I didn't have to answer to anyone. Yes, he can be a pain in the butt sometimes (I love you Jason) but I really did luck out when I found him. Just to list a few of the reasons...He has provided for me since we got married while I finished grad school. He puts up with my grumpiness when I get home from work. He's eaten every meal I've cooked and always says it's good. He takes my car and gets it washed all the time. He puts up with my rules of the closed bathroom door every morning so not to let the heat out while I'm showering. Many cold mornings I've gone out to my car to find it already started with the heat blasting. He puts up with my incredibly messy self. He spends his Sunday afternoons helping me grocery shop since I absolutely despise grocery shopping, and has gone alone many many times. He changes our sheets almost every single Saturday because I have to have clean sheets but hate actually changing them. The list goes on an on.
Marriage is a lot of work. While I really had no idea what it meant to say "till death do us part," I'm slowly learning it's a lot of compromising and forgiveness and I really couldn't have found a better guy to do this with. Thank you Jason for being such a wonderful and loving husband, I love you so much!
Friday, November 2, 2012
Thankfulness
As I've shared a hundred times already, I'm on Fall Break this week. I made a big list of things I wanted to to do this week but there were three things I said I'd do every day. First and foremost was to spend each morning with the Lord in prayer, doing my devotions and working on my Bible study. The second was to work out - every single day and the third was to bring Cooper to the dog park every day. While I failed miserable in the gym department not doing anything more physical than lifting my wine glass to my mouth each night, I have managed to take Cooper to the park 3 of 4 days and plan to take him today. The best part has been that every day I have spent the better part of my morning quiet and in prayer with God.
The very first day God told me I really need to work on being content on where I'm at and I felt such a calming over me once hearing that. I finally felt "okay" with living here in our apartment and decided to needed to finally hang our family pictures and make this home. After hearing that, I felt like a new person ready to conquer that day and begin the week. I also promised Him I'd really work on turning to Him for my everything. While I've really been trying to turn to him in all areas of my life it really is going to be a work in progress. I mean I have been told that thousands of times and it's like it's a new concept each time I hear it, but I have been and will continue to work on it. I find it to be so much easier when I'm not working and just doing small things...there's so much less hustle and bustle so a lot easier to remember to turn to Him. As for the "being content" part oh I am failing miserably. I've shared here about my needing to wait on things right now and waiting on Him but I cannot for the life of me seem to get that down. I cannot stop wanting what I don't have. As a side-note I cannot believe I blogged about that way back in the beginning of August and am probably doing worse now at listening and waiting than I was then!!
I am obsessed with finding a house. We moved here for a house, along with many other opportunities and because we felt God telling us to move here but the idea of moving out of the cramped city with no storage, basement, garage, yard, etc and moving to a house with all of that was more than appealing. Almost every house we have found and liked I hear the whisper of God telling us to wait. After looking at one more house last night, Jason and I have decided that we are to pay off my student loans before house hunting again. I am not sure I can do that, especially since I'm not even making a teachers income right now. I told Jason I'd like to just table the house hunting for a while, get a plan down that we can really pay off my (incredibly dumb) loans and then see where we're at in either a few months or a year.
But in all honesty, the house is just a small portion of life's wants right now. I miss home, I want friends, I want community, I want couple-y friends for Jason and I, I want good neighbors, I want a baby, I eventually want a new car, I want a solid strong marriage, I want my friends and family from Chicago to come visit me or call more, I want another cat (Jason will probably never allow that one!:) I want the student I work with at school to be more content at school, I want a yard for Cooper, I want this constant feel of loneliness and weirdness to go away, I want to live closer to the mountains, I want the city-life back, I want to make more money, I want to be a much better wife which means being a lot cleaner, a much better cook, (both those will probably never happen!) I want to be a better friend to those I already have. I want so much right now and feel like I've been miserable at everything I should be lately and at the same time not getting anything I want.
This morning I was all ready to tell God just how sad I am and how I don't understand why nothing seems to be going right but God with his awesome sense of humor ever so subtly told me he didn't really want another morning of my complaints. Instead He reminded me that He would like to be praised and wanted me to share in a moment (or hour) of thankfulness. It was really really clear to me in my devotions today that I should instead be rejoicing in all I DO have instead of whining in what I can't seem to get right now. He's actually been telling me this ever since I've moved here and I've told you all as much, but here it is again 7 months and 1 day (to be exact) into this journey to Colorado and I'm being told again...I have so much to be thankful for. So so so so much!! Yes, I think this is a hard time right now, and I'm not getting much of what I think I need and want today but I need to rejoice! Be thankful! I have always said, "Be joyful in hope!" I have so much hope in me and even way beyond hope, I have so many awesome and great things in my life...hundreds and thousands!
So what better time of the year but November, the month of thankfulness to be prompted to be thankful?! I am going to dedicate this month (like so many other bloggers and Facebookers) to writing each day what I am most thankful for.
I am most thankful for our Lord and Savior who can give me a kick in the butt when I really need it. I don't need to wallow in my sadness but instead am reminded that He is always with me. When I'm sad, when I'm happy, when there are hard times (I mean the really hard times...not these "woe is me" moments like I wrote about above). God is so good and so much bigger than anything we'll ever face here on Earth. I am constantly reminded that our time here is so short compared to an Eternity with Him. I hope I do live my life in a way that makes Him proud. I know I mess up a lot and am so thankful for His grace. He loves me more than I'll ever be able to understand and oh how thankful I am for that! Thank you Lord for reminding me of all I have to be thankful for right now. I am so excited to spend some time each day with you all and sharing what it is I'm grateful for. Join me in this journey that so many are already doing this month...never mind that I am a day late! Share what you are thankful for by adding a comment.
Thanks to each of you who read along with me, I hope this is an amazing month of reflection for you as well. Love to each of you!
The very first day God told me I really need to work on being content on where I'm at and I felt such a calming over me once hearing that. I finally felt "okay" with living here in our apartment and decided to needed to finally hang our family pictures and make this home. After hearing that, I felt like a new person ready to conquer that day and begin the week. I also promised Him I'd really work on turning to Him for my everything. While I've really been trying to turn to him in all areas of my life it really is going to be a work in progress. I mean I have been told that thousands of times and it's like it's a new concept each time I hear it, but I have been and will continue to work on it. I find it to be so much easier when I'm not working and just doing small things...there's so much less hustle and bustle so a lot easier to remember to turn to Him. As for the "being content" part oh I am failing miserably. I've shared here about my needing to wait on things right now and waiting on Him but I cannot for the life of me seem to get that down. I cannot stop wanting what I don't have. As a side-note I cannot believe I blogged about that way back in the beginning of August and am probably doing worse now at listening and waiting than I was then!!
I am obsessed with finding a house. We moved here for a house, along with many other opportunities and because we felt God telling us to move here but the idea of moving out of the cramped city with no storage, basement, garage, yard, etc and moving to a house with all of that was more than appealing. Almost every house we have found and liked I hear the whisper of God telling us to wait. After looking at one more house last night, Jason and I have decided that we are to pay off my student loans before house hunting again. I am not sure I can do that, especially since I'm not even making a teachers income right now. I told Jason I'd like to just table the house hunting for a while, get a plan down that we can really pay off my (incredibly dumb) loans and then see where we're at in either a few months or a year.
But in all honesty, the house is just a small portion of life's wants right now. I miss home, I want friends, I want community, I want couple-y friends for Jason and I, I want good neighbors, I want a baby, I eventually want a new car, I want a solid strong marriage, I want my friends and family from Chicago to come visit me or call more, I want another cat (Jason will probably never allow that one!:) I want the student I work with at school to be more content at school, I want a yard for Cooper, I want this constant feel of loneliness and weirdness to go away, I want to live closer to the mountains, I want the city-life back, I want to make more money, I want to be a much better wife which means being a lot cleaner, a much better cook, (both those will probably never happen!) I want to be a better friend to those I already have. I want so much right now and feel like I've been miserable at everything I should be lately and at the same time not getting anything I want.
This morning I was all ready to tell God just how sad I am and how I don't understand why nothing seems to be going right but God with his awesome sense of humor ever so subtly told me he didn't really want another morning of my complaints. Instead He reminded me that He would like to be praised and wanted me to share in a moment (or hour) of thankfulness. It was really really clear to me in my devotions today that I should instead be rejoicing in all I DO have instead of whining in what I can't seem to get right now. He's actually been telling me this ever since I've moved here and I've told you all as much, but here it is again 7 months and 1 day (to be exact) into this journey to Colorado and I'm being told again...I have so much to be thankful for. So so so so much!! Yes, I think this is a hard time right now, and I'm not getting much of what I think I need and want today but I need to rejoice! Be thankful! I have always said, "Be joyful in hope!" I have so much hope in me and even way beyond hope, I have so many awesome and great things in my life...hundreds and thousands!
So what better time of the year but November, the month of thankfulness to be prompted to be thankful?! I am going to dedicate this month (like so many other bloggers and Facebookers) to writing each day what I am most thankful for.
It's pretty obvious what I am most thankful for today...
Thanks to each of you who read along with me, I hope this is an amazing month of reflection for you as well. Love to each of you!
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Thursday Meanderings
I'm on day 4 of my 5 day fall break. As I keep saying, I am really enjoying sleeping in. Jason has had to wake me up at 7:30 every day so I don't keep sleeping in and am unable to get back into my routine next week. I am loving staying up late!
Meanderings on...
My Halloween candy...I shared here that I was super excited for trick-or-treaters and wasn't sure what to buy. A few friends shared ideas so I took most of their advice. I bought two bags of candy, got the sign from the condo association to let the trick-or-treaters know we were giving out candy and then I waited. I waited and waited and guess what? We got two trick-or-treaters! TWO. Middle school aged boys in masks. Yeah, awesome. Major disappointment to say the least. I guess there's always next year!
Halloween parties...We were invited to a Halloween party from our Young Married group. I was hesitant to go because I hate dressing up for Halloween. I have stressed about it every single year. I am not creative and never want to spend any money on a costume. But we RSVP'd yes and I didn't want to cancel. We went and had co much fun. There was only 4 couples there and only one dressed up. Oh so nice to not be the only ones! As always I am super thankful for any new friends we meet!
Memories...It was one year ago today that we got an offer on our condo back in Chicago. It was such an exciting day for us ! Oh, how much has happened the past year!
The Movies...One of my favorite things to do is go to the movies. It's probably one of Jason's least favorite things to do so we don't go very often. But since I am off all week I convinced him to go to the movies on Tuesday. We saw The Perks of Being a Wallflower and I loved it. Jason liked it too. I love "real movies." Plus I got to have a large popcorn...my favorite!!
Knitting...I went to a meet-up group yesterday in an effort to meet some new people and relearn how to knit! The meeting of new friends was an absolute bust but I did sorta learn how to knit again. I don't remember it being as hard as it was but it's fun! I hope to get enough of a hang of it to do some scarves and baby blankets but I've been trying for the past 7 years or so! We'll see!
The CMA's...They're on tonight! I am so excited...they'll be recording so I can watch and fast forward the commercials and boring acts. Tune in!
Gordmans...Today I discovered Gordmans and am in LOVE. Amazing store, I cannot wait to have a house to buy for, this place had everything!!
Happy Thursday all! hope it's been a great week thus far!
Meanderings on...
My Halloween candy...I shared here that I was super excited for trick-or-treaters and wasn't sure what to buy. A few friends shared ideas so I took most of their advice. I bought two bags of candy, got the sign from the condo association to let the trick-or-treaters know we were giving out candy and then I waited. I waited and waited and guess what? We got two trick-or-treaters! TWO. Middle school aged boys in masks. Yeah, awesome. Major disappointment to say the least. I guess there's always next year!
Halloween parties...We were invited to a Halloween party from our Young Married group. I was hesitant to go because I hate dressing up for Halloween. I have stressed about it every single year. I am not creative and never want to spend any money on a costume. But we RSVP'd yes and I didn't want to cancel. We went and had co much fun. There was only 4 couples there and only one dressed up. Oh so nice to not be the only ones! As always I am super thankful for any new friends we meet!
Memories...It was one year ago today that we got an offer on our condo back in Chicago. It was such an exciting day for us ! Oh, how much has happened the past year!
The Movies...One of my favorite things to do is go to the movies. It's probably one of Jason's least favorite things to do so we don't go very often. But since I am off all week I convinced him to go to the movies on Tuesday. We saw The Perks of Being a Wallflower and I loved it. Jason liked it too. I love "real movies." Plus I got to have a large popcorn...my favorite!!
Knitting...I went to a meet-up group yesterday in an effort to meet some new people and relearn how to knit! The meeting of new friends was an absolute bust but I did sorta learn how to knit again. I don't remember it being as hard as it was but it's fun! I hope to get enough of a hang of it to do some scarves and baby blankets but I've been trying for the past 7 years or so! We'll see!
The CMA's...They're on tonight! I am so excited...they'll be recording so I can watch and fast forward the commercials and boring acts. Tune in!
Gordmans...Today I discovered Gordmans and am in LOVE. Amazing store, I cannot wait to have a house to buy for, this place had everything!!
Happy Thursday all! hope it's been a great week thus far!
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Day 1 of Fall Break
Honestly, this fall break concept is one of the greatest...as the weeks going on I am loving it more and more!
Yesterday I slept in. I am not the only one who enjoys me being able to sleep in! He sleeps right next to me every single night!
When I woke up I worked on my Bible study and spent some extra time journaling and praying. I promised myself that I would make God a priority to start my day each day this week. I'll probably share more on that later. Then the of the morning was spent doing laundry and picking up our very messy apartment. I don't know how it gets so messy, it's like some invisible being follows me and makes little piles of stuff all over our apartment. I know I certainly don't make all these messes! ;-) It's finally clean though so I am very relieved. It always reminds me how thankful I am to be married to a patient man who deals with my messiness.
In the afternoon I went and got a haircut. I found a coupon and was bored so I decided why not try out the new look I had been considering. I love how it turned out! I feel like I finally have a style again...especially after that one girl did such a bad job a few months ago. I feel like a new person, it's amazing how a good haircut can make you feel!
In the evening I went to my Bible Study. I was on kid duty that night so helped out with one of the kids Bible Study rooms. So not to go off on a tangent but I was absolutely appalled at how disrespectful the kids were. I mean I get that they're all God's children and I should love them all like He does but this just wasn't possible last night. Whenever the teacher wasn't looking they were doing things behind her back. There was some serious eye rolling, whining at the teacher, lots and lots of unnecessary interruptions and just plain rudeness. And I consider myself to be a kid lover! Needless to say I was pretty disappointed in what I saw and am now even more thankful to all the teachers out there who spend their lives trying to better the lives of these kids. What has the world come to?
On a lighter note, it was fun coming home and not having to go straight to bed like normal. Jason and I stayed up and watched a movie. I love being able to stay up later than 8:30/9:00!
Yesterday I slept in. I am not the only one who enjoys me being able to sleep in! He sleeps right next to me every single night!
When I woke up I worked on my Bible study and spent some extra time journaling and praying. I promised myself that I would make God a priority to start my day each day this week. I'll probably share more on that later. Then the of the morning was spent doing laundry and picking up our very messy apartment. I don't know how it gets so messy, it's like some invisible being follows me and makes little piles of stuff all over our apartment. I know I certainly don't make all these messes! ;-) It's finally clean though so I am very relieved. It always reminds me how thankful I am to be married to a patient man who deals with my messiness.
In the afternoon I went and got a haircut. I found a coupon and was bored so I decided why not try out the new look I had been considering. I love how it turned out! I feel like I finally have a style again...especially after that one girl did such a bad job a few months ago. I feel like a new person, it's amazing how a good haircut can make you feel!
On a lighter note, it was fun coming home and not having to go straight to bed like normal. Jason and I stayed up and watched a movie. I love being able to stay up later than 8:30/9:00!
Save YOUR Boobies!
It's October which means everything is pink pink pink!! As if you can't already tell, it's Breast Cancer Awareness month! In the past year I have learned about 4 friends from past jobs who have been diagnosed with
breast cancer, two of them losing their battle. Hearing about this, I
have been really motivated to check myself and never miss a month.
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According to the American Cancer Society...
- Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States, other than skin cancer. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, after lung cancer.
- The chance of a woman having invasive breast cancer some time during her life is about 1 in 8. The chance of dying from breast cancer is about 1 in 36.
- Breast cancer death rates have been going down. This is probably the result of finding the cancer earlier and better treatment. Right now there are more than 2.9 million breast cancer survivors in the United States.
Here's what you should know...
- Yearly mammograms are recommended starting at age 40 and continuing for as long as a woman is in good health
- Clinical breast exam (CBE) about every 3 years for women in their 20s and 30s and every year for women 40 and over
- Women should know how their breasts normally look and feel and report any breast change promptly to their health care provider. Breast self-exam (BSE) is an option for women starting in their 20s.
Some women – because of their family history, a genetic
tendency, or certain other factors – should be screened with MRI in addition to
mammograms. (The number of women who fall into this category is small: less
than 2% of all the women in the US.) Talk with your doctor about your history
and whether you should have additional tests at an earlier age.
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What I have done to remind myself is I stick one of those shower hanger things (pictured above) in my box of tampons. That reminds me when I get my period to go hang it up in the shower and once my periods over, I'll be reminded to do the breast self exam. What can you think of to remind yourself to do your own exams? If you're over the age of 40, when was your last mammogram? Ladies, don't wait, you owe it to yourself to get checked! If I haven't convinced you...follow along on one of my friend's journey as she blogs here. Sue is an amazing young women who is fighting her own battle and has decided to invite you into her journey. Please read along and add her to your prayers! Love to each of you!
Monday, October 29, 2012
Got My Colordao Teaching License!!
I got my Colorado Teaching Licence! This is exciting news because when I first looked into getting licensed here I was told it would take 9-12 months before I received it. I flew here last January to take my certification test and then in March I felt I heard God tell me to pursue a teacher aide position instead of a teaching job. After getting a job as an aide, I didn't feel much pressure to get my info submitted for my license but then the past few months I had been putting it off and putting it off and then finally after scanning every single form imaginable all my college transcripts, getting fingerprinted, paying a lot of money I finally had it all submitted. I wasn't expecting to receive the licence for at least 3-6 months, so was shocked to receive it in the mail last week! Though I have no plans to search or apply for any positions this year it is such a relief to have the certificate in hand. Not only did I have to get certified in Illinois but I had to go through all the hoops to get certified here in Colorado. So glad to have the licence and know I can be a teacher when the time comes!
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Sunday Song - 10,000 Reasons
One of my fellow bloggers used to always do a "Sunday Song" and I have always loved the idea! So much that I asked her if I could copy and do the same thing. Thanks Teresa for saying yes!
10,000 Reasons -- by Matt Redman
This song reminds me of the last service we attended at our Chicago church, Willow Creek. Every time I hear this song I miss home so much but am moved in some way, reminded of God's constant hand on me as we continue to venture through this transition. When we sing it at our new church I turn into a slobbery crying mess. Love it and love the reminder that I am not in this alone, God is on my side.
Happy Sunday!
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Dog Outting
So while trying to be positive I realize there's still plenty of new, which I love so we did that today. Cooper had fun exploring his new dog park. It's an opens pace so we were able to walk a little and take in the sun and cooler temps. Cooper met some new friends and got to run and run and run. And Jason and I got in some quality time together.
Ahhhh Fall Break
Another reason I am falling more in love with the state of Colorado is that schools get "Fall Break." It's like Spring Break but in the fall. What a brilliant idea! And it's not even connected with Thanksgiving which I would think would be the most sensible! (We actually get Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of Thanksgiving week off!) It's not so good since I don't get paid for any of these days but I am going to enjoy the break anyway! On my to-do list this week is first and foremost to sleep in past 5:00 every morning and catch up on my sleep. I'll also probably get some cleaning in, a little extra time at the dog park with Cooper, read a good book, catch up on Ellen, go shopping, maybe get a pedicure and try to get a timeline set up for my therapeutic horse back riding instructor certification. Oh Fall Break how I love thee...and will thee even more when I'm a teacher and will still get a paycheck for these days. :)
Thursday, October 25, 2012
First Real Snowfall!
We had our first real snowfall of the season last night. We got about 2 inches and its so pretty! I just love snow and Cooper loves it too. I don't have any pictures of Cooper yet because Jason took him out last night and this morning but Jason said he had a blast! We're expected to get more tonight but then it'll be back in the 50's and 60's with sun next week. Look forward to warmer temperatures but love all the white now!
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Big Night!
On Trick-or-Treaters
I've never experienced having trick-or-treaters at my house...ever. I grew up on a dead-end, unincorporated street with no neighbors so for the one trick-or-treater we did get, I generally had to hide and pretend no one was home. (My parents both worked out of the home so I was usually the only one home at that time.)
After moving out of my parents house, I lived in Chicago where trick-or-treating doesn't happen door-to-door so after 33 years of waiting, I am finally able to hand out candy this year! I've been thinking about it for the past 2 months now and how excited I was to actually be able to distribute candy and see all the cute little costumes! I did a little research and learned that our apartment complex has it set up that if you want to participate you can get a bag (or something of the sort) from the main office to display outside so kids will know to knock and we'll deliver them candy. So pumped!
Well tonight I went to Wal-Mart to get the candy and oh my gosh was it overwhelming!! So overwhelming in fact that after about 10 minutes going up and down the aisle 15 times, I left without any candy. First off, when the heck did bags of little miniature pieces of candy get so expensive!? It was like $7.50 a bag!! And second off how am I supposed to decide what every kids favorite piece of candy is? I don't want to be one of those people who gives bad candy or those icky wax liquid things. Plus, after discovering the cost of the candy there's no way I want to give more than one "fun-sized" piece of candy to each kid! So I ask...what do all the cool kids want for candy? Growing up, I didn't like chocolate so liked all the chewy candy and suckers but I know I wasn't the norm, so is chocolate the way to go? This has become way more stressful than I'd have ever imagined it to be! I'd love some guidance on this as I would really like my first Halloween trick-or-treating experience to go as well as possible. Who would have thought this could ever be so difficult, confusing and expensive!?
After moving out of my parents house, I lived in Chicago where trick-or-treating doesn't happen door-to-door so after 33 years of waiting, I am finally able to hand out candy this year! I've been thinking about it for the past 2 months now and how excited I was to actually be able to distribute candy and see all the cute little costumes! I did a little research and learned that our apartment complex has it set up that if you want to participate you can get a bag (or something of the sort) from the main office to display outside so kids will know to knock and we'll deliver them candy. So pumped!
Well tonight I went to Wal-Mart to get the candy and oh my gosh was it overwhelming!! So overwhelming in fact that after about 10 minutes going up and down the aisle 15 times, I left without any candy. First off, when the heck did bags of little miniature pieces of candy get so expensive!? It was like $7.50 a bag!! And second off how am I supposed to decide what every kids favorite piece of candy is? I don't want to be one of those people who gives bad candy or those icky wax liquid things. Plus, after discovering the cost of the candy there's no way I want to give more than one "fun-sized" piece of candy to each kid! So I ask...what do all the cool kids want for candy? Growing up, I didn't like chocolate so liked all the chewy candy and suckers but I know I wasn't the norm, so is chocolate the way to go? This has become way more stressful than I'd have ever imagined it to be! I'd love some guidance on this as I would really like my first Halloween trick-or-treating experience to go as well as possible. Who would have thought this could ever be so difficult, confusing and expensive!?
Monday, October 22, 2012
Serving
I started serving yesterday at our new church. I used to help out in the "Connections Desk" at my old church and also served as a greeter and loved both so I figured it was a good place to start at my new church. I did serve once in their special needs room which I would have thought would have be a good fit for me but for this time in my life I don't really felt led to do that on the weekends. I am super excited to help our church in the "Welcome Center" as they call it. I have so much to learn about the church, heck I still don't really know much about the area the church is in or anything else about Colorado but I still had a lot of fun doing it. I hope to learn quickly and be able to serve pretty regularly. :) If nothing else I hope to help others feel welcome like I needed when I moved here and was church shopping!
My Hatred of Wind
I hate wind. Have I said that before? I just hate it. Living in Chicago where it's the Windy City which by the way, if you didn't know, Chicago nickname of "The Windy City" didn't originate because of the wind...Google it if you don't believe me. But as I was saying it truly was windy all the time, especially along the lake! And there it was just awful because it was always cold so wind and cold made for brutal winters, especially downtown between buildings or along the lake where sometimes it would almost push you over! But just you average strong wind makes me so mad. It makes my hair blow, so I can't see and then it's so tangled I can't get a comb through it without half my head of hair coming out. It makes me so mad! Is there a reason I should ever be thankful for the wind? I know it helps seeds spread but other than that it just makes me crabby and gets my car super dusty/dirty. Am I alone in this hatred?
Sunday, October 21, 2012
My Quiet Time with God
Through my Bible study and at last weeks sermon I got the prompting that I needed to spend some quality time with God. I was planning on fasting and had consulted my friend, Michelle, who does that often and gave me some resources but when Saturday rolled around I was pretty sick so didn't think fasting would be in my best interest Instead I went to an area in nature where I could journal and pray and read the Word. I decided to bring Cooper though because of the murder of Jessica Ridgeway. Long story short, the abductor is still out there and they think he may have attacked two other women my age back in 2010, so I wasn't going to take any chances.
We drove out to Littleton and found a trail to hike. After about 3/4 of a mile I sat down and spent some time in prayer and in the Word. Once I was done I finished the hike thinking it was only another 1/2 mile or so but later learned it was about a mile. It was so pretty! Cooper was born to hike, didn't need to be on a leash and just kept on the path.
I thought I would really hear from God but I don't think I really did. I am going to spend a lot less time on Facebook - that seemed to be all I got, and more about the house hunt that I don't seem ready to let go of! I am not even on Facebook that much anymore but feel like I'm on it enough, so cutting that out. I also really enjoyed just being in nature despite being sick. While sitting and just being I got to hear a bird sing to me and then later noticed some ants that were crawling at my feet. Two really small things but things we take for granted. The path was gorgeous and I'm excited to go back with Jason.
I plan to do this again soon. I need to find a place that's secluded enough for me to get deep in the Word but also that's safe. I'm on a mission to find it and also look forward to fasting soon. In the right time and with His promptings I am ready for it.
We drove out to Littleton and found a trail to hike. After about 3/4 of a mile I sat down and spent some time in prayer and in the Word. Once I was done I finished the hike thinking it was only another 1/2 mile or so but later learned it was about a mile. It was so pretty! Cooper was born to hike, didn't need to be on a leash and just kept on the path.
I thought I would really hear from God but I don't think I really did. I am going to spend a lot less time on Facebook - that seemed to be all I got, and more about the house hunt that I don't seem ready to let go of! I am not even on Facebook that much anymore but feel like I'm on it enough, so cutting that out. I also really enjoyed just being in nature despite being sick. While sitting and just being I got to hear a bird sing to me and then later noticed some ants that were crawling at my feet. Two really small things but things we take for granted. The path was gorgeous and I'm excited to go back with Jason.
Cooper blends in this one!
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