You'll know, You'll just know

I never really understood how you would know when God would show you where you should go. My SIL Kerrin said, “let God guide you” My uncle said “Oh you’ll know his plans, you’ll know”. Not to mention the other amazing people in my life helping me clear my mind, looking at monetary, physical and emotion aspects of changing jobs and taking on my full plate of classes.

Two double whammies in two days.

First day, the school offered me a generous hourly wage, and in childcare you lucky if you get 8/hr. I was floored when she offered me above that. It would still be a significant pay cut to what I am making now, but I would love my job and be making a difference in the little ones lives. Money almost always out trumps desires. I still had one heavy burden that I needed to work out. Child Care costs for my boys. And not only that, Child Care where THEY were actually learning as well.

The school does not have opening for them right now, but as soon as they open, WHAMMY goes the next miracle. Full tuition for the boys WAIVED!

My heart fell to the floor, I want to run out of this building wailing my arms and sobbing with happy tears.

I can do that on my first day. Wailing my arms with the kids, they will love it!

God is good.

*side note - I must include that last night I told Sterling that it would be a true sign from God if it was free child care. - Wallah!

8.22.10

Gratefuls

1. Amazing people. Past and present.
2. Family - never fail to know what to say.
3. Classes tomorrow!!!

Lesson: I've started this reading plan from my app on my phone. Taking me through different books of the bible. This is my second week and I'm in Matthew. This is an amazing book! I've been tweeting and sharing via facebook verses the past couple nights. Most are what I try to live by. So expect a lot of verses to come through, unless a bigger lesson is learned :)
Matthew 7
13 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
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8.18.10

So much to be grateful, start my post back with more than I alotted myself :)

First off, thankful for the chance to go back to school! Hoping financial aid with help me with the money part (I hate it!) So I can take care of the education part and start my career as a teacher! I have been carrying a folder of all my information for school with me since I was given in saturday from Jocelyn Gibson. Its for the Mary Lou Fulton Teaching College at ASU. It has the fast track plan she put together for me. On her time. So grateful! If all goes well, I will be part of the graduating class (fall) 2012. This is going to be hard work, really hard work. But I have the drive, passion, commitment and support to get through this on the up side. Back to the folder, on the front it reads "Leadership in making a difference." How perfect is that for teaching? Makes me smile when I see it.

My husband, he is all in with this decision, he knows that he will be taking a larger role at home, covering for my classes and homework, he too has hard work ahead of him. He is all in, just as I am with school. So thankful that he is willing to sacrifice for the bigger picture, our bigger picture.

Opportunities. I have an interview with the bank for a Part Time teller position next thursday. I really want this for all reasons BUT finanical ones. Ill be cutting hours, cutting pay., but increasing time at home with my boys and for my school work. These balance it out for me and make me want it more than anything right now. But sadly, money is what makes the world go round, and what balances it for me, won't pay our bills, I'm praying on this and the decision I hopefully need to make.

My mom. Stepping up to the Monday challenge! Getting back to school means night classes for me. Monday will be
especially strenuous. Getting back into the busy season with Sterlings job, means later hours for him. Monday I will be in school from 425 to 950. My mom has offered to pick the boys up from school and keep them until Sterling is off of work. Now the trick is to find help on tuesdays and thursdays when my class will begin at 545 and possibility of Sterling working late. Oh don't worry eager family! You will be getting an email with this plee once my school is totally finalized and paid for! :)

For the miracle that is babies! My sister from another mother (and father:) ) had her sweet little hayden 8 weeks early. By the grace of God, Hayden is healthy and breaking all statistics! If she continues to progress the way she is, she'll be headed home almost 2 weeks earlier than she was due! She is so stinkin adorable. Strong just like her mommy.

Papa and Gigi. For putting together a beautiful ceremony for my sister and Angel in 2 days. Well it was all Gigi but Papa was there in more ways than one.

Next in line!
Have a blessed day!
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Oh Haaaaaayyy...

Um hi.
I have absolutely no idea where to begin, this is often where I find myself wanting to blog about it, but then get irritated because of the overwhelming feeling I get of sharing EVERTHING that I want to. So I list, with some detail.

1. I'm going back to school!!!! - as long as my grant money makes it and I can find a way to pay for this semester, its on like donkey kong. Ill be starting at ASU after I finish this fall and winter! THEN teaching I will, by school year 2013!
2. My sister got married last night. Her hubbs is going into the Army and they wanted to get all the married bennies from the military and since they have a baby, what they hey! Oh and she might love him or something of the sort. :)
3. Look for a good paying part time job. Want to stay with the bank, they have child care reimbursement and that is great! But I am also exploring the thought of Starbucks! They have great benefits even for part timers (I'd want early mornings and 30 hrs a week!) I need to get away from the Data Entry, sit at my desk all day, job so I will not have the hatred I have for the computer at home. Staring at it for 9 plus hours a day 5 days a week, makes me nauseous! Plus everyone at Starbucks is always cheery, even at 5am! I can be that! 
4. Run across some really amazing people lately. Lucky me!
5. Mason keeps asking for his friend "JoJo" from Oregon, but he may have been replaced by a girl named "Kota" who he met at Chelsey's wedding.  . .  Oh how innocent.
6. Popcornopolis is amazing. Every time. They get us at Costco. Every time.

There is clearly more meat to all of these, maybe I can expand later. If not, catch ya tomorrow, beginning my gratefuls again!

Crabbin

We got a chance to go on small boat and pull up some crab pots, certainly no Deadliest Catch here, but it was really fun and educational! Did you know they can only keep male crabs? They throw all the females back!

Shootin Time

Personally, I am not a fan of guns. The power from them just freaks me out. I shot 3 times and I was done.
When I pulled the trigger, I tried to keep my eyes open, but just couldn't! No thanks, But I do want to take some small firearm classes to have under my belt, God forbid I ever need to use them. Knowledge is power.

in this picture you can see the shell flying out of the cartridge. 

Mr. Lloyd - a natural.

Mason hangin out the window because it was loud, but he wanted to watch :)

Choo Choo

While in Oregon, We took a ride on an old time steam powered train.

This was was permanently parked.

It took us along the pacific coast to Rockaway Beach, OR.
Mason's fear of loud noise was tested, but he broke out of it, and enjoyed the ride with us! Beautiful!

Took a break before heading back and played on the beach.

The boys first time.

The Scene

Oregon in nutshell… Green Green Green.

Stuff in stories I tell ya. Myths here in Arizona.

We think flagstaff is green, but nothing campared the Tillamook County.

I have dreams about our home in Mooresville, and sometimes feel like I made them up because its been so long. This place reminded me a ton of North Carolina and the Smokey Mountains. These should be called the Smokey Mountains.

We stayed on a quaint little farm on the Jacobs property most of the time. There was a camp fire that roared 24/7 all week long. Fishing and animals! Benjamin LOVED the cows, every time we drove by a pasture, he’d wave his hand and say “hi, hi, hi” in the sweetest little voice and giggle to himself. Mason conquered his fear of horses by petting one! The boys went to a local petting zoo and saw those animals. I’ll have to get the pictures from their papa.

The beaches were foggy and mysterious looking. The high all week was about 68 degrees, so needless to say, the only people in the ocean were children, who seem to have no care about the temperature of the water or their wet clothing.

We went to see the Octupus tree, recommened by Lauren Jacob, and it was so neat. 

On the same path there was an old lighthouse. 

The fog was super thick and I got some amazing pictures that, dare I say, were very “Forks” like… 

I also captured a picture of what I SWEAR was the exact same rock that Ariel perched herself in the Little Mermaid.

The Jacobs built their home with their own hands, and it was stunning, along with the stunning view below from their cabin like home nestled in the mountain. I can’t believe that I didn’t take a picture of it, but I did get one of their barn.

AIRPLANE!

I was so so so very nervous of Mason's first flight.

I was afraid it was going to be the first fright or 2 in a week. I got a lot of positive feedback from those I expressed my concerns to about this issue, and it eased my thoughts slightly. We arrived to the airport, everything went perfect! Mason was stoked to get to fly in a plane, our flight was on time, and we had no turbulence what-so-ever. Mason played his new Vtech game while Ben was ancy in Sterling lap. It was a total relief!

Me on the other hand, dislike flying, I am claustrophobic and get all hot and ancy myself. I toke some Dramamine and it helped to calm my nerves, but I was oh so glad to be on the ground and to exit the plane.With such a great experience the first time, of course comes the hard part.

Leaving Vacation.

Arriving to the Portland airport, we see that our plane is 30 minutes behind. No biggie. Come to 20 minutes before departure and they tell us that they are doing a plane swap and we won't be leaving for another additional hour and thirty minutes. Imagine us with a 3 yr old and a 1 yr old waiting in the airport longer than liked, to sit on a plane for almost 3 hrs… we had to get creative. I let Benjamin flirt with some high school girls and Mason was glued to his video game! Hey at least its educational with Buzz and Woody along to play! It worked. Went smoothly with a couple of "Can we get on the plane yet?" from Mason and Benjamin trying to press the associates computer keys. They were well behaved. Walked in our door about 1215ish and were so happy to be back on our pillow top again. Boys as well.