It's been a while and I have had a lot to do, say, and think about. I could go on forever about all of the changes we've had this summer, but that would take a while. Here's a quick list and a few words at the end.
1. Micah landed a job teaching at Cooper High School in Florence, KY. We put our house up for sale and began the search for a home in Florence. We found a foreclosure in Florence less than 10 minutes away from his school and we fell in love with it. It's a home we can grow into instead of out of. It's a 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath home with a finished basement. It's in a nice neighborhood and in a great location and the price was amazing.
2. My plan was to stay home and try to find other teachers' kids to watch. That didn't work out. I couldn't find the kids since I knew no one here and we wouldn't be closing on our home until September 5th. School started August 15th. So, I found a teaching job this year too. It worked out perfectly for me to teach at Longbranch. It's on the same campus as Micah's school (I can walk across the parking lot and be at his school) and it's a great place. We both love our schools.
3. We found a sitter for the girls who we call Miss Linda. She has over 30 years of experience and a long list of references. She is great with our girls and they love her. She lives in our neighborhood. I can leave my house, drop the girls off, and be at my school, all within 15 minutes. It's beautiful.
4. Up until we closed on our home, we stayed with Micah's brother and his wife in Independence, which was about a 35 minute drive to our schools, not including the time it took to drop the girls off to daycare. We were so blessed to have a place to stay during that time. We have also gotten to meet our new little nephew, Shepard. :)
5. We like it here, but I do miss Lexington. It was where I was comfortable, safe, and where I had built a community of friends, co-workers, and so forth. I'm still not 100% sure why God brought us here, but I believe He has a purpose for us and that His plans are greater than ours.
6. The girls are doing great. Adia talks constantly and is 100% girly girl. She loves baby dolls, "make-uk," and jewelry. I think we will start calling her sister "Isla Smila" since she smiles at everyone all the time. She loves to smile and laugh. She's sitting up on her own and began army crawling yesterday. She's so different from Adia in personality. Adia was always pretty shy. Isla is very outgoing. Adia didn't crawl until she was 11 months old. Isla is starting to army crawl at 6 months. She's getting chubbier every day and I love all of her squishy rolls.
7. I really struggled with deciding to stay home or go back into the classroom. After reading some scripture the other night, here is what I wrote:
I am tired. Tired all the time. I'm finding though that God still gives me the energy and inspiration I need to get through the day. I am passionate about my job. I'm so thankful. Without passion for my kids and my desire to watch them learn and feel loved and special, my job woud literally do me in. You hear teachers complain all the time about their ever growing to-do lists, the unrealistic demands their administrators and parents place on them, and even their lack of time to go use the restroom (I went at 6 AM and didn't go again until 6 PM the other day) or a copy maching that is not "low on toner" or jammed. It's true - we are overworked and underpaid, along with 90% of the other professionals who are out there busting their chops in order to make a decent living and do well at their jobs. But when I see a kid get it... I mean really get it... and when I hear a parent say, "Thank you for inspiring my child," and when a student has tears streaming down her cheeks from connecting to a story we read in Reading class, I remember why I do this. I remember that God is using me... Using me to simply plant a seed in the life of a class full of funny, sweet, stubborn, imaginative little minds who need someone just like me to guide them to become the little learners, leaders, and thinkers that they are. Occasionally, I leave school and want to run away. Sometimes, I leave and feel accomplished. I always leave overwhelmed and stressed. But I leave everyday knowing that I'm there for a purpose and that they will likely change me more than I will ever change them. I pray for 4 things for my class... To know they are loved and cared for, to want to love and care for others, to see Jesus in me, and to have a hunger for learning. I pray that I will remember the same.
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