That "day" has come

When John and I got married, I looked for a teaching job and found one that started in less than a week from my interview---it was not the classiest of positions---I didn't have a classroom, I traveled with a cart to each class.  I taught math and science in 8th grade and was severely warned that this was a hard position for a first year teacher or any teacher.  Boy, was that year rough?!!  I learned a lot about people, forgiveness, patience, pregnancy hormones(My supervising teacher had a super bad day one day and took it out on the first year teacher--me---and I felt very relieved the next year to find out she was pregnant:) --it explained everything),  and much more.  That was 16 years ago.  I taught for 4 years, then stopped the day I went into labor with our first child(Friday before a spring break---great timing!). 

Through the years, I've thought  and wondered time and time again...would I ever work full time again?  For the last couple of years, I have worked for my mil as a kind of secretary...very part time(3-5 hours a week).  I've learned a lot about taxes, money and more!   I am very grateful for that experience.  But, now, it's time for full time teaching!!! 

I start in-service days today at a local Christian school.  Although I've never taught at a Christian school, this is my "return" to the working/teaching world!    My kids will all come with me this year and either be in my class at some point or down the hall.  Tomorrow night is Parent Orientation...and I think back to all my PO's in the past...and I was a lot younger and NOT a mother!  Funny to look back on those years.  I met some of the nicest people teaching in Plano, and I will never forget them.  I will now be working with a totally different set of teachers, but I feel at home with them already, having worked with some of them over the summer getting the "new" campus ready.  I have my very own classroom, and more resources than ever!!

Exciting times!!  My classroom also has blinds, thanks to the good Doctor!! :)  Thanks George!

A word post...don't read if you want pictures...:)

Just a writing post...A lot has passed since May(my last post)---I think I've started taking pictures on a device that I don't know how to hook up to my changing computer...one over heated one too many times.  So, we are old schooling it on a new, but not laptop computer!  The over heating one was stopping John from finishing jobs and jusr plain frustrating...but, we are fortunate enough to even have a computer, right!? 

I've been reading posts from a web missionary friend in Honduras, and it sure is bringing perspective to what problems I do not have currently!  Even as I write, I am realizing the stress I felt at "Just" is just not really all that bad...it's deal-able(I don't think that's a word, but oh well, this is my blog---not a research paper).

So, currently, we(our church/school family) has put in much hard work in  cleaning up a jewel in the rough...our new campus.  Yes, you heard it, we are going to "school" all of us this year!  Since I couldn't move IA(our awesome international school in Russia) to Texas, we are grateful to have a church that has a school to be a part of.  I have been homeschooling my kids since Katie was in Kindergarten...that was seven years ago.  I never was for sure what I would do for school for my kids, but we were very happy with our choice of primarily homeschooling, it worked for us.  After the girls' experience in Russia at IA, all the kids were thrilled with a prospect of schooling with their friends!!  We have been involved to different degrees with co-ops for homeschooling, so they did enjoy that part, but I saw they wanted more.  You see---they are from me, and I LOVED school!  Hmmm....maybe that's why I became a teacher--hehe!  So this year, I am teaching and they are all down the hall or in my classroom for the day's schooling:).

 As much as it pricks my heart when parents put down homeschooling(and yes, I've had it done to my face---when people know that's what we had chosen for the time), it also pricks my heart when homeschooling families put down other avenues of schooling.  I keep seeing that it's each family's choice to decide.  Boy, oh boy, do I realize that I am not the "black and white" person I have claimed to be all these years.  Here is where I am black and white---if you see it in the Word of God---it's black and white; if you are a child and your parents require it---unless it goes against the Word, it's black and white; if you have submitted yourself to an authority(church or job),---unless it goes against the Word, it's black and white!  All else, you seek the Lord's direction!! Got it? :)

So, after this summer's working on the school, this upcoming full time teaching position, our process of building a home, my tear ducts are tired---I think my body is tired, so it brings the tears...so, pray for us as a family as our adventure has a bit of adjusting to do...


Ok, so I put a picture in here for fun....no, it's not our kitchen, but it's pretty, right!?  It's a kitchen that a friend of mine redid...he's out of Dallas, if you need a remodeling job---I can send you his name.