Riding the tractors
Checking out the showers
Checking out the carpet samples
Anybody home?
While the boys shopped, I mean played, I finished Jackson's photobook birth through one year. It is his baby book and it took me forever! At least I finished before he was five. I can't wait for them to arrive in the mail.
It was a great weekend, but why do they always go by so fast?
It was a great way to spend a part of our Saturday (it really made me miss my summer days with Jackson). We were so glad we went and are hoping we can go back one more time before they are closed for the fall!
"This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." Pslam 118:24
Now off to bed!
Overall today was a great day!
This is my third school in five years to teach at in Cy-Fair. You may think I am crazy for moving that many years and at times I think that too! But, I have been following the path the Lord has set out for me. Let me share a story with you about how God works:
Back in the spring of 2006 I was applying for a teaching job in Springfield, MO. I had many interviews and I always recieved the same response a few weeks later, "You were our second choice, we went with someone with more experience." I was getting a little fustrated, but decided I needed to wait on the Lord and he would provide a job when the time was right. Sometime during all of this my friend Katrina called and told me she was going to a job fair in Katy, TX and said I should think about going to. Well, I wasn't sure about driving all the way to TX for just a job fair. I called my aunt who lives in TX and asked her about the Katy School District. She said she lived 15 minutes from Katy and that she lived in Cy-Fair and that they have a great school district that my cousins went to.
After many phone calls home and research online, I decided to apply online to Cy-Fair and Katy. I then called Human Resources in Cy-Fair on Thursday and asked if I could have an interview on Saturday because I was driving down for a Katy job fair and heard great things about them. The nice lady told me she was looking at my application and if I could have all 5 of my references to her by 3:00 she would see what she could do. I quickly called some co-workers, principals, professors that I knew to ask them to fill out my reference forms and fax them in ASAP. Thursday late afternoon I recieved a phone call from Cy-Fair and they said they were so impressed with my references, how quickly they came in, and that they didn't think I could do it. After all of that she told me Leslie Thomas, a principal at one of their elementary schools, would interview at 8:00 Saturday morning. WOW!
I drove down to Houston the next day by myself. I stayed with my aunt and uncle and they helped me figure out where I was going. It was pouring rain the morning I drove to my interview with Leslie. I walked in wearing my BCBG skirt suit with my black heels and I felt like I belonged. Then I met Leslie and I could sense God's spirt with us the whole interview. She has a heart and passion for children just like I do, she is also tall and has blonde hair! She offered me a 1st grade position at her school before I left the ISC building that day. She also showed me around her school so I knew what open-concept looked like. It didn't scare me away! I didn't take the offer immediately because I wanted to pray about it more and talk it over with Brian because it meant moving to Houston. I did go over to the Katy job fair but was not nearly as impressed with any administrators there as I was with Leslie. As you know I took the job and we moved to Houston. Working for Leslie for my first 2 years of teaching was the best thing that happened to me. She provided me with great resources, support, and challenged me to be the best I could be.
Fast forward 2 years to the end of the 2007-2008 school year. I was so tired of making the long drive I was making to my school. I decided to put in a transfer to a school closer to home because if we were going to have kids I could not do that drive every day. Again God placed in the perfect school for the time being. I was able to grow as a leader here and was honored with Spotlight teacher at this school. At each school I have also made life-long friends.
Fast forward 2 more years to the end of 2009-2010 school year. Late February, Leslie was named principal to a brand new school opening this next school year 2 minutes from where I was working now!! Leslie and I were in contact right away and I knew I was going to be able to go work with her once again, this time right by my home and my students would be going to this new school as well. Later in the school year I find out I am on the excess list at my current school, which means I most likely need to find a job at a new school or hold out and see if enough teachers leave. While everyone else was worrying about where they would be and if they had a job, God had already taken care of my fears and worries by providing a new job for me back in February.
Fast forward to today! I am now ready to start a new school year at a brand new school with a principal that I love and respect and co-workers that are friends from all over. I am going to be challenged in new ways this year and I couldn't be more excited because I know God put me here for a reason.
God shows me over and over that he has it all taken care of and HE knows best of all what I/our family needs.
"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9
Hi Mom! I'm not tired one bit even though it is 9:30! Jackson did not get the memo that mommy went back to work this week and would like to go to be early:)
Swimming and playing in the water is way more fun than sleeping.
He had a blast. He was swimming back and forth on the steps. He would stop, go under, come back up, and giggle. It was like he hadn't been swimming in forever!
the Mango Frozen Drink with Raspberry swirled in!
He can't wait to get that in his mouth. Pure excitement!
Yummy in our tummies, or Jackson's tummy! Remember I said it was Family Date Night, but look who is drinking it ALL. We have to trick him into sharing with us. If we let him he would drink the entire thing himself.
-No putting my boy down for naps everyday and using naptime to get things done around the house
-No more Target runs daily
-No more relaxing or renting movies on a week night
-No more summer vacation:(
BUT, I am so blessed to have been able to spend the last 12 or so weeks with my favorite boy. God allowed us to have this special time- just the two of us and I will not forget it anytime soon!
We also added some cars, trucks, and bikes around his room. This made me like the blue stripe on the wall even more.
"A good man leaves an inheritance for his children's children." Proverbs 13:22
Jackson wasn't so sure about me holding the baby. He needed to be right by me getting some love too.
Stacy looks great and is doing a great job with these two little cuties. I don't think I'm ready for two, not yet anyways!
