Taking a Step Back

Sometimes in life I have to take a moment, step back, and remind myself (and explain to others) where I’ve come from and how I have worked to get to where I am.

I was raised in a fairly strict (not crazy, cult-like strict, but strict) Christian home. I went to church Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. If you weren’t sick, dead, or dying you were going to church. I haven’t carried this routine into my adult life, but it certainly made me a better person.

I grew up in a family where most of the time I was an only child. Now, I know that sounds strange- so let me explain. I am my mom’s only child, but my mom remarried a man who had two children of his own. They came to our house every other weekend and Wednesday nights. When they were there I was a middle child. I grew to love my sisters as my “sisters” and truly appreciate everything they taught me about having siblings.

I was raised to have manners, work hard, and take nothing for granted. I was raised to be grateful for everything and to appreciate others for their differences. I was taught from an early age that being yourself is exactly who you should be and that my “self” was wonderful. Because of these lessons, I am confident, grateful, and honestly appreciative of everything I have. I know that I was given many things by my parents that other people are not given and I know that my parents made many sacrifices on my behalf. They are good people and I truly appreciate their struggles that led to my successes.

When I “grew up” and left for college I decided to be a high school English teacher. Funny! I’m sure if you’ve read this far you can naturally assume that I did not fulfill that goal. I had what many may call an “epiphany” while sitting in a HORRIBLE freshman English class that I actually hated English and had absolutely no desire to spend the rest of my life teaching that. So, I marched my happy little rear end down to my advisor’s office and changed my major! Elementary Education! I stuck with that one.

My freshman year was tough for me. I wasn’t living with my parents anymore. I was in college at Upstate in Spartanburg and missing my home! My high school sweet heart and I called it quits and I started dating someone else.

About half way through freshman year I decided that Upstate was not the place for me. I wanted OUT! So, I looked into applying to transfer to other schools and then realized I could very easily move to USC. So, that’s what I did. I moved there and got an apartment with my older sister. I dated a few people between that summer and junior year.

My junior year I met Jake. Love of my life from the first time I met him.  I talk a lot of junk about how he’s not a “charmer” but let’s face it, most of the time charm wears off and what you’re left with is nothing like what you thought you had. Jake is real. He’s always been exactly who he is. I love that about him. Jake and I dated for 3 years were married on July 18, 2009. It is, without a doubt, the best decision I’ve ever made. I love that man and would choose him all over again. He has taught me more than I could ever repay and has loved me for exactly who I am. I tell people all the time that he is a “good man.” He is. And that, my friends, is hard to find these days.

When Jake and I were dating his parents offered us “free puppies”. Now, I was naive and thought that free puppies actually existed. Of course, they were “free” but have ended up costing Jake and I a small fortune. Thee free puppies were named Milly and Shelby and quickly stole our hearts. We are beyond obsessed with them.

After I graduated and we got married we moved back to Rock Hill. I couldn’t find a teaching job (stupid budget cuts, dumb recession). It was a tough year. Jake was still in school for another semester. Because he was commuting to Columbia for class he couldn’t get a job. I found some long term sub positions (thanks to an awesome principal) and worked long hours for a catering company. It was very hard. I was always stressed out. I was normally on the verge of tears in any conversation about money. But, we made it. My little family made it through the tough times. In March of that year Jake was offered a job in Florida and we packed up the entire contents of our rental home and off we went. We got there… and we turned right around and came back to Rock Hill. Yes. It was that bad. We actually stayed for about an hour. Too funny! That day we learned not to rent a house when you haven’t seen it before. (Sounds like a “duh” thing, but I was pressed for time!)

Eventually I got a job teaching in Bishopville, SC and we moved back to Columbia. Jake got a job working in retail management again and we set off on our little life. We started looking for a home to buy and things were great.

Then, disaster struck again. (Actually, it was a blessing in disguise.) I lost my job due to budget cuts. I cried and cried. And then, as usual, I picked myself up and sent out resumes and emails and applications. I got a job teaching in Lexington and we found a house in Columbia. We closed on the house the last day I worked in Bishopville and moved in the next day.

Jake and I have worked hard to get to where we are. I won’t lie and make you think that it was easy. It wasn’t. There were many tears cried, things yelled, doors slammed, and feet stomped (most, if not all, of these things done by me because Jake is “Mr. Calm, Cool, and Collected”). Through all of the ups, downs, and in-betweens we stuck it out.

I have an obsession with Milly and Shelby. I think they’ve earned it. These girls are 5 years old (will be 6 in April) and have lived in 7 houses, been trucked to Florida and back in one day, and have been there for me every single day. They sat with me when I was super sad (nearly depressed) over my lack of a job. They didn’t care that I had no money, no job, no nothing. They loved me. They still do. They greet me every single day with wagging tails and floppy ears. They make me happy. They were there to listen when I just couldn’t talk to anyone else. They were there for me to hug and cry on when things just got too tough. They are my rock. They make me strong. I realize they’re dogs, but they are my dogs. They are the little heartbeats at my feet.

I won’t say that we are where we want to be yet. We’re still working hard. We work hard every day. We have goals. We have plans. We will get there. Sometimes it feels like I will never reach where I want to be, but then I stop. I take a step back. I look at where I’ve come from and I thank God for where I am. I may not be where I think I should be, but I am exactly where He wants me to be. I have a great family, an amazing husband who believes in me, and two sweet little doggies to love. I still have miles to go, but I am enjoying the road on the way.

New Year's Thoughts

2012 has flown by. There have been many ups and very few downs. I have taken on more responsibility at work and in other areas. I have gotten the amazing opportunity to teach at the same school in the same grade level for the second year in a row. I have been able to spend more time with Jake in the evenings as his job had some changes. I have been able to take a class which brought me up to my +18 in graduate credits. I have enjoyed many nights and weekends with the MilShelb. I spend my days with 19 amazing children and was reminded this year through a horrible tragedy to never take even a moment for granted with them.
Jake and I have achieved a few of our goals this year which makes me really happy. We were able to get the pine trees in the front yard removed (thank goodness!! (And Reynold's Tree Service!)) We have painted our living room (which was a major undertaking), hallway, and laundry room. We have planned our first vacation together in over 6 years and are excited for that!
I have learned many lessons this year. I'll name a few:
~ People really do appreciate what I do every day and that is an awesome feeling.
~ Jake and I really can do anything we set our minds to.
~ Some Pinterest ideas may work for other people but not for me! (LOL!)
~ It is important to have friends who truly care and those are the friends you focus on.
~ You cannot change things for other people when they aren't willing to see that a change is needed.
~ Family is family. Like it or not.
(Some of the things I have learned are very well-worded by others...)
~"Your beliefs don't make you a better person; your behavior does." (author unknown)
~"Forgive others as quickly as you expect God to forgive you."

Of course, there are other lessons learned- but you don't put everything on the internet for the whole world to see!

2013 will be another whirlwind year if it's anything like the last couple of years. We have many great things planned and new goals set. I hope to still be at the same school in the same grade level next year. I am still contemplating going back to school for my master's. I have done a lot of thinking about goals and what I hope to accomplish this year. I am a very busy person. It's by choice. I take on a lot at once and really enjoy it most days. I do plan to take the summer off from working and work on my house! In terms of the big picture, I keep seeing all sorts of posts and websites about simplifying your life. It sounds like a great idea. It also sounds like a very difficult idea. I think I'll start with simplifying my house by getting rid of junk and move on from there. What I need to do (and am horrible at) is take things one step at a time and one project at a time. So, I'll clean out my junk and then work on my time management and focusing on people that are important to me. I think it's true that you make time for what is important to you. I guess I just have to prioritize first.

Happy New Year! 2013! Here's to a good one and many more to come!

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
I am thankful for many things every single day, but mostly I am thankful for my family.

I was going to add photos, but apparently I'm out of space. That's annoying.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Newest Wreath

I decided to make another wreath. It's becoming an obsession. LOL!

So, I already had this garland which I bought at an after Christmas sale last year for SUPER cheap. Don't remember how much. But, it was cheap.

I picked up this ring yesterday at Joann's. I had a 20% off coupon for being a preferred customer! 

All you need is some garland, a ring, and (my personal favorite tool) a hot glue gun. 

Then, you just glue and stick and wrap. Glue and stick and wrap. All around the ring. Takes a little time, but I think it turned out so CUTE!

LOVE it!

Might need to add some color but I haven't decided yet. I'll think about it awhile first. I might put it in the MilShelb's room at Christmas. They're having their own tree this year!

Another Crafty Friday Fun Post!

I mentioned before that I love Pinterest. I LOVE to make things and if I can steal ideas from others it's even better! Well, last night I went looking for something to make from the crafts I've pinned. I found a wreath tutorial and thought it seemed simple enough. Well, it WAS! Here's what I did:

First I went rummaging around my house. I am bad about buying things for one purpose and not using them, but it worked out in this case because I had exactly what I needed! I used 48 plastic (I already had the plastic ones and who wants something that's going to be hanging on a door to be breakable??) Christmas balls. I don't normally do blue as a Christmas color but I'd actually bought these for my students a few years ago for a craft we never made and I knew they liked blue... so now my wreath is blue and green! LOL! I grabbed a metal hanger and then I was good to go.

First you've got to take the thing apart. I thought it's be much harder, but it wasn't hard at all. I just twisted in opposite directions and the thing popped apart! (They just don't make things like they used to- do they?) After I took it apart I bent it into somewhat of a circle and moved on to making this thing.

After that I went to work stringing the balls on to the bent hanger. I tried to be random about it. It'd have been easier if I'd had more colors, but you know what they say, "Do what you can with what you have where you are." (I'm not sure who said that, but it was a very smart person!) In the tutorial it suggested using hot glue to keep the tops on the balls. Since these are the plastic kind I didn't need to do that because these don't pop off. But, I'd imagine the tops of the others would since they do that to me just hanging on the tree!

This is my (nearly) finished wreath. I need to grab some chunky ribbon to put at the top. I'm thinking a silver or something with a color combination that is complimentary to the wreath.

Love Crafty Fridays!

I'll admit it- I am a Pinterest addict! Of course, I'd love to have more time to spend on Pinterest but such is life. Tonight I decided to take a look at all the crafts I've pinned and try out a few. I decided to make the fringe scarf. It was super easy and I love it!

I started out with a plain ol' t-shirt. I have had this shirt for awhile and actually own another exactly like it. This one, however, has something weird going on with the side seams. Call me crazy, but I like the side seams of a shirt to actually go down the side of the shirt and not the front! LOL! So, this shirt became my guinea pig.

Next thing I did was cut off the top of the shirt. This is was the picture directions told me to do. So, I did it. Then, I began cutting the fringe. The trick is to not cut it too skinny, because you'll cut the thing right off! The other trick is to not cut it too fat because, let's face it, no one wants fat fringe.

 Voila! Here is my finished master piece. This was super easy, so I am thinking another one is in my future... but I may have to drop by Goodwill to buy a plain ol' shirt because I don't have any more I want to cut up.

A Heavy Heart Day

Source: likesjesus.org via Maggie on Pinterest

Some days I have what I refer to in my head as "heavy heart days". On these types of days I find myself thinking a lot about something going on in my life or the lives of people I care about. It consumes my mind and makes me feel a little sad. 

Today has been one of those days. There are (and have been) some things going on in my life that weigh me down. It's not really one thing, but many little things. You know what they say- it's the little things that make your life. The things is that most of these things are things I simply cannot do anything about. I was sending an email to a new coworker today explaining a few things about a program we have at our school called the Leader in Me and in this email I told her about how I really like the "circle of concern" that is addressed in the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. As I was typing that it dawned on me. I am not (though I really do try) truly living all of the 7 Habits if I am sitting here focusing on things that are outside of my circle of concern. 

I have worried over this issue (again, there are more than just one issue, but one BIG one) and thoughts about it and stressed over it and complained about it. I have talked and talked and talked about it. I saw this on Pinterest the other day...

Source: ishareprintables.com via Lynda on Pinterest

I think it's fair to say I haven't. So, today I am going to begin working on praying about it and letting God handle it. I know He has a plan. He always has a plan and trusting in Him includes trusting in His timing and his end results. It just hurts sometimes.