six flags over texas

as you know, i will be teaching 4th grade this upcoming school year. which means that i am going to be learning a lot while i teach. here is a {fun} fact that i learned today that i wanted to share:

::six flags over texas::

i've heard this talked about multiple times and kept thinking people were talking about the amusement park. but why would these teacher keep referring to the amusement park? so, i asked someone sitting next to me. the theme park got the name from the "six flags" that have governed texas: spain, france, mexico, republic of texas, united states and confederate states. and that's how the theme park got it's name!

COLOUR lovers and book reviews

oh no...i've found a very addicting website. i planned on writing a blog today but i've been spending way too much time at COLOURlovers

it's neat and time consuming.

with my creations i made some binder covers... not all are posted... :)

i also made "book review" sheets this morning. 

a {second} anniversary

cody made this our first anniversary. black dots are places we have lived and white dots are where we have visited in the two years being married.

our second anniversary came and went. we were incredibly busy the two weeks surrounding may 14. this year, cody had the idea to have several dates of places that we have lived since being married. he's so great :)

cincy date: skyline chili and graeters ice cream

graeters ice cream will forever be a favorite of ours

skyline chili...not so much

nebraska date: runza and frings

the runza's were pretty fantastic

cali date: california pizza kitchen and yogurtland

[we did not live in california but might as well say we did]

up next: texas date

cody surprised me with this on our anniversary:

here is why this willow tree is so special:

almost summer

school is almost over. yep, you heard me right. not over yet. the last day is june 6.

meanwhile, i've been day by day subbing and pinteresting for my classroom next year. if you follow me on pinterest, i apologize for my abundance of pinning. if your'e not a teacher, i apologize a little more. :)

i officially will be teaching 4th grade next year! i will focus on reading, grammar and social studies. texas history anyone? :)

here are some ideas that i have been interested in: (links are all attached)

love the idea of sorting the papers for the week. 

and loving the color combo of blue and green

idea of having a "family tree" in the classroom

great blogs from other texas teachers. 

i need all the help i can get for texas history

have been playing with the idea of incorporating QR codes in the classroom.

my first thought: putting a code at stations for station instructions. 

i am realizing i am more excited for school to be out so i can officially be in my room for next year! will post pictures when i can. it's been difficult committing to how i want to decorate my room. it's silly yet very exciting at the same time. right now i'm considering blues and greens. 

later rather than sooner

you know how they say "sooner rather than later"

well in the case of my blogging it has been "later rather than sooner"

i could start off saying how it's been forever since i've blogged but you already know that. i could say that a lot has happened in my hiatus but you probably already guessed that. i could say that i am going to try to start blogging more but i can't make that promise. so i am going to spare all of those cliches and start to blog.

substitute teaching: since february i have been in two long term substitute positions. from february to april i was in a 4th grade class teaching math and preparing the kids for the state tests. i ended the 4th grade position on a monday and got a call that tuesday afternoon asking if i wanted another long term position starting the next day in 1st. of course i immediately said yes. so for the past few weeks i have been in a 1st grade class. yes, it was unplanned. yes, it has been drastic change. (in more ways than one) yes, i am more tired in 1st than 4th. :)

good news: about two weeks ago i found out that i have a job for next year!!!!! i will be at the school where i have been doing these long term substitute positions. currently it is for 3rd grade but i have a feeling the grade level could change. there are moments i realize this reality more and more. especially as i start to plan for next school year. [i apologize to those who follow me on pinterest...]

cody: has been doing great! enjoying his time working on helicopters and hanging out with friends. i have been noticing how much more extroverted he is. [or how much he loves to be around people] cody recently learned how to brew beer! you can see pictures on our friends blog here.

walter: oooh walter...he got a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad haircut about a month ago. im not sure if i should even share pictures of what it was at first. just imagine not good. here is a before his haircut and what he looks like now...it's getting better

huskers: i found this shortly after the red white spring game. love me some huskers. you can read more about team jack here

easter

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

this is the reason we celebrate. this is what it is all about.

Hallelujah!

walter

the newest addition to our lives: walter!

 

about walter:

- a mini goldendoodle

- currently 12 weeks old

- somewhat/almost potty trained

- taught himself to wait by the door when he needs to go outside

- slept most of the 12 hour drive back to texas

- loves to play, especially with his friend Leo

- likes to explore, especially by chewing and sniffing but (usually) stops when told

- enjoys downtime and snuggling

- does not like to be left alone
- loved the snow in Nebraska
- has FOMO (fear of missing out)
- flies up the 2 flights of stairs at our apartment
- listens well
- loves playing hide and seek (mostly seek at this point)

state fair, garages sales and desserts

the past couple weeks have been very busy [or so it seems]
and we've been creating many "first" memories as anyone does when they love to a new place.

we went to the texas state fair for the first time. probably one of the main reasons people go to the fair is to eat food. and we had a lot of fried food. maybe too much... we each had our own corn dog and then shared fried cookie dough, fried smores, fried whoopie pie, chocolate covered bacon with sprinkles, and fried oreos. we decided next year we don't need to sample as much. :)

big tex went into the flames the day before we went...

garage sales....i didn't expect to find anything so it's even sweeter when you find a jackpot....at a excellent price! the first house we went to was a teacher wanting to part with her classroom things. i picked up approximately 50(ish) posters and 3 nifty pocket charts. i bought a bag of stamps, stickers, etc. did i mention that i bought all of this at an AWESOME price? it was very very difficult to not buy more, but i practiced self control. my husband is thankful for that...

i've also done some baking....
[i forgot to take my own pictures....these pictures are taken from the respected websites. found on pinterest, but attached the link to the picture for the recipe]

i promise i have been cooking real meals. yummy ones at that, but these turned out really well and wanted to share these recipes.

i will leave you all with that today. i told you we've been busy!

coming soon:::
- bell helicopter family day
- our first high school football game
- the sonic craze
- holiday prep

work

last week brought a major transition to our household : new jobs!

cody is now working at bell helicopter as an engineer! he loves that he gets to work with the actual parts of the helicopter - which means he gets to get a little dirty. :) today was the start of week 2 and has loved it. we are very...extremely blessed and grateful for cody's opportunity to work and serve within this company.

i am no longer working at sprouts, the grocery store. i can now focus my time on substitute teaching. last week, i substitute taught all week. thankfully it was the same school, same grade and even one of my favorites, kinder. i look forward to establishing myself in schools, but until then i will play lotto sub {what i call the automated phone system for sub jobs...because you never know what it could be}

some fun things we will be doing the rest of this month:
-starting a new home group [with the church we've been going to]
-the state fair
-garage sales
-crafting
-a pumpkin patch
-husker watching
-simply relax before the holiday season approaches

so besides the new jobs, we are enjoying and adjusting to our time here. it seems a bit strange to me that it's 80 degrees in the middle of october and leaves aren't really changing colors or falling to the ground. i sometimes still miss my home state but have enjoyed making this my new home.

looking back and moving forward

::the past couple weeks::
sometimes it's still a little crazy to me this is our home. we have officially lived in texas for three weeks now. in the past three weeks we have applied for many jobs, interviewed, worked, experienced texas heat, hung out with several friends, been sick and settled/settling into our apartment.

this last week has kept me very busy at my [part time] job. yes, i found a job! the store is called Sprouts, and is a natural, organic grocery store not far from our apartment. the hope/plan is to work here until something happens with substitute teaching or {God willing} a teaching job. i also plan to run errands and help out a woman and her family from the church we've been going to.

coders has had a couple [part time] interviews as he continues to look for permanent employment. two have been at nearby golf courses and next week he has an interview at costco.


::presently we...::
...continue to look for permanent employment. the mr. continues to take initiative in looking jobs and follow up on positions he has applied for. personally, i feel my seeking has come to a stand still.

...have been decorating our apartment! a fun challenge to make this apartment our home. as promised, will post pictures when all is said and done. i'm hoping by the the end of the weekend. i'm tired of the odd and end pieces still lying around.

...sometimes miss nebraska. every now and then i miss my the 3 F's. family, friends and the farmers market. thankfully, this grief is not followed up with regret, bitterness or guilt.

...are thankful. as we've been processing through this transition, i have really tried to start naming thing's that i am thankful for. so far, this has been more of a thought process but i want to make it more. i need to make it more. i think that looks like writing it down. 

...are still praying that the Lord would open a door. we also pray the Lord would show us where he would have us serve and for peace in the times of discouragement. there are so many thoughts on this that i'm not sure how to put into words. and i'm learning that's okay.


::what future looks like...::

{obviously} look for careers and figure out our next steps

discover the dallas metroplex [any suggestions??]

a week from today...husker football!!

for the first time in my life, i am not dreading the fall! in nebraska the fall meant winter was right around the corner. which meant [very] cold weather. i'm looking forward to the fall/winter in texas. yes, parents, you can brag all you want about the beautiful weather now but just wait for the phone call in january...

finish these books [and explore Goodreads]

[read now...use later]

new locations

i know, i know, i know. i should have wrote this blog a week ago.

but, here it is. 

beggars can't be choosers, right?

some of my excuses for my lack of blogging:

- unpacking

- applying for jobs

- reconnecting with friends 

- being sick

::unpacking/apartment::

we really enjoy our apartment! everything is unpacked now it's a matter of finding the right spot for it all. our apartment is bigger than our last but has less storage space. [which has become a fun challenge for me!] currently our dining area has a wall covered with boxes which has made a bit of an eye sore. our plan is hide the box wall with curtains as a means for storage. a majority of these boxes contain classroom items so if i find a job, this will solve some of our storage problems ;)

/job hunt\

speaking of the job process, we daily are looking and applying for careers. so far, i have applied as a teacher and substitute for 3, going on 4, school districts. cody has been making connections, looking at companies are in the area, and applying for jobs. we also have started applying for part time jobs while we look for the real ones. 

{friends}

it has been so great to reconnect with friends that live in the area! we have been so so grateful for them helping us unload the u-haul, informing us of what we need to know about the area, and simply just hanging out with us. it has made the move here so much easier and welcoming. 

|sickness|

right when we moved, an infection developed on my leg from an ingrown hair. we believe it's probably from the lake when we went to visit cody's family in branson. so our first day was spent at an urgent care getting the medicine i needed to heal it. 5 days into the antibiotic, i started getting a small fever and feeling achy. turns out i was on the wrong antibiotic and had to start a new one. thankfully, i am feeling much better now. 

[prayer requests]

- we would find jobs? specifically, career jobs?

- peace and wisdom during this time of job seeking

- we would trust in the Lord and seek HIM first

music

i love music. 

so often i don't know how to express my thoughts or feelings but can hear it in a song. 

and so often God will still my heart with music. 

here was the song that brought me to tears this morning at church:

this song came on the radio on the [long] drive:

i will blog about the drive, visiting Cody's parents and of course, our new home.

short, short version - we have loved it! we have an apartment (!) and have been slowly unpacking. we have felt so welcomed and loved by our friends here. there are still moments fear tries to take over but am constantly reminded of Gods goodness and faithfulness. 

but for now, i must go enjoy some blue bell ice cream :]

moving [part 2]

i am going to do my best to blog as often as possible through this moving process.

hows it going you ask?
well...
sometimes i feel like this:

and other times i [truly] feel like this:

so when i feel like crazy baby, i try to:

and watch funny youtube videos like this:

or even...

but in all seriousness, everything is going well.
- i was encouraged by a school district i called last week. the woman i spoke with was very helpful in explaining where i was in the process and even offered to help me when my certification is complete.  the conversation lifted my spirits.

- we believe to have found an apartment. [yay for living somewhere!] will keep you posted

- packing = slow start. it will begin in full force on wednesday afternoon

- the goodbyes have started. and will continue during the next week. it has been bittersweet.

- overall, i've been so comforted and encouraged by the support from family and friends. one friend in particular called me last week to share some thoughts that have been on her mind in correlation with us and the moving process. she shared that she woke up in the middle of the night with 3 words on her mind; joy, laughter, delight. immediately, the Lord brought our names to mind. she went on to share stories and scriptures from the Bible.

as i keep saying, this is a leap of faith. and sometimes it is scary to think we don't have jobs yet. or anywhere [permanently] to live. but, we trust this is where God is calling us to be. we trust that God is Sovereign over our move, jobs, and place to live. my prayer through this entire process is that my faith and trust in Jesus would conquer the fears. it is my prayer that we would remain confident in Christ - even when we are a little extremely uncertain.

cody and i are incredibly blessed to have wonderful people in our lives. so again, thank you for your support, prayers and encouragement. it is extremely appreciated. 

moving

yep - it's time to make it official. [and of course it's never official until it's posted on facebook]

we are moving to the big d [and i do mean dallas]

in two weeks [yes, july 31st] we will be moving to DFW [that's dallas-fort worth]

where will we be living? to be determined...

where will we be working? to be determined...we are still waiting to hear from some of cody's perspectives. i started submitting applications this afternoon and am in process of what needs to be done in order to teach in texas.

we hit a fork in the road where we needed to make a [big] decision. the lease to our current apartment is up at the end of july, which means we were going to be homeless. so, we decided to take a step leap of faith. very short version, we believe it will be more beneficial to look for jobs there instead of 600 miles away. [mom, pretend you didn't see that number]

it has been a difficult process trying to discern if doors were being shut or if we are intended to take this leap. but thankfully the lord has given us a greater peace about this decision. im learning trust, peace and PATIENCE. it's been a [long] journey that has not been easy but i am truly so grateful for the lessons the Lord has been teaching of trust in Him.

would you please be praying for us through this journey? specifically, would you pray that our relationship would remain strong through this transition. also, would you pray that we would find jobs and a place to live. :) 

trust

trust. patience. waiting. listening. peace. hope. faith. gratitude.

these are words seem to be the theme for the past couple months as we continue to wait for jobs. last week cody had a phone interview with a company in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. he has also been in contact with another company in the DFW area. our hope is to hear something relatively soon from one or both of these two companies for many reasons. [could you be praying for these opportunities as well?]

this season of waiting has been difficult for a couple of reasons:

• i like (love) plans. these past couple months have been difficult for me because i haven't been able to plan the next month, rest of the summer, the fall, etc.
  
• i want to teach like a 9 year old girls wants to meet justin bieber. and some days it feels that my reality of teaching is as likely as meeting j. biebs. 

through all of this, i am learning to give my all to the Lord - including all my hopes and fears. i have to be patient in knowing that our plans are already laid out. God knows our path and where HE wants us to work. everyday i have to preach to myself that God is sovereign.


and i'm learning to be thankful in all of this. there are so many gifts God has given me through this season. he gives me gifts of reading His word. He speaks through my husband, family and friends. i have been blessed through singing His praise, and observing His beauty. many days my anxiety is silenced through the devotion Jesus Calling. currently, i am finishing Hinds' Feet on High Places - an allegory based on the journey of a Christian walk. so even though there are some fearful days, God continues to show us His endless love. 

mini vacations

last weekend we took a mini-vaca to the beautiful colorado.
we ate good food:

went fun places:

[Celestial Seasonings in Boulder]

[Breakfast-ing in Downtown Boulder]

and we saw great friends: