Monday School Chaos = Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream

I am just going to start off by saying, I LOVE my job! And there are many things that I love about my job, but there are some things that I do not love about my job.

Today was utter chaos. And I do not like chaos, especially since I'm the one who is supposed to be 'in charge,' whatever that means? My school keeps trying to have detention after school EACH day a student does not turn in homework, which is understandable..if you don't do your homework at home, you have to stay after school to complete it. My big problem with this after school detention is that when detention is over at 4:15 the students have to find some where to 'hang out' until the bus comes at 5:00 (because most of the students ride the bus home). This is when things get a little hairy. I run the after school program which lasts until 6. We have a bus at 5 and at 6, so of course all the detention students are going to come to my program so they can ride the 5:00 bus home. But the real question is, what am I supposed to do with over 100 students who are forced to stay after school to do their homework?! Plus, my program is something the students are supposed to WANT to do, not something they are FORCED to do. I don't want to go into much detail, I just wanted to simply vent. It is not the school's, teacher's, or administrator's job to make sure a student has completed his/her homework. By the 7th/8th grade students should have developed some personal responsibility, but that is not true in many cases. Personal responsibility is not a lesson that can be forced onto a person, it must be taught by example, but unfortunately the families in America are not always the best teaching tool. I hear people complaining about how the education system is broken and failing, but from what I've observed in public schools, it is not the education system that is broken, it is the families in America that are broken.

I have big dreams and goals for my program. Most of my kids don't get to do a lot of things offered in my program outside of school because of the cost (soccer teams, ceramics, rocketry, cake decorating, etc.) I hope that my program keeps getting better. Days like today make it hard to see progress. I'm praying for the best and hoping God will use me in my position to love on the kids and show his light.

On a lighter note, Bruce and I went to Cowboy Country (also known as Ft. Worth) this past weekend! Two words: Texas Steak. Pictures and more to come!

Missing Fall

It has finally cooled down from triple digit weather to the 90's. I guess this is what Texans would call fall. BUT it is not what I call fall. (When you can wear shorts and a tank top, that does not equate with autumn weather!) I miss the cool weather, the Purdue football games, fall sweaters, and Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes. More than missing an Indiana fall, I am beginning to really miss home. I think after being in Texas for a month the reality is beginning to hit that I'm here for good. This is my new home, and it is up to me to meet friends and use the time God has blessed me with here well.

Which keeps me wondering how can

I use this time well? I am trying to find my fit in this new 'adult life' where I go to work Monday- Friday, and spend my weekends with Bruce, reading, and cleaning/decorating our apartment. One of the things I miss most about college is that there are so many ways to be involved, to serve others, groups to join, etc. Now that I'm in a new place on my own, it takes much more effort to find ways to serve others, to find groups to join, and to build community. What can I do to serve the people in my community? It is a difficult question when Bruce and I are still trying to figure out who our community is, where they are, and what their needs our. I know God has a plan for us here, it just seems we are off to a slow start. We haven't been doing much but reading, and relaxing. But maybe this time is a gift from God. A time to get to know one another better, to learn how to be married, a time not to be stressed or worried, a time just to enjoy life. So strange to go from a busy college lifestyle when there are not enough hours in the day to get everything done, to a relaxing lifestyle where I actually have time to read for fun, and experiment with cooking. I pray that God gives me peace in this new phase of life, t

hat Bruce and I can begin to form community (I need some girl friends in my life), and that we can find ways to serve God in the Dallas community.

I am looking forward to receiving my first 'big girl' pay check this Tuesday! Wednesday Bruce and I are going to a group connect night at our church to try and get plugged into a small group, and on Friday (per one of Bruce's DTS class requirements) we are visiting a Buddhist Temple. Should be very interesting. Also, there are SO MANY fun things to do in Dallas, so Bruce an I are planning something fun for next weekend. Maybe a trip to mid-evil times, Fort Worth, or a show in Dallas? Hope all is well!

Oh, the things you can do in a weekend!

Bruce and I had a FUN but CRAZY weekend! We both had pretty busy weeks at work last week so the fun and relaxing weekend was definitely welcomed.

Our weekend started with a visit from one of our friends from Indiana. Beau was in Bruce and I's wedding last December and while we were in college we saw Beau on a weekly basis! So it was so good to see him and catch up! First Bruce took us to an local old fashioned hamburger place...it is one of those places you know is going to be good before even walking through the door. And it was good, really good. We probably finished our meal in less than 15 minutes but we stayed at the restaurant for over 2 hours talking. Beau is reading the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan, and I read the book about two years ago. We had fun talking about which parts of the book spoke to us and convicted us about our love f

or God. Do I always live my life with crazy love for Christ? No. And thinking about the way I love Christ, and the way I live my life is something that needs to be in the forefront of my mind at all times. It was a great reminder. Then we talked about 'where we were' when September 11th happened. September 11th is the first day that I remember everything about. You know, those days where you'll never forget because of the tragedy experienced. It was good for us to talk and remember.

After the burger place, Beau suggested we go to Laser Quest. It did not take much convincing for Bruce and I to pop the address in our GPS and head over there. I love being a kid! Bruce and I picked out code names for each other when we got there. He was 'prancing pony' and I was 'twinkle toes." It was pretty great. Once we got in the dark pit of the laser war, I got pretty into it. I kept saying, "I come in peace," and then I would hold up a peace sign. This was my strategy to keep from being shot. Let's just say when it is pitch black, it is hard to see a peace sign. I did end up making an alliance with a 50 year old lady. (You can tell she had played before!) She had the best hiding place; it the highest spot in the pit so she could shoot people from above without getting hit. Somehow when I was up there, I still managed to get hit a time or two. I ended up taking 5th place out of about 15 people...not bad. Except Beau got 1st place and Bruce got 3rd! Luckily they did not rub it in the entire night.

I was ready to turn in after Laser Quest, but the boys had another adventure on their minds. And like most guys it had to do with food. I mean yes, we had already ate dinner, but that was at least 3 hours ago. So apparently in guy world you need to eat every 3 hours. So we went to In and Out Burger. I was way to stuffed from my first burger experience to get another burger, but I did share a neapolitan shake with Bruce. (I also tried a bite of his burger, and shared some of Beau's fries...which were amazing!) The cool thing was, the workers at In and Out Burger were like the workers at Chick-fil-a. You know the kind of workers I mean, people who are actually happy to be at work. It was awesome! Sure enough Beau explained why the workers were so awesome. Like Chick-fil-a, In and Out Burger is owned by a Christian. They pride themselves on friendly staff members. Another cool thing was that there were scriptures on the hats and the fry containers. It is cool that the people of In and Out Burger what to encourage others in their walks with Christ. After our second burger of the night we turned in. I went straight to sleep! I'm so glad we got to spend time with Beau. I hope we begin to make solid friendships here in Dallas, community is so important.

Saturday, Bruce and I went to IKEA. Whoa, talk about sensory overload. I had no i

dea a furniture store could be that big and have so many things to see and buy. I could do some serious damage in that store. We came out with a sofa and a small kitchen table. I was pumped, because up to that point I had been living with no furniture for 4 weeks. Not a huge deal, but it was definitely nice to have a couch and chair to sit on! I'll have to take some pictures soon, so I can show the world:)

Sunday was nice and pretty low key. We went to church (I love this church) and heard a great speaker, met a lovely lady, and got to worship in community. Bruce and I are going to a meeting next week to get plugged into a community group. I am so excited, I hope that it all works out. (We drive about 30 min to church, so we are hoping there is a community group which meets a little closer to where we live.) I also got to make some cards for family and friends on Sunday. I already LOVE sending cards to friends, but I decided this weekend that card-making is going to be one of my new hobbies. The first batch were not too impressive, but hopefully I'll get better with time and practice. The most interesting part of our Sunday was when Bruce and I went to Tom Thumb. It was getting pretty late, because I had been pushing off going to the store all day, and Bruce was not supposed to go with me because he had some reading to finish for his DTS class, but luckily I talked him into going with me! So when we got there it was like

any old regular shopping trip, then as we are trying to find a can of tuna (I never buy tuna, so I had no idea where it was) we hear all sorts of shouting. I automatically get scared and run to the back doors of the grocery store (where the shipments come in.) I know that the shouting is coming from someone who is angry and is saying something about 'not calling the police.' I just keep thinking this cannot be good. All the while Bruce is trying to calm me down, and we see more people flocking towards the back of the store and telling us not to go up there. No one knew if he had a weapon or not, but everyone knew he was crazy. He began knocking things over and yelling at the store workers, after about 5 minutes of this craziness the police showed up. It took 6 policemen to get this guy on the ground and get him out to the police car. Bruce and I helped the store workers pick up all the groceries the man threw everywhere. What was weird was a rosary and a little pocket Bible was mixed in with all the mess. It belonged to the guy (who we found out was trying to rob a car, and then rob the store). When we walked out to our car, of course the police car with the robber in it was right next to our car. I got directly in the car and Bruce put the groceries in the trunk. It was such a weird and scary experience; almost something straight out of the movies. I keep thinking about that man though, and I feel sorry for him. He looked like a kid, so lost. I prayed for him that night. I hope the Lord works in his life.

There is a lot of hopelessness in Dallas. I pray that God can use Bruce and I in this community to serve and love others. To show them there is hope in Christ.

Missing Indiana family and friends! Love you!

How does time go by more quickly each year?

By the end of the week I will have completed my first full month of work for my new 'adult job.' I really love my job so far. My hours are awesome 10:30- 6:30 M-R, and 8:30-4:30 on Fridays. I get to plan all sorts of games, activities, and crafts for the students to participate in after school. I also get to go buy cool Wii games, cooking supplies, board games, crafty supplies, movies, etc. (It is so FUN to go shopping when you are not spending your own money!) I also have really enjoyed getting to know the kids better, because my program runs after school the kids seem to open up more and tell me all sorts of things. Yesterday, one of my student's parents were late picking her up so we had some extra time for good conversation. She told me she wants to go to college to major in science so she can do experiments and 'go deeper' in science and learn new things. She is so sweet. I told her a bit about my junior high, high school, and college experiences and then she asked me if I would go back if I could. I thought it was a funny thing to ask, but she really seemed interested in my answer. I said no, I would not go back, but I wish I could tell myself not to get so worked up about the little things and enjoy school and being a kid.

The young girl went on to say she can't wait to go to high school, so she can go to college, and then get a job, and begin to make money. And I thought about her answer, and I am there. I mean I made it through high school, enjoyed college, and now I have a great job I enjoy, but really I do miss being a child. I miss the innocence and the time spent with family and friends and learning new things each day. Lately, I really miss Purdue/my entire college experience. I loved it! I made mistakes, grew up, made new friends, tried new things, and made memories I'll never forget. It is so cliche but now I know and understand all those adults who would point their finger at me and tell me to enjoy being a child and not to grow up too fast.

Realizing time moves so quickly the older you get has made an impact on the way I try to live my life. I try to enjoy each moment, even if I don't particularly like the season of life I am in, I still want to try and savor it, and learn something from it. Like the Casting Crowns song says, I am truly a vapor in the wind, and I don't want my life to go by and realized that I have missed it, or that I was too busy complaining or worrying about the next season of life to miss out on the joy of now.

Texas is HOT!

Hi All. This is my first official post from 'the lone star state.' Wow, Texas people love Texas. The kids at my school even say a pledge to the Texas flag. It's crazy. I don't really understand why they love it so much, it has been in the triple digits for the past 60 days, and all the grass is brown, dry, and dead. I mean I'm not saying Texas is a bad place to live or anything, I'm just surprised by the overall loyalty of the Texans. (And I think I'm a little partial to the Midwest & cornfields!)

Because of my job I moved to TX two and a half weeks earlier than Bruce. I had no furniture and no Internet access, let's just say I read about 5 books, and watched about 10 movies over the past two weeks. It was a good self learning and self growth time, but man I am sure glad Bruce is here! Life is just more fun with a buddy! Bruce was excited to be here too, I mean after a 15 hour drive with no air conditioning who wouldn't be glad? (I told Bruce to get the air fixed, but he said no. I tried to explain how unbelievably hot it was here, but he did not think it would be too bad.) Needless to say the first thing he said when he got here was, "I think we need to get the air conditioning fixed." YES!

The next day Bruce and I went to a Sears Outlet..which was awesome, because we got a washer and dryer for under $600! I was super pumped because going to a Laundromat in a big city is not the safest nor most pleasurable past time. But to get the washer and dryer we had to drive Bruce's Jeep (with no air) to Sears. We sweat through our shirts. By the time we walked in the store we were drenched. It was almost embarrassing but we were too hot to even care enough to be embarrassed. On the way home from Sears Bruce said, "We'll it is just a good reminder to be more friendly and to love on people for Christ, because Hell must be miserable!" It was funny.

The best part of our weekend was definitely going to church. We tried a new church called the Village. It was about 30 minutes North of us, but it was well worth the drive. The pastor's sermon gave me goosebumps because I was stirred by the Truth he was speaking. The focus was that God is the Main Point in this life. Not me, not my happiness, not anything about myself, and then he laid out the awesome implications of God being the Main Point! He also talked about making disciples in the church, and in the world. It was definitely a pump you up kind of sermon. Bruce and I were like, okay let's just make this our church home, get plugged in, and get going. But I think we are going to try some others, we don't want to rush in and make a quick decision. But then again, this church preached the Truth, and the worship was awesome! (We sang one of my favorite Hillsong songs!) So I think we will be trying out the Village again...hopefully within a month or two we can get plugged into a community group, because we need community! And we need some friends in good ol' Texas!

The rest of our weekend was pretty low key. I did a lot of unpacking and cleaning, and Bruce worked on our budget and answered emails. We still have no furniture because we are waiting for my first check to by stuff. (Which btw in Texas teachers get paid monthly, so my first check won't be until September 20th!) But before we tackle furniture (which we will probably just hit up goodwill, we live in a nice area so bet there are tons of great finds there) we will have to figure out a/c for the good old Jeep.

Feeling so blessed to have a job, a great apartment, and a wonderful husband! Even though my heart is homesick and I miss my friends and family a ton, I can't wait to see what God has planned for Bruce and I here. Life is such a sweet adventure...even if it is 108 degrees!

Books I'm reading...

Karen Kingsbury's Firstborn Series- I have only read the first book so far, and it was pretty cheesy, but also a fun cute read so I figure I might as well read the others. (Bruce and I don't have cable, so we do lots of reading!)

Walt Disney- The Triumph of the American Imagination- I love Walt Disney, so I figure why not read all about his life! I really enjoy biographies!

A Love Like No Other- It is a book of stories from adoptive parents. Bruce and I are not planning on adopting any time soon, but we have always wanted to. I'm reading it just for more information. Who knows, maybe one day we'll adopt?!

Have a wonderful Monday!

Sunday Afternoons

I love Sundays! One of the reasons why I love Sundays is because I get to go to church and worship God with a community of people. Another reason why I love Sundays is because it is a perfect day to spend time with friends and family. Today Bruce and I were able to spend some quality time with our good friends (soon to be newlyweds) Katie and Aaron. I love this couple, they are so fun to be around and they are such an encouragement to Bruce and I. First, we visited Katie and Aaron's church and heard a wonderful sermon (the sermon focused on the three words "of the Lord" and the minister called men to action and challenged them to be men of the Lord in the way they love their wives and raise their children...great message) then we all went out to a nice dinner at an Italian restaurant. It was so fun to catch up on books we've read, jobs, marriage advice/wedding planning etc. After dinner Katie and Aaron took us to their new apartment..it was so cute! Perfect for newlyweds and it will be a great place to make memories they can one day tell their children about. It was a wonderful day, with great conversations, and great friends. Katie and Aaron are more reasons why Bruce and I are going to miss living in Indiana so much. We have such great family and friends here, we are going to miss them greatly.

This week is going to be an interesting week. I will (hopefully) find out tomorrow if I need to move a week from now or two weeks from now. I am praying that I will be able to move two weeks from now, but we will see what the new boss 'suggests.' Nevertheless, I am excited about the week, mainly I plan on cleaning the house and beginning to pack some things up for the move. I am also hoping to have some lunch dates with friends, go to Indiana Beach with my sisters (I know this place is a little questionable now, but I have great family memories there so I have to go one last time before I move) and I would love to have a date with my dad this week. And on Saturday Bruce and I will be celebrating the marriage of Aaron and Katie!! So excited!

Also, I am going to try to blog at least once a week, and start adding pictures. I figure if I write my goals on my blog I have a higher chance of actually staying committed..we will see what happens!

New Job, New State, New Adventures

In less than two weeks, I'll be moving to Dallas, TX. This entire summer I have been somewhat dreading this move mostly because I did not have a job. BUT, now I can say otherwise...I GOT A JOB!! Can you tell I am excited? I am excited about my new job for the following reasons..

1. I get to work with students every day!

2. I get to be a 'boss' and manage and hire new staff.

3. I will be on the school schedule, which means Holidays and Summers off!

4. The pay was way more than I was expecting, which is always a good thing.

5. I get to be creative, develop activities, and plan field trips.

6. I will be challenged, kept very busy and I will get plugged into a new community immediately.

7. I have the chance to make a difference in the lives of teens each day!!

8. My school is only 8 minutes away from my new apartment.

God is SO good. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to move to Dallas and to work with youth. I am getting pretty nervous about the move (seeing as I have to move in two weeks and I have nothing packed or ready to go) but I know God has a plan for Bruce and I in Texas and I am excited to serve God in this new place!