a.j.e. weekend

What better way to spend a weekend than with two great friends? Our time together over the last few years has been limited ... so many times when we were together, we were crafting for a.j.e.less designs (which we love!) ... but it's also nice to have "down time" together too. Especially when the money we've worked hard for by crafting can fund our vacation time together!

We spent 2 nights on Long Island -- shopping at the outlets, wine tasting, enjoying delicious food and great views! Of course, there was plenty of girl talk and laughs too. Can't believe we've been friends for 12 years already! At times, we lived just minutes apart. But for the past 8 years, at least one of us has been in a different state. Though we kept in touch despite the long distance between us, you can just imagine how glad I am to have them both in NJ again. Hoping this is just the beginning of more and more time together! 

one step at a time

Now that it's summer, I finally have some spare time to tell you about a house project we took on a couple months ago. :)

As my husband often says, there's always something you could be working on when you are a home owner. Since that is most certainly true, especially for our very old home (our list is endless), we have to prioritize what we want to accomplish.

As soon as we moved in 3 years  ago, we knew the huge bush out front had to go. It was no where near attractive, and it made backing out of the driveway quite difficult because we couldn't easily see if someone was walking by on the sidewalk. So, this spring, with help from our downstairs neighbors, we decided to remove the bush and replace it with some shrubbery that was more appealing (and low to the ground).

The boys figured ripping out this giant bush would be a tough job, but nothing a truck with a chain couldn't handle. Boy, were they wrong. They spent most of a Saturday just trying to get the bush (and its massive root system) out of our front yard. We had hoped to be on our way to Home Depot picking out new plants after lunch, but this bush wouldn't have it. My brother and husband tried tool after tool, and strategy after strategy, but nothing would tackle this disaster. They eventually resorted to hacking at the underground stem with an ax in hopes that its mutilation would prevent it from growing back. (Hopefully it will at least take many, many years before we see it peek above the ground again!) After filling in the hole with dirt, we were finally off to buy something new around 3:30 in the afternoon.

This is where us girls came into the picture. It was fun to choose which plants we liked best, and imagine what they may look like years from now in front of our house. A couple hours later, the plants were in the ground, mulch was laid, and this was the finished product!

So much better, right?! This picture was taken just a few days after planting back in May, and it is amazing to see how the plants have already grown since then. I love taking steps like this one that make our house more of a home.

30 years of love

On June 3rd, my parents celebrated their 3oth wedding anniversary. It was a joy to celebrate their love by going out as a family for a special dinner at The Manor last week. Their Christ-centered marriage is an example for all of their children. I hope and pray that my husband and I can continue my parents' legacy of loving God and loving each other more and more with each passing year. What a blessing to have parents (on both sides of the family) who love each other deeply, even after many years of marriage!

just another reason why I love him

He wouldn't want me to write this, but I can't help it.

My husband had a super-busy work day,

rushed home so he could run errands for his Memorial Day weekend camping trip with a friend,

has dinner plans with myself and another couple,

but still found time to dig out an old window unit from our attic and lug it next door for our neighbors, who told us over the fence on this 90 degree day that their home feels like an oven because their air conditioners died at the end of the season last year and they can't currently afford to buy new ones.

What a guy.

He is my inspiration to reach out to our neighborhood!

team teaching

Every year, teachers at my school are professionally evaluated in one of three ways -- formal evaluation by our principal, self-evaluation, or parent-evaluation. This year, I was up for evaluating myself. Overall, this was a difficult task, though it was easy to answer question #1, which was "What do you love most about your job?"

There are many things I love about being a teacher -- seeing how students grow throughout the school year, the ability to be creative, having fun while learning, etc. -- but I also love teaching at my school because of WHO I work with.

I have been SO blessed to have K as my grade-level partner. Second grade would definitely NOT be the same without her, and I have learned so much from her. Though our gifts and teaching styles may be different, we make such a great team! K is one to see the "big picture." While I can be creative, her ideas are "out of the box." She is a visionary, eager to try new things and take risks. She is a positive thinker, always assuming the best. 

I, on the other hand, can be fearful of change, and worry how change will affect the routines and procedures I've worked hard to establish in my classroom. I thrive on structure, am very organized, and good at thinking through the details of how to accomplish something in an orderly way.

You might think our two personalities would clash, but just the opposite is true! When K comes up with an ingenius idea, she tells me (before she forgets!). Then the two of us brainstorm together about how to turn the idea into a plan. She pushes me toward new and exciting challenges, and I help her to accomplish these goals step-by-step.

One of K's more recent "out-of-the-box" ideas was team teaching, meaning that each of us should teach the subject areas that we are most gifted in and passionate about to ALL second grade students. K is definitely a math-mind, while I've always preferred the language arts (can you tell? I write novels on this blog!). Team-teaching would mean that we could each focus on teaching fewer subject areas, and teach them really well. It would also mean that our classes would switch rooms for 90 minutes each day so that I could teach reading and writing to her students, and she could teach math and Bible to mine. K proposed that we try it out for a few weeks from now to the end of the school year. We sat down with our principal to talk through all the details and get her permission, wrote a letter home to parents to explain this new adventure, and now ... we've been team teaching for 2 days and everyone involved seems to be enjoying it! It is exciting to change things up at this point in the school year and keep school "fresh" and fun. Though the concept of team-teaching may simply be a 6 week trial, we will enjoy it while it lasts!

I must admit that the first time K mentioned team-teaching to me, it caught me by surprise. It seemed overwhelming to completely change our schedules and "mix things up." But now I am so glad that we did! I'm so thankful to work with K, who challenges me on a daily basis to be spontaneous and try new things. I have become more laid-back and flexible as a teacher, I think in large part due to working with K. Though we probably won't teach second grade side-by-side forever, it's been a great way to start my career. I can't imagine teaching with anyone else!

grateful for answered prayer

After a week like the one our nation just faced, it is hard not to be depressed by the effects of sin in our world. I watched, read, and listened to the news more often than usual last week, just trying to keep up with it all: the Boston bombing, the fertilizer plant explosion in Texas, the flooding affecting so many in the midwest. Of course there were also things heavy on my heart that were not prominent in the headlines - a friend of mine who lost a dear friend and neighbor to cancer, and passing a deadly multi-car accident while driving on the parkway. I didn't know where to begin praying! While talking with a friend, I told her I hoped Jesus would return soon to bring an end to all of the sin and suffering in our world. This was not what God intended when He created this world, and I felt helpless about how to help bring about His kingdom here and now.

Then yesterday, my husband and I were able to sit down together for two meals (a rarity in one day!) and spend time reading God's word and praying after eating. A few months ago, we began writing our prayer requests on popsicle sticks, and since then we have been choosing a few to pray for each time we eat together. Our coffee mug of popsicle sticks has become more full since we began as it seems that there are always so many needs to bring before God. But, recently I found myself looking through the handful of sticks and realizing that many of our prayers have been answered since January. Here are just a few examples:

- Our neighbor, who was unemployed for a year and a half, recently found a new job and his first days have been going well! Also, two close friends who were seeking employment in new locations have received and accepted job offers.

- My brother, who had knee surgery in November, is now walking normally again and will be able to start running next month! The doctors are thrilled with his progress, and we are eager to see him enjoy sports again soon.

- A loved one has been more faithful in coming to church and attending classes about Christianity.

- We've started a discipling community group with others who live in our area who also want to be intentional about reaching out to our neighborhood. Our neighbors accepted an invitation to join us for dinner and we had a great night of conversation together.

- A good friend who is in the process of adopting from the Congo raised thousands of dollars through an online auction to help bring her daughter home!

- Though not without its difficulties, God is providing opportunities for change and growth in my husband's work place.

- Friends who were anxious about finding a new home have not only bought a house, but moved in, and feel settled and happy in their new space.

What a great reminder that, even in the midst of tragedy and despair, God is always working! He can bring good out of any situation. In spite of the sin that permeates our society, we must keep giving thanks for the blessings He provides. These blessings may not be on the front page of the newspaper, but are evident to those looking for them. I am so glad I can live in the hope that one day, Jesus will restore this world, but until then, I'll do my best to keep praying and watch for how God answers!

ironic

... because I don't have one!

I find it ironic that just a few days ago I was feeling overwhelmed by my busy schedule, thinking I would have to somehow squeeze some extra hours into the days so I would be prepared for parent/teacher conferences tomorrow and Friday.

But by Tuesday afternoon, after teaching 2 full days with a scratchy throat, my voice was lost. Seeing as it's pretty difficult to do my job without a voice, I decided the best decision for my class and my health was to take time off this morning to rest my voice. Yet even after a day of very little teaching and talking, my voice has yet to return. It seems no amount of throat lozenges or cups of tea will bring it back.

Is this God's way of telling me to slow down and make time for myself? If so, it's working.

With conferences coming up tomorrow, I'm beginning to get nervous that I won't be able to communicate what I need to. In order to save my voice for these meetings, my colleagues convinced me to take another half sick day tomorrow.

Between two mornings at home, and cancelled plans tonight so I can rest my voice, I've had the time I needed to get things in order for parent/teacher conferences. I can confidently say that I am feeling completely prepared for my conferences. If only I had a voice to share with the parents what I've been working on! Praying God will restore my voice and help me through my conferences tomorrow.