A Lifetime of Love

So I shared in my last post that I went back to paid teaching 2 years ago. I am teaching 4K at a local preschool and LOVE it! I wasn't sure what to expect with that age group, but I teach academics along with social and behavioral skills and it is a perfect match for me. I applied for a grant last November to fund a project I wanted to implement in my classroom. I want an indoor tower garden that grows plants hydroponically so we, as a class, can grow our own fruits and veggies. There are so many learning opportunities in this project including nutrition, biology, literacy, and communication skills, among others. Each of these learning opportunities imbed academic, social, and behavioral skills and definitely fits into the overall goal of my classroom environment. I am thrilled to say my project was fully funded, and hopefully by the end of March we will have everything in place and can at least explore the science behind the way it works. We will not be planting anything this ...

It has been almost 3 years since my youngest was born, and about that same time, my life drastically changed. My older children at the time were 14, 12, 10, 8, and 7. My oldest was finally old enough and responsible enough to babysit. Now, to be clear, I didn't leave all of the children with him, but it was nice to be able to run errands and not have to take EVERYONE. That little fact was seriously life-changing. Additionally, my older children had acquired more responsibility at home in terms of life skills: they did (still do!) their own laundry, keep up with their rooms, can prepare full meals, and a host of other skills 100% independently. It took so long to get to that point, though, and the time between me being 100% responsible to them being fully responsible was the hard part. Like seriously, if you read back through my previous posts, you will see the struggles I openly shared as a mom and wife. Life ain't easy! And that brings us to now. 2020. My oldest i...

Wow. It feels so weird to be writing again. It has literally been YEARS since I typed a blog post. Like, I've had 2 more kids since the last time I wrote anything. So why am I writing now? Well, several reasons. First, at the urging of a friend (thanks Vanessa!), I thought it was time. I went through a tough season of life where finding time to blog just wasn't possible. And not blogging isn't what made that season tough, to be clear. Rather, it was just impossible with the demands of my family. 9 kids in 14 years. Let that sink in. Second, I think when people are truthful about their experiences, it makes them more relatable. I have shared openly about my struggles as a mom and wife pretty much from day one of starting this blog. Having so many children in such a short time span, I definitely understand the fears and frustrations that come with mothering. The times when sleep deprivation and potty training and wanting later curfews all blend together. I.get.it. Thi...

For many years now, the Lord has given me a burden for moms. A burden to encourage them in their mothering journey and share what I have learned in my own (good and bad) experiences. I cannot begin to count how often I hear the comment, "I don't know how you do it. You are amazing." While I don't necessarily feel amazing, the comment just solidifies my heart's desire to share with others. I have been thinking about how to do this and I came up with an idea. I would like to get together with a group of moms (stay-at-home, working, older kids, younger kids. If you're a mom, you're invited!) on a monthly basis for about 2 hours. During this time, we would discuss a topic related to mothering, being a wife, running a household, etc. We would study in-depth what the Scripture has to say about the topic, and practical tips and ways to apply it to our lives. Of course there would be food because (I love food!) no gathering can be complete without it. So wha...

Last Friday was my 35th birthday. Although not a "milestone" birthday by any stretch of the imagination, I have been dreading it secretly because it means I'm closer to 40. For years I have been (jokingly) telling my kids I am 29....and the young ones still believe me because they simply don't know any better! Late Friday morning, a friend of mine picked up the boys so they could do some work around her horse pasture. Tristin-Grace went with them since she had the day off from school.  My friend keeps another little girl who is Tristin-Grace's age.  The girls met at Vacation Bible School last year and got together frequently over the summer.  Since school started, this has been their first opportunity to get together (the girl lives in a neighboring town and attends school in another district.  Their days off don't always coincide). I decided to take Teagan, Annie, Taryn, and Ruthie out to lunch for a treat since it was just us "girls." We rarely...

God desires to have an intimate relationship with His children, and ashamedly I found myself too busy and distracted to take time for Him.   As a mom of young children, including an infant, sleepless nights are par for the course. In the past, I didn't have any trouble waking early to spend time alone with the Lord, reading my bible and praying. However, the past 18 months or so, I find myself tired all.the.time. I go to bed with good intentions, setting my alarm to ring well before the children wake. But, after waking 2, 3, or even 4 times each night, morning comes too quickly. I sleep until the last possible moment before having to wake up to get the kids ready for the day. Alone time with God will have to wait until later.... When I participated in my church's Ladies' Bible Study, I would find time to complete the weekly assignments, albeit most were rushed and more to "get them done" than to learn and grow as a Christian. This (school) year, I decided not...

If you are like me, you eat the same meals for supper on a regular basis. I call this a "dinner rut." I have been in a dinner rut for a while, and I posted on Facebook that I was looking for new recipes to try. In response to my plea, my amazing sister shared that she was preparing to do a major cooking spree. She shared her plan and gave me some tips, and I decided to research the idea to see if it was something I could do, too. I began by checking out the book Once-A-Month Cooking by Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg from my local library. I read the first chapter to understand the premise behind the book, and I was hooked! The book was a huge help because it provided two 1-month meal plans, two 2-week meal plans, shopping lists, recipes, and cooking day assembly instructions. I originally planned to start with a 2-week cooking cycle to get a feel for doing so much cooking at one time, but decided to go ahead and extend it to a 1-month plan. As suggested in the b...