teaching... it's a gift.

I teach. I am good at it. I love it. I teach first grade at a low income school in my city. I have always taught children like this. It is very hard. It is very challenging, but I love the outcome in the end and what difference I make in the life of a child each day.

Now, Kelly over at Kelly's Korner is having a Show us Your Life.This week is Teacher Gifts. She has these a lot, but this one was the first one to catch my eye. I KNOW about this topic! In my fantasy world, I would love to get gift cards to get a massage, a really good book, a dinner gift card, or a really cute snack basket I could keep at school. You know, something that has things they don't carry in the snack machine.

In my real world, I get used batteries. Half empty bottles of perfume. A school picture from kindergarten. An old necklace. A coffee cup from the dollar store.

I wouldn't trade this.

I make a huge.. read... HUGE deal when a child brings me a present. It just doesn't happen. My kid's parents don't have the money to even think about their child's teacher. I squeal, laugh, and downright almost cry when a child gets a gift and it is all wrapped or in a present bag. This past

Christmas I actually had two little girls get an outfit for my baby! I was beyond the moon.

I love my kids. I love the thought that my child put into my gift. "Man, Mrs. B likes coffee. I bet she would like this coffee filter!" My favorite thing is a sweet note that a child has really put effort into making. I get one weekly from a little girl that says "i love mrs. b. i love her husband. i love lucy clare. i love mrs. b mommy. Truly, i love them."

and this is why I teach.

So, for those of you who can afford a gift for your child's teacher, do it. I know that sometimes it would be nice to get a gift like I will give my child's teacher. (oh, to have a massage!)

The biggest gift I can ask for all teachers is prayer. We take home 18+ little peoples problems every night. I wonder what my kids eat when they get home. I wonder if anyone is even there with them. I wonder what they see in their neighborhoods. Please pray for them!

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Proverbs 22:6

I ♥ blogs.

I read a lot of blogs. I like them. I like the window they open up into random people's worlds. I like to read other mommy's blogs, crafty blogs, blogs that teach me more about the Lord. I sit at night and will literally have like 10 pages opened up on my screen going from one blog to the next. I read happy blogs, but a lot of times, I read sad blogs. Blogs of mommies who have buried their children, blogs of parents struggling with sick children. and it hurts my heart. I have cried many tears as I watch these ladies struggle to put their lives back together after a loss, or during crisis. I have prayed unceasingly for these same woman. I pray the same list of children each night, and thanked Him in return for what He continues to do for them. It makes my life much more precious. Helps me see that I need not take things for granted. But it doesn't make the ache any easier. But it does help me believe the God is faithful.
I will never forget a blog from a girl in Arkansas who lost her beautiful little girl. I remember I was pregnant at the same time as she was. I was praying so hard that God would answer prayer in the way we earthly people wanted. And not long after I got home with my little girl, she lost hers. I remember crying such wailing tears all over my newborn child's head. I broke for her. And I have watched (or should I say read) this same woman throw herself at the feet of God and her faith... her faith is such testimony to our Lord and Savior.
It is amazing how the Lord uses people who we will never meet for His glory. How is the grand scheme of things, I am sure this girl never thought that a) she would be burying her child or b) that her life would impact so many people.

How I hope that I bring a sense of the Lord to this world. I want others to see God's glory. Even in my silly little blog about my family, I hope that it will shine my love for the Lord.

Be ever grateful for what you have. I know there are days when LC is being fussy or having a "bad" day, and I get so frustrated... and then I remember.... I have her. And it totally changes my thinking and I stop and pray over her right then.

Thank you, Lord, for what I have. Please never let me lose sight of that. Thank you for technology where Your word can be spread to many.

I know my mom would say me reading these blogs will help and hurt me. I freak out at the smallest thing. I am forbidden (ha!) from google-ing things. The Internet is my blessing and my curse!

I don't know why I even wrote a post about this tonight. I guess I just wanted to convey my thoughts on how I love reading blogs!

I will end on a happy note..my sweet baby girl will be 9 months old this week! Oh my, how time is going by so fast! She is a crawling, talking, eating machine! I look forward to her doctors appointment to see how much she weighs! And another happy note, my best friend welcomed her (huge) baby boy this week into the world! Cole was born Monday and weighed in at 10 pounds, 2 ounces! He is happy, healthy, and so beautiful! God is good!
Have a wonderful week. I promise my next post will have pictures of my baby girl! I know that's what you really want to see anyway!

Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you.

3 John 1:5

I know!

10Then the disciples went back to their homes, 11but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
13They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"
"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." 14At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
15"Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."
16Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).
17Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' "
18Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.

John 20: 10-18

I believe! I can only imagine how Mary felt coming to the tomb to prepare Jesus' dead body! How she must have felt such disgust and outrage to see that someone had taken his body away. And then, she did finally recognize Him... and how? Was it the way He said her name? The way he looked at her? Or was it that He is God and opened her mind to see Him? To know her thoughts would be marvelous... and what did she want to do immediately? Hug Him. After watching Him suffer such a cruel death, to touch Him was what she wanted.. to 'hold on' to Him. and He must have had to pull her away! Then to tell her that He must go to His Father must have been still puzzling to her, to have Him back, only to lose Him again?

I believe! I believe what Mary saw. I know that she saw my Lord and Savior. I know He rose again, and while I don't understand the ins and outs of how that works, my faith tells me that this man did just that. The God-man sent to earth to die for my sins, to be an example of my faith and walk, laid His life down for me, and then just rose right up from the grave. I believe... I know... I have faith.

Happy Easter to you! May the risen Christ fill you with joy today and forever. May you feel the peace that Mary felt seeing her Lord that Easter morning! May you always remember that your Redeemer LIVES!

Remember when?

I was looking over my blog and thought to myself.. man, I wonder what I was doing a year ago. March 2009. What was my life like then? I can hardly remember life without spit-up, diapers, and huge hairbows, but I know I used to be the fun, karaoke singin, "Yeah" dance-routine'n, sleep all day kinda girl. Nope. That wasn't me. (well, yes I was at one time, but not last March. Up until November of 08 I was.. and man, was it fun.) A year ago, I was pregnant. and on March 26th of 2009, I made a list of my top five favorite things about being pregnant.

Top Five

I have been mentally making a list of all the thing I love about being pregnant in my head for awhile. So here it is... my top five favorite things about being Prego.


5. Seeing other pregnant women on the street gives you a real reason to stare at their belly. First for a little moment of "whooo.... I'm glad I'm not that big" to "I wonder how far long she is." I do love this. It's my license to stare card. And she in return doesn't look at me like a stalker. She's probably thinking the same dang thing about me.


4. Stretchy pants. Good God. How have I lived my whole life not wearing stretchy pants? I can bend over without a button cutting into my navel. I can breath when I sit down (except on the days my undies roll down with the belly.) I just think these stretchy belly pants are a fab way to feel pretty!


3. My 20 pound weight loss. I know. I break the rules with this. But when that stick said "pregnant" I vowed to change my eating habits. I figured my baby needed to be smart (you know with a teacher mom and all) so I started eating fresh fruits and veggies. Now losing that glass of wine can't hurt either, and you won't see me eating nothing but good stuff, but I did change alot about how I ate. I still crave hot wings and strawberry milkshakes, but for the most part, I will take real strawberries over the milkshake any day.


2. The cutest dang clothes for her. I am glad I am teaching after school tutorial. That money has come in handy. I have done really well with just cheap stuff. And people that say"you will not want to spend on yourself anymore" don't know me. I buy for her, I buy for me. We both have to look good, right? Poor Scott.


1. And the last reason I like being prego... no, its not all the attention, or the free pass to be gassy, or the excuse to be really lazy, it's just the fact at how it has changed Scott and I already. Before, it wouldn't bother me to go out without him or spend time with my friends when he was home, but now... I look forward to the time we have by ourselves. I know it is going by fast, this time it is just Nikki and Scott, and I want to savor it all I can. I want Lucy Clare in the most loving environment. I want her to feel the love between the two of us.


So, this was no David Letterman countdown, but I do love being pregnant. I can't wait to hold sweet Lucy Clare in my arms for the first time. She is going to be one spoiled girl, just like her momma.



I cannot believe a year has already gone by. For almost 9 months I have been the mother to the most amazing, wonderful, precious baby girl. She is growing before my eyes, and I can't stop it! I look back on my #1 thing I loved about being pregnant and it almost brings me to tears. Scott and I have changed completely as a couple. I see him in such a different way now. He is such a generous, loving father to Lucy, and so patient and loving with me. I asked him the other day about the day she was born and how he felt. He said he looked at her and thought.. "now what do I do!?" He was so nervous and scared, but he has turned into the most amazing father. I love him more and more each day. She is the light of our lives.


As I lift her up in prayer each night in her crib, I feel like God must laugh at me (in a nice God-ly kinda way) when I ask Him if He just knows how much I love her! While I know He does know how much I love her, I know His love for the both of us is so much more powerful, and that alone can bring me to tears.

"See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are!" 1 John 3:1

our spring in pictures!

We had a busy Spring Break, so instead of a long post, I'll tell our story in pictures!

We got ready in our St. Patrick's day outfit for church on Sunday... Please ignore the mess behind her! Then we headed down to the beach for some shopping and fun in the sand.

We had a playdate with two of our favorite boys.. Foster and Collins.

We met the Easter Bunny.. even though we weren't quite sure about him.

We ate a lot of solids.. Cheesepuffs, yogurt, wagon wheels, and pears.. These were things we tried this week!

We enjoyed the sunshine at Landmark Park.

We met some great animals and learned what they all say.

It's times like these that make me wish I could stay home all the time. Happy Spring everyone!

wow!

Well I am just tickled pink. I jumped on my blog today to check on all my favorite people on my sidebar, when I noticed I had a comment on my last blog. If you frequent my blog, you know I don't get the most comments on my posts (I know you people love me anyway, but dang... could you make me feel good and leave a comment?) It was a rockin' momma I read about named Danielle and her super cute baby Chloe. (whom you can read about here) She had given me an award! Me! yes, Me! Whoop-whoop with a wrist twist. I have made it!

And I am just about to come out of my southern skin. It turned me into a babbling southern girl. I was saying things like "bless my bones!" "well, I'll be" and "shucks." I just thought it was the most wonderful thing. And really, for anyone who knows me in real life, you know that I wear these kinds of shoes to teach in on a daily basis(except when I was pregnant because I lost my balance once and took a load of first graders out), so it just made my Spring Break so fabulous!

Here are the super stylish things about this award:

First, let us understand the Stiletto… some words that describe it…

Classy – Strong -Exotic – Demure – Extreme – Ultra – Sexy - Bold – Funky

“Walking in extremely high heels is not something that the average woman (or man)
will need to do in their everyday life. However, there are times when this skill may be required.” I want to salute the women who balance life, family & relationships with style & class! Those women who share their experiences with us…who encourage us, inspire us, teach us, make us laugh and basically keep us going! You know who they are! While you read this blog, your family is looking at you wondering what the heck you are laughing about so hard…or why the tissue is necessary for internet browsing. It’s the one that the kids are excited about because a new post means a new craft project or family outing. The one that inspires you to be a better mom, friend, person in general. The one that reminds you that we are all “in this life together” and you’re not the only one going through the hard stuff. The one that you secretly wish your blog was like…“Heels this high are not meant for clubbing or walking long distances in. They are mainly used for getting from the living room to the bedroom, from the car to the restaurant, or for a short stroll along the catwalk.” If you’ve received this award, someone out there thinks you deserve it! Be proud! Display the badge with honor! You earned it…after all it means that you brought something special to at least one other person, and really, isn’t that what life’s all about?

THE RULES!
This blog is meant to be shared, to be given out, to be bestowed upon any and ALL women who exemplify what the stiletto represents. If you’ve received this award, here’s what you do:
1. Display your Stiletto Badge of Honor on your sidebar! Wear it with pride…

2. BRAG ABOUT IT! -write a post about your award. Include the link to this page so everyone will understand what it’s all about! http://bit.ly/thestilettoaward

3. SAY THANKS! - include a link to the friend who nominated you for the award.

4. SHARE THE LOVE! -nominate 5-10 blogs that you feel deserve the award. Include links to them in your post -and- leave them a comment to let them know they are nominated.

5. DO WHAT YOU DO! -keep at it. Keep inspiring and encouraging and sharing your life! We love it and we thank you!

Now I am going to share the love. Some of these girls I know for real, and some of them are just blogs I like to read. I learn something from all of them and I am honored to give this out (and hopefully not trip on any of you as I do it!)

Lauryn @ The Griffin Family: She is a high school friend who has to be one of the coolest and most down to earth mommas I have ever known. and I mean that. Snowboarding? check. Cute kid? Check. She's one awesome lady. (and a great teacher to boot!)

Jenn @ Be.So.Happy: another awesome chick who is from my hometown. She is just an adorable twenty-something who is rockin it in another state, and taking us along for the ride.

Jessica @ the Steltenpohls: she's a gorgeous momma in my town who has one of the cutest babies I have ever seen. They are also Catholic which means our girls will grow up in the church together!

Jamie @ Another Joyous Journey: I don't know her from Adam. But she is a funny momma with a stylish shoe loving baby boy. I love reading about their daily life and watching him grow!

Kadie @ CouponKadie: She keeps me up to date on all the latest coupons and steals (which god knows I need for all the money I like to spend on a teacher salary!)

On a totally different note, my sweet baby is 8 months old today. I cannot for the life of me believe this. I love this time with her too. She has the cutest personality and is full of life (and into everything!)

Now, I'm fixin to go to bed, cuz this southern girl is plum wore out from all this typing!

Ya'll come back!

Spring is here!

We are so glad spring is showing its glowing face on us! Lucy and I took a walk today to the park in our neighborhood. This would be the first time she would be big enough to swing and I was super excited! She enjoyed it so much! This will be the first of many trips to the park. We jammed out to my Ipod the whole stroller ride there. It was a great day!

I love this face! She was so happy with the wind in her face! Of course, we had to both wear our "shades." They cracked her up. It has been since the summer since we have worn them!

Thank you, God, for bright sunny days, for the wind on our face, for babies that are so happy, and for love abounding! You are my King, my Redeemer, and my All in All! Your blessings are abundant... Praise You!