New Day

Hello! :) I have been meaning to post... just haven't gotten around to it. I've been:
*taking the girls school shopping
*grocery shopping
*using said groceries to make 7 chicken dishes to freeze for later in the schoolyear
*getting more groceries
*using said groceries to make 7 loaves of quick breads to freeze (like zucchini bread)
*seeing my oldest off to cross country running camp-she comes home tomorrow. She hasn't had cell coverage so we are very anxious to see/talk to her!
*enjoying time with our younger daughter, like taking her out for Mexican food, since our oldest doesn't enjoy it all that much and our youngest LOVES it.
*filling out school paperwork. We find out the schedule for our newly-minted-middle=schooler today and the schedule for our oldest after she returns home tomorrow.
*putting school dates on the calendar, like days off, early release, vacations, etc.
*planning all I can for my NEW JOB! :) Yep, I finally got a job. It's not a classroom teacher, but it's teaching kids and I'm very excited! I have to tell you my story: when I interviewed for a specific position (regular readers recall my interviewing and hoping?) the principal told me of another position that would be available. It felt like a "consolation prize" so to speak. I set it aside not to think about for a while. Then I called him in August. He told me about it and I was pretty excited... but unsure. I called my husband to talk over my thoughts. He had heard me talk of this when I was interviewing. Earlier in the day I called him, he had been talking with a coworker about his teacher wife and how she'd needed to something different than subbing before she got her job. This made my husband think, hm, if I heard about this job again, I should take it. So, he got back from lunch, talked to me and said he thought it was a sign-that I should apply for this. I put my name in, was interviewed and now have a job as an "alternative instructor". I will be blessed with the opportunity to work with kids who need intervention in areas they struggle with. Small groups and one-on-one, whatever the teacher would like. At this point, no specific age group, just K-5 and I'm really excited! :)) I meet with the principal and other alternative instructors on Friday and I'm looking forward to jumping in!

I'm still training for the half marathon-finished an eight miler on Saturday. Felt good, was in the time range I'd hoped. Nine miles on the schedule for this week!

I've been listening to some podcasts on digital scrapping and I'm pretty excited about doing that more, as well.

Hope your week is going smoothly! Halfway through! :)

Fun

Happy Monday! :) Hope this email finds you well.

Some fun things we've done over the last week:
*went to the zoo with family today
*my youngest built a fort out of our large stack of firewood, some tarps, she even sewed some flags and curtains for it, and it's the perfect reading spot. :)
*had some of my husband's family over for smoked pork and zucchini bake with zucchini from our garden!
*dreamt of renovations we'd like to have done to our home (wow, the list can get pretty long! ;))
*learned/played a new card game
*learned to digitally scrapbook (I've done a layout and have thought/planned several more!)
*I finished my Run Like a Mother book and it was great! (answers to previous questions about running posts: I think about different things... depends on the day. Often, I pray and think of all the things I'd like God to help me with and all the things I'm thankful for. I listen to music and when I'm tired I try to match my footsteps with the rhythm of the music. I look at the nature around me-I run on a path sometimes that is full of bunnies, birds chirping, elderly couples, and more! :) I also think about my plans for the half marathon, how I'm going to make it there, and how much I can eat that day due to burnt calories! :))
*Lately I've been reading posts about digital scrapbooking which has been a fun learning experience!
*We got to keep my niece for half a day last week and it was FUN! She's four and is such a cutie! :) Took her brothers to the zoo with us today and they were just as fun! :)
*Had two fires in our fire pit-one night I sat and enjoyed a chat with one of our dear neighbors beside a fire, which made a delightful evening.

I looked at the calendar this weekend and couldn't believe it's already August! I wondered where is our summer going! (I'm wondering, too, Thimbleanna!! :)) My girls start school three weeks and two days. I look ahead at our busy schedules and I wonder how I will finish my "summer to do list"!

I have often wondered, lately, where my path is leading, as you probably read in recent posts. Today I ran into a student I had last winter/spring. She wasn't happy to have me for a substitute, as, understandably, she had loved her teacher. She gave me stubbornness and obvious dislike at the beginning of my stay. She was sad to say goodbye to me at the end of the year. I really saw a change in her. Today, when I ran into her, she shouted my name, and ran up and hugged me, smiling to see me! It was then I remembered why I work so hard at teaching, even if it's subbing or long-term subbing. :) My heart smiled again. :) If God's plan is for me to be a substitute, then that's what I will be. :) I will touch lives... if only temporarily. :) I've said it before and I will say it again, I do not know where God's road map has me going-although I'd love to glance at it sometimes!-and I don't know where I'm headed, but I know He has a plan and He has me in His hands. :))

I hope you have a wonderful week and are smiling in your heart!! :))

More and Less

I've been thinking about my goals. It's 26 days until the local schools start. Whether I have a full time job or not, there are changes I want to make in myself. I made a short "more" and "less" list. What would be on your more and less list?

More:
*Bible reading (I've gotten away from my daily reading, any reading for that matter. I started out the summer well...)
*sleep (I've been staying up later and later to watch t.v. It's spending time with my husband, but it's not always quality time. I'm still getting up at the same time and I'm tired.)
*planning ahead (often I don't put things on the calendar until the last minute. It would make things a lot easier if I put them on, give them thought ahead of time. Since deciding this, I put a few things on the calendar! :))
*scrapbooking (it sounds like a frivolous hobby, but I want our children and their children to be able to have stories and memories to share about us. I like capturing moments of time surrounding our girls who are growing too fast.)
*card/letter writing (letting those who are far away know I think of them, they are cared about)

Less:
*facebook/email/computer checking (lately, with summer vacation, the computer is in reach all the time. I check things far too frequently... often to find there isn't new information/emails/updates...)
*television (there are too many shows I watch that I don't need to...)
*eating out or throwing an unhealthy meal together (this could have been a more meal/menu planning and grocery shopping ahead...)
*less snacking, especially during the aforementioned tv time
*worrying (I mention it all the time, I am a worrier... it hasn't gotten me any closer to my goals...)

These are often on my lists... some for Lent, New Year's resolutions... but never on daily goal lists. I have run marathons-I set goals and I have achieved them. What's different about these goals? I don't make it a choice each and every day... I have my lists. I saw on an organizing website that you needed to post your goals so you would see them and think of them more often. I like the idea. :)

Hope all is well on this sunny Friday (well, it's sunny, here. It hasn't rained for days and isn't supposed to for the next week!)

Wondering

Hello, Readers. It's been a little while, again. Much going on, but at the same time, little...

My vegetable garden has not been fairing too well-too much sun and too many critters eating them-insects and mammals.

Our oldest daughter was set to get her driving temps last week. We went, she took the computarized test, she passed and onto the paperwork. We took everything in, but her birth certificate didn't specifically list her gender so it was unacceptable. We went back early this week with the only other copy we had and it didn't have the state's health department seal, so we have to go through a process to get a new copy mailed to us and take it back... She was sad. She was so looking forward to driving.

Our dog, the weimaraner, has become very skinny-losing a lot of weight. We took him to a vet who did blood tests, and the tests came back good-especially for a 10 year old big dog. Still, we wondered why the lack of interest in food and great loss of weight-he'd lost 14 pounds! We took him back on Tuesday and they sedated him to check his teeth, did some scans and swabs. We should know more tomorrow or Monday as to the results of those. It was rather strange around here without him on Tuesday. He came home groggy and stumbling around-very clingy after his visit. I dropped him off at 7am and he wasn't seen to until 2 or so-so he was hungry since he hadn't eaten since 7pm the night before, stuck in a kennel which he doesn't like and away from his family. He was a sad dog. He sure was happy to see us when we arrived to get him, though.

My husband hasn't been running much since my last post. He had fallen off a jet ski and bruised a rib, so that's taken a bit of the wind out of the sails. I'm still working on training for the half marathon, either way. Just will work out better for me, I think. I did 7 miles last weekend, again.

I have attempted digital scrapbooking since I posted last. I have a lot of work to do before I will be happy with a layout. Strange, how I was feeling good about paper and hands-on and now I feel new and uncertain. I am unsure of what to write and what to document first.

That isn't the only are of my life where I am uncertain. Still no word on a job for the fall and the pool is nearly dry of opportunities. Hopefully we'll see it pick up next week. I have heard jobs are scarce, it's not just me, but it's hard not to let it eat away at your self confidence. Someone important in my life says I need to find a new passion, something other than teaching since it's not looking good. I am wondering about this. Wouldn't it be hard just to pick up a new passion and set aside the old? I have heard from so many that I'm great at what I do-teaching, but that's in a substitute setting. Maybe it's just people being nice, saying what I want to hear... the little voice whispers these things to me. It's hard not to let it eat away at the faith that says God has a plan, He will guide me... where am I going? I feel nowhere... I'm trying to have hope. So many people have advice and opinions-just get a long term and that foot-in-the-door will get you there (I've had 4-5 long-term jobs, now...), just get into another district and that will help (done that, although my husband thinks not enough... but then what-how do I choose where to go? long-terms or daily jobs... one doesn't know.) It's difficult. The waiting and the worrying that I'm not good enough, that I'm stuck. Also, the not knowing what to do-get in a district where they know and like me well? Keep moving around so many know me and I will have opportunities? Just the politics and knowing the right people? Sigh...

I have felt tired, run down, lazy lately. It's affected my running and who I am, I think. I am beginning to wonder if it's this lack of confidence from the job... or the really hot weather? Am I just wilted? :) I have read several blogs, lately that have been balm to my soul-pictures and smiles in the words, too. :) This isn't the type of post I like to write-after all the title of the blog is positively mom-but sometimes it's just good to write about the things that are weighing on you. Although when I hit "publish post" I am filled with the sense of "you don't have it so bad! why are you posting that! many people have it much worse!"

Take care, blog readers. Things will perk up soon! :)

Half

The running is still going about 4-5 days a week. Today was so nice. Some tired muscles, but no shin pain, so that was great! My "time" (I wear my garmin way too much and check her far too frequently on my runs...) was quicker than normal. I asked my husband over the weekend if he'd like to do the half-marathon. I would love to do it with him instead of the full alone. My body has felt too...injured this time around and I'm still so worried about injuring myself again. I enjoy the arduous training, the drained feeling from being worn out at the end of a double-digit milage run, but I worry. I'm a worrier naturally, so this area of my life is no different. My husband and I started this journey together, and he took the injury detour that year of my first marathon. He hasn't tackled it since. The marathon distance can be daunting. But we used to enjoy our runs together (at least that's how I remember five years ago. ;)) We'll see. I've been working on running for a few months, building up, but he's been working on getting started again-he's up to three miles without walking, so I'm pretty proud of him, hopeful and excited to have a partner in this journey.

I have been reading up on digital scrapping, but haven't tried anything yet. I'm a planner and I'm a bit intimidated as to where to start. So many albums to do, so many pictures and stories, but where to begin??

My girls seem to be growing up at the speed of light. Our oldest takes the written test for her temps on Friday. Then she will be able to start driving with us here and there. Our youngest has a writing camp this week with 6-8 graders. Strange to see her as a growing/preteen/middle schooler! :)

Hope all is going well for you this week! :)