sidenote:

Jen, today when I was out running, I smelled you. I know it sounds creepy but it's true. I think someone was using the same kind of laundry detergent you use or maybe it was shampoo. I don't know, but for a second, you were walking beside me in your flip flops and we were on our way to dinner. Hope that doesn't creep you out.

I'm a loser!

Wow...so I guess I'm the loser friend that is the last to write about their life. Although, I think Molar sucked out by only writing, "I'll write when something exciting happens in my life." What an easy way out! So I'm very sorry that it has taken me this long to update you all on my life. I have been a tad bit busy lately and I think you'll see why.

So this past year has been like usual. I have now finished up my fourth year as the head varsity volleyball coach and head JV soccer coach at Greene. This is also my fourth year as a teaching assistant for high school special ed. This is Joe's third year at Johnson City as the business teacher and we both love education. We are very satisfied working in the school system and love the perks that go along with teaching. He coaches soccer and lacrosse and so we often never see each other on some nights. This is also our 5th year as the youth leaders at our church. After our youth pastor died three years ago we were put in charge and at times have felt stressed by the lack of parental support and at other times have felt extremely blessed to see transformations in many of the teens lives. This Spring Joe will be finishing up his Masters and this fall I will begin my Masters in Education to become a certified teacher and get paid a heck of a lot more for doing the same thing. Why oh why did I ever get a degree in Psychology...what a waste of time and my parent's money :)! Anyway... I will be in school for a full year and a summer and then student teaching. Then I will look for a permanent teaching job in the area. I'm very excited to start this fall...I kinda miss learning...weird right?

Joe and I have also been given a great opportunity. My Aunt and Uncle are missionaries in the Dominican Republic and we have arranged a missions trip to the Dominican Republic this summer with our church teens. There are 8 teens going and 4 adults including Joe and myself. We are looking forward to this great opportunity but could use prayer in the preparation of fundraisers, preparing material for the work projects, the dramas, the VBS we will be running, the airline tickets and passports etc... We have a lot to do before we leave in July and I am getting excited and stressed. We each need to raise a little over $1,000 dollars and right now it seems like a million dollars but I know the Lord will provide. I think I have all of your addresses so I can send you a letter with a prayer card enclosed but just in case if you want a letter leave your address on here for me.

Our dog Chloe has just turned 2 in human years. She is so beautiful and stupid. She does the craziest things and makes us laugh. Here's a picture of the sweet little girl.

My sister Nikki is still dating her boyfriend Josh. They are not engaged and I have no idea when they will be engaged...a little annoying and frustrating for her but she is trying to trust the Lord's timing.

One other great opportunity Joe and I have this summer is we are training to run do a triathlon. My brother-in-law in Maine has invited us up to Maine this summer to participate in a triathlon that he did last summer. It includes swimming, biking and running. Joe and I been training since the fall and lately Joe's knees have been hurting him so he has definitely fallen behind me :) But I'm so excited to challenge myself and train for this summer and see how I can do.

The only other thing you can be praying for is Joe's dad. He has lost one of his kidney's and is waiting on a kidney transplant from his Aunt. There are many complications and for now he has lost a lot of his strength and has started to go blind from other complications. Joe's grandma had been living with his parents and they recently had to put her in a nursing home because with Joe's dad very sick she couldn't take care of both people and work a full-time job. So be praying for Joe's family and God's healing touch.

Other than that...we live a normal life and feel extremely blessed with all God has given us. We have talked about starting a family but we would like to wait a few more years and enjoy our married life. We would like a few more vacations before having to share our time with a newborn:) I think I have spewed everything possible about my life in Binghamton. I do really want to get together with everyone. I finish volleyball in a few weeks so after February I am free game to drive anywhere. I haven't seen anyone lately and we have several houses to visit so tell me where and when and I'll be there! I love you all and miss you so much but love keeping in touch even if it is just through blog venting!

I'm Posting...AGAIN...and other people still haven't...I'm just saying...

As if one career change in a family wasn't enough, here's the new stuff. I'm tired of teaching. I love the spending time with the kids element of it and forming relationships and mentoring. It's the best part of teaching. I'm tired of all the working for HOURS outside of school and all the of trite garbage we have to do all the time. I especially don't want to keep up with the workload I have now if we're going to have a baby. Which we're still not, but you know...I'm a planner.

I started praying about what else I might be able to do. A couple of weeks ago I was over at the Bilger's house. This is Kathy's, my dear friend who passed away, family. I was talking with her youngest daughter Laura. In August after Kathy's death Mark (Kathy's husband) hired an au pair for Laura. I wasn't a huge fan of this, but she's not my daughter and it wasn't my decision to make. But Laura and I were talking a couple of weeks ago and she was telling me about how she loves the girl they have, but they really haven't connected and Laura was struggling with her. She was crying me and telling me how she feels like the au pair can't really understand how she feels because she didn't know Kathy. Laura looked at me and asked why I can't just do it.

So...that, of course, got me thinking. After a little while of thinking and praying, I felt that it was right to take the plunge and talk to Mark about it. We talked and Mark told me that he wants me to do it and that Laura and Amanda (his older daughter who is in college) both really wanted me to do it and that he really believed that this is what Kathy would have wanted.

So then I had to go and talk to my bosses about going down to part-time at the school. I'm not really ready to let go of my connections there and working for the Bilgers would only be in the afternoon and evenings. After I nearly started crying in the meeting, they told me it was something that they would make work.

So I'm going to do it! I can't believe it and I don't know how it's all going to work out but I know it's the right thing to do. I promised Kathy before she died that I would do everything I could to take care of Laura and I'm so thankful that this is what God has for me to do.

Because really...who wants to work the same job for more than four years in a row? Right?

New York City...

on crack.

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What was NY City's Tourism Bureau thinking??

also...

Megan. Question. Who illustrates the Little Mermaid book I love of yours? I am at a loss.

Adjectives!

so, I think I am going to do a mini lesson on Adjectives...I found a cool book "Hairy, Scary, Ordinary: What is an Adjective?" By: Brian P. Cleary that I will read aloud and then go from there! I am pretty excited and I love going to Barnes and check out the books and thinking about how to make learning fun for kids! I am thinking it's a good lesson for 2nd graders.

I know I will never be as creative as you girls, but I am glad I have such amazingly talented friends to discuss this with.

love you all

Just a little something to make you smile

So I've been waiting to post something until I felt a little less bitter about the world. It's taken a while, but things have finally started settling down to a place where I feel like getting up in the morning and going back to work and enjoying it again. The mental shift I had to make has been the hardest. I really had convinced myself that I wouldn't be returning to school in the fall, and having to adjust back to caring about work, lesson plans, prepping, cleaning my room, etc. have been difficult. Justin and I are coaching our girls varisty team, and it has been a good distraction -I really have been enjoying hanging out with the girls and getting to know them better, plus the time with Justin has been great & I've gotten to see Sarah more when she comes to practice with us. Today the team is going to go see a PBU/BBC game near Philly- which I'm excited about. This Wednesday, I'm taking my art tutorial kids (10th-12th graders) to D.C. to the National Gallery of Art and I've made up a scavenger hunt when we're there. So- lots of things to be excited about in the near future.

New Year's Resolution- getting knocked up again. :o)