Sweet Sunday

Today was our church's practical outreach Sunday during Sunday School hour. Only no one told us about it. So Andy and I went to Sunday School and waited for a junior high class that never showed. As we waited, we chatted with the children's pastor and I said something completely inappropriate, but he handled it well. We moved beyond it and ended up getting to go to an adult Sunday School class our pastor teaches. What a refreshing morning! It was so nice to sit with adults, to have a biblical conversation, and to just be around people who really desire God's Word. It was so wonderful to listen and to gain wisdom and insight from those around me. To really know that these people know the Word and live it out. I really wish we could go to that Sunday School class more often....it was really just so encouraging to me....it felt like something I have been desiring for such a long time.

Service was so great too! We are doing an overview series on the history books of the OT. Today was 1 Samuel. 1 and 2 Samuel are some of my favorite books of the Bible, so I was so excited for this sermon. And it didn't disappoint! I love the history of Israel, especially during the reign of David. I love watching David's heart for God. One of my favorite moments of the stories of the Bible is in 2 Samuel 12 when the prophet Nathan rebukes King David. It's such a moment of boldness, of truth, and of love. I feel so often like I am lacking in boldness, which is probably why I admire Nathan so much.

Tonight's evening service is the gospel in marriage--and I am so excited :) And afterwards, we are going to a friend's house with a few other families to spend time together and fellowship. This is shaping up to be a blessed Lord's Day!

Peer Pressure

So I don't feel like peer pressure was ever too much of an issue in my life. There were the occasional things I said or did to fit in, but it was never anything close to an after-school special moment, or PSA kind of thing.

But now that I am married....I feel it.

In the worst possible way.

Possibly that's an exaggeration.

But I do feel it.

Andy and I spur each other on in bad food choices. Not often, but sometimes. Today was one of those sometimes. I'm fake doing Weight Watchers (using a free online points calculator) to try to regain my wedding weight in the next three weeks. I was doing really well today. Until about an hour ago. I started to get really hungry...and I was going to eat some blueberries and drink some water and be done for the day.

But no.

Instead, Andy cajoled me into eating half a box of maroni and cheese and multiple handfuls of Sour Patch Kids with him. And now, I am 8 points over for the day, instead of perfectly on target. And my stomach hurts, because of course I'm lactose intolerant and can't eat milk. And of course I haven't had anything that's highly processed in weeks (or maybe months).

Grr.

Kindergarten, Middle School, and Why I am Not having kids for a long while

This week I have been subbing in a kindergarten class. Their teacher has been doing testing and pre-registration stuff, so she is out until next Tuesday. I thought I had learned a lot in first grade, but kindergarten has taught me that first grade was cake. These kids are figuring out how to do school, and it's a riot. They seem to respond to discipline better than older grades, but their impulses are more wild, uncontrolled.

If they want to slug their neighbor, they will do it.

If they want to answer every question on their standards test wrong, they will.

If sticking rocks in their pants sounds like fun, then the rocks will enter the pants.

There is no sense of a self-check, or self-edit. They just do what they please.

Andy and I teach a junior high/high school Sunday School class, and then help lead youth group on Wednesdays. Most of our kids are in 6-7 grade. They are learning how to do life. They are testing their boundaries in all areas.

If they want to shout out answers, they will. And they are never the right answer.

If they want to stick their feet on their neighbor, they will.

If they want to run around and shriek, they will.

There is no sense of a self-check, or self-edit. They just do what they please.

And sometimes, I love it.

And sometimes, my fun meter is pegged pretty darn quick.

And this, this is why I need to wait to have children. I need to be a bit older, a bit more mature before I can handle this kind of thing full time.

For now, I will just borrow other people's kids and give them back when things get nutty.

And we have no idea what we are doing...at least, I don't

So today, emboldened by the warm spring air, I decided to tackle our front flower beds. The brief backstory on these beds is generally that they are terrible, much like the rest of our yard. Let's just say the people who lived here before didn't quite know what they were doing. Not that I do. But I have a brilliant mother-in-law who can coach me.

Today, however, today, I was on my own. At least for the 25 minutes I attempted to work before Andy got home. In that time, I discovered that all of the mulch they had laid had turned into a fungus. Talk about yuck. So my project was to clear the mulch. I'm about 1/3 done. Andy's project was to extend the flower bed (we need to cover up a pipe from some sewer work last fall...and extend and raise beds around the side and back of the house to help drainage). He's about 1/8 done. He marked the front yard and sprayed Round-Up while I played in mulch and tried to get rid of it. I filled my pockets really quickly. Just kidding. Now I'm all scratched and scratchy and sore. But we are making progress. I'll post pictures when it's all finished. So, about May of 2010.

It's a Turkey!

So, this past weekend was probably my idea of perfect. Friday night A and I drove to Purdue to spend the weekend with some of our most favorite people. I got to spend the weekend with Lauren and with Margo--just the three of us for quite a bit of it. It was perfect. I also got to spend some seriously sweet time with Jami, Liz, and Jennifer--I haven't seen those girls since early November, so this was a serious blessing. Friday night we went to Lovshack (yum on the calzone!...and on the eating out for the first time in forever!) and went bowling for the first time in years. I am basically the world's worst bowler--I always scored in the 50-70 range before...but on Friday I bowled a 125! And I got a turkey! I had never even heard of a turkey before. Here's a picture to prove my mad bowling skillz.

The rest of the weekend was spent with some seriously quality girl time, and a fun dinner with Andy, Margo, Lauren and Jeff. I don't think I have laughed that hard in weeks or months, even. We left WL late Saturday night and headed for home. On the way, I started to get a really nasty sore throat and headache, so we stopped at the Starbucks in Columbus (a real treat...since there isn't one within a 45 minute radius of our house) for a cup of tea. And....because we had a long wait due to an upset customer in front of us our drinks were free. So sweet. It was just the perfect topping to a perfect weekend :)

Fashion Fiesta

I am ready to bare my closet's soul. It's a sad little closet. Not the stuff inside of it, but the closet itself. There isn't nearly enough room for a real wardrobe, and I would love to have it redone.

My everyday "not at work" wardrobe. Lots of jeans, casual pants, and sweaters. As it gets warmer, tops that I think classify as "fashion tees" and things of the sort. Please don't judge the rubber ducky shower curtain holders. They were Andy's and he loves them. I think it gives the bathroom a bit of whimsy...and after last night's episode of The Office (which I didn't love), I want to make sure that I let him have what he wants in our house :)



My Sunday or going out for fun wardrobe. Lots of skirts, often paired with my jean jacket. A smattering of dresses (I would like to become more of a dress person...it seems so classy, and it's probably a lot easier to put together too). Or, if it's freezing (as it is from November-Marchish in IN) my Sunday wardrobe looks a lot like my work wardrobe.

My work wardrobe. I am a teacher. High school by degree, but I have been substitute teaching in a lot of elementary school classrooms as well. When I moved here this summer, there weren't any jobs open...so I'm becoming a jack of all trades this year. So, I tend to lean toward the modern young professional look that will wash well if someone gets glue, paint, or something disgusting on me. Lots of dress pants in a variety of colors, sweaters, button downs, and layers (because you never can tell what temperature a classroom will be.

Or here's a picture taken inside of the classroom about 2-3 weeks ago. The girls were getting nostalgic, since my time with them was coming to an end (I taught this first grade class for about 10 weeks). So they wanted a picture. I thought that started in junior high or high school....apparently not. (Faces removed to protect the cuties.)




Here's a picture from my 23rd birthday in February. This brown dress is one of my favorites. You can't tell in the picture, because the sweater covers a lot of it. It's sad, but it's what you've got to do in February in Indiana. Just know that it's darling.

And that will end our trip into my closet. I'm currently rebuilding my wardrobe. My college wardrobe needs a little updating into an adult wardrobe. I would love to start wearing more dresses, and accessorizing better. I'm gradually picking up new pieces, and refining my wardrobe. One thing that is kind of nice about moving to a place where your husband is the only person who knows you is that you can kind of experiment with what you wear, and no one will really know.

Time

Tomorrow is the first new episode of The Office since the start of the writers strike. I am quite delighted. I feel like I'll be reconnecting with old friends, and laughing my rear end off. What a combination.

Speaking of which, I should have that combination in my real life this weekend (as opposed to my imaginary tv life) when we visit Purdue! I am so, so excited. I feel like these past few weeks have been really disappointing and discouraging, and I am ready to rest and relax for just a bit. I need time to be with girls that I can real with....to share with them what's on my heart, and hear what's going on with them. I am so thankful for this opportunity to go and just be with them. I'm tearing up just thinking about it. :)

My least favorite thing

There is a mouse in our house. The second one since we moved in last September. I hate mice. Passionately. I haven't actually seen this one, but I've seen his damage. Oh boy have I seen his damage. Sometime today between 10:30 and when I got home (A was home sick today) he had infiltrated the pantry closet, eaten through a pack of English muffins, left lots of little mouse droppings, and gnawed off a huge chunk of the door, leaving sawdust pieces all over the floor. It was enough to make me want to vom. This mouse must be on stinking steroids. I would really like it if he died sometime while I'm out of the house, and A is able to get to him first. Like tomorrow, between 7 and 1....after I'm gone and before sweetie husband's lunch.

Do we just invite the trouble?

So, on Saturday night at about 10 pm, after enjoying a nice, wonderfully relaxing and productive day with my dearest husband, something happened. Something along the lines of another house problem. Like the water heater. It had some issues. The line into the water heater sprung a leak, and then a bigger leak, then a really big one....to the point where it flooded most of the little closet it is housed in. And we couldn't turn the silly water off for a long time. So I stood, holding this pipe up, trying to keep water from spraying all over our house as Andy tried to get the water to turn off. We fixed it Sunday without any real problems...it's just the principle of the thing. Seriously? How much more is going to break in this house?

In other news, I may not have as many days off as I originally intended. I took a look in my planner tonight and realized that somehow I am scheduled to work every day this week...and fifteen of the next twenty....and those last five may just fill up.

Big Week

It's been a big week around here. I finished up my job in first grade, and will now be back to subbing in a different class every day. Which means I have to go back to my lower daily rate of pay as well. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. My kiddos were sweet--the twins (who I can now admit were two of my three favorites...they are just so precious!) gave me a very sweet going away present. It's a bit bittersweet. I'm excited to have the chance for a day off again, but I'm really going to miss them. A lot of days I was working them, I felt completely underqualified (because I am) but by the end, we had a good system worked out.

In more exciting news, Andy got a new job (sort of a promotion, I guess) this week. He has to have some job training, in order to learn a new skill set, but he is officially only going to be doing only web design and video work from now on. We had a celebration dinner last night, with all his favorites--hamburgers on the grill, potato salad, and cake. Sadly, I fell asleep at 7:30 after working all day and coming home to make potato salad (I had no idea how involved it is...I think I'll buy it at the grocery store) and cake.