I was so excited to get to go on Paige’s first field trip in Kindergarten. We visited our local pumpkin patch and the kids were able to go through the trail, listen to a presentation about how pumpkins grow, and pick our their very own pumpkin to take home!
In May, I was asked if I would be willing to consider coming back to Kids Count Preschool as a teacher. I’ve had the past 2 full years off to stay at home with Paige and Ryan and I’ve loved every single day of it, but with Paige starting Kindergarten in August it seemed like a good time to at least think about my return. I gladly interviewed (which was more of just a visiting session because I had already been hired and approved by our church’s elders years before) and expressed my desire to only work part time so I could still have alone days at home with Ryan, just as I had had with Paige.
2 months passed and I hadn’t really heard from the KCP board on way or another. At this point, I was getting frustrated because I’m the type of person that simply needs to know. If I was going to be teaching again, I needed to start researching lesson plans, classroom decor, etc…as well as putting those things into action. One Friday afternoon, I received a phone call from the new KCP director saying that it just wasn’t going to work out even though the board really wanted me back in the classroom. Because I expressed my desire to only work part time, they unfortunately couldn’t find another teacher that was also willing to work part time and they needed to hire someone willing to work all 5 days. I completely understood, of course, but I still took it personally and was devastated for the next 24 hours.
I honestly thought that I had prayed very hard about my return to work and really believed that God was telling me that this was the right time. But when that door closed, I was so confused, anxious, and angry quite honestly. How could I have misread what I know God was telling me to do? I felt like I had handed it all over to him and was letting Him lead me. Apparently I wasn’t and I hadn’t relinquished full control over to Him because first thing the next Monday morning, I got another call from the KCP director. She was telling me that just that morning, not even 5 minutes prior, they had found a teacher to back me in teaching part time. She even volunteered to teach W, Th, and F if I wanted to only teach 2 days per week. I completely knew it was a God thing then because I had secretly been hoping and wondering if there was any way possible to only work 2 days a week…but I had NEVER expressed that to anyone, not even Stephen. I had to make a decision on the spot. I couldn’t even hang up, discuss it all with Stephen, and then call the director back. She needed my answer immediately! I knew it was all in God’s plan and said “yes” right then.
I’m excited to be back in the profession I was designed for. I love the challenge that each day brings and the love that I get from my students. There are many times in a day that I truly love with my kids, but my absolute favorite has to be tucking them in at naptime. We go through our routine of taking turns going to the bathroom, washing hands, and going to lay down on napmats. After everyone is in their place, I go around to each child and pull their blanket up on them and pray with them and cover them in kisses and hugs, then tell them how much I love them. There’s nothing better than hearing them say “I love you too”. NOTHING.
I’m enjoying getting to be a teacher to my students 2 days per week and with Ryan the other 3 days. It’s a precious time with him that I won’t trade for anything else in this world.
My wonderful Gran turned 80 years old on Sept. 28 and we had her birthday celebration yesterday at our church. My mom and her sisters organized the event and it came out so nicely. There was tons of food, drinks, and friends and family. I think it was just what Gran wanted for her big day!
This is Gran with all 4 of her grandkids. The 4 of us were super close growing up and are more like siblings than cousins. Leslie is the youngest, Jordan is 3rd in line, Nathan is my elder by 9 whole days, and I’m 2nd in line.
We all enjoyed a great day in honor of my Ran-Gay!
Even though our Razorbacks haven’t had the best of season so far, we still jumped at the opportunity to go see them at home vs. Rutgers. We would get to go with my mom, Leslie and Zach, and even Paige! Paige has never been to a Hogs football game and she was super pumped. Even though we lost the game, the experience was well worth it~
Paige went back and forth between sitting with me and sitting with her Daddy. Sitting with Stephen was the best for her because it’s really not often that she gets to watch a football game with him-he’s normally the one doing the coaching! She had lots of questions and was very interested in learning the game.
Leslie, me, and Mom…such a good time~
We missed Ryan on this trip, but it’s so important to us to have some one on one time with Paige. I think she enjoyed our undivided attention!
One of my sister’s great friends got married last night and since Leslie is out of the country, I got to be the the next best thing to Les. Avery has to be one of the sweetest, most gracious women I’ve got to meet. She met her now husband online at one of Kelly’s Korner “Show Us Your Singles” link-ups and their story is just really neat! Since we knew the reception would last awhile we decided not to take either of our kids…and they had a blast with grandparents. Stephen and I got a small date night out, just the 2 of us!
Must love self portrait iPhone pictures! 
The not so fun part of the night happened when we were driving from the reception to Stephen’s parents house to pick up Ryan. Everything was going well when literally out of nowhere, a large deer darted into the driver’s side of our Durango. Thank goodness Stephen was driving because I’m not sure how I would have reacted. We pulled over to the shoulder and called the local police department. None of us (we had our 13 year old niece with us) were injured, but I knew we would need a police report to have the damage fixed.
We waited an entire hour before anyone showed up to take the report! There were several county sheriff cars, police cars, and even State police that drove by without stopping. We called the local police back to see what was going on and they told us there was a more severe accident that needed their attention first. We were patient for awhile and then it just got funny. What could we do but laugh? Finally a really nice State policeman stopped and quickly took the accident report and we were on our way. I think it took about 1 1/2 hours total from when the deer committed suicide by running into our vehicle to when we were able to drive off!
We spent the evening of the 4th of July in Ozark along the river. We of course celebrated America’s birthday, but we tagged on JB and Greg’s birthdays as well. We had a fish and hushpuppy fry and I made the birthday cake.
Parker, Paige, and Kelby are inseperable during the summer. It seems like they’re constantly together and really never get tired of one another.
Aw, my boys in their boonie hats. It just makes me smile! Paige had already headed down to the beach with Stephen’s brother and his family, so she didn’t get in the “before we hit the sand” pic.
It was nice to sit in my beach chair next to my MIL Peggy and my SIL Amanda. The guys and our older nieces were great to keep the kids entertained so we could enjoy our new books and our Cokes!
Our daily routine was to take the kids down to the beach or to the pool from about 9am-11:30 or so. Once lunchtime rolled around Stephen and I would take our kids upstairs and fix their lunch. Sometimes before and sometimes after lunch, Ryan would get a quick bath to remove all excess sand that creeps into swim diapers and lands in ungodly places. Once he was clean and relaxed, we would lay him down in his pack and play for his naptime. Stephen’s dad has always been so good to volunteer to stay upstairs with my napping babies and this year was no exception. Many afternoons Papaw JB would nap right alongside Ryan. Paige, Stephen, and I were free to go back to the beach and have a tad more freedom without having to worry about Ryan.
More Later…
I’m afraid there’s no good way to include all of the pictures from our vacation, so I’ll break it up into posts.
We left on Friday afternoon and drove all the way through to Hattiesburg, MS. We made it in time to check into our hotel and go eat at Outback before we got the kids bathed and tried to settle them in for the night! Our kids have always slept in their own beds in their own bedrooms so sharing one room with them was a challenge. We finally got Ryan asleep in our bed and Paige asleep in the other bed. When we woke the next morning, we were ready to hit the road quickly and make it to the beach!
Stephen’s parents rented a minivan and the 4 of us rode with them in the van. I actually drove the entire way down! Anyway, we had room for us to switch passengers often and that helped to keep the kids entertained. Ryan, Parker, and Paige thought the hotel luggage rack was a wonderful toy! You can see Paige eating her breakfast of champions, Sunny D and Chex Mix.
It took us most of the day on Saturday to maneuver all the way to Orange Beach. Once we got there, we immediately (before even going to the condo!) drove to a Mexican restaurant that Stephen and I discovered on our last beach trip. It’s really wonderful food and they have an outdoor patio that we enjoy sitting under. Most of the time there’s live music and lots of people watching to do!
Once we did make it to the condo, it was getting late and we knew we needed to make it to the grocery store. The ladies went to shop and the men stuck around the condo to take the kids to the beach for the first time.
More later….
What a great way to spend our 9th anniversary…on the beach! It’s hard to imagine that Stephen and I have been married for 9 years now and have 2 incredible children. I’m so thankful each and every day to say that Stephen is my husband. Here are my 9 favorite things about my husband:
1. He’s a rockin’ Dad to Paige and Ryan. I didn’t know my love for him could grow anymore until I saw him being a Daddy.
4. He’s never too busy to not crack a joke or just be dumb! Stephen is just a big kid wrapped up in an adult’s body. He loves to laugh and have a great time.
5. I love that he likes to play with our kids. Honestly, I’m really bad about sitting down and actually playing-I can teach them, show them how to do laundry and cook, etc but I’m awful at playing.
8. If I cook it, he WILL eat it! Stephen has a great appetite.
9. We just fit together. From our very first date, I think both of us just knew that our dating other people thing was done. I can’t go an hour without talking or texting him. I need his affirmation all the time because I depend on him so much.
Stephen, it blows my mind to know we’ve been married for 9 years. I feel like they years have flown by and I know each coming year will do the same. I love you way more than I did on June 21, 2003 and I didn’t even know that was possible! You’re my rock, my patience, my level head, my calm in the middle of my storm, and the PB to my J! I love you more!
Added:
Day 2 on the beach started much the same as Day 1. Get up, breakfast, gather beach supplies, and head down to the sand!
I’ve pretty much been in denial about this for a couple of months, but I’m having to come to terms with the fact that our good friends the Narrettos are moving back to Conway at the end of this month. It’s crazy to think that we didn’t even know who Brian and Brittany Narretto were this time last year and now they are our closest friends.
We met Brian and Brittany in July of 2011 when they moved here from Conway so Brian could join Stephen’s football coaching staff. We grew closer and closer to them as the school year progressed and have made lifelong friends now. They are a founding couple in our Sunday School class that began in November and precious leaders wherever they are. Brittany and I got to go through Beth Moore’s James Bible study together and grew as prayer partners and accountability friends. It’s not uncommon for us to text and call multiple times a day/week to just have a “brain dump”. I can tell her literally anything and she’s always going to be uplifting and encouraging. I can count on her 100% of the time to pray for whatever is going on. Nothing is ever too minor for her to pray for. I’m honored that she’s allowed me to lift her up on multiple occasions throughout our time together.
Stephen and I both know that we’ll constantly talk to Brian and Brittany even though they’re moving 75 miles away. We’re happy for their move because they are going back home, but our hearts are heavy because our friends won’t be 5 minutes away anymore. I’ve cried several times!
We love the Narrettos and are so thankful God led them to us, even if it was only for 10 months. Our lives are better because we know them!
Paige is finished with her career as an AWANA Cubbie! This was her 3rd year to participate (it’s set up to be a 2 year program, but because we are held her out from Kindergarten she got 3 years in.) and Paige was a pro by the end of the year.
