A child of God educating other children.

I am totally loving this whole registry thing. Although Tim and I were kinda burnt out after spending a couple hours in each store and ready to just get it over with...it's fun to go back and look at the registry and see everything we might get. The other night I was bored and decided to shop some more online and started choosing a few odds and ends that would be fun/nice to have.

It's still kinda weird thinking that I'll be living with a male in 2 months. He'll be my husband, it just seems kinda weird 'cause it'll be a whole new experience.

Target
Home Depot
Bed Bath and Beyond

Posted in: on Monday, May 22, 2006 at at 5:06 PM 0 comments    

Tim and I got our engagement pictures taken today. We had a lot of fun. I am real pleased with the photographer we have. He's a man in my dad's church and was great to work with. His wife came out also and helped. They'll be a great team to work with more.

Posted in: on Saturday, May 20, 2006 at at 7:13 PM 1 comments    

I enjoyed reading when I was little, but when I got into junior high and I was required to read for school, and books that they picked out for us, I quickly lost interest in reading. I'm always amazed by people who love to read and spend their spare time reading. So last summer I got myself back into reading and love it!

I just finished reading "Hoot." It's out in theatres now, but I wanted to read the book before going to see it. I absolutely loved the movie "Because of Winn Dixie," I saw it 3 times. And I recently got that book too, but I'm having such a hard time reading it since I've already seen the movie and know what to expect.

I didn't want to do that with Hoot since I have heard it is such a great story. And it is! The book kept my attention the whole time. There are a couple of curse words in the book, and then it'll just say, "So and so said a few curse words." I'm hoping that they use no language or little if necessary in the movie. I just think it's unnecessary to get a point across. You can describe someone's anger without using fowl language.

The story l ine is great, and I hope the movie captures it just as well as it is written by Carl Hiaasen. Tim is coming in town today so maybe I can get our family to go watch it before he leaves Saturday evening.

Posted in: on Friday, May 19, 2006 at at 7:34 AM 4 comments    

In the midst of all of the wedding excitement and stress my mind and heart has not been able to leave one of my kindergarten students. He shows up in my dreams and I think about him every day. I didn't realize how much these kids really find a home in my heart. I have been praying for him and thinking about him so much. I emailed my cooperative teacher today to say hi and ask a favor and to see how he is doing. She doesn't know right now. He has missed a week of school. She said she would let me know how he is when she sees or hears of him next. My heart feels broken right now as I sit here in tears for fear of what he is going through right now. A five year old should not have the rough life he has, but he does. The teachers classroom should be a safe place for students to go to and forget about their worries of their hard lives. This child has not had that opportunity this week, and that breaks my heart. He doesn't have his loving teacher and friends to see and share a hug and smile with every day. All I can do is pray for God's protection over him, and trust that God will take care of my little soldier.

Posted in: on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 at at 8:31 PM 1 comments    

Mom and I ordered the wedding cake and groom's cake today. We don't have a picture of what it will look like, we kinda picked and chose things from a couple different cakes that we like and the people are going to make it for us.
So the cake will be a surprise on the wedding day along with the bouquets. I know it'll all look beautiful.
Invitations should be going out tomorrow. We have one more thing to add to it, then put them in the addressed envelopes and they're good to mail.
Tomorrow I meet with the photographer and talk about what all he can do and what I want.

Posted in: on at at 11:07 AM 0 comments    

A lot has been going on lately. I've been engaged for 3 weeks now. We've got well over half the wedding planned. I am in the middle of sending out invitations, and I'm meeting with a photographer on Thursday. I'm praying that I really like his work, and that he's got an art of photography, 'cause that would be a huge prayer answered. And it's a big plus that he goes to our church and my family knows him. Besides wedding plans, my family met most of Tim's family on Thursday. That went really well. Dad keeps telling me how much he likes Tim's family. And then Saturday I graduated! So now I just need to continue with wedding plans and keep on top of finding a teaching job also. I need to apply to a few more school districts this week.
*The random butterfly picture is just to brag on my great photography skills this weekend. :) I really did take that picture!

Posted in: on Sunday, May 14, 2006 at at 7:25 PM 1 comments    

Mom and I paid for all the flowers we'll need for the wedding. I don't have a picture to show for my bouquet or my bridesmaid's bouquets, but I have a picture that we worked from with the florist to make smaller bouquets. They'll be really pretty, but it's hard to describe. I showed her this picture and she was amazed by it, but was truthful with the pricing. The girls will have 1 pink hydrangea with 1 cream gerber daisy in the middle with little white daisies around it and some greenery. Mine will have 2 pink hydrangeas and 5 cream gerber daisies in the bouquet and 3 cream gerber daisies cascading from the bouquet with some lilly grass...or something like that. And then the little white daisies all through with some greenery.

Posted in: on Tuesday, May 09, 2006 at at 3:09 PM 0 comments    

David's Bridal Expressions Collection in Pool.

Posted in: on Sunday, May 07, 2006 at at 1:54 PM 3 comments    

I moved back home for the summer last night. I wanted to be able to go with my family to get my sister's bridesmaid dress...and I am sooo glad I did that.

I got home around midnight, talked to my family for about 5 minutes then went to sleep. I woke up about 9, took our time getting around, then went to Bossier City, Louisiana which has the closest Davids Bridal to us. We found the dress and in the size that Katelin needs, just not the color. The lady helping us went to check the date of when the dress could be in the soonest...and the date is July 29th. A week after the wedding! Ummm...not gonna happen!

So I called the Davids Bridal where I got my dress, and they didn't have the dress in store, and I was bummed and about to hang up, when the lady stopped me real quick and gave me 2 numbers to Davids Bridals that are showing they have the dress in the store...exact style, color and size we need. I tried the first number which was another Louisiana store, and the number wasn't a working number. So I called the Colorado store she gave me...and they have the dress!!!

So on Monday they should be mailing the dress home, and then Mom will find someone to alter the dress for Katelin.

God has really been generous with this wedding. I fall in love with the most popular color for weddings this summer. Try to do a wedding in less than 3 months, and am told that it will take that long for the dresses to be ordered...but God worked it out so that my 4 bridesmaid dresses that my bridesmaids like can all get in, in time for the wedding. Amazing!

Mom and I searched for pictures of bouquets online tonight. We'll probably go to a florist Monday or Tuesday. I also searched for photographers in town and found a few of them with websites and emailed them for rates and if they are available the day of the wedding. So I'm praying for that and waiting for replies. Dad is also going to check with people at church if they do photography or know someone who does a great job.

I got an email back from Kym about the wedding bands. I need to look at the ones she suggested. It looks like the wedding bands are more difficult than I thought they would be.

I think Tim also reserved our honeymoon place today. So that's all taken care of.

All of this wedding stuff really drains me. It has been a super long day with it being all about wedding. Hopefully it wont take much longer to figure everything out, and then I'll have some time to relax. I've been engaged for 2 weeks and I've worked on wedding stuff every single day. We do have more than half the wedding planned though, so at least we're getting somwhere!

Posted in: on Saturday, May 06, 2006 at at 7:25 PM 2 comments    

I get my color choice of bridesmaid dresses! We are going with "pool" from David's Bridal. Glory (Tim's sister) set up an appointment to try on dresses on Monday and ordered her dress which will be coming in on June 12th. Grace and Nancy (Tim's sister and mom) looked at dresses and ordered one for Grace on Tuesday, and it's coming in on June 15th. I just ordered Brooke's (my sister-in-law) dress today and it will be coming in on June 14th. Now I just have to get Katelin (my sister) a dress, which will get done this Saturday.

I'm moving home for the summer on Friday. I was planning on going on Saturday, but I want to be there when my sister tries on bridesmaid dresses.

I am so in awe and amazed with how smoothly everything is coming together. I can see God's hand in every step of the planning. Tim and I settled on wedding invitations and I'm about to order those so we can get them out in a timely manner. I was super nervous last week about if we'd have enough time to get everything together, but July 22nd seems ordained by God for Tim and I to get married then. The road blocks I thought we've hit have just been little bumps that God has flown right over. And God has even had things done that I wasn't even planning to happen...such as my wedding dress. How amazing it was that I didn't even plan to get one so early, but God knew how much time I would need for it to be altered and ready for me...and it was the right time and place to get the one I love.

Also today Nancy (Tim's mom) called to tell me the good news about the rehersal dinner. She called around town today to figure out a place for them to stay while they are down for the wedding, and also for places to cater or go for the rehersal dinner. She found 3 deals, 2 of which are great and would be awesome for either way she chooses.

Tim and I are almost set on a honeymoon place also. We're down to about 3 different places to choose from.

I am amazed with how great and fast things are coming along. Praise God for His mighty hand and moving mountains for all of this running smoothly.


Next prayer requests:
*I still need to apply to a couple more school districts for jobs.
*I can focus on my schooling/job application process and get that out of the way...or to a place where I can relax and rely on God. This means taking a little time off from wedding plans.
*We can find a dress for Katelin on Saturday or that one can be ordered to come in the middle of June.
*Invitations get to us in a timely manner so we can send them out in time for a heads up for out-of-towners (which is pretty much everyone).
*That Tim and I find time to do wedding registries before I move home on Friday.
*Tuxedo/suit choices will not take long and that we can get groomsmen measurements and the tux/suit we decide on.
*I can decide on flowers for the wedding. I haven't even started looking into that yet.
*That we can decide on the honeymoon place in time to book it far enough in advanced.

Posted in: on Wednesday, May 03, 2006 at at 5:58 PM 0 comments    

I have 2 more days of student teaching. Tomorrow will be my last full day student teaching. Tuesday I may have a sub for the first half of the day, and then the second half will be spent with the students saying bye. I learned a lot of discipline strategies with kindergarten 'cause thats mainly all kinder is.

Wedding stuff:
We've got the date set: July 22, 2006 at 2pm.
We've got the church and reception place: Dad's church.
We've got the pastor.
I've got my dress paid for and will pick it up on June 23rd.
We've decided on our wedding party.
We're almost finished with our invitation list and invitations.
We've only been engaged for 8 days now. And are getting married in less than 3 months.
It's a short time to plan a wedding, but so far things are falling into place.

My new prayer request for the wedding...
Bridesmaids dresses.
It takes 12 weeks for the dresses to come in if we order them. The wedding is in 12 weeks. Er goes a problem. So this is what I'm thinking. I'm sticking to my color. My bridesmaids are going to go try on the dress style they want in the size they need then we will call and search every Davids Bridal necessary to get the dress. If all else fails we'll switch the color and go with whatever we can get our hands on.
Pray that God will lead us to the right dresses.

Also pray for my stress level and emotions. I am super emotional...excited, happy, nervous, and frustrated all at once. Last night I developed a headache while sleeping and figured that it's probably because I was stressing about the wedding in my sleep. Don't know what I was dreaming about, just know that it made my head hurt.

Schooling...
I went to my first job fair on Saturday. I think it went okay. I don't know really 'cause I have nothing to compare it to. This Friday I have another one, but it's a different format, and I'm really hoping it works out well 'cause I would love to teach in the district I'm in now. But again, God knows what is best for Tim and I, and He has the plans already worked out, so I'll go with the flow, and see what comes out of all of this.

Posted in: on Sunday, April 30, 2006 at at 8:59 PM 2 comments    

Ahhhh!
Debra and I went to David's Bridal to show her the color of my bride's maids dresses and she talked me into trying on wedding gowns. We picked out 5 of them on account of me liking them and the price being reasonable. And we found one that I fell in love with and it's Debra's favorite of them on me also. The ladies at the store were shocked to find out that I hadn't gotten a dress yet and my wedding is on July 22nd, but then understood when they found out I've only been engaged for one week now.
I called Mom and Dad today and asked if I can buy the dress tomorrow 'cause I need to send it in for alterations and cleaning, which will take 6-8 weeks to get back. And they said yes! The dress is discontinued, so I can't show people pictures online...plus I can't let Tim see it. Tomorrow Debra and I will take more pictures of the dress so I can show my parents and a select few. :)

God absolutely has this wedding in His hands. I can already tell by how well things are coming together. Now I need to definately make sure my brides maids get their dresses so we can make sure they get to us on time.

All of this is so exciting and wearing me out! I have never been so excited for such a long time. And I have a feeling I'll be excited for the next 2 1/2 months as everything comes together.
Lots of things to do!

Posted in: on Saturday, April 29, 2006 at at 7:56 PM 0 comments    

The more I try to think of things for the wedding, the more clueless I find out I am. I don't know where to start.
We've already got our first conflict. We're wanting to get married July 22, 2006 (this Summer). But, Tim is suppose to be at a camp in Knoxville the week of the 22nd and be done on the 21st...but that's not early enough for him to make it for when his family comes to town early for the wedding. So we're waiting to hear back from someone tomorrow to see if they will be able to take Tim's place so Tim can get married. I know God has everything under control...I just hate to wait.
I've been looking at brides maids dresses. I like David's Bridal where I can pick the color and then the bridesmaids can pick the style. Their dresses are pretty expensive though. I'll have to look around some more. Is $130 too much for a bridesmaids dress...or is that normal? I figured I'd get the bridesmaids dresses under way first and then worry about my own dress. The color that I am leaning towards is called "pool." I don't want to do pinks or periwinkle or red. Those have all been done or want to be done by family. I like the advertisements that David's Bridal have put out using pool. I like the bright splash of color. I'm still not completely sure though. Feedback on that would be nice.

I've been getting to bed really late with all this wedding stuff on my mind. I need to wake up extra early tomorrow so I can get to school early and set up for us to make Ladybug Hangers. I need to prep the hangers and make circle die cuts in the morning. It'll be fun!

Posted in: on Thursday, April 27, 2006 at at 7:33 PM 2 comments    

I'll tell you my side of the story tomorrow hopefully, but until then here's Tim's recap. He also has more pictures of the proposal on his site too.

Posted in: on Monday, April 24, 2006 at at 7:31 PM 7 comments    

I'm still battling my allergy/sinus stuff I got last week. Mom got me some Target brand pseudephed(sp?) this weekend which is helping. The pharmacist told us it's a stimulant...and that it is. Usually that stuff makes me drowsy, but this I guess is designated non-drowsy although the box doesn't say so. Last night right before going to bed I took some of that medicine so I could breathe while I slept...except forgot that it's a stimulant. I tossed and turned until around 10pm trying to figure out why I couldn't fall asleep, then remembered what the pharmacist said about the medicine. I forced myself to sleep and finally got some sleep. I fell into a deep sleep that I woke up several times during the night thinking that I was sleeping through my alarm. Even waking up at 12:30am thinking that. Tonight I'll take the correct medicine for my allergies.

I had my first dream of one of my students. One of our boy's birthdays was last week, so that was the gist of my dream topic. He wasn't in class today, so I hope he is feeling okay and will be there tomorrow. We did get back one of our students that was sick all last week, so that was nice to have him back. I really enjoy teaching and being there for my students.

Posted in: on Monday, April 17, 2006 at at 7:02 PM 0 comments    

I have really enjoyed my weekend home with my family. My dad's parents have been home for the weekend also. I love family, and am blessed to have this time with them. Only a couple more weeks until I am home for the summer. I leave today to go back for school. I miss Tim a lot. I wish he could've came home this weekend with me, but we'll be making a road trip next week to see Jon and Brooke and then Tim's brother and sister-in-law. It's been forever since I've seen Jon and Brooke, so it's defiantely time. And that will make for a good Birthday present for me. I talked to my friend Kelle from Abilene yesterday and found out that her brother and sister-in-law just moved to my parent's home town last week, so I called them and invited them to come to church today. So that will be fun to get to see them again. I am so happy it is Easter. What a wonderful day to worship Christ. The weather is gorgeous and everything is good.

Posted in: on Sunday, April 16, 2006 at at 7:08 AM 0 comments    

I'm trying to fight off some allergy/sinus/cold thing I've got goin' on. 2 nights ago I slept with my window open and I ended up getting some really bad allergies. Last night I had the windows shut, but then got hot with my lack of a/c and developed a cough. We've had a few kids out sick this week, and a few more not feeling well during the day. Something is definately going around. When I had my tonsils I was good at figuring out what was going on with my body, but now not so much. I feel like I'm having to read myself all over again.
I just applied to two more school districts tonight, and now it's time for bed.

Posted in: on Wednesday, April 12, 2006 at at 6:48 PM 0 comments    

Tim added lots of my senior pictures to his photo album on his blog. More that I like, and a few that I don't. Here's the link for those...

Senior Pictures

Posted in: on Monday, April 10, 2006 at at 6:51 PM 0 comments    

Every day so far traffic has been good. I drive the opposite way than the main traffic all the way to school...but today was a mess. I left the house at 6:50 which will usually get me to school at 7:30 if I take my time...some times earlier. But today I didn't get to the school until 8:15. I spent over an hour on the road this morning. The only thing I heard on the news that was the reason for the traffic was over 10 miles away from where I got in the line of traffic. Either route I could choose to get to the school would have taken me to the heart of the problem. After traveling 2 miles in 20 minutes the accident was cleared and the traffic had lightened up. It was still thicker than usual, but I was able to go the speed limit.

Today was also suppose to be my first full day teaching Kindergarten...which I did do most of it, but my teacher still stepped in and helped with a few things...which I am very grateful for. Getting to the school late when planning on getting there early to make sure I had everything in order really through my day off so I was a little frazzled. The students didn't seem to notice the difference. I did get bombarded when I walked in the room though. It was so cute. Even some of the boys who hadn't given me a hug before hurried over and hugged me. That was a nice turn of events.

Posted in: on at at 6:45 PM 0 comments    

I decided to make my own graduation announcements instead of paying for the expensive official announcements the school is selling. I figured I can try to do something like those picture Christmas cards...or make my own announcements with the envelope and send a picture with it...I'll figure that out within the next 2 weeks.
Debra was so nice to cut and style my hair today before Tim and I went to the Botanic Gardens for him to take my pictures. I like how they turned out...and if it didn't take so long to post the pictures on here, I would've put more. I made a cd of the pictures to take home so my family can help me choose which picture/s to use for my graduation announcements.
But here's a sneak peek of some of the 100+ pictures taken...

Posted in: on Sunday, April 09, 2006 at at 5:16 PM 4 comments