Past, Present, & Future

On our honeymoon last November, Josh arranged for us to eat at Cinderella's Royal Table. Since we were talking tonight about making reservations for our upcoming trip this November I thought I would post a few pictures from that trip. We're wearing our "Just Married" buttons, which got us many, many congratulations from Disney cast members. We had our picture taken with Cinderella as well, but it was not with our camera, but rather theirs. I don't currently have a digital file of it.

It's been crazy, busy, and stress-inducing week, but I am happy to say that everyday has had a ray of sunshine somewhere in it. I would appreciate some relief from the waves of tension that have been washing over me the past few days.

Saturday began with me waking up at 6:30 so that I could arrive at a training at the center at 8:00 AM. It was excellent, given by RIP (Regional Intervention Program), on their theories and strategies on dealing with behavior in children. Very beneficial, and I was one of 14 staff who attended the 4 hour training. Afterwards, I went over to my parents, and had lunch with them, my sister, & my sister-in law. We had chicken, mashed potatoes, peas, & gravy. Mmmm!

After we ate, I gathered up some boxes of things that I hadn't yet moved to the cabin, and Kimmie & I set off for a an afternoon/evening of sister time since Josh was away helping to chaperone a Christian youth retreat. We had a fun evening eating & playing Rock Band.

Sunday was a mainly typical day with church in the morning, lunch at Mamaw's, & evening church. The basic things that changed the day for me were going to a baptism for some members of the church Josh used to attend. It was in the Conasauga River and was a nice service. Also, I ended up a at church a few hours earlier than usual since Josh was driving separately, and he needed to help his dad with a few things. We had pint-sized projects that evening, so I got to spend time some time with some hilarious kindergarten boys. They do & say the funniest things.

Monday - Wednesday of this week had me exceptionally busy at work. The phone has been ringing a lot, I've been in classrooms a lot, and in general I've worn a lot of hats this week. I'm most certainly looking forward to the weekend, and I am going to relish some time out of the office tomorrow afternoon for lunch & a doctor's appointment @ the allergist.

So, why so stressed? Well, work itself is stressful, but mostly it's because I am again a student. I am going to pursue an MAT in Early Childhood Education, and it's a bit overwhelming. I'm easing in slowly this fall with an online course in Early Childhood at Cleveland State. Next semester will hold Master's Coursework at Lee. Between now and November 1st I have to take the Miller Analogies Test (I'll be taking it September 21st), which I dread simply because it is a timed standardized test. Besides that, I get to gather things like immunization records, references, fill out paperwork, get fingerprinted, etc.

Here's God's blessings & reassurance that I'm headed the right direction. Albeit I have some stress, I'm so excited about going back to school. A friend from Bible study is the person who helps to coordinate the MAT program, and she has been a wonderful help in answering my tons of questions. Also, most exciting is that TECTA (TN Early Childhood Teaching Alliance) will pay 85% of up to two class each semester (assuming they have funds) just because I took a 30 hour free orientation with them. They already paid 85% of my class this fall. Overall, I'll end up saving half the cost of the tuition for the Master's because they are willing to support my pursuit of early childhood education.

God is AWESOME. Josh is incredibly supportive too, and he's already been figuring out my class schedules for the next few years. It's thrilling & daunting all together. My knowns are starting to outweigh the unknowns, but there is still a lot to do. Pray for peace & clear focus for me as I embark on studying for the MAT on September 21st, and I get all my things together.