Something to be thankful for...

As with every year, I always have lots of things to be thankful for. I have a loving God, family, friends, and many blessings in my life.

This year our family is celebrating a little extra special joy in our lives. No, we're not proud parents yet (although I'm awfully ready...and still waiting until I'm finished with school and working full-time again. Sigh....Sigh...SIIIIGGGGGHHHH). But, you can now call me Aunt Amanda.

Jenny & Jud had their beautiful baby girl, Christianna, on Wednesday. She's a healthy 8 pounds 6 ounces and 21 1/2 inches long. It was an arduous delivery for Jenny, having to be induced after her water broke, having hours of laboring, and finally having to have a c-section because Christianna's head and shoulders were just too big. Thank you everyone for your prayers.

I can happily say that baby, mom, and dad are now doing well. And for those of you who know, I am also over the stomach virus that developed for me, ironically, when Jenny went into labor. I didn't get to see Christianna the day she was delivered because I was letting myself be fever (and vomit) free for 24 hours. Being a newborn is hard enough without yucky germs.

So, introducing Christianna:

Here's the beautiful girl.
Josh's first time holding her.

My first time holding her.

She's a very good natured baby. As you can see, she likes me. lol.

And, if you hadn't been able to tell from the Black Friday ads, then you might have been able to tell from our beautiful Christmas cactus (Thanks mom!), that Christmas is right around the corner.

So, after the hospital visit, we headed back home to drag out the Christmas decorations. Our Thanksgiving dinner has been postponed until Saturday when the whole family (new addition included) can be out of the hospital. I look forward to seeing my new niece grow up! I'm so glad that she and Jenny made it through delivery safely. Thank you Lord for your many blessings this year!

Another Thanksgiving Story

Ever the imaginative child, I had a good series of events, and some unexpected turns in this 3rd grade story. I enjoyed the surprise ending in this one. I'm guessing the prompt was, "Just as mom was taking the turkey out of the oven the unbelievable happened..."

Thanksgiving is coming!

I've been seriously MIA over the past few months. School and work have kept me very, very busy, and I haven't had much time to write or even read your blogs. I can't promise much over the weeks between now and Christmas, but I wanted to have a few special posts pre-Thanksgiving.


I found a folder of guided writing activities from 1992 when I was in 3rd grade. There are several that have a Thanksgiving theme, and I have had a few good laughs as I have read them.


So, here's the first one. It lists what I was thankful for in 1992. ;)

Nillie Bipper

Adore Creations will be at Nillie Bipper this Saturday and Sunday, October 2 & 3.

If you are by the TriState Exhibition Center in Cleveland,
come by and see me!


Nillie Bipper is from 10 AM - 5 PM both days.

Hope to see you there!

A Young Maiden, an Ogre, and a Prince

Once upon a time there was a young maiden, and she had a very special affinity for clothes. Born with short legs, she was stumped for most of her life when the time came for pant and trouser shopping, and often she would be seen as the royal seamstress having them hemmed.

But, hark! One day she came across such places as Petite Sophisticate, Ann Taylor Loft, and other clothes shops which catered to people such as herself. The pants not only fit, but they were the right length as well! She entered into a world of professional clothing, and her credit card balances soared, up, up, up into the clouds.

She was blissfully happy with her new wardrobe, and she had quite the plans for her suits, dresses, skirts, blouses, and slacks. But, alas, after only a short while, she found that she had no need for her fancy clothes. She was the director of a local daycare, and although she wanted to dress professionally, her clothes, which required special cleaning, did not find favor with playgrounds, nurseries, and small grubby hands. Loving the children that she worked with, and wanting to play with them, forced the young maiden to lock her clothes away in the depths of her closet...until one day they might be of use again.

The years passed, and the young maiden had a new adventure on the horizon. Becoming an apprentice teacher at a local school meant that yet again she would have use for her long forgotten clothes. But, her happily ever after is yet to be attainable.

Food, another love in her life, has interfered! The dreaded cellulite ogre has cursed her with such atrocities as the muffin top, back bulge, and flabby thighs! Whatever shall she do? Her wardrobe now does not fit, and it is nearing time for her apprenticeship.

What's that? What do I see on the horizon? It is prince charming, on his noble white steed! Ye gads, it seems that he has been visited by the cellulite ogre as well!

There is but one choice, remove temptations from the castle. Gone are the delicacies from the master baker, and in come the fruits of the royal gardener. A trip to the local thrift store brings in new wardrobe items (a size larger) to help the maiden along on her journey. She and prince charming will embark on a journey together. Not only into a new beginnings this fall, but also into a world of healthy eating, exercise, and moderation.

And if all goes as planned, they will live happily ever after.

Keep in touch.

I probably said that about fifty times today as I said goodbye to my workers. Today was my last day at work, and although I'll still be training my replacement on Sunday, this was the day that felt like my last.

I've discovered several things about myself in this process.

1) Although I'm often very hard on myself, and I don't feel like I meet up with my own expectations, I have lots of people out there who love me and look to me as a spiritual leader. Jesus tells us to be meek and humble, and although even I have my proud moments, I think part of my "take" on things may be a bit of what it's all about. If I thought I was fully capable of always handling the job, and I didn't think I did anything wrong, what would I have to aspire to? And how annoying of a boss would I have been? I always considered those around me to be better than me because if I could honor those around me as my teachers, then that helped me to be the leader I am.

2) It is possible to develop a very deep, agape love for those around you. As I reflected on leaving and what made me so sad, I realized it was how much I cared for my staff. I said this a lot, "I'm not going to miss the job, but I'm definitely going to miss the people." You see, I've noticed in the two instances now that I've had teachers who worked under my directorship that after a while I would start using the possessive pronoun, "my." I have thought on this before, and I realize that in order to create a supporting, loving, and effective working environment that you have to care very much about the well being of those who work under your leadership. As director, I have become very protective of my entire staff because I care so deeply about them and their lives. And, as long as I know them, I will still always be very protective of them because of the friendships we share.

3) When I am following God's will, I feel a peace about where He is sending me, and I don't have to worry about the unknowns that lie ahead for me. I'm super excited about starting student teaching next week, and I know the God is going to provide for me as I travel down the path He has placed ahead of me.

4) It all comes back to prayer. It's kind of funny in a way, but as I feel a peace about where I'm being sent, I feel the need to petition the Lord with prayer all the more. I can handle burdens myself more often than I can handle those that I have placed upon others. I can feel Satan attacking my thoughts as I think of all the people I have left behind who now have a BIG transition to adjust to. I am seeking His face to give comfort and peace to everyone.

5) I know the end of the story. I remember a sermon once, where the speaker was talking about not knowing all the details about the end of our time, but he did say this. "I know this. In the end, we win." You see, as much love as I have for those around me, I know someone who has an even greater love for those He created. And, for my fellow Christians, I know that even though I might not see you daily in this life, that one day we will be spending eternity worshipping our Lord, Protector, Creator, and Redeemer. I have a very cherished friend at the daycare remind me today that there are lifetimes and there are seasons in our lifetimes. And, for me this is just a season of my life. We will be friends for a lifetime, and if I may extend it, we'll be sisters in Christ for eternity. I thank God that one day there will be no tears, no pain, no dying, no suffering and NO GOODBYES! Because once we get to Heaven we will rejoice in His presence. And, I pray that each and every one of you in my life will be in Heaven with me that day! And, if you don't know how to experience that joy, I'd love to tell you how.

I'll leave you on a much, much, much, less serious note. As I have said my goodbyes, I had some very kind teachers and parents who gave me gifts, kind words, food, and fellowship. I thought I would share some pictures of some of the presents I received today.

Name that landmark!

And for a bonus question, what looks different about this Polk County landmark than on a typical summer day?

More pictures to come later. I'm busy with housework & homework this evening. Plus, I've been printing off educational resources to use in my classroom one day. Check out this website for some great folder games. I was really excited when I came across it. They're free, and the site was started by a Christian homeschool mom.

Since I only have 1 1/2 weeks left at my current job, I have left cards out with contact information for me so that I can keep in touch with everyone. So, welcome to any new blog readers! :)