Loving Fall

Has it really been over 4 months since I have updated this blog?!? Yikes! Life has been....well, interesting. I have been unemployed, not loving the idea that I do not have a full time job (I do teach 5 hours a week right now). I have started dating a wonderful guy who I can see a future with. I have seen my sweet sis move across the mountains. I graduated from my master's program at SPU. I was a part of a dear friend's wedding. I was involved in a small group full of amazing people who are now some of my closest friends. I have spent some time on the Oregon coast which has now become one of my favorite places. I have been able to enjoy some great books. I have had some good times with friends. Most importantly, I have had some time to reflect on life and deepen my relationship with God. Although these last few months have not been my favorite, I have learned so much about God and what He has for me.

Here are a few pictures from some of my favorite times over these last few months:

Enjoying a morning walk on Cannon Beach

Enjoying one of the many auntie/sister days of the summer.

Loving some Tillamook ice cream in Manzanita.

Spending the day with some of my favorite coworkers.


Micah and I baking some yummy goodness.

My best friend, Julie, who I spent a lot of treasured time with this summer! Love her!

Having fun bowling with some dear friends

Katriina, the beautiful bride!

Judy, I and the boys enjoying some fun during my graduation party.

Despite the whole job situation, life has been full and good. I am blessed!

More Sister and Auntie Time

I love having the best sisters and the cutest niece and nephews in the world! I love being a sister and an auntie!

Earlier this week, Heather and the boys came my way for a day of fun! We went to the Kirkland waterfront (one of my favorite areas around here) for some playground fun, a picnic and a walk on the pier. We then came back to my place and played and baked some cookies. It was such a fun day that went by way too fast!

Levi takes some of the best naps at my house! I love his little face!

Micah is such a great helper in the kitchen!

Cannon Beach

Last week, my coworker friend Suzie and I took a trip to Cannon Beach on the Oregon Coast. I LOVED every minute of this vacation! It was so relaxing, refreshing and full of laughter! It was great to spend some time with Suzie and just enjoy the ocean. I love being near the ocean, there is something so peaceful about that place. I am looking forward to heading back down there in a few days for my family vacation.

Each morning and evening I was able to take a walk along the beach. It was breathtakingly beautiful and a great way to spend some time praying and reflecting about all that has been going on lately. Here are a few shots from my walks.






Our week consisted of a lot of relaxing, reading, a trip to Tillamook, shopping, sight seeing and taking a few trips to Manzanita as the sun appeared to show up there more than at Cannon Beach!

Sister and Auntie Time

A couple weeks ago, a made a trek over to eastern Washington to visit my sis, bro-in-law, niece and nephew. It was a short trip but oh so fun! My sister was able to go on a day trip with her best friend while I stayed and played with two of my favorite little people. We had a great time. We took a walk to a nearby park and enjoyed the sunny day. Here are a few pictures from the day:

Elias and Sydney enjoying some stroller time in the cool shade.

Love her!


I am pretty sure this is my favorite picture of Elias to date! Love his smile!

Elias is in love with Sydney's baby doll!

Loving Auntie time!

Sweet Summer Days!

Okay, I really am getting used to these lazy, spontaneous summer days! This week has truly been amazing and relaxing. I could get used to this! :) Amidst all of the fun times, I continue to look for a job and gear up for my last quarter of my master's program which starts on Monday!

Here are a few highlights from my week:

1) Having Heather and the boys over at my house to play and eat lunch together. I loved having them here and we will have to do that again.
2) Having a coffee date with a dear friend who seems to know me better than I know myself.
3) Having a nice dinner with Julie. I treasure these one-on-one times with my BFF because they are far too rare!
4) Shopping guilt free because of gift cards.
5) Getting a pedicure and my eye brows waxed...so refreshing!
6) Sitting the the backyard today with Julie: laughing, crying, reminiscing and sharing our hearts.
7) Waking up in the mornings with nowhere to go...enjoying a good breakfast and some coffee before I start the day.
8) Having a lunch date with some dear coworkers whom I already miss.
9) Being able to spend some quality, not rushed time with God.
10) Having time to read for pleasure.

I know this season will only last a short time and my goal is to look back on this summer with no regrets and to see growth (and find a job :).

Saying Goodbye...

Well I am officially checked out of my classroom at ECS. This has been a sad and painful goodbye as it was not my choice and this place has become my home over the last three years. I had the privilege of leading the staff in devotions last week and I shared with them this verse:

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I will always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident in this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:3-6

The staff that I have had the privilege of working with over the last three years is phenomenal. I truly feel like we are family and they will always be a part of me. I really appreciated what my dear friend Todd said in his closing prayer the other day about how those leaving would always feel a part of ECS and live in the knowledge that this will always be their home. That prayer helped me put things in perspective and realize that there are many people there that would love to see me from time to time and I am not going to let anything or anyone get in the way of me returning and visiting the people I call family.

As I have reflected on the last three years at ECS, I have been aware of the amount of growth that has taken place in my own life and I am truly grateful for that. I know that is because of the people God has placed in my life. Here is something else I shared with the staff:

Things I have Learned During My Time at ECS

• It is magical when you find someone to share cake with, one person who doesn't like frosting and the other person who doesn't like cake.
• Laughter truly is the best medicine. It's okay to snort and have an unusual/annoying laugh.
• The lunchoom is a place of letting your guard down and just being you.
• It is fun to make a fool of myself in front of my students and staff.
• It's okay to make mistakes, you live and you learn.
• It's okay to be myself (happy, sad, goofy, angry and frustrated) exactly in the moment and I shouldn't hide anything. I have to be honest with myself and others.
• God has gifted me as a teacher.
• I have truly come out of my shell. I am no longer this quiet, shy person. I have become comfortable with all of the staff. I am free to be goofy and speak my mind.
  
• I have found friends who celebrate me for who I am, not who they think I should be.
• God's grace and love is unconditional and complete.
• There is such a thing as having a family outside of your own.
  

It is hard packing up so many great memories (and SO much stuff) but I look forward to continuing the friendships I have started for a long time to come.

I will leave you with some pictures from the last week of school.

Some of my sweet kiddos who were celebrating their summer birthdays.

Me posing with the awesome kleenex box Julie gave me on the day I said goodbye to the staff.

Apparently I didn't get the memo that I needed to act sad for this picture, there sure were many tears after this though!

My "BFF" Julie. :) Love her!

Heather, Micah and Levi were so helpful in cleaning up and keeping me sane during one of the roughest times I have ever experienced!

I know that God has wonderful plans for me and I look forward to seeing what those are. In the meantime, I trust that He has me in the palm of His hand and will guide me to the perfect job.

Living and Learning

Wow, it has been a while since I have posted on here. Not even sure anyone is following me anymore since I have been so lame at updating this thing!

My life has taken many turns since the last post, too many to recount right now. The biggest turn is losing my beloved job. This has been such a painful time in my life but I am already seeing how God is using it for His good.

Throughout these last few weeks, I have received tremendous support from my family, friends, coworkers and parents. This has helped me truly believe in myself and also believe that I am a great teacher who has made a positive impact on so many lives. That is priceless and no one can take that away from me.

I am so thankful for the friends I have made at this school and I hope that these friendships last a long time, even with distance. I cherish these friends. Some of my coworkers are the closest friends I have, friends that know everything about me and yet still support and love me. That is priceless!

How do you pack up three years worth of wonderful memories and say goodbye to the people and place that means so much to you? I haven't found that answer yet. There have been so many tears, so much pain and so many unanswered questions. Through it all though, one thing has remained constant and that is God's love and presence. This is what has carried me through and seen me this far.

This next week is going to be extremely hard for me and I am sure there will be many more tears but I know there will also be laughter and more memories to make. I have started packing up my classroom and thankfully I have had help by my sis and nephews which has made this process a little less painful.

Over the last few weeks, I have had two very promising job interviews and I hope to hear back from at least one of those schools this week because it will make saying goodbye a whole lot easier, knowing I have another destination.

I am not sure how to close out this wonderful chapter in my life and I am not sure I am ready to either. Saying goodbye is so hard, especially when it is to people that mean the world to you. I know that there is a long road ahead that will see many more tears but I also know that God will make something good out of this and I need to trust that.

I will close with some pictures of the people that have impacted my life since teaching at ECS.

Two precious boys I had the privilege of teaching.

My most loyal and amazing friend, Julie.

Suzie and Sally, just a few of the teachers that I grew to love and bond with.

My sweet class from this year.

Angela, my traveler friend and Todd, my encouraging, honest and sound advice friend.

Signs you didn't get enough sleep last night...

1. You freak out when walking out of Starbucks to find your car not there, only to realize that you are looking for your old car and not the car you now own.
2. Spilling coffee on the chair you are supposed to sit in during the day.
3. Calling one of your boys a girl's name.
4. While praying out loud, you end the prayer with "Hello" instead of "Amen".
5. You look down to realize that your clothes really don't match.

Yes, indeed, all of these things have happened already today and it is only 9am! Running on two hours of sleep is not the best! Good thing my kiddos are so cute and lovable because they make the day a bit more manageable!

A Great Afternoon!

Today was full of ups and downs! It included major stress with a mix up in a master's class, a major verbal slip with one of my students in which I still feel really bad about, a great conversation with my boss, laughing a lot with coworkers, and holding a newborn baby. Some good, some day. All day, I knew I would be coming home to work on homework, homework and more homework. At the end of the school day, I got a call from my sweet sis and nephews asking to join them at Greenlake for free ice cream at Ben and Jerry's! Who can pass that up?!?! I already enjoyed Free Pastry Day this morning at Starbucks so why not enjoy Free Scoop Day as well? I thought this would be a perfect break between my work day and getting going on my homework. Luckily, we only had to wait in line for about 20 minutes or so as we were prepared to be in line for a good 45 minutes. It was so much more though! I am so blessed to have such a wonderful sister and two of the cutest boys around as nephews.

Here are some highlights from our afternoon:

1) Micah hugging my arm telling me he loved me and just wanted to be with me all the time. He then said, "But not at this moment as I need to get back to my ice cream". :)
2) Holding Levi as he squealed with delight at the sight of the playground.
3) Levi holding his hand out for me to take so he could lead me around the playground.
4) Levi falling in the sand, standing back up, wiping his hands, looking at the sand still on his hand and then decided to lick it.
5) Micah's experience with the merrygoround.
6) Heather driving around trying to find a bush so that Micah could go potty (a four year old can only hold his bladder for so long).
7) Micah's expensive potty break in the Chocolat store! We ended up buying chocolate for everyone, which wasn't so bad afterall! :)
8) Micah being so excited about the chocolates that he forgot about the step outside of the door and fell directly on the ground, getting back up and announcing he was okay.
9) Just being able to spend time, making memories with some of my favorite people.
10) Enjoying being out in the sun (even though it was a bit chilly).

I am so blessed and so thankful to have such a sweet sis that lives so close that on days like today when I didn't even know I needed this respite, I got it. God knew exactly what I needed and I am so thankful!

Oh yes, and we just happened to run into Steve and a youth waiting in line as well, so they joined us for the ice cream treat before we left to go enjoy the park.


Okay, now onto that homework...

Texas

For part of midwinter break, Suzie and I traveled down to Austin, Texas to visit our dear friend Sally and her fun family. I loved this trip, much more than I thought I would. Sally is such a great hostess and I felt so at home while I was there. We enjoyed time in the hot tub, lots of ice cream, very yummy food that included TexMex and barbecue, lots of driving and bonding time, touring the Alamo, Blue Bell Creamery and the Riverwalk. We also enjoyed some down time that included many card games and watching the Olympics. It was such a great trip and Suzie and I are already talking about when we will go next.

Cooper, the cutest puppy! I so wanted to take him home with me!

Sally and I outside of Blue Bell Creamery, home of the best ice cream around! It was so yummy and we made sure we enjoyed some ice cream every day we were there. We also stopped at Sonic drive-in every day (once we stopped twice in one day). I LOVED their sweet tea and cherry limeade...yum!

Suzie and I outside of the creamery. We enjoyed a nice tour and some samples of their yummy ice cream.

These chairs were right outside the Life is Good store on the Riverwalk in San Antonio. I really want to buy these chairs, they are too cute! I loved this store as it had some many Life is Good things that I had never seen before...pure heaven! :)

Suzie, Sally, and I on the Riverwalk boat tour. This was very interesting! Even though it was very cold that day, we really enjoyed ourselves! We also took a trip to the Alamo as it is very close to the Riverwalk.

Valentine's Day

My class enjoyed a very fun Valentine's Day party that was put on by my amazing room mom. She had some many fun events planned and yummy food. It was a great time had by all. Here are some pictures to prove it.

Maddie and I enjoying a photo moment.

Stella decorating her cookie in preparation for tic-tac-toe.

Yummy chocolate covered strawberries and cupcakes!

My class enjoyed a very fun Valentine's Day party that was put on by my amazing room mom. She had some many fun events planned and yummy food. It was a great time had by all. Here are some pictures to prove it.

Christmas

Wow! It has been a long time since I posted on here! Oops! Christmas and my birthday were absolutely fabulous! Before I left for break, my students spoiled me rotten with a birthday party and many gifts that were just perfect for me (gift cards, scrapbooking/card making materials and elephant things).

I then went to Auburn for 10 days and enjoyed my time there. Before the rest of the family showed up, I enjoyed some great time with old friends. One who I hadn't seen since Jr. High and we reconnected right away, my 4th grade teacher and my best friend from my childhood who I am more and more thankful for as the years go by.

Once everyone arrived, fun times were had! I just love being an auntie (and I love the rest of my family too)! Some highlights from our family time:

1) Playing the Wii with just about every family member.
2) Going to a King's game with "the boys".
3) After Christmas shopping
4) Shopping with my mom before and after Christmas.
5) Snuggling with sweet baby 'Lias who is a nonstop smiler and giggler.
6) Hearing Sydney call me "Amber" some days and "Auntie" on other days.
7) A late night Carl's Jr. run with Steve and Nick only to find that it was closed.

Here are some pictures to show the fun we had:

Micah, Grampy and Sydney...too precious!

The two "big" cousins

The two "little" cousins. It was so cute how intrigued Levi was with Elias!

Micah and Sydney delivering my birthday balloons...they were so proud!

There are many more pictures but apparently my blog only wants me to post these four! Bummer! I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Cali with my family and then was able to enjoy some vacation time back here in Seattle...loved it!

Now, back to the real world...