Something Borrowed

I saw the previews for the movie "Something Borrowed" a few months ago and knew I had to see it. It was one of those, "Yes, I'll pay an outrageous $10 to see this in theaters!" [Where I'm from, movies don't cost near this much to go see] So when I realized it came out May 6, I figured I'd take my  mom out on Mother's Day weekend, but my dad wanted to make it a whole family outing and didn't want to see it, so needless to say I was a little more than bummed that I wouldn't see it on opening weekend.

However, God always has other plans, doesn't He? I mean the things that I think are great, never truly are in comparison to His. I know you're thinking, um how did she bring God into this? Well this is how: if I had gone to see that movie last weekend with my mother, then I would've missed out on the opportunity to hang out with a colleague of mine who never ever gets out and about. We were able to make plans to meet up in Williamsburg and watch it and then catch some dinner later. It was the BEST girls' night I've had in a while.

So I will not spoil how amazing this movie is, but I highly suggest you watch any of the trailers for this film here.I suggest #1, it's my favorite. Aaaand if you haven't read the book, check it out, too! It's by Emily Giffin. As always, it doesn't exactly follow the book, but it's pretty close with the exception of how a few characters were adapted. Anywho, I usually don't rave about movies or books like this, but they're GREAT! I must warn you that there are expletives and some material that is crude, but overall I give it two thumbs up! Check it out ladies!

World History II SOL in T-minus 9 hours!

So in less than 9 hours my students will be taking the creme-de-la-creme of the World History II course, the SOL test. My students must a) pass this test if they want an advanced diploma and b) will have to take my end of year final exam if they fail, so some students might possibly fail for the year if they don't pass this sucker. I know better than to be anxious because Philippians 4:6 reads "Do not be ANXIOUS about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

I have worked my rear end off this year. I know you're wondering where I'm going with this, but stick with me. I hate that student's performance is a reflection on the teacher. Yes, there are some teachers who are not pulling their weight and aren't truly in it for the children, however, I and many of my colleagues are not those teachers. I don't feel that it's fair to judge a teacher based solely on student performance. I say this because I have had two male students who have not put forth hardly any effort all year long (i.e., came to class and did no work) and on top of that, neither of their parents have returned any phone calls, allowed/signed-up their child up for after-school remediation (which they clearly needed), and have not attend parent-teacher conferences. So in all fairness, at any other job, when an employee is not pulling their weight, they get the boot, but as a teacher, when a student refuses to do the work, you cannot simply give him or her the boot.

I'm not saying that a teacher should throw in the towel, I'm just saying that when you've done all you can do,then it's simply in God's hands. Ergo, my students and this test are in His hands. God knows my needs and the needs of my students. I have laid this down at His feet and I know that His will, no matter if my students pass or not, is what matters most. Thank you Lord for giving me this opportunity to serve you and these children, despite my many shortcomings and complaints. Thank you for remaining my JOY these past few weeks when you know I've struggled to have a positive attitude. And above all else thank you for being good, always and forever.

Happy Momma's Day :-D

Mom at Roanoke Airport
12/30/10

Today I want the world to know how grateful and thankful I am for this woman ---->

Growing up she was the type of mother who gave up everything of herself to be there for her family. In recent years, I have noticed that there seems to be this notion among Christians that it is "unholy" or "ungodly" or even anti-Biblical that a woman who works outside the home is committing some kind of sin and not keeping her priorities in order (as it appears that she is putting work first over family). iMy mother was in fact a woman that did not stay home, she couldn't afford to, and for that I am thankful.Though she may have worked outside the home, she never compromised her responsibility and priority of putting her family first while at the same time maintaining a career, to help provide for her family.

Proverbs 31is often quoted on this day, and with good reason. In that passage the woman is using the time of day and her resources to provide for her family. Grant it the life of that woman was well over 2,000 years ago, and technology, medicine, and the like have changed, however it clearly resonates that a woman should provided for her family, which is EXACTLY what my mother has done. Adam and I have discussed the idea of me being a stay at home wife once we do choose to start a family, however, I do not think that I am anyless of a woman and I should not be any less praised on Mother's Day if I choose to work outside the home.

So as it is Mother's Day, I'd like to give a few accolades to my mother who has been a constant best friend of mine for the past decade. Mom, I'm sorry I didn't truly appreciate our friendship until I was about halfway into my teenager years. Once I did take advantage of that friendship I realized what a truly remarkable person you are. You're always there when I need to talk, you listen with open ears and an open heart, your humility is admirable, and you always put others first before yourself. You have a sweet, tender, compassionate, and humble spirit that pours out a love for Christ. Thank you for being a shining example of what it means to be a person who knows how to put others first. I love you more and more everyday and I have some big shoes to fill when it comes time for me to be a mother, too! Happy Mother's Day you deserve everything this day!

Mom's Lasagna

I am home today after feeling and being sick all week! At first I just thought I had a sinus infection, however, I decided that if I wasn't better by last night then I'd call in sick today and go to the doctor, which is exactly what I did. It turns out that NO we are not pregnant, NO I do not have strep and YES I have a GI (gastrointestinal infection), so yay, go me! My doctor was gracious enough to write a note for me today, and said if I needed to take tomorrow as well, then to do it. With SOLs right around the corner I need to be at school as much as possible, so I'm trying to make the most of my day at home, by propping my feet up and resting.

I am planning on taking a nap, but decided that before I do, I should update the blog. I am a much better blogger than I previously was, however, I still lack the dedication like some of the more avid bloggers I follow. I think that with summer fast approaching I'll do better! Anywho, one of my favorite recipes to fix for my  husband is my mom's lasagna--she received this recipe from a church cookbook when we lived in Broadway, VA and has altered it throughout the years, and believe me, it's the best around (even beats out some of those real Italian restaurants)!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1/2lb ground beef (Adam and I have switched to ground turkey -- you can use up to 1 lb. if you prefer more meat) 
• 1 can tomato soup
• 1 can tomato sauce (12oz or 14oz if you prefer for sauce)
• 2 tsp vinegar
• 1/2 box lasagna noodles 
• 1 large container of cottage cheese (Adam and I actually add about 1 1/2 large containers -- we LOVE cheese!)
• 3 packs of mozzarella cheese slices
• 1/2 cup water

Instructions:

1. In a frying pan, brown ground beef/turkey and drain.
2. In saucepan, add brown ground beef/turkey, tomato soup, 1/2 can water, tomato sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, and oregano--simmer on low heat for 30 minutes (be sure to stir every now and again) 
3. While your sauce is simmering, in a large pot, bring about 8-9 cups of water to a boil, add 9 lasagna strips (you can add more if you prefer) and sprinkle around about a teaspoon of salt. Be sure to pre-heat your oven during this time to 350 degrees Fahrenheit 
4. In a 13 x 9 pan, lightly grease bottom with oil or crisco to prevent sticking (I accidentally forgot to do this once and it turned out fine!) and add a layer of noodles (should be about 3), on top of that add a layer of cottage cheese, a layer of the meat sauce, and then mozzarella cheese slices--continue two more times!
5. Bake lasagna for 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, when finished, let it stand and cool for at least 15-20 minutes. 
6. Enjoy with a salad and garlic bread!

Sewing Endeavor #2

The idea...

Instructions

I made this around the beginning of March, and have been meaning to blog about it for a  while. It seems that many couples I know are pregnant so needless to say "baby fever" has returned. As much as I'd love to get pregnant, now is not the time for us to be trying so instead I decided to throw myself into a project. I hadn't sewn since I made the Redskins pajama bottoms for my father-in-law so with this extra long weekend at my parents house I decided it'd be a great project for me and mom.

I honestly don't know where I'd be without the help of my mother in these projects. Though I manage to tackle and start the project on my own, I always need her help at some point or another in it, and without her I'd be lost! So thank you mom for your dedication and not giving up on me!

Follow-up of instructions

Final product, minus the snaps!

I've decided that if I could, and I am highly considering it, I'd like to start making more baby outfits, blankets, onesies, footies, etc. and of course give them as gifts as well as donate them to either a charity and/or hospital. Adam's grandma, Barbara Davis, knits baby hats and they are adorable, so I figured if she can do it then I could, too. I have completed two projects (baby blankets) since completing this little outfit and I plan to blog about them in the next few days, so be ready and thanks for following!

My Favorite Men

I absolutely adore the men in my family! Every morning my husband calls to encourage me and keep me focused on the Lord as I'm on my way to work. Every evening as I leave school, I call my father to see how his day has gone as well as dump my complaints on him, for which he never loses heart, faith, or patience with me and is ever mindful that to tell better days are yet to come! And every now and again, if I'm lucky, I get to have a long much awaited conversation with my brother, Nathan.


The reason I'm blogging about these men is because each one of them walks with God, and their walks have encouraged me. Their faith is real and rough. My husband is a constant reminder of how good God is to us. My father is an encourager that anything is possible and keeps reminding me that God has plan; he was the man that turned my heart to God and was there when I asked Him to be my Savior. My brother, whose own walk with the Lord started about a year and a half ago, has the glow of a young head-over-heels in love Christian attitude about him--he reminds me what I was like when I first gave my life to God. Each of these men are absolutely wonderful and I am blessed beyond all measure to know them.

Let's Be Honest

I love my job, but I am very much at the end of my rope. The month of March certainly came in like a lion and I'm pretty sure it ate the lamb. Ever since we returned from Christmas break, my students have been rude, repulsive, obnoxious, and the list goes on and on. I've had no intentions for my blog to be a "venting station" but tonight I cannot help myself. It is emotionally and mentally hard for me to physically get up in the mornings, knowing what awaits me. My principal has been supportive, but the assistant principal (who gets clean up duty on all the behavioral problems) isn't my knight in shining armor. Sure he's a decent guy, but c'mon who's really running the show? A kid literally ran down the next hall when I approached him about skipping his class and when the referral that I submitted came back to me, all that was written in chicken scratch at the bottom was "warning." That's it?! Are you kidding me?! A kid can get irate, disrespect me, take off running down the hall to an area he's not supposed to be, and yet he gets off free? I wish I were making this up. This is only one story of which I have tenfold to share.

Yes I am complaining, but don't pity me, and above all else please do not give me any advice about classroom management. I've seen these kids day in and day out since September and I've tried all tricks of the trade.  What I'm really saying is please pray for my sanity. I feel that during this challenging time I should be more focused on the Lord, and yet I constantly am getting distracted and discouraged. I realize that you do not know the fullness of my story and the situation or school I am part of, but anything that can take your eyes off the prize is not good. Above all else, I am worried that because I have not been diligent unto the Lord, that He won't take me out of my current situation either. Adam and I have been praying for direction for so long and we both feel that He is calling us out of this location, but no doors have been opened. I know better than to worry and if God truly wants me to remain here for His purpose then I will; it's just not what I want right now. So please say a little prayer for me and ask that I can keep my eyes and heart focused on what really matters.