Overdue Post

Wow...well, I guess it's evident that school keeps me busy since I haven't posted since I went back to school!  It's hard to believe a quarter of the year has passed!  I'm enjoying working, but I'm still trying to adjust to this commuting teacher's schedule:

  I leave the house by 6:40 AM (some mornings, it's a little later...) to sit in traffic for an hour or so (The morning commute is so unpredictable, and sometimes it only takes me 40 min.  It really depends on interstate traffic, accidents, and lights functioning or malfunctioning).  School begins at 8:30 and ends for me at 3:50 which means I leave closer to 4:15 or 4:30 on some days.  I begin my commute home with my fingers crossed that it goes smoothly (once again, unpredictable).  It's hard to believe that I only work 16 miles from school with as much time as I spend on the road. 

So, now that I'm home, I begin cooking or preparing something to eat.  Thankfully my husband is more than willing to help me get things started since it is already 5:30. After eating, it's time to clean up the kitchen, get some work done that came home with me (grade papers, search for lesson ideas, plan for future units, blog hop for assessment ideas), spend time with Tyler, tidy up around the house, run an errand or two if needed, bathe, read, etc.  And now, it's time for bed.

I know that I shouldn't complain because most people have much busier schedules than I do, but I'm just trying to get the hang of it.  I couldn't imagine having to care for children too!  I hear of people running from soccer practice to gymnastics to piano, etc.  I'm so glad I have a many years before that becomes part of my weekly routine!

Pretty soon I'll be able to blog about my first year of marriage since our anniversary is coming up in November!  Can't wait to share the milestones of the past year as Mrs. Wales!

B2S= Back to School!

Where has the summer gone?!  It feels like these whirlwind months of June and July came and went without much warning, and now it's B2S time.  I love August for several reasons:  I love B2S sales at stores (this includes clothing and.....SCHOOL SUPPLIES), it's a birthday month in my family (Mom and brother), I get back into the school routine (consistency in schedules and routines make me happy), and....wait for it....I start getting paychecks again!

I cannot express how absolutely THRILLED I am to be at my new school this year.  Teachers technically went back to school yesterday, and all of those last minute finishing touches to the classroom are making things that were once a little fuzzy, unclear, and left me with uncertainty come together so nicely!  I am trying to do better than I did last year with "planning" ahead, and I started working on my first social studies unit today.  It's going to be pretty awesome!  I love how creative I get to be with the curriculum for these older kids (even though I loved the little ones in their own special way).  My first unit is on MAPS, and I think those are pretty fun, anyway.  I'm so looking forward to meeting my students, too!  I hear such great things at school about their personalities, their creativity, and their abilities, and I can't thank God enough for guiding me to the perfect place for me to teach.  I'll be keeping you updated!

DIY Fun-ness!

Here are the promised pictures...it was being silly earlier and wouldn't let me post:

Paper flowers- bouquet in progress

 

 Completed bouquet for desk in music/sewing room

 

Curtains made from 3 yards of fabric plus recycled sheers from my old bedroom

 

Sunflower painting semi-completed

 

 Messenger bag

 

 My favorite fabric in the WORLD made a cute grocery bag holder for the pantry

That's all for now...

Lately...

Don't you just LOVE summer?  Not the 100+ degree heat index or the humidity that causes one to sweat as soon as you open the front door, but don't you just love the open calendar (well, somewhat), the ability to stay up late and sleep in, and the "down time" that you never seem to have during the year?  Well, let me just say that this summer has been incredible thus far, and I still have over a month to enjoy it!  Yay for private school that starts school at a reasonable date!

Even though  my schedule's not packed as it is during the school year (mostly due to working 5 days a week from and ONLY having the weekend to get things done), I've been staying "busy" with little DIY projects, visits with friends, reading, and planning for school.  As far as my DIY projects, I've completed several sewing projects (which I will post pictures of these shortly) including:  curtains for music/sewing room, messenger bag, grocery bag holder, and hot/cold pack and wrap.  I've also been making paper flowers like CRAZY after I saw a tutorial post on the Jones Design Company blog/website.  Planning for school has really just begun...

I went last week for my first inservice to find out that I'll be team-teaching 3rd-5th grades.  I'm really excited about this, and have no clue how it will work yet, but we'll figure that out in time, haha!  I'm so thankful to have a job at a WONDERFUL school with new and WONDERFUL people that I can't wait to get to know.  I love the warm and friendly atmosphere when I go there (because of the building, it really feels like your in a home), and I am really looking forward to a fantastic year! I just finished reading "The Daily Five" which is the management/structure of their literacy block.  It's going to be fun to see this structure in action.  I have some more reading to do (Guided Reading for Grades 3-6 and 6 Traits of Writing), and that will keep me occupied on some of those lazy summer days.

Just been thinking about where I was just over a month ago, still job hunting, and I can't thank God enough for this awesome teaching opportunity.  To know that I have some flexibility and freedom in my instruction, and that I'll be able to really get to know my students (since I'll only have 16 this year) and their goals and needs, brings me such joy!  God knew exactly what I needed, and even with a little less pay than a public school can offer, I am confident that God will continue to provide for us.  He's always been faithful!

Our Weekend Getaway

Is it just me, or does it seem like everyone around town is having babies?!  (I really think it is just the age I am, because a few years ago everyone got engaged which leads to lots of weddings, and now babies).  Whatever the case is, I am thrilled for all those who are expecting or enjoying their brand new little ones, but just in case anyone's wondering (which no one is, I'm sure), our plans are to wait a few more years!  We love our little family:  me, Tyler, and Daisy the dog.  And if we had little ones right now, how could we have gone on our awesome weekend vacation last week?!

Seriously, Chicago may be one of my favorite cities to visit.  I mean, I've only been twice now, but I haven't been disappointed!  We took the train from Hammond to Chicago, which was a lovely and stress-free trip (unlike flying and having to deal with security, lay overs, baggage claim, etc.).  We arrived 15 min. before departure, walked on the train, picked our seats, placed our luggage in the overhead compartment, pulled out the leg rest, and enjoyed the ride.  We ate dinner in the dining car (Tyler got a steak, of course; I got baked chicken with veggies) which was delicious, and then enjoyed our audio books and roomy seats' leg rests for the rest of the evening.  We arrived around 10 the next morning in the Windy City, and walked into Union Station with our bags in hand straight to the McDonald's to eat hot cakes and sausage.  Yum!

We were fortunate enough to check in to our hotel early (we were so glad for showers!), and then headed off to see the city.  We were in walking distance to downtown, and decided that we'd take advantage of the mid-70 degree temperatures (that the Chicago natives were complaining about) and walk to Willis Tower.  The wait at Willis tower was over an hour and a half, and I didn't want to waste my day waiting for the elevator (I mean, literally).  So, we caught a bus (with our nifty and affordable unlimited CTA passes) and headed over to Navy Pier.  We enjoyed the ferris wheel, the views of Lake Michigan, fudge, and the souvenir shops there.  It's just a fun place to go, and did I mention how nice the weather was?!  Didn't get to go on a cruise around the city like we'd planned, but we'll save it for our next trip.  After a nice nap at the hotel, we went to eat at Cafe Ciao a few blocks from our hotel.  It was cute, quaint, and DELICIOUS.  I will go back next time I'm in town.  We were running a little late for our NKOTBSB concert, and we opted to walk the "approximately 8 blocks" from Cafe Ciao to the United Center instead of catching the bus.  Looking back, I don't know why we chose option A...it was a long way.  We made it inside and found our seats just before Jordin Sparks took the stage.  Then the squealing began and New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys made their grand entrance and put on a great and entertaining concert.  We finally made it back to the hotel after midnight after some public transportation fiasco:  day 1 complete.  Needless to say, we crashed and decided to sleep in the next day.

We woke up Sunday morning and packed up our things to head out for our last day.  We were thrilled to discover how easy it was to rent a storage locker at the train station, and we stored our bags there for the day.  We spent the entire day at the Museum of Science and Industry, and could have spent another day there if we had more time.  It was phenomenal.  It was a mixture of untouchable exhibits as well as hands-on discovery activities pertaining to the exhibits.  We did the Omnimax thing and went inside of a tornado, wandered through the space exhibits with actual capsules that had housed astronauts in space, looked down at a capture U-Boat and saw inside one of the torpedoes, and the list goes on and on.  It was three stories of great science and history exhibits, and I don't think we saw but half of them.  We can't wait to bring our niece and nephew with us when they're a little older and can enjoy it with us!  :)

We got back downtown that evening and went back to Union Station to get our bags and eat before leaving at 8PM.  It was a smooth and easy ride, and we arrived back in Hammond just after lunch the next day.  The first thing I wanted was a Coke from Sonic (no Sonic + no Coke= Chicago) :(  Can't wait to go back and enjoy more of the city sights!  It was definitely a wonderful weekend getaway!

Our "need" for idols

Don't you just love starting off the day soaking up some truth from God's word?  This morning I was reading about Sarah and Hagar and Abraham in Genesis 16 and in Genesis 21.  The current study that I'm using is entitled "No Other Gods" by Kelly Minter and it's about confronting our modern-day idols and acknowledging God as the one true god.  It's been fantastic so far.  The chapter I'm currently reading  is all about why we have idols.  Today I read that many of us run to idols (defined in this book as "anything functioning as "God" in our lives") because we believe that they will bring us what we need.  Sarah "needed" a child, which back then was pretty important.  Sarah's desire to build her family was so great that she took things into her own hands when she perceived that God wasn't coming through for her.  So, she gave her servant Hagar to her husband so that she would bear a child for him.  Sarah decided to depend on Hagar (her functioning idol here) to fulfill her need.  This was Sarah's way, not God's way...Ugly things happened (Hagar does have a son, Ishmael), and Sarah ends of hating Hagar.  Lots of people were hurt, and it was just an all-around nasty situation.

Now, God's way...God fulfilled his promise to give Sarah and Abraham a child.  God's plan didn't involve a servant girl, and it didn't involve heartbreak and hurt.  "At the very time God had promised them" (21:2) Isaac was born, and Sarah and Abraham finally became parents.  God hadn't forgotten Sarah's need, and God didn't neglect to keep his promise.  But when we are waiting on God, it requires a little faith.  Sometimes it requires a lot of faith, the longer we wait.  However, God's plans for us are not to harm us.  God keeps his promises because God loves us.  

So instead of depending on ourselves, our friends, our jobs, our money, or whatever else is functioning as our idol in our time of waiting, let's just depend on God.  He's got the answers, and He will always come through- at the exact moment that is best.  I love that song by Jesus Culture that says "when the oceans rage, I don't have to be afraid, because Your love never fails."

Just coming out of a time of waiting, I can see now how God's plan and God's timing really are better than my own.  I hope that season of my life will always be a reminder of God's faithfulness even when the wait is hard.  Praying for some friends this morning who are waiting on their adoption from overseas.  I have a friend who is waiting for a job, just like I was.  My husband is waiting for classes to be offered so that he can finally graduate and be done with college.  Most of us are probably in some sort of waiting room.  I hope that we can be patient and faithful as we wait on the One who is faithful.

Ready for vacation!

Our Chicago vacation itinerary is complete!  I am so ready to get away and enjoy a fun trip with Tyler.  Here are some of the highlights of our trip: 

-Travel via Amtrak train
-Museum of Science and Industry
-Skydeck at Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower)
-Backstreet Boys/New Kids on the Block concert
-Navy Pier
-Sightseeing cruise on Lake Michigan
-Moosejaw (for Tyler)
-Magnificent Mile Shopping/Sightseeing
-Millennium Park

Don't you wish you could come with us?!  It's going to be so much fun...plus the highs (temp.) are supposed to be in the 70's (a nice break from our 95+ degree weather).  Praying that the predicted rain holds off, though!  Windy City, here we come!

New status: EMPLOYED!

Well, the day is finally here...I can say with a smile as wide as the sky that I am employed!  I go tomorrow to sign my contract , and I am thrilled!  I can't put my emotions into words!  So far, I've cried, I've jumped, I've laughed, and I've hugged my dog so hard that her eyes could have popped out!  I was leaving the cooking school this morning wondering when I'd ever hear back about a job and my phone rang and I knew I'd better pull over so that I could have this conversation while in park and not on I-12.  So, there I am sitting at Las Palmas hoping to hear good news, and I did!  I was offered the job (grade still unknown, but will be either 1st grade or upper elem (3rd, 4th, 5th) team teaching).  I'm okay with either!  I was trying not to sound too eager when she offered it to me, but I hope she could hear the excitement in my voice.  I got in touch with Tyler first and was so glad to share my good news with him, and then I reached a series of voicemails that did not make me happy.  But pretty much everyone knows now, so it's made it to my blog.  Tyler and I are celebrating tonight at Olive Garden- woohoo!  Nothing like Italian food for a good celebration!  Praise the Lord for this blessing and thank you all for your faithful prayers.  God is so good and only He can take the credit for this miracle!

For the love of "no money"

So, it's normal to be a broke college student, but once you graduate and get a real job, you're not supposed to have to worry about that anymore.  I wouldn't call myself broke, but I'd consider myself one who is on a very tight budget but very thankful not to actually be in debt.  You see, Tyler and I both have summer jobs, but mine is currently unpredictable (thank you lousy economy for keeping parents for signing their kids up for summer cooking camp) and Tyler's is too (due to lack of rain, grass isn't growing all that much).  So we decided that we really need to take a close look at our finances and budget wisely for the summer.  I visited the Dave Ramsey website this afternoon to print off a monthly cash flow/budget planning sheet to see the reality of the numbers we're dealing with for the summer or until I get a job (which I'm still awaiting a phone call from CDS).  I'll just say that I had a slightly sick feeling in the pit of my stomach when I actually looked at our "worst -case-scenario-the-grass-stops-growing and kids-stop-cooking" numbers.  WAY MORE leaving the bank account than coming in, and that's all I'll say.  So I took a look at our current checking/savings balances which lifted my spirits a little bit, and then I started planning our summer budget.  We're setting aside some money that I made from teaching last year to pay the bills for the summer, and we're going to try out the cash envelope system that Dave Ramsey suggests for groceries and stuff.  So, warning to anyone who wants to invite us out for dinner or entertainment that costs us over $20 a month.  We'll have to decline, haha.  Money's not so tight that we can't have a little fun, but we're trying to be wise in such an uncertain economy.  We have a few unexpected expenses to take care of right now, and Tyler's tuition will be due before we know it.  I'd really like to keep a good cushion in savings so that maybe one day in FAR, DISTANT future (that emphasis was added mostly in case Tyler reads this), I can get a newer car or something.  Maybe even be able to pay cash for it.  I am comforted to know, however, that we can pay our bills, and God is providing us with enough to meet all our needs.  I have to remind myself too that the money we claim as our own isn't really ours'...God's entrusted it to us to live and to bless others.  What a huge responsibility, but what a great blessing that is.  So, coupons and sales papers are going to be a part of "normal life" around our house, and leftovers will happen a little more frequently.  But no matter how cautious we have to be, I'm so thankful to have a God who takes care of me and a husband who's willing to pinch pennies as needed.  This will be one of those stories that we'll tell our kids one day:  "Well, you see, back we first got married, we were pinching pennies to make ends meet...but we were young and in love, and none of that really mattered anyway..."

Snail mail, and other things that I love

Just finishing up a cup of hot tea after a warm bath (two of my favorite things), and I started thinking of all the simple things that just make me smile.  Let me share some with you, and then you can share some with me!

1.  Snail mail, specifically cute cards:  I love sending them and getting them.  Since graduating and moving back home, my roommate Rebecca and I have exchanged several, and it makes me so happy to stamp one and wait for the mail lady to pick it up or find one waiting for me when I check the mail.  (I found the absolute cutest collection of cards at Hobby Lobby.  They are from DaySpring and are called "Little Inspirations."  Cute little size, a Bible verse with each cute message, AND only 99 cents a piece!  I stocked up recently and only have one left!)
 2.  Coffee or hot tea in the morning:  Since I've been enjoying lots of mornings at home recently, I've started sitting outside on my back or front porch with my cup of coffee or tea and spending time with the Lord.  It's such a great way to start the day- Bible and journal in one hand, and a delicious hot beverage in the other!
3.  Cute clip art:  This one is a little weird, but since I've been "teaching," I'm always looking for kid-friendly clip art for newsletters and calendars, etc.  I hit the jackpot when I found this website: http://www.scrappindoodles.com/
4.  Clean rooms/clean house:  I don't necessarily enjoy the cleaning process, but the finished product is great!
5.  Organization:  Baskets, labels, binders with dividers, etc.  Anything that keeps things in their places is fun to me.  (But especially labels...I don't know why, but it makes organization even greater).
6.  Birds:  Not living birds, but bird figurines and patterns and fabric and stuff.  This "love" is fairly new.
7.  Gardening:  I'm not really a gardener, but I have what I'd like to call a small container garden that I began this spring.  Next year I'm hoping to have a small flower bed (Tyler agreed to help me with this) and plant some flowers that I can cut and display inside.
8.  Sewing:  Once again, this is new, but teaching myself to sew has saved me TONS on home decorating.  I bought fabric on sale, found tutorials online, and I've made most of my curtains, pillows, seat covers for my kitchen chairs, and recently an obi-inspired hot/cold pack holder!  I'll post a picture once I finish sewing the actual hot/cold pack.  My next project is recovering an old chair to put in my sewing room.
9.  Puppies:  No explanation needed.  My dog, Daisy, is no longer a puppy, but I love her still the same!
10.  Office supplies:  Colored pens, binder clips, post-it notes, cup holders, desk organizers...the list could go on and on.  It was nice when Tyler worked at Office Depot because he had an employee discount. 

10 is a good number to stop at, even though I could go on to 20 or so.  But I know you don't want to read a novel, just a blog entry. 

I have an official blog follower now!  Woohoo!  You can follow me and get notifications of when I update and post things and stuff.  Feel free to comment and share some things that make your heart smile!  :)

My Salvation Story

So, this week in my lifegroup Bible study, we're looking more closely at the discipline of witnessing (probably the one that is the weakest discipline in my life).  It seems such a daunting, scary task to share Christ with a world that doesn't want anything to do with Him.  This was my idea of witnessing:  I just assumed that those around me who aren't believers will see Christ in me, and then if it really interests them, they will inquire about it themselves.  Then, I'd be more than happy to share my salvation story with them.  I have so missed the point of being an ambassador for Christ...

This morning, I was reading and responding to the lesson "Telling Your Story."  I was reading the passage in John 4 about the Samaritan woman who met Jesus at the well.  She talked with Jesus, realized who He was, and couldn't wait to go back to tell her friends, family, and neighbors about Him.  John 4:39 & 42 say, "Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman's testimony...They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves and know that this man really is the Savior of the world."  All the woman at well did was share her story of her encounter with the Savior of the world.  Because she was willing to share, others came to know Him too.

I've been challenged to share my story, and I'm starting here:  I became a believer and follower of Christ in the 6th grade.  I had attended church my whole life, and one night at home, I realized that I needed to make the decision to follow Christ and live my life for Him.  I had heard it hundreds of times, and I did believe that God was the Creator, that he sent his son Jesus to earth to live and to die so that my sins and the sins of the whole world could be forgiven.  I believed that Jesus rose again and the Holy Spirit is given to those who believe in Him.  I am promised eternal life in Heaven when I die, and my purpose on earth is to give God glory and point others to Him.  Since becoming a christian, I have found joy in times of discouragement, peace in times of turmoil, and hope in the promises of my Savior.  I have not lived a perfect life, but God still loves me and forgives me when I confess my sins to Him; I strive to live a better life as I continue to grow and learn about Him.  I've learned that He has the best plan for me, and so I choose to follow Him.

Would you be willing to share your story?  Would you tell someone in your life about how you became a Christian and how life is different now that you are a follower of Him?  It's really that simple, and you can do it because you've experienced it.  I'm so thankful for God's saving grace, and I am praying that I will have the courage to share my story with those who need to hear it.

Going to the Chapel

So, I'm packed and about to hit the road.  I'm so excited that Kara Lee Carraway is getting married today!  I laughed to myself because I texted her this morning to wish her a happy wedding day, and her reply to me was that she was exhausted from tossing and turning last night.  Made me think back 6 months ago to the night before my wedding...

We had rehearsal on Thursday night, so Friday was a day off of work and a day spent getting pampered with friends.  Rebecca (college roomie) was already in town and we had gone with Sarah (MOH) to get manicures and pedicures and then back to the 1BD shotgun apartment to watch taped episodes of Glee.  Fun times.  We had jambalaya at Tyler's parents' house with his out-of-town family, and then all the girls went back to my apartment (with a new addition, Holly) to enjoy my last night as Ms. Blount (see, when you're a teacher, your last night is basically your identity).  I remember trying to come up with as many things to say with "This is last time I'll ever _______ as a single woman!"  It was great fun.  We all "watched" The Wedding Singer (I was actually just trying to keep my mind occupied so that I could sleep, and Rebecca was sleeping before the title even appeared for the movie).  Unlike Kara, I did actually get some sleep that night, but I woke up extra early the next morning SO excited that it was finally my wedding day.  I creepily looked over at Holly with a cheesy grin on my face as she was still half asleep and said, "I'M GETTING MARRIED TODAY!"  The rest of the morning consisted of me going to the church for final touch-ups in decorations and hair/makeup while the girls at my apartment baked muffins and brought them to me.  What great friends!

So, HAPPY WEDDING DAY, KARA!  I wish you and Dennis years of fun, love, and happiness!

Jehovah-Jireh, but not how I expected

Dishes were done (until I made deviled eggs for Tyler, and apple pie for myself) and clothes are now folded but not put away.  Nonetheless, it's time for my first meaningful post.  If you know anything about my life at the present, the topic won't shock you:  job hunting.

A year ago, I graduated from Tech:  Kayla Renee Blount, B.S. Elementary Education.  Now, it's time to change the world, one student at a time.  At least, that's what I thought.  So, I move back home and put my name on the sub list in Livingston Parish.  I sub here and there, and then I am offered a maternity position- hooray!  Things are off to a great start!  I take a day off, hire a sub (a sub for a sub, haha), and attend the Livingston Parish Public School job fair, along with about 600 other people.  They announce that there are only a handful of jobs available, grades PK-12, in the parish for next year, and I proceeded to hang out the rest of the day handing out resumes during the 15 min. "browsing" times.  Amazingly, I was approached by a principal to interview for a half-year position at the school that I was currently at.  I was ecstatic, and the interview went great.  To make a long story shorter, I was offered the job only to find out it was 1st grade!  AHH!  I had one summer to accumulate 1st grade things and change my whole mindset about teaching from 4th grade to 1st grade; and it was only going to keep me employed for half of a year...I was about to get married and start supporting my own family!  But, I did it, and in the end it all worked out.

I worked the first semester, taught 1st grade, then searched for jobs to finish out this year.  I ended up filling 2 6-week maternity positions (one in SPED, 4th/5th grade; the other with my same students from first semester); so, out of 18 weeks of the second semester, I was employed for 12.  Praise God!

And now it brings me to the title of this entry-  Jehovah-Jireh means the God who provides.  God provided so much for Tyler and I, but not in the ways that we expected:
1.  God provided a job for 1 semester, when the parish technically "had a handful to offer" (to 600+ eager applicants, keep in mind).
2.  God provided me the opportunity to teach 1st grade- a grade I vowed NEVER to teach- and I ended up loving it and learning such valuable lessons with those sweet and crazy kids!
3.  God provided jobs for me for 12/18 weeks second semester.  And, I got to go back to my sweet 1st graders that I had taught the semester before.
4.  God provided Tyler and I a challenging and sometimes discouraging situation (that so many new teachers find themselves in right now), and he gave us each other to encourage one another and to strengthen our relationship even more.
5.  God provided us a home (the one I grew up in) to live in when my parents moved, and now my classroom things have a place to live until they find a new classroom. 
6.  God provided me with friends, family, and a church family that have done nothing but speak words of encouragement and have faithfully prayed for me.
7.  Finally, God provided this difficult time so that I would draw closer to Him.  This is the closest I've ever been to God, and I know that it is no accident that he has me in this place right now.  When the world thinks I should be falling to pieces, God has provided me with peace and joy.  That's better than any teaching job this world can offer me.  As our pastor said during Life Group one night, we (Christians) don't really know how to pray, and maybe it's because we've never really had to cry out to God.  Well, let me say that I have been doing some crying out, and it is so evident that He hears me.  He is so faithful, and He is my Jehovah-Jireh.

I hope you can look at your own life, wherever God may have you, and discover ways that God's provided for you.  Maybe it's in unexpected ways, but I am confident that you'll find at least one...

AND, a "P.S." to go along with the topic...I had a second interview today at Country Day School, a private school in Baton Rouge, and should know something by next week!

P.P.S.  It's a 1st grade position :)

The World of Blogging

I attempted this "blog thing" once before.  It was entitled "Nearlyweds" and my intentions were to post about the wedding planning process; however, as a first year teacher trying to keep my head above water on top of the joys of guests lists, reservations, florist appointments, and thank you cards, I posted once.  Pitiful.  Let's hope that this attempt is better.

Why blog, you may wonder?  (And to tell you the truth, I'm wondering the same thing).  It may be because I've had LOTS of extra time due to my current state of unemployment, or it may be because I've enjoyed reading and following a variety of blogs recently.  Whatever the case, I'd thought I'd give it go...

So, here it is-the first blog post.  It doesn't seem appropriate to share anything of importance in this particular post, so I'll share about my day (because it really was an exciting one) after the dishes are put up and the clothes are folded and put away.  That will give me a little time to gather my thoughts together for my first "official" blog post.  Until then...