FROGS!

A dear friend loves to remind me that before I meet my prince I must first kiss a lot of frogs. Well, one more frog down...how many more to go? Hopefully the next guy I kiss will be my prince. I have been praying for him for a looong time. Now I would not say that all of my dating relationships have been a waste. I have learned more about myself, about relationships with men, and (most importantly) lessons from God.

So now that y'all know I'm single once again, you should also know I am gaining in my fight against the Mono. I had energy last Saturday for the first time in almost two months. And I did not come home and take a nap every night last week. Now I did still sleep-in until 2:30pm yesterday but I was back in bed for the night at 11:30pm. For the short while I was awake yesterday I got so many things done and feel really good about what was accomplished!

Tomorrow starts a whole new school year at work and I will find myself drowning in the "Two's Room" as the lead teacher. Why do I say drowning? Because they are not sweet little two-year-olds (I loved being a teacher to the two-year-olds at Appletree). They are two-and-a-half year olds who do not like to listen, are potty training, and gang up on me in groups of eleven!!! (The ratio in Michigan is one teacher to eight 2.5yr olds, big difference there).

I am not happy about being the lead teacher because 1. I am only in this classroom for three hours of curriculum time a day 2. I so far have been given no time to prepare my lesson plan (and it starts tomorrow--not good when the teacher has no prep time) 3. I was promised there would be at least 12 children in the classroom requiring there to be a second teacher with me (there are going to be 11 as of the counts on Friday) 4. Actually if there are enough kids for two teachers, the one scheduled to work with me is no help what-so-ever so I guess that would not be good either

Well, I think it is my nap time now. I am really excited about starting the Beth Moore study "Esther: It's Tough Being a Woman" at church tonight. The cool thing is my mom is starting the same study at her church too!

Best Birthday Gift Ever!

The third weekend in June I flew to Atlanta, Georgia to meet my newest niece. Actually I went to babysit Macy because Andrea was in a friend's wedding and needed someone to take care of our little princess. As you can see in the picture, Macy has the most beautiful blue eyes, amazingly red hair, and the softest cheeks perfect for lots of kisses from her Auntie Marie. I had the privilege of taking care of this sweet, almost always happy and smiling angel while Andrea enjoyed helping her friend celebrate. Meeting Macy for the first time was really exciting but I also LOVED seeing my sister again.

Overall, it was a good but busy weekend and well worth it. Thank you Josh, Andrea, Mom, and Dad for the best birthday present ever (flying me to Atlanta). I cannot wait to see Macy and Andrea again soon. (I was hoping to go home in August but plane tickets cost too much!) It is so hard to know both of my precious nieces are growing up so fast while living so far away from me. Aylah is talking SO much and says the funniest things. I continue to talk to her on the phone so she will remember me (She loves to sing to me now too:). The last time I called she all of a sudden said "An Re" like she could not believe she was actually talk to me. SO cute!

This post is so overdue. Just look at the title, my birthday was at the beginning of June and now it is almost August (the hottest month in Texas I have been told). Now that I have had my first taste of 100+ days I know I was not cut-out to live in Texas forever. Although I do not enjoy cold winters in Michigan at least I can bundle up more and my summer is not wasted inside because it is too hot to handle outside.

I now live in house with a very sweet Christian girl, Charity and her dog Lillie. It is Charity's house and she actually had it built. She has scripture painted on the walls in all of the rooms, which I love. I am only 15 minutes away from work and church so it is not too far away.

For a week or two after moving I struggled with a sore throat and extreme tiredness. One Friday after work I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with Mono which explained it all. Taking a week off from work was not fun but all I did was sleep and rest. I never knew how strong Mono was until I got it. I am still sleeping more than usual and tiring out more easily.

On the left is me and John at the Chinese restaurant and on the right is me at the Fort Worth Water Gardens, they were so beautiful.

Before I got sick (and tired) my boyfriend John took me to downtown Fort Worth and Dallas. In Fort Worth we saw the Water Gardens at night which was very pretty. In Dallas we saw the place where former president JFK was shot and learned all about the possibilities of several shooters and where other shots were fired from etc. There were so many beautiful churches in downtown Fort Worth, John is sitting in front of just one of them.

On the left is part of the JFK Memorial and on the right is The Green Monster (a building lit with green lights).

I have been a floater working in all of the classrooms at work. My boss calls me her "everything girl". Working in the baby room continues to be my favorite but I have grown to love all the kids at work. It helps me miss my nieces just a little less. The "politics" of work stink though. I went to the center to apply for the Assistant Director position. Well, I was told I needed to work in a classroom for three months, I started the beginning of March, and that I could apply for the position. The position was recently filled with another teacher at the center and I was never even given the chance to apply. In fact they were training the other teacher on the job for several weeks before even admitting she was training. Needless to say I need to find a better paying job where I will be respected more.

If you have not heard from me lately I would like to blame it on the Mono. I seriously come home and take a nap before dinner most nights. So just give me a call sometime and if you talk to my voicemail I promise I will get back to you, just maybe not the same day.

My trip home this weekend did not work out due to expensive airfare but I am hoping for Christmas now. I never thought I could stand to live outside the state of Michigan for so long!

Blogging

I am enjoying blogging but cannot decide what colors to use. The layout is kind of boring... My new profile pic includes my doggie friend Abby who I got to live with and take care of for a week. She is a very nice dog and makes me miss Aspen just a little less.

Time changes things, God moves

God has brought me so far from this same day last year. I road a crotch rocket to the Saturday Parade last year, this year I am not even living in Michigan.

So many deep thoughts have been going through my mind these past few days: Where will God have me move next (in Fort Worth)? Who will he have me live with? Is God leading me towards a new job? A better paying job? A different career? Will I actually be able to go see my family in August or will I not be able to take the time off from work because other people have already requested off or I am just starting a new job? Will I ever meet my prince? (This question I have been asking for almost a decade now)

All the answers to these questions have already been answered and maybe not in the way I think they would be but only God knows. My hope is in Him.

My mom has been a tremendous help with my frustrations lately. She lets me call and just purge all my frustrations on her and tells me she is praying for me daily. I feel bad for venting to her all the time but it really helps just voicing my frustrations to someone who cares. Thank you Mom for helping once again through a hard time.

For those of you who know my mom you know what a wonderful person she is. In fact, I am crying now as I write this because sending her a card for Mother's Day just does not do my thankfulness justice. I wish I could be home to give her tons of hugs and spend all of Mother's Day with her. She has been my earthly strength while God has been my unearthly strength. Thank you Mom for caring about me so much that you continually listen to me vent and then always have something inspiring to say in response.

Happy Mother's Day Mom! I love you! I miss you!

Piggy Flu

Do not fear. So far I have been safe from the piggy flu. We already wash our hands and the kids' hands like crazy so hopefully no one at my work will get sick.

I have another name for you. Today one of the kindergartners called me "Mystery". I know I have heard him say it before but forgot to add it. When I tried to have him repeat my name after I said it he ended up saying "Miss Arie". I love it, they always make me smile.

Today was a record breaker. I was in six of the seven classrooms at one time or another today. That was the most in one day since I started working at La Petite. It just means I know all the kids in the center :)

Where God Leads

God has such an interesting way of teaching me lessons, all the time. I have finally gotten my car inspected, registered, and have two Texas plates (still need to figure out how to attach the front one but have not gotten the chance to ask yet) and hope to get my drivers license soon. The main reason why I do not have my drivers license is because I got completely and utterly LOST on my way to the public safety office I think is what they call it.

How was I supposed to know that when mapquest told me to take highway 183 it was the same as 121 and highway 820 kind of turned into. The directions were WAY easier on paper! That is the last time I get all independent and think I can travel some place in Texas without ask a local first. The ladies at work were so sympathetic and helpful when I got back from my wasted 2.5 hour break. It was only supposed to take me about 20-25 min to get there with traffic. And yes, I did finally find the place but who knows how I finally got there. God took care of me, even when I had not a clue where I was, where I had been, and where I was going. I have always wanted to be good with directions but it is really time that I stop thinking that and face reality:)

Starting last night I am taking a hiatus from my aunt and uncle's house to live at a friend's house. Her and her wonderful husband and sons are on vacation and I am loving the solitude and time with their lab, who reminds me a lot of my Aspen. This week alone came at just the right time. I have been needing some time all to myself to seek God and just have uninterrupted me time. This includes a longer drive to and from work and a house to myself. Believe it or not I am right in between being an extrovert and an introvert. In fact, sometimes I think people are offended by my spending a lot of time by myself but there are times when I really need it.

One of the big groups I have been attending at church sprouted a women's smaller group. We have met several times and the other women in the group are great. The purpose of the group is to work through stuff in our lives by great devotions, group time, and supporting each other. I am so thankful for this group and for God leading me there the first week I moved here. God is growing me and stretching me in so many ways.

Last Sunday was an exciting day. I was baptized by full immersion. Never thought I would become a Southern Baptist but I will be joining Harvest soon. So many people in my church family have mentioned standing up with me on Sunday as I have seen them this week. (When someone is baptized in the baptistery above the choir loft everyone who is a part of this person's life stands up in the audience during the baptism. The funny thing is there is a huge spot light on the person being baptized and the pastor baptizing them (my Adult Bible Fellowship teacher was the pastor who baptized me). So as I looked out on the huge sanctuary all I saw was darkness and a bunch of figures standing in the front row. Beyond that it was impossible to tell).

Work continues to keep me busy. I work anywhere from 35-40 hours a week. Everyday is different but I always end up in the infant room for the last 3-4 hours. It is good to hear my boss tell me how much she trusts me and is thankful she can put me in any classroom and know I will be able to handle it. The class I was in the most this week was the Early Preschool Room, three-year-olds. One of the boys in the classroom can be a bit of a handful but not as bad as others. I have had the opportunity to talk with him one-on-one and connect a little more with him than other children though.

One of the things I like about this little guy is every once in awhile he will play with my hair while I read books. Who doesn't love having their hair played with? I always have mine in a ponytail because I know the younger kids love to pull hair. So anyway, I walked in the classroom one day this week and the first thing my buddy said was "Miss Marie I like your hair". It put a smile on my face because I had left my hair down and just pulled part of it back, very different from usual. Then later that day he played with my hair while I read books. I think he is going to be a stylist someday.

Another cute thing about the children at school is they all have different ways of trying to pronounce my name. Here are a few I can remember right now: Arie, Missery (Miss Marie), Re, Miss Mary. The other teachers always seem confused when the girl who calls me Miss Mary says my name. I explain to them I have tried to teach her how to say it correctly but it always comes out the same way. They then try to help her pronounce it and get the same results.

Even though I was trying not to apply for a job in child care again because I knew the pay was low I know God led me to this job for a reason...

God has led me to a job I enjoy, is hard work, and fulfilling. However, I am never going to make it on my current income. Please pray God will lead me to the right job at the right time. My hope is to finally rent a place on my own. At this point that is not even close to being an option and I do not know if that is God's plan for me.

Cowboy Baby

I figured y'all deserved an update on the real reason I moved to Texas (yeah right, we all know God led me here for some amazing things to happen, which have not yet happened). I have met several cowboys and lots of just guys here in Texas. However, the cowboys are all married, I think they all marry young, and the other guys are younger than me or just not the right one. That's it. Nothing else to report on that issue. The search continues...

p.s. I am getting baptised at church tomorrow, full immersion, and I am super excited! Then I will become a member of Harvest (a Southern Baptist church:).