Big Day

Today was a big day. The day of the test results! I started off the day with some Sweatin' to the Oldies, which left me feeling good about myself, and ready for just about anything. I managed to be in the office by 10am (a minor miracle for me) and there it was. The email saying my scores were posted. My heart pounded. It got hard to breathe. I logged on. Only to discover I had to download a PDF. Seriously, T1 download FASTER. Then I clicked on the PDF and saw the magnificent word. PASSED. That's right, I passed! I literally got out of my chair and jumped up and down. Called my mom and responded to her hello with "I passed. I passed. I passed." Excited might be an understatement. :)

So now on to the next step. Finishing filling out my teaching applications for the other local districts. And waiting to see where God leads. These next few months are going to be an adventure for sure!

Easter in a Nutshell

One of these days I will write a blog that doesn't involve a bulleted list of what has been going on in my world. Today is not that day. So I give you the Easter Outline:

• Sick - I spent all of Good Friday in my Dad's recliner feeling like junk. Saturday wasn't much better. I currently only sleep well when drugged with Advil PM. Awesome.
• Cemetery - My mom puts out flowers on the graves of family members several times a year. So my mom, dad, sister and I spent part of Saturday afternoon throwing away the Christmas poinsettas and putting out tulips, daisies and other spring blooms. It was a neat time to reflect and remember these people that were important in our lives.
• Shooting - I can finally reclaim my part in the Jordan family. We did some target practice this weekend and I didn't do as badly as I had expected. Well, I was still pretty pitiful, but shooting a revolver accurately when your vision is 20/1600ish without glasses is a challenge.
• Easter - Easter with family is always a blast. We sang some good Methodist Hymns. Read the traditional new member Methodist statement (our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service anyone?) Heard a message that talked about Jesus. Then went to my aunt and uncle's house and ate tons of food.
• Questions - Oh how many I answered. Are you surviving? Do you have enough money? How did you feel about your test? And many more. The family grilling. It wouldn't be a holiday without it.

I really am blessed. I did practically nothing this weekend do to the sickness. My incredible sister did dishes all weekend since I would contaminate them. My mom sent me home with enough food to give me main dishes for a month. And my family loves me. They care about how I am doing. They encourage me in my current journey, even though it is a tough, and random one.

But all the thanks goes to the Giver of all good things. Including His precious Son.

Vacation - Portland is Fun.

I've been spending this week just outside of Portland with my roommate from college Rebekah. A baby made their family a family of three just 6 short weeks ago and I am here meeting my new niece. Here is what this weekend has consisted of in no particular order:

• Gilmore Girls - We've watched a lot. Feeding the Baby. Rocking the Baby. Watching the show.
  
• Food - Rebekah has cooked - Lasagne, Pizza and many delicious delicacies. Yum.
• Powell's Books - I have heard about Powell's for years and have never gotten to go. We spent an hour wandering around and barely scratched the surface. I bought Make Way for Ducklings and an old copy of Elizabeth Barrett Browning Poems. It was great amounts of fun.
• Pancakes - We went to the original Original Pancake House for breakfast today. I got the chocolate chip pancakes. It was heaven.
• Baby - I have spent lots of time holding my new niece. She is cute and fun and wonderful.
• Talking - Rebekah and I have spent the weekend reminiscing about college and discussing our recent lives.
• Smocking - During the many runs of Gilmore Girls I have been working on a dress for the baby when she is 6 months old.
• Sleep - I seriously have not gotten up before 11am Texas Time. While that's 9am here, I feel like I have been sleeping really late. It has been wonderful.
• Clothes - They have an Eddie Bauer Outlet less than 20 minutes from their house. I found some amazing clothes. However, since I have no room in my suitcase, I'm going to have to mail them home.

So yes. It has been a wonderful trip. I'm going to be sad to leave, but I'm ready to get home. From the looks of it the cold weather is going to be following me home. It's been warm in Texas all week, but tomorrow it is going to be cold. Just my luck. Hopefully it will be an uneventful trip. Pictures (there aren't many) will be coming soon.

Be careful what you wish for...

Life has settled into a fairly uneventful routine. I work 15-20 hours a week at PC and get random babysitting hours when I can. Not the best economic schedule in the world, but it works. However, since my life is so relaxed I start to believe I can do ridiculous things. Like babysit from 7:30am -5:30pm and then drive to another house to babysit from 6-9pm. Then get up (on a saturday) and babysit from 8:30am to 4:30pm. Sunday is full to the brim with church, teaching choir, and working. What was I thinking? Especially since I'm leaving to go out of town on MONDAY.

So earlier this month I was lamenting about money. Therefore, I accepted every babysitting opportunity that appeared. Now I'm lamenting about having time to wash clothes and pack. I guess I just can't win. :) So I'm going to be thankful for these opportunities. Especially since I'm not going to be working much next week. Rainy Portland, here I come.

Good thing God likes to throw open windows. I'll be interested to see which one flies open next.

A Change of Plans

I’ve started cleaning out my life. Less clutter. Less STUFF! In the process of doing this I stumbled upon my teaching certificate. I don’t think that I had looked at it since I received it in the mail. I opened it up, for grins and giggles and saw something that made my stomach drop. The expiration date. March of 2011. When I received my certificate in late 2005, 2011 seemed so far away. But it hit me this weekend: that’s in TWO years. If I decide not to teach in the next couple of years, I am basically deciding that I am not going to. My inaction is making the decision for me.

I don’t do well with inaction. With just sitting around waiting. So in I go. I have looked up teacher fairs. Figured out which school districts have online applications and which have paper ones. Started wrestling through my reference list. There is so much work that goes into applying to be a teacher. So this is my new hobby. Get Joanna a teaching job in 2009.

To make myself more marketable I am planning on taking the 4-8 Mathematics certification exam. I took the practice exam tonight and while I didn’t do horribly, I do have some subjects I need to brush up on – Statistics and Geometry. Algebra should mainly be refreshing my mind on what terms actually mean.

I’ve been dreading this whole teaching thing, but tonight I got excited. I LOVED sitting there and pondering the math problems. Delving deep into my brain and remembering what all of the strange words meant. And I only called my sister once! Maybe this teaching thing won’t be as bad as I fear.

So I’m still waiting. Waiting for God to show me what He wants me to do. But now as I wait I am going to move toward this door. And if it closes, I know it will be from Him. But for now, I’m resting in the fact that only HE could have possibly gotten me excited about teaching again.

With a simple math test.

Me and One of My Loves

Today I went to talk to a woman about watching her sweet little 11 month old boy. The plan after that was to head to eat dinner and hang out with some friends. Went to get in my car and it wouldn't start. At all. No clicking or anything. Awesome. Someone came and got me and the boys went to get my car later.

I was at the aforementioned friends house and their little girl and I were reading books. When it was time for me to leave (I was coming back to spend the night, but she didn't know this) she gave me a huge hug and whispered in my ear, "I love you." My heart melted. To think I've known this little girl since she was born. She is truly in my heart.


When she was just a baby!












Now she's three!

Home

Home is such an interesting word. I have created a wonderful home for myself in Tyler. I love the town and my friends that have become another family to me. But when I think about home, I always come back to the place that is where I lived from the time I was born until I went to College. Fort Worth. I love this town. I love knowing where everything is (well, everything that hasn't moved or been built since 2002). I love seeing my elementary school and knowing that kids are still learning there. It brings joy to my heart every time I come.

Tonight as I drove to Fort Worth to see my parents and take my yearly trip to the Rodeo, there was a sense of joy at seeing the familiar street signs. The names of Trail Lake and Hulen made me smile. It brought a thought to mind. I get so excited to go back to Fort Worth. Am I ever even close to that excited to go to heaven? I know I don't normally go into the deep and spiritual here, but this really struck me tonight.

I get so easily caught up in the here and now. The things that need to get done.
Go to work. Check.
Go to the store. Check.
Clean my room. Check. (occasionaly)
Figure out what you want to do with your life. No check yet.

All of these things keep life going. I like to eat as much as the next girl, and that would be awfully difficult without weekly trips to the store. However, It's not the big picture. It's not what my main focus should be. There is so much more to life than this. There is a place so much better than this. And I want the thought of heaven to bring a smile to my face. Much like the sight of Hulen Street did today.

Later this weekend I'm sure I will return to my regularly scheduled blogging program. Seriously, I'm about to enter the land of the Cowboy - the Stock Show and Rodeo. I'm sure interesting stories will come. But I'm going to enjoy it and remember that this is for now. Something better is coming. I want to long for my true home.