I am now officially a first grade teacher. My first day of school was on Wednesday, August 6th. I was a nervous wreck. I wasn't sure what to expect with first graders. They like to talk a lot! Haha..so there was a lot of shushing going on. It left me exhausted physically and emotionally, and I pretty much cried the rest of the day after school, which gave me a big headache. I went to bed right after church that night.

Thursday and Friday were much better. Now I know what to expect, and my students are precious. First graders love you no matter what. I'm just trying to figure out my game plan for next week. We don't get into the heavy work and regular routine until the 18th of August.

It's going very well, though, and all of the other teachers are so helpful. I have a lot of support, and I'm very thankful for that. Brad has been wonderful too. He has been up to my classroom for a countless amount of hours helping me put things together. He also went on Tuesday night (night before the first day of school) and bought things for my lunch and classroom, and he made my lunch for the first day. He's so sweet.

I think this is going to be an emotionally and physically exhausting year (I've already cried so much!), but I know it is going to be very rewarding too when I see that my students are learning and growing as people because of my impact.

Busy busy busy...

One thing about this summer is for sure...there is never a dull moment. I don't think there's been one day of just nothingness. Yes, I said nothingness. I'm in a play this weekend, so I have had rehearsal every night, and then opening night was on Thursday. During the day, I have been making many frequent trips to Wal-Mart with my very sweet hubby who has been helping me in my classroom during the day. So it's like this...get up, go to Wal-Mart, go to the classroom, eat lunch, stay until 4:30, come home to get ready for the show, and go to the theater. But I'm not complaining. I love it.

I report for work on Monday morning. Then the whole crazy teaching experience begins, and the real world begins to set in. :) We are also going to start searching for our own place. We're ready to be on our own. We were ready a long time ago, but sometimes a lack of funding can really hold things back. I will post more when I get pictures of my completed classroom and when we get our own place and start decorating.

The teenagers are going to camp this next week, and I'm really bummed that I can't go because of work. But that's life. I'm still excited that we get to work with them and get to know them even better. I guess more on that will come later too!

Crazy Times

A lot has happened since my last post. We went on a trip to Ohio with some friends, and while there, I received a scary phone call at 3 AM. You know those are never good. I found out that my father had a heart attack. Thankfully, he's ok. They put a stint in his heart, and he has been doing well since then. Another praise is that he and my stepmom both quit smoking. Amen! He is very tired, though, and he's a hard worker, so I know it's difficult for him to slow down. His stomach is having some issues too. He thinks it's just an adjustment to all of the new medication. But the important thing is that he's still here with us, so thank you Lord for that.

The same day we found out about the heart attack, Brad's 91-year-old grandfather passed away. Brad flew up to Illinois this past Thursday for the funeral. I didn't go because it was expensive to fly. It was almost $600 just for Brad. So he came back on Sunday, and the next day he went to Jackson, MS, where he still is because he's helping run games for a junior youth camp. Then he comes back tomorrow afternoon and will leave for Michigan on Sunday to help a church run their Vacation Bible School. I'm staying here because I have a day of training for a special kind of board that will go in my classroom (hopefully). So I think I will remember what it's like to have my husband around! I do miss him..that's for sure.

On a happier note, I have been given keys to my classroom and so I'm now starting the process of getting it together. I went to a luncheon today and met most of my new co-workers. They are all so nice. A lot of them gave me things they didn't need, like an extra computer or bookshelves, etc. They even helped me get things out of my classroom that I didn't need. They're all very supportive, and many of them are Christians. The school is getting a new principal, and he is a Christian as well. He's going to start a prayer group in the mornings before school, and I am so there. :) I can't get through my first year of teaching without praying constantly. I'm SCARED TO DEATH. I can't help but be capitalized by fear, and I don't like that. Thankfully, it's an amazing school with amazing people, and I'm sure the children will be wonderful as well, even though some of them will give me a run for my money! I'm just praying like crazy because I'm very nervous..it's a big responsibility and I want to do my job well. I just don't know how yet!

Other than that, I've just been practicing for the play I'm in. It's definitely a busy summer. We've started the apartment searching process, and I've found some that I'm majorly in love with. They're very nice and quite spacious. Plus, they pay for the water bill! Haha..that's a blessing since we will be doing a ton of laundry and dishes. Either way, I know God will provide the right place.

I really want to be more faithful to this blog so I don't have to write a novel every time I update it. It's just difficult to get online as much as I want to. Until next time...

It's been a while!

I am so sorry to all of my loyal fans out there..haha. What a joke! Since so much has happened since my last blog, I will just list it quickly.

*Went to St. Louis to see a Cardinals game with Brad's family
*Hung out in Illinois for a few days
*Went to Fairfield, Ohio to be in our friends' wedding
*Came back to Missouri and packed for two days and said goodbye to our teens at our church
*Moved to Mississippi, joined the church right away, and have been settling in ever since

We have been go go go go go since we've gotten here, and I love it. I love having a busy lifestyle! My church here in MS just celebrated their 20th anniversary today with my pastor and his wife faithfully ministering here. We have been hanging out at their house for a few days now, and we are currently staying with my youth pastor when I was in high school. We have a lot of stuff, I have discovered. It's mostly in the garage or squeezed into our room. Not fun living out of a suitcase (or at least it feels that way), but I am so thankful they are letting us stay there. It is saving us a ton of money because real estate down here is RIDICULOUS!

Our church here is just so amazing and have already taken us in with loving arms, just like I thought they would. We're excited to get the work started with the teens, though I still miss my girls from Aurora Baptist Temple! Sometimes God has us go somewhere else, and just seeing all of the open doors down here, I know this is where He wants us. Some might think it's easy for me to say that since it's home, but Brad knows it's where we are supposed to be to, and this is not where he's from. God has provided so many blessings already, and we know He isn't done yet!

We don't have the internet at the house we're staying at yet, so if anyone is reading this and is getting onto me for not checking Facebook or MySpace, I apologize. It's tough having a social life, but someone has to do it! Haha..just kidding. Until next time...

Warning: Gushy Post Ahead

A year ago (on May 19th to be exact), I married the love of my life. Bradley Kinkade is the man of my dreams. He loves Jesus Christ, wants to serve Him, is kind, loving, supportive, funny, hot, and every other good adjective I can think of. It's hard to imagine that a year has gone by already. Everyone who has been married for a while tells me that it flies by quickly.

Our story is quite interesting. For those of you who don't know, we started out strongly disliking each other. For a couple of different reasons, Brad was not interested in finding a girlfriend when he came to BBC, and I was not interested in taking on another serious relationship (I had just gotten out of a 3-year relationship a few months prior). Therefore, Brad was quite rude to me to let me know that he was definitely not interested, and therefore I was rude to him because "he started it." But God worked it out for good because I was able to get Brad a job where I was already working, Hobby Lobby. Because I didn't have a car, Brad had to give me rides. I remember thinking these exact words: "Wow, this guy actually does have a personality...he's kinda funny." We found out right away that we trusted each other implicitly, and within a few weeks, we were sharing things about our lives and our past that most do not share with a casual friend.

The beginning of our relationship was definitely rocky. (By beginning, I mean probably the first year or so). We fought constantly, I cried every day, and it seemed that there was always a set of challenges to overcome. Yet, we knew God had given us someone special, and neither one of us ever had the idea of giving up. We stuck it out, and today we have the most wonderful marriage anyone could ask for. We have our little arguments here and there, but they are over quickly, and we are quick to apologize and forget we ever fought in the first place.

My husband is certainly the most amazing man I have ever met, and it is no surprise that everyone around him falls in love with him (though not in the same way as me!). He is incredibly supportive of my teaching job and has already offered to help set up my classroom and even grade papers on a daily basis. He never complains when I ask him to reach up for something high, fix a zipper, or open that can of jelly I can never seem to open myself. I have come home to find him washing the dishes, folding laundry, or just cleaning up little things here and there. He has listened to me patiently when I come home from an exciting day and have talked his ear off, and he puts up with me when I have one of my crabby moods since I'm hungry or tired. He is one of the greatest blessings I have ever been given.

I can't wait for the next year of marriage to my incredible man!

The greatest Thursday ever!

So yesterday I became a college graduate, and it was an amazing day (despite the yucky rain). My mom, brother, sister, and brother-in-law as well as Brad's family came in to celebrate with me. My former youth pastor and his wife came too. The plaque I'm holding in my right hand is the Key Award, and they award it to one female and one male in the entire senior class. I was very honored to know that they gave it to me! I was totally surprised too--I didn't even know the award existed.

After about one million and one pictures taken, we went to Olive Garden, my favorite place in the world to eat. Then we went shopping! (It's a good day--I know). After resting for a little while, we snacked on Mexican Villa while watching TV. Then the real fun began. We had game night, and that was hilarious. Lots of inside jokes, stupid things said, and funny quotes were formed. Then we ate breakfast this morning together before everyone headed their separate ways.

Second only to the love of Christ is the love of family and friends. We were playing games, and I was so amazed that seven different people would take time off of work and travel several hundred miles just to support me. I know that not everyone has a loving and supportive family, and I am incredibly blessed to have the one that I do. And God gave me an amazing family from my husband's side too (we definitely know that some people don't have great in-laws!). I am an incredibly blessed girl, and yesterday I was reminded once again of all that I have been given. Thank you Lord for giving us families.

A Good Day

So today has been a really good day, even though it's a Monday! :) I was able to get a lot of things accomplished, and it has been full of blessings. My youth pastor and his wife (Bill and Stacy) arrived safely and bought me lunch at one of my favorite Springfield restaurants, Mexican Villa!

Brad's job will be over tomorrow after working there for several years. I think that he has kept a good testimony because his manager wanted to throw him a going away party. All of his coworkers showed up (even those who weren't scheduled to work that day), and that spoke volumes to me that they wanted to be there to say goodbye. He is a hard worker, and I know they will miss him. They brought in goodies, an awesome cake, and gave him a card filled with $60 cash and a $20 Wal-Mart card!

Then I checked the mail and found $150 worth of checks in the mail as graduation presents. And we just sent out $150 for a large bill today, so God always knows what we need! It's funny the way He works..Sometimes I just want to say, "Alright, now You're just showing off." Because He can! Haha. I was able to spend some time with some of the senior elementary education majors at a friend's apartment. It's awesome that we actually get together outside of classes. We have grown so close; it's hard to believe we will be heading off in different directions soon.

The night ended with a good time at Steak 'N Shake. What could be better?

Thank you, Lord, for your many blessings. And thanks to the family and friends who always love and support us.

God's Amazing Blessings!

I can't believe I didn't mention this in my previous blog!

GOD IS AWESOME! I was really worried about finances with our upcoming move (mainly the moving truck, since it's $400), and in church this morning, I decided to give it all up. I said I wasn't going to worry about it anymore because God is so much bigger than $400 that we don't have, and He knows we need jobs for the summer. I get a call a few hours later telling me that my home church in Mississippi wants to pay for our moving truck for us!

He takes care of His own, doesn't He?!? That was majorly awesome. In spite of how much we don't deserve it, He always wants to bless us.

Our Last Sunday at ABT

Today was the very last Sunday service for us at Aurora Baptist Temple. This church has been our "home away from home" for the last four years. We have seen children grow up there, families come and go, and we have made friends that I know will last for a lifetime. It's awesome to think about all of the people we can come and visit when we come back to Missouri for whatever reason. Leaving is always hard to do, and I know I came here knowing I would eventually leave, but it is so hard leaving the people I have made bonds with. These past four years have been huge for Brad and me and our Christian walk. I've been at BBC for five years myself, and it's hard to believe it's done. I am done with college. I never thought that would come!

I am very excited to get to Mississippi and start setting up my classroom. For those of you who don't know, I have been offered a first grade teaching position at a school just minutes away from my church and the house we will be staying at for the first few months. The principal is an amazing Christian woman who is more like a grandmother figure than a boss! It makes me feel secure because I can talk to her about the Lord, and I know she really wants me to teach at her school. More on that to follow, I'm sure, because teaching is never boring.

For those of you who will read this from Aurora Baptist Temple, Brad and I just want to thank you so much for being our family when our family and friends were hundreds of miles away. Not every Bible college student can say that they found a church they could truly get involved in, but we are blessed enough to say that we did! We love all of you!