Meg's Memos

Best Husband Ever

2009-06-15T15:23:00.002-04:00

I indeed have the best hubby ever. I had a horrible migraine most of the day yesterday. I'm working with Vacation Bible School this week, so I didn't get home until like 10:30. By the time I got home, I was feeling pretty terrible, even starting to get nauseous. So I get home and Joey has made me a bubble bath and said "relax and get rid of that headache" and then he left me alone for a good 30 minutes or so, simply so I could relax and rest my head. The headache didn't go away, but my stomach calmed down and I was able to relax some. After a wonderful bubble bath, I crawled into bed with an ice pack and woke up this morning feeling much better. He's so sweet :-)

"In the Sanctuary"

2009-06-07T21:25:00.002-04:00

Today, something really cool happened- God shocked us all! Joey & I overslept and left a little late. But Joey drove to church, so we pulled into the parking lot at 8:15, right on time. As we are passing the sanctuary to park in the back lot of the church, there were a whole bunch of choir/orchestra people standing outside- very odd. My first thought was "are we locked out?" but the doors to the church were open, so that was a no. Then Joey said "I think we have no power." Sure enough, when we walked up the hill, we discovered the church had no power. The power was out for a couple square miles around the church too. We still don't know why, but it was. So it is 8:15 and we have a 9:00 service. So, we are waiting for the pastors to make a decision on what we are going to do. Not having service was, of course, not an option. So the plan changed about four time in three minutes, but the final plan was to have church outside in the parking lot. This presents a few problems for us, namely finding all of the things we need (chairs, music stands, sound equipment, etc) in the dark. Our sanctuary has no windows in it...so this was very difficult. Thankfully, we had some flashlights and were able to prop doors open to get some light. A man who attends the church brought a generator for us to use and we set up a pretty full sound system for the service in the parking lot. It was cool to see everything come together. In the span of about 20 minutes, we went from a parking lot to a sanctuary, including about 400 or so chairs, choir risers, a sound system and an orchestra pit. It was amazing.

Our choir special today was a song called "In the Sanctuary." It basically says we will praise God in the sanctuary because He's worthy of our praises. The cool thing, to me, is that because we couldn't be in the "sanctuary" for worship, God seemed to be telling us that a sanctuary isn't just a building where we meet to "do church." A sanctuary is the place where God's people gather to worship Him. It was great to be outside with trees around us, worshipping God in His sanctuary.

God was good to us. There was a wonderful cloud cover, a gentle breeze and cool temperatures this morning, all kind of rare in June in the south. But it made for a wonderful service. By the end of service, power had been restored and we had the 11:00 service in the building, but I think it was a great lesson to be learned.

I'm so thankful to serve a God who uses all of our situations to teach us things. This was a big God thing for us today. For a church of our size to be "inconvenienced" and made to think on our feet like we did, it was so God. I'm glad the power company had a problem this morning :-)

Blessings!

Update

2009-06-06T20:27:00.004-04:00

So I'm so bad at these things. But, here's an update for the three of you who read.

We've been married over five months now....crazy that it's been that long. Married life is great. I love waking up next to Joey every morning and falling asleep next to him each night. I love sharing everything with him. I love not living alone any more. I love being able to love him and spend time with him.

We got our puppy. His name is Rocky and he is adorable. We love him so much! Our families love him too. It's great to have something that relies on you. Here's a picture of him:

He is now almost 7 months old. We just had him neutered this week, so hopefully he won't wander away so much. He likes to wander from the yard, so we have to keep him on his run line right now. We're hoping to get one of those radio fence things so he can come off the line. We'll see how it works.

My kids took their EOCs this week. My children did wonderfully!!! 92% of them passed the test. I only had 5 of my kids fail the test, which is quite impressive. Most of my colleagues had that many in at least one of their classes. So I am extremely pleased with their performance.

Joey and I went to Disneyland with my parents for spring break. We had so much fun! It was Joey's first trip to a Disney park and all but Dad's first trip to Disneyland. It was also Joey & my first trip to California. We had a great time. Spent WAY too much money, but it was really a great time. Here's one of the pics:

I've got one more week of work and then summer vacation begins. I'm looking forward to having the summer off. I'm not really sure what I'm going to do. I'll probably do some things around the house & spend some time reading. Hopefully we'll also get to spend some time in Statesville and make a few day trips to do some fun stuff.

Well, I guess that's about it for the update. I'll try to do better now.

we're gonna be parents!

2009-04-08T21:51:00.002-04:00

Now that I have your attention...we're getting a puppy!!! Hopefully on Friday we'll bring one home. There is a possibility that our little guy that we fell in love with on Monday won't be there on Friday, but right now our plan is to go pick him up on Friday. We'll post pictures once we get him. And if we don't get him, I'll update that too.

Spring break starts tomorrow at 2:50...can't wait!

Kay Yow

2009-01-24T17:27:00.002-05:00

Today, one of the greatest women I've ever read about has passed away. Kay Yow, NCSU women's basketball coach since the 1970s, died this morning after fighting breast cancer since 1987. To put that fight in perspective, she was diagnosed with breast cancer the year Joey was born. She fought it every step of the way. My understanding is that she never let it get her down. Her teams always knew she was behind them. She is an inspiration to so many in this world. She also was an unashamed believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. She knew it was through God's strength that she fought the cancer and beat it so many times. So while it is a sad day here in the Triangle as we mourn her death, I am celebrating the fact that now Coach Yow is in Heaven, worshipping our Lord and Savior. She is no longer sick. She is no longer in pain. She is in her perfected body, doing nothing but worshipping Him. And I imagine if there is a basketball court in Heaven, when we all get there, that is where we will find her. Rest in peace, Coach Yow. Thank you for your example of faith, persistance and courage. You will be missed.

Update

2009-01-24T17:15:00.003-05:00

Hello! Things aren't much different from the last time I updated. We're a little more unpacked. And we've hung pictures and shelves and stuff in the living room, so it looks more like a home.

We had a big snow this past week that canceled the two days of school the students would have had this week. It was pretty for a day, then it got annoying. Joey and I walked about a mile down the road or so to see what it was like on the roads. It was pretty impassable for the average car that first day. The second day was much better, so he took me out to lunch to cure my stir-craziness. So this means we're two days behind at school. And our wonderful county plans for us to make them up on the Thursday and Friday of spring break. I won't be there and already have arranged for a sub.

Why won't I be there? Because we're going to Disneyland (in California) for spring break. My parents were planning to go and we realized that it was going to cost us less than $1,000 to spend a week there, so we decided to splurge and go. It'll be a lot of fun. Joey has never done any Disney stuff and I've never been to Disneyland, so we're really excited.

The new semester starts on Wednesday. It looks like I have a good bunch of kids, so hopefully it'll be a good semester. The kids have a big state test at the end of the semester, so this will be a true test of my teaching ability. Yikes! But the teachers I work with have done this all before and have a plan. And I love plans :-) So it should be fine.

Well, I guess that's about it. Have a wonderful day!

New Life

2009-01-08T18:45:00.002-05:00

It's great! I am absolutely loving being married. We are so happy and love living together. I realized how much I loved it when Monday morning we got up together and we were in the kitchen packing lunches together. It was great. We are both adjusting to living with someone, but it's a pleasant adjustment.

The wedding went well. The ceremony was great and beautiful. Everyone has complemented us on our original ideas. The reception was fun. Short but fun. We had some small problems with stuff, but otherwise it was great. My only regret is that we didn't get to talk to everyone, but hopefully everyone understands.

It was such a blessing to see everyone who was there. For those of you who were there, thanks so much for being part of it.

And now, I'm legally a Totherow, which is so exciting. Soon I'll have my new license and we'll merge bank accounts. All of this is so exciting. I love creating a family of our own (NOT children yet). It's so cool to call Joey my husband!

My first semester at South is wrapping up. I've really enjoyed my time there. The kids, teachers and administration is great. I don't know how many of my kiddos I'll have back next semester, but it's going to be fun!

2 weeks!

2008-12-13T15:13:00.002-05:00

As you can gather since you are an educated reader, the wedding is two weeks from today! We are so excited. We are spending part of today making those last phone calls to people who never sent in an RSVP. Have to give the caterers a number on Monday. We averted a couple of potential problems this week. First, we had the parents of our junior groomsman pull him out of the wedding. We don't really know the whole story, but based on what we do know, we are pretty disappointed in the family and their decision. But they are not us and we cannot control their actions, so we are working around it and moving on. Secondly, we were having a problem with one song for the wedding. We couldn't find a track for the soloist to sing along with and my pianist didn't think he had enough time to learn a new song, so we weren't sure what we were going to do. But my choir director/an amazing pianist (he went to school for piano and is absolutely AMAZING) is going to record it for us so my soloist has something to sing along with. I love hearing him play, so this is going to be great. (FYI, he will be out of town for the wedding. that should answer your question)

So yes, things are coming along nicely. I'm taking Tuesday off work (I know there are only 4.5 days this week) so we can go get our marriage license. That is an important part of the process. We also have a few other little things to take care of, but over all things are going very well. I'm almost to the point where I can let go and let things run themselves.

Oh, I got my bridal portraits back and they are beautiful! Our photographers are SO worth what we're paying them. I'm so excited about it!

Also today we finished putting up our Christmas decorations, including the Christmas tree we got yesterday afternoon. It's very cool looking. I'll have pictures to put up soon. Look for those!

Alright, well I'm off to do some cleaning/unpacking. See you all soon!!!

Random Ramblings

2008-12-03T19:59:00.003-05:00

Well first, the countdown is 24 days. Crazy, huh? In no time at all I feel like we've gone from the proposal to the wedding. But that day is going to be so great. I love that I'm three and a half weeks away and do not feel stressed at all! It's great to have other people stress out for you :-)

But yes, wedding things are coming together greatly. We had our last shower on Sunday. It was small, but very nice. We got two things we desperately needed- sheets & glasses! So we are getting closer and closer to having everything we need. We are practically finished with our Christmas shopping and Joey is making ground on groomsmen gifts. I purchased the last couple of things for bridesmaids today!

Some sad news- Joey's grandmother died last week. It was unexpected. The nurses at the nursing home were putting her into bed and she just slumped over. It was like she just decided to go, so she did. Joey says she was ready to see her husband again and to spend Thanksgiving with him. So we wound up going to Statesville for Thanksgiving instead of spending the holidays here in Benson. His family was planning to come here. But we got up early Thanksgiving morning and drove to his parents' house where his sister-in-law and I cooked Thanksgiving dinner. It was great and we all had a good time, despite the circumstances. I love his family more every time I'm with them, and this was no exception. We spent like 5 hours with his brother & sister-in-law on Friday night, which was a lot of fun.

Let's see, we have about half of our response cards back. Still waiting on the other half. Amazingly, most of the bridal party has not responded...how weird is that? And we only have one session of pre-marital counseling left!!! YAY!!!

We now have cable & internet at our house. It is very nice. We cannot, however, get the wireless router to work yet. So we may have to invest in a new one.

Well, I guess that's about it. I'm off to bake some cookies before Joey's work Christmas party. I'm so looking forward to break, even though it won't be much of a break.

settling down

2008-11-05T19:15:00.003-05:00

Hello all!

I'm moved into the house and trying to get settled. It's a crazy time right now. I'm trying to get unsettled here, plus we just finished up the first quarter of school and I'm trying to get invitations done so I can send them out. Hopefully I'll be able to wrap most of that up in the next couple of days. It's hard to believe how close we are! Knowing that I'm living is "our house" is crazy. It makes both of us more antsy to get married. But it'll be here before we know it.

It's hard to believe that I'll be married in two months. Growing up I always looked forward to getting married and being someone's wife. And now that it's here, I can't believe that I'm old enough to be getting married. I still feel so un-grown up. I'm almost 24. My mom was getting ready to have a baby when she was my age! Somehow I don't think I'd be prepared for that. It amazes me how fast we have all "grown up". I mean, I know that my best friends have been adults for a while, but still. Sarah is finishing up her third semester of Vet School. AJ is teaching in Germany and discovering a whole new part of herself. Beth is married & having a baby. Joey's nephew who was born not long after we started dating (he's 13 months) is going to be walking soon. Time is flying by. It's been almost 8 months since Joey proposed and I have no idea where the time went. I'm really looking forward to the Christmas season because of all that it means this year- I get to see my family, celebrate my 24th birthday, get married, and so many other things. It's going to be a great December.

Alright, well I'm going to go pop in a movie for some noise and work on invitations. Have a great one!!!

Update

2008-10-27T22:25:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone!

Just wanted to update everyone! First the big news- we found a house!! I'm moving in this weekend and we are so excited. I can't believe all of this is coming together. I'm really growing up now!! But, it's a 3 bedroom 2 bath house with a fireplace and a "man cave" for Joey. It's really perfect for us.

We've been so blessed by so many people in the last few months. We've been given so many great things and our wedding is coming along so perfectly that we couldn't ask for anything else.

Work is good. The kids are settling into a routine, so that is helpful. We are wrapping up the first quarter, which means the semester is half over. Crazy!!

Only 2 more months until the big day. It is getting to be so close now. We are so excited about this event (duh!). We can't wait to share all of our plans with everyone on that day. It will be an event that no one can forget!!!

Well, I'm off to sleep now. Early to bed & early to rise!!!!

lovin life

2008-09-18T18:14:00.003-04:00

Well, things are getting into a rhythm now I think. Work is going well. I wouldn't say I've had a bad day yet. It'll happen eventually, I know. But right now, I'm loving it. That's not to say it's perfect. I've been cussed at a bunch of times and I currently have four kids suspended for various things, but it'll be ok. I love my school. I love my fellow teachers. I love my administration (which is a big improvement). An example- I've been sick all week. I went home from work on Tuesday. First thing Wednesday morning (or the first time she saw me) one of my assistant principals made a point to make sure I was feeling better. I was amazed. This same AP apologized to me during the second week of school for all of the student changes going on in my classes. She's great. All of my admins are great. They are all so personable and real with us. I'm loving it.

Things with Joey & the wedding are going well. He started a new job as a valet. It's taking some getting used to because it's a weekend job, so it cuts out a lot of our weekend time together. But it's not as bad as we both thought it would be. Wedding plans are coming along. We're meeting with the DJ this weekend. My dress is in and fits and all. They are putting the bustle on for me. I'm picking it up on Oct 3 or so. I'm having my bridal portaits taken on Oct. 10. I think it's finally hitting me that this is real. I mean, I've known it's real. But I'm less than three and a half months away from being someone's wife. It's crazy. I can't believe it. Every little step now seems like we're running to the altar. All the big things are done (well, except addressing all those invitations!), but they seem so unimportant in the scheme of things, at least right now. But, it's coming together. We're getting excited. We had a great first shower (thanks to the most amazing MOH ever- Sarah). And we're having two more in October. We rented a storage unit to store stuff because we didn't have anywhere to put it. We're looking to find a place to live in November or December (well that's when I'd move in). There's a house we kinda have an eye on, but we'll have to see.

I'm back in the choir at church now and I can't believe how much I missed it! I'm going on the retreat this year...and I'm super excited about it!!!

Alright, well I'm off to maybe get some work done. Hope you're having a blessed day!!!

uno updato

2008-08-15T22:18:00.004-04:00

Wow. So, I haven't updated in over a month. Please accept my apologies. Here we go:

First, I just watched Michael Phelps win his 7th gold medal in the Olympics. He is a beast! He has a diet of 12,000 calories a day. The average person has 1,500-2,000 in their daily diet. Craziness!

Let's see...I started working this week. Three days of orientation stuff this week. I feel like I'm on overload, but it's been good. I've learned a lot. Next week is five days of teacher workdays. Thursday night is Open House. Then a week from Monday I start my first full year of teaching. I am super excited and scared to death all at the same time. I'm really hoping it will be good. I'm a little jaded because of last year, but I really think this is going to be a good year. I love freshmen.

Wedding stuff is going well. We thing we've gotten all the biggies taken care of. We ordered our invitations earlier this week and finally found a serving set that we like. We're really excited about every step of the process. I also finally found a veil! Had to go all the way to Rhode Island to get it, but it's perfect! It is exactly what I wanted. My dress should be in any day now...also exciting.

Um....I guess that's about it. Hope you're having a great week and have a great weekend!

A Quickie

2008-07-13T07:18:00.002-04:00

Hello, all. This is going to be a quick update, since I have to head out of the apartment soon. But, my friend's grandfather past away yesterday. She seems to be handling it fairly well so far, but please continue to pray for her family and for Christ to be revealed to many of them through this occasion.

My aunt is doing okay. She is having a hard time remembering everything the docs are telling her, and my uncle is evidently in denial and choosing not remember a lot of things (not good), so my cousin is going to all the appointments with her now so she can know what's going on. They are starting chemo this week. She will get chemo for four months and then radiation for 6 weeks. The cancer is slow moving, but this also means harder to treat. She has been diagnosed in Stage 3 (out of four). I'm not sure what that means for a prognosis, but we're praying for the best. Please continue to pray for her and for the rest of my family as we deal with this.

I'm heading off to Royal Family Kids' Camp, a faith based camp for foster children, today. I am SO excited that Joey is going this year, along with a bunch of our friends. We are going to have a great week, and I really hope the kids will too. I am leading music this year, which is a new thing for me. I am super nervous about it, but I'm sure God will work it out!

As far as wedding stuff is concerned, we got Save-the-Dates mailed this past week. And we settled a few other details-such as a pre-marriage pastor. We're taking a planning break to dedicate ourselves to camp this week. Then we're going on vacation with my family, so I don't know how much planning will get done then either. But that's ok. I'm not feeling rushed about anything. Five & a half months to go!! So exciting!

Well, I'm off to finish getting stuff packed & such. I'll blog again next weekend. (We get back Friday). Love ya!

July 1!

2008-07-01T23:11:00.003-04:00

So, today is July 1. Joey and I were in Fayetteville today, and as I was driving back, I was thinking about how my life has changed in the last year. I know that July first isn't really a big day of reflection or anything, but it's the start of a new month and the start of the second half of the year. So, six months ago, I had just moved back home to Fayetteville, and I was just a few days into a new job, my first as a teacher. I was dating a wonderful guy and was pretty happy with my life. Here I am now, finished with my first semester of teaching, quit one job and got a new one. I'm in the middle of planning a wedding when I will wed that amazing guy I dated for only 9 months before he proposed. And I'm back in Raleigh, close to my friends again (thank God!). And six months from now, I'll be married to my best friend, teaching at a new school and hopefully living the life I've dreamed about for a very long time. I am so incredibly blessed, I really can't grasp it. I am so happy right now.

Last week I signed my contract and such with Johnston County, so it's official!!! I'll be teaching near Raleigh next year!

Also, apparently someone in Alaska doesn't know what they are talking about, or God is doing some awesome healing. My aunt had some tests run and the cancer is not as advanced as the doc originally thought. It is in several spots in one lung, but is not in the second one and has not spread to her lymph nodes. So, I think the prognosis is a little better now. She's supposed to have a biopsy soon, and hopefully that'll help determine her treatment plan.

Finally, one of my best friend's grandfather is not doing very well. He has been ill for a while, and things are deteriorating rather quickly. Hospice has been called in to help care for him. At this point, I think it is just a matter of time. Please pray for this family. His name is James Cox, or Pa. Please be in prayer for him.

:-)

2008-06-23T20:46:00.002-04:00

Joey is home safely and I'm getting to spend LOTS of time with him! And that makes me very happy!!!

And we're working out wedding plans, together! Also makes me very happy!!!

time is flying!

2008-06-17T16:01:00.005-04:00

Hello, readers! (all three of you)-

It's been a great week! I wrapped up teaching in Cumberland County, packed up my life at home and have moved back to Raleigh. I'm getting to spend some great time with Sarah while Joey is still gone, which is great!!! I love my Sar!! I am most of the way through cleaning, organizing, rearranging and unpacking my bedroom. I feel like a new person! I am so incredibly excited about everything going on in my life right now (except one thing, but I'll get to that in a minute). Joey will be home in three days, and then we'll be living in the same city again!! It's just good all around for me right now.

So, there is one piece of bad news right now. We found out this past weekend that my Aunt Doris (my mom's sister) has cancer. It is in both of her lungs and is also pressing against her trachea. They are sending her to an oncologist (cancer doc) in Anchorage, Alaska (she lives in Fairbanks, AK) to see what kind of treatment can be pursued. But her doctor has told her to go home and make sure all of her affairs are in order. They are guessing that she is at Stage 2, out of 4. I'm not exactly sure what that means, other than it has spread to her lymph nodes but not any other organs. Aunt Doris and her husband, Bob, have two children and a whole bunch of grandkids (their son has three, their daughter has 2 biological and 3 or 4 foster kids). The kids seem to be handling it ok, and I don't know about the grandkids. But my uncle is not handling it so well. They have done practically everything together for the last 30 years, and now he is having to think about life without her. They just bought an RV and were planning to move back home (NC) in a few years. My mom is handling it okay. Not great, but okay. Some hours are better than others. She talked to Aunt Doris the other day and that seemed to help a lot. But another of my aunts, Kathy, is not doing very well with it. She and Aunt Doris are about 15 months apart and are best friends. She is really struggling with the news.

Also, I don't know about Aunt Doris's spiritual life. But I would guess that it's not in very good shape. I honestly do not know if she has any kind of relationship with the Lord. Please be in prayer for her. I'm still torn over how to pray for her, but right now I am praying for God's will to be done and for Aunt Doris's salvation, along with the salvations of her family members. I'm also praying for the rest of my family as they deal with this news. I know I have not processed it completely yet, and I don't know that everyone else has either. So just pray for all of us as we deal with this.

Now that I have ruined everyone's good mood, let's share some good news! 193 days until our wedding day! And Mom is going to order the Save-the-Date magnets tomorrow! So exciting!!!! I am so incredibly blessed!!!

yay!

2008-06-12T22:18:00.002-04:00

Lots to be thankful for!! Joey will be on his way back home in one week!! I can't believe how much I miss him. And....I got the job in Johnston County. Today was my last day as a teacher at Pine Forest, and soon I will leave Cumberland County for good (except visits). I'm moving back to Raleigh next week sometime and I won't have to move back to Fayetteville unless something crazy happens. Then Joey & I will find a place to call our own in a few months. I'm so incredibly excited!!! In six and a half months, I will be a married woman!!! I'm so blessed! God is SOOOOOOOOOOOOO good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Prayers..

2008-06-10T22:04:00.002-04:00

Hey, a few things you can be praying for-

1. A plane exploded in Sudan today. As you may know, this country is near and dear to the hearts of Joey and myself. There were over 200 people on the plane when it veered off the runway and split it half. Over 100 were able to escape before the plane exploded, but they do not know how many died. Please be praying for that country, as most of the people were Sudanese nationals. This accident happened in the capital city of Khartoum, meaning it probably is causing some problems in a nation that has more than its fair share of problems.

2. Tricia and Gwenyth are both having some health problems. I don't really understand it all, but we don't need to understand it to pray about it. Gwenyth's breathing has been a little strained, but Nate & Tricia don't seem to think it's anything super serious. They are, however, taking her to the doctor to get it checked out. Tricia's could be more serious. They have found traces of mono in her system, and they have discovered some growths in her new lungs. There is a chance that these growths could be a type of cancer related to the mono and transplant. Like I said, I don't really know much, and you can know what I know by reading Nate's blog- www.cfhusband.blogspot.com

So if you could be praying for these two things, as well as the remainder of Joey's trip (he'll be back the morning of June 20) to the Middle East and my transition back to Raleigh & probably to a new job, we would all really appreciate it.

The crazy life

2008-06-07T08:45:00.002-04:00

Well, let's see. I am in Fayetteville this weekend, and I am bored out of my mind. Joey is on a trip to the Middle East for two weeks. And I only have 1.5 days of work left, meaning know "homework" for me right now. So I have nothing to do, and it's driving me CRAZY!!!! I was stir crazy last night, only a few hours after getting home from work. I hate being bored. I was going to scrapbook, but then I realized that I didn't have the stuff I needed in Fayetteville- it's in Raleigh. Oh, well. To help solve my boredom, Jenn & I are going to Smithfield today to do some shopping.

But yes, Joey is in the Middle East for two weeks. They were supposed to go to Sudan, but didn't get visas, so they changed plans. He'll be back on the 20th. They are doing some touring, and then helping out around a school & church. I miss him like crazy, but I think he's enjoying it. So, that makes me happy.

Well, I've interviewed for a new job in Johnston county (the county next to Wake- where Raleigh is). It seems promising. I need to submit some supplementary paperwork so that if the opportunity comes through, I can get hired. It would be teaching ninth graders, which is SO exciting for me. I love ninth grade, except for Romeo & Juliet...but that's ok. It's also closer to Joey and the principal seems AWESOME! I'm really praying for this one. As much as I love the teachers I work with in Fayetteville, I've never felt like I belonged there, nor did I feel that the administration did anything but judge me. So, I'm hoping for a great cohort of teachers to work with, but I'm also hoping to have an administration that is supporting and encouraging. So, we'll see what happens and I'll keep you updated.

An Update

2008-05-25T20:46:00.003-04:00

Long time, no blog. My apologies. Teaching and wedding planning have been consuming my life. Little notes about each to follow.

First, since my last post- Tricia has had her transplant and has come home. Gwenyth has also been released from the hospital and the whole family is looking forward to moving home within the next few weeks or so. Their story continues to show me examples of God's healing power! It's quite amazing to read about their story.

Now, onto work. It's been..well, work. My kids are typical teenagers, and they are driving me crazy. I'm meeting with another principal this week to see about another job, but we'll see what God has in store. I'll go wherever He wants me. I just hope that I'm happier next year than I have been the last four months. I love my students, but the majority of them have no respect for authority and refuse to do any work.

Engagement- Things are going great. We've gotten most of the big stuff figured out, which really makes us excited. Each step makes us more excited about it, and every day we grow closer together, which is just exciting!!! For locations- the ceremony is going to be at our church in Raleigh and Joey's dad will be officiating; the reception is going to be at the North Carolina Museum of History in downtown Raleigh. We are so excited about the reception. We really think it's going to be a different feel than any of our guests have ever experienced for a wedding reception. It's definitely different than we've ever experienced. We really want our wedding to be memorable, not just for us but for our guests as well. We are finalizing Save-the-Date magnets. All of the dresses are ordered. Amy-Jo's mom is making our cake. We've got a photographer and a florist. The last biggies we have to decide on are the caterer and a DJ.
Things really seem to be coming together. We just decided today on a unique "unity" element of our ceremony. I love the idea and tradition behind the unity candle, but I find it very overdone. So we have been racking our brains to come up with something different, and Joey did it today!! We are so excited about it. I know you're curious...but you'll just have to wait and see.

Today we celebrated Joey's 21st birthday. It was nice. Nothing major. Dinner & gifts & an amazing pie (from the freezer section). Now he's legal in every way. ;-)

He makes me so happy!!!

Our Engagement Story!

2008-03-26T15:24:00.004-04:00

So, here's the story of how it went down. Joey had asked me a couple weeks before if we could schedule a date for March 14th. That's how life has been recently, we had to schedule in "real" dates so we could plan around them. We are busy people. The odd thing about this date is that he wouldn't tell me anything about it. So, I just chalked it up to him wanting to be romantic. I tried to get hints out of him, but he wouldn't give me any (also an odd thing...but that's ok). So, I called him when I got off work that day (a Friday) and he told me that he was at my parents' house (where I'm living right now) and that I should meet him there. I told him okay and I drove home. When I got there, he was in the kitchen cooking a meal. I was completely thrown off, but he told me to go get ready. I had just bought a new dress & was really excited to wear it. So, I go back to my bedroom & the bathroom and get ready. A little while later, he changes into dress clothes and we get into the packed car. There's a table, chairs and several coolers in the car. I'm still clueless. Once we get on the road, I finally get out of him that we're going to the beach and are going to eat supper on the beach. He confides that he's hoping to get there by sunset, but that we are running a little behind schedule. So, we drive to Wrightsville Beach, the first beach we went to as a couple. We get there after sunset and Joey gets out to "check the food." Then he comes over to my side of the car and tells me that the food is probably okay to eat (ie, still warm enough) but that he wanted to take a walk on the beach before we decided if we were going to eat on the beach or figure out something else. So we go down to the beach, both barefoot, and I stand in front of him and he wraps his arms around me. While standing like that he tells me that he loves me and wants to spend his life with me (nothing new). Then he says "What are you doing for the rest of my life?" And I replied, "I don't know." Then he turned me around and got down on one knee and started pulling out the ring. I FINALLY realized what he was doing and asked him if he was serious (as in seriously doing this right now). He then asked if I would spend the rest of our lives with him and become his wife. I threw my arms around him and said yes, and let him put the ring on my finger. Then his friend Jimmy came down (he was there all along) and took some pictures of us, since that was something I really wanted. Then we were all freezing, so we decided not to eat on the beach but to find a restaurant to eat at instead. So, then we called all of our families and some of our friends to tell them our happy news. After a yummy dinner at T.G.I. Friday in Wilmington, we drove back to Fayetteville. Once in Fayetteville, he showed me the "poster" he made that he had intended to use as part of the proposal. So creative he is (all tea lights on a piece of thick poster board)-

The next evening, we went to Raleigh and celebrated with both sets of parents as well as my brother and his brother, sister-in-law and nephews. It was great. I was glad to celebrate with out families.

So, now we're onto wedding planning. We are getting married on December 27, 2008. Just over 9 months away! Right now we're trying to figure out a location so that we can start actually planning. We have a site up on The Knot right now and I'm planning to create a site through Googlepages as well. I'll put that link up when I get it running. So, yeah that's about it I think. Have a blessed day!!!

Engaged!!

2008-03-16T22:54:00.002-04:00

Joey & I are getting married! He proposed at the beach on Friday night (March 14), and I said yes. Saturday we had a small engagement party with our parents, my brother, and his brother, sister-in-law and nephews. It was great. I promise to write more, but for now I'm going to sleep. I still must teach...

Long Time

2008-02-22T21:00:00.004-05:00

So, it's definitely been a month since my last post. My sincere apologies to anyone who reads this blog, but I don't know that anyone does. It's been a crazy month, that's for sure. I've started teaching, and I love it most days. I've moved home, but I still haven't unpacked (hopefully happening tomorrow). We're still bowling in Cary and loving it. We have really great team and I really enjoy seeing them each week. They are really great people. They had only known us a week, but were so excited when I got a job. Each week they make a point to ask how it's going. And, the father (it's a father and his two grown daughters) was genuinely concerned when he heard there had been a series of rapes in Fayetteville. He wanted to make sure I was safe. They really are great fun to bowl with!!

Something has happened that I didn't think possible. Since I've moved away, Joey and I have become even closer. I really didn't even think it was possible. But being separated has really shown me how much he means to me and it is teaching us both to enjoy every moment we spend together. It really is great.

Another piece of GREAT news- Tricia made the transplant list today! After the specialists said it could be months before she was healthy enough to go on the list, but it's only been like six weeks since precious little Gwyneth was born. Speaking of Gwyneth, she is growing so much (as far as I can see) and is more beautiful each day (she's always been beautiful though). God is so good. He blows my mind. Love Him!!!

Moving...

2008-01-23T10:10:00.001-05:00

So, I accepted the job yesterday. I'm still waiting to talk to the assistant principal again today so that we can "officially" enter into an agreement for me to teach. I also talked to my department chair last night. She sounds great. Though I'm not sure how it works, the English department at PFHS works together & creates lesson plans that everyone in that course teaches (all the American Lit teachers, for example). Like I said, I'm not sure how that will play out, but I'm hoping that it will be extremely helpful when it comes to jumping in this position so quickly. I am worried that it means I won't have the freedom that I was hoping for in my classroom...but I guess we'll see.

As far as Tricia & Gwyn are concerned..things are great in Durham. Tricia is recovering faster than the doctors thought she would. It could be a matter of weeks before she is well enough to be put on the transplant list. So awesome! Nate posted a video the other day that was of Tricia talking for a little bit. It was awesome to see her talking! Gwyn is doing great too. She finally pooped yesterday. Odd to write about, but apparently that's a HUGE step in making sure she is developing properly. Now they can start feeding her milk. Oh, and her CF test came back negative. Nate says they will have to do another one when she's a little older, but one negative is a good sign!!

Had my second Perspectives class last night. It was great. We talked about the Kingdom of God and how it is the string that ties the Old & New Testaments together. It was great to have pointed out how everything in the Bible is about the Kingdom of God. And our role in this? To help grow the Kingdom on earth...through missions!!! God is so good!!!

I'm crazy nervous about this new job & moving and all that. But I'm so excited too. I finally feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. I don't know how I'll feel this time next week, but for now I'm really excited. It breaks my heart to be leaving Raleigh- my church, my friends, Joey & my complete independence. But I know that these things aren't going to go away because I move an hour and a half away (well, living with my parents will dampen the independence thing). I'm so blessed! I can't even believe it sometimes!!! I'll keep you updated with what's going on.

Life Changes

2008-01-20T22:57:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm going to accept the job. I'm really excited about it! But at the same time, I'm really sad to be leaving Raleigh. I never thought I'd have to leave in order to teach, but I'm going where God is leading. And evidently, He's leading me back to Fayetteville. I started my goodbyes today- at church. Sang for the last time with the choir (for a good while at least). Said goodbye to my church family. Yes, I'll still see them, hopefully about twice a month. But it's not the same as living here and seeing them all the time. But it'll be okay. Everyone is supportive, which reassures me that I'm doing the right thing. Tomorrow night I'm going to dinner with most of my friends to say goodbye to them. The hard part is going to be saying goodbye to Sarah and then to Joey. I'm not at all looking forward to those...

But, I've been working like crazy to get planning done. I have students on the 28th, which is essentially a week (since I'm getting ready to go to bed on day T-minus-8). I've already finished my door sign (not difficult), my student information sheet, and my homework passes. I'm mostly finished my syllabi/policy & procedure packet. And I've started on my Web site for my the students. I still haven't touched lesson planning, but that is rather difficult to do when I don't know what I am going to have access to. I'm hoping to do some evaluative things for the first few days so I can get a grasp on how well they can write & use grammar properly. Then we'll go from there. And I'll probably start with a short story or some poetry in my classes, just to get them used to the way I work before jumping into a novel.

Somewhere along the way, I've also finished about half of my Perspectives homework for the week. Still have a little more to do, but starting is half the battle. I'm overwhelmed with information about missions in Genesis (and a few other places in the Old Testament). I'd never thought about it, but it is so true that missions was in God's plan from the very beginning. He didn't create Israel first, but created the whole universe. Then when He called Abram to follow Him, God promises Abram (not yet Abraham) that He will bless him and use him to bless all the families of the NATIONS (plural). Powerful stuff. God always intended to bless every people group. Yes the Hebrew people were His chosen ones, but they were chosen to help reach & bless the rest of the world. Think about it.

Our teacher last week posed this question: Are missions based on the Bible, or is the Bible based on missions? What are your thoughts??

Job Offer

2008-01-18T11:36:00.000-05:00

I was offered the job. And I think I'm going to accept it. It's 11th & 12th grade, which will be a challenge for me. But I think it will be ok. It's going to be quite an adjustment, but with God's help I will make it. Please be praying for me. I have to make a decision by Tuesday morning.

As far as the blog has said, Tricia is doing well so far. That's definitely something to praise God about, as if this family's situation in general isn't something to praise Him about. I hope she keeps it up! Also, it's a big day for Gwyn as they are getting some test results back today. Praying that all goes well!! Don't forget to check the blog: cfhusband.blogspot.com

Another Day

2008-01-17T15:45:00.000-05:00

Another day of subbing is finished. Seriously, every time I sub at a middle school I walk away thinking- "Thank God I don't have to deal with them every day." The kids today were good, but they just aren't high schoolers. I can't explain the difference, but there is one...trust me.

Got a call today from an assistant principal at Pine Forest in Fayetteville. I'm interviewing there tomorrow. So, I'm going to go home tonight some time. My dad said to me "but you don't want to work here." And I told him that even though I don't want to work there or leave Raleigh...I need a job. And if one isn't opening here in Raleigh, then I have to go to where the job is. I'm going to interview and pray about this a lot. And I guess we'll see where it goes. Please pray with me and for me.

Joey & I started a bowling league last night. It was a lot of fun. I'm hoping I don't have to give it up if I move home...but I guess we'll see about that too.

Good news about Tricia- She's awake!! According to Nate's post from today, she woke up disoriented as to where she was and why she was there, but after Nate explained it to her, everything seemed clearer. She's now seen pictures and videos of their baby girl and knows that people all around the world have been praying for the both of them. She has a long road in front of her, but this is a really big step in the right direction!

Welcome to the New Blog

2008-01-16T11:32:00.000-05:00

Hello readers! I'm transferring here from Xanga because I like Blogger better. I am also hoping to keep this one updated a little more frequently. We'll see how that goes.

The second semester starts next week in public schools and I still don't have a job. I thought I was a sure win for one, but apparently they have found someone else they like more. This one was really heart-breaking for me because I really wanted it. I love the school it was at. But I guess we'll keep waiting & see what God has in store.

Also, wanted to share with everyone a blog that I've been following for a little while and that is speaking to my heart. Nate is the husband of Tricia, a woman with Cystic Fibrosis. While she was awaiting a double lung transplant, they found out she was pregnant. This would be a very dangerous pregnancy for both Tricia and the baby, but they decided to trust God and have the baby anyway. Gwyneth was born last week by emergency C-section, when she was only in the womb for 25 weeks. She seems to be doing pretty good. Tricia is still at a critical point. The have not brought her off all of the sedation meds, though she is close to being awake. She is on a ventilator right now, which is good for her body, but not good in the long run. She has to come off the vent in order to be eligible for a transplant. Join me, and hundreds (if not thousands) of others around the world, in praying for this family!

I started a class at church last night. It's a 15 week course called Perspectives. I'll post more tomorrow or sometime about the class. But briefly, it's a class about missions and how it is the heartbeat of God. I'm really excited about it because God seems to be birthing a real passion for missions in my heart. I'm not sure what that means yet, but I'm excited to see what He wants to do!!!