Hopeful Thoughts

It never ceases to amaze me how our God answers prayers and provides for our needs.  He does things in ways we would never expect and could never imagine on our own.  Often, just when we can’t see any options, He provides in unexpected ways.

Recently, I’ve been very frustrated with my “job options”.  When I quit teaching a year ago, the plan was to begin tutoring out of my home in order to bring in a little extra income to support what Ryan was making working full time.  This seemed like an easy goal, so I built a web site, made flyers, printed up business cards, and even paid for an ad in the local homeschool association parent newsletter.  Over the first summer, I had one student, and didn’t get another until November when two kids came twice each.  I finally landed a consistent student in January who stuck with me through the end of the school year, but my one kid for this summer fell through.

When things seemed bleak back in November, I took advantage of another opportunity and began selling Premier Designs jewelry at home shows.  I’ve done direct sales before, and this seemed like a great way to make a little extra cash and maybe even meet parents who needed a tutor for their kids.  I enjoy the jewelry parties, but my heart is in education.  I want to work with kids, and it was really bumming me out that Hope4Math couldn’t seem to get off the ground.

Rewind to the spring of 2008.  I was teaching Geometry for the first time ever (something I was a bit apprehensive about doing, but wound up loving!)  There was a young lady in one of my classes who REALLY struggled.  She struggled so much that her mom hired a tutor.  When she continued to struggle, the tutor called me directly to touch base and see if we could work together on a plan to help her succeed.

I’m not sure how the conversation lead to this point, but the tutor, we’ll call her “Kay”, and I hit it off over the phone and I let her know of my future goal of quitting full time teaching and pursuing a tutoring business of my own.  We ended up meeting for lunch and she shared her knowledge.  We kept up communication during the rest of the year, and the following fall, I received a phone call from her.  She and her husband were expecting another baby, and she was hoping I would be able to sub for some of her tutoring sessions after the baby came.

I started working for her in January of 2009 two afternoons a week.  Kay eventually took back most of her students, but I remained on one day a week from that point on.  During that time, I’ve learned about her business and met most of her students.  We’ve become friends as we’ve shared her new baby, both of our husbands being laid off, and my own coming bundle.

What does this have to do with God and His provision?

Kay’s husband lost his job before Christmas this year, and just this month received a job offer in another state.  To make a long story short, I’ve been asked to essentially take over the business that she has spent the last several years building.

I’ll be going from one student to a full load almost overnight.

God is awesome!

I knew being pregnant in the summer wasn’t going to exactly be “fun”.  I expected to be hot and uncomfortable.  I didn’t expect to be unable to be cool in my own home.

At 35 weeks pregnant, I’ve gained 28 pounds and am finding it much harder to assume comfortable positions around the watermelon that now resides where my stomach once was.  Add to that the fact that our air conditioner hasn’t been functioning for nearly 2 weeks, and it’s pretty hard to take.

We knew the AC unit was old when we bought the place.  However, it WAS cooling the house.  At least it was until we woke up on June 21, the morning after the big party, to a house nearing 85 degrees at 8:30 in the morning and we heard a grinding noise coming from the unit.  NOT cool!  We shut it off, since it wasn’t working.

So, we called our Warranty company to send out an AC repair guy.  Due to busy schedules, no one could come out until Tuesday.  On Tuesday, the brilliant man who came out told us that there was absolutely nothing wrong, that it was just old.  He claimed we needed a new unit.  We turned the unit back on and left it running and grinding, however, so we could at least cool the air a bit.

Unhappy with this diagnosis, we called the AC company and asked that they send us another guy.  This guy came on Wednesday.  This time, the unit was cleaned, inspected, and we were told we needed a new fan motor, which couldn’t be replaced because the unit was so old they didn’t make the bracket needed to install it.  He also tried to sell us a new unit, naming a price that he obviously pulled out of thin air.  He claimed the warranty would cover part of the cost, but he didn’t tell us which part.  These guys left, we still had no cool air, and later that night, the unit completely quit running altogether.  Ryan even resorted to going to Wal-mart at midnight to purchase a small window unit which he finished installing in our bedroom at 3AM.

We again contacted the warranty company and asked that they send us a different AC company, because we felt the prior company wasn’t being honest with us about prices.  We were finally assigned another company last Friday afternoon, but were unable to contact them until Monday.  When I called this guy, I was told that he no longer worked with our Warranty company.  He listed several other companies that he would be happy to do work for, but not ours.  Needless to say, our confidence in the resolution of the situation was wearing thin.

The call was re-dispatched at least twice more, but it wasn’t until Tuesday afternoon that we finally got another AC guy out to the house to look at the problem.  This guy didn’t really tell us anything different, but it’s what he didn’t tell us that made us a bit more confident.  He didn’t give us any estimates until he could talk to the Warranty company to see what they were willing to do.  At last!  Someone who seemed trustworthy!

However, our problems were still a long way from being solved.  As I write this, it is Friday, a full 11 days since we first called the Warranty company with our complaint.  We are waiting on them to decided what to do.  They asked for a copy of our inspection report, which we’ve sent.  However, no feedback has been given.  Since this weekend is July 4th and many people will be off work on Monday, we can’t expect anything to be done until Tuesday at the earliest.

In the meantime, we’re spending lots of time in the bedroom and not even able to enjoy the rest of our house.  I tried to cook once, which only resulted in my nearly having heat stroke with the additional heat from the over.

I’m trying to enjoy the cooler weather God has provided though the rains over the last week.  I’m grateful for the break from the 100 degree days.  However, I will be much happier when this whole situation is resolved.

He asked for tools for his birthday, so what else could I do??

My amazing husband turned 30 last week.  It’s been a crazy year for us both, what with moving, quitting my job, my mission trip, his new job, getting pregnant, buying a house…

With all of these changes, I felt like he had earned an AWESOME party this year.  Since we just closed on our house June 4th, it seemed appropriate to combine it with our housewarming and plan for a slew of people.  I got busy pruning the weeds out of the yard and making plans to feed 30 plus people.

I also planned for some great entertainment.  I enlisted the “Lightening Crispies” to perform their classic rock tunes.  I can’t say I hired them, because they agreed to do it out of love for Ryan and free food.  We are so blessed by the friends God has provided for us.  I told my friend Taylor, the drummer, that it’s probably not unusual to have a friend’s band play your birthday party for free.  The unusual part is that our friend’s band is actually REALLY GOOD!

The Lightening Crispies set up on our back patio. There is a drummer hiding behind the lead singer! I promise!

The cake was also a splurge.  I actually ordered it from what most consider to be the best bakery in town, Candy Haven.  YUM!!!  It didn’t turn out to be as expensive as I thought for the half sheet cake, but it was worth every penny I paid.  I will use them again in the future.

This was a lesson in planning, that’s for sure.  I originally figured 6 pounds of hamburger to feed the crowd, but I went ahead and bought 9.  We ended up using 11!!  I think there were over 40 people in attendance by the time all was said and done.

A view of the band as they warm up. Only a few people now, but this yard was full by the end!

Our grill. We purchased it Super Bowl weekend, but it really served it's purpose this passed Sunday. Over 40 burgers and 30 hotdogs!

This party was also a huge confirmation of the decision we made to buy this house.  Even with the band set up and the rows of chairs for people to watch, there was still plenty of room for the kids to throw a football.  When it got too hot, there was plenty of room inside the house for people to sit down and visit without feeling crowded.  The kitchen is plenty big to prepare and serve the food, even with separate stations for drinks and cake!

Sunday was AMAZING!  We’re so grateful to all who have loved us over the years and have assisted us in the process of buying this house and planning our awesome party.  Thanks for sharing it with us!

I really need to stay on top of this!  SO much has been happening in the last few weeks that I want to share, but it can’t all fit in one post!  So, for today, we just have a shot of my new hair cut.

This will likely be my last visit with my favorite stylist at Salon La Page until after the little one make his grand arrival.  So, when she suggested highlights, I decided it was now or never!  The belly is 3 days shy of 31 weeks!

Yes, we DO still have a wreath hanging in June.  I’m not taking it down until I have something else to hang there.  That space looks horrible if it’s left blank.

The highlights are subtle; just enough to look like I've been out in the sun. Good thing, too, because I do NOT want to be out in the sun this summer!

Recently I was able to go back to North Carolina for my 10 year College Reunion.  I can’t believe it’s been 10 years since I graduated from Meredith!  The weekend was very much a trip back into times long forgotten.  Looking at my girlfriends from 10 years ago, it was easy to think that no time had passed.  We drifted into easy conversation just like old times.  It was only the content that disclosed the fact that we are all years older.  Most of us married, years into careers or even career changes, many with children, some of us with kids on the way.  At the end, we decided that we are too old for the dorm beds and we’ll plan to stay in a hotel at the next reunion!

The girls from my Senior Suite back in 2000.

The girls from my Senior Year Suite now . No change, right?

Me and Meredith. We were room mates Sophomore and Junior years.

Leigh Anna and are are Preggo Twins. We got pregnant about the same time. She's having a girl, and I'm having a boy. Here we are both about 28 weeks.

This is my car.

Almost exactly 9 years ago, I bought this 1996 Toyota Camry.  It was my first big purchase as a “real” person after I started my first teaching job.  I was so proud of it!  Even at 5 years old, it was still gleaming white and ran like a dream.  I was so proud to have a “new” car.  It was the nicest car I had ever driven, and nicer than anything else my family had at the time.  I was living in North Carolina back then, only about a mile from my parents house.  I would pick them up for choir practice on Wednesday and church on Sunday just to enjoy driving my new car.  I remember the sense of accomplishment I felt a few years later when I mailed the last check to the bank and received the title.

Now my baby is 14 years old and showing signs of it’s age. The paint is chipping, the front end is dinged, the dash lights don’t work, the brakes are bad, the CV joints creak, the timing belt is wearing down, there’s a crack in the wind shield … I could go on and on.

We’re at the point now where it’s going to cost us money to keep it.  I finally broke down and took it in to the repair shop today because the brakes are so bad that it’s no longer safe for me to drive.  (Not cool since I’m pregnant).  It’s going to set us back almost $300 to fix them.  That’s a car payment!  While they had it in the shop, they ran into several other issues, all of which I was already aware.  They told me that we could get them all fixed for around $1500!!  Ouch!  (Boy do I miss living 1 mile from my daddy!!)

At this point, the brakes are the safety issue, so that’s what we had fixed.   The rest we are just going to have to live with for awhile longer until we decide what to do next.  It’s just a struggle to know when it’s best to “fish or cut bait”.  If we spent the money, the car would probably last us a few more years.  If we have to spend $300 a month on a car anyway, we might as well have a new one.  Neither choice is a bad one, but it’s a choice that we have to make for our family.

Have you ever been in this situation?  I’d love to hear what influenced your decision.

My house was in desperate need of clean floors.  Sweeping is not my favorite thing to do, but the dust bunnies were beginning to take over, so it had to be done.

So, I pulled out my “duster broom thingy” and the little duster pads and set to work.  After pushing the dirt around with THREE of the pads, I still had to go back with my regular broom and dustpan to finish the job.  As I clipped the third pad in place, I thought, “what a waste of time and money!”

I don’t have to stop in the middle of what I’m doing to replace part of my broom.  I don’t have to go back over what I’ve already done with another tool after I’ve used my broom.  I don’t have to buy refill pads for my broom.  I’m not creating  MORE trash in the cleaning process by throwing away those silly pads when I use my broom.

SO WHY DON’T I JUST USE MY BROOM!!!!!!

If you haven’t heard the news, Ryan and I are expecting out first baby in August.

If you already knew that, then you’ve probably also heard about my “antibodies”.  Back when they did the blood work at my first pre-natal visit, my midwife discovered an antibody in my blood.  After poking me a second time, it was identified as “Anti m”.  This was about a month ago.  I was told to make an appointment with a specialist in Ft. Worth, but couldn’t get in to see him for another month.

In the meantime, my mother, my PA friend from high school, and I were all online looking for information about this thing that might threaten our unborn baby.  There wasn’t really a great deal of information to be found.  The best that we could tell was that, as long as the levels were low, it would most likely be no problem.  However, there were cases noted where the baby had to have a blood transfusion at delivery.

Today I finally had my appointment with the specialist.  After a lengthy sonogram, I know a bit more about what is going on.  The levels of antibody were so low that it’s not even active at normal body temperature.  In addition, it’s a large antibody that rarely is able to cross the placenta anyway.  Not to mention, our little baby has above average blood circulation, which is another great sign!

So, for all of you who were praying, thanks so much!  I will have to get blood drawn twice more to check the levels to make sure they are staying down, so we can keep praying for that, but Dr. T doesn’t expect to ever have to see me again!  WOOHOO!

Now, if only I can resist the temptation to open the stapled envelope in my purse that holds the answer to yet another question?????

Today I went to a business networking meeting.

I was invited by a friend of mine, who I trust totally.  However, I was still quite a bit wary of showing up to a meeting at 8:00 in the morning with a bunch of strangers.  Quite honestly, I might have never agreed if we weren’t meeting at one of my favorite breakfast spots!

Now, I’m sold.

It was a bunch of people just like me who are simply trying to get their name out to make a business work.  There were people there who need what I can do, and there are people there who can do what I need done.  Not to mention, all those people know other people who might need me, too!  Those 25 strangers open doors to hundreds of people I would never meet on my own.  It’s such a simple concept, but how many of us are willing to sit down with a group of strangers and find out what they do?

I also have new motivation.  They collected business cards from everyone at the meeting.  Well, I didn’t have any business cards. I had to write my information down on the back of my friend’s old cards!  How embarrassing!  So, I sat down this afternoon and ordered some.  When I go back in two weeks, Hope 4 Math will have a more professional look.  I don’t know why it’s taken me 9 months to get that easy task done!

So, if you’re trying to get more business contacts and haven’t tried a networking group before, jump in!  I’m so glad I did!

Well, I can’t really say that I’ve been “busy”.  I can’t even really say that I have been lazy.  It’s probably best to say that I’ve been too preoccupied to blog in recent weeks.

The weekend after Thanksgiving, we discovered this:As you can imagine, this has taken up a great deal of my thoughts and attention.  We weren’t exactly surprised.  We’ve been married over 6 years and were anticipating the possibility.  We just figured it would take a little longer to happen.  As I am posting this, I am in my 14th week, and Baby is due to arrive in early August.

Speaking of babies, right after Christmas, I boarded a plane for Michigan to go meet this little guy.

This is my new little nephew who was born December 17th.  My intentions were to get there before he popped out on his December 28th due date, but obviously he had other plans!

I spent three weeks with little Jeremiah, his two big sisters, and his momma and daddy.  I also was able to see my Mom, Dad, and the dog.  It was a relaxing visit, which was nice since I was several weeks pregnant and smack in the middle of the sleepy phase.    We celebrated Christmas together.  All the boys got hats and the girls got hats with scarves.

Sweet Abigail!

Imaginative Jocelyn

Abby models the hat I made for Mom.

I’ve been home since January 16th.  I can’t really say that I’ve done much since.  I’m trying to work towards being more productive as opposed to sitting on the couch feeling tired and pregnant.  I keep thinking my energy is supposed to come back.  I thought that was a benefit of second trimester, but mine has been slow to return.  Perhaps one day soon.  Until then, I will try to be better about catching up.