6 Month Report

So here are the results from Kendall's six month check-up today...

Kendall weighed in at a whopping 11 lbs. 11 oz. and was 24 7/8 inches long, meaning she didn't grow very much between her 4 month visit and her 6 month visit. I didn't even get the percentile, because I'm pretty sure her weight is below the charts! We saw Dr. Lynch (whom I LOVE) and she had me go over Kendall's feeding schedule. (Kendall nurses about 5-6 times a day and has solids 2-3 times a day.) After sharing Kendall's feeding schedule, Dr. Lynch recommended that we begin supplementing with formula. (Enter: breakdown!) Yes, the tears started flowing in the doctor's office! I was actually prepared for this news, but that didn't make hearing it any easier.

Before I was a mommy, I never thought I'd even want to nurse much past 6 months. I was one of those "when she gets teeth it's time to stop" kind of person. How things change!!! Once I started reading about nursing and learning more about it, my plan was to solely nurse for a year and just go straight from nursing to whole milk, that way we could by-pass the whole formula thing and the expense of it. Funny that most of the time my plan is not the way things end up. (Anybody hear me on that one? If things always go according to YOUR plan, I'd like to know. Does people like that even exist???)

So...as of today, we are giving Kendall formula three times a day. Dr. Lynch told me a couple of ways I could go about doing this, but I think I've about decided to go with nursing at her first and last feedings of the day, then formula feeding the three middle of the day feedings. I just think this will be a lot easier and a lot less stress. After I've had time to process all the information, I think I'm okay.

I KNOW that supplementing is the BEST thing for Kendall right now, and that having to do this doesn't make me a bad mom. I think this whole thing has just been hard for me to swallow because I've been her primary source of nutrition for her whole life and it's not good enough for her now. AND the whole "plan" thing...it's just not how I wanted things to go. I guess it's all about knowing how to monitor and adjust!!!

As far as everything else goes, Kendall looked great! We have to take her for a weight check in two weeks and are praying for some significant weight gain. If not, then Kendall will have to start undergoing tests to figure out the problem. Our prayer is that the problem is just her caloric intake and that supplementing will correct it. One good thing was that her head circumference was right on track, so that shows that her brain was developing well. (Plus, she's SO active!) Dr. Lynch also said this was VERY common, that she had talked to three mothers just this week with the same issue. I guess that made me feel a little bit better. So, I guess in two weeks, we'll see!

Okay...enough of that...

Tomorrow night, Kendall will have her first "real" babysitter. (One that isn't family!) Evan and I are going to see this group tomorrow night. Evan got tickets for us way back in January for $12.00 a piece. We are pretty pumped. We aren't really concert people, but this group has been on our list of "must sees" for a while. I'm actually not nervous/sad/worried about leaving Kendall, I'm more concerned that the concert doesn't start until 8:00 and that our sitter will be out so late!!! Not to mention Evan booked us on the 7:00 flight Friday morning!!!

I've got lots to do to get us ready to go on our trip...better go for now. I'm sure I'll have lots of excitement to post about as we travel to AR for ten days!

Several thoughts...

1.) I won. I never win anything. I started reading Lauren's blog from my s-i-l Meredith's page (you can see our cute nephews there) not too long ago. Lauren was giving away a free tutu and hair bow, so I signed up. I won!!! I'm so surprised!!! When I get the bow and tutu from her, I will post some pictures for sure. Thanks, Lauren! I'm pumped.

2.) Evan and I have been overwhelmed by the way God has answered some very specific prayers in the last week. When Ephesians 3:20 says "far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think" you'd better believe that is truth! As we sat down for dinner the other night, we were both in complete awe at God's graciousness to us, especially in our own weakness.


3.) In saying the above, I also want to clarify that God is faithful ALWAYS, not JUST when we experience his blessings or when we see answers to prayers. Sometimes it's hard for me to believe when I'm not seeing, but I know it's truth. (I guess that's what Hebrews 11:1 is all about!) One of my favorite songs is Blessed Be Your Name by Matt Redman. I have tears just about every time I hear/sing that song just because of the truth in those lyrics. It doesn't matter what we go through, good or bad, we should always be able to praise God and give glory to Him in our circumstances.


4.) Okay, so #4 is incredibly superficial, but I'm gonna throw it in here. I bought some new clothes yesterday. (I know Evan and my mom will be so glad to not hear me complain anymore!) I could write a really long post on my stress with trying to dress myself since having Kendall, but I will spare all the details. Let's just say that I have seriously struggled in this area and could completely relate to my friend Reba when she wrote about wishing "Staci and Clinton would just whisk her away for a new wardrobe" not too long ago. For the first time in my life I feel like I am shopping out of need rather than want and it just changes things.


(This is kind-of digressing a little here, but I'll share anyway. I have no problem admitting that my biggest fleshly struggle is materialism, especially when it comes to clothes. For so long now, I really believed part of my identity was in my outward appearance. I even told Evan just the other night that one of the things I like about living here is that I don't feel like I have an expectation to "look" a certain way. I really believe that while we lived in Fayetteville my identity was "cute clothes at bargain prices" much of the time. When people see me, that is NOT what I want them to see. I want people to see Jesus. Sure, I will always love a good sale and a cute pair of shoes, (I'm such a girly-girl!) but not at the expense of my relationship with Christ.)


Back to the real story...I just found it very funny that after a couple of unsuccessful trips to the mall and TJ Maxx, I end up with clothes from Target!!!! Don't get me wrong, I've always loved Target, but for the last few years I rarely bought clothes there because I "didn't want to end up wearing the same thing as everyone else." (Yes, I said it. I know. So tacky, huh?) I want to make a run to Old Navy to get a couple of t-shirts and then I'm set for the summer. Woo Hoo!


5.) I have an interview with Christian Academy of Louisville tomorrow morning at 11:00. I got a call from a lady there out-of-the blue last week (I'm assuming she found my info when I applied to sub when we first moved) and this school has several positions opening up in the fall. The craziest thing is that the lady who is interviewing me is from the Jonesboro area and her nieces were my sorority sisters! Small world, isn't it? I'm excited about the interview just for the experience alone, but I also think it's cool when a job finds you. (That's how I ended up at JO Kelly!) All I really know is public education, so a private, Christian school is different territory for me. Apparently this school is adopting a new approach to literacy based on lit circles (which is exactly how I taught reading in AR) and a couple of the classes are piloting the program right now. I pretty pumped about getting to sit in on a class tomorrow. So, if you think about it or read this before 11:00, pray for this interview tomorrow!


6.) Kendall woke up with a BAD runny nose today. I know it's just allergies, but she just looks so pitiful! We took her to church this morning, but Evan stayed home with her tonight. I was a little hesitant to go to church alone, but I did it anyway. You know what? I wasn't lonely at all! I know we've been here 9 months, but I can finally say that I'm starting to feel comfortable here. I'm so glad, because I thought this day would NEVER come!


Okay, it's 10:15 and I need to wash my face and get ready for bed!!! Kendall goes for her 6 month check-up on Wednesday, so I'll try to do a post with her stats later. Oh, and Evan played in a golf tournament this weekend. Maybe he will post later about his "small world" experience. His finals are this week, so I don't know if he will have time or not. Let's just say one of his team members is a Hog fan!!!

Happy Half Birthday!

Kendall is 6 months old today!! Wow! So hard for to believe that she's been with us for half a year already! My how time flies! Isn't she just a little diva sportin' her shades?!?!?!

Kendall at 6 months:

*rolls all over the place

*loves squash and pears

*sleeps from about 9:00 p.m. until about 7:30 or 8:00 a.m.

*can sit without support for a couple of minutes

*loves to go...stroller rides, car rides, shopping trips...whatever!

*knows when she is in a room alone and will let you know about it!

*reaches for whatever is in front of her (except her daddy!) :)

*loves to play with her toys and books

*chews on EVERYTHING!!!

Oh, we just love Miss Kendall so much! We are so thankful for her life and that God chose to bless us with such a sweet baby girl! It's funny to think back to this time about a year ago, when we had no idea how a baby, moving, and school would work. I remember having LOTS of questions and saying, "God, are you sure that a baby right now is a good idea?" It just goes to show that we are living proof of Isaiah 55:8-9! We look forward to the months ahead with her and are anxious to watch God's BIGGER plans unfold!!!

WE LOVE YOU KENDALL GRACE!!!

HAPPY HALF-A-YEAR!!!

Forever God is Faithful!

It's 11:15 and I'm tired. I've started a post and erased it three times because I just can't get the words out. All I know is that I'm completely overwhelmed by God's faithfulness!!!

I type this as Evan sits in the living room playing with his new laptop computer!!!!!!

Evan has needed a laptop for a while now for both work/school purposes and purchasing one has been a huge matter of prayer! Today, God gave us a very CLEAR answer about purchasing it AND the means to be able to do it!! We are so thrilled. Not at the money. Not at having the laptop. We are thrilled because God moved and worked in order for us to get it!!! He is SO big and cares about ALL the details. If you don't believe it, put yourself out there and just find out. I promise, God will NEVER fail you!!!

I looked back in my prayer journal and saw prayers over and over that went something like this, "God, provide a laptop for Evan. In a way unimaginable." Today, He answered our prayers. I really wish I had the time and the words to explain how this all came to fruition, but I don't. Maybe someday I will. All I can say is, "Praise Be to God!"

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations. Forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:20 (NASB)

Advice/Opinions

Update:

Thanks for all your advice and opinions. Since posting this, I did take the sleep positioner out and we've basically quit swaddling her. We do wrap her bottom half rather loosely with one blanket, but somehow she grabs on to it and ends up rubbing her face with to sleep. I have found her on her tummy a couple of times, but she can easily roll herself onto her back, so I'm just not quite as worried about that anymore. I will say that with the next baby, I probably won't make the bumper pads so full and round and will go for something more squared off and thin. As cute and plush as they look, I'm just not convinced its the safest way to go!

The bottom line is that I need to remember that Kendall is NOT mine, she is God's; and HE will take care of her. He can also calm my anxiety and fears if I will just let Him!

I'm just curious...

Should I take Kendall's bumper pads out of her crib? She has become quite mobile in her bed over the last few weeks and I've been really wondering if it is safe for her to sleep with those fat bumper pads. Most of the time when she wakes up in the morning or from a nap, she's pushed herself up in the top corner of the crib, but she's still on her back. I've mulled this over and over in my mind and think that if those bumper pads aren't in, she could hit her head on the crib or even get limbs and body parts stuck between those slats. All the "experts" say different things, as they do with EVERYTHING, so I don't know what to do!

Also, what about her blankets? She still likes to be swaddled partially when going to sleep, but I think it's more because those blankets are a comfort to her. Usually, we find her with an end of the blanket up beside her face or her somehow holding on to the blanket.

And then there is the sleep positioner...we lay her down in it, but then by the time her nap is over or she wakes up in the morning, she has scooted herself out of that. Is it time for me just to take it out of her bed all together? Is that posing more of a hazard than her rolling over and sleeping on her tummy? Honestly, I think she can roll over on top of that thing, anyway!!!

I've found her on her tummy twice and both times it scared me to death! I've read/heard that once babies roll over, the SIDS risk is reduced, but I just am sort-of confused on what is safe and what isn't!!!

Do you let your babies (6 months) sleep with stuff??? Help!!!

A Plethora of Things...

Sorry for so many pictures! I got a little carried away today with the camera and then I couldn't decide which ones to put on the blog!!! :) Anyway...like I said, we've been playing HARD today! So hard that Kendall basically skipped her afternoon nap all together and cried for what seemed like forever before going down for her evening nap!!! Hopefully, she'll sleep another 30 minutes or so before her last feeding of the day! Evan volunteered to counsel at some youth rally thing tonight, so he won't be home until a lot later, so I'm just hanging out (putting off folding laundry!) while Kendall is napping!

Before I get to the pictures...

1.) If you notice that our friend's links are missing on the right side of the page, it's on purpose. I have a HORRIBLE addiction right now, and it's reading blogs! I spend ENTIRELY too much time on the computer reading blogs and I've GOT to make myself stop!!! Here is basically how it goes...when Kendall is napping or when she goes to bed at night, I sit down at the computer. I check my email, then I go to our blog. For some reason, I think that I must go down EVERY link on my link list and see if anyone has posted something new. Then, I start clicking on links of my friends links, and so on and so forth. Do you get the picture???? Last week, I can't tell you how many nights I told Evan, "I'm going to bed" and then when he comes in an hour or so later, there I was, sitting at the computer!!! So, yesterday, it just dawned on me that I should put my links where they weren't so easily accessible. (Evan actually volunteered to delete all the links for me because he "wanted to clean up our page anyway" but I told him no!!!) Anyway, blog-reading for me has become like TV is for some people--my "out" and what keeps me from having to think!!! So...I'm not quitting, I'm just trying to get this so "out of control" area back in check!!!

2.) I SCORED at the grocery store last night. (Kendra, I thought this was SO blog-worthy!) I had all our meals planned out for this week, but when I got to Kroger, they had several meat items on sale. So, I decided it would be a good time to stock up! I bought some shrimp for $5.00 (medium sized, already peeled and from the seafood dept), a 2.75 lb. pork loin for less than $8.00, and a bag of Tyson grilled chicken strips for $8.00. Oh, and I ended up picking up a rotisserie chicken for our supper and since it was after 7:00 p.m., the deli marked it down to half price!! (This has happened twice at Kroger. I'm guessing it's b/c the deli closes at 8:00. The next time I go to the grocery store after 7:00 and rotisserie chickens are left, I'm going to ask if they will mark them down and buy one, even if we don't eat it that night. Those chickens are great to use in stuff like enchiladas or other casseroles.) Anyway, I was a little nervous about our grocery bill, but I even buying extra meat, I only spent $102.00!!!! AND because I've shopped at Kroger so much, I can save 10 cents a gallon on gas at Kroger this month!!! Good Deal!!

On to the pictures....

This is Kendall with her new friend, Grace Brown. We didn't get Kendall out of her seat at the hospital. Obviously, Kendall really didn't have any idea what was going on, but it will be fun to have these pictures as these girls get older! We know Adam and Holly will be life-long friends!!

Here's one a little bit closer of Grace. She's pretty sweet!!!
Here are some pictures of Kendall playing with her feet. Evan said these pictures looked like she was playing with someone else's foot and leg!!! HA!! (Oh, and if you look on her arm, you can see her red mark from sucking on her arm.)


Isn't she the sweetest thing?!?!?!
She is starting to get the pacifier thing figured out. She's been able to pull it out of her mouth for a while now, but just within the last few weeks has been putting it back in her mouth. Sometimes, like in these pictures, she turns it upside down or backwards. I just liked these pictures because of the color. I wish I had Photoshop so I could make the pictures black and white and just make the pacifier green. (Evan, if you read this, do you hear my plug for a "real" camera?!?!?!?)




Kendall and I played dress up again today. Playing dress up has always been one of my favorite things! When my sister and I were little, we LOVED to play dress up. We had a huge box of my mom's old clothes, some dance costumes (that I'm pretty sure my mom still has), and shoes. My mom would even get in on the action and fix our hair and make-up. So much fun! Playing dress up with Kendall is so fun now, I can't wait to see what it will be like once she is bigger!

Kendra made this tutu for Kendall, so I got it out for some pictures today. I'm really excited that Mrs. Norma D. is going to take Kendall's 6 month pictures when we are in AR in a few weeks. (Angie...I'm holding out for you on her one year picts!!) I have a CD full of pictures that Mrs. Norma took from our Guatemala trip a few years ago that are fabulous, so I can't wait to see what she will do with Kendall! We are planning for outside somwhere and Mrs. Norma said she would come up with the perfect location! I'm taking Kendall's tutu with us to use for some of them. I'm sure Mrs. Norma's tutu picts will be MUCH better than mine!




I'm not really big on headbands for Kendall; she's more of a hat girl, but I do think these marabou feather headbands are pretty cute! However, Kendall hates it. Right now, the feathers come down in her face quite a bit and there is something hard (glue maybe?) where the feather is glued to the headband. Maybe as she gets bigger and has more hair it won't hurt her head so badly! We'll see!!!

Kendall's Aunt Meredith made her this precious little outfit for summer. My mom had it monogrammed and I thought the green and the font she chose turned out great!! Apparently, Evan thought so, too. I tried it on Kendall the other night (still a little big!) and told Evan that his sister made it and he said, "My sister sewed that? REALLY?? That's really cute. I didn't know she could do that!"

Here are the latest touches on Kendall's nursery. I got those paper lanterns, flowers, and polka-dotted box at Hobby Lobby a while back. (1/2 price, of course!) I also turned the bed because I really hate it when furniture is shoved up against the wall. I'm sure as Kendall gets bigger, we'll have to turn it back so she'll have a larger area to play, but for now it works. I also have a pink table-topper for the night stand that is being hemmed right now. I do like the way the pink really adds to the room. (AND these pictures don't look like it, but the pinks really do match!)



Okay, that's all for now! Sorry for such a long post! Hope everyone is having a great week!!! I'm off to fold those clothes now!!! :)

A Beautiful Day!

Today has been a beautiful 60 degree day in Louisville!! Much welcomed after the million days and nights of rain we've had! Kendall and I got out-and-about to enjoy this beautiful day!

Our dream house has always been what we call the "Father of the Bride" house. I know a lot of couples who dream about building houses, but Evan and I have always dreamed more of taking an old house and renovating it. Being that we found our apartment on the internet, sight-unseen, Evan and I both had to laugh when we drove through the neighborhood the first time! We thought it was quite ironic that the one street over is a neighborhood full of our dream house! It seems like every time we drive through the neighborhood, we say, "I like this one," "I like that one," or "I like such-and-such brick/shutters combination." Sometimes it's difficult for me to stroll through this neighborhood without doing a little wishful thinking!

In all honesty, as much as we'd love to live in a house again someday, we are completely satisfied with our apartment and couldn't feel more blessed! It's been perfect for us so far and we are so thankful to have found a place to live that is so wonderful!

Anyway, here are some pictures from our afternoon stroll!!!

One of our VERY favorite houses!

This was Kendall's first time to sit up in the stroller instead of being in her car seat. She stayed very quiet and just kind-of soaked it all in! I tried to get some pictures of her face, but the sun was in her eyes a bit, so she wouldn't look up at me!

One thing that drew Evan and I to Louisville was how the landscape was very comparable to Fayetteville. In my opinion, both places have equally beautiful spring and fall seasons! Color is EVERYWHERE and it's absolutely gorgeous!

More pretty houses...


Okay, Kendall is waking up from her nap a little fussy. I need to go check on her. We've played HARD today! More cute pictures to come!!! :)

Three things...

1.) Apparently, Kendall is allergic to band-aids. She has a huge rash from where Evan wrapped her arm. (I'll spare you the pictures!) I've been using Cetaphil on it hoping it will clear up. The band-aids didn't work, anyway. She is still chewing on her arm. Someone suggested for us to keep her in long sleeves. Great idea, except the little stinker is so smart, she can push her sleeve up and chew away! I just went in her room to check on her and her right sleeve is pushed up and the left one is down! I thought about pulling her sleeve down, but Evan thought that would wake her, so I just left it. Besides, she'd just push the sleeve up and start chewing again. It's a vicious cycle!!!

2.) Kay Arthur is stepping on my toes big-time! It's good for me. After I did the first few days of that study I was thinking, "this is kind-of basic," but then I went on to week two.........OUCH!!! Good stuff. I'm really thankful for good writers that give us tools to help study the bible better. I just wish I was better at applying daily what I learn and read!!!

3.) Our friends Adam and Holly had their baby yesterday. Grace Holly is her name. The three of us went to the hospital to see Miss Grace (and Holly and Adam) tonight after church. They are all doing well and Grace is so sweet! It's almost unbelievable how different a newborn is compared to an almost 6 month old! Grace just looked SO tiny compared to Kendall!!! We took some pictures that I'll have to post later. It's 11:15 and I'm going to bed!!!

Just to clarify, so you don't think I'm a wierdo

I didn't put clothes and shoes on Kendall just for her nap. I had put them on her earlier when she was playing. I had the a/c on and my feet started getting cold. I figured if mine were, hers probably were too, so I put her in some sweat pants and socks. The socks didn't want to stay on her feet very well though, so I put those shoes on over them to keep them on.
I just left them on when I put her down for her nap because I didn't feel like messin with taking them off and didn't figure it would hurt anything to leave em on.
And now you know....the rest of the story.

Also, I really think the band-aids are helping. Kendall still tries to go for her arm, but apparently she doesn't like the way the band aids taste or feel in her mouth because she won't keep sucking on it like she used too. I figured covering the arm in band aids would be a better way to break her of the habit than covering it in hot sauce.
:-)

Some thoughts...

1.) Thanks to everyone for your comments, emails, and encouragement regarding our decision for me to go back to the classroom. Some of you I've told already, but I really do appreciate the words of encouragement and those who said you would pray with us. One thing that I know for sure (and God has confirmed since my post) is that HE calls different families to different things and we just have to seek HIM to know what is best for us. My friend Angie hit it right on the money when she said that it's probably the minority of women who are truly judgemental, but it's just so sad Satan preys on the minority to turn us ALL (working/SAHM) against each other!

2.) Can y'all believe my husband hasn't picked up a golf club since August and a fishing pole since probably before that???? (GASP!!!) :) No, really, I'm so proud of Evan and all he has sacrificed to do what he feels like God is calling him to do. He's on spring break this week and only has two full weeks of class left before finals. Pray for Evan as he enters the home-stretch of this semester!

3.) I just thought this picture warranted post out of the slide show. Kendall is a swaddle-baby. Just recently, she started going to sleep with her arms out of the blankets. When we got home from church today, I put her down for a nap, but I didn't really wrap her up that well. We heard Kendall in her room, singing and talking until she finally went to sleep. I took a nap and when I woke up to check on her, this is how I found her:

I realize to some of you, this is not a big deal, but seriously, we've never seen her move out of her blankets like this! We also have one of those sleep positioners in her bed that is supposed to keep her in place! Isn't this picture so sweet???

How precious is this baby girl?!?!?!

Here are some of the latest Kendall pictures. Isn't she getting so big?!?!?!?

Random Thoughts

I don't really have much to write about. Leah likes for me to post on here though, and I could use a break from homework for a couple of minutes, so here goes.

1. Congratulations to Hog Hoopster Sonny Weems on winning the College Slam Dunk Contest Thursday night. Weems is the second Hog that I know of to win this contest (Brandon Dean won it back in 2002). For the record, I don't think there were even any Bama or LSU players good enough to get invited :-)

2. I bought my first two commentaries this week, so I now I feel like a bona fide Bible student. They are both on the epistles of John and were needed for a background paper I am writing on 1 John for my NT Survey II class. One is by I. Howard Marshall and the other is by Daniel Akin. Akin used to be the Dean of Theology at Southern Seminary and is now President at Southeastern. So far I've read the introductory chapter in each, and based on that little bit I think I'll really enjoy these two. Both seem to be really accessible and easy to read. I'm really looking forward to working on this paper.

3. Arkansas spring football started this week and I wish I could be there to see a couple of practices under our new coach. All these Louisville fans bad mouth him because he left them, but I know they're just bitter. I'm just glad we're finally rid of Nutt. Maybe now we can actually start looking forward to WINNING conference championships and bowl gamesi instead of just being happy to get to one. Plus we may finally get to see what a forward pass ilooks like.

4. All this rain needs to stop already! I'm ready to get outside and have some fun. I missed out on a fishing trip this week because of too much rain. I haven't swung a golf club or picked up a fishing rod since last summer, so I'm ready!

5. The Masters is this week. I can't wait. I'd love to visit Augusta some time. I can't even imagine what it would be like to get to play there. My money says Tiger will be wearing green next Sunday evening.

I better get back to work now.

Thoughts about going back to the classroom...

I posted on here a while back about filling out an application with Jefferson County Public Schools. I thought I’d give you guys an update on where things stand with that process and would covet your prayers on this matter as well.

Sorry, this post might be a little lengthy, but I just need to get this out.

Basically, I have a teaching job if I want one. I mailed in the contract as-of today. Things are done a little differently around here…you get hired to work for the district, not the school. Does that make sense? It will probably be June before I will know the school/grade/subject placement. The district grants all the teacher transfer requests and then places the new-hires in the vacant positions. It’s all about seniority, which I completely understand.

Each day, God is giving me a peace about our decision for me to go back to the classroom. Not necessarily a peace that it's the right thing yet, but a peace that He's got it all under control. I honestly love being at home with Kendall and can’t really imagine having to send her to daycare or a babysitter. As a teacher, I can’t even fathom letting someone else “teach” my child! I want to be the one to teach her nursery rhymes and ABCs!!!! However, the family design is God, your spouse, then your children, (contrary to what many believe) and one of my top priorities with Evan right now is to help and encourage him while he is in school. Right now, Evan is taking 9 hours per semester, basically because he is working full time and I am staying home with Kendall. We also don’t want to go into a huge amount of debt for school, so 9 hours is about all we can afford for him to take at this point. Evan only had about 39 hours that transferred from college the first time around. The degree program he is in right now is an advanced degree, with 131 hours. Do the math. At the rate he’s going, it will take him 5 years to finish his undergrad, not to mention that he has plans for Seminary afterwards and possibly a Ph.D. Evan is 30 years old. We really want him to get through school BEFORE he reaches the age to retire. :)

In saying all that, it just seems that our best option for Evan finishing school in a timely manner as well as us being able to pay for school out of our own pocket instead of taking out loans, means that we switch roles. I need to go back to work full-time and Evan work part-time. I realize that our decision for me to go back to work full-time will be frowned upon by many. I really hate that. I know there is a HUGE debate about what is right and wrong as far as mom’s staying home/working goes, and I’m not even going there. I have heard a LOT of unfair statements from BOTH sides of the fence and find it terribly sad that as women, we can’t love, encourage, and pray for each other, instead of labeling each other as “better moms” or “worse moms” for our decision to work or stay home. Sadly, one of the reasons I have struggled with the decision to go back to the classroom is because I’m afraid of how other women will label me if I’m not staying home with Kendall. I know. Pretty stupid, but it's the absolute truth.

If I go back to work, we probably won’t have to put Kendall in day-care. Evan has already looked at the classes for the fall and can work out his schedule to take a full load and still stay home with her three days a week. On the other two days, we would probably just find a seminary wife/family that is looking to earn a little bit of extra money to keep Kendall for a few hours. While sometimes I hate that it won’t be me spending the day with Kendall, I’m glad that it will be Evan. Evan is MORE than capable of caring for her and teaching her and I'm just thankful she'll get to spend the day with one parent! Also, the middle school day is from 7:40 a.m. until 2:20 p.m., so that will leave a huge chunk of time in the afternoon for “Kendall and mommy” time!

I honestly did not really seek out a job. I started the application process and filled out the entire on-line application, but never sent in my transcript or my teacher certification. From my understanding, I was supposed to have a transcript and certification on file before I could get an interview. One day, I just happened to get a phone call asking if I’d be interested in an initial phone interview. I said “yes” and set that up. When I did the phone interview, I thought I totally bombed it. The questions were horribly tough to answer and explain over the phone, not to mention some were very vague. At one point, I asked the interviewer to clarify one of the questions and she replied with, “All I can do is repeat the question.” UGHHH!!! Evan came in from class that day and I told him there was NO WAY I’d done well and that the interview was HARD!!!! That afternoon, Evan took a message from someone in the district to set up a face-to-face interview. The person he talked to said I did an incredible job on the phone interview. (Go figure!) I went in a week later for the face-to-face interview and was offered a contract at that point. I truly believe that God has opened up these doors for me and will continue to open and shut doors as we seek Him in this situation.

As I said above, I signed the contract and put it in the mail. I think I need to take every step possible to make teaching in the fall happen and then make a decision once I find out the school placement. I truly LOVE teaching, and as much as I love being home with Kendall, I HAVE missed the classroom this year. One thing I love is how God draws you towards Himself in every situation and have completely seen that as our prayers have constantly changed throughout this process. First, we prayed that God would show us if me going back to work was the right thing for us. We decided we'd never know if I didn't take the steps to make that happen. We prayed that prayer up until the interview, then once I got the phone interview, we prayed that it would go well and then prayed the same for the face-to-face interview. Now, our prayer is that whatever assignment I get will be a great school with good administration and staff, and will be conducive to our family. I’m praying it will be close to where we live now, or if not, will be a place that we can afford to move without risking our safety.

This decision is not one that either of us takes lightly. Evan and I have talked and prayed MUCH over it, and will continue to do so until God reveals what is best for our family. If I do go back to work and we see that Kendall’s behavior and attitude is suffering because of it, we will re-evaluate our decision. Also, if anyone knows the secret to being in school and me being able to stay home without having to incur debt, let us know. From all we can tell, one must either be independently wealthy or have total support from outside sources, of which we have neither. Maybe there’s another secret and if so, we’d LOVE to be in on it!!! :)

Will you pray with us? If you are willing to pray, please just pray very specifically that if I am to go back to the classroom, my assignment will be one that suits our family well, in all aspects. I know that God can reveal Himself clearly. I've seen it happen and am trusting that He will in this particular situation.

Thank you always for your support and encouragement along this journey! We love you all!

Pizza Party!

Saturday night, Evan and I invited three couples over for a "make-your-own" pizza party! I've had this idea for a while now, but just now got around to making it happen. The three couples we had over have been so kind to us since we moved here, I just wanted to show our gratitude to them for all they have done for us!

Before I go on, let me just say that Saturday was a little crazy, and as I was preparing for our party, I questioned myself several times!!! When we woke up that morning, we noticed something was wrong with the hot water faucet in the kitchen. Evan messed around with it some that morning, but it was still giving us problems that afternoon, so about 45 minutes before our guests arrived, he decides he's going to dissect the whole thing!!! At this point, he hasn't had a shower, I haven't finished getting the food ready, and our kitchen is barely large enough for one warm body! As I'm preparing the dessert, I realize I didn't read the recipe correctly when I made the grocery list and I really needed double the amount of some of the ingredients, so I ended up having to send Evan back to the store (thank goodness for the dirty-K that is 2 seconds away from our apartment) and then had to call one of the guests to bring ANOTHER ingredient over!!! Kendall also decided she didn't want to nap, but that may have been because when Evan came in from the gym he went into her room and started talking to her instead of letting her sleep. Needless to say, right before everyone showed up, I almost looked at Evan and said, "Please don't speak to me for the rest of the night because I don't want to get into a fight with all these people here!" It was just one of those "married moments" kind of a day!

Back to the pizza party...I provided the crust and sauce for the pizzas and everyone brought different toppings. We made four pizzas-pepperoni, pepperoni and italian sausage, veggie, and a supreme. Not a single slice of pizza was leftover! In keeping with the pizza theme, I made a banana split brownie pizza (I'll post the recipe later) that was SO easy, very pretty, and delish!!! It seemed as though everyone had a great time and Evan and I were glad to entertain some folks for the evening!

Yummy pizza! Dessert Pizza...
James and Trey making Kendall laugh!
Kendall practicing sitting up all by herself .

(She is definitely the supported sitter right now!)

It looks like she is leaning on Evan, but she really wasn't!

Daddy trying to get an early start on her walking!