40

At midnight tonight I will be 40.  My parents had the option of choosing the 16th or 17th as my birthday as I was born at midnight.  My grandparent's anniversary was September 17 so my parents wisely chose the 17th for my birthday!  My mom and dad came to town to have dinner with us tonight and as dad left he asked if turning 40 bothered me, I answered with an absolute "no way".  I will tell you that I am honestly so excited about my 40's because I feel like I might actually have some things figured out in life!  The fact that I will be graduating with my Bachelor's Degree this spring is one big exciting thing that will happen, hopefully to be followed by a teaching job next fall!  But, this is just one little accomplishment that I am excited for, but certainly not the high point of my life.  

I have had a pretty blessed life, any problems I have had have been completely of my own making with no one else to blame.  I've had to learn some very hard lessons but luckily have had some very loving and supportive people around me to help me through those lessons.  I would like to mention a few of these people and I absolutely know I will forget someone and for that, I apologize.  Please know that I see every mistake and opportunity in my life as a road to where God has led me today.  He truly has "made all things new" in my life by allowing me to have trials and hurts, joys and blessing.  

Jodi C. is one woman who probably turned my life around more than any other person.  Here's how she did that.  Every week at MOPS she loved on me, hugged me, told me she loved me, cried with me when I needed to, and taught me about how much God loved me, no matter what.  She welcomed me into a Bible Study with other women, which in turn led me to meeting other women, beautiful, amazing women.  We laughed and cried together, we shared what we thought no one would ever accept about us.  We read scripture together, learned together, and grew in Christ.  Julie R, Heidi B, Roxanne W, Sara R, and others, you helped me grow.  Thank you.

Megan, Thea, Robyn, Julie M, you all have been my rock.  I am a horrible phone call maker and don't always stop by when I'm back in town but I want you to know how much I love you all and how my life would be so much less if I didn't have your friendship.  You are those friends who I can pick up a conversation with and it's as if I never moved away. 

Parkview Baptist Church-there aren't enough ways to praise your grace and mercy.  If I could tell anyone one thing to do to make their life better it would be to go to this church, get plugged in, and learn what the Bible has to say about your life.  Pastor John sat me down with Ken one day and simply gave us permission to make a choice.  Do what "everyone else does" or make a different choice, see what God does.  We knew instantly what our choice was and worked, prayed, and came out better people because of it.  Not of our own power, all the power of submission to Christ and commitment to each other.  

My family...where to even start???  I have a dad with personality.  He's funny, stubborn, tough, and gentle.  He's a man who joyfully and anonymously gives to others in small ways but ways that bring tears to my eyes.  He makes conversation with anyone and I mean anyone!  He works hard, and even though we would like him to take it easy, that's not in his nature.  His passion for old cars shows but his passion for old cars with meaning to him (like the gas truck he has refinished) are the ones that make me the most proud.  He doesn't have the fanciest cars, he has cars with a connection to his past and his heart.  My mom couldn't volunteer anymore hours if she tried.  Who has time to work when you are busy serving your community?  She is the proverbial peacemaker.  She wants everyone to feel welcome, never has known a stranger, and is passionate about genealogy.  Her heart is so big and the dedication to finding every last detail about her family is amazing.  Taking her to Kentucky was such a blessing for both of us this summer.  My brother has beat brain cancer, become a grandfather, and follows my dad's footsteps in his passion for cars.  He loves his family deeply and loves the Lord.  My sister and I couldn't be more different in some ways but exactly the same in others.  I envy her organizational skills, craftiness, and ability to keep everything in it's place.  I know my personality drives her nuts sometimes but she loves me and I love her deeply.  

Carter, your heart is so beautiful.  You are funny, silly, serious, and share your love of sports with your father but every once in awhile, I see a little bit of me in you.  I think about when you were so little and sick and I can't believe you are so strong and athletic now.  Your sense of humor is one of a kind.  Sometimes I look at you and I swear, Jay Terry is in my house.  

Rylee, I wasn't the best mom that I wanted to be when you were little.  I was so young and immature and I made mistakes.  As I teach my preschoolers now I think I would have been such a better mom if I would have played with you more, snuggled with you longer, been less selfish.  But, God has given you so many gifts and I am humbled by your heart, your willingness to help others, the way that you get excited for things, and for the brave way you take on challenges.  While most kids would have freaked out at the thought of moving right before their junior year, you took the bull by the horns, jumped right in and made yourself a part of our new community and your new school.  You make the best of situations, you fight for your beliefs, you are strong.

Ken, my strongest supporter, my biggest advocate, the love that I have had for over 1/2 of my life.  I don't know anyone else who suffered the losses that you have and yet chose to live their life as one who takes on the next challenge.  You always remind me that when something bad happens, we have to make the choice how we will let it affect us.  We can dwell on the hurt, be mad, angry, and victimized or we can choose to move forward, be positive, and see results that bring about positive change around us.  I am so honored to be your wife.  I pray that I am becoming the wife that God made me to be.  

The reason that 40 is going to be so great is that God has allowed me to go through some big bumps in my life and has prepared me to share my life with children and with other adults, to show them the love that has been shown to me.  To play, to sing, to comfort, and to love.  To serve, to share, to laugh, and to cry.  The real stuff in life that is important.  The college degree is just one of the sprinkles on the top of the cake!  

You might wonder why I would choose this picture from our Boston trip instead of one of the many pictures I have of the memorial to the victims of the Boston bombings, my answer would be because there are plenty of sad and unforgettable images from that horrible week on the internet.  I wanted to show you something beautiful from the city I fell in love with on the very day it was terrorized.  

My husband had his annual conference in Boston this April.  He and I, along with our son, arrived in Boston on the day of the marathon at around 1:30 pm.  After checking into our hotel, we walked down the street to the mass of people all there to enjoy the festivities of the Boston Marathon.  We had been up since 3:30 AM to catch our flight so not only were we tired of crowds, we were starving!  Ken suggested we find a bite to eat and then make a plan.  After strolling a few blocks from the final stretch of the race, we found a hole in the wall pizza place.  Ken suggested that we head over to Harvard and tour the campus, we felt pretty confident that simply touring Harvard would increase our IQ scores substantially!  Anyway, after eating, we found our way to the train and headed off to one of the most prestigious campuses in the country.  

We arrived at Harvard and walked around the beautiful campus and decided to visit the museum housed on the campus.  Within minutes of arriving at the museum, Ken walked over to me and showed me his phone.  He had received an alert from ESPN announcing an explosion at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.  I told him he had better call our daughter Rylee.  She had not been able to join us on our trip due to college class commitments.  We withheld the news from our son who is 12.  At the time, we figured there was no need to alarm him when we had no information anyway.  My phone buzzed with a text from Rylee who was in class and had already heard the national news alert.  I assured her we were ok and far from the explosion and we would keep in touch.  I tried to call my dad but all cell service had already been cut.  I did send a text to my mom.  She isn't a big "texter" so I wasn't concerned that I didn't receive a reply.  I would find out later that she read the text but didn't think much of it...until she realized how close we actually were only a few short hours ago.  

As Carter and I continued to enjoy the displays at the museum, Ken very covertly kept his phone working on updates, trying to assess where the explosion was in relation to our hotel.  It was within 3 blocks of where we would be staying and everything in the vicinity was being evacuated and locked down.  He was beginning to be more concerned about our ability to get back to our hotel and if we could get in once we arrived.  We left the museum just before closing and made our way back to the train stop that we needed to start our short journey back to the hotel.  By this time, Ken knew stations had been shut down and wondered about the safety of any of the remaining open lines.  Police were in the station and as soon as Ken walked to them, Carter knew something was up.  I told him the little that we knew and joined Ken to listen to the advice of the Boston PD.  They assured us they had been through the entire system with bomb sniffing dogs (comforting thought) and that we were allowed to go to a stop that would get us closer but then would have to walk or try to get a taxi to get back to the hotel.  As we boarded the train, we felt a little strange.  Surreal, maybe, is a better word??  We came up out of the station and it was absolutely packed with people.  We had arrived just near the hospital that many of the victims were being rushed to.  To this day, I cannot believe I didn't think to get a picture of the many people, the ambulances, the traffic, the news vans, everything.  I can only think that I was in a little bit of shock and just realizing how we were in the middle of a national tragedy.  

The fact that we found a taxi is a miracle.  I stepped into an alley and saw one directly in front of me, I flagged him down and he picked us up.  He had been on duty for less than an hour and was planning on going home.  He experienced 9/11 as a driver, and wasn't prepared to go through another disaster.  What should have been a 5 minute drive became 40+ minutes as everywhere he turned, police turned us back.  He finally got us to where we could see the hotel name on the top of the building and asked if we thought we could make it.  We agreed we weren't going to get any closer and we would attempt to go as far as we could, hoping we wouldn't be turned away. We did make it back, to a jam packed, completely crazy, heavily guarded hotel.  There were runners everywhere, people who couldn't get back into their hotels, runners who never got to finish, runners with nothing on but their running shorts on a day that was chilly, and no where to go.  We went to our room and turned on the local news.  The realization of how close we were was beginning to hit us.  By this time, we knew the supper situation was going to be a nightmare.  There was a restaurant right by the hotel but when Ken called to ask if we could order out, he was told that the health inspector had shut everyone down for the safety of everyone involved.  We ordered room service, they warned us it would be awhile, we told them we totally understood.  2 hours and 45 minutes later, at 10:45, we devoured the most expensive quesadillas, sliders, and fries that we'd ever eaten, with pleasure.  

The rest of the week was spent saying thank you to the SWAT, police, military, and other guard type guys around the city.  We toured, we ate, we enjoyed.  The servers at the restaurants were outstanding, apologizing that we were visiting their city on such a sad week but treating people with compassion, kindness, and humor.  What a blessing it was each and every day.  

Friday was not too fun.  Carter and I were in the hotel room all day.  The city was in lock down.  The terrorists had been identified but one was still not apprehended.  We did go out around 1:00 to see if we could grab some lunch but with no taxi service and no train service, employees were not at work, and no one was opening for the day.  It was a little creepy anyway and Carter decided the hotel room was the place for us.  That evening we were able to leave and go back to the most amazing Italian restaurant.  It would be our second meal there, we just couldn't resist the same place twice!  During the meal, the second bomber was caught and arrested and the whole atmosphere suddenly was electric!  People were in the streets, celebrating, greeting one another, feeling that once again, we were free to move about and get back to normal.  

The next day we went to the Red Sox game.  That experience is a whole other blog altogether!  Wow, I have never been witness to such an emotionally beautiful display of American Pride.  Kudos to you Boston, you know how to throw a last minute celebration!  

Another day, another blog, I'll be sure to share more from this memorable trip.  To be in the midst of history is hard to put words to, I'll never forget the experience and will forever be thankful for the many men and women who protected us in the days following this horrible tragedy.   

Boylston Street, about 2 hours before the explosion, runners were turning on to this street on Carter and Ken's left side.

Our last day, the street is still blocked off and filled with memorials.

Our daily protectors at the front door!

Easter Blessings

Happy Easter!  

What a blessed weekend, filled with good food, family, a walk with my husband, and finished off with me totally burning a batch of chocolate chip banana bread!  For future reference...when the recipe calls for a 10 inch tube pan, do not decide that a bread pan will work just as well.  Yuck.  My oven is a mess, my bread doesn't smell quite as yummy as anticipated.  Oh Well!

My thoughts over this week have been about redemption.  My husband and I are applying to be marriage mentors at our church.  We don't know what God has in mind for us but we're following in faith to be obedient to Him and try to serve Him in a way that will hopefully bring others to Christ.  Our church service today was a wonderful reminder that redemption is what Christ did for us on the cross.  Good Friday was actually a Bad Friday for Jesus but with a little faith and a "Wow Factor" of the resurrection, we have the opportunity to have and live a redeemed life!

How do I share this with my preschoolers?  I love them, I'm patient with them, I teach them about forgiveness, kindness, cooperation, and a daily dose of laughter.  I show them understanding when they have moments where they are sad, angry, or upset.  I have just finished a fantastic book called "The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog."  Written by a man who has spent his career treating children who had suffered trauma, this book reaffirmed my belief that positive relationships with people and love with support is the best way to help children learn and develop.  How does this connect to my faith?  Jesus, the ultimate healer, loved people, healed people, and held children close to His heart.  I  want to continue to let the love of Christ work through me to be one who teaches children about their world around them, about how to have fun and learn, to give them experiences to be independent thinkers, explorers, and teammates.  I know that my faith will lead my steps, with my preschoolers, with my decisions after I graduate, and with my family.  

Have a blessed week!

The Flu That Started My Blog...

I've been home with some sort of flu like stuff for two days so instead of getting caught up on homework I decided to start my blog, something I've been wanting to do for some time now! 
So here's the deal, I went back to school quite a while ago and received my Associate's Degree in Early Childhood in 2007.  Thinking that would be enough, I continued to run my gymnastics and dance studio and opened a preschool in the neighboring town.  A friend who had her son in my "Mommy & Me" gymnastics class mentioned their town needed a preschool!  Got the paperwork going and by the fall had children enrolled, toys dug out of closets, and garage sales searched.  What an adventure that has turned out to be.  Fast forward to this year, I'm closing in on my Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood, have been teaching preschool for 3 additional years and now wondering where God wants me to be after I have my teaching degree. 

I've been to 3 conferences within the last 2 months that have reinforced my core belief that children don't need all this pressure to "be ready for Kindergarten".  Children will be ready as their brain and body develops and I need to foster their development where they are today and quit worrying about "next year, next year, next year", (thanks Lisa Murphy for reminding me of that!)

So hopefully, through this blog, I can not only share what I know to be true about children's development, but give you some funny stories that children give me every day, how my co-workers have become my counselors, friends, and encouraging voices, but somehow along the way, discover where I should end up at the end of this long college journey!

Children love to learn, we don't have to make it miserable, drudgery, and by only trusting assessments.  If you engage with children, you can hear and understand what they know through their play, their conversation, and their natural abilities.  Pay attention, stand back and observe, play, and offer positive choices.  Above all, teach them to advocate for themselves, give them a chance to have their own voice.