Home Sweet Home

I"m moved in, only three boxes left to unpack! Lots of things left to buy! I promise to do a post soon with pictures so you can see how CUTE my HOUSE is!! :) :) :) Life is so great right now!!!

Patience

If you were to ask anyone who knows me to describe me using ONE negative adjective, I feel pretty safe to say that 98% of them would use the word impatient.

 I have zero patience when it comes to most things. If you ask me to wait, I'm going to get impatient. It's one of my (few) flaws. (Humility is my best attribute... HA. Joke.)

 Note to self: Never pray for the Lord to give you patience. Because the way He will do it is by putting you in situations where normally you would become highly impatient--- and then asks you to choose patience. It's hard. And I'm really, really bad it

 I want what I want, when I want it. This year, I've realized that there are things that I want now, things that I didn't realize I wanted so soon. And instead of learning to be patient and wait for it, I've become impatient and therefore tried to take control of it over and over and over again. And over and over and over again, it blows up in my face. When am I going to learn that I don't control my future?!?!?! It's a hard lesson to learn, and sometimes I think I never will. Sometimes I think I will never get enough patience to

 And yet, I hear it. I am learning it. God knows my future. He knows where life is taking me. And one of these days, maybe I will learn this little trait called patience.

Closing

Today, I close on my first home. I become a homeowner. It's a dream I've had for years-- to have my own little place to call home. I'm feeling so many different emotions today, but mostly excited. It's all bittersweet though. I wish with everything in me that my mom could be here today. She would be so excited for me. I've really been missing her lately.

While packing for the move, I found a letter that she wrote me on the day of my high school graduation. When Kevin graduated, she made us all write letters to him telling him how proud we were of him and how much he meant to us. Then when we graduated, they all did the same thing for us. It was really special. In all honesty, I have no idea what I did with my other family member's letters. But I have kept up with my mom's for all these years. As I was reading it, I realized a lot of what she said could be related to today, this moment in my life. It could be related to a lot of big events in my life. So I'm going to take a few pieces of the letter and put them here, on my blog. Mainly so that when these big events come along and I'm really missing her, I can come and read her words here. Because I know she would still be saying the same things in each of those events.

My beautiful look a like,
Today is the day I know you have been looking forward to. I am so excited about today. I would not have it any other way, I just wish it would not have come so fast. You have grown into such a beautiful, strong young woman. I know these past few years have been very hard. As I sit back, I am amazed to see how you have come through the fire and how God has strengthened you and refined you through it all. You bless my heart.
As I prepare to send you out in the world, I catch myself doubting myself. I hope I have taught you what you need. As I watch you and Holly worship God, I felt God's hand on my shoulder telling me that you are ready. When you were born, I put you in God's hand and that is where you will be as you go out into the world.
I know today marks the end of many aspects of your life. But there are so many beginnings just around the corner. You  have so much to look forward to. Always use the gifts God has given you for His glory. I have loved every moment of being your mom. 
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6. I believe God is in the process of making your path straight. Keep your eyes on Him and He will lead you down His chosen path for you. I love you more than words can say and I cannot tell you how proud I am of you.
With all my love,
Mom

REAL Aunt Heather!

So if you keep up with my blog, you know that I love babies. I am blessed with three of the sweetest babies in my life! I like to claim little Braxton, Tenley, and Charlie as my own niece and nephews! I love them all three so much! I see Charlie the most and just adore that little munchkin. I wish I could see Tenley and Brax more, but considering Tenley lives in Alabama and Bonnie and my schedules are so different, I just have to take what I can get!

(PS. When did these babies get so big?! It seems like just yesterday when they were born, and now they are well on their way to being full blown toddlers!)

I have been BUSTING at the seams to share some GREAT news though! Ever since Kevin and Ali got engaged, I've been ready to be an aunt! I want a little niece or nephew SO badly! Well, the time has finally come! In October, I will be REAL Aunt Heather to a beautiful little baby!

We don't know yet what it will be, but I can't wait to love on and spoil little Jordan or Carter! And I can't wait to finally be an AUNT! Aunt Heather is going to be the BEST aunt in the world! (Move over Holly and Ashley, I'm so winning this competition!)

Updates coming.. SOON!

Life has been so crazy lately. My kids are currently finishing up a pretty big project, STAAR is in a week and a half, I close on my house next week... add in my social life, and I've been pretty MIA! I promise to update soon.There is so much going on!! :) :) I will try to find time this weekend, promise!!

In the power of Christ, I'll STAND!

I love Easter! I love everything Easter stands for. Even though I'm a sinner and I screwed up royally every day of my life, Christ died on that cross for ME. I learned today in church that when Christ asks for "this cup to be taken from me", the cup he was talking about was a cup they referred to in the old testament. "The cup" refers to the cup of God's wrath for sinners. But Christ took that cup and that wrath for US. And He said "IT IS FINISHED." The wrath of God is FINISHED. So even though I screw up all the time, Christ took that wrath FOR me. That kind of love is unbelievable and hard to believe, but it's TRUTH!

In Christ Alone, my hope is found-
He is my light, my strength, my song.
This Cornerstone, this solid ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.


What heights of love,
what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled,
when strivings cease.
My comforter, My all in all!
Here in the love of Christ, I STAND.


In Christ alone, who took on flesh,
fullness of God in helpless babe.
This gift of love and righteousness,
scorn by the ones he came to save.


Til on that cross,
as Jesus died,
THE WRATH OF GOD WAS SATISFIED,
for EVERY sin on Him was lain,
here in the death of Christ, I LIVE.


There in the ground, his body lay.
Light of the world by darkness slain.
Then bursting forth, in glorious day!
Up from the grave he rose again!


And as He stands in VICTORY!
Sin's curse has lost it's grip on me!
For I am His,
and He is mine.
I'm bought with the precious blood of Christ!!


No guilt in life,
No fear in death.
This is the power of Christ in me.
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.


No power of hell!
No scheme of man!
Can ever pluck me from His hand!
Til He returns, or calls me home.
Here in the power of Christ, I'll stand.

Words that describe my current life...

It's the little things...

-The fact that in 7 hours, I'll be on a 4 day weekend.

-Making Easter baskets for the little people in my life.

-Cooking Easter lunch for some of my favorites on Sunday.

-Funny quotes from students.

-Bubble baths.

-Celebrating birthdays with co-workers

-Sleeping in tomorrow. And Saturday. And Monday.

I HATE tornadoes.

It's only the fourth day of April and I feel like I'm already emotion-ed out for the month. And there is still so much more to happen.


Yesterday we had tornadoes in DFW. Honestly, I didn't even know there was bad weather coming. I guess that's what happens when you don't have James Spann handy warning you of tornadoes days in advance! One minute I'm working with my classes on their garden projects, and the next I'm being told that the weather is turning ugly and we are about to go into duck and cover.

The bell rang, and the next period was my planning period. They came over the intercom a few minutes later and said to get in duck and cover, so I went down the hallway to my "safe spot" with three other classes. Which equaled 90+ 6th and 7th graders huddled in a room. For two hours.  AGH!

Apparently it got pretty bad. One teacher said she snuck back into her room with a window and watched the tornado come down out of the sky right outside of our school. Apparently the Walmart and movie theater behind us got some damage. I was sitting in the room and got multiple texts from friends saying "Apparently the tornado is headed straight to DFW airport..."... which if you don't know where my school is, it's less than two miles from DFW. I literally watch planes land all day long from my classroom window. (The skies have been kind of empty today... I'm assuming they are still having trouble getting planes in and out?) Anyway, it was good to know where those tornadoes were, but it was also even scarier to know that it was coming right to where I was.

Finally, finally, finally, the bad weather was past us. We dismissed kids at 4:15, 30 minutes after normal time. They left and I went home. I answered multiple phone calls, emails, text messages, tweets, and facebook comments/messages about if I was ok or not. Thank you to all who thought of me! Most of them were my Alabama friends and family-- they understand how tornadoes are not something to be messed with.

It amazes me how people in Texas don't take them seriously. We waited until the sirens went off to duck and cover... Spann would frown on that move! Our "safe spot" is on the second floor... which isn't really safe! My students thought it was a big ol' party. I don't think they seriously understood what could happen. Maybe looking at the pictures of the devastation in surrounding areas will open their eyes to the dangers of tornadoes. I was so frustrated with the fact that they thought it was sooo much fun!

I will say that handling a tornado warning, hearing that the tornado is coming "right for you", is completely different when you are in charge of children. Normally I would have been cowering in a small area on the bottom floor, but yesterday I was ready to dive on top of kids if that was needed. I was scared for them more than I was for myself! I can't even imagine what it's like to have your own kid and worry for them!

I just feel like yesterday afternoon was a very emotional day. I am so thankful that Irving had minor damage and that the tornado didn't affect us. I am praying for the surrounding areas who saw so much devastation. If you are one of the people who contacted me yesterday, thank you for checking on us! I am praying that the rest of the spring remains tornado-less... both here and in my sweet home Alabama.