midweek confessions ~ wedding edition

I know that techinically Thursday isn't midweek but it is close enough for me.
So here goes ...
* I got engaged about three weeks ago and we are getting married in 5 weeks. I am overwhelmed with this process and I would love it if I had either a) a lot of money or b) someone who was willing to do all the planning, phone calls, and errands for me ... for free. I have neither and so I guess I will just have to do all the work myself.

* I like everything simple and fun but the wedding processes is actually hard. I feel like I have a list for my lists. We already booked our reception hall, bought the unity candles, purchased our wedding bands, got my dress (no alterations ... hallelujah!), one week away from finishing our pre-marital class, and got the dj. Now we just need invitations (need to get these out asap!), flowers, photographer, marriage license, .... ect. .... ect. ... ect. Whew!

*I get phone calls atleast 5 times a day from my Mom about wedding stuff. See bullet point 1 ... this is another thing that continues to overwhelm me.

* My wonderful aunt and uncle have given us the use of their time share for our honeymoon. All we have to do is purchase airfare. I can't wait to spend 4 days with my hunny as husband and wife.

*Jacob is not happy about the honeymoon and tells me he thinks I am abandoning him when I go. Hopefully he will get over this but anytime we talk about it ... he cries.

* I cannot wait to be a wife and I am reading books so that I can be "perfect" at it. I know that I am dillusional but hey I am overwhelmed ... I am sure this will all wear off soon.

* I am breaking out like crazy. This is not a good time for my skin to start doing "tricks".

Aagh ... I feel better now. Anyone else have a crazy short engagement like mine or words of wisdom to help me out with this?

mid week confessions

Welcome back to mid week confessions!

This is a great way to clear your head and your mind of the real things that are going on in your life.

Ready?

Time to share!

~ I am feeling down today. This is the first time I have no job and no schooling to keep myself busy. My boyfriend is working crazy hours to provide for our family and I feel like I am not contributing.

~ Finances ... aagh! I don't like even thinking about money right now. Things are so tight and unless I find a job soon it is going to stay that way. {Maybe I should start thinking more positively!}

~ Tonight is going to be crazy! I have an appointment at 3:30, then Jacob has a basketball game at 6:10, and then we both have to be at church by 7 for Awana's and our financial class.

~ Tomorrow isn't going to be any better. I have open house for Jacob and a parent teacher conference for Christian. 

~ On a better note I should be able to turn in my substitute teaching paperwork tomorrow. I can't wait to get back in the classroom.

~ Jacob has started drinking coffee. One morning I was joking and asked him if he wanted chocolate milk or coffee for breakfast. He said coffee so I made him a small cup just for fun. He drank it and liked it. Now every morning he asks for it. The good news is that for kids with ADHD coffee calms them down. 

So those are my confessions! What do you have to confess this week?

The {Perfect} Plan

It all began at the end of a wonderful weekend ... the perfect plan.

On most Sunday nights when Dan has to take Christian back to his mom's house, Jacob is sad. 

Really sad. 

For Christmas Jacob got a DQ Blizzard Maker and I thought making blizzards would be the perfect way to cheer him up. 

As Dan and Christian walked out the door, Jacob and I walked out the door as well. We read the directions on the blizzard maker and realized we only needed half and half. The other ingredients we needed was salt (check), water (check), ice (check), and the vanilla ice cream packets (check). 

So we quickly said our goodbyes and off we went to the grocery store in search of half and half. 

I know it isn't hard to find but the challenge was leaving the store with just half and half. 

To my surprise the half and half was on sale for 50% off.

Yay! This trip is already going better than expected. 

We went to the check out and paid $1.01 for 16 oz. of half and half.

No extras!

We got home and took out the ingredients that we needed. 

We also put the blizzard maker together. 

We also took out the directions sheet and set it next to the blizzard maker.

Step 1: Cover the silver bowl with a cup so no ingredients get inside.

Done

Step 2: Fill the blue bowl with crushed ice.

We go to the freezer to get the ice and low and behold

...

No ice just empty ice cube trays!

Ugh!

I told Jacob that we couldn't make blizzard because we didn't have ice.

He was devastated.

His eyes watered and tears flowed down his cheeks. 

It had little to do with not making blizzards and more to do with the fact his "brother" wasn't at our house.

I felt horrible. 

I just wanted to cheer him up and make his Sunday night a little more easy.

That was my {perfect} plan.

I failed.

I thought I was prepared but I wasn't.

Jacob and I ended up just cuddling on the couch.

We made blizzards the next evening instead.

But this made me think how in life we feel like we have planned everything out just {perfectly}but things end up not going the way we planned. 

And when life happens and plans unravel ... I need to remember to be thankful.

While things that happen are not my plan, they are in God's plan.

I know His plans are far better than mine will ever be.

For my {perfect} plan going awry ... I am thankful!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord.

"Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

mid week confessions

Have you ever wanted to just vent? Allow your frustrations and short comings to be shared with others? Well then you are in the right place! It has been awhile since I made confessions on here {ok honestly it has been awhile since I have done anything on this blog ... sorry it will get better} and today I am ready to share. If you  about thiswant to share then go ahead and click on the button above. Then you will get to meet E and read her confessions as well. So without further ado ... I present ... my confessions. 

~ I just realized that since I graduated college on December 31st and I don't have a job so therefore I am officially unemployed. Not too happy this.

~ I have made myself a to-do list that consists of 9 things and I have yet to accomplish any of them.

~ I made a lot of pajama pants this Christmas and I still have one pair to go. I really don't want to go into my sewing again ... too soon!

~ Jacob went back to school today and I didn't look in his back pack until last night. I prayed that he didn't have any homework ... thank goodness he didn't.

~ We took down our Christmas decorations New Years Day and now I feel like my house is naked. Is it too early to put up Valentine's Day decorations? 

Well I should start working on my to-do list before Jacob gets home from school. I do feel better now that I have confessed.

Currently I am ...

Obsessing over: finishing student teaching (Dec. 16th), Jacob wearing his new glasses, and my 27 third graders who will greet me tomorrow morning


Working on: my professional teaching portfolio (just finish ... boo ya!) and finishing up my student teaching binder


Thinking about: the new adventure I will be starting in January (job searching), how 13 years ago when I graduated high school I never imagined myself actually being a teacher but here I am and I am so blessed, and how I am going to start the bookclub at church


Anticipating: making a pay check again, the Christmas season, and researching how I can get to Haiti to work in an orphanage with my son


Listening to: Jacob laughing


Drinking: lemonade


Wishing: more time, a heart for giving this season, and that I hear God's desires for my life ... I feel like I am at a crossroads

Summer Adventure {Brookfield Zoo}

As the summer was winding down we decided to go on one last adventure to the Brookfield Zoo. The kids were so excited and it ended up being a wonderful day.

We started out by going into the butterfly house.

It was beautiful! All the butterflies reminded me of when I was a child in England and visited the butterfly houses there. Mostly I remember the woman over the loud speaker saying "Don't touch the butterflies" in her gorgeous English accent.

One butterfly loved Matthew and just sat on his hand for almost the whole time.

After the butterfly house we went on to see the other animals.

Of course we got pictures of the kids too!!

It was a wonderfully fantastic way to end the summer adventures. Now it is time to add school year adventures.

It is Me from A to Z!

A. age :: thirty

B. bed size ::queen

C. chore you hate :: putting the laundry away

D. dogs :: none but 2 cats (Charlie & Fiona)

E. essential start to your day :: Coffee!

F. favorite color :: teal

G. gold or silver ::silver

H. height :: five feet & eight inches

 
I. instruments you play :: does Guitar Hero count?

J. job title :: mother & student

K. kids :: Jacob

L. live :: Chicago, IL

M. maiden name :: not married

N. nicknames ::Mindy Moo

O. overnight hospital stays :: once when I had little man.

P. pet peeve :: dirty dishes in the sink

Q. quote :: "Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take but by the moments that take your breath away"

R. righty or lefty :: right

S. siblings :: three younger brothers ; Michael, Mark, and Matthew

T. time you wake up :: Starting Monday 6:30

U. university attended :: Benedictine University

V. vegetables you dislike: zucchini 

 
W. what makes you run late :: over sleeping or assuming that it only takes 15 minutes to get anywhere

X. x-rays you’ve had :: my wrist in junior high

Y. yummy food :: pasta, rice, mexican food, grapes

Z. zoo animal favorite :: giraffes and penguins