I suppose the day comes where time just changes. Over the last two years, my blog posts have diminished and in the recent months, they are just nonexistent. I miss blogging. I miss reminiscing on the pictures as I post them. I miss the simplicity of life that existed when I used to blog. But, times change. Poor William will not be able to look at the blog and see his life documented. That is hard for me, but it is how life goes.
Here we are. What has been going on? Why do I not have the pleasure of blogging? The story is long, but I will update the highlights. First to caveat the situation, think from my perspective as Dave had just spent 1 year in the middle east. He wanted to get out of the military and go back to the middle east. I fought with this choice, but in the end, the Lord told me it was right and I was willing to go with that. Dave was only home for 6 months before he left again for another 15 grueling months and we found out we were expecting William 2 weeks before he left. For the better part of 3 years, Dave was gone. Sometimes I feel as though we made a pivotal decision of faith some years ago and we continued to make the choices to keep going, not in perfect faith but with all that we had. During my weak moments of faith, I just look at the situation and think, "Well at this moment, I am in the middle of the deep, dark lake and I don't want to drown so I suppose we just keep going and hope it works out." And here we are, a couple years later.
When Dave came back from the Middle East, he searched high and low for a job. We knew we were taking a risk by having him come back without a job. The Lord provided a way for him to come home and we took a leap, again. Thankfully he was able to get the GI Bill to help pay the bills a little but that meant he was back in school again. This was our plan C, but thankfully we had a plan C right? Oh years ago when his military paperwork was messed up and we were mad about his student loan repayment not working out and instead they took the much needed money for the GI Bill when he elected not to get that, we didn't feel so thankful. But come plan C, we were thankful. So he started back to school in exercise science. He ran into an amazing professor who offered him a volunteer position at a physical therapy clinic. This experience has been life changing for him. He just submitted his physical therapy school application!!! Anyway, back to the job hunt, still nothing came up. We survived for 6 months on the money we had saved and then 6 months into it, we ran out. What were we going to do? Yet somehow, the Lord continued to provide. Our bills (despite the lack of money) were always paid.
One morning at church, one of the women brought me an envelop that had my first name on it. Inside was $19. No one knew where the money had come from. That envelop (which I swear I threw away) reappeared three times with money in it. It never had a lot. But it always had just that little bit that was needed. That is just one example of how the Lord blessed us during this time.
About 6 months into our adventure, I decided to get my substitute certificate. We had no money and we needed some income. Oh that took forever. Yet 3 weeks before the end of the school year, I started subbing. I worked EVERY day. Then the summer hit. I was worried about what to do. And then Dave got a job! He started working as the men's basketball strength and conditioning coach at a local community college. The summer was rough. He didn't get as much from his GI Bill because of the school breaks. I wasn't able to work. And yet we survived. As the school year approached, I was set up with a long term sub position. And Dave took on two more teams! It was amazing how things evolved. And this is how my life changed...
During the spring, I had started working on everything I needed to get my intern teaching license. It is a license that Arizona offers for people that have a degree and they want to teach, but they do not have a teaching degree. Well, every hold up possible was encountered and I didn't get everything set up until after the schools had hired who they needed. Oh well, Plan B... keep on subbing and try for next school year. I started subbing in an autistic classroom and I loved it. It was amazing. I was supposed to sub for 6 weeks and 2 weeks into it, I got a call from the kids' school that they would like me to come in for an interview. I had put in my sub application there but in doing so, I put on there that I am seeking a full time position. I come into the interview very unprepared thinking about my autistic children at school. And endured the HARDEST interview of my life. It was horrendous! I did not understand one bit why they were asking these outrageous questions! I was only coming in to sub. And then I was blindsided when he offered me a job teaching kindergarten. I will spare you all the night of fitful sleep as I pondered this choice and the mommy guilt I felt. And yet the Lord told me this was right. Two days later, I walked into a bare classroom with 29 beautiful smiles staring at me 3 weeks into the school year and no plan. It has been a fun ride.
Dave recently went on a scouting campout. And while he was gone, I was able to glimpse the memory of those long years that he spent in the middle east. In July, we celebrated him being home for a whole year. He was home for EVERY holiday, birthday, anniversary and family function. This was the first time in 7 years that this was true. One of my greatest blessing through the last 15 months has been having Dave home. The stress of no job and not enough money was/is horrible. Yet, having him home has filled my life with love and blessings. My children have cherished this time. Tender mercies have dotted our lives.
So you ask, what does that have to do with the blog? Well between our 5 beautiful children, my primary secretary calling, our group fitness/personal training side job, my kindergarten teaching job, and my masters degree in Early Childhood... my plate is over flowing. But... I have to say that I feel blessed, loved, and totally at peace.
