Sunday Update:

Lots going on (at least I feel like it, we’ll see once I get typing in this post just how much I have to write about…) so, I’ll do some highlights in this post.

Reese has a new home!
Friday at 3:00 Toni and her husband came to pick her up to play for a few hours.  They said they’d bring her back in a few hours, but when 8:00 rolled around I started to worry that maybe Reese had decided to run off and they were chasing her all over the countryside.  Well, turns out they had taken her on a walk in the woods, down to the pond and were having a ball with her.  Gretchen hadn’t warmed up to her yet, but Toni told me Reese was following her husband around everywhere outside.  She said she was pretty sure they wanted her, and we all decided it didn’t make sense for them to bring her back for the night.  I told her to give me a call in a few days to let me know how she’s doing.  Its weird with only 3 dogs, but oddly, the difference is huge.  Samson usually retreats to the basement to snooze all day, and that leaves only 2 dogs in the livingroom most of the time, which is totally manageable.  I feel so lucky that we found such a great home for Reese, and I know she’ll be a lot happier there with all that land to run on and so much more attention.

We went to church today!
My Aunt Dawn and I decided to scout out some churches to find one that we liked and start being regular members.  This weekend we went to Grace.  I was surprised, but Ryan actually went with us too, which means a lot to me. Ryan really doesn’t get the whole church thing, and doesn’t know much about God at all.  I went to church a lot as a kid, but decided it wasn’t "cool" or "fun" when I got to be a teenager.  After a class as Spring Arbor my last semester, and with the loss of our first pregnancy, it really changed my outlook.  I really want to learn more about God.  I truly believe, but I am at this point where I need to know WHY I believe, what God is all about and all that stuff. And I really want Porter to grow up with something to believe in.  There is more to life than what we’re living right now, and I think as a soon-to-be parent it is my responsibility to teach Porter something to believe in, even though he may decide as an adult to change his mind.  So, my goal is to find a church that Ryan and I like and for both of us to understand God and be able to share that with our kids.  Today it was Aunt Dawn, Ryan and I that went, and for the most part we liked the church.  The 45 minutes of standing in the beginning and singing was a little drawn out (and the guy who directs the singing part is kind of dorky- reminded me of Doogie Howser. I actually thought at one point he was going to bow down on the floor or something…)  but the pastor for the main part of the service was great. 

Afterwards, we went to Ponderosa for lunch, got the buffet and stuffed ourselves silly.  I think this could be a fun Sunday ritual. Next week we were supposed to check out Westwinds, another more "contemporary" church, but its further away. I think we might just stick with Grace for a few weeks and see how it goes, and if we decide its not our thing, we’ll look into other churches. 

8 more teaching days!
I officially have only 8 days of teaching left!  I teach the 5 days this week, and next week is only a 3 day week and I will only be teaching science (3 hours of the day before lunch) so I’ll have the entire afternoon to relax and watch Amy teach!  I am getting nervous because I think I am going to start putting in resumes for a job next fall.  I am not sure when is the best time, since I won’t be able to work until school starts up in August, and I don’t want to put my resume in too early.  But, I want to make sure its in there early enough that I don’t miss an opportunity.  I am going to apply for both a teaching position or a language arts specialist position (also called a literacy coach).  The l.a. specialist position would be half days and I’d work in a classroom with small groups of kids doing reading and writing (my favorite part of teaching elementary!).  It would be so ideal for the first year, while Porter is young.  I’m so nervous about applying, though.  Its such a big thing- I mean, if I screw up its not like applying at some stupid Target job or something.  Makes me way nervous, but I’ve come this far and I’m not about to give up!

Kristyn is moving!
Kristyn is my friend I graduated with from Spring Arbor … we weren’t "in the bubble" like most people at SAU.  Long story… but we have had some great times getting through all our teaching classes, dealing with some weirdo’s at SAU, and making it through student teaching.  She and her husband and daughter are moving to Virginia, where her hubby is from. I’m going to miss her!  Luckily she has family up here and we’ll definitely have to get together when she comes to visit… right Kristyn???

 

Here’s a scrapbook page for old times sake… just for you Kristyn!

(Thirsty Thursday is Spring Arbors spin off of the bars around bigger universities that have Thirsty Thursday beer specials.  At SAU, its a big huge pop for 33cents.  We used to make fun of the on-campus students who got all worked up over it, but one semester we had a Thursday night class and decided to join in and buy a Thirsty Thursday every week.  It was a good deal!)

I need to find a mom’s group…
I’m really wanting to find a mom’s group somewhere in the area, but Jackson has NOTHING.  I have a feeling that once Porter is here a lot of the dynamics of my friendships are going to change (I’ve actually noticed a lot of change already with just being pregnant) and I don’t want to feel friendless because none of my friend have kids that will be Porter’s age.  So, I have been on the hunt for a mom’s group or something like that sort to try to meet new people with babies, some similar interests to mine, and who want to occasionally get together with the kids and possibly become good friends.  Harder than it sounds, though.  I have found a few online mom’s groups for Michigan, but no one is really near Jackson, they’re all near Grand Rapids and Detroit (both about 2 hours from here).  We’ll see how it goes and maybe I’ll end up hitting it off with someone and I’ll just have an out of town friend to meet up with once in awhile.  Listen to me, all worked up about finding more friends… HAHA.  I should just place a want ad. LOL. 

Wednesday night Ryan and I start our childbirth classes.  They’re 3 weeks long.  Maybe we’ll meet some nice people there.  However, it seems like anyone my age having kids in this town is just not in the same "place" in life as I am.  Hard to explain… but *I* totally get it. HAHA.  We’ll see what Wednesday brings…

Well… that about wraps it up I guess.  I really don’t think there’s much else to say, but I suppose I can add more if I think of it.