Rachelle D. Alspaugh's Blog, page 4

30 days of Thankfulness

I'm a bit late to the game since I can't seem to find time to blog much these days, so I will post all 30 days of gratitude here today. I do still keep up with a daily gratitude journal and have encouraged quite a few friends to do the same. Thanks to Ann Voscamp's inspiration in her book, One Thousand Gifts, I got to a thousand on my list many years ago and haven't been able to stop since. 

1. The warm, crackling fire beside me, heating my home in preparation for a cold front coming in tonight.

2. Friends that feel like family, that time and distance can never separate. (Picture to be taken tomorrow when I meet with a longtime, far-away friend for our annual brunch.)

3. A job where I can speak in Spanish every day and celebrate bilingualism with my students.

4. Coworkers from around the world, each bringing a unique culture and dialect to the table.

5. Travel opportunities over the coming year to experience new countries and cultures that I have not yet experienced.

6. Friends to meet with over coffee and talk about God's work in our lives. 

7. A classroom funded and built by my village (donations from my Amazon wishlist), reminding me daily of friends and family who support me as a teacher. 

8. Looking across the sanctuary at church on Sunday mornings and seeing other bilingual coworkers soaking in the Word and praising God alongside me.

9. A new learning experience this year, that has challenged me, stretched me, and helped me grow as an educator.

10. Being able to be part of a still new initiative to bring a dual language education opportunity to students in Columbus, IN.

11. My husband's opportunity to live by and work with his brother, after nearly 20 years of living far apart from each other.

12. A chance to build a closer relationship with my husband's side of the family and watching my son build those relationships, as well.

13. Getting certified as a Biblical counselor this year, as well as getting licensed as a Spanish teacher in Indiana.

14. Public school students who voluntarily bring their Bibles to school and write their Bible reading on their reading logs. 

15. A 6th grade teammate who's been super supportive and welcoming to me as a new teacher on board in a grade level I've never taught before.

16. A friend who encouraged me to join her in the Bible Recap New Testament, which has helped me see Jesus' love more intimately than I've seen it before when reading the gospels.

17. Newcomer students who have joined my classroom, adding new depth to our Spanish discussions and purpose for my English speakers learning Spanish. 

18. More time with David here, giving him a chance to make our new location feel like home to him rather than just a place to visit Mom and Dad. 

19. Reconnection with my friends from Colombia, seeing how God connects us and weaves our stories together in ways we could never fathom. 

20. Long walks on a country road where I meet and get to know all my neighbors. 

21. Fresh new trails cut in my woods that David and I can hike together.

22. A new writing spot/prayer bench set up in my woods, overlooking a beautiful landscape. 

23. Experiencing God's creation in a new way through the distinct changing of seasons that happens here in Indiana.

24. Finding new writer friends in Columbus, in my own church, after leaving all my writer friends behind in Texas.

25. Facetime that keeps me connected to the family I moved away from, even though I personally hate Faeetime. Lol. It does make it feel like they're not so far away.

26. Family to spend Thanksgiving with today, and a husband who got up early to smoke the turkey.

27. Students who enjoy writing and are turning into great writers in Spanish.

28. A few days off from school to rest and reset.

29. My sweet kitties 

30. My church family, filling the familial role just as God designed it to. 

Fall Break 2024

Fall Break did not disappoint. I will admit that it was a very needed time to regroup and reset for me. This year has been a huge learning curve that's worn me out both mentally and physically! I surely needed the last week off to get out of a rut and have some time to think and make connections. It was a good reminder of God's design for rest. I feel much more relaxed and confident going into the second quarter than I did just a week ago now that I could step back out of the details of each day and take a good look at the bigger picture. 

I had a few moments and hours to myself, which was super nice for this introvert, but I also kept busy with friends and family. First I had a nice lunch out with several bilingual coworkers, then tacos after school with more of those bilingual coworkers. The next day Mike, David, and I went to an Ethnic expo and enjoyed some Colombian food, Mexican food, Puerto Rican food, and even Amish food! After that I had a day and a half touring Covered Bridges with Mike, a day out shopping with David, an afternoon coffee outting with a friend, an evening with Matt and Chrissy's family when my mother-in-law came into town, a lovely afternoon with my mother-in-law at a cute Christian bookstore and then trying hot caramel apple ciders at a local coffee shop, some good old outside time either walking or sitting in the chair watching the boys cut down trees and clear out more land, lunch out with our Colombian friends, and a yearly doc appointment that put my mind at ease over several things I've put off addressing (like a painful heel spur!). Let's just say I've revamped how I structure my class so I am not standing for 3 hours straight every day. And I will make much more use of the stool placed at the front of the room. 

A year ago during Fall Break, God had just begun to bring Spanish back into my life by letting me meet Spanish-speaking neighbors and drawing me to connect with a new friend from church who worked at a Dual Language School. A year later, we now share coworkers from all over the world (this picture alone includes new friends from Spain, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Texas (that counts as another culture, right?)
An annual Ethnic Fest in the community with so many nationalities and cultures represented.







A beautiful Covered Bridge tour/adventure, bringing back lots of childhood memories of the covered bridge right down the road from my house. 











































Out of all those bridges, we only made it to eleven! We plan to go back and explore more another time. Next time I want to study the history of each bridge. Several of them were built in the 1800's!


Boots and I shared a lovely time outside on a beautiful day, especially when two deer decided to go for a stroll down the road right in front of us. 

I sure have enjoyed these special times getting to know my mother-in-law better than I ever have before. She's a special lady with a determined spirit!

Wish I had time to write more, but I've got to be back at school bright and early tomorrow morning! Despite enjoying every bit of this break, I missed my multicultural students and can't wait to hear about their adventures. 

So much more than I asked for

Four weeks in to this new chapter. 

I haven't taken time to write or update because, well, the start of a new year can be overwhelming and exhausting. And being in a new school, new district, new grade, and new program meant a whole lot of learning new things. The one thing I'm thankful for is that I was already familiar with the curriculum I'm teaching (just on a different grade level). That has been my saving grace to give me time to learn everything else. I think I'm starting to get into a groove now and found some organizational tactics to keep things running as smoothly and efficiently as possible. For now, at least. Lol.

This weekend one of the Legado teachers invited all of us over to her house for an evening get-together. Our families were invited, as well, but Mike and David already had plans to go the races in Bloomington that evening, so I went alone. Within the first hour, almost all of the other bilingual teachers arrived, and we spent the evening nibbling on a variety of foods while talking and laughing over all of the different vocabulary and phrases in Spanish that each teacher brings from his/her native country. Teachers who are from  or lived in Spain, Mexico, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, or who grew up bilingual in the U.S. As I sat at the end of the table being my quiet self, just listening and taking it all in, I couldn't help but thank God for allowing me to be part of something so beautiful. And to think that I truly thought I'd walked away from bilingual teaching because it likely didn't exist here. I spent my whole summer reading a variety of authentic Spanish books, studying the history of Spain and all the Spanish-speaking countries, studying Scripture and praying in Spanish, and listening to podcasts from various countries all to reimmerse myself in the language to pass a test to be a licensed Spanish teacher (which I passed!). All God's prep for me for the new coworkers He was bringing into my life. 

The podcast I listened to for at least an hour a day. 

Our weekend get together as a bilingual staff

The newest teachers on staff, from Madrid, Spain, Mallorca, Spain, Mexico, and me

I followed God to a full-time ministry position where I thought I'd stay for many years. Such a strong, undeniable call drew me. But I knew pretty quickly that my new position didn't bring me the joy that working with bilingual families always brought me. Teaching Spanish and creating my own Intro to Spanish class fascinated me as I took the kids on virutal tours to all 21 Spanish-speaking countries, but I missed the daily interaction with kids and families from those countries and cultures. 

Then I noticed an event on Facebook for Fiesta Latina downtown, promoting the country dearest to my heart, Colombia. I knew I had to go. My sweet friend, Hannah, and I had a coffee date around noon and found out the coffee shop was closing at one. So I told her I was going to head downtown to check out the Fiesta Latina going on, and she went with me. I got to introduce her to my son's food, music, and culture, and we visited a little booth for the one and only Dual Language school in Columbus called Legado (knowing our church friend, Meg, worked there). I picked up a book about a little boy going to a new bilingual school, I got some bookmarks made by students, and I talked to some teachers and some parents from the school volunteering. I left my name and number and said I'd love to volunteer or translate for events. My heart lit up in a way I knew it didn't where I was working, and I couldn't ignore that. I put one of the bookmarks up on my prayer wall and started to pray every day about the draw to work there. Was I abandoning the call to work at New Song or could God be calling me back into bilingual education? 

Pics from last year's Fiesta Latina (notice all the yellow Colombian jerseys?)

Now a year later, Fiesta Latina is taking place again next week, featuring Colombia once again. And Hannah and I are both scheduled to work the Legado booth together, her now as a parent of a child at Legado and me as a teacher, promoting the Dual Language program and helping my students raise money for our 6th grade trip to Puerto Rico!

A few of my students working on flags and bracelets to sell to raise money for their class trip

Sometimes God asks us to follow and we think we see where He's leading, but we can't see what He sees or know what He knows. Even though my position at New Song didn't bring me the joy I thought it would, it was still part of the plan and preparation for where I am now. I took my Introduction to the Spanish-speaking countries of the world class that I created at New Song and themed my entire classroom around it at Legado. I jumped from working with second graders in Texas to 4th-6th graders at New Song, all preparing me for the 6th graders I'm teaching now at Legado.  As challenging as taking on this new grade and all that meant I had to learn has been, I still go home every day filled with joy. 

What I haven't had a chance to share yet is that my nearest and dearest friends from Colombia (who are like family) also just moved here to work as houseparents at New Song. They only plan to stay short term as they continue to seek God's direction for their lives here in the United States, but for the time being, they're here! And we go to church together every weekend, and we're celebrating Alvaro's birthday next weekend with all of the Columbus Alspaughs at New Song eating arroz con pollo. :) When I asked God to bring Spanish back into my life a year ago, He did (and is doing) more than I ever could have asked or imagined. He won't be put in a box, no matter how much we try to put Him in one. 

Maestra

 

School is now in swing, 6th graders don't seem as big and bad as I once saw them, and I think I finally realized my true calling. I mean, I guess I found it straight out of college when I took a full-time job as an ESL Instructor (a glorified title for a paraprofessional, uncertified position in the school system working with bilingual students). I took on the title, Maestra, and I found myself treated with incredible respect by my students' families. The Latino culture has a very high level of respect for a teacher, and their children often view the teacher the same. 

Moving to Texas to become a certified teacher, I first worked with mixed classes of kids from several nationalities, though the bilingual children with the lowest English levels were always placed with me. Then I moved down two grade levels to work 100% with bilingual kids, and I reassumed the title "Maestra" for the next 15 years. In English, to be called Teacher all the time might sound a bit disrespectful since I have an actual name, but in Spanish, I always considered it an honor to be called "Maestra" all day, every day. As a maestra, I taught more than just academics. I taught social skills, cross-cultural skills, and skills to speak two languages. But more than that, my bilingualism gave kids a sense of safety and refuge with me. Kids always felt safe when they walked into my room and knew they could speak in either language with me. They felt even safer when I happened to have traveled to their country or even their hometown, which occasionally happened. I loved being that mysterious teacher that didn't look like she should speak Spanish, but did. I also loved the look on the parents' faces that first day when they realized I spoke Spanish and they didn't have to struggle to communicate with me. I wore my title (Maestra) with pride, and it brought me joy.

Then I took a hiatus and spent the last two years working as a teacher in a Christian environment where I got to start each day with prayer and talk about Christ every chance I got within the day. I assumed that would fill me with just as much joy, but I always felt like something was missing. I taught the kids a lot of Spanish, made a lot of fun foods with them from other cultures and did a lot of virtual world-traveling. I even got to be close enough to the kids to just be Miss Rachelle instead of the formal Mrs. Alspaugh that I've always been. Occasionally I got called "Teacher" in the beginning of the year, but Miss Rachelle stuck pretty quickly. 

This year I found an opportunity to jump back into working with bilingual kids, this time with a mix of kids who speak Spanish at home and kids who speak English as home. We had our open house two weeks ago, and my heart lit up when my first student walked into my room with her mom. Her mom walked in nervously, and I saw her eyes light up and all of her nervousness melt away when she realized she could speak to me in Spanish. That's when I knew I was right where I belonged. Now I teach about half my day in Spanish and half my day in English. I've assumed the title Maestra again, and it fills me with incredible joy. I love the way I've also bonded so quickly with the Hispanic students in the traditional classes, as they caught on quickly that they can talk to me in Spanish if they feel like it. When one of them called out to me out on the playground, "Maestra!", and continued his whole conversation with me in Spanish, it touched my heart in a deep way.  That's when it hit me. Funny how I had to walk away from it for two years to realize what I am and was always supposed to be. Not an English teacher. Not a Leadership teacher. Not a Spanish teacher. Not really even a teacher. A maestra, and all that comes with that title. 

This little bag gifted me a few days before school started means even more to me now than it did the day she gave it to me, as well as the Maestra keychain hanging on my badge. 

Abundantly blessed!

Going into a 2-way Dual Language program requires a completely different mentality than the 1-way program I taught in Texas. It's looked at much more like a magnet enrichment program and requires a lot more commitment from the kids and the parents. It's a program that they really believe in because of the benefits it will give them in the future. Since it began, they've added one more grade level every year, as well as a second class for each prior grade level as interest increases each year. I will be the first sixth grade class for them to complete the program in elementary school, and then more classes will be offered every year so they can continue the program all the way through high school. The goal is for them to gain an official bilingual/biliterate stamp on their diploma. I'll have to say, I'm quite impressed with the district for all of their efforts to give students this incredible opportunity. I'm just as impressed with the families who put their children in this brand new program as a pre-K student and have stayed committed to it the whole way through elementary school. It says a lot about the program. 
Being a 2-way program with kids learning both Spanish and English together, I am excited to structure my classroom around the theme of where their bilingual skills can take them (or who their skills might bring to them). Over the summer, I mentally started preparing my classroom based on the few pictures I took of the space I had to work with. So when I got to go in for a couple days before our camping trip, I started working on my world traveling corner with my own collection of things I've gotten or have been gifted from several Spanish-speaking countries. Though they took up a lot of space in my little house, they seemed to come up short in my new spacious classroom. Plus I realized that I was seriously lacking in basic supplies and materials. 


I also have a collection of army themed items from my Alspaugh's Army theme from many years ago. My mom made me a class banner and some curtains when I taught second grade, so I figured I might as well keep the same theme going. I printed out the official Army Warrior Code, which basically says they don't accept failure, they don't give up, and they don't leave anyone behind. 



Then my sister-in-law offered me a life-sized bear, so I clothed him with an army jacket and hat and put him in my Social/Emotional/Self-reflection corner. 
I knew it lacked a lot still, but it was a start. I needed to get some basic supplies for putting things up on the walls, anyway, before I could do anything more. 
Thankfully another teacher found me a bookcase and a friend from church gave me a box full of chapter books.

I got a mug holder from someone at church and filled it with mugs I've gotten from former students or coworkers. And another teacher happened to leave the perfect coffee sign for my little coffee bar. (I've since added a keurig machine after I took it camping). 

I also put up my bird clock (that my students have always loved), but I haven't put the batteries in it yet. It might freak some people out right now if they're in a quiet school and suddenly hear birds chirping on the hour. 

I hated taking a break from working in my classroom to go on a camping trip since I'm a bit extra anxious about starting over in a new place and a new grade. But I didn't want to miss the opportunity to vacation with David since I don't know how many more opportunities I will have him around to vacation with. So I figured I'd just have to put in a few longer hours at a time when I came back after I got past my Spanish certification exam. (As an introvert, I've always gone in to my classroom two weeks early to set up while everything is still quiet. I think best in silence.)
The night before we left for Michigan, I suddenly got inspired to make an Amazon Teacher Wish List and post it on Facebook. I'd never done anything like that before, mostly because I had plenty of supplies built up over 19 years of teaching. But starting over in a new state after a 2 year detour as a new class meant I inherited no one's supplies. What could it hurt? Even if someone just got me some sticky tack, push pins, or painter's tape, then I could at least start putting things up on the walls. 
To my surprise, though, I got back from our camping trip to a table full of Amazon packages! And then I came home to another table full of packages the next day, and the day after that! Plus a friend decided to go shopping for me and loaded me up with a bunch of desk supplies, including a pink stapler, tape dispenser, and matching scissors. To say that each gift touched my heart deeply is an understatement. I am still truly blown away at everyone's generosity and thoughtfulness. I saved all of the gift notes and will put them up on my bulletin board as a reminder of who God used to help me create such a special environment for my new students. 
From church 

From a new friend in Texas that I met in Pennsylvania last summer

After such intense study of each Spanish-speaking country this summer, this beautiful map meant so much to me!



From church

From Hawaii

From Texas


From family


More from Texas

From someone who just said, "Praying for your kiddos this year"



Unbeknownst to me, God had me go on that camping trip to keep me out of my classroom because He knew I didn't have all the right supplies or decorations yet. :)

And even still, they kept coming! 
Before I knew it, my Amazon wish list was empty!
More from church

And from more family


And then even more from church--all themed around my favorite color.


I had so much fun going back into my classroom this week, realizing that all of my new bilingual decorations, posters, maps, and flags make it feel like my dream classroom--especially after all of the "virtual" world travel I did this summer while preparing for the history portion of the Spanish certification test. 


Then on Friday after putting up all the flags and Spanish quotes, I went to a "quick" meeting with my new instructional coach, along with three other new Legado teachers--2 from Spain and 1 from Mexico. As I sat there for almost the next two hours 100% immersed in Spanish from several countries, I felt so incredibly blessed and humbled by how God directed me back to my passion and provided more than I imagined. This extra "welcome to Legado" goodie bag was just icing on the cake. It was the warmest welcome I've ever had, and the new teachers sitting beside me expressed the same sentiment. I'm so excited to be part of this new Legado family. I know I have some significant challenges ahead of me, but God has made His presence, His guidance, and His provision quite obvious.  

 





 

A new summer tradition

Right before we moved here two years ago, my brother-in-law took his family on a little family vacation to the dunes in Michigan where they stayed at a cute little campground called Silver Lake Resort and Campground. They enjoyed visiting the dunes and camping together and just exploring the cute little town filled with nothing but recreational vehicles to drive on the dunes. They couldn't wait to have us join them the next year with Mike's "fun truck", aka his rock crawler. 
So last year we did join them and made it a whole family affair, including their mom, their other brother, Mark, and even Juan came from Texas to join us. After playing around in Mike's truck, Matt came back on the hunt for his own "fun truck" to tinker around with over the next year. 
This year, the dates were limited, so we had a few less people, but that's okay because trying to pull a camper and a trailer with two trucks made things a bit more complicated. 
We stayed in an adorable little cabin, while Matt's family stayed on the campground right beside us in their camper. We were able to eat most of our meals together and just shared one common fire pit. We had two days on the beach while the boys played around in their trucks. Matt's truck had some transmission problems, but Mike's truck was able to save the day and pull it to the rescue. David was also able to use it to pull some other trucks out of areas where they got stuck. It's definitely more of a boys' weekend, especially since I personally don't find much thrill or enjoyment in all the truck stuff. But going for a walk on the beach two days in a row was nice. Chrissy's mom met us for one of those days on the beach since she lives just a couple hours from there. 
The timing of the trip wasn't the best for me with a new job starting right around the corner and also being just a few days before I had to take a big certification test, but I was able to skip out on a few activities to get some last minute test prep in. I almost didn't go, but I'm glad I decided to go in the end. 
It's definitely a fun tradition that I have a feeling will continue for many years (as the "fun trucks" continue to evolve). I'm hoping Juan can join us again next year. My mother-in-law had surgery the day we left, so she was pretty disappointed she had to miss it. Apparently they used to come to these dunes as a family when Matt and Mike were growing up. 




































 

Summer 2024

Is it mid-July already? What an interesting summer I've had so far.  

I can see why God gave me the word PRESENT this year because I have to remind myself to soak in the present moment as I live yet another summer in between new chapters and stages of life. I turned in my key at New Song Mission and jumped right in to new trainings and preparations for a new job, teaching in a building I've never taught in, working for a district I've never worked for, and teaching a grade I've never taught (at least with a self-contained class). 

On my first day of a district training, I walked in and realized that I didn't recognize a soul. I haven't been the new girl/teacher in a public school in over 20 years. I sat down at the wrong table without knowing it, and I picked up a sticker in front of me.  It said: "I can do all things who Christ who strengthens me." A nice little "note" from God. Then I took my new sticker with me and moved to the right table with my new grade level and felt very comfortable with the teacher sitting there. Later I found out that she goes to my church, and we've since connected at church. We got up for a break, and I found one person that I did recognize--my pastor's wife. She and I connected over texting that evening regarding the training content, as well as other district resources she connected me with. I also met another one of my neighbors there! Yes, God made it very clear that I am on the path He has chosen for me, and He is right beside me. The next day, I met three more people from my school and even went out to lunch with them. It was not a mandatory training, but I'm so glad I went! 

                                                

I'm also working super hard to prepare for a certification test that I never took classes to prepare me for. I definitely have a much better understanding now of the history of Spain and all 21 Spanish-speaking countries. (The Department of Education made an exception for me by allowing me to take the Spanish World Language certification test in order to give me the ability to teach upper elementary grades in a Dual Language program. I had the option to teach lower elementary with the certification I already have or to jump through a few hoops to be able to teach upper elementary. The first option would have made for a smooth summer and transition, but I chose to pursue the second option because it's a good opportunity to be more versatile as a teacher.) Thankfully, learning all things Spanish has always been my passion, so I've actually enjoyed learning lots of things I never knew about the history of the Spanish language. Next week, I'll find out if I prepared enough or if I'll have to prep a bit more and take it again. Pray for me!

My empty next is no longer empty (again), and David seems to be settling in quite comfortably. He's working with Mike and Matt (his uncle) with Tipton Home Services for now until he "figures out what he's going to do with his life", while he occasionally takes some time off each week to work on resumes and job applications in his field of business financial analysis. Then in the evenings and weekends, he's usually helping Mike out with our house remodeling projects or working on his car or truck. I think he's really enjoying working with Mike and Matt for now (despite being out in the heat a lot or coming home sore from hard manual labor), so I don't think he's in a big hurry to land that first major job. Mike and I are enjoying his company and his help, so we're not trying to push him out the door either. I think all three of us know that once he finds that job and moves to wherever it may be, that will be it. No more coming home to us. And considering we moved away from the only home he ever knew, I'm thankful that this can be home to him for at least a short while. I asked him how it felt to see me getting ready to go back to school soon and to realize he's not, and he said it feels very strange. Let's just say we're all just savoring our time and experiences together right now. 

Juan continues to work for PoolWerx in the DFW area. I miss him like crazy, but we've thankfully stayed in touch pretty often this summer as he's been helping me reimmerse myself in Spanish. All of our conversations, phonecalls, and texts have gone back to Spanish, and I think that has actually brought us a little closer. I feel like our conversations are a little more authentic and vulnerable, at least on his side. :) I asked how he felt about his family moving so far away, and he said that he knows he has a family, and that's what matters. With the CopaAmerica going on this summer and Colombia advancing all the way to the finals, he's been watching a lot of soccer! He even had the chance to watch Colombia play one of their games in person in Houston, which he said was a really great experience. One of our friends from Colombia was also visiting in Dallas and got to watch one of the Colombia games with him. 

Mike and David are working hard on finishing our latest big house project where we turned a small. third, pink-paneled bedroom into a master bath and closet that now extend out of the master bedroom. As they (Mike and Matt) started tearing the pink-paneled room apart, they quickly realized that this was going to be a much bigger, more complicated project than they bargained for. Thus why we pulled the door shut and let it sit for the last year. But finally they tore up the floor, took out the existing joists, and started digging out the crawlspace back in the end of March. Little by little, one step at a time, a new floor went in, ceilings were raised, windows were replaced, walls went up, and the electric and plumbing were set up. A few weeks ago, we finally got a second toilet in this house, and the vanity hooked up to the plumbing. Then the bathtub went in, they put up the tiles, installed the faucet, and hooked up the plumbing! Just a few days ago, I finally took my first bath in my house. It was lovely! And the closet is so nice to finally have all of my clothes in one space! It's been a huge job, and as impatient as I've been tempted to be (can I just decorate already?), it really has made me value all of my husband's skills as I've watched how long each step has taken. It's also made me value David's work ethic that Mike instilled in him because he just jumped right in to help however and whenever he can. Not once has he complained about not having more free time. Here are some pics of their progress. It's much closer to being done now, but I'll wait on a current pic until it's a bit more fine polished. 

The pink paneled room









Starting to look real
The window seat in the closet (working around two existing windows made for a unique layout)


Finally a second toilet!
A beautiful blue vanity
Getting closer! Quite a bit different than the original pink-paneled room. 
    This summer we've also had fun going to the fair, making yummy treats at home that David asks for, and hosting the 4th of July festivities in our spacious front yard. I finally convinced Mike to let me invite all of the neighbors over on the 4th, or at least to invite them to stop by for a drink and cookies. We assumed we'd be outside in the yard for most of the day, anyway. Why not get to know a few neighbors while out there?    Of course, as soon as we made that decision, nothing went according to plan. First the mower broke, as well as the one we borrowed. Then the weed eater stopped working, and when Matt brought over his mower to help, it broke down, too. So we had to bite the bullet and spend the money on a newer mower, which was something we've needed since we moved in. Finally got the yard mowed, and then we got busy going to the community fireworks the evening before the 4th. We planned on going to the fireworks show on Wednesday night by a lake out near us because it's a smaller crowd watching, but when we got there we found out they postponed it till Saturday due to rain coming. Matt's family decided to drive into town to watch a different show, so we followed along and went to a park in town to watch. It gets dark at 10:00 here in Columbus, so that made for a late night!     We put off getting the rest of the yard cleaned up enough for guests until Thursday morning. Then it decided to pour all morning long. We told the neighbors they could stop by anytime after noon, and Mike and David didn't even get outside to start cleaning up until right about noon. Our first neighbors came shortly after, so we just opened the door and had them sit and visit with us in the kitchen. Mike and David both slipped away at different times to quickly shower while they were here! Thankfully we'd used the rainy morning to at least get the kitchen area all cleaned up. Only three couples stopped by, but they came in four different shifts, so we were occupied the entire day. I'd been praying for a chance to meet the neighbors who live the closest to us, and they came first and even brought freshly baked cookies in a lovely bowl made in Mexico. :)     Not long after the last neighbor left, Matt and his family all came over for a big cookout and fish fry, followed by Matt and Kase putting on a pretty cool fireworks show in our front yard. Turned out to be a really great, memorable day, despite not going according to plan. 
At the fair
Yummy evening treats
    There's not much summer left for me, but the calendar still holds a few big events. I got into my classroom this morning and will be back tomorrow and Wednesday. I met my new 6th grade teammate today, and tomorrow I"m getting together with the fifth grade teacher (my friend from church) to go over things she picked up at a bilingual training, as well as any questions I have about the students coming to me. Then Thursday we head to the dunes in Michigan with Matt's family for a few days. A day at the beach (on a Great Lake) sounds pretty inviting about now. When we come back, I have to take my Spanish certification test (pray for me!) then help run a pretty big women's resale event at church that I'm on the planning team for, and then I start new teacher orientation on July 29th. Teachers officially report back on August 5th, I think. 
    I'm excited, anxious, nervous, and maybe a little bit terrified, mostly about being the new teacher, even though I'm going right back into my field of bilingual teaching right back in a school with very similar demographics as the school I taught at in Garland for my entire teaching career. Though I truly  thought God brought me to New Song to stay until I retired, He's definitely given me a renewed passion and excitement to jump back in to teaching bilingual kids and working with bilingual families. He used New Song as a bridge to get me here (and, of course, to fulfill a purpose while there), to continue to equip me to work with older students and get familiar with that level of curriculum, and also to give me a "break" to pursue training and certification in Biblical Counseling. I see more clearly now that He had a place and a church family waiting for us at Terrace Lake Church. Though I still look back and ask why I had to leave so many people I loved, I am grateful for the new people He's put in my life here, for the connections and opportunities at my church, and for the way those connections opened the door to this new chapter yet again. I look forward to seeing how He's going to use me this year (and hopefully many in the future) at Legado, the one and only Dual Language school here in Columbus. I'm also super thankful that David is here for now and will be able to help me set up my new classroom again. :)
God doesn't show us what's coming. He just tells us to follow. And sometimes the road we think we're on takes us places we don't know are just around the corner. 

More Texas in May highlights

It was a quick trip with a quick turnaround, with some rather complicated travel plans that came up at the last minute. It was also my birthday and Mother's Day, it was the first time for Mike to meet Loren, Juan's steady girlfriend and her family, the first time for Mike to be back in Texas since we moved, and it was the first time my mother-in-law and my nephew had ever hung out in Garland, Texas with us to see our house and where we lived and worked. As much as I would have loved to have been able to plan a little more relaxed, family time, that just wasn't possible. It was way more stimulation than I cared for, I was VERY sleep deprived after some very late nights, but I do cherish the memories we were able to squeeze in. Here are a few pics of those moments:

My amazing son picked me up at the airport late Wednesday night and took me to my friend Martha's house where the rest of the family would "invade" the next night. My flight didn't get in till 9:00 (which was 10:00 for me), so needless to say, I was up "way past my bedtime" that night. It was a really nice time, though, sitting up talking with Juan, Loren, and our friends/hosts, Warren and Martha, till past midnight. 
I got to join my mom for the last week of her Bible study on Psalm 23, a study her ladies at church had decided on based on my raving recommendation. It was neat to see where my mom gathers with her Bible study peeps and to meet the friends she's been hanging out with more since I moved. It was also a blessing to have several of the ladies come up and thank me for recommending the study because it was such a blessing to them. After the study, I drove back to my parents' house to see my dad, and we took this really sweet picture of the three of us. 
Our friends blessed us with the use of a car while we were in Texas, an old vehicle that they called "the beast". 
Drove by my old house. Still looks the same, minus the rose bushes. I drove my mother-in-law by it and then down the alley to show her the back. We got caught by the owner just sitting behind the backyard staring at it, a moment we'll still be laughing about for a long time. 
I had a chance to meet with two of my closest friends, my first Bible study peeps from the first Bible study I ever taught. They are my soulmates, and I love how we just pick up as if no time has ever passed. 
My mom made me a batch of homemade chai and surprised me with it on my birthday morning. Sorry--I didn't end up making anyone coffee that morning. Lol. 
We met Juan, Loren, and her whole family at a Colombian restaurant for brunch the day after graduation. Juan wanted to make sure that they all got a chance to meet Mike for the limited time he was there, and he made sure to tell me how much he appreciated us making the time for it to happen. We were supposed to go to a Mexican restaurant, but at the last minute, we decided to try a new Colombian place that just opened. What a treat! It was a cultural experience for everyone!
Jugo de mora--Blackberry juice
Empanadas
Patacones--(Fried plantains)

My mother-in-law's first experience with Colombian food! She was a little overwhelmed!

After brunch, the boys went one direction, while I hung out with Peggy to show her around town. I showed her where we lived, where I worked, where we shopped, and where Mike worked. We went to my favorite coffee shop where they had a Mother's Day event going on, and yes, I put my birthday crown back on. :) We also stopped at my parents' house first thing in the morning, and she really enjoyed seeing them and seeing their house. Honestly, when I found out a year ago that David's graduation was the same weekend as my birthday, hanging out with Peggy in Garland on my birthday was the last thing I could have imagined. A very unexpected special time, indeed. In 30 years of being in a relationship with her son, we regretfully never built much of a relationship until the last two years. She had her eyes wide open the whole trip and cherished every moment. She said it meant so much to her to be a part of the whole celebration.  

Our church where we attended on Saturday nights for 12 years until they dropped the Saturday service after COVID finally started their Saturday night service again, so we were able to attend church together at our home church. We only saw a couple people that we knew, but David's friends also joined us because that's where they have all been attending the young adult group on Tuesday nights for the last two years. 


They gave out roses for Mother's Day after the service. I love that Mauri (the pastor) photobombed our pic. :)
Juan and I spent a really precious time together on Mother's Day morning. First he took me out to a Mexican restaurant for breakfast. We enjoyed very sweet conversation, talked a lot in Spanish, and I even saw the parent of three of my previous students and talked with her. :)
Then we went to an Asian bakery that he found recently and got me dessert and coffee. He called it an Asian Starbucks. Once again, we just sat and talked and enjoyed our time together. 
Then Juan went to spend the day with Loren's family for their Mother's Day family celebration, and I spent the day with my mom (and dad). Plans kept changing, so we never made any kind of a definite plan for the day. It actually turned out nicer that way. We watched Hallmark movies and had tuna boats for dinner. Yum! I hadn't had a tuna boat in years, and it sure was good!
I'm so glad I got to see my bestie, Amy! She came out for David's party, and then I went to her house after school on Monday to catch up a little bit more. 

My brother wasn't able to make it to David's graduation party or even see Mike or David at all, but my mom and I were able to drive out to his new house on Monday so at least I could see him and his family. He collects pennies and just celebrated his 49th birthday, so I took 49 pennies for him. :)

Monday night, Juan came back to get me and took me out for Korean barbecue, something he had requested for his birthday that we sadly never took him out for. The food was interesting and the experience of cooking it ourselves. But the time together was priceless. Juan really went out of his way to spend a lot of quality time with me on this trip, and I'm so thankful that I traveled separately from the rest of the gang so that I had that extra time with him before they arrived and after they left. I sure do love that boy.
As if we didn't have enough packed into a few short days, I also had the privilege of speaking at our ladies retreat with Terrace Lake Church in Indiana on my birthday. I shared my testimony via video of our journey to Juan and his siblings and how it related to prayer. So while I galavanted around my old stomping ground in Garland, I kept getting messages from my new friends in Colombus thanking me for sharing my story. Apparently I had everyone in tears, as they kept passing tissues around while my video played. Though I hated not being able to attend and speak in person, God planned it strategically so I would be reminded that Columbus is my home now and the place where He's chosen to use me at this time in my life. (The weird part is that now 70+ women know me a lot more intimately, but I don't even know who they all are!) It did make for a nice welcome back, though.
All in all, I came back physically and emotionally exhausted. Every time I go back, I grieve all over again. I still wish it all didn't have to be pushed into just a few short days so I could have savored the moments (and not operate on such minimal sleep), but I realized that this blog is my chance to savor them now and to reminisce. It's almost like getting the chance to experience them twice--once in real time, the second time in quiet reflection. To not take the time to blog about them would only rob me of that second time. 

A bittersweet May

 Oh, how I love the month of May. As a teacher, I always make a big deal about all things "May", including all the pretty flowers in bloom. Such a sweet month it is, filled with sunshine, flowers, teacher appreciation, Mother's Day, my birthday, and the end of a school year leading right into the beginning of summer break. But this particular May of 2024 held almost more than I could take in in such a short amount of time, including quite a few bittersweet moments that I wish I could have savored just a little bit longer. 

I haven't shared much because I came home from David's graduation both physically and emotionally exhausted. It was all I could do to make it to the end of the school year without crashing. So where do I even start now? I was going to go back to the first of May and go over all the highlights in chronological order, but I think I'm going to do the opposite and start at the end, since it's freshest in my mind.

Last Friday, we brought the 2023-24 school year to a close at New Song Mission by inviting the kids' families to join us for a special Awards' Luncheon in the kitchen/living room right above where we do school. This time, the kids rehearsed two special performances so they could be part of our celebration, both a musical performance and a Reader's Theater. After they performed, we ate and then called each student up for two special awards, an academic award from me and a character award from their houseparents. At the end, they had fun with some noisemakers while I handed over a stuffed portfolio with all of their work from the last year. They all proceeded from there to the houses to get their things, so I didn't have to go through any real goodbyes or anything. 

Shortly after all the kids and their families left the campus, the whole team met back at the kitchen table to end our year with prayer. Bob thanked all of us for answering the call and willingly walking in this specific good work that God had prepared beforehand for each of us to walk in. We shared a few good memories or rewarding experiences of the last year, and then we each prayed individually to thank God for the year behind us and to pray for the future. We then said our goodbyes, and I turned in my key because I won't be returning as the teacher at New Song Leadership Academy in the fall. 

Though I moved into the classroom at New Song two years ago with the thought that I'd stay until I retired, God had other plans for me and only intended to use my time at New Song to stretch me and continue to equip me for a bilingual teaching position not yet in existence until the 2024-25 school year. I know He sent me to New Song for a purpose and strategically placed me in the lives of 13 different students who found a seat in our classroom at some point over the last two years. I also made some great relationships with the team that I hope to stay in touch with for a long time. Iron sharpens iron, and I do believe we sharpened each other, especially through prayer in challenging circumstances. But when I attended a Colombian cultural event in town in September and visited a little booth for a Spanish immersion school called Legado (Legacy), my heart lit up in a way I knew it didn't at New Song. The students had made bookmarks for the school, so I took one with bright pink letters and committed to pray about it. And thus began a pursuit to find out more about this school and to get to know one of the teachers there that attended church with me. 

I visited the school on the first day of my fall break, had a guided tour in Spanish, observed in a few classrooms, and met with the principal to express my interest in any future job openings. Just walking around seeing all the Dual Language signs posted made me feel at home. Then I met my new friend from church  (who also has a very intimate connection to Colombia) for coffee and learned more about her experience teaching there as the current fifth grade teacher. Her two children are also part of the program as students, so she could give me both perspectives as a teacher and as a parent. 

The school is a two-way Dual Language program, with students who are learning English mixed with students who are learning Spanish. They just started the program 6 years ago with a PreK class who are now 5th graders. They keep adding a new grade every year, meaning they have one more grade to add next year (elementary goes through 6th grade here). After working with several 4th-6th graders this year at New Song and working through their curriculum, I knew I wanted to work with older elementary kids rather than the young grades I taught in Garland. 

I applied for the position on January 8th, finally had an interview on February 20th, and I had a job offer within 48 hours. My friend was part of the interview panel of about 10 teachers who asked me questions both in English and Spanish, and by the time I got to my car after the interview, she texted me to say, "You nailed it. They all loved you!" Somehow they all agreed that my level of experience with Dual Language and my strong emphasis on creating solid routines and procedures is exactly what the future 6th grade class needs. I know it will be a huge challenge for me in many ways, but I can also see very clearly how my time at New Song has really been preparing me for that challenge. So I'll be spending my summer working closely with my friend to prep me on the class coming to me, as well as the ins and outs of the curriculum I'll be working with. I'm also working on refreshing my Spanish skills after a two year hiatus and to add Spanish to my Indiana certification. Working with Spanish again has filled me with a joy that I didn't know was missing until God brought it back to me. 

So last Thursday, I packed up the classroom at New Song after our last day of school and headed straight to my new classroom with a carload of all my personal school stuff. The principal met me at the door, showed me my new classroom, and helped me find a cart to bring all my things in. We walked by the library office, where the Dual Language instructional coach (who had given me that first tour back in October) gave me the warmest, most enthusiastic welcome and hug, welcoming me to the team. It reminded me immediately of my very first principal at Bullock Elementary welcoming me with a huge bear hug. I'm so thankful to see God's continued guidance here in Columbus and to see the way He knows the desires of my heart better than I do. 

So long, New Song and years #20 and 21 as a teacher.


Hello, Legado Spanish Immersion Academy.

25 years

 

I can't let this last week slip past me without posting about the most recent milestone in our lives--our 25th anniversary! 

Over the last year, I pondered over what we might do to celebrate such a milestone. We looked into a trip to Israel with our church, but with so many unknowns at the time surrounding our son David's graduation, it made any kind of planning rather difficult and complicated. Plus the last time we made a big plan around a big milestone, it didn't really go as planned or live up to any of our expectations--leaving a sour taste in our mouth rather than the fond memories we hoped to create. 

So we decided to bite the bullet financially and hire Mike and Matt's business, Tipton Home Services, to get the ball rolling on the next stage of our house remodel rather than continuing to drag it out over a long period of time by doing little bits at a time as money, time, resources, energy, and optimum weather just happened to all coincide. That may take a few years, LOL. 

Our actual anniversary came and went this past Wednesday. But with all the focus on the house, we didn't even get each other cards. Mike wrote me a sweet handwritten note from his heart, and I left little pre-made Scriptural love/encouragement notes for him all over the house to find in the morning. Then for dinner, we ate at Texas Roadhouse (of course) and then walked around SAM's Club to find new things for our house project. We then sat and had coffee at home and played cards, since it was pouring down rain. Our "big" gift, a new bathroom vanity, came in that day, but we couldn't haul it home for two more days because of the rain. 

Currently, we're still living in a big mess at home, but it's finally starting to come together, and Mike really seems to be enjoying the messy process because he can see the finished product in his head. He and Matt do bathroom and kitchen remodels all the time and know what kind of transformation they can make happen, but I personally just have to close my eyes and hold my breath until we are out of the mess and can actually settle in. I have to pray for a grateful, patient, heart of contentment every day and to speak encouraging, edifying words to the man whose skillful hands are hard at work in this process. 

To be honest, it's more than just a simple remodel like they're used to doing. This current project meant cutting up floors and digging down to the dirt. We literally had a digging party where my little nephews all came over with their little shovels and had a blast throwing all that dirt out the window. Then, of course, it rained for days and left a ton of mud all over. Once they dug a deep enough crawl space to put the plumbing and heating under the room, they took out the old joists under the house and put in new ones, then laid a new floor, and finally they moved on to leveling out the walls and framing out the room. Mike had to spend time in the attic getting all the electrical side in order, and hopefully soon we'll see some drywall go up on the walls. (I've been told that will be a whole new mess....as you can tell, this is definitely not my thing.)  Even in hiring the company, it's still a lengthy job that won't be done for a few more weeks. 

But it reminds me of the last twenty-five years that we've been married. Marriage is hard work, and quite frankly, it's messy. Really messy. And it's ugly more often than it is pretty. Sometimes you have to tear up the old floor, demolish what's currently standing, and rebuild something new with a new foundation to stand on. Sometimes you have to pull off the old drywall and paneling, get rid of the old, soiled insulation, and re-insulate with what God wants us to surround ourselves and insulate our lives with. It takes patience, perseverance, determination, and grace to get through the mess to the beauty. But like we learned in our ReEngage program a couple of years ago, if you give up too soon, you may have missed the best part that's still to come. I'm looking forward to seeing that soon in our house. 

I do have a picture we took right after dinner on our anniversary, as well, but it's still on Mike's phone, so I will have to post it later. 
The kitchen is also in another stage of remodeling, so life's just all up in the air. Lol. Stay tuned--with patience, please.