Cleaning cleaning cleaning

One of the things I’m going to be taking away from my summer adventure in Wisconsin is a feeling of purging. After living with my grandparents and seeing how much my grandma has hoarded over who knows how many years I can see that I could easily get stuck down that road. I have a pretty small apartment and have it too full if you ask me. When I get home it will be time to clean, throw away, and rearrange. I’m actually kind of excited about the thought. I want to feel comfortable inviting my friends and family over and not feel like I can’t because my place is such a mess. I want to host a tea party with my friends or coworkers. I want to have sleepovers with my niece. I’ve decided that I’m going to make a goal of inviting people over to my house once a month. I love being a hostess! So what am I waiting for? Time to get things they way I want them to be in my apartment and enjoy living there.

Wisconsin Diaries - Baby Shower

From 7.7.13

Today I finished up a baby quilt and stuffed monkey for a baby shower that I’m going to. I’m not sure if I mentioned it before, but I don’t even know the woman having the baby. Haha! She is my mom’s cousin’s daughter-in-law.My grandma was invited and it turns out that she doesn’t even want to go now. I laughed when she told me that after I had already finished the gift. Oh well, I’m still going to go. I’ll know some people there and this is a good opportunity to fight the fear of man that I so easily struggle with.

I finished reading the book “When People are Big and God is Small.” Everyone should read that book! I was challenged so much with my view of people and my view of God. Since reading the book my prayer on a daily basis is that I will fear God more.

Wisconsin Diaries - Quilting

From July 6, 2013

I’ve been making some progress on my quilt! I’m so excited! I have to laugh though. My grandma is very much into traditional quilts and doesn’t really like what I’m making. There are definitely traditional aspects of this quilt I’m putting together, but also some non-traditional parts to it. When I first bought this fabric I knew I wouldn’t have enough to use it across an entire quilt. So I decided that most of this quilt would be the solid fabric with a band of the patterned fabric in the pinwheel style. I really like the idea. I think it is going to turn out nice. Grandma was giving me a hard time tonight when I was laying it out and trying to figure out how I was going to put it together. She kept trying to tell me that I needed more squares and how to arrange the colors the way she liked. Multiple times when I told her I liked it the way I had it she said, “Well, to each his own.” Yup, that’s right. I like how it is looking and I think I’ll like how it looks on my bed.

Quilt Progress!

My quilt is coming along! I think in the next couple of days I'll have the top done. Then to layer and quilt it all. Not sure if I'll be able to do that here or if I'll have to wait until I get home. But I love how it is turning out!

Summer Reading

One of my goals for the summer is to read as many books as I possibly can. As I was packing for my summer in Wisconsin it was really hard for me to chose which books to bring along. I have a major tendency to buy books and then never read them. I think I brought about 15 books with me. They are almost half and half fiction and non-fiction. So far I’ve finished 3 books: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Helen Keller’s Teacher, and The Adventures of Edgar and Allan Poe. So far they’ve all been juvenile fiction, but honestly I have no problem with that. My plan is to alternate between fiction and non-fiction.

So now for the next book I picked up “When People are Big and God is Small.” A good friend of mine gave me this book a while ago and I and just now picking it up. Usually when I read non-fiction books it takes me forever, but this one is different. I’m already several chapters into the book and boy am I feeling convicted. I’ve always known that fearing man is something I’ve struggled with, but after starting to read this book and answer the questions at the end of each chapter I didn’t know how so many of my actions show how much I fear man.

At the end of the third chapter the author encourages the reader to make a list of your actions that demonstrate a fear of man both from the past and the present. Oh my goodness!! I started making my list and it made me realize how badly I’ve feared man throughout my life.

So within the first 4 chapters of this books I’ve felt extremely convicted, but I’ve also felt challenged and comforted. I’ve felt challenged to be much more focused on Christ and comforted over how much God loves me.

This passage really stuck out to me as I was reading tonight. The author asked, “Will you trust in man or will you trust in the Lord?”

“Cursed is the one who trust in man,
who depends on flesh for his strength
and whose heart turns away from the Lord.
He will be like a bush in the wastelands;
he will not see prosperity when it comes.
He will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
in a salt land where no one lives.
But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when the heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.
Jeremiah 17:5-8

My Quilt

I started working on my quilt on Sunday! I am so excited!! I love making quilts and I'm finally making one for myself! Here are a few pics of what I've gotten done. Obviously I have a lot more squares than I took pictures of. :)

I only have the little squares sewn together so far. Next I'll sew them into pinwheels like I laid them out here. It is going to be a fun quilt! I love all of the colors in the fabric. Each piece is very different. I've been holding onto this fabric for a few years waiting to make this quilt for myself. 

Wisconsin Adventure!

Well, it has been nearly two weeks since I flew into Wisconsin for my summer adventure. And what an adventure it has been so far! Here is a glimpse of what those two weeks have been full of.

• 1 afternoon at the ER
•  a freezing cold ER room – I think my toes turned blue
•  several days of high blood sugar tests (hence the trip to the ER)
• 1 HUGE Joann Fabric Store
•  2 stops at McDonalds for cheap hamburgers – my grandma’s favorite
• 1 quilt shop
• 1 real cup of coffee
• a lot of fried bologna – I’m about at my limit
• 3 thunder storms
• multiple attempts at running
• 25(ish) min walks every night after supper
• a little bit of sewing
• finished reading 3 books
• 4 trips to the library for free wifi

There have definitely been ups and downs in the last two weeks. The ER trip revealed that my grandma had a bladder infection, which is why her sugar was so high. So we were glad it wasn’t more than that. There were a few days that I really struggled being here and was a little stir crazy, but I’ve also been able to spend some great time in God’s Word over the last few weeks. My focus during my quiet time has been better than it has been in a while. My prayer is that I’ll be able to build a good habit of this quiet time and that I’ll be able to continue it when I get home and back into my routine.

It has been nice to spend time with my grandparents. My main way to help them right now is to make sure my grandma takes all of her pills throughout the day. That is the biggest struggle. She doesn’t like taking so many pills and she isn’t convinced that they help at all. She stands at the sink grumbling about the amount of pills she has to take. I just keep telling her that I trust her dr. And if he says she needs to take them then she needs to take them. She doesn’t like that I pester her about taking them though.

Today they claimed that their goal is to find me a husband and then I can buy the house that is for sale across the street. The house across the street is pretty cute. J

Jamie the Runner?

The two words "Jamie" and "Running" have never and I mean never gone together. I try not to think about running the mile in high school. The days we had to do that were the worst. And I was usually that last person to finish. But now I'm giving it a try! We'll see how it goes. 

Today I started using the Couch to 5K training plan. I made it through half of the first day. It is going to take me a while I think, but I'm not giving up! My goal is to walk/jog/run a 3 or 5k in the fall. I'm not sure if I'll get to that point, but at least I'm going to try. 

Pre Wisconsin Diaries

There aren't many days left of school and my brain is definitely thinking about the summer! I'm so excited to spend the next couples of months in Wisconsin with my grandparents. It will be fun spending time with them. I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but I love drilling them with questions about our family. I keep a journal of the stories they tell of when they grew up. I'm hoping that by the end of the summer I'll have to buy a new journal. :)

I'm also looking forward to just a slower pase for a while. I'm bringing books, sewing projects, my guitar and walking/running shoes. Those are all things that I don't have time to do on a regular basis. It makes me so happy that I can spend time doing those fun things I love to do. (Let me clarify -- I don't love running, but I'm hoping to like running by the end of the summer)

So my question for you is:

How many books do I take? 

While I was there for 1 1/2 weeks at Christmas I ready 3 books and was ready to start a 4th. I went through my bookshelves last night and pulled out the ones I've been wanting to read and I have 15 books in a stack right now. Lol! That is a lot of books! Is that too many? Space won't be the issue because I'm going to ship a box of books and fabric so that I don't have to pack it for on the plane. (Thanks Steph for that great idea!)

Looking forward to seeing you soon Grandma & Grandpa! 

Happy Mother's Day!

I'm so thankful for the wonderful mom that God gave to me. I'm told on a regular basis how much like my mom I am. It is such a wonderful compliment. I love spending time with her. She is a great listener and gives great advice. I love that I can talk to her about anything. I especially love how she encourages me in my walk with the Lord. 

Love you Mom! 

Ugh

I think I'm going to set the record for how many times I can set off my smoke detector in one day. It went off this morning while I was making bacon and again tonight while I was making dinner. My neighbors must think I'm the worst cook on earth or that I'm trying to burn my house down.
Good grief!

I sure hope my dinner turns out ok. :)

Black Thumbs Anonymous

Hello, my name is Jamie and I kill plants. 

I feel like I need to join a group. Lol! I love plants, but I think because of how busy I am I just can't seem to keep them alive. I feel so sorry for the once beautiful hydrangea that is on my deck. It is looking pretty sad today.

So sweet

I love teaching! I think it is so much fun and I absolutely love my students.
Grading papers is probably one of my least favorite parts of the job. Not that grading 3rd grade papers is hard, it is just very time consuming and there is a lot of it. But I have to say that the best part of grading 3rd grade papers is that I find random drawings they have made more me. Just one or two slipped in with the rest of the papers. Such a sweet surprise! It brings a smile to my face every time. :)

It is in sight!!

Yes, I know it is still early...But after the rough day I had today all I can think about is...

SUMMER!!

It is just a little over 1 month away. I'm so looking forward to relaxing this summer. This will be the first summer that I won't spend the entire break working. I'm praying that I'll come back in the fall feeling very refreshed. In case you didn't know I'm going to be spending the summer in Wisconsin with my grandparents. I'm so excited to spend a long period of time with them, hear stories of when they were growing up, learn how to make my grandma's cinnamon rolls, sewing projects, read (lots of reading), and go for walks in the evening. (Sigh) Doesn't that just sound wonderful! I feel relaxed just thinking about it.

Here are two of the projects I am planning on doing while I'm in Wisconsin. 

This one is for me. I already own this fabric too! Yay!

 This will be the first time I'll actually finish a quilt for myself. 

I'm excited for this one to cover my bed.

Not sure who this one will be for...I might just keep it too. :)

Now, to keep my brain focused on work for the next several weeks. Ha!

Ooo, but my birthday is coming up!! Yay! 30, here I come!

Off to grade papers!

God's Plans for Me are Good!

Sleepover with Dani

Tales of a 3rd Grade Teacher

Last week on of my students invited me to move in with his family. :) So sweet! 

I love my class! 

Valentines

As a single woman this could have been a very depressing week with everything being about Valentine's Day. But I have to say that I didn't feel depressed at all! Yay! All week long I was overwhelmed with how much God loves me. I'd say this was the best Valentine's week I've ever had. God is good...all the time!

Now if I can just stay away from the chocolate my students gave me. :)

Favorite Kind of Saturday!

Love this view on a day off!

This is how I relax. 

And this is what my yoga pants look like after I sew all day long. Lol! 

Tales of a 3rd Grade Teacher

Last week was full of funny stories in my 3rd grade classroom.

In chapel last week the pre-k class did a little performance. My class was excited to see Danika up there. At the end of chapel our administrator said to the adults, "So parents and grandparents, who had the cutest child up there?" All of them rose their hands. The child sitting next to me tried to push my hand up. I looked at him and this is the short conversation we had.

"I'm not Danika's mommy, so I'm not going to raise my hand."
"But he said grandparents too!"
"What! I'm not Danika's grandma!!!"
"Then what are you?"
"I'm her aunt!"
"Oh"
"I'm not old enough to be her grandma!"

Then I proceeded to cry slightly because I was trying so hard not to laugh.
It was so extremely funny!