I feel like so much happens between posts! I rarely have time to sit and blog these days, but I have a few minutes so I’m going to do that now!
Things are pretty stinkin’ good. They are hard too, but I feel that the good outweighs that.
Robert has had a significant job change, we got a new car, and we’re all adjusting to a completely new way of life!
We went back to church last week and it was so amazing. They are holding the services outside right now, and I kind of prefer that for now (until it gets too cold of course). We didn’t go this week because we are out of town, but I can’t wait to get back next week!
Big Changes for Robert
Robert is changing positions at camp, and he will be doing his dream job. He has been in maintenance/operations since 2009 in camp and church work (and back and forth before that as well), but he is finally moving back into programs. Not only is he going to programs, he is going to be the Wilderness Director. He has worked with this program for a long time as needed and some of our dearest friends are/have been part of this program. He will get to take groups onto the Pecos river and backpacking into the wilderness. He is working on some new ideas to add to the program. I just can’t explain how excited he is. He deserves this. And everyone at camp is so happy for him. He is going to rock it!
New Car, Finally
Another exciting thing is that we got a new car. We haven’t had a new car since I bought one in 2004.
The car I have been driving since 2013 was finally giving us a lot of trouble. It has 243,000 mile, and it didn’t until this year, really. When I wasn’t working, it wasn’t a big deal because I didn’t have places that I HAD to be. Now I HAVE to be at school every day and I can’t miss out on work and the kids miss out on school because of a broken down car. So here we are!
We were already thinking about getting a new Outback eventually but thought it would be maybe the end of spring next year.
Two weeks ago, Robert worked on my Expedition the entire weekend. He did everything that needed to be done and we thought we were good to go! Then last Sunday on our way to church he noticed that the car was shaking. He pulled the tires off that afternoon and while he was working on that, he noticed a radiator leak.
We decided that day that it was time to move on from that car.
Robert did research and talked with many different car places. We finally settled on a 2020 Subaru Outback and we are in love! We also purchased the longer warrantee so that we just won’t have to worry about it anymore. It has so many amazing features that I never knew I wanted. It’s all wheel drive which will be great to take on our adventures! We already have a trip planned to my favorite place: Big Bend Ranch State Park.
It’s truly the fanciest car I have ever owned. I will say that the payment will be tough to get used to, but it’s worth it. I’m truly working because I want to, not because I have to, so the payment should be okay. I mean, we were barely making it before so a paycheck is super helpful. But yeah. It’s going to be fine.
Local Foods
We also put a deposit on half of a grass fed cow. I’m so stoked about getting that meat because we had a 1/4 cow in the spring and we loved it so much. We have a few things left, but we are almost out. The meat tastes amazing and it’s high quality and local! I love supporting my friends’ farms. I like to eat fresh as much as I can.
One Habit at a Time
I have developed some poor habits since I started working which include regular trips to the gas station across from the school for snacks and Coke Zero and regular meals at the restaurant next door for lunch because they have teacher specials for $6. These things are okay once in a while, but I have been spending too much money + eating too much food that makes me feel terrible! So I’m working on that. I had intentions of running after school on the track and haven’t picked that up yet, but I know that one habit change at a time is what is sustainable. So I’m going to tackle my poor food habits first. I had developed such amazing habits before I got the job, so I’m really just trying to get back there. I have gained 4 pounds which isn’t terrible. I’m not worried about it.
I’m rejoining the Balance 365 Community because I am ready to work on one habit at a time with support. I took a long break because I needed to figure out where I fit in the world of food and exercise.
I’m working on an emotional eating worksheet with Balance 365. I’m going to dig into the curriculum again. It’s needed!
School
Things aren’t perfect, but they are good. The kids are doing awesome. Ethan is thriving with football. He has lots of friends and his teammates are so good for him. His coaches adore him and pour into him. He even stays the night every away game at their house.
The kids are all making really good grades and are working super hard. Karis’s English teacher told me that she’s an amazing writer which is what she has struggled with for a long time. I really think that the time we were homeschooling was good for them academically believe it or not, and now they are thriving at school. Even Ethan, who has struggled academically his whole school career is doing well!
I’m trying to learn new ways of doing things for planning and teaching while still being true to who I am as an educator, and it’s quite the transition. I do love everything I’m doing, though. I do, we do, you do is my motto with the kids. I use lots of anchor charts, videos of all kinds, hands-on activities, focus on vocabulary, quality literature, all kinds of modeling and guided practice, collaborative work, etc. I feel at peace when I’m there compared to when I was teaching in the past. I adore my students. Like really love them. The parents have been super supportive. The admin has dealt with my anxiety questions and concerns with grace. I’m grateful every day for this job, even on the hard days.
The Hard Stuff
I’m pretty worn out physically. My cough is so bad. So bad. I’m using my nebulizer a lot. I have gone back to my old med because it was working better than the new med, but now it’s not working. I don’t have dairy anymore (unless it happens on accident), and I’m trying to decide if other things are affecting me like scents and sodas and other foods. I see my pulmonologist again on the 12th, but I feel like he doesn’t know what to do anymore either. This is over 3 years now, and I don’t know what it’s like to not cough. I shared what I have tried in my last post, so if you’re interested, go check that out.
One thing that has happened since that post is that my blood work came back perfect. So here we are again with zero answers.
All I can do is just keep swimming. I trust that things will work out the way they are supposed to, and I just stay busy and focusing on the good. Because the good is abundant in my life.
Simply Courtney 