We're going on a bear hunt

  Timothy and I ABSOLUTELY love camping! Not cabining or rving (words I made up). Camping in tents is the ONLY way to do it. We took this camping trip right before school started but I thought it would be fitting to share them now.

How do you camp?

July 4, 2015

The Fourth of July has grown to one of my favorite holidays over the years. Growing up we would spend it mostly with my mom's family and then when we got older we used to spend it at the beach. For me, it is a day to be with my family. Now that I'm married I don't spend it at the beach anymore with my parents but I spend it with Tim and his family. Since I've moved this year's Fourth was by far the best one. Every year our city has a parade. Its one of the perks of living in a smaller city. It truly is nothing huge and we basically see the same things every year, but it is tradition. This year we got to sit basically front row because Tim's brother owns a business this year. I took a lot of pictures but I picked some of my favorite ones to share. Enjoy!

 This year we got front row seats. My brother-in-law has a shop and we sat out front and handed out free hot dogs!

This year the this was the BEST float. That O spun around. I mean that set the bar for next year.

Our parade does have interesting floats like this one for instance. I do believe that it was called Pup and Princess Pageant.

And... roller derby!

The military portion is always my favorite.

 And to end the parade the trucks come through. We are the Truckers after all!

It got sorta hot so we moved alllllllll the way back to the building. It was a great day!

Here's to a year!

This past year has flown by! Everyone said that it would and I thought that it would move slower. Has it been a fun year? Yes. Has it been a hard year? Yes. Tim keeps saying "The hardest year is behind us". I truly feel as if each year is going to have its own hardships, but it has been interesting learning how to live with a boy! So here are a few things that Tim and I have learned in our first year:

* Being roommates is tough. I thought learning to live with three girls was tough. Nope, I was wrong. Learning to live with Tim was harder. Boys have a different idea than girls about what clean is. Boys also have a different idea about how dishes should be washed and loaded into the dishwasher.

* Just because you now live together doesn't mean you will see each other ALL the time.

Our first year of marriage has been super busy. We were both in school. Tim was finishing his degree and I was pursuing a new teaching license. Now that we are both done Tim has been interviewing for jobs and I am now on summer vacation. Whew! Thank you LORD for getting us through all this.

* Money, Money, Money! It is amazing how money has become a huge priority since we've been married. I can honestly say that I did not worry about money so much when I was single. But now, money has become much more important. Learning how to not become so consumed by it is a struggle. Tim and I do enjoy ourselves, but we have started to plan for the future (babies!).

* Date nights are the best! Just because we got married doesn't mean that the romance stops. Tim and I thoroughly enjoy getting dressed up to go out and enjoy each other's company. In all honesty, we only get to dress up for church and date nights and we take getting fancy seriously!

* Fight to keep your marriage. I remember growing up and hearing my parents disagree sometimes and thinking to myself that I would NEVER argue with my husband. My parents are coming upon their 30th year of marriage and you know how they made it there? Arguing! Tim and I don't argue or fight about much, but I can tell you that arguing is a way of communication. Do we say some things that hurt? Sometimes. Do we fight a lot? NO. Tim is a very easygoing guy ;) But after a fight is always the best to me because I feel like I understand a little more about him. There is a closeness after a fight and after each misunderstanding we seek to understand each other a little bit more.

Scroll down for some pictures of our year one!

Dinner with the fam!

 Tim after graduation. So proud of this man of mine :)

 We're awkward kissers. It doesn't help that Tim wasn't being serious...

Anniversary dinner :D

So here's to year two!

Sweetly Broken

There are some times where it just seems like this life is a joke. Some things happen and they just make you laugh. Not because of humor but disbelief. That is basically how the last couple of months have been. I laugh, I cry, I smile, and with the Lord's help I pick myself back up again. Throughout all of the chaos that has been happening I've had the support of my sweet husband, my family, and my sweet co-worker who has become a great friend. The other day I laid in bed crying because I felt as if I didn't know who I was anymore. I don't cry randomly, my spirit isn't easily broken, and I've always been able to know my emotions. As I was crying to Tim in the kitchen tonight he kindly reminded me of the story of Job (Job 1-3) and how his faith was tested. He amazes me sometimes. Tim is pretty quiet when I vent and when he does talk its always truth!
There have been specific times that I can remember where circumstances have humbled me and I held my faith. This time has been different. This time I was broken differently.I was broken sweetly. The Lord took all my plans that I had for my life yet again, and showed me, slowly, that He is in control and no matter how much I try to handle things alone. He is the only one who ultimately lays the plans. This past year has been a struggle for me and I am so happy that my husband has been so patient. You see I've always had a plan and if I didn't I always had something for backup. I take comfort in knowing that the Lord will not place anything in my life that He knows I can't handle.

I snapped this picture last week when we got home from the gym. The grass has made an appearance!! Thank the LORD!!! But just like this how the grass has made an appearance God has definitely done the same with me these past couple of months. Sometimes I believe that we need struggles or to be sweetly broken to be reminded of God's love and that His plan is better than anything that we could even imagine.

I hope this post gives you hope and I hope that this song encourages you as much as it has for me.

Click the words below for the song

sweetly Broken

Here's a quickie

Wow...this school year so far has shown me that I will NEVER have it all together, and that there is no such thing as having it all "together". Boy, I wish I did. With that being said, I have been beating myself up about having not posted to my blog for a while. I know most people do not follow me on instagram. So I am just writing  quick post to update everybody.

I started my new teaching position as a preschool special needs teacher. I love it. I have 9 boys in my morning class and let me tell you. As much as I love children, I am struggling. Boys are a whole different ball game than girls. Boys push, take, grab, hit, and touch everything!! I would not trade them for the world because I know by the end of the year they will have the hang of going to school, and they are my babies. Work has been awesome. I was not official staff last year because I was just a sub, but this year just feels like a continuation of last year. My preschool team has been great to work with. Regardless of how hard some of the days seem, my para and I spend most of the day laughing. Our motto has been "if we can not find humor in everything this will be a long year".

This year has been a busy one for Tim and I. We are both in school. I'm pursuing an endorsement and Tim is finishing up his degree (can't wait for May!). We are so thankful for the summer we just had because we were able to spend a lot of time together just getting to know each other more. Unfortunately, our schools schedules are crazy and there are some days where I only see him for maybe 20 minutes the whole day. I am attending a school that is an hour and twenty minutes away from where we live, and I go after work. It has been rough!!! Your prayers are appreciated :) By the grace of God we will both be done with school in May!

Married life has been awesome! I could not have imagined a better husband. We purchased a house the week of our wedding and we love our home. Its the perfect size and in the perfect location. God has truly blessed us with the opportunity to have our own house. It has been taking longer than I thought it would to get everything decorated. I just bought a decorative pillow for our bed and we have been here for about three months! Little by little it is coming along.

Living on love

There are just some times where I could just scream. You know full out kid temper tantrum screaming. Like why do I have to be a grown up and act like it all the time??? Well, sometimes life gets me like that. For instance, this afternoon was like that. The day was going to well and then bam! Badness!

One thing I told myself I wanted to make a habit was working out. So Tim and I went to the gym today and I killed it. We ran some errands and ate with family. But the last part of the day was what got to us. So we just ask for your prayers as we continue to deal with some things.

On to this shirt. I picked this up from Target (my favorite store) last summer because I loved the saying. Its cheesy but I liked it. And you know, even though it is cheesy I like to get lost in love. Because when I was on the verge of tears today Tim's love for me got me through. Also his sense of humor. I have noticed that since we have gotten married we have become so much more loving and understanding towards each other. But I also enjoy getting lost in God's love, because even though bad things happen I know that He loves me and knows best. So...go get lost in love today!

On being content

So as most of you know I moved to Ohio this summer to be with my fiance'. We really needed the time together before we are married because our whole relationship has been long distance. I was very happy to make the move, and everything went so smoothly that I thought I was going to have a teaching job right away. Doors were opening for me here and I had two interviews, one with a job offer. I knew it was not the job for me so I turned it down. I just knew that I was going to be given a teaching job. The year came upon me and I started subbing in a school district almost an hour away from here. I was frustrated beyond belief. I knew that I needed something that was more consistent. I even contemplated working outside of education. I was going before the Lord and that was wrong of me. An opportunity opened up for a sub aide in a school closer to home. It paid WAY less than what I would make just subbing but I just felt that I should try it out.

My job was a one-on-one aide with two little prekindergarten boys. One in the morning and one in the afternoon. I went in and LOVED it! I never thought I would love working in special education. I immediately emailed the lady who books the job and told her I wanted the job for the rest of the year. Well, I have moved up to another position there in the same classroom, and I love working with the team of ladies I work with. The kids are super sweet! I love going to work. I literally wake up happy. I can honestly say that this has never happened before with a job. THANK YOU GOD! He is truly the best. I think He has taught me about faith, yet again, and that not everything is about the money. I truly love what I do. I feel for the first time in my teaching career that I am actually making a difference. I love my job.

And even better news. Timothy and I have finally booked a place for the wedding ceremony and reception. It is final we are getting hitched on May 25, 2014. 5 months and some days from now. Woot woot!

Well I wasn't going to leave you guys without pictures because we did make another trip to Columbus to get all my junk. As always thanks for the prayers. Here ya go. ENJOY!

We just got done with engagement pictures and were going to this awesome restaurant to eat in Chattanooga.

We, well Tim drove a huge Penske truck all the way to Ohio.

Look how awesome Cincinnati looks! 

I had to save goodbye to my childhood home :(

I have an Etsy shop!

So, I started crafting as a way to fill my time. I started to realize that it was also relieving my stress. Creating things, using my hands has always been fun for me. I used to sit in my play room as a child and create anything out of paper. I remember times when I used to use my mom's needles and thread to try and create scrunchies. Moving to Ohio has had its challenges. I am sure if you have moved from your home to a new home, you can understand how I feel. I do love my new home, and the time with Tim has been awesome! But with this whole job thing right now, I have been dealing with some frustrations. So, I started to look on Pinterest for some crafting ideas, and I remembered some hair bows I made back in May. I remembered how they helped me relieve stress during my exit exam. I have so much free time on my hands now, I thought it would be a great idea to open a shop so I could continue creating. Well, there you have it, my reason for opening my shop.

Now, I do need the help of my readers in spreading the word about my shop. Below is the link. Share this on your facebook page if you have one friends! Also, I am working on a giveaway, so stay posted! I am still working on getting it all spiffed up, so bare with me. And as always, your prayers are appreciated :)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/thesimplespace

Thoughts on Substitute Teaching

May I say that God constantly has His way of humbling me. I must say that when the thought of moving to Ohio came across my mind, I just totally thought it was going to be easy. HAHAHAHA was I wrong!!! I had all these doors opening up for me I just knew I was going to have a job. Nope, I got all my documentation, took a ton of tests, and all I get to do is sub. Now subbing here is way different than subbing back home. For instance, people do it as a job. So imagine how frustrated I was when I discovered that I was competing for subbing jobs with people who would never get jobs as teachers in the school systems. UGH!!! That's all I could say, and to this day I am still competing with people who aren't teachers. I have been blessed that one city 40 minutes away is in desperate need of substitute teachers so most of my work has come from them. Now, yes I am frustrated with this whole situation, but I am faithful that God has given me the jobs that he has. So without further ado, here are my pros and cons of substitute teaching

PROS

1. I get to pick and choose the days I work. This has come in handy for Tim and I seeing that we are traveling a lot recently.

2. If I get a crazy class, I do NOT have to go back!!! This has happened before and although I was complimented on "how well" I handled the class. I probably will not go back haha.

3. It is nice to learn about the areas that are near here. The cities are pretty close so it is nice to know we have tons of choices as to where we want to live.

4. The kids in the city I live in are so sweet!!! That's why the jobs are so competitive. The kids are so sweet and loving.

5. And hopefully, just hopefully, this will lead me to a teaching job :)

6. I feel that substitute teaching has started to humble me and strengthen my faith.

CONS

1. I have been subbing 40 minutes away almost everyday.

2. It is so competitive. There are some days that I just wish I could quit and take a regular job doing something else.

3. It frustration I feel blows my mind. I can not believe how much I have had to just trust God. Next week, I am trusting that God will bring me jobs, because right now, I do not have any.

4. Stress. The stress I feel is UNREAL.

I know that I complained A LOT, but it is so hard to go from having full-time work, to having sporadic work. I know that there is a bigger plan. I know that God has a plan for me and Tim. I just ask that as my readers you pray for my faith, and that you pray for Tim and I. I promise that my next post will be a happy one, but I am human. As a human, I have struggles, and well, I have hit a big on haha. Until next time...

At the Fair!

We went to the Ohio State Fair today, and did a TON of walking for hours and hours. I have never walked so much in my life!!! We saw some interesting things while we were there.

You could win a crab!!! I prefer fish, but to each their own.

Just a disclaimer, please excuse my hair. I am going through a transition period :(

There was a huge painted map of Ohio with all the counties. Here is our's, number 39!

There was a small part of the park that was roped off to preserve these pretty wild flowers. If you visit Ohio you'll find these flowers just about everywhere!

Butterfly center!!! Not as awesome as the one in Georgia where I'm from though :D

These cows are made of butter. I am not sure who had all the time in the world to carve this, but there was a sign that said it took 500 and something hours to make this. Where do they keep the sculptures? I don't know.

There was a petting zoo! this particular little fellow was so greedy, and creepy looking!!! He was hogging all the carrots!!!

This is my man feeding one of the animals. I can't remember what was the name of this one. There was a zebu and a water buffalo! Get the Veggietales reference? :)

And to end the day, we got CANDY!!!! (Please forgive my hair!!)

Have any of you gone to your state fair?