Horse and Buggy to Suburanized

A couple months ago I got an "award" to write a blog post about me....I quickly read the "referral" from a fun-loving blogger/AP (adoptive parent) friend and also quickly forgot about it (a common occurrence lately). 

Well, today I got "hit" by another blogging friend to write "5 Things You Don't Know About Me."  [Darnit anyhow....]

So here goes a few things about me...all related to the purpose behind this blog (to journal about growing our family through adoption and how God is changing us through the journey):

1. I'm stuck somewhere between the "olden days" and today...

When I was little, I had a reoccurring dream set over a hundred years ago.  I was a hardworking mom/wife with a large garden, long flowing dresses, and a duck that followed me around our large "homestead." 

Oftentimes, I miss those days (well, miss living them in my dreams, that is!) and wish society would go back to many of the "olden day" lifestyles...
I wish it was the norm for mothers to be mothers and only mothers/housewives.  I wish technology and the Internet didn't exist and we still traveled by horse and buggy.  I'd love life at a slower pace, communities holding big festivals/gatherings, children learning to work alongside their dads/moms, no such thing as GMOs, etc, etc.Some days, I pretend I'm a mom in the "olden days"...but then I wake up to reality!

2. I utterly despise writing...

Three years ago when I started my current job as a Literacy Coach, I was INTIMIDATED.  I was never really taught how to write, didn't like to write...and now I was going to be coaching teachers on how to teach their students to write?!?!??!  As I found out, teaching students to write is FUN...but I still don't like it myself. 

So readers please ignore my bad writing style and misuse of grammar/punctuation.  Read my blog as if you'd be reading a 1st-3rd graders work, and you might even be impressed at times:)

3. I GET TO RETURN TO THE CLASSROOM...

Even though I was intimated at the writing aspect of my job...I LOVE LOVE LOVE my current job as an instructional literacy coach.  I love the leadership that it entails.  I love studying best practices for teaching reading/writing.  I love the people I get to work with every day.  This job also fits alongside my dream (opposite of the above mentioned dream!) of becoming a principal.  However, sometime in the past few years I've changed quite a bit. Through my changes I've realized how important my faith and family are. 

Next year I'll be teaching 1st grade (including my own Eli) at Hope Christian Academy.
This means I'll be in a job that I love for what I'm doing every single day....not for what it could mean for my future.  I'll be able to talk faith with my students and will hopefully be able to encourage them through their daily walk.  I'll also be able to see my 1st graders learn to read and will be able to share my love of reading alongside them. 

4. Growing up I said I wanted 27 children...

Yes, you read that correctly.  I don't think I ever REALLY thought I'd have 27 children, but I always wanted a large family.  Even though we're most definitely not going to have 27 of our own children, I've realized that I'll probably be a "mother" to more than 27 children in my lifetime.  In addition to the children I've had/will have in my classroom, we continue to serve as foster parents and we're still not certain where God will draw the line for our own family growing through adoption.

[We ARE done for awhile after #7/8 come home....but that doesn't necessarily mean done FOREVER] 

5. I LOVE mini-vans...

Three years ago we walked into a dealership looking for a family vehicle.  My only stipulations: it wasn't a mini-van, and it wasn't white.
I can't believe it, but I don't have a single picture of our LAST vehicle...
A white mini-van.

We left the dealership that day with exactly what I DIDN'T want....and I'll now go to my grave as the best spokesperson alive for mini-vans--hands down, the best family vehicle there is...I dare you to try fighting me on that one:) 

BUT....as we're preparing for our own brood (of not quite 27), the 7 person mini-van became too small.  Ever since we decided to bring home 1 or 2 older children from Ethiopia, we've been on a hunt for a vehicle that seats at least 9.  On Monday we FINALLY found a 9 passenger suburban that fit our budget and will fit our growing family.   

Once again...my only stipulation was that it wasn't white... and yes, it's white.  But in this life of trying to look perfect for everyone else, I already love my white suburban. 

I also love that God has called us to grow our family through adoption and that He helped us cross our first "to do" off the list---WE'RE READY FOR #7(AND POSSIBLY 8). 

So there you have it.  My list of 5.  I realize it was rather a boring list....but it's what came to me first and what hit "close to home" for my current day to day life :)

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