Headed Back to School

NO... not my girls. Me!!!
I've been praying and praying about life after homeschooling. My husband will be retiring in about 4 years and I most certainly don't want to enter the work force once he is home. I want to enjoy spending time with him. We want to continue traveling together.
In the last couple of weeks, I've been approached by a women I absolutely love and respect, Idania Cater, about teaching.
Let me tell you a little bit about Idania. She is a mother of five and the wife to a Pastor. She runs a Woman's Ministry and is working towards her Masters in Biblical Studies. Idania heads up a co-op called GLEAM. My oldest daughter took classes with Idania during her 9th grade year. I had the privilege of sitting in on some of her classes. All I have to say is OH MY GOSH! I wanted to go back in time and hit re-do on my education. What an amazing instructor. Idania can make the most boring book be interesting. Her passion for teaching shines. I immediately thought, I want to be just like her when I grow up! Why didn't we have teachers like her when I was in school?
At the time that Idania had reached out to me about teaching GLEAM, Jr. High or middle school for this generation, I had just finished reading a book called The Student Whisper. I loved this book. It was all about preparing to mentor others. As I was reading the book, I thought, I can see Idania as my mentor. Low and behold, she had already been thinking the same thing! I was so excited to pass the book on to her. She read it and loved it!
So, I've been praying about taking this teaching opportunity. What a blessing it would be to teach, which I love, and to be mentored by someone I admire so much. In meeting with Idania and going over some of the things she would like me to teach, we discovered that I'm just 6 classes shy of my Associates and Arts Degree, which I had put off when I was expecting my daughter. Idania shared with me all the opportunities in the Homeschool arena, some of which I was already aware of and just hadn't thought about, that I could seek and still have the flexibility to spend time with my hubby and continue traveling. You can imagine how excited I was. The next day, I gathered all my notes and had a meeting with my hubby. We do this often to be sure we are on the same page with our plans and goals. We also meet with our children once a week to do the same. This would take a post of its own...hmmm...sounds like something to write about in the near future!
Anyhow, my wonderful husband was so supportive! He is a little leery about my taking on the teaching job, because of the commitment it will require. It will be putting us in a position where we will not be able to plan anything spontaneously, if that makes sense, for a year. The ability to get up and go when you please is a beauty we have as a homeschooling family. On the other hand, he was so excited to hear how close I am to finishing my degree and the opportunities I will have in the very near future. He has given me the green light to sign up for classes. He told me that he believes in me and knows that with some hard work and dedication, I could have my Associates in Arts Degree by the end of next year!

College student life...here I come!! Stay tune for updates on this new journey. Not gonna lie, I'm a little nervous! I will be holding on to a few of my favorite verses:

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.  -2 Timothy 7

Fear not for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you with my righteous right hand.  -Isaiah 41:10

For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.  -Jeremaih 29:11

As for my teaching GLEAM, Jr. High/Middle School, I believe as mentioned above in Jeremaih 29:11, God has a plan for me. Idania and I are still ironing things out, however, it looks and feels really good!

If you would like to hear more about GLEAM, please don't hesitate to leave me a comment below or email me. Also, you can get to know a little more about Idania on her blog Becoming Apollosina and Paulina.

Latest Adventure

So I went to the Doctors yesterday after not having a check up in over 7 years. My last physical was before I left the Fire Department in 2006. Thanks to my good friend, Juliana at Just Juliana, who gave me the name of her Doctor and assured me that she would help pick my daughter up from school so that I would not cancel my appointment, I had my first physical in a long time.
First, can I say, wow...things sure have changed! I did not have to fill out those annoying forms that ask you everything under the sun. All those questions were asked by the Doctor's nurse and were immediately imputed into a computer, which immediately transferred everything to an Ap called "MyChart." After being treated by the Doctor, whom I might add was very nice and thorough, I was in and out of the office in exactly one hour. Completely un-heard of!
When I got home, I downloaded the "MyChart" Ap to my wonderful iphone and all of my medical information was there. Results from the visit, as well as, my upcoming appointments to have blood work done and my first mammogram appointment. Yes, I know, I should have already had that taken care of a long time ago.
To most of you, I must sound like a bumbling idiot. Who hasn't heard of all these features that have been available to us for some time. To me, I'm still impressed! :)

Now, to fill you in on my walking adventures with my good friend, Joelle at HukiHuki. We meet at least two mornings a week and walk 3.2 miles. She is helping me reach my goal. I want to earn as many medals as she has by participating in all sorts of marathons. I especially want to be a part of the Disney Princess Marathon next year. Juliana will be joining us and will be walking with me on the days that Joelle is working and can't make it. I think my sister, Lisa, should join us as well. ;)
On another note, you should go check out Joelle at HukiHuki. On a whim that a business making surgical caps would earn her a little extra cash, she has become so busy that she barely has time to breathe. Her husband created a website for her to sell her caps. At first, she got a couple orders trickling in, now she has more orders then she can handle alone. Her caps are being ordered from all over the country. Congratulations, Joelle!! :)

Would love to hear from you. Check back often. Maybe, I might just inspire you to start blogging!

Yummy

Baked Pot Pie

So, since my last post regarding E-Meals, I have cooked three other meals that have been easy and delicious. I highly recommend you check out E-Meals by clicking on the link located on my sidebar. I made a Baked Pot Pie that although tasted very good, I would make it next time with chicken instead of ground beef. I also made a Baked Chicken & Rice dish that was absolutely delicious! Lastly, I cooked a Brown Gravy Beef Roast in the Crock-Pot with Roasted Onion Potatoes exquisite!
I can't believe I'm even talking about food this way. I so don't like to cook!
Gotta admit, these emeals are too easy to not give them a try.

eMeals - Meals made easy!

My husband recently gave me a subscription to a website that claims they can make planning meals easy. The site is called eMeals.

Well, anyone that knows me well, knows the last place I want to be is in a kitchen. I would rather clean floors and bathrooms then have to go to the grocery store. I really dislike cooking. I never understood how people can take up a career that would involve cooking anything! 

Well, after much protesting, I started using the site and I LOVE it! I have cooked three meals that I must say have tasted delicious and were easy to put together. eMeals puts a menu together for you based on the grocery store you shop at and what is on sale at the time. 

Delicious Sausage Lasagna - that only took me 20 minutes to prepare and baked at 350 for 1 hour. 

eMeals will also put together your grocery list by the items needed for each meal each day. Honestly, it couldn't get any easier. Oh and wait, 7 days of meals for under $80.00 a week!! Don't hesitate any longer head over to eMeals and give it a try. Simply click "I Love e" button on my sidebar and get started. Once you have, come back and let me know what you think. I'd love to hear back from you. :)

Ps: Don't tell my hubby how much I'm enjoying this, he may get used to me cooking on a daily basis and I'm not so sure about that yet. Lol!!

New Interest

So, today I discovered a new interest. I participated in my first 10k run/walk. Although, I walked most of it, I really enjoyed it. It was challenging and rewarding. You don't realize just how far 6 miles is until you actually walk it. I started off strong. I felt great at 3 miles. By the time I reached mile 4, I thought I was going to fall over. My legs and feet were sore. Honestly, if I was alone, I probably would have quit. However, my friend Joelle has been asking me to walk with her for over a year. I finally gave in! She stayed by my side the whole time. Moving in front of me at times just enough to keep me going at a good pace. She new if she slowed down, I would slow down. She was a great motivator. I am so glad she finally convinced me to put my sneakers on and get out there! I have discovered muscles in my legs, feet, and ankles I didn't even know existed. Lol!! :) I believe the toughest part for me was the last mile. I could see the finish line, but felt like it was moving farther and farther away as I approached it. As tough as it was, I will do it again. :)
I am looking forward to our next walk. I believe, we will be doing a walk on the 28th for Autism. It will more then likely be a 5k, but that's just fine with me. I can begin working on perfecting my time. I didn't do too bad for my first time...6 miles in 1 hour 37 minutes. My goal will be to better my time and earn a medal. :)