A God Thing

I was dreading the month of May. I had held so many hopes for that month. I was going to be a mom by my 27th birthday. I was going to celebrate my first Mother's day as a mom. I just really wanted to crawl in a hole and stay there for the whole month!

My due date for Tytus was suppose to be May 1st. On April 29th, I was having a really crappy day. For some crazy reason I felt the need to take a pregnancy test. We had just started talking about trying again, and I really didn't think it would happen yet. I guess I just wanted to see the "negative" so that I could get it over with. My sister decided to come over to cheer me up, so I waited until she got to the house to take the test. I took the test and then handed it to her (she must really love me!). I told her I already knew what it was going to say, but I just really didn't want to see it. After a couple of minutes, she said "Are you sure you know what it is going to say?" She had this crazy look in her eyes and turned the test around so that I could see the word "pregnant". I can't even begin to explain how I felt. I burst into tears and I think my sister and I hugged for ever! I was shaking like crazy and my mind began to race. Josh was in the living room and didn't even know I was taking a test. Even though I had always dreamed of telling him I was pregnant in a creative way, I was way too excited. I found a gift bag to put the test in. I ran out to the living room and handed him the bag. He looked in it and we both started crying again. Just 2 days before we should have been welcoming our baby boy, we found out that we were expecting again. This is just the first of many instances that I consider a "God Thing" with this pregnancy.

Catching Up

I have not blogged in such a long time even though I have had so much to say about my pregnancy with Ellie Faith. I had big plans about doing monthly updates of what was happening, updates on doctor appointments, pictures of the nursery, etc. Honestly, I was scared. I was so scared of actually letting myself be excited about the pregnancy. I guess I thought if I did all those, then I would be jinxing myself. I went to every doctor's appointment scared to death. Those short seconds it took for the doctor to find the heartbeat always seemed like forever. The two and half week wait for the amnio results felt like an eternity. I really feel like I walked on egg shells. Although I put my complete trust and faith in the Lord, I was still scared. Now, after 10 LONG months, I am sitting on my couch with my healthy baby girl right beside me and I feel so incredibly blessed. I am going to try to back track a little because so many things happened during my pregnancy that I can only contribute to God. This is probably going to be a series of posts...I have a lot of catching up to do!

Summer Highlights...

It has been a long time since I have blogged and a lot has happened this summer so I guess I need to get caught up before it is another 3 months! The break has really gone by fast. It seems like just last week I was packing up my classroom and now I am already unpacking it!

Our first big adventure for the summer was a mission trip to Birmingham, Alabama. Josh and I went with the youth from Elm Springs United Methodist. The week was amazing and we got to experience many neat things. The group I worked was able to spend 2 days working at a Kids' Club in an inner city neighborhood and 2 days working on a house for Habitat for Humanity. I think I was better off at the Kids' Club because I'm pretty sure I am not cut out for construction! I am no good at hanging siding!

We didn't plan any big vacations this summer since we went to Florida over spring break, but we did take several weekend trips. First we went to Tulsa with Josh's brother Daniel and sister-in-law Amanda. We always have a great time hanging out together and this weekend was no different! We found a Dave and Busters when we first got there and the boys had a blast. Amanda and I got a glimpse of what it must have been like to be around them as kids and lets just say that I have a new appreciation for my mother-in-law!

The next weekend we went to Branson with my dad, step-mom, and my sister. The trip was very low-key and we spent the weekend eating and shopping. Surprisingly my dad and Josh did great at the outlet mall! I think it was because we let them play golf the next day! Ha!

The biggest news of the summer is that Josh and I found out that we will be having a healthy baby girl in January. I have a lot to write about the pregnancy so far, but that will have to be a different post. Needless to say, we are very EXCITED! I am still nervous, but I feel a weight lifted off my shoulders after each appointment.

So that about catches me up. Although I love summer break, I am ready to get back into a daily routine. I don't think I have even gone to the grocery store this entire month! My poor husband (don't worry...he isn't starving!)

Alyson's Graduation Weekend

Sorry it has been awhile since I have updated. Things have been pretty busy around the Worthy house. This weekend was my sister's graduation. I have been so emotional all week about this...it has been ridiculous! Anyway, I actually held it together pretty well on Saturday.

The ceremony was great (and not too long considering there were 450+ graduating). Afterwards we went to eat at Powerhouse and then I came home and crashed. My graduation present to my sister was a party. I have been planning this for awhile, but the procrastinator in me waited until the last minute to get all the decorations together. Despite the fact that I was finishing the decor up to the minute the guests started arriving, I think it turned out really cute.

All in all it was a great weekend. I am so proud of my sister and everything she has

accomplished this year. I can't wait to see what exciting things God has in store for her future!

Mother's Day

I knew this day was going to be hard, in fact this entire week. May has always been by far my favorite month. My birthday is in May, our anniversary is in May, and I just love the entire month because I know that summer is just around the corner. When I found out that I was pregnant back in August, I was so excited when the nurse told me my due date was May 1st. I would be a mother by my 27th birthday and Mother's day! Well, the good Lord had other plans for me and even though I have made a lot of progress in the grieving progress, there are still some days that really hurt....like today. I'm trying not to focus on the gigantic hole in my heart, but instead look towards the future. I know that God has great things in store for Josh and me this year.

I do have to say a big Happy Mother's day to my mom and my mother-in-law. Without them, I truly don't know how I would have made it through this year. I love you both very much!

Happy Birthday Ms.Ellison!

Today is my high school band director's birthday. As I wrote on her wall today wishing her a happy birthday, I was in awe of the amount of past students that had posted her birthday wishes. I lost count after about the 5th page! Ms. Ellison was an amazing teacher. She had some very unconventional methods sometimes, but she touched my life in a way that I could never fully explain. She believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. She saw something in me musically and encouraged me. Without her, I would not have had the wonderful experience of college band or the scholarship.

Now that I am an educator, I hope that I am touching my students' lives in the way that she touched mine. Thank you Ms. Ellison!

It's OVER...

the benchmark that is! :)

So another year of benchmark is over and I am SO glad. I look forward to this time every year because there are so many fun things to do in the springtime without the stress of testing.

I know I have mentioned this before, but the group of kids that I have this year I have had for two years. They are a very special group of students to me...more so than they will probably ever know. We truly have become a family over the past two years and I am pretty close with several of their families as well. I'm pretty sure I am going to need some therapy when I have to send them on to 5th grade...just kidding...but it is going to be sad! :(

Anyway, one reason that I love this group is because they are very creative. I knew I wanted to do something fun tomorrow since it is the end of the week and testing is over. I wanted to show a movie, but I hate showing a movie just to show one. SO, I always try to connect it to something. I picked the Princess and the Frog. I checked out every version of the book I could find and the kids did a poster project which they LOVED. Well, my very creative kids decided that we needed to have a frog-themed day. One kid is bringing his pet frogs from home so we can "observe" their behaviors. They planned "frog" games to play outside like lily pad hop (with hula-hoops) and frog races with burlap sacks. We are also making some frog crafts. To stick with the frog theme, I decided to make some "frog" sugar cookies and "crowns". Josh and I had so much fun tonight decorating the cookies. I am looking forward to the fun that is to be had tomorrow.

Despite the stress that it sometimes brings, I KNOW with all my heart that I am in the perfect profession for me. I am very lucky!