Oh My!

Well, I finally did it. I registered to take the Praxis 2 to get certified to teach French!

On April 24 I will take it!

I am sooooo nervous already.

Yesterday morning on the way to work I was thinking about how God has weaved different events into my life to lead me here. It was obvious with art, how that has changed my life when I was in college. But my love of the French language started when I was in middle school. I took my first French class and loved it from the start. I remember being surprised when I was accepted into the French Immersion Program at my high school, by my senior year I remember wondering why I worked so hard to complete it when I didn't have any strong desire to study French in college. Although I did take some French classes in college it didn't speak to me the way art did while I was at JMU. It wasn't until I went on my honeymoon to Martinique. We loved the idea of the French culture on a tropical island.

Makes me want to go back!

While we were there I remembered what I loved about the French language and culture. I am loving this idea of teaching art and French now.

Please pray for me, I feel like satan has really been attacking me, making me fearful of this whole process. Please pray that I would find time to study as we are moving, and that I would continue to trust in God about the school where I know one day I will be teaching.

Now I am off to the library to start studying!

Teaching French?

As spring is approaching I am getting ready to send out all my materials to apply to any and every public and private school within a one hour distance of Richmond. They say cast a wide net, so I am.

For some reason I can't stop thinking about French. Teaching French.

For the longest time my mom has been telling me to get certified in French, it will increase my marketability. This is true.

Although I can't help but think, is this settling?

Is it settling to not teach art?

For so long I have wanted to teach art, dispite what everyone says about the economy, the budget, blah blah blah.

But honestly, I feel I am getting desperate.

I so badly want to teach, and at this point I am starting to not care so much about the content area. And really I loved French in high school. So much that I was in the French Immersion Program at my high school. I took most of my classes in French and loved it. By my junior year I dreamed and thought in French.

Then I went to college and they spoke english in my French classes, and they were not as challenging as my classes were in high school. So I stopped taking French.

If I am being completely honest I don't think trying to teach French would be settling, I think I would enjoy it.

Honestly, the thing that is holding me back: FEAR.

I hate saying that, I really do, but it is the truth.

What if I fail the Praxis ? (the test I have to take to get certified to teach French)

What if I pass the Praxis, and still can't find a teaching job?

What if I stink as a French teacher? I have no experience teaching French like I do art.

I am always telling my friends and others not to let fear stop you from doing something you want to do. And I think it is time to start taking my own advice.

How can God use me if I am not willing to step out in faith?

And it's not as if He hasn't been faithful to me in the past. I can't even count all the times He has blessed me and used me when I have gone into the unknown, tried something new, gone somewhere different or done something I knew I couldn't do without Him.

"Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."  Philippians 1:6

I know God has started a good work in me, I know He has called me to teaching.

Now I just need to be more confident.

Baby Betty

Today is my baby's birthday. She is turning one, she is technically no longer a kitten!

I guess we will start buying cat food, instead of kitten food!

Since we got her last summer she has really become a part of our little family. Even Clarke loves her as much as me, which is saying a lot because he was always more of a dog person.

Her personality is different than any other cat I have known. She loves table food, so much that she will jump on the table while we are eating, grab a piece of meat and run off with it! She also loves my hair ties. They are without a doubt her favorite toy!

She is so grateful to be here with us. We always say she is such a thankful cat. I think because before we adopted her she was wild, and then when the rescue people found her she lived in a garage with a bunch of other cats.

I still can't believe she is one. Happy Birthday Betty!!

Loving This

Right now I am really loving Carbon Leaf's newest album, Nothing Rhymes With Woman.

I am also loving riding around with the windows down in my car and listening to this really loudly.

Just thought I would share! :)

Weekend Update

Although I had to work Friday night and Saturday, I still managed to squeeze in lots of fun!

Clarke picked me up from work on Saturday (I got to get off early!) and we drove up to D.C. We met my dad and my brothers at The Chop House for a yummy steak dinner.

Then we went to a Wizards basketball game. It was mine and Clarke's first NBA game ever. It was really fun.

Us at the game.

After the game we drove up to Baltimore and spent the night there. We stopped at Vaccaro's, an Italian dessert place in Little Italy, right by my dad's place.

Yum!!!!

Sunday we went to the St.Patrick's Day parade in Baltimore with my dad and little brother.

Horses at the Parade.

And of course went to an Irish pub, to celebrate St. Patty's Day.

Dad, Me, Clarke and Drew.

What a fun trip!!

Wishful Wednesday......My Wedding Dress

I am participating in Wishful Wednesday over at The Seattle Smiths!

The topic is gowns, and honestly if I could have worn any dress on my wedding day it would have been the one I did wear. I loved my wedding dress, it was my dream dress. Here are some pictures:

I love all the pick ups,

and the buttons on the back.

This was my something blue! On the bottom of my dress.

This is our cake, it was insipred by my dress. Notice it is the same color and has the cream colored ribbon on it.

Our one year anniversary is less than a month away!

Oh My Gosh!!

We bought a house!!!! I am soo excited right now. Although I am so tired, two nights of restless nights wondering if they will accept our offer, what will happen, and various this or that situations running through my mind, now I can relax!

Me and my husband feel so blessed, this house is amazing. I can't believe we are going to be living there in 5 weeks! I have already decorated the whole thing in my head, I can't wait to get started.

Here it is! I am painting the door yellow!

Isn't it so cute? !?

Okay, I am off to get a good nights sleep. :)