love...

Have I told you how much I LOVE my new job?? I. AM. IN. LOVE. I love the kids (cutest kids EVER.), the staff, my teammate, my boss, the job itself. I love it!

I love how after I've worked a day, I get a day off afterwards. Or four!

I love how we pray at the beginning of the day. We pray before lunch. We pray in bible class. And I love that at the end of the day when I'm physically tired, I'm emotionally charged. I love that God gives me everything I need to get through each day.

And do you know what else I love? I love that my family still gets the best of me. I love that I'm working, but I'm not spent. I have emotional energy left every afternoon to give to my own children. And that is worth it's weight in gold.

I love that I have a reason to get dressed and wear makeup four days a week now (between school, BSF, and church). And I love that there are downtimes when I can wear my jammies and clean my house all day.

But mostly I LOVE that I have a God who has gone before me. He knew He wanted me in this school before I knew I wanted to teach part time. And I love that He loved me so much that He placed each and every child into my class for a purpose.

I'm imperfect. I make mistakes. And I'm a piece of work. But God loves me in spite of myself. And there is nothing like the feeling that you are EXACTLY where you were created to be in life. Right smack dab in the middle of God's will for ME.

Kim's Highlight Run of the Week part 3

I like to keep it real here on my blog. So are you ready to see my highlight run of the week? It was right here:

Oh wait. What? Did I run on my couch? NO, you silly goose! That's me NOT sitting on my couch!

Here's the actual view I had with the sun rising and a cool breeze in the shade:

You see, sometimes keeping it real is being honest that you were lucky to get off the couch that day. Today was that day. However, in equal honesty, there was a lotta walkin' today. I made a rookie mistake. I ate a salad for dinner last night and nothing before I went out this morning. So I was having a great run up until about 3.5 miles. And then there was a lotta walkin'. I also neglected to plant water on my route. AND I headed out on a stretch of road that I know, good and well, does not have a single place to get a drink. Rookie mistake. I had to wait til I was a half mile from home before I could sneak into CVS and drink from their refreshingly freezing water fountain.

So there it is... the good, the bad, and the ugly about my run today. My highlight? Doing it at all! 6 miles... check.

middle school problems

My daughter is in middle school. A "sevie" as she likes to call it. For the old people like me out there, that translates to "seventh grade." She's having a blast and is happy for summer to be over so she can see her friends again every day!

Today as we are rushing to get her out the door, she throws a stack of papers at me. "Sign these!" she says.

I'm a rule follower. So I grab a pen and start signing. Do I know what I'm signing? NO! Of course not. But I do remember reading these closely last year and learning that these are the syllabuses for each of her classes. They state the policies and procedures for each subject. I'm instructed to sign that I saw them and return.

After I've signed the last one and grabbed my purse to head out the door she laughs. "Mom! Did you know you have a homework assignment?"

Wha...?

"No. What is it?"

"That English paper you signed asked you to write an essay about me in 500 words or less!"

And then this happened....

OOPS. I guess reading something before you sign it IS a good idea.

Off to type an essay. Because I can't be THAT mom.

a little running story

A week ago I was running 4 miles. I was staying with some friends at their lake house and I needed to get in a run for my training. I'm planning to run the Route 66 Half Marathon in November and training has already started.

While I was running, I was amazed at God's creation around me. I was passing little streams that led to the lake. I heard birds chirping, saw people sitting on their patios enjoying their coffee, and had amazing views over the water as the sun rose. It was an awesome run and one that I don't normally have. It's good to switch up your view sometimes!

It came to me as I was running that I needed to start something new. Kim's Highlight Run of the Week was born! That day I got on facebook, explained what I was doing, and posted a picture of my view.

This week I went back to work. I ran early in the morning before I got ready and really had nothing spectacular to say except that I love running with my small but mighty friend, Brenda. But Saturday night I ran a race (a 5K) in Moore, OK. I dragged the family along, much to their chagrin. And on the drive up, I realized that I had it! My highlight run of the week! I asked The Man to take my pic as I crossed the finish line and I set out on the path.

I had heard there was a local newscaster that was going to be running and I saw him before the race. This race went around Earlywine park, a 1.5 mile loop that we were to run (or walk) twice. It wasn't until I had hit mile 2 that I saw him up ahead.

If you're a runner, you know that you are always looking for the person ahead to "catch." If I can just speed up enough to beat THAT one, I'll be happy. So I set my sights, and hoped for the best.

It took about a half mile, but as I passed him I said "Go Lance!" and a gave him a weak "woohoo!" He turned and smiled and said "How are you!" I kept running. And then about a 3 minutes later, he came up beside me. He said something but my headphones were turned up loud (we all have our coping mechanisms). As I ripped my headphones out to hear him, I said "Oh no! Now I can't let you beat me! My husband will make fun of me!" And that's when he dropped off and said, "I think I'm going to have to let you win then!" with a good hearted smile. I laughed, turned back to him and said, "I'm 40! I'm a WOMAN!" (If you need to know the humor in that, you're probably not from Oklahoma.) To which he yelled up toward me: "I'm 50!" and off I went again.

Slow and steady wins the race, people.

Now, about the time I took the turn to run into the finish line, here he comes again. This time on my left. "I can't let you beat me now," he says. To which I laugh, as I kick it up into high gear. We cross the finish line together, with me a split second before as I lunged in. Apparently I actually DO have a small competitive streak. :)

Afterward I asked him to take a picture with me. And he turned to me after we snapped it. "Thanks for the motivation!" said Lance.

Me and Lance West of Newschannel 4


Everyone needs a little, don't we? It was all in fun, but truthfully, I had already misplaced the girl I was trying to catch. I needed something to drive me in. Running is all about the journey with a few races thrown in. I don't care what trail you're on, you need something to bring you in. Maybe it's the hot shower to warm you up in a winter run. Or maybe it's the coffee you know is waiting. It's even been the nap I plan to take after showering that has done it for me before. But we always need something or someONE to help us finish the journey.

Do you have a running partner? I love mine. Get one and take to the road, folks! If this old and slow lady can run, ANYONE CAN.

woot woot!

This is silly. So silly. Especially since I am a 40 year old woman. But today I got a laptop. The FIRST computer I have EVER owned that belonged only to me! ME!!! Yippee! You're going to be hearing a lot more from this mama now... I can't wait to share the adventures that ensue in my new 2nd grade classical education classroom!!

Her mouth speaks from that which fills her heart...

Luke 6:45

This has been a fun summer. It's been full of sleepovers, sleeping late, staying inside when it's hot, and heading to the pool to keep cool. I've gotten a great tan, slept to my heart's content, and played a lot. But there have been some important things happen this summer, too. BIG CHANGES. And if God has taught me anything in my life, it's been to never say never.

Drumroll, please? This mama is going back to work. Part time! But working. I'm excited, hopeful, and at this point I don't even know what I don't know. But let me tell you, I've got the perfect job. PERFECT! It's two days a week, doing what I love. TEACHING! No tests to prepare for, no paperwork to bog me down, no meetings to talk about more paperwork. Just teaching.

And the best part is: I can talk about Jesus! In fact, I MUST talk about Jesus! You have no idea how exciting this is for me. Impressing the little brains of second graders and sharing my faith with them every Tuesday and Thursday. I'm blessed.

But let's move on to Change #2. Once upon a time The Man had a partner in his commercial cleaning business. This partner was awesome. This partner was a Christian. He worked hard. He was easy to get along with. He was a like-minded thinker for The Man. He was the perfect partner. And then life happened.

This amazing business partner had an opportunity to pursue his lifelong dream to be a football coach. And who can stand in the way of a man and his dream? Not us. So for now, we're relying on God to provide the perfect new manager for HIS Janitorial. I have no doubt we will find one.

And as for Change #3, that would be my daughter's scoliosis. It has gotten worse. It hurts her day and night now. And I'm more concerned than ever. But I'm confident that God has gone before my daughter and knows the plans He has for her. So I will not fear.

Okla-home

I'm baaaaack! Have you missed me? I've been here. Just too busy to post.

Let's see, let me recap May 2013. I turned 40, witnessed tornadoes forming in the sky, got my kids finished up in their respective school years, celebrated Mother's Day, and my mom's 70th birthday. But not in that order.

June has been full as well: more tornado cleanup, my children going to theatre camp, football camp, and me wishing I had a "camp" to attend. We've done VBX at church, I've been running and reading and racing. I've been facebooking and thinking about more new Sassy Sawdust projects. I've been collecting 4-5 eggs a day from the coop here at the farm and I've pull a ton of weeds from my backyard and yet only covered about 1/4 of the space.

I've been living. And being thankful for my life and my house and my family. Thankful that the roof over my head is intact. Thankful that I have 4 walls and air conditioning. Thankful that my third grader is alive today.

I've spent a lot of time in prayer over the last few weeks because people I know have no homes now. They've lost pets. They are living in hotels. And here I sit, with survivor's guilt, wishing I could do more than buy a t-shirt or a necklace to raise money for tornado victims. Wishing that there were a magic wand that could sweep through Moore, Oklahoma and clean it all up at once.

But I've also been blessed. With the gift of time to volunteer. With the ability to give abundantly. And with special moments along the way. Like the surreal moment I reached into the rubble I was shoving along with a shovel. I saw something shiny and when I picked it up, it was a heart shaped silver charm. Engraved on the front was this: TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

I felt like the world around me paused. The wind stopped blowing and all I could do was stare. Amen!, I thought. Yes! Together, this team from my church is here to make a difference... one homeowner at a time.

Yes. BLESSED. That I could contribute a small part to a big job. And make a difference, no matter how small and inconsequential it seemed.


p.s. I wanted so badly to take a picture of this charm in my work glove. It seemed such a poignant photo to take. But in the midst of someone else's tragedy, it felt unholy to photograph something that wasn't mine to share. So, instead, I keep that picture here in my heart. I hope you can see it, too.

coming soon!

I made this cupcake on the spur of the moment before my big birthday party last weekend. But guess what?! It can be yours too very soon!!

I will be making this for classes here at my house, or as a private class if you want to host! :)

This is a sign on a stake (for the ground or flower pots), but it can also be a door hanger. It has a chalkboard circle so you can change the birthday number for any member of your family! So keep your eyes open for a signup genius listing coming soon with Sassy Sawdust!

This is 40.

It's no secret I'd been dreading the big 4-0 for weeks. I spent a lot of time wondering about it, too. Why do I care? Why is this worse than 30? Am I really upset or am I creating a bad attitude?

The answers came slowly. And they were a combination of many factors.

1. When I envisioned my life as a teenager, I always looked forward to skipping ahead to my 30's. Being married, having kids, living the dream. NEVER ONCE did I imagine myself in my 40's. Never once. So here I was, passing on the decade that spoke to my childhood dreams. So then what? What's to come of my life in my 40's? Hopefully the best yet.

2. It dawned on me a few weeks ago that it has been a decade since I bore a child from my womb. If that doesn't make you feel old, I don't know what could.

3. And this should probably have been #1: My sister, who I had famously surprised in the middle of the night on her 40th birthday, half a country away in California, was not coming. My bigger, older, wiser sister, who is my biffle, had her husband's 50th birthday this year, along with her first born graduating, and then a 20th anniversary with previously mentioned 50 year old hubby. There was no way she could come. It just wasn't possible with all they had going on. Sniff sniff.

And then the most amazing thing happened...



There she was! In my house! On my couch! And I did the ugly cry. The kind you don't want on film, but they took it anyway. And suddenly 40 didn't seem so bad. In fact, 40 seemed pretty amazing.

So here I am. 40 years and 1 day. Livin' the dream.

I'll show you the party soon. It was awesome.

Flo's gone broody

This girl got a haircut. You can't tell? Hmmm, well look closely and you'll see her feathers on the sides are a little shorter now.

KIM, why on earth would you give a chicken a haircut? And why are we calling it a haircut anyway? How about a feather trim?

Well, call it what you want, this silly bird had it comin'. BECAUSE FLO HAS GONE BROODY!

It seems that Flo left the yard unattended two days ago. She FLEW over our fence and began laying her eggs in a pile of leaves under our kitchen window. IN OUR FRONT YARD!

Yesterday The Man and G were out on the driveway playing basketball. Suddenly The Man comes running inside. KIM! KIM! There's a chicken in the front yard!!

We wrestle her out from behind the bushes and plop her back in the backyard. Meanwhile, I've looked down and seen a green egg nestled in the leaves. And it's cold! Uh-oh. This one has been here for a day! How did she get out here long enough to lay an egg yesterday and return undetected??

I headed back inside the house. And it only took a few minutes for her to escape... again! Wrestle the chicken, place her in the yard. Different verse, same as the first.

The boys finished up playing and headed inside. And I went back out one more time to ensure that she's NOT in the front yard. But lo and behold, she was square in place on top of the perceived day old egg and getting ready to lay a new one. Sisters. However, this mama has other ideas, like the fact that THERE IS NO ROOSTER TO MAKE THOSE EGGS INTO CHICKIES, YOU DUMB BIRD!

So I let her do her business and placed her back in the backyard.

This morning I got up and read my favorite Go-To book: A Chicken in Every Yard. And I found out that if I want to stop the yard hopping, I must clip her wings. So clip, I did. It's just like a haircut, so don't worry: there were no animals injured in the writing of this blog. And now she can't get run over crossing the road, either, since she'll be laying her eggs where they belong now. I just hope she didn't give the other girls any great ideas with her escapade.