Change

is never easy!  I found out that I'm going to have to teach 3rd grade next year.  My first year of teaching I taught Kinder.  After that year, I thankfully moved up to first grade, which is what I've taught the past 2 years.  I LOVE teaching first grade!  I LOVE teaching reading and seeing the growth the kids make in the course of a year.  Our school currently has 5 first grade classes and 4 3rd grade classes.  Next year, we only need 4 first grade classes and they will need 5 3rd grade classes....so....that sends me up to 3rd grade.  I can get excited about all of the things I'll be able to do with 3rd graders!  I get really excited thinking about them reading big chapter books and doing literature circles and even writing workshop....and just as I get excited the dreaded word is spoken....TAKS!!!!  I am scared to death to teach a TAKS grade.  Everyone keeps telling me how horrible it is and that TAKS is all you can teach if you want good scores.  Maybe I'm naive, but I think somehow, I can still do my writer's workshop and literature circles and prepare my kids for the test.  Please tell me if I'm living in a fantasy teacher world!  Any advice would be appreciated!  Mostly, I am bummed about leaving my team.  We are so close and we plan everything together!  It's such a blessing!  I am going to third with the hopes of a spot in first opening back up the next year and I'll go back down.  My principal's words to me were, "Once you go up, you'll never go down!"  Wonder if that's true?  Guess I'll find out!

In other news...our church is currently seeking our own place.  This is so exciting!  The church has been meeting in a school cafeteria for 8 years!  It is time!  We are seeking and praying for guidance and discernment.  This is a really exciting time in the life of our small, but full of life, body!  

I can't believe I haven't updated about baby stuff since I heard some really great news.  During my last round of blood work, I ovulated!  My levels had gone from 2.4 the month before to a 15.5!!!!  This is awesome!  I ovulated!  Praise the Lord!  He is so good!  My doctor said, "call us when you miss a period and we'll do a pregnancy test!"  I wanted to jump up and down, and at the same time I wanted to say, "that's it?"  "After alllll of the tests- that's it?"  I'm reading a book that's called Taking Charge of Your Fertility.  It's been really educational and I'm learning alot about my body and how all of this stuff works!  It's making God so much bigger to me because of all of the details about our bodies and conceiving.  It is amazing!  He is amazing!  What a perfect design!  Anyway, so....no clomid or fertility treatments yet.  If I'm not pregnant in a few months then I'll call back and see if we can do something to help regulate my ovluation...but it's a HUGE praise that I actually did!  Thank you so much to those of you who have been praying!

I'll end the post by telling you some cool news!  Michael and I were asked by a friend of mine who works at the capitol in Austin to sing Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone) at a ceremony for fallen soldiers' families.  The ceremony is at the capitol and will be in front of the Senate, House, Governor....and precious families of soldiers from Texas who have lost their lives in the last year fighting in the war on terrorism.  We are humbled and honored to be able to do this! We are also veeerrryyy nervous!  It's on May 30th.  We are praying now that the words to this song will speak truth about our precious Savior and minister to those who hear.  

That's it for now!  Hope you are all doing well!  Until next time.....(no telling when!)