Update!

Wow, so I just realized that it's been a long time since I've updated this! I need to be more intentional about it apparently! I will hit the major points of life....

**I moved into my new house in March and LOVE it. I can't believe how much the Lord has blessed me to have this home. It is certainly more than I deserve! I also love the subdivision that it is in. When I was searching for a home I prayed a lot about my neighbors and wanting to have neighbors that would be super and that was totally blessed. I have lots of great neighbors but a few go above and beyond. They are so great to constantly watch out for me, which I totally appreciate! Dad and I put a new roof on the house this summer and that was pretty much the only thing that needed done!

**I switched to teaching 5th grade this year from 3rd grade because of enrollment numbers at school. At first, I was majorly bummed because I loved third grade but I am absolutely loving 5th grade. I love all kids but I really love the older kids and I have a super great class. They are such special special kids in so many ways. It has been so cool to see them not only grow in academic and social skills but it has been so great to see how spiritually wired they are. These past few weeks they have had a lot of wild stories of things that are going on in their lives and things that they feel are going to happen in the world. I'm not surprised at all by this as this is something that they Lord keeps reminding me that he is raising up our children right now to be leaders. I love how certain kids in my class are becoming really comfortable with telling me about things that are going on in their lives in this respect. I love how even though I don't have my own physical children right now that the Lord has put me into a place to be able to have these precious kids as part of my life. Sometimes I have to remind myself how blessed I am to have the job that I do...it's awesome.

**I'm going to start my master's degree next summer...I considered starting this spring but I want so more time to save up money so it's not a financial strain. I've been tutoring a bunch of kiddos right now and that's been so great because I'm being able to save so much better by having extra money. I'm going to do my master's through Ball State University online so I don't have to drive anywhere. :) I highly considered getting my master's in counseling to be a licensed counselor and I still really want to do that but I think that it will be later in life. When you do a counseling program you almost have to only do that and not have a job, which I can't do. Ultimately though I am using counseling skills though with my kiddos everyday. I think that later in life I will go down that road but just not right now.

**The Lord has plugged me into this awesome prayer group through my friend, Jen that has totally rocked my world. When I started to go in January I was already going through a huge season of change with the Lord. I had known for a while that a lot of things with my relationship with Him were going to change dramatically and that has certainly been the case. I still can't wrap my mind around all that the Lord is using me to do right now but at the same time it's just the beginning of a new journey with Him... So often I look at what the Lord asks me to do and think that I'm 'too young' but it's been funny that even though I necessarily didn't choose it, He chose me. :)

**About a year ago I got plugged into an awesome Thursday night bible study group and it has totally changed my world. I have friends literally all over the world from growing up and from Purdue. But when I moved here I kind of needed to start over because my large group of friends were all across the country. This group is so precious and they are so much fun. It's been so cool to see how we have all become such awesome friends. One just recently moved to Austin, Texas and I went down last week during our fall break to see her and it was SO much fun. I do really love how in this season of life that I can travel to see people...love it!

**I'm doing a Beth Moore study right now called "Stepping Up" and it is SO good! I guess that could be the theme for my life right now that I'm stepping up in a lot of respects.

**I recently read the book "Believing God" by Beth Moore and honestly think it's one of the best books that I have read in a long time...totally recommend it. I'm reading "The Shack" right now and think that it's going to be awesome as well.

**I can't believe that it's almost the holidays! Instead of buying a bunch of gifts this year for my family I'm taking each of them places they want to go because my family doesn't really need more 'stuff'. This weekend I'm taking Dad to the Purdue vs. Michigan football game and he is SO excited. :)

**I did my first triathlon this past summer and it was so great. I had been doing a lot of races this past spring and summer but have kind of been taking some time off of that because of some unforeseen medical things this summer and it was recommended that I lay off that stuff for a while. I think after my next appointment in two weeks that things are going to be back to more normal, which I'm really grateful for. Basically a lot of hormones got out of wack in my body and started doing way crazy things to me but we live in a country with awesome medical professionals that are so good. I think I'm going to do the Indy Mini next May because I've been keeping up with my running anyways and want to be able to say that I've run a mini marathon.

**My sister is a senior at Bethel College this year...how time flies! It looks like she is going to continue on with schooling after undergrad and go to Brown Mackie College in South Bend for physical therapy....so proud of her!

**I'm still a small group leader for 2-4th grade girls at church and have had the same group of girls for 3 years now. Some of the girls are gone now because they are too old but the core group of them is still the same with a few new faces. I'm having the fall sleepover for them next week, which is always so much fun. The last time I had one there were nearly twenty girls that stayed the night and sang karaoke all night and never went to bed. This time I think I'm putting a movie in at midnight for them because I'm going to Indy that next morning. :) Another small group leader and friend of mine always comes over and helps and we make homemade donuts in the morning...so fun!