Private school vs Public school

I grew up going to public schools my whole life.  We had been moved around a lot when we were younger and so I had attended 11 different public school from Kindergarten to 12th grade.  I have experienced MANY public school in my short life time! 

I had never been to a private school or knew much about them but right now you can find my kids in a private Christian school.

When Brant was 3 1/2 we decided to put him in a preschool.  I had just put him where my friend had her son bc I trusted her judgement.  After a few weeks his teacher resigned and he got a new one.  He didn't really understand what was happening but we did our best.  So I had helped in the class one day with the new teacher and realized that everything we did at home was what he was doing at school.  I thought, I'm paying for this and we already do all this!  So I had talked to the director and told her my concerns.  Things started to change not to long after that which was nice bc I had noticed they were doing things that I wouldn't think to do and he was learning new things. 

This was the turning point for me with my kids and their education!  I had told my husband that we wouldn't put our kids in the public schools in this town because I had attended them and spend my first year afraid for my life!  I was not doing to make my kids go through that!

From this point on I had started looking into other schools and we already had him on the list for the charter school.  One day we decided to take a tour of the private christian school here in our town.  Just mostly for information and to see what it was like.  We left the school completely in awe and decided that we wanted our kids to go there.  We knew that we couldn't afford it bc you have to pay tuition but knew that if God wanted our kids there, he would provide!

So we enrolled him and low and behold, God provided exactly what we needed each month. 

During our first year we had some challenges to get through.  I was a sobbing mess sending my son to Pre-K for the first time and he was a super shy little boy who wouldn't participate in things.  I helped in his class one day and had to escort my son back to his class because he wouldn't participate.  It was a heart breaking moment for me as a mom.  But through this I was able to see how patient the teachers were and how they were offering to work with me to encourage him and help him to grow.

So that year went by and he then moved on to Kindergarten.  I again was a sobbing mess, sad to leave my child in Kindergarten.  But the teacher was again, patient, and understanding and helped to encourage Brant and I along the way. 

Next comes 1st grade where I was worse than a sobbing mess.  I cried for 3 hours after dropping him off bc this was the first time I was doing to go all day without seeing him.  This was my baby boy who was growing up!  I have had lunch with him every day for the past 6 years and now I couldn't do that anymore.  I was told to hug and let go in the hallway.  That was VERY hard for me.  I thankfully by God had been given wonderful moms from the class that I had been able to get to know the past years who helped me and hugged me during this process.  I am much better now and actually look forward to my days with less kids hehe.

This year we also had the joy of experiencing our son being sent to the principals office because he didn't like that the teacher had moved the desks and didn't want to sit by the girls.  It was a HUGE thing!  The staff at school including his teacher and the principal were very loving and understanding.  They talked with him, prayed with him and talked about scripture and what God says about obeying and disobeying.  They talked with us and we all agreed and were on the same page.  That was a wonderful thing.

All the things that we have gone through have been rough but a huge blessing from God.  He has taught us many things and have helped us to grow in many ways. 

I know that if Brant were in a public school, he probably would have been sent to the office, given detention, and basically pushed to the side.  He is shy and that doesn't work well in public schools.

So in my heart, I know that no matter how much money we spend on the private Christian education, it is worth every penny!  I truly don't see the money part at all in my head.  I see the love, the prayer, the everyday encouragement that my kids get from the people in the school.  The teachers who work with the kids and they love they show every day to each and every child in the class makes any amount of money in the world worth paying for my children to be in this type of a school!

So unless God has another plan, we will choose private Christian school over public school any day!

Couponing

So I took a class last month on couponing and it sounds like a great idea.  However, I am a visual learner and so I have found no motivation to do any of what I was told bc I didn't see it first hand.  I know it works bc many ppl do it but to not see it myself makes it hard for me to find a starting point. 

I feel like the best thing to do would be to just give them to my sister which is what I have decided to do.  And then you have a day like today when I read other ppls blogs about couponing and then I get excited and want to try it.

One problem I have is that I am not patient.  I don't want to wait 6 months to get my stock of coupons to start seeing the savings.  I want to start seeing the savings right when I start.

This is pretty much how I would like all things to be!  I want something to work the first time!!!  With no waiting!

Alas I do know that this never happens and will prob never happen but one could only hope!

So I will continue to wait for the savings to come to me unless someone feels like being by my side every step of the way!!  hehe  Any takers???

Missing a piece of my heart

Today has been a rough for me.  I have been missing a piece of my heart.  That piece belongs to my cousin Jamie.  She left back in July on a very big mission trip.  It's called the World Race and she will be gone for 11 months and she be serving in 11 different countries.

I have been fine since she left and it hasn't really felt like she was gone.  I still get to talk to her sometimes on facebook and have skyped her once.  But today has been different.  I have cried alot today and still do every time I think about her.

I know she is doing amazing things for people who really need it and I know that she is where she wants to be.  Her heart is God's and she will serve him every day of her life.  She is a wonderful person and think of her as the little sister I never had. 

She is my concert partner and we go to all the concerts together.  When she left I had to find a back up from her and so then I was super excited.  But now my back up is leaving the country and have to find a back up for my back up.  I am going to a new concert next month and I think this is making me miss Jamie even more.

I know God will heal my heart bc he will fill the void but for right now until she comes back.  I love and miss her very much!

Tudes!!

Oh the joys of motherhood! 

These past few weeks I have struggled with my son and his newly found attitude!  He has always been pretty easy going and listens for the most part.  I say most part because he is a male and well that should say enough right there!  Anyway, the past few weeks I think he is trying to find himself and in return, is making me go crazy!

My husband has been working long hard hours at work so we havent' seen him much and I wonder if maybe that is part of it.  I also think it might be some of the kids at school that he is turning into.  However, I don't many of them yet so not sure I can go with this one as of now.

My future is now going to look like a mom frantically searching for answers and how I can help him to grow and find who he is but also not loose my mine and hair at the same time.  This too shall pass is something that comes to mind with this stage but lets just say, it doesn't give me any comfort yet!

I love to read so there are a few books I am going to look into to get some ideas on these issues and see what I can come up with and hope to save my sanity.  If not, I will be booking a weekend away to get some quiet!

Debt Free!!!!

So for the past four or five years we have been working on becoming debt free.  We follow God's word and he tells us to not owe money to anyone and so that is our goal.  We want to be able to use the money that God gives us every day for what he wants it to go to since it IS His!

We recently paid off our credit cards which took us exactly 4 years.  It was one of the hardest things we have ever done when we started this process!  We consolidated our credit cards with a Christian company and worked with them to pay then off.  We had to trust them or rather trust God to provide for us sinc we would no longer have our credit cards to fall back on.  I have never been so scared in my life!  But God is AMAZING!!!  He provided for us every step of the way.  He also provided many times where he wanted to make sure we trusted him completely! 

Here we are 4 years later and the credit cards have been paid off!  Again, God is AMAZING!!!  We have now have it down to our house, 2 vehicle loans and a fridge that we have to pay off! 

It's sooo close I can feel it!  I can't imagine what God has in store for us in the next few years but it will be an adventure for sure!

Work

So things have gotten pretty busy with the bakery that I will be working at or have been working for.  The bakery itself isn't open yet so things are crazy with driving to and from different places and stuff being stored all over the place.

I have worked about 27 hours in the past week.  It doesn't sound like much when you think about someone who works 40 hours a week.  However, for me who is used to being at home for the past 6 years just doing wife and mommy work, it's a lot of work for one week. 

I am looking forward to things getting on a schedule so I can see what my life is gonna be like and if I can handle it.  I am very much looking forward to the extra money to help pay things off.  We are soo close to being debt free and this job will make it that much closer.

So within the next week we should be open and working in the bakery.  Life is going to be crazy at first but I think we can handle it!  We are tough and have God on our side!  He doesn't let you stay comfortable for too long bc that's not how he works. 

Gotta love Him!!!