Summer Snapshots (So far...)

Summer 2012 is in full swing! We have been very busy!! I can't believe how quickly our summer calendar has filled up. Several people have asked me if I have had a lot of time to relax since school has been out and the answer is not really! Haha! Today was a rare day when I didn't have to be anywhere and it was wonderful!


Here are some snapshots of our summer so far!

Promotions: We had the pleasure of attending both middle school promotions and watching as our 8th graders were promoted to high school. Tear:( I love this group of 8th graders and I am sad to see them go.

Ty and I with Madison. We will sure miss her.

Urban Plunge:  We led an awesome trip to Spokane called Urban Plunge. We took 12 awesome junior highers and were blessed to serve at the Union Gospel Mission and the Women's Crisis Center. It was a great trip.

VBS: Tyler and I were in charge of recreation games! Whew...those kids have a lot of energy! I loved their excitement and enthusiasm.They were sure fun and kept us on our toes.:)

Tyler overseeing a VBS game:)

Youth group events: Our summer calendar is full of pool parties, bonfires, lake days, a water slide trip, a trip to Silverwood, and our upcoming trip to Portland for ENTER! Here is a pic from a recent bonfire (S'mores....yum!) we had with our 4th/5th grade group (Tyler heads up both the 4th/5th grade group and 6th-8th grade group).

Here are some other random snap shots from this summer!!

We have been able to go disc golfing a few times! Such a fun summer activity!

We got to babysit the cute Alcorn kids for 2 nights! They were so fun!!

I have been working on lots of school projects and have already begun lesson planning for next year. Yes, the work never ends....even in the summer!;) Thankfully, Pinterest helps make it fun!

Enjoying a beautiful summer evening:)

Missing this girl!

Get ready for a sentimental post.

Meet Ally. She is one of my best friends in the whole world and I miss her like crazy. I think about her every single day and wish we could just go out to coffee or on a walk like we used to. She is expecting a little boy in just a few weeks. I just had to post this picture because she is so beautiful and glowing! In August I get to go to Oregon and visit her and baby. I can't wait. Her pregnancy has been ridiculously hard and painful, yet she has handled it with such grace. Ally is an amazing friend and we have shared so many of life's challenges and blessings since our sophomore year of college. Her husband is also a youth pastor and she is also a full-time working lady (soon to be full-time working lady, pastor's wife, and momma....she's amazing) so we really get each other. Okay I am done being sentimental. Did I mention I can't wait to see her in August?!

Little Balcony Makeover

Tyler and I live in a little 1100 square foot apartment. We have been asked many times when we are going to buy a house or move to a bigger place. At this point, we are content with what we have. We have what we need. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, it meets our needs plus some. Oh and we have a washer and dryer which we did not have in our last apartment in Cali.....that is a big deal! I am always praising God for those 2 lovely appliances we now have!  Don't get me wrong, there are things that would be so nice to have: central air conditioning, a bigger kitchen, more storage, privacy, etc! Sometimes I dream of being able to paint my own walls and do whatever I want to MY space (Pinterest does not help these longings!), but then God reminds me how blessed we are! No good comes from dwelling on what you don't have, but lots of good comes from being thankful for and embracing what you do have. Maybe one day it will be part of God's plan for us to buy a home or move to someplace bigger, but for now we know we are here and we are trying to make our little space as cozy as possible. :)

So, let me just get to the point: OUR BALCONY WAS DRIVING ME NUTS! One thing that is hard for me is not having a backyard space to enjoy. I grew up with parents who loved to garden and I always had a lovely backyard space to enjoy. Our balcony is our outdoor "space" so I knew I needed to embrace it and make it a enjoyable space. It was an eyesore before. Take a look!

See our lovely view from our patio?;) Haha! It sometimes makes me a  bit crazy that we face a busy street, but oh well!

 Yuck!

Here are some afters! It's amazing what a trip to Home Depot can do!:)

Here is a picture of our flowers today. They are blooming beautifully! We just added a planter box this weekend....yay flowers!

 

No matter what size space you live in, it's important to make it your own! :) We now love eating on our balcony and as soon as it is a bit warmer in the mornings, it will be a lovely place to do our devotions!

Spring Break Seattle Trip

Our view as we entered the city....makes my heart so happy:)

Tyler and I decided we needed to get away for a couple days during Spring Break. March was a LONG, busy month and I was counting down the days until Spring break back at the beginning of March. We decided to spend a couple of days in Seattle! We went on hotwire.com and got an incredible deal on the Westin (4 star hotel!) in downtown Seattle! It was beautiful! (If you have never used hotwire, I strongly recommend it! We have had 2 great experiences using it.) We stayed on the 29th floor and had an incredible view of the city. Tyler and I both commented about how we could have stared out our hotel windows for hours and just watched the hustle and bustle of city life. We ate wonderful food (and a lot of it!), saw 2 movies, visited the Pier and Pike's Market, did some shopping (Nordstrom and Old Navy were right down the street....I was in heaven.), stayed up late, slept in, visited wonderful friends, and just enjoyed spending time together. This refreshing getaway was good for my soul.

After eating at the Crab Pot on the pier! Very fun!

Stopped to look at the water down below

Our view from our hotel during the day...

Our view at night. So beautiful.

My dried flowers from Pike's market. They look great in our living room.

Had to throw this pic in. This was our view during the drive to Seattle.

Of course we had to have Chipotle for lunch one day....how we miss this.

If you would have asked me...

If you would have asked me even a year ago if I felt called to teach in a Christian school I would have said no. I honestly didn't feel a call to ever teach in a private school. It's funny how God always has his own plans.:) I have been radically blessed by my job at Moses Lake Christian Academy this year. I thought I would share this article that I had the privilege to write for our donor newsletter back in December. It's just a small glimpse into how blessed I am to be teaching in a school where I get to share Jesus.

Jesus is in the Classroom!

By Mrs. Tiffany Ellis, Second Grade Teacher

What a joy it is to share the good news of Jesus with my students! During the weeks
leading to Christmas, we talked about the real reason for this Christmas season, to
celebrate the birth of Jesus! We also talked about the life of Jesus and the ultimate
sacrifice he made for us so that we may be part of his family.
When I asked my class if they knew how to become a member of God’s family and
spend eternity with Him, I found many of my students were surprised to hear that we
need to ask Jesus into our heart. Together we talked about what a big decision it was
(the biggest of our lives in fact!) to ask Jesus into our hearts and the importance and
meaning of the words in the sinner’s prayer. I encouraged my students to think about
the sacrifice Jesus made, the love He has for us, and the blessing that comes with being
in His family. Many of my students became very quiet (that’s unusual!), and I could
sense God working in their little hearts. As we ended our Bible lesson on this day, I told
my students that if they felt they wanted to make the decision to be a part of God’s
family they could talk to their own families, a pastor or teacher at church, or they could
come and talk with me and I would be happy to talk and pray with them.
The next morning, I had the privilege of leading four precious students in the sinner’s
prayer. What blessed me so much was hearing the sincerity in their voices; I believe
they weren’t just repeating the words. They believed them. In my class, we have a
tradition of doing “happy dances” when we accomplish something. After we finished
praying, we decided that this momentous occasion called for a happy dance! One of my
little ones looked at me and exclaimed, “I am a member of God’s family!”
This is a day I will never forget for the rest of my life and one on which I was reminded
why God has placed me at Moses Lake Christian Academy. I know it wasn’t about
anything I did this day but only that God is working in this school and in the lives of the
students.

I am proud of myself because...

Each week my 2nd graders are given 2 journal prompts and complete two journal entries. This past week one of their journal entries was, "I am proud of myself because..." It was kind of funny because some of my kids instantly knew why they were proud of themselves and some of the others struggled. One of my students even asked me if it was okay to write about why you are proud of yourself or if it was considered prideful. Recently, we have been talking a lot about humility and he couldn't possibly understand how he could be humble AND write about why he was proud of himself. I explained to him the difference in taking pride in your accomplishments and being prideful. Having my kids write about what they are proud of really got me thinking about what I am proud of myself for. I encouraged them this past week to not be shy about their accomplishments and take pride in them, which is something I don't always do myself. There are quite a few things I consider big achievements in my life, like completing college and getting my Master degree. I am very proud of myself for those things; they took a lot of hard work and determination. However, I think I would choose to write about something different if I had to and that is why I am writing this blog.
Yesterday while I was running at the gym I got to thinking about my weight loss journey and how proud of myself I am. People who have met me within the last four years probably don't know about my journey. Four and a half years ago I weighed 176 pounds and wore a size 16. I am only five feet tall, so 176 pounds on me was in no way, shape, or form healthy. Here are some old pics of me before...(just a side note, posting these is not easy for me!)

Before

Now I won't bore you with too many details because that's not really the point of this post, but I will say that I do not get all the credit for losing the weight. At 15 I was diagnosed with an endocrine disorder (you can read more about that here) and that diagnosis forever changed my life. Along with that diagnosis I found out that because of that disorder I was insulin resistant. I have struggled with blood sugar problems ever since. It doesn't even matter if I am doing everything I am supposed to do, sometimes my body just does not cooperate. I was on oral medications until I was 22. In 2007, the FDA approved a new drug (injections) and my specialist (who had been waiting for a couple of years for the approval by the FDA so she could start me on the medicine) immediately had me start giving myself 2 shots per day. The medicine immediately helped my body regulate and I was able to start losing weight (blood sugar problems can really prevent the body from being able to drop weight). It helped too that in the beginning the injections made me very sick, so I was literally only eating to keep energized, not because it was actually enjoyable. Along with the new injections, I really cracked down and started working out about 90 minutes a day, six days a week. I was running/walking about 22 miles a week. I changed my eating habits and cut out a lot of processed foods. I wouldn't say I was a frequent fast food eater, but I did eat it sometimes and I completely stopped doing that except for the occasional In n Out Burger. Nowadays the thought of fast food completely repulses me. I can't go near it (except for In n Out and Chick Fil A!). Within 5 months I had lost 40 pounds and felt like a whole new person. I had self confidence I had never known before. I not only felt lighter, but stronger. I think the best feeling was when I tried on a pair of size 8 jeans and they fit. I hadn't been able to wear a single digit size since I was in junior high.
Four and a half years later I have been able to maintain that weight loss and I am proud of myself for that. It is not always easy. I have to constantly think about what I put in my mouth. I have made exercise a discipline in my life, even though it is sometimes the last thing I want to do. I can honestly say I never regret my workout once I finish it! Working out isn't an option, it's a necessity. Sometimes it feels like torture that I can't have a lot of sugar...I like sugar.:) However, it's not worth compromising my health and my life. I never feel like I am on a diet, I am simply living a healthy lifestyle. Tyler and I eat organic whenever we can (milk, eggs, meat, produce, etc...). We don't buy junk food. I try to limit processed foods in our diet as much as possible. If I really want some ice cream when we are out, I have it. If I want a piece of cake at a birthday party, I let myself have a piece. I order sugar-free "skinny" drinks at Starbucks. I don't feel deprived; it's all about moderation. It's all about choices. God commands us to take care of our bodies for they are a temple...it's not a suggestion...it's a command!
Now, I know that according to the world's standards, I am no where near skinny. I get that. I still have a nice little pudge around my middle.;) You know what though, I am okay with that. For me, a jean size of 8 is okay. It's not a 0, 2, 4, 0r 6 but that's okay. I am proud to wear a size 8. I have love handles and that's okay with me. I am curvy and that's okay with me. That's how God made me.:) I do have days where I obsess over how good it would feel to lose 10 more pounds or wear a size 6, but it isn't healthy for my thoughts to linger there. I have to quickly remind myself that I have worked hard to get where I am and I should be proud to be here. Writing this post is a big step for me. I am often embarrassed to look back at pictures of the "before" me or talk about my blood sugar problems and all that entails. However, I thought that if I am going to encourage my students to write what they are proud of, I should take my own advice and do it too.:)

After

This was just recently taken on my birthday in January

"I can do all thing through Christ who strengthens me."
-Phillipians 4:13

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures....

In November Tyler and I had a photo session with the very talented David Frandsen (from Redding). I would highly recommend David to anyone in the Redding area! He made us feel comfortable and was so easy to work with! Here are some of my favorites from our shoot!