October at our Home

So, as you can see, I took a little hiatus from blogging the last couple of weeks.  I feel like October was a whirlwind of activity.  We started off the month by taking a day trip down to Georgia where Zach went to college.  The department he had studied in was hosting a breakfast for past and present students.  It was an interesting experience to get a glimpse of what his college experience was like.  Zach went to a very small Christian liberal arts school whereas I went to one of the largest state schools in the country.  It was neat to think about how the Lord took us down two different paths in that aspect.

We also celebrated our one month wedding anniversary this past month!  Marriage has been such a joy and a blessing!  It has been sanctifying in so many ways already but being together seems to make every day better.  I honestly believe that God provided the perfect match for me in Zach.  We're very similar in a lot of ways, yet very different in other ways.  Zach is extremely laid back and I have a tendency to stress out easily - so he helps me to relax when I need to and I help him by giving him that extra push when he needs it.  Things like that we can balance each other out in.  One of the things I love and appreciate most about him is that he accepts and loves me for exactly who I am and I continually pray for the grace to always love, respect and support him the way he needs.

As I mentioned in my last post, we took a week long trip to Raleigh.  It was so nice to be back in familiar territory and be able to see and catch up with many of our friends there.  We stayed with our friends J & S who just recently had a baby.  It was fun to watch them be parents and couldn't help but start thinking about starting our own family one day. :)  I know I said I'd share pictures, but I don't think I took one picture the whole time we were there.

Another thing this past month brought was a part-time tutoring job for me!  I'm tutoring 5th and 6th graders in reading for an hour and a half after school on Monday, Tuesdays and Thursdays.  I've really enjoyed it so far and it's a good fit for me because with working only part-time I still have an adequate amount of time to be involved with the collegiate ministry on campus and the job is temporary.  It only goes through the middle of January (there may be a possibility of continuing on through May, but we'll see) and since Zach's internship with the BCM is over in May the timeline is perfect.

My first week of tutoring was this past week and it was eventful.  Oh, let's just say it. It was CRAZY!  I've worked with kids before and it's always a bit of a challenge when you come in as a new "authority figure" and they're testing to see how much they can get away with. The first day I must have looked like I had "SUCKER" stamped across my forehead.  Kids standing on desks , kids laying on the floor refusing to participate, and kids texting on their cell phones after I told them to put their phones away.  All this amidst constant chattering.  Now, if you will allow me to just pause here.  I have an equation in my head.  KIDS + CELL PHONES = WHY??  or KIDS + CELL PHONES = CRAZY PARENTS or KIDS  + CELL PHONES = RIDICULOUS.  Is it really necessary to give your 10 year old a cell phone?  They're in school with their teachers all day long.  Who are they going to call?  I could understand if it's a 16 year old who is driving around by himself, but a 10 year old?  Seriously.  [Sigh]...But I digress.  I can't blame the kids for being a little rowdy when they're having to stay after school and their friends are outside playing.  But they had to learn the boundaries that were set.  So, by the end of the 2nd day when I was referred to as a "monster" by one of the students to another tutor, I figured they were starting to get the point that I was no pushover.  And, I'm happy to report, that by the 3rd day the kids had made a vast improvement in listening and following directions. Which makes me happy. :)  I do really like the job so far though and it's a nice break from being around the campus all the time.

We ended the month with some fun fall activities like going to a corn maze and pumpkin patch, a Halloween party and breaking out the sweaters and scarves!  Now, we are settling down into the end of the semester with BCM and getting ready for a fun and simple holiday season!