Fun Fall Festivities

It's fall. You know what that means. Fun outdoor activities, cool mornings, warm afternoons, leaves changing colors, and Halloween!  I've discovered that I have a child-like spirit when it comes to fall festivities. I love enjoying this season with my honey.  This is the first year we'll have Trick or Treaters and I AM SO PUMPED!!!  So if y'all have cute little goblins or ghouls, bring 'em to my house so I can spoil them rotten!

This weekend we got to finally go out on a date for dinner. So much fun!  Sometimes life just gets so crazy that it's hard to have some time for just Brandon and myself. It was so nice to be able to go out and enjoy each other's company. 

At a family member's birthday dinner a few weeks ago.

We also got to see some friends and I took Haley to Boo at the Zoo. My grandma made my costume for me to wear. She's so crafty!  I love it!  I so wish I had her sewing skills. She MADE my skirt!  No pattern. Just an idea of what I liked. She's the best. 

Minnie Mouse and the Pumpkin Vampire Pirate after a fun night at Boo at the Zoo. Yup-that skirt is a Grandma Jo original!

Haley (bottom right) and her sisters at Boo at the Zoo

The other girls' big sisters and myself were crazy enough to take all 4 of the girls together!  Talk about madness!  There were three bigs and four littles. True life-I have no idea how my mother took all four of us kids out together often. Even more, I have NO clue how she and my aunt took all seven of us cousins ages 2-10 on adventures at least once a week. Y'all. Props to them. They took us to Dollywood and Splash Country like once a week when we were little!

One thing I've come to realize over the past few months is how amazingly blessed I was growing up. We did all kinds of things. My parents gave us a great upbringing in a stable home. How often I forget that many children do not have that privilege. These past few months with Haley have been a BLAST and I am so blessed to have the opportunity to be her Big Sister. It is always so fun to take her on new outings and have new experiences together. It's even more fun to see how our relationship is being molded and seeing the sweet little girl she's blossoming into.

Another thing I've learned recently is that we are called not only to be servants, but that our heart must be right.  I'll admit, sometimes I have an ugly attitude. Maybe I had a long day at work or I'm not feeling the best about myself because my clothes are a little snug due to my unruly sweet tooth. But here's what I've learned:  if I can change my attitude into a positive, grateful attitude, it changes not only my day, but everyone else's days around me.  Take time to listen to God. If you're having a crazy day, stop for a moment of prayer amidst the chaos. You'll be amazed at how your attitude will instantly change.  God knows your heart, so ask him for help with whatever it is that is troubling you. Ask him to show you how to do his will. That's how this whole Big Brother Big Sister adventure began!  I missed hanging out with kids and asked God to show me a way to get connected to a child. His answer was through this mentorship program. I'm here to tell you that Haley may be teaching me just as much if not more than what I've taught her!

"I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart."  Psalm 40:8

I've also been studying, studying, and, you guessed it, STUDYING recently for my big interpreting certification test. It's on Friday at 3:30. These have probably been the CRAZIEST and BUSIEST weeks I've had I awhile, but I have this amazing peace that God is in control. I have a background story about my journey to becoming a certified interpreter, but I'm saving it til I can write that blog post saying, "I PASSED!!" and tell the rest of the story.  Stay tuned for that. Hopefully I get the results sooner than later!  In the meantime for those of you wondering what God's will is in your life right now, be encouraged by this verse. 

"For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."  Philippians 2:13

God has a plan. Sometimes we don't understand or don't want to follow His lead, but ultimately, He's got our best interests at heart. He knows our every need and every desire. Listen to him and he'll guide you to do his will. 

Bucket List: Play Radio Trivia: Check.

Ya'll. Today was one of the most exciting days! Before I begin, let me just explain something; I LOVE trivia. I love game shows. One of my bucket list items has always been to get on something like Wheel of Fortune or The Price is Right. Don't judge me. Anyways, another bucket list item is to get on the radio and win a trivia game. I got that chance this morning!!

So I got up early, had some Jesus time, and a nice quiet breakfast. I decided to run to Target before working out...and then it happened! In the car, I always listen to the morning show trivia and play along. I usually catch it RIGHT when it comes on. This morning I heard the portion where they announce for listeners to call in. So I did. Try one: busy. Try two: busy. Try three: RINGING!!! Success! I got through! Long story short, I played and won a prize! I think I got tickets to some kind of haunted house. I'm not quite sure! I was more ecstatic that I got to play the game on the radio and actually played well! (You know sometimes people call in and sound like dingdongs that don't know what they're doing...I didn't want to be THAT person.). Anyways, thanks to the vast knowledge I've gained via interpreting and life in general, I won!  WOOHOO!

More details to follow about the haunted house. I was so ecstatic that I called Brandon like three times and woke him up to tell him. He was excited...but somehow, just didn't really understand how fabulous of an achievement that this was to me until I got home and was beaming about it.

Another thing on my bucket list (or a professional goal of mine) is to become a certified interpreter. Basically, its these two BIG tests that you take:  one written and one performance-based test. I took the written one when I graduated college, but now its time for the performance test. So if you guys are thinking about me in the next two weeks, say some prayers for me!  The big day is November 1st at 3:30. 

I've recently established a newfound love for crafting. Maybe it's something I got from both of my grandmothers. Grandma Jean (my dad's mom) was a wonderful lady that loved Jesus, crafting, and playing Skip-Bo.  She taught me a lot of her tricks of the trade. My other grandmother, Grandma Jo, (my mom's mom) is another great lady that loves Jesus and crafting. She's one of the best seamstresses I've ever met. I'll blog about them one of these days.  Anyways, maybe I got some of their crafting skills. Crafting is great stress reliever for me. Check out my pics!

"I love you because..." idea thanks to Pinterest and Bible study ladies.  I need a dry erase marker stat!

Fall wreath. 

Pumpkin painting. 

Fall porch!

Non-craft related but fun:

Haley and I on the train in Oak Ridge last weekend.  She and I will craft one of these days!  Heading to the corn maze with her tomorrow. Should be an adventure.  Cant wait!

Hope you enjoyed the radio story. I know I did!  Can't wait to pee my pants at the haunted house. 

Change a Life. Mentor a child.

I've had this post on my mind for awhile, but I knew my heart wasn't ready.  Now I'm ready to share one of my most favorite things I've been doing over the past few months. Mentoring a child. 

If you know me, you know I have a crazy big heart for kiddos.  If you don't, here's some background. I grew up watching my momma serve at church every chance possible in the children's ministry. Whether it was Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, or holding babies in the nursery, she was there. Following her lead, I grew up helping out with the kiddies too.  I also had 3 younger brothers that I would "babysit" (AKA boss around) when my parents had a much-needed date night. 

During college, I worked at Premier Athletics teaching gymnastics to kids ages 2-13. Sidenote-they have amazing programs. Get your kids in classes!  When I graduated, I took a job working at an elementary school as an interpreter. I always joked that if I didn't interpret, I would be a kindergarten teacher. (Except now I wouldn't because teachers have WAY too many evaluations, tests, and requirements to meet each year. School is a lot different than it used to be. But that's another story.)

Last February, I left my job at Knox County Schools to take a position as a video relay interpreter. Y'all. This was the first time in YEARS that my job didn't directly relate to children on a daily basis. I cried when I left Knox County on my last day. (Maybe that sounds dramatic, but I just love the children).  Long story short, I missed the kids and some work buddies, but nothing else from the old job. I LOVE my job now. 

EXCEPT. Something was missing.  I knew exactly what it was, too. The kids. The relationship you build. The fun. The silliness. Funny faces. Sticky fingers. Coloring. Joking. Playing.  Laughing. 

God put a crazy idea on my heart to join the Big Brothers Big Sisters program of Knoxville. It's a program where people volunteer to be a mentor to an underprivileged child. Here's a link if you want to learn more about it.  www.tennesseebig.org

I started the application process with some doubts. Is this REALLY what I want to do?  What if my kid doesn't like me?  What if I'm not the right match?  Y'all. These people who work at Big Bro Big Sis are AMAZING at what they do!  It took a few months, but I got matched with a little girl in August.  The first day I met her, we decided to go to a movie together. She'd never been to a movie theater in her life. Ever. It's so fun see her have new experiences. 

I want her to know it's about more than just spending money. It's about teaching her about life. About being a positive influence on this sweet girl that is oh-so-smart.  About emphasizing to her how important it is to get a good education. About showing her Jesus.  About telling her that she has a chance to grow up and live her dreams. 

Here's to the future and cherishing every moment I get to spend with this sweet child. If you're lucky, you may just get to meet her!  

Meet Haley. 

Dog park date!

TN Valley Fair!

100th Anniversary of Disney on Ice

What's Disney on Ice without cotton candy?

Until next time, consider signing up for Big Brother Big Sister.  Change a life. Mentor a child. 

The Adventures of Coco and Cheyenne

Brandon has started trying to teach Cheyenne the basics of doggy etiquette. She's a little wild and crazy, so he borrowed a shock collar (YIKES!) from our friends.  She's learning to sit, stay, walk on a leash, and not to jump on humans. I'm proud to say she's becoming an upstanding member of doggie society. 

Recently, we've been trying to take the girls to the dog park every chance we get. It feels so great outside and I know they have a ton of energy to get out!  It's always funny to watch them when we get there. 

Coco is kind of a diva (ok, a really BIG diva) and this is what she tends to do.

Explore on her own. She might be a little bit of an introvert. 

Then there's Cheyenne. This is how SHE explores at the dog park. 

She's the brown blur on the left.  Running around like a crazy girl!

Then, there are dogs like this one. I could not believe the amount of slobber coming out of this guy's mouth.  

It was NASTY!  Let's hope and pray Cheyenne never gets super slobbery like this. 

Last time we went, Brandon tried to teach Cheyenne to jump from the dock to get the frisbee.  

Instead, the frisbee just got stuck in the water. We're still working on the dock-jumping skill. 

She finally decided to jump in from the other side of the bank with some coercion to get the frisbee. 

Oh look!  Coco found a boyfriend!  She liked him a LOT.

The girls love the hanging on the deck too. 

Lots of more fun things to come!