What's Up February

   Happy Wednesday, Y'all

Today, I'm joining Shay, and Sheaffer for their What's Up Wednesday link-up. 

Every month we answer the same list of questions based on how things are currently going in our lives. 

The questions are...

 

What am I eating?

I ordered a pizza to be delivered last night, knowing I would be busy working on a grad school project when I got home and wouldn't want to cook. And because I got a large one, I also knew I'd have leftovers for the next day (today). This pizza, topped with goat cheese and honey, is the perfect mix of savory and sweet. I tried it once and now it has become my new favorite. So good!

What am I reminiscing about?

Sweet memories like the ones below... These pictures popped up in my Facebook memories the other day. I still remember this day. My dad was in the rehab clinic after a bad fall. And seeing his girls definitely brightened his mood/spirit. It was so fun watching them with him, too. ...especially Daisy, who spent the majority of her time in the chair beside his bed, chatting away. My dad absolutely positively loved being a Pawpaw. He was born for that role. And I'm so so glad that he got the chance to meet and love on both of my nieces before he passed away. Memories like this bring so much joy to my heart :)

 

 What am I loving?

I'm loving the seemingly ordinary, every day stuff that goes along with my job. The stuff that doesn't always have a picture added on Facebook, but still holds such a big place in my memories. After all, sometimes it is the little things that take up the most room in your heart.

What have I been up to?

This past weekend was fun. On Friday, some friends and I went our for lunch after the school's olympics events were over. Then on Saturday afternoon, we had a welcome to Senegal get-together for one of our new AGWM-ers. And then on Sunday, some friends and I went out for lunch after church and then I came home and did a bit of computer work. It made for a full weekend. But it was so fun :)

What am I dreading? 

Honestly... Nothing.

What am I working on?

Newsletters - Want to know what's up with my ministry? Watch your inboxes/mailboxes. Something fun will be coming your way soon.

 What am I excited about?

My people were quite excited about the Science experiment we did yesterday. It was fun watching their creative minds at work. Experiments can sometimes be a little chaotic and potentially messy and not always the easiest to undertake. I hate I didn't get a picture. But that's okay... Y'all, I just love seeing my people get excited about learning! And times like that always make teaching so very exciting!

What am I watching?

I've been re-watching a couple of Big Bang Theory episodes each night. Although, in the spirit of full disclosure, I haven't really been watching it all that closely. I've actually just had it playing in the background as a way of having a bit of background noise while I'm doing working around the apartment or on the computer or something like that. I would like to find a new show to watch, though. Any suggestions?

What am I reading?

I'm currently reading my 9th and 10th books of the year. I've started reading two books at one time... One is always a "for fun" type of read. And the other is always a "for learning" type of read (so, either about teaching, missions, theology, or bettering myself in some way). I'm finding that I'm spending far more time reading than before, as I'm trying to spend less time on my phone. And since I keep the iPad on "airplane mode" while reading, I'm not being bombarded with notifications like I normally would be. And while I didn't intend for reading to simply take the place of my phone, it's been a "happy coincidence." So I'm not complaining :)

What am I listening to?

I've been on a Greatest Showman music kick lately. It's the perfect music to accompany paper writing for grad school. Just saying :)

What am I wearing?

I'm wearing my hair down a lot more lately. The main reason for that? Well, it is most definitely more enjoyable to wear it this way when it's not ridiculously hot and humid outside, causing my hair to instantly frizz. So yay for cooler and less humid days! My hair and I are both thankful for that :) 

 What am I doing this weekend?

We're having a handball tournament at my school this weekend. So I'm sure I'll be out a bit, watching that. Past that, I'm planning to stay after school on Friday and finish lesson prep for the upcoming week. That way I can get it done before handball starts and hopefully not have to come back and work over the weekend. Then on Saturday and Sunday I plan to do a bit of grad school, go to church, and rest/relax or maybe hang out with friends or do whatever else I end up finding to do this weekend :)

What am I looking forward to next month?

Spring Break is at the end of next month!

What else is new?

I had a big Literature Review assignment due last night. And y'all... I love these types of assignments. Seriously. I love researching online and in various books. I love pouring through journal articles. I love watching the process go from a blank page to 10+ pages of information. I absolutely hate taking a test. But I  100% really do love writing papers. And yes, I do realize how nerdy that makes me sound. It's okay. I fully accept it :)

And that's what I'm up to this month.

What about you?

What are YOU up to this month?

Randomness on a Tuesday

 Happy Tuesday, Y'all

Today, I'm joining Ashley and Erika for their monthly Tuesday Talk link-up, where bloggers come together and talk about whatever is on our mind at the moment. 

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Want to know what's on my mind at the moment?

A whole bunch of randomness, like...

Today is my brother's birthday. He's such a great guy! He loves his wife and daughters and treats them like the queen/princesses they are. He's generous and kind. He works ridiculously hard. I could keep going. I'm so grateful to have him as my brother. He's the best :)

Y'all... What is up with the weather back home?! It's so so cold there right now, which is obviously, so unlike Alabama. Also... Where were these cold temps when I was there last month? I'm a big fan of the cold. So I might be just a little jealous at the moment. Maybe... ;)

Valentines Day was this weekend. I can't say it's my most favorite holiday ever. It's the #1 day for magnifying singleness, whether you want it magnified or not. But, it was okay. I had breakfast with a friend. I joined one of my supporting churches in their online worship service. I did a bit of work in my classroom. I did some baking. And I spent some time resting/relaxing before starting the week ahead. Not a bad way to spend the day...

Oh... I did get this adorably cute card from a friend's son the other day. And I also got a couple roses and some candy too :) 

Last night, I called my mom and since she was at my brother's house, I got to chat with both of my nieces. They took me all around the house, pointing out all their favorite books and toys, telling me about their day, about them having school cancelled due to the crazy weather they're having, and more. It was definitely a super fun way to end my night :)

Last week, I was back in school. By the end of the week, I felt like I was finally back in my groove and all was good. But after 7 weeks away, I was absolutely exhausted every night the first few days back. One thing I am super grateful for is all the planning I did before leaving in December. Since I didn't know how long I'd need to be gone, I had to plan enough sub plans to last a long long time. And now, I am quite pleased with Past Me for doing that. It's kind of nice to have my afternoons/evenings free to hang out with friends or to go home and do absolutely nothing. I think I'm going to enjoy that :)

And speaking of school... I saw this quote and it's stuck with me.

 Oh how true it is!

There's all kind of other stuff on my mind. But these are the main things that made the cut. What about you? What's going on with you today?

The Little Things

Happy Saturday, Y'all

As of today, I have been back in Senegal for 2 weeks. And after a week of quarantine due to international travel, I have now been officially back at work for one full week. 

And I've been thinking...

My time in the States was necessary. I needed the time to take care of my ankles. I needed the time with my family. And I needed the time to rest. Physical rest, mental rest, and spiritual rest. So my time away was good.

But even if it was necessary and good, I still missed my people here. I missed seeing "my" kids. I missed my ministry -teaching. And while I was still doing many aspects of my job while in the States, I still missed actually being here.

But what I missed most were the seemingly little things that fill my day when teaching.

And as I sat at home last night, I thought... This is some of the stuff I love most about my job...

I love the seemingly ordinary, every day stuff that goes along with my job. 

I love helping students study for an upcoming test or prepping for a science experiment.

I love reading together as part of a class novel study or even coloring a picture as we review phonics sounds. 

I love teaching tricky math concepts and I love helping students revise their 600 word essay. 

I love practicing behavior management strategies and giving lessons on good conversation skills.

 I love having (and listening in on) the good, in-depth class discussions on Bible passages. 

I love all those moments that don't always have a picture to go along with them, yet they hold such a big place in my memories.

There are so many reasons that I love what I do. But today I’m focusing on some of the smaller things...

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  Today, I'm joining Erika and Andrea, for their weekly Friday Favorites linkup and sharing about one of my current favorite parts of my job.

My Love Language

 Happy Thursday, Y'all

Today I am joining a Shay and Erika for their monthly Let's Look blog link-up. Each month there's a topic that bloggers write on, looking at a specific topic in their life at the moment. And this month... It's all about our Love Languages.

What are the 5 love languages? 

I vaguely remember taking the 5 love languages quiz many years ago. When I read the descriptions of the 5 "languages," it was quite obvious to me that Words of Affirmation was my thing. And when I actually took the quiz, my score most definitely proved that fact.

Want to know the quickest way to make me smile?

Write me a kind note/e-mail. Or even give me a (genuine) compliment.

I love when people will encourage me and acknowledge that I'm actually doing a good job. I can be incredibly hard on myself. So to hear that I'm actually doing okay... Well that means a lot. 

Also, I'm an external processor. When I'm sad or worried or nervous or stressed, I need to talk it out. I need to share my heart. And if I know someone cares enough to genuinely listen to my heart and offer helpful advice, it means the world.

If someone writes me a note, I'll hang on to it for the longest time. If someone recognizes something I've done well and mentions it, I'm beaming for days. If someone gives me a genuine, non generic "good job" type of compliment, I feel like I can relax because I actually am doing a good job.

But at the same time...

Want to know the quickest way to crush my spirit and hurt my heart? 

Criticize me in some way. 

Trust me. It'll stay with me (for what seems like) forever.

As a child, if a bully said something mean to me or made fun of me in some way, it stuck with me for a long, long time. 

As an adult, if someone is critical of an idea I have, it hurts my heart. Even if they come back later and say they didn't mean it and my idea would be great... The words have been said and that's all my brain can think about.

If someone dismisses my voiced fears or concerns, saying they're "no big deal" I shut down. It crushes my spirit.

I will remember hurtful things someone has said to me or about someone/something I care about for (almost) forever. And yes, I can forgive the person. But forgetting is often another story...

So what about you?

What's your love language?

Q&A Time

Happy Saturday Y'all

A few days ago, I asked friends on Instagram to share any questions they may have about my life/ministry here in Senegal, West Africa. So I have included these in this post. If you're reading and have any other questions after this, either ask below or send me an email. 

I'm basically an open book :)

I came to Senegal for the first time in July 2009 and I’ve been here ever since (minus 1.5 years halfway through when I went back to help out with my dad).

I am the only Special Education Teacher at my K-12 school. So I could potentially have students in all grades. At the moment, I have them in all grades but K, 1st, 2nd, and 8th. And yes, it’s just as crazy and fun as you would think :)

Thankfully they are not all in my room at the exact same time. But we do often have a lot of overlap of different grades meeting at once. So I do a lot of rotation style teaching. And thankfully I have someone helping out in my room for half of the day this semester. So that helps too. Honestly, it isn’t always easy. But we make it work. And everyone is learning and happy, so all is good.

I love teaching Bible the most. Second would probably be a tie between  English/Writing and History. I teach all subjects (just not to the same grades). And honestly, I enjoy it all. ...except, I may not love some things as much as others. Case in point: Higher level Math. Yuck!

As of now, I am planning to come back to the States this summer. I need to speak in a few churches and do a bit of missions support raising. I also need to get some CEUs for my education side of things, so I’m hoping to attend the MEGA Conference in Alabama this summer as well.

I did NOT have COVID. My school requires teachers to quarantine if they have traveled internationally. The requirement is 3 days. But after discussing it with my supervisor, I chose 7 days just to be extra cautious, considering the more high-risk nature of some of my students.

We are currently in-person (F2F). Here’s hoping it stays that way the rest of the school year. :)

Ceebu yaap - It's the most deliciously cooked mixture of rice, beef, and veggies. Typically, it's cooked long and slow and is full of incredible flavor. While I do enjoy all of the Senegalese dishes I've tried, this one is by far my favorite.

That’s a hard one. They’re both easier for different reasons. 

The US is easier because there are certain protocols in place for teaching SPED that we don’t necessarily have here. Plus there’s Walmart and Target and all sorts of Teacher Stores to easily and cheaply buy resources I need. And in terms of finances, I get paid far more teaching in the US.

But, at the same time, it’s easier here. I don’t have nearly as much paperwork to do here. I teach in a Christian school so I can freely teach about/discuss God and His awesomeness with my students. And I don't really care about the money. That's not why I'm here.

I love Alabama. It will always be “home” for me. But, I don’t know... Some days I could see myself being here forever and then other days... 

And if I’m being honest, while I do love Alabama, I could be happy living anywhere. I really could. So even if I end up moving back to the US at some point, there's no guarantee that I'll stay in Alabama.

My ankles are definitely improving and are better than when I left Dakar 7 weeks ago. But they're still not at 100%. I have done damage to the muscles in the left one (the good one). Plus, my range of motion is awful in that one. So I’m still having occasional pain/swelling in it. And then the right one (the broken one) still has the fracture that won't completely heal for some reason. But my range of motion is far better in that one. I may never be back at 100%. But at least I’m not in pain all the time anymore. And for that, I am grateful.

I am a Missionary Associate with the Assemblies of God. My primary ministry is to teach at Dakar Academy. Therefore, I am a Missionary Teacher :)

I’m currently studying the book of Romans.

Help me pray for continued healing in my ankles. Help me pray for peace of mind, as well.

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 Today, I'm joining Erika and Andrea, for their weekly Friday Favorites linkup and sharing a few questions about my one of my most favorite parts of my life... my job and my life in Senegal. A few days ago, I asked friends on Instagram to share any questions they may have. And these are the ones in this post. If you have any other questions after this, either ask below or send me an email and I'll be happy to answer them for you. I'm basically an open book, after all :)

And yes... I do realize it's Saturday. I fully intended to post this yesterday (Friday). But I ended up staying in bed most of the day, taking full advantage of my last day of peace and quiet in quarantine, with very little screen time. So blogging was definitely low on my list of priorities.

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Currently

  Happy Thursday, Y'all

Today I'm joining Anne from In Residence for her monthly link-up, where we share what's currently going on in our lives. And each month, Anne gives us a list of prompts to use to guide our posts. 

February's prompts are...

  * loving *  reading * remembering * sharing * wishlisting *

I'm currently loving how sweet friends and co-workers have been, offering to make grocery store or veggie stand runs for me, delivering sweet treats at my door, etc. I do not have COVID. But because I flew internationally, I was required by my school to quarantine before starting back to work. And due to the higher "at risk" status of some of my students, we agreed that my quarantine should be for a full week. Thankfully, I still had more than enough sub plans still left for my crew, since I didn't know how long I would be staying in the US. Plus, my sub is amazing. So I’m loving that too :)

I'm currently reading my 7th book of the year. I knew this movie was coming out on Netflix soon (yesterday, actually) and that I wanted to watch it. But I wanted to read the book first. After all, 9 times out of 10, the book is better than the movie.

I'm currently remembering all the fun memories made with my family while in the States. I hate it took an injury to make the trip happen. But I am so very grateful for all the extra time I had with my people, in between my doctor/Physical Therapy appointments. 

I'm currently sharing little on the blog. I love writing. But for whatever reason, my heart just hasn't been in it lately. Maybe it's my brain's way of saying, take a break... 

I'm currently wishlisting nothing really... Well, maybe a few books I’d like to buy for myself next payday:)

 And since it's my blog and I can, I thought I'd share a couple more :)

I'm currently feeling glad to be back in Dakar. I may not be able to be back at work, seeing my students just yet. But still... It's nice to be back.

I'm currently resting a lot. I am sad to not be with my students. But I know they're in good hands. And so I am taking this week at home as a blessing in disguise. Time to slowly recover from jet lag and rest my ankles after all that travel... 

I'm currently eating this deliciousness. I made fajita chicken nachos and some homemade chips & salsa the other night for dinner. And since I made so much, I had leftovers yesterday and again today. 

I'm currently enjoying the class I'm taking. I'm learning so much from it. The textbook and other required readings are actually interesting. And my professor is amazing, too! Yay for "fun" learning times!

And that's about it for me.

So what about you?

What are you currently up to?