House Update / Mother's Day

My house actually looks like...A HOUSE!!!

I am still amazed by how fast my house is going up! It's like every time I go over there, something MAJOR has been done! I never believed them when they told me I'd move in by end of June or early July, but now I do!!! I have to add that the last few pics are not of MY house...they may work quickly, but not THAT quickly!!! ;) My roomie Sarah and I snuck into a house that is almost finished and found MY CABINETS! So of course I took a picture of how they'll look in the kitchen and bathroom! My kitchen will look different though. I have all black appliances (not stainless) and a darker counter top (black with light specs). I also have hardwood floors instead of the vinyl tiles, so I am excited to see how it all comes together! I am a tad bit obsessed with my cabinets though. I think they look very modern and warm the kitchen up. Is it bad to be in love with cabinetry?!?!



Other than the house updates, nothing else is really new here. On Sunday we celebrated Mother's Day with my family and the boy's family. Again, it is so nice to spend holidays with BOTH families...they all genuinely enjoy one another's company, and I could not be more blessed!



My mother is one of the most amazing people I know. She has always been such a wonderful role model for me. She is loving, hard-working, and goes out of her way to help others. I wrote a blog called "On Being a Woman" awhile back that included more about how amazing my mother is. Feel free to check it out if you never got to read it! I honestly don't know what I would ever do without my mom. I am a lucky girl to get along so well with my mother, and I count her as one of my best friends. Here is a video I made for her last year for her Mother's Day present:

I included some pretty embarrassing pictures of my family, huh?!?! I'm sure mom will LOVE that I posted this on here for all to see! ;) Anyway...I love my mom, and am thankful for all she has done, and continues to do, for me. My only hope is that someday I will be as great of a mom to my kids as she has been to my brother and me. Thanks, mom! We all love and appreciate you!!!

I am grateful for...

1.) My mom!

2.) My cabinets and how cute they look! ;)

3.) Mid-week personal days...SO GREAT!!!

...And God said, "Let there be walls!"

I have to make this post fairly quick, as it is presently 10:51 P.M., AKA way too late for this tired teacher to be up on a school night! But I had to post the updated pictures on here, because as the title suggests...I HAVE WALLS!!! Well, the beginnings of them anyway. My house looks so small right now! When I saw the slab I thought, "Is that IT?!" And now with the walls up, it still seems pretty small inside. I guess I just need to see the whole thing together, including the second floor. When I went in my friend's mom's house (same house as mine), it seemed so much bigger! I hope the same will be true of mine when it's finished! Here are some updated pictures, now that I purchased a new USB cord for my camera! :)

I was going to put captions under the pics, but for some reason this site won't let me. I am too tired to try harder to figure out a way to do so - sorry!

Today was one of those days that I felt very frustrated with my job. It felt like everyone was "needing" things last minute, so I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off first thing in the morning. My kids got yelled at by the music teacher, who is seriously the Pied Piper of children. If they made HIM mad, there was no hope for me today!!! It was very hard to stay patient, and I am having a very difficult time enjoying the last few weeks of school with my kids as I vowed I was going to do. Luckily tomorrow is a new day...let's hope it's a better one!

The contractor said they MIGHT be able to finish framing my house by the weekend IF the weather is good. It rained today...ugh. PLEASE pray for sunny weather the next few days! If not for my house (HAHA), for your own happiness and enjoyment!!!

Sorry this post is so random and not very well thought out. Again, I am one tired teacher who has had all of her patience drained from her today! But thanks for putting up with me and reading anyway! :)

On an end note, I found this Bible verse on one of my old college friend's AIM away messages. It is so fitting, especially for what I have been trying to do these past few weeks - put my trust in God's plan over my own.

"Trust in the Lord with all of your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths."

~Proverbs 3:5-6

Enough said. Will do, God! ;)

I am grateful for...

1.) Going to bed in about ten minutes. It is MUCH needed!

2.) A new day to start fresh.

3.) Teacher appreciation week, even though some of us didn't get to feel "appreciated" with ice cream today! :( HAHA. Bummer...

Still Trusting in His Plan

It has become apparent (yet again!) that I really need to let go of my plans and let God take over....

To make a very long story short...me and my "Aqua Pod" mate have been looking to change classrooms for a few years now. The opportunity recently presented itself to move, and we jumped at the chance. It was with some hesitation, as we thought we were going to have to go our separate ways and move to classrooms apart from one another. After MANY different scenarios presented to us, MANY different feelings involved, and talking to MANY people about it, we finally left it up to the administration to decide where to put us. As it turns out, it seems that they will PROBABLY put us together. This is a blessing for the both of us, as we have grown so close as co-workers and friends in our three years in the "Aqua Pod." (HAHA) On the other hand, this move is causing another very good friend and co-worker to have to move rooms. I have such mixed feelings - I wish everyone could be happy!!! The only good thing is that I still get to have her as my WONDERFUL neighbor this summer in my new house, which I am sure will help us to become even closer than we already are!

Speaking of the house - it continues to be a work in progress! I swear my house has got to be the most photographed one in the neighborhood! All I can say is that my poor children someday will HATE ME for always having a camera in their face! I just don't want to miss a thing! Here are some updated pictures of the progress:

Blocks, minimal pipes, and mud! :)

Pebbles and pipes!

The back of my house, and my lovely grass ;)

Me and the progress

They poured the concrete slab, and that is apparently a big deal because now they can start framing it and making it look like a house!!! I do have pictures of the slab on my camera, but Sadie decided to chew the USB cord that connects my camera to my computer!!! So unfortunately I can't upload those until I get a new one. Silly, Sadie....

As the title of this post suggests, I am still trying to trust in God's plan for me and not my plans. This has been an easy thing to do at times, and difficult to do at others. For instance, I am grateful for my pending home, but I am worried about finances more than I ever have been before. It's like the more progress they do, the more real the situation becomes, and the more dollar signs I begin to see! $$$ I know I will be able to pay the bills, but my shopping and eating out will have to go! I am grateful for my wonderful boyfriend, someone I know that God has placed in my life for a very important reason. Yet it can be difficult at times to date someone who is pretty much my polar opposite in terms of hobbies and how he spends his free time! (He knows this, so this would be no surprise to him!) I am having to learn to ask for things I want or need, instead of just hoping he'll "know" what that is. I am not good at this, but I am trying! It is a learning process for me, and while I wouldn't change it for the world, it can be trying at times.

So again, I am putting my faith and trust in God in all areas of my life: relationships, career, house, and finances! I know that everything happens for a reason, and my only job in life is to do my best and to be grateful for all I am given. So....

I am grateful for...

1.) How happy Sadie is every day when I come home. (This makes up for all she destroys!)

2.) May, because hopefully those April showers will bring about May flowers!

3.) My student that was once angry and hard to handle, who is now kind, helpful, and a joy to be around! There is hope for all! :)

Finally...another post!!!

Have you missed me?!?! It has been forever since I've posted! Sorry!

Anyway...first item to update - my house!!! They finally got the permit approved, so they have started work on it. Here is the latest picture I have taken....MUD!!!

My wonderful teacher friend that lives three doors down from my lot has been great at updating me on what is going on with my house. Apparently today they are laying the blocks down, and once this rain lets up, they should pour the concrete slab. Once that happens, it should start looking more like a house - yay!!! :) I met with my contractor, and he is a really nice guy. He says my closing date should either be late June or early July. This was such a (good!) surprise for me! Originally they told me late July or early August, which as most of my teacher friends know, can be a crazy, busy time! So hopefully all goes as planned and I can get settled before school starts back up again.

Now on to my Easter update...

Easter was spent with my wonderful boyfriend, my family, and his family. It was great! Both of our families all went to Church together, which works out because both our families belong to the same parish. Going from Crossroads back to the full-blown Catholic Mass was kind of strange. I love both Churches for different reasons. We purposefully went to the Mass that Father Graham presided, because he is my family's favorite priest. I knew going to Mass that I was going to cry! You see, every Easter he always says the same homily. It is about a family he knows out in Arizona who couldn't have a baby, so they turned to fertility treatment. They ended up getting pregnant with five babies - all boys! A "basketball team" as they called it. The priest goes on to share that the family delivered all five babies naturally, and each of the five quickly passed away. He tells of how those babies are still part of their family, and they always think of them and consider them their guardian angels. The babies' first birthday landed on Easter Sunday the following year, hence why he has turned their story into a traditional homily each Easter Sunday.

Now, this story is sad enough on its own. Plenty of people cry upon hearing it year after year. However, for my family, the story holds a special place in our hearts for another reason. My mom and dad always wanted to have a third child. Unfortunately, my mom had a miscarriage when I was in fourth grade, and then another when I was in sixth grade. The last one was supposed to be born in April. So you can imagine the pain we all felt that year when we heard this Easter homily for the very first time. I think we all cried our eyes out for those five babies that passed, as well as for our little one that was taken from us way too soon. Ever since that Easter I still cry every time I hear that homily. It reminds me of my sister that I never got to have but have always so desperately wanted. We didn't know for sure if it was a girl or boy, but my mom named her Anne Marie, so we always thought of her as a little girl. I would've taken another brother, though! :)

So you can imagine my slight embarrassment crying over this story in front of all of my boyfriend's family! Haha. Oh well. The message was good: God is with you through all of life's journeys - the good, the bad, and the in-between. There was a reason we didn't get to welcome those two babies into our lives (the reason that is still unknown to me, but I have learned to accept it), and there is a reason that family in Arizona did not get to see those five little boys grow up. There is a reason for everything, and we must all trust in His plans for us, no matter how difficult they may be.

After Mass, my family took my boyfriend's parents out to lunch at Montgomery Inn - Mmmm! That has become the Ruwe family tradition on Easter; we eat ribs and chicken instead of the traditional Easter Brunch food! Haha. After some down time, we then all headed over to my boyfriend's family's house for Easter dinner with his whole extended family. It was so nice to spend all of Easter with BOTH of our families! It is such a blessing for me that our families get along so well. It is something I have always wanted, but never really thought would happen. I can say that it makes things much easier!!! (And more fun!!!)

So overall, life is good. Spring Break is going by waaaay too quickly, but it always does. I know that before I know it, summer will be here and I will be putting my kids on their buses for the last time. So my goal is to try my best to enjoy these next few months with my class, no matter how difficult it might be with the beautiful Spring weather and the end-of-the-year-craziness that always seems to creep into my students' behavior! Life is too short, so make the most of it and savor it while you can!

House Update

Many of my wonderful friends have been asking about updates on my house. Well, for a little while there, it was rather boring! I met with the finance department and had to provide all of the fun paperwork to get my loan. Good news is...I got approved! :) Once all that "boring" stuff was out of the way, I got to visit the design center and pick out all of my "stuff." I never knew how overwhelming this could be! The hardest decisions ended up being my kitchen (coordinating the darker cabinets I like with the wood floor I wanted), bathroom floors, and the siding/shutters colors! I am really happy with the decisions I made. I could list them all here, but I don't want to bore you! ;)



I found another house for sale in the neighborhood I am building in. It is my exact floor plan (like the one linked in my last post), but they did a lot better job of decorating! Haha. Their siding and shudders are pretty much what I picked (only my siding is a little lighter beige, and the shutters are a dark green...I can't tell if the ones in the pic are blue or green). They also have the "uglier" elevation upstairs (gives more room, but I think it looks bad from outside). For those of you who are curious, here are some of the upgrades I made. If you're not interested (which I don't really blame you! haha), feel free to stop reading now! ;)

~Upgraded front door (has a window in it)
~Insulated garage door
~Double sinks in the master bathroom
~Entrance to closet is in the master bedroom instead of master bathroom, and the bathroom door is moved down a little further (long story...door situation in some of the houses we toured were goofy)
~Ceiling fan in master bedroom
~6 recess lights in the family room
~Upgraded cabinets in kitchen (maple cabinets in a cherry-ish color - kind of dark)
~Dark counters (black with beige/white specs in it) with shiny finish to make them look more like granite (but of course I can't afford granite!)
~Hardwood floors in kitchen, dining area, and powder room (lighter than cabinets, but a medium-wood color)
~Pendant lighting over sink and counter island
~Upgraded appliances (dishwasher, stove, and an added microwave over the stove) in black

I will add more as I think of it...but that's it for now! Let me know ideas for paint colors! ;) And let me know if you want to come help paint my entire house this summer! (Haha...just kidding....well, kind of!)

Happy weekend!

I am grateful for...
1.) NOT getting the lovely illness(es) my teacher friends had this week, even though I thought I was getting it last night and this morning!
2.) The weekend - so needed!!!
3.) Sunshine! (But it's missing the warmer weather with it!)

God's Plan = So much better than mine!!!

Within a month of putting my trust in God's plan for me, I have realized that His plans are by far better than my own! Here is a reason why...

My dad had told me awhile back that I should look into buying a house. He said that it was silly of me to pay rent when the housing market is so great for a first time home buyer. I laughed. "Me? Buy a house?" I had said. "I am not married...I am one income...I don't have much savings. I don't want a fixer-upper - I am not handy. No, I don't think I'll buy a house." Flash forward a couple of months, and I saw a foreclosure in the neighborhood of one of my really good teacher friends. I thought I could afford it, but it sold the day I inquired about it. I then asked said friend to keep her eyes open for other foreclosures in the neighborhood. She offered to do that, but then mentioned that the neighborhood was running a deal at the moment and it might actually be cheaper to build a new house rather than buy an existing one. Sounded like an interesting (yet not believable) option, so I checked it out.

She was right! For about $100 more than I am paying for rent, I could be a home owner of this brand-new home! I initially qualified for way more of a loan than I could have ever hoped to get by myself, and so, with the support of my wonderful parents and boyfriend, I jumped on this great deal! I mean, this house is on the market right now for about $40,000 more than what I paid for mine, and is the exact same as what I am building (only it does have a few extra things, like a screened in porch and a fireplace). Mine will be brand new with my own decorating style, which in my opinion will look waaaay better than this house! (I think it looks really boring!) I get to pick out all of the "stuff" and make it just the way I want it. How perfect is that?!

To make it even MORE perfect, they had a deal on one of the lots that took the price down an extra $5,000 from the original cost. Guess where the "discount lot" just happened to be? Three doors down from one of my best teacher friend's house! Our dogs are buddies, and she is the one that introduced me to the best guy ever! ;) God really was looking out for my best interest - He even picked the perfect neighbors out for me!

This is just one example of how God's plan is far better than mine. I am so glad that I have "let go, and let God." I can't wait to see what else He has in store for me!!!

I am grateful for...
1.) Buying a house by myself!
2.) God's plan.
3.) My support system (family, boyfriend, friends, co-workers...)

Daniel and the Lion's Den

If you know me, you probably know my religious background - Catholic. This included Catholic grade school (K-8), Catholic high school, and if I had been given the chance from my parents, probably a Catholic college as well (I am glad I ended up at OU though - GO BOBCATS!!!). I know most every Bible story, and I can follow Catholic Mass procedures to a tee (kneel, sit, stand, kneel, stand, sign of the cross, shake hands, get in line for Communion, kneel, sit...you get the gist...). I like my religion. Sure, the Masses are long and a little traditional, but I am thankful that I had a religious background growing up. God has always been an important part of my life, and I know that the values I learned from my Catholic upbringing have helped shape the person I am today.

That being said, my only complaint is that I don't always "get something out" of the Catholic Mass. I was always taught that Mass is not meant for US to get anything out of it. It is a time to devote to God and worship Him; it is about Him, and not about us. I get that, but sometimes I do want to walk away with some "real life" advice from Church. So, I decided to get a little adventurous and check out a new type of "Church." I had heard about Crossroads from a very good friend of mine, and she had always invited me to join her to check it out. I always turned her offers down because I knew it wasn't what I was used to, and I wouldn't feel like I was at Church at all. However, after hearing about more and more people going and some of the "lessons" that were taught there, I finally jumped on the chance to check it out with my friend and her fiance. I am so glad I ventured out and tried something different!

Picture this - Super Bowl Sunday. This "Church" (or whatever it is!) is passing out free popcorn, hot dogs, pop, coffee, etc. to enjoy DURING the service! (This is after I passed people tailgating in the parking lot - cornhole included!) They had the "Super Bowl of Preaching," funny commercials, and even a local high school band perform for "half time!" It was hilarious and very, very cool. With all of the spectacles, I wondered, "Will I get anything from God out of this?!"

The answer was "yes!" One person started talking about the Bible story Daniel and the Lion's Den. I knew this story well (go Catholic education!). However, I never had a personal connection with it. This person went on to share a story about a time in his personal life when God had put him in the "lion's den" and he was left to trust in God's plan. We were asked to close our eyes and think about one thing that is our "lion," that we hold onto. He said that often times our lion is our plan - the dreams we make about what our lives should be. I immediately had a connection with this. I am a planner - I have always mapped out my life according to what I want to be doing at each age, and get very frustrated when things don't go according to my plans. Therefore, while we were sitting there, picturing our "lion" and giving control up to God, I found myself crying. Here I was sitting in a new environment, with complete strangers, and I had tears streaming down my face. It was scary to let go of "my plans," and instead trust in God's plan for me. But I came to realize that God is looking out for me, and has plans for me far more perfect than the ones I have for myself. I left Crossroads feeling better than I had when I entered, and I did feel like I had "gotten something" out of the service (I will not call it "Mass," because it really didn't seem like a Mass!). I felt a little guilty. I felt like the service had been about me (at least a little). But in all honesty, I do think it was about God. It was about God speaking words to me that I really, really needed to hear at the time; it was about His words touching me so much that I was brought to tears.

So I am officially letting go of "my plans" and putting my trust in Him. If God could protect Daniel from the lion just because Daniel had trusted in Him, surely God will protect me and make everything turn out okay if I simply put my trust in Him.

My challenge for you is to do just what I had done:
Close your eyes (after reading this, of course!). Picture yourself in a lion's den. What lion are you battling? What are you worried about that you should give up to God? Try to trust fully in His plan for you, and feel the huge load lifted from your shoulders. If you feel comfortable sharing, please post a comment and let me know if this has helped you in any way! I share my personal experience in hopes that it can touch someone out there in the same way that I was touched.

I am grateful for...
1.) Talking with my "teacher friends" after school, even though I had a lot of work that needed to be done! Haha.
2.) Alone time.
3.) Going "outside the box" and trying something I never thought I would.