Packing and Babies

So, I've found this new obsession...it's called packing! We don't have a house yet but almost all of our apartment is currently in a cardboard box in the closet. I absolutely love organizing and making hedge way on a seemingly daunting task so packing is the perfect part time job! Mark thinks I'm crazy...and he's probably right. I started with small boxes weeks and weeks ago and I haven't stopped since. By the time we close on a house, moving will be a breeze!

Speaking of part time jobs...I got the job at Favorite Time Academy in Acworth!! I've been training this week and my official start day is on Monday. An opening came up in the infant room so I get to work with the babies! I love it so far...running around barefoot with precious little bits. What more could I ask for?! I am so excited about the opportunity to pray over "my babies" and watch them grow on a daily basis. Lots of good future mommy practice!

Mama's 50th Birthday

This past Thursday was Mama's 5oth birthday. Mark and I ran home for a day so that we could make the surprise party that us older kids threw together. Almost all of the crew were there and we're growing! Let's see...2 parents, 11 kids at home, 1 in college, 4 married with spouses attending, and 2 engaged with significant others attending...and that's not counting the 3 older kids that couldn't make it! I love my crazy big family and I get so excited each time we add a new addition...whether it's a brother or sister-in-law or a sibling or two!

And the woman who makes it all happen...Mama! She is the most organized, patient, loving, and godly woman that I know! For her birthday, we made a poster with a list of 50 reasons why we love her. With all of the kids pitching in to help, you can imagine the laughs that we had. She's amazing and the youngest 50 year-old I've ever met! I would be lying if I didn't say that I want to be like her when I grow up...and according to my husband, the resemblance has already started to happen!

Mmm, mmm, good!

When Mark and I got married, my amazing mother-in-law subscribed us to Taste of Home's Healthy Cooking magazine.  We have fallen in love with it and we (ok, so maybe it's just "I") get so excited when it arrives.  I've found so many great recipes that are tasty and not bad for us.  Here's my new favorite...

Chocolate Peanut Butter Parfaits

2 TB reduced-fat chunky peanut butter

2 TB plus 2 cups cold fat-free milk

1 cup plus 6 TB reduced-fat whipped topping (Cool Whip)

1 package (1.4 oz) sugar-free instant chocolate fudge pudding

3 TB finely chopped salted peanuts (optional)

1.  In small bowl, combine peanut butter and 2 TB milk.  Fold in 1 cup whipped topping; set aside.  In another small bowl, whisk remaining milk with the pudding mix for 2 min.  Let stand for 2 min. or until soft-set.  

2.  Spoon half of the pudding into six parfait glasses or dessert dishes.  Layer with reserved peanut butter mixture and remaining pudding.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.  Refrigerate remaining whipped topping.

3.  Just before serving, garnish each parfait with 1 TB whipped topping and 1-1/2 tsp peanuts (optional).

Makes 6 parfaits.

146 calories, 6 g fat, 1 g fiber

 

Is this really happening?

Okay, just to get everyone up to speed, here's what has happened to us in the past few weeks...

May 2nd - My interview with Cornerstone Prep

May 3rd - Cornerstone Prep offered me a job!

May 5th - I took the job!

May 5th - Mark got us connected with a real estate agent so we can buy a house!

May 6th - Mark tried to apply for a UPS job online but the system would not allow him to finish the application because there were no openings.

May 7th - I set up an interview at Favorite Time Academy for a fulltime summer job.

May 7th - Mark spoke with a mortgage broker to get us preapproved for a loan.

May 8th - Mark looked at the UPS site again and this time it let him complete the application! We're hoping that means there's an opening!

May 8th - We are preapproved for a loan!!

May 9th - Our real estate agent took us to see 2 potential houses!

May 10th - I graduated from Berry!

May 13th - I interviewed with Favorite Time for a summer position.


We're waiting to see what else can be added to the list. God is throwing doors open left and right! We are blown away daily.

It's really happening...we're moving to Acworth!

Graduation

Graduation is such a strange thing. You work and work and work...and about the time you think it's over, you work some more. Papers, projects, homework, really hard math problems, even harder math labs, proofs, student teaching hours, lesson plans, paperwork, portfolios. And then you're done. But are you?

I happily graduated from Berry on Saturday and it feels so weird. As far as I know, the only thing I have left to do is perhaps turn in my post office box key (yeah, I so forgot to do that before graduation!) but there's this nagging fear that something bigger was left undone. Surely, I have one more math problem? But I don't. When does this feeling go away? When will I really feel like college is over? Perhaps, when my new, real job starts...?