Fishing, Anniversary Party, and What I Want to Be When I Grow Up

I am sitting here trying to figure out where the last few weeks have gone. Between having a 2 week long sinus infection and planning my parents 50th wedding anniversary, I just now realized that we are in March. And almost half-way through. Maybe it's true that time goes by faster the older you get, but THIS fast??

A few weeks ago Aaron was fishing in the pond just outside our house, and Austin came running in the house to tell me that Aaron had a big fish on the line and I needed to help. This was right in the middle of my took-too-much-sinus/sleep/allergy medicine time period and all I really wanted to do was crawl in the bed and sleep off my drug-induced brain fog, but in the spirit of trying to be a good mom (and because Robbie wasn't home to do it for me), I slipped some shoes on and walked out to the pond. When I got out there and saw that fish, I sobered right up. It was the biggest fish that we've ever caught out here and certainly the biggest fish Aaron had ever caught. The line was about to break so we had to work together to get the fish pulled up onto the bank without losing him. After I got him unhooked we put him in an ice chest. I'm not really sure why, but that seemed like the natural thing to do at the time.

Poor thing was so big that he couldn't even turn around, so he just sorta swam in place for a while. He weighed 7 1/2 pounds and was 22 inches long. I text Robbie a picture of it and he said to put ice in there because we needed to get it mounted so Aaron could hang it on his wall. So Aaron, Austin, and I worked together to get ice out to him. When Robbie got home we got him out and prepared him to go to the people that stuff animals so they can be wall hangings for a living.

We could live off of the animals we catch in our yard.

Just call us Swamp People.

Anyway, completely unrelated to animals on the walls, this month is my parents 50th wedding anniversary. My brothers and I decided that we wanted to have a reception for them, so that's where my past few weeks have gone. I went to their house and got pictures that started in the 1960's and ended with now. 50 years of pictures in one album done over a 2 week period. I got the pictures in order as best I could and just went for it. It was so neat to see my parents together as teenagers, young parents, parents of teens, and grandparents. And although there have been several health issues along the way, they are still going strong. I am so very thankful that God chose them for me. When I was placed for adoption, my life could've gone so many different ways. But the way that God chose for me has been perfect for me and I am well aware of how blessed I have been.

We had the reception last Saturday and it went well. I got to meet my mom's best friend from high school (and maid of honor).  She was the one that introduced my parent's to each other and set them up on a blind date. I saw people there that I haven't seen since I was a child and it was neat to catch up with everyone. My parents cut the cake together and fed it to each other. So fun to watch!!

How cute are they??

I'm glad that we were able to do this for our parents. They have been such good role models for my brothers and me. They have always put God first, and they have taught us so many valuable life lessons.

My mom and her maid of honor, Barbara

Somewhere in the midst of everything else, Aaron has been playing basketball at his school. He's not as comfortable on the basketball court as he is on the soccer field, but I give him credit for at least trying it this year. Luckily it was a short season and ended just in time for spring soccer to start up.

I've also been substitute teaching on and off over the past few weeks at the elementary. While I was in college, I never once thought that I wanted to be a teacher, but after being in the classroom some, I've decided that I love it and I think it's what I want to do when I grow up. Now that my kids are both in school full time, and my house is built, I want to focus on what's best for me. Since I already have my bachelors degree, I'm looking into going the non-traditional route to teaching, but every card has to play out perfectly for that to happen by this fall. Please pray for me on this journey. If I am hired as a teacher for next fall, my summer will be full of getting in the required courses before August. I know that everything happens in God's time, and it may not be my time just yet, but I know I can do this if given the opportunity, so remember me in your prayers as I go through this please.