I know that January is typically the month that most people associate with making goals and New Year's resolutions, but I think it is never too late to begin thinking about ways to improve one's life throughout the remainder of the year. While I did not sit down and make a resolution in January, I have recently begun creating a list of goals (resolutions, bucket-list; whatever you want to call it) that I hope to accomplish in the coming year. While I usually do a great job when starting new things, my follow through is often less than stellar. Since I want to stick with many of my goals for 2012, I figured posting them would give me the accountability that I so often need. My husband is also helping me to work through the list, so I am hoping that his encouragement and participation will also serve as a motivator.
GOALS FOR 2012
1) Eat out less, and cook more: Anyone who knows me knows that the kitchen is probably my least favorite room in the apartment. I have never enjoyed cooking, and to be quite frank, I have never been very good at it either. Matt has always been the cook in our household, but as of late, cross country and track have been taking up large portions of his time. Most nights it has not been realistic for him to do the cooking, since he often gets home late. Before Christmas break, we solved our scheduling problems by grabbing dinner out several nights per week. After taking a close look at our finances, however, we realized that we could save A LOT of money by choosing to eat out only on the weekends. Money is pretty tight right now since we only have one income ( and let's be real, teachers don't bring in the big bucks), so it would be foolish of us to throw money away unnecessarily. Since Matt's schedule will not be changing any time soon, we have only one solution: Amber will have to cook. I started working towards this goal in earnest last week, and I am happy to report that each of my dinners was a raging success. I learned that if I did not get impatient and, tried my hardest to stick with the recipe, I would be rewarded with a quality meal. Now that I know that it is indeed possible for me to make dinner most nights, I am trying to figure out how to eliminate waste. Since I am only cooking for two, it is hard for us to eat everything before the food spoils, or we get sick of a particular dish. Keep your fingers crossed that I can continue to keep myself in the kitchen!
2) Get back into shape: Like many of you out there, I seriously hate to workout. I love participating in organized sports, but the thought of running around a track or working out in a gym is not a pleasant thought. After watching my weight creep up in the last year, however, I have come to the realization that it is necessary for me to establish a workout routine. While scouring the internet for a possible program, I ran across the Couch to 5K training program. Basically, the premise of the program is to ease a couch potato into running three miles. The program lasts for nine weeks, and only asks for 30 minutes of running, 3 times a week. The program also takes into account that many participants have not worked out in awhile, so it definitely starts with manageable workouts. Since I know that I have zero drive when it comes to getting into shape, I have asked Matt to do this program alongside of me. I am hoping that he will help me to follow it through to completion. If I can get to the point where I can run three miles, I am going to sign up for a 5K in Huntsville sometime in the spring. We are beginning the program today, so I will keep you posted!
3) Find more stable employment: Those of you who have kept up with this blog know our job predicament well. While Matt has been able to hold onto his job, I am yet to find one in this area. Since we are living on one income, and a relatively small one at that, I have continually been trying to find more stable employment. While subbing keeps me busy everyday, it only pays minimum wage. I would love to find a job that allows me to contribute more to our future plans of paying off my student loans and buying a house. As of now, it seems like it will be years before we can do either! Fortunately, this goal is on its way to being achieved. Beginning March 6th, I will be teaching eleventh grade at Sparkman High School in Madison. The only downside to this position is that it is only for the remainder of the school year, and I know for a fact that it will not carry over into the 2012-2013 school year. Despite the fact that it is temporary, I am hoping that filling this leave of absence will help me to get my foot in the door at Sparkman, or other surrounding schools. I know that a few schools in the area will have openings in the spring, so I am praying that Matt and I can both land full time jobs for the upcoming school year. We would appreciate your prayers as we continue to search for more permanent employment for the both of us.
4) Make more time for friends: Of all the goals that I have for 2012, this one will probably be the easiest for me to keep. I have always placed a lot of value on my friendships, so it is not a chore for me to try to sustain those relationships as everyone begins to move away from Tuscaloosa. As everyone gets busier, however, it is difficult, and often costly, to get together frequently. Another issue for me, has been trying to keep up with friends from different points of my life. I have friends from high school and college, as well as new friends in Huntsville. Since weekends are often busy with Matt's track meets, I often feel like I drop the ball on making time for those that I love the most. Thankfully, I have done better with this as of late. This weekend I was fortunate to be able to spend time with many of my college friends AND friends from Huntsville. Though I was exhausted at the end of the weekend, it was wonderful to be able to spend time with everyone, and to be there for a few friends who needed support and encouragement. This is one goal that is fun to keep, but still one that I will have to be intentional to achieve.
5) Give more to others: This one has been a tough one for me in the last six months. While in college, I felt that God literally dropped opportunities in my lap to serve my community, my country, and my world. Now that I am removed from my college church, I will have to be more intentional in seeking out more service opportunities. Our church in Huntsville is very missions focused, but I have been slow to get involved, since we are just getting to know people in our new church. When I think back to my time in Tuscaloosa, some of my favorite memories involve mission trips, community outreach, and the two months of daily tornado cleanup. I grew so much in my faith as a result of those opportunities to serve, and I want to continue to do so in Huntsville. Both Matt and I have been praying about ways to serve in our new city, and we are working on appropriating time and money so that we can continue to be the "doers of the faith" that we were in Tuscaloosa.
6) Travel more: Growing up, my family had the tendency to frequent the same vacation spots. For this reason, I never really had the opportunity to travel until I moved to Tuscaloosa. As I flew across the country for mission trips, or road-tripped with friends during spring break, I was bitten by the travel bug. I love seeing new places, and there are so many things in this world that I want to do and to see. Thankfully, I married a man with the same desire to travel, and we are hoping to visit a few new places in the next year. As is the case with many of our dreams, finances are slowing us down just a bit. We do have one big trip on the calendar, however, and thankfully that trip will serve as a vacation and a visit with family. Since we are teachers, we both have summers open to go wherever we please. Our main focus is going to have to be planning fun excursions on a dime, but I think we can do it. I look forward to experiencing new places and spaces with my husband over the next few years.
7) Take more risks: I am a planner by nature, so I am often intimidated and fearful of major life changes or decisions. One thing that I regret about 2011, is that I allowed many opportunities to pass me by because I was afraid of the risks involved with making those choices. While I am a firm believer in thinking things through, I also believe that there is such a thing as over thinking. I can say with ease that I over think almost everything. In 2012, I want to take more risks, even if it means that those risks sometimes result in failure. if I fail, at least I have learned something, right?
8) Be more creative: Go ahead and laugh, this goal has, of course, come from my new obsession with Pinterest. All jokes aside, Pinterest has helped me to realize that I do have the ability to be thrifty and crafty; things that I never before thought that I could do. I am amazed at the things people can do with everyday objects, or the innovative ways that they have learned to save money. My goal is to make the most of the things that I do have, and potentially learn to stretch those things further or to make them more beautiful, useful, and purposeful. Craft away, my friends!
So, there you have it, my list of goals for 2012. I expect to add more as the year progresses, but for now, I think that eight is more than enough to get me started. I will keep you updated on my (our) progress as the weeks roll on!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
The more things change, the more they stay the same...
As is usually the case, this post is coming a bit later than I had originally planned! While reading back over my last post, I realized how much time has passed, and how many things have changed since the last time I posted. I am going to *try* to catch everyone up on our life happenings, but my goal is to make this post as brief as possible. To put it simply, you guys will be getting the Cliffs Notes version of the past month and a half!
For starters, our job situation has been resolved!! Thanks to all of you who have prayed for and encouraged us over the last several months. I was offered a job at Eastwood Middle School in Tuscaloosa in mid-December, and since Matt and I had agreed to take the first offer that was presented, I verbally accepted. Three days before I was to be approved by the Tuscaloosa City School System, Matt received a call from Bob Jones with a job offer. Since our offers were in two different cities, we spent a lot of time weighing the pros and cons of each. After much discussion and prayer, we decided that it would be in our best interest for Matt to remain at Bob Jones. This was a difficult decision for us for many reasons. Matt and I both love Tuscaloosa, and no matter where we live in the future, a part of our hearts will always be in that city. Though the chance to return to Tuscaloosa was appealing, we are near family in Madison, and many of our college friends are finding jobs in this area as well. Since Matt has already spent a year and a half at Bob Jones, we also felt that his chance of retention might be higher than mine would be if teaching at a new school. Eastwood was very understanding when I called to back out of my position, but I still felt terrible (and a little sad!) about turning them down last minute. Though there are still many uncertainties about Matt's future at Bob Jones, we are so very thankful that we have been given the opportunity to stay in Madison for the time being.
Despite staying in Madison, Matt and I were forced to change apartments during the week of Christmas. As if that week is not hectic enough already, right?! After I had accepted the job offer in Tuscaloosa, we told our old complex that we would be vacating our unit. By the time we figured out that our plans had changed, Weston Ranch had promised our unit to another set of tenants. While finding an affordable apartment AND moving during the week of Christmas was incredibly stressful and crazy, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Matt and I were able to find a place that was within our budget that provided us with much more living and storage space. It has been wonderful to finally be able to spread out a bit! While we are still working to get everything unpacked and organized, below are a few pics of our living room:
For starters, our job situation has been resolved!! Thanks to all of you who have prayed for and encouraged us over the last several months. I was offered a job at Eastwood Middle School in Tuscaloosa in mid-December, and since Matt and I had agreed to take the first offer that was presented, I verbally accepted. Three days before I was to be approved by the Tuscaloosa City School System, Matt received a call from Bob Jones with a job offer. Since our offers were in two different cities, we spent a lot of time weighing the pros and cons of each. After much discussion and prayer, we decided that it would be in our best interest for Matt to remain at Bob Jones. This was a difficult decision for us for many reasons. Matt and I both love Tuscaloosa, and no matter where we live in the future, a part of our hearts will always be in that city. Though the chance to return to Tuscaloosa was appealing, we are near family in Madison, and many of our college friends are finding jobs in this area as well. Since Matt has already spent a year and a half at Bob Jones, we also felt that his chance of retention might be higher than mine would be if teaching at a new school. Eastwood was very understanding when I called to back out of my position, but I still felt terrible (and a little sad!) about turning them down last minute. Though there are still many uncertainties about Matt's future at Bob Jones, we are so very thankful that we have been given the opportunity to stay in Madison for the time being.
Despite staying in Madison, Matt and I were forced to change apartments during the week of Christmas. As if that week is not hectic enough already, right?! After I had accepted the job offer in Tuscaloosa, we told our old complex that we would be vacating our unit. By the time we figured out that our plans had changed, Weston Ranch had promised our unit to another set of tenants. While finding an affordable apartment AND moving during the week of Christmas was incredibly stressful and crazy, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Matt and I were able to find a place that was within our budget that provided us with much more living and storage space. It has been wonderful to finally be able to spread out a bit! While we are still working to get everything unpacked and organized, below are a few pics of our living room:
Our Christmas tree!!! One of the things that made me hate our job uncertainty, was the fact that I could not decorate for Christmas. Thankfully, our job situation was resolved just in time for me to get my tree up. Matt and I literally decorated on the 23rd! I know it looks a bit like a Charlie Brown tree, but I was so proud of it. I did not have time to buy any new ornaments, a topper, or a tree skirt, but given our situation, I think my tree turned out just fine :).
One of my favorite things about our new place (other than the additional bedroom, of course!), is that we have a mantel! If you sent us a Christmas card this holiday season, you should be able to find your smiling face in this picture. We eventually received so many cards, that some of them had to be displayed on the outer edge of our kitchen counter. No worries though, if you sent us a card, I made sure it was displayed somewhere in our new abode :). I was also REALLY excited to get to hang our new stockings. Matt and I get teased a lot about our Alabama football obsession, so it should come as no surprise that our stockings represent our love for our alma mater.
One of my favorite Christmas presents this year was a set of lamps from my grandparents. I am obsessed with the color blue, which is evidenced in many places throughout our apartment. I saw these lamps while visiting my friends Nick and Laura in Dothan, and absolutely had to have them. Thankfully, my family took the hint and gave them to me as a Christmas gift. Laura also ended up purchasing a set for her new house, but we figure that nobody will notice since we live six hours away from one another!
Besides the craziness that centered around our job search, finding an apartment, and moving, Matt and I kept busy in the month of December with work (seasonal job for me), shopping, and Christmas parties. Below are a few snapshots from the last two months.
As an early Christmas present, my brother bought us Iron Bowl tickets! Since my brother is a student at Auburn, our seats were in the student section. Many people thought we were crazy for sitting there in our Alabama gear, but it was fun to sit amongst Auburn students while the Tide beat down the tigers in Jordan Hare. We greatly enjoyed spending time with my brother too. Roll Tide!
Normally I take dozens of pictures around the holidays, but this year I dropped the ball. The picture above is from my cousin's camera, and was taken at our annual Christmas gathering with my mom's side of the family. With the exception of one cousin, every member of the family was in attendance. One of the main reasons I love Christmas is because of all the gatherings with friends and family. While we were sad to be unable to make the trip to California to see Matt's family, we had a blast hanging out with friends and family in Alabama.
Matt has had to find his inner handyman since our move. For almost a week straight, it seemed as if I always needed him to hang pictures on the walls, assemble furniture, or fix a temperamental appliance. Thankfully, he has learned quickly. What a great sport!
It takes a contortionist to get out from behind our dryer. Needless to say, Matt was not in the mood to pose for a picture after our gazillionth attempt to fix the dryer.
As I mentioned earlier, I unfortunately failed to capture many of our holiday outings on camera. In the month of December we also celebrated Christmas with my dad's side of the family and our Sunday school class. In the little bit of time we had between work, moving, and Christmas gatherings, we also attended Christmas at Calvary (in Tuscaloosa), and spent time with friends watching holiday movies and checking out all of the Christmas displays that Madison had to offer. We also brought in the new year with our Sunday school class. Not everyone made it until midnight, but considering that most everyone had been moving or traveling, I think we all did pretty well! Since we were moving, the holiday season was kind of a blur this year, but we did enjoy the little bit of it that we had time to celebrate.
Though the new year holds many uncertainties for us, both Matt and I are looking forward to the year ahead. Despite the ups, downs, and transitions that 2011 held, we are ultimately in the same place that we began. The more things change, the more they stay the same! We are so blessed to have a job, a place to live, and to be in a city near family and friends. Though the road to 2012 was often rocky, I could not be more thrilled with the place that we find ourselves in 2012. Here's to a great year (and hopefully more frequent blog posts!)
As I mentioned earlier, I unfortunately failed to capture many of our holiday outings on camera. In the month of December we also celebrated Christmas with my dad's side of the family and our Sunday school class. In the little bit of time we had between work, moving, and Christmas gatherings, we also attended Christmas at Calvary (in Tuscaloosa), and spent time with friends watching holiday movies and checking out all of the Christmas displays that Madison had to offer. We also brought in the new year with our Sunday school class. Not everyone made it until midnight, but considering that most everyone had been moving or traveling, I think we all did pretty well! Since we were moving, the holiday season was kind of a blur this year, but we did enjoy the little bit of it that we had time to celebrate.
Though the new year holds many uncertainties for us, both Matt and I are looking forward to the year ahead. Despite the ups, downs, and transitions that 2011 held, we are ultimately in the same place that we began. The more things change, the more they stay the same! We are so blessed to have a job, a place to live, and to be in a city near family and friends. Though the road to 2012 was often rocky, I could not be more thrilled with the place that we find ourselves in 2012. Here's to a great year (and hopefully more frequent blog posts!)
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Roadtrips and Roundabouts
Have you ever been on a road and encountered a roundabout? For those of you unfamiliar with the term, a roundabout is essentially a form of road construction that somehow takes the driver off of his/her intended path. Roundabouts are typically not a huge inconvenience, usually taking the form of in-street landscaping or winding ramps to enter or exit the interstate, but they still tend to slightly alter one's journey to a given location. So why all of the talk about roadways? Honestly, it is because Matt and I are currently experiencing a slight detour of our own.
As I mentioned in last month's post, our job situation is more than a little rocky. When I blogged about our situation in October, I felt certain that our job uncertainties would be worked out by early to mid-November. Unfortunately, we know no more about where we will be after December, than we did in October. Since our lease at our current apartment ends in one month, the uncertainty is beginning to get a wee bit unnerving. Despite all of the frustrations regarding the job search, we are still trying to trust that God has a greater plan for the both of us. We are hoping that this situation, which seems like a huge deal now, will turn out to be just like those roundabouts that I mentioned earlier. What seems so scary today could potentially turn out to be just a little detour in the greater picture of our life together. I pray daily that God will help us to keep everything in perspective, as opposed to dwelling on our current misfortune and inconvenience. I would much rather take our problems over many others that I see in the lives of those around me.We are truly blessed.
Since Matt and I are desperate for work, we have decided that no location is off limits for a move. In the past month, Matt or I have interviewed in Decatur, Enterprise, and Tuscaloosa. Between traveling for interviews, and trips for various functions with friends and family, we have kept the roads hot! Our month of road tripping will continue as we visit family for Thanksgiving, explore other job opportunities, and take the trip down to Auburn for the Iron Bowl. While we have enjoyed the traveling, it will be nice when things finally calm down. Now that the holidays are upon us, however, I do not expect that things will slow down any time soon!
One upside to my out of town interviews this month, is that I have been able to catch up with many of my college friends. While in Enterprise, I crashed at the Casa de Hatcher in Dothan. Due to distance, I had not seen Nick and Laura Hatcher since my wedding. It was so great to be able to spend a few days hanging out and catching up with those two! If either of you guys are reading this, thanks for opening up your home to me for a few days! A week after my Enterprise interview, I took a quick trip to Tuscaloosa to interview for another position. Many of my college friends are still living in the city as they finish up master's programs, so it was great to be able to break bread with several of them while in town. Tuscaloosa is virtually my second home, so it is always a pleasure to return.
Though Matt and I have spent a lot of time focusing on job prospects, we have also had time to squeeze in a bit of fun as well. Below are pictures from a few of our activities during the past month:
As I mentioned in last month's post, our job situation is more than a little rocky. When I blogged about our situation in October, I felt certain that our job uncertainties would be worked out by early to mid-November. Unfortunately, we know no more about where we will be after December, than we did in October. Since our lease at our current apartment ends in one month, the uncertainty is beginning to get a wee bit unnerving. Despite all of the frustrations regarding the job search, we are still trying to trust that God has a greater plan for the both of us. We are hoping that this situation, which seems like a huge deal now, will turn out to be just like those roundabouts that I mentioned earlier. What seems so scary today could potentially turn out to be just a little detour in the greater picture of our life together. I pray daily that God will help us to keep everything in perspective, as opposed to dwelling on our current misfortune and inconvenience. I would much rather take our problems over many others that I see in the lives of those around me.We are truly blessed.
Since Matt and I are desperate for work, we have decided that no location is off limits for a move. In the past month, Matt or I have interviewed in Decatur, Enterprise, and Tuscaloosa. Between traveling for interviews, and trips for various functions with friends and family, we have kept the roads hot! Our month of road tripping will continue as we visit family for Thanksgiving, explore other job opportunities, and take the trip down to Auburn for the Iron Bowl. While we have enjoyed the traveling, it will be nice when things finally calm down. Now that the holidays are upon us, however, I do not expect that things will slow down any time soon!
One upside to my out of town interviews this month, is that I have been able to catch up with many of my college friends. While in Enterprise, I crashed at the Casa de Hatcher in Dothan. Due to distance, I had not seen Nick and Laura Hatcher since my wedding. It was so great to be able to spend a few days hanging out and catching up with those two! If either of you guys are reading this, thanks for opening up your home to me for a few days! A week after my Enterprise interview, I took a quick trip to Tuscaloosa to interview for another position. Many of my college friends are still living in the city as they finish up master's programs, so it was great to be able to break bread with several of them while in town. Tuscaloosa is virtually my second home, so it is always a pleasure to return.
Though Matt and I have spent a lot of time focusing on job prospects, we have also had time to squeeze in a bit of fun as well. Below are pictures from a few of our activities during the past month:
My best friend got married! I was so happy to stand beside her as her Matron of Honor as she made a lifelong commitment to Brent. Congratulations, sweet friend, Matt and I are so happy for the two of you!
Matt and I at Brent and Brittany's reception
The end of October brought forth Matt's first experience in pumpkin carving. We had a blast spending time with our wonderful Sunday school class and celebrating Halloween. For those of you who are wondering, our pumpkin had an Alabama football theme. I know, I know, shocking. Overall, Matt enjoyed his pumpkin time.
Both the girls and boys cross country teams at Bob Jones made it to the state meet! Though neither team ended the season with a championship, the girls did manage to hang on to third place. Thankfully, the weather was beautiful for the final meet, and despite the outcome, it was an enjoyable day for everyone. Check out Coach Staggs on the far left :). I am a very proud wife! Congratulations to both the boys and girls teams!
As a way to give back during the holidays, our Sunday school class decided to take part in Operation Christmas Child. Matt and I decided to fill a shoebox for a young boy, and we spent a lot of time in Target looking for gifts to brighten the Christmas of a child halfway around the world. Matt took the toy search very seriously, as you can see in the above photo. He was sad that we did not purchase the Captain America get-up, but he cheered up when I allowed him to pick out legos and a football to place in our box.
Looking ahead, Matt and I have a lot to look forward to. Thanksgiving is this week, and though we are sad about missing out on the holiday with his family, we are very excited to spend the day with the Parker/Schlangen clan. The morning after Turkey Day, we will be heading to Auburn with my brother for the Iron Bowl. Ethan decided to buy us the tickets as early Christmas presents, and Matt and I are pumped about our first game in Jordan Hare. Hopefully Saturday's game will catapult Alabama to the national championship game. Either way, we are excited to visit yet another SEC stadium. ROLL TIDE and HAPPY THANKSGIVING from the Staggs!
Monday, October 17, 2011
My God is a God who provides
If this blog has taught me anything, it is that my follow through on new hobbies is very poor. I started this blog primarily for myself, as a way to chronicle the day to day at this stage of my life and marriage. I figured it would be fun to look back on as the months and years pass by. Though I never intended to post daily, I initially planned to update the blog weekly. I guess you all can see how well that has worked out, huh! So what has happened that has kept me from updating? Life. Just life. That one word basically sums it up. So much has changed, and stayed the same, over the course of the last month and a half that I hardly know where to begin.
The title of my blog this month is taken from the "Desert Song" by Hillsong United. This song has spoken to me on more than one occasion, and I feel that this lyric is especially fitting for our circumstances at this given time. I encourage those of you who are not familiar with the song to check it out, it has definitely served as an encouragement in my own life.
I feel as if Matt and I have spent the last month praising God for his provision, only to turn around and ask for him to show himself again and again in our circumstances. We have been blessed in more ways than I even know how to list, but we are continually learning what it means to completely rely on God to meet every need. While complete and total trust in God is something that all Christians strive for, for me, it has proven incredibly difficult when faced with the unknown. I have complete confidence that God will provide, but admittedly, I am a little afraid of the form that his provision could take.
For those of you who do not know, as of January 1st, Matt will be unemployed. This would not be very discouraging had I landed a teaching job in August, but a position has yet to present itself for me in this area. Since we have found out that Matt's job was in jeopardy, I have struggled to not become angry over the situation. Matt had been given every reason to believe that he would be returning in the Spring (and possibly for years to come), and we were so confident that he would return that I turned down a year-long employment offer further south. To further add insult to injury, Matt found out during a faculty meeting that he was unlikely to return. No one sat down with him in a meeting. No email was sent out to alert us of this change in the original plan. No explanation was provided as to why things had changed. In fact, had Matt not taken it upon himself to schedule a meeting with his boss, we would still not know that his job for the Spring had disappeared. While I understand that things often do not go according to planned, I am upset that we were not forewarned. We were completely blindsided. The situation was mishandled, which leaves us with very little time to pursue alternate employment. To say that I pray daily for God to put his hand over my mouth, is the understatement of the year. I get very upset when I feel like an injustice has been committed, and this is definitely one situation where keeping my mouth shut will be to our advantage.
Though there is a small possibility that Matt could be retained, we are trying to live in preparation for the chance that he will not be returning. Both Matt and I are once again applying statewide, and even applying for jobs outside of the educational realm. Unfortunately, the chances of finding full-time employment in the middle of the school year is slim. At this point, we'll take whatever we can get. When I get angry about the situation, stressed out about finances, or frustrated about our lack of direction, I reflect on my favorite lyric from the "Desert Song". I pray daily that God will use our current situation to teach me patience and to rely on him completely. He has provided thus far, why should either of us begin doubting that he will now?
One of God's many provisions for us this month, has come in the form of reliable work for me. Though subbing does not pay well, I have been booked everyday for the last month and a half. I was even offered the opportunity to cover a month long leave of absence at a high school in the Madison County system. The teacher whose position I am filling has been wonderful. While she has given me her own lesson plans to use, she has given me complete freedom to use my own plans, ideas, or tests. It has been wonderful to feel productive and to actually be able to teach, as opposed to sitting at a desk and doling out worksheets. My leave of absence ends in mid-November, but like subbing, I hope that it could potentially open a door to long-term employment.
Despite the job setback, September and October have been fun months in the Staggs household. As I mentioned in my previous post, Matt and I had originally planned to make a few weekend trips to Tuscaloosa for Alabama home games. Once we learned that finances might soon become an issue, we scrapped the idea of frequent football trips. We had already purchased tickets to attend an away game with friends, so we decided that the trip to Oxford would be our only Alabama football experience of the season. Before we had a chance to be bummed over missing out on time with friends, tickets for two games came through. We were offered the chance to go to the Alabama/Arkansas game (for free, shout out to my awesome aunt and uncle), and we were later provided with extremely inexpensive tickets to return for homecoming versus Vanderbilt. Though the games were fun, the best part was the time that we were able to spend with friends on both trips. We consider our friends in Tuscaloosa to be family, and so any time that we are able to spend with them is wonderful. I have often struggled with homesickness (weird, since Tuscaloosa is not even my hometown), so to be able to return twice was a huge blessing.
The title of my blog this month is taken from the "Desert Song" by Hillsong United. This song has spoken to me on more than one occasion, and I feel that this lyric is especially fitting for our circumstances at this given time. I encourage those of you who are not familiar with the song to check it out, it has definitely served as an encouragement in my own life.
I feel as if Matt and I have spent the last month praising God for his provision, only to turn around and ask for him to show himself again and again in our circumstances. We have been blessed in more ways than I even know how to list, but we are continually learning what it means to completely rely on God to meet every need. While complete and total trust in God is something that all Christians strive for, for me, it has proven incredibly difficult when faced with the unknown. I have complete confidence that God will provide, but admittedly, I am a little afraid of the form that his provision could take.
For those of you who do not know, as of January 1st, Matt will be unemployed. This would not be very discouraging had I landed a teaching job in August, but a position has yet to present itself for me in this area. Since we have found out that Matt's job was in jeopardy, I have struggled to not become angry over the situation. Matt had been given every reason to believe that he would be returning in the Spring (and possibly for years to come), and we were so confident that he would return that I turned down a year-long employment offer further south. To further add insult to injury, Matt found out during a faculty meeting that he was unlikely to return. No one sat down with him in a meeting. No email was sent out to alert us of this change in the original plan. No explanation was provided as to why things had changed. In fact, had Matt not taken it upon himself to schedule a meeting with his boss, we would still not know that his job for the Spring had disappeared. While I understand that things often do not go according to planned, I am upset that we were not forewarned. We were completely blindsided. The situation was mishandled, which leaves us with very little time to pursue alternate employment. To say that I pray daily for God to put his hand over my mouth, is the understatement of the year. I get very upset when I feel like an injustice has been committed, and this is definitely one situation where keeping my mouth shut will be to our advantage.
Though there is a small possibility that Matt could be retained, we are trying to live in preparation for the chance that he will not be returning. Both Matt and I are once again applying statewide, and even applying for jobs outside of the educational realm. Unfortunately, the chances of finding full-time employment in the middle of the school year is slim. At this point, we'll take whatever we can get. When I get angry about the situation, stressed out about finances, or frustrated about our lack of direction, I reflect on my favorite lyric from the "Desert Song". I pray daily that God will use our current situation to teach me patience and to rely on him completely. He has provided thus far, why should either of us begin doubting that he will now?
One of God's many provisions for us this month, has come in the form of reliable work for me. Though subbing does not pay well, I have been booked everyday for the last month and a half. I was even offered the opportunity to cover a month long leave of absence at a high school in the Madison County system. The teacher whose position I am filling has been wonderful. While she has given me her own lesson plans to use, she has given me complete freedom to use my own plans, ideas, or tests. It has been wonderful to feel productive and to actually be able to teach, as opposed to sitting at a desk and doling out worksheets. My leave of absence ends in mid-November, but like subbing, I hope that it could potentially open a door to long-term employment.
Despite the job setback, September and October have been fun months in the Staggs household. As I mentioned in my previous post, Matt and I had originally planned to make a few weekend trips to Tuscaloosa for Alabama home games. Once we learned that finances might soon become an issue, we scrapped the idea of frequent football trips. We had already purchased tickets to attend an away game with friends, so we decided that the trip to Oxford would be our only Alabama football experience of the season. Before we had a chance to be bummed over missing out on time with friends, tickets for two games came through. We were offered the chance to go to the Alabama/Arkansas game (for free, shout out to my awesome aunt and uncle), and we were later provided with extremely inexpensive tickets to return for homecoming versus Vanderbilt. Though the games were fun, the best part was the time that we were able to spend with friends on both trips. We consider our friends in Tuscaloosa to be family, and so any time that we are able to spend with them is wonderful. I have often struggled with homesickness (weird, since Tuscaloosa is not even my hometown), so to be able to return twice was a huge blessing.
Laura and I at Alabama/Ole Miss
Fall has also brought about exciting events in the lives of our friends (which is also exciting news for us)! As I have mentioned previously, my best friend from high school is getting married THIS WEEKEND! I am so excited to celebrate with her as she begins the next chapter of her life with Brent. I have been looking forward to her big day for months, and I know that she is as shocked as I am that it is finally here.
Speaking of weddings, two of our other close friends began their journey towards marriage yesterday. Whitney and James have been close friends of ours since we have been in Tuscaloosa, and we are beyond thrilled for them. Matt and I were fortunate enough to celebrate with them at their engagement party yesterday. Though the main purpose of the party was to celebrate their engagement, I think we were all just excited to have an excuse to get together! Since we all live in different cities now, we are not able to see one another as often as we would like. Every time i get the chance to spend time with these people, I hate to see our time together come to an end. How blessed we are to be surrounded by such a wonderful group of friends! I can assure you that I rarely take these lovely people for granted. God is so good, and I am so thankful for the group of people that he has placed in our lives.
With the bride and groom-to-be
My "unofficial" roommates from junior year.
While I am hoping to update this thing more regularly, I know my lack of commitment could get in the way of more frequent postings. Regardless of when I get around to updating this thing, stay tuned, who knows the direction that life will take for us in the coming months!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Just another old married couple...
I honestly did not intend to let this much time pass before posting again, but life for us has been fairly uneventful during the last month. We are officially an old married couple! Matt has settled into a routine with school, and seems to be having a pretty solid semester thus far. Cross country season is now officially underway, and since Matt is coaching, the majority of our Saturdays will be spent at meets. I am very thankful that I can tag along to most of these events, since we do not get to spend much time together during the week. So far I have enjoyed going to the races, though I am definitely missing Saturdays in Tuscaloosa. Fortunately, Matt and I are trying to find tickets for games that fall on days when he does not have a meet.
Things for me have changed very litte, and I still have more free time on my hands than I would prefer. Though a full-time job has yet to present itself, I have been getting a fair amount of substitute work in the Madison City and County systems. These jobs have been a Godsend, because they do not only get me out of the house, they also provide us with a little extra money to help us through the month. Though I could probably find a part-time job in retail or waitressing, everyone has encouraged me to stick with subbing. Since being in the schools regularly is the best way to get my foot in the door, subbing is truly my best option. The fact that the work is so sporadic is a bit frustrating, but I am praying for patience and for an opportunity to arise as a result of my time spent in area schools.
Matt and I are continually asked how we are enjoying married life. To give the short answer, it's great! I can't speak for other newly married couples, but Matt and I simply enjoy spending time together. We have had a lot of fun participating in various school functions and finding things to do in our new town. Matt has also been a huge help in household matters. I brag on him frequently, but he deserves it! He has been eager to help me with the cooking (okay, well, he pretty much does all of that!), the cleaning, and various other chores. The fact that he has such a servant's heart has definitely endeared him to me even further. We both have made a concerted effort to put the needs of the other before our own, and though we sometimes fail, I think it is a large part of the reason that things have been so smooth for us thus far.
We have also had many prayers answered over the course of the last month. As I mentioned earlier, my sub work is slowly picking up. This in and of itself is a HUGE answer to prayer. Though I still sit at home a few days each week, subbing has helped to break up the monotony in my day to day life. Being in the schools has also been a great way for me to network, and I am so thankful that so many teachers in both systems are willing to go to bat for me. Another prayer that was answered this month, is that we seem to have found a church home in Huntsville! If you have read my other blogs, you know that leaving our church in Tuscaloosa was difficult for the both of us. We met virtually our entire group of friends at Calvary in Tuscaloosa, and it is also the place where we met and were married. Calvary was also the church where Matt came to Christ, as well as the place where we spent the vast majority of our time during our college years. There are so many incredible people in that church, and we were very cynical about finding a church in Huntsville that would even remotely compare. After visiting 6-7 churches in the Huntsville/Madison area, however, I think we have found a pretty good fit! The church that we have attended the last several weeks is HUGE (roughly 3,000 members), and initially we were very intimidated and turned off by the sheer size of the congregation. After attending a Sunday School class at the church, however, we realized that this is the place God intended for us to be. Of all the churches we have attended, Willowbrook is the only church that has a class for young married couples who are yet to have children. Though this may seem like a small thing to some, this was a huge thing for us. Since we left such an incredible group of friends in Tuscaloosa, we really wanted to find a Godly group of friends in Huntsville to essentially "do life" with. We quickly realized, after visiting a few churches, that we had a very tough time relating to young adults with children. Matt and I do not have to worry about potty training, babysitters, or feeding schedules at this point in our lives, and we had a hard time making conversation with those who do. For these individuals, their children pretty much dictated their schedules, as well as their conversation topics. The couples that we met with children were incredibly kind and welcoming, but Matt and I wanted to find a group of people who were in our stage of life. We wanted friends who could easily hangout on the weekends or who would understand the issues that sometimes arise in our new marriage. Fortunately for us, we found what we were looking for at Willowbrook. We love out Sunday school class and have enjoyed getting to know all of the couples, even though most of them are Auburn graduates! I do not want to give the impression that we chose a church based off of a group of people, because the group was only a small part of the reason that we have continued to return. Both Matt and I have been impressed with the overall vision of the church, as well as their commitment to missions and doctrinal teachings. It has been wonderful to finally find a place to plug in again!
The past two months have gone by so quickly, and before we know it, the holidays will be upon us. Matt and I do not have a lot planned for the next month or two, but we do have a few things to look forward to. As of now Matt and I are seriously considering making the trip to Tuscaloosa for the Vanderbilt game, and potentially others. Regardless of which games we make it to, it will be wonderful to be back in Bryant Denny and visiting with friends. In our attempt to visit every SEC stadium together, we are also planning to go to the Alabama/Ole Miss game. We are hoping that a few friends will join us on the day trip to Ole Miss in October. Matt has Fall break in less than a month, so he and I are considering taking a weekend trip (location yet to be determined) during his time off. We have a voucher for a free two night hotel stay, so we could probably take a trip at little cost to us. Matt has been trying to come up with fun things for us to do since I am homebound most days, and I love him for that. Wherever we go, it will be nice to get out of Huntsville for a few days. Another thing on the horizon is my dear friend Brittany's wedding! Brittany and I have been friends since we were toddlers, and she was one of the maids of honor in my wedding in July. I can't wait to stand beside her on her big day! I am definitely looking forward to the festivities surrounding her wedding. Below is a picture of us (and two other friends from high school) at her first shower.
Brittany will make a beautiful bride, and I cannot wait to celebrate her wedding on October 21st! Weddings are much more fun when you do not have to worry about the stress of planning!
Matt and I returned Monday from a trip to the mountains with my mom's side of the family. Most of my mom's extended family is from the Knoxville area, so we make the trip for family reunions each Labor Day weekend. It is always fun to stay with 15+ people in a cabin, and it is also great to spend time with family that we only get to see once a year. My mamaw is one of ten siblings, so you can only imagine the number of people that show up each year! On the whole, it was a fun and relaxing weekend.
Hopefully the next time I update this thing an entire month will not have passed. Hope you all had a great Labor Day! Until next time....
Things for me have changed very litte, and I still have more free time on my hands than I would prefer. Though a full-time job has yet to present itself, I have been getting a fair amount of substitute work in the Madison City and County systems. These jobs have been a Godsend, because they do not only get me out of the house, they also provide us with a little extra money to help us through the month. Though I could probably find a part-time job in retail or waitressing, everyone has encouraged me to stick with subbing. Since being in the schools regularly is the best way to get my foot in the door, subbing is truly my best option. The fact that the work is so sporadic is a bit frustrating, but I am praying for patience and for an opportunity to arise as a result of my time spent in area schools.
Matt and I are continually asked how we are enjoying married life. To give the short answer, it's great! I can't speak for other newly married couples, but Matt and I simply enjoy spending time together. We have had a lot of fun participating in various school functions and finding things to do in our new town. Matt has also been a huge help in household matters. I brag on him frequently, but he deserves it! He has been eager to help me with the cooking (okay, well, he pretty much does all of that!), the cleaning, and various other chores. The fact that he has such a servant's heart has definitely endeared him to me even further. We both have made a concerted effort to put the needs of the other before our own, and though we sometimes fail, I think it is a large part of the reason that things have been so smooth for us thus far.
We have also had many prayers answered over the course of the last month. As I mentioned earlier, my sub work is slowly picking up. This in and of itself is a HUGE answer to prayer. Though I still sit at home a few days each week, subbing has helped to break up the monotony in my day to day life. Being in the schools has also been a great way for me to network, and I am so thankful that so many teachers in both systems are willing to go to bat for me. Another prayer that was answered this month, is that we seem to have found a church home in Huntsville! If you have read my other blogs, you know that leaving our church in Tuscaloosa was difficult for the both of us. We met virtually our entire group of friends at Calvary in Tuscaloosa, and it is also the place where we met and were married. Calvary was also the church where Matt came to Christ, as well as the place where we spent the vast majority of our time during our college years. There are so many incredible people in that church, and we were very cynical about finding a church in Huntsville that would even remotely compare. After visiting 6-7 churches in the Huntsville/Madison area, however, I think we have found a pretty good fit! The church that we have attended the last several weeks is HUGE (roughly 3,000 members), and initially we were very intimidated and turned off by the sheer size of the congregation. After attending a Sunday School class at the church, however, we realized that this is the place God intended for us to be. Of all the churches we have attended, Willowbrook is the only church that has a class for young married couples who are yet to have children. Though this may seem like a small thing to some, this was a huge thing for us. Since we left such an incredible group of friends in Tuscaloosa, we really wanted to find a Godly group of friends in Huntsville to essentially "do life" with. We quickly realized, after visiting a few churches, that we had a very tough time relating to young adults with children. Matt and I do not have to worry about potty training, babysitters, or feeding schedules at this point in our lives, and we had a hard time making conversation with those who do. For these individuals, their children pretty much dictated their schedules, as well as their conversation topics. The couples that we met with children were incredibly kind and welcoming, but Matt and I wanted to find a group of people who were in our stage of life. We wanted friends who could easily hangout on the weekends or who would understand the issues that sometimes arise in our new marriage. Fortunately for us, we found what we were looking for at Willowbrook. We love out Sunday school class and have enjoyed getting to know all of the couples, even though most of them are Auburn graduates! I do not want to give the impression that we chose a church based off of a group of people, because the group was only a small part of the reason that we have continued to return. Both Matt and I have been impressed with the overall vision of the church, as well as their commitment to missions and doctrinal teachings. It has been wonderful to finally find a place to plug in again!
The past two months have gone by so quickly, and before we know it, the holidays will be upon us. Matt and I do not have a lot planned for the next month or two, but we do have a few things to look forward to. As of now Matt and I are seriously considering making the trip to Tuscaloosa for the Vanderbilt game, and potentially others. Regardless of which games we make it to, it will be wonderful to be back in Bryant Denny and visiting with friends. In our attempt to visit every SEC stadium together, we are also planning to go to the Alabama/Ole Miss game. We are hoping that a few friends will join us on the day trip to Ole Miss in October. Matt has Fall break in less than a month, so he and I are considering taking a weekend trip (location yet to be determined) during his time off. We have a voucher for a free two night hotel stay, so we could probably take a trip at little cost to us. Matt has been trying to come up with fun things for us to do since I am homebound most days, and I love him for that. Wherever we go, it will be nice to get out of Huntsville for a few days. Another thing on the horizon is my dear friend Brittany's wedding! Brittany and I have been friends since we were toddlers, and she was one of the maids of honor in my wedding in July. I can't wait to stand beside her on her big day! I am definitely looking forward to the festivities surrounding her wedding. Below is a picture of us (and two other friends from high school) at her first shower.
Brittany will make a beautiful bride, and I cannot wait to celebrate her wedding on October 21st! Weddings are much more fun when you do not have to worry about the stress of planning!
Matt and I returned Monday from a trip to the mountains with my mom's side of the family. Most of my mom's extended family is from the Knoxville area, so we make the trip for family reunions each Labor Day weekend. It is always fun to stay with 15+ people in a cabin, and it is also great to spend time with family that we only get to see once a year. My mamaw is one of ten siblings, so you can only imagine the number of people that show up each year! On the whole, it was a fun and relaxing weekend.
Hopefully the next time I update this thing an entire month will not have passed. Hope you all had a great Labor Day! Until next time....
Monday, August 8, 2011
Lately...
It has been a few weeks since I have gotten around to updating the blog, and as strange as it sounds, everything and nothing has happened during that time. Matt and I are basically settled into our tiny little apartment, and I am starting to accept the fact that we simply aren't going to find a place for everything. Though most everything has been put away, we simply do not have enough storage for all of our belongings. His stuff + my stuff + wedding gifts + one closet in the entire apartment = lots of Rubbermaid tubs stacked along our bedroom wall. Though it bothers me that everything can't be stored out of sight, I am thankful that everything is pseudo-organized. We have spent a lot of time during the last three weeks organizing, hanging pictures, and taking care of the load of paperwork that comes with getting married. Our apartment is not completely finished yet (I am still debating on which pictures to hang, where to hang them, etc), but below are a few pictures of what we have done thus far.
Our little dining room table was donated to us by one of my dad's coworkers.
It is very small, but fits perfectly in our dining area. Mom had the chairs
reupholstered earlier in the year, so of course our fabric of choice was hounds tooth!
These pictures were among our favorite wedding gifts, and are currently
hanging on one wall in our dining area. Our sweet friend, Matt York, digitally
retouched and framed shots of some of our favorite spots around
Tuscaloosa. For those of you familiar with the city, there are two shots of the
stadium, one of Manly Hall, and another of City Cafe. We are glad to have a piece of
Tuscaloosa hanging in our apartment in Madison.
Wide shot of our dining area ( I REALLY wish we could paint the walls!).
Getting everything to fit into our kitchen was a nightmare! Given
our limited space, however, I am pretty pleased with how it turned out.
These two pictures, which are hanging in our hallway, were also wedding gifts.
Marilyn Hunter, mother of our friend Austin, took a few of our engagement and
national championship pictures and created digital scrapbook pages for us.
Hopefully I can figure out how to do this for myself eventually!
Our living room! This room, as well as our bedroom, is still a work in progress.
We are hoping to add more to the walls in the next few weeks!
Our bedroom is probably the room in our apartment that is furthest from completion, so I will be attacking that project at a later date. I will try to add pictures of that room, as well as our completed living room, as soon as they are completed.
Paperwork has also consumed a lot of our time in the last few weeks. I seriously did not realize how many documents contained my name until the time came to change it. Matt and I have had to change our insurance, banking situation, car tags/titles, licenses (he FINALLY has an Alabama license), and my Social Security information. Making all of these changes was incredibly time consuming, and I am so glad that we have everything taken care of!
Amid the hustle and bustle of the last few weeks, we have also had a lot to celebrate. I turned 24 on July 24th, and we had a blast celebrating in Madison with friends from Tuscaloosa. I am so thankful that our group of friends is making such an effort to stay in touch, despite the fact that we are now spread out across the state. The next weekend, we were able to accompany our friends Scott and Laura to Handy Fest. Scott and Laura, both of whom were in our wedding, were searching for a band to play at their wedding reception. The trip was a success, and they found a band that I am sure all of their guests will love. Matt and I can't wait to be a part of their big day! This past weekend was a whirlwind as we traveled to Tuscaloosa for my graduation ceremony. Though I actually completed my degree in May, our ceremony was postponed for three months due to the tornadoes of April 27th. Friday and Saturday were exciting days for those of us who were receiving our diplomas, but it was heartbreaking to watch the parents of the deceased students receive diplomas on behalf of their children. The ceremony was definitely more somber than others I have attended, but I think it was a step in the right direction for the city and all who were affected by the storm.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Looking Back...
I am officially a resident of Madison, AL. On Saturday of this week I moved the rest of my things out of my apartment in Tuscaloosa. Turning in my key was a much more emotional process than I had anticipated it would be. I grew up in Moulton, but Tuscaloosa, in many ways, feels like my home. This move, though my fifth in four years, was not about changing apartments or roommates. This time, I was leaving for good. No more Alabama football Saturdays, mid-week City Cafe trips, or late night hangouts. No more endless nights in Gorgas Library, Wednesday nights at The Well, or lazy days on the Quad. No more fighting for parking, wasting time in The Ferg, or asking the question "Where are you from and what's your major?" My college years are officially over.
Last semester was a tough one for me, as I was finishing my internship, taking a class, preparing for master's comps, and planning a wedding. Most days I could not wait to get out of Tuscaloosa. Now that the end has officially arrived, however, I would love nothing more than to relive portions of the last four years. Tuscaloosa gave me my husband, lifelong friendships, and a church home that showed me what it truly means to follow Christ. I am a better person for having spent four years in this town. As I look back, I can't help but to think of the people and events that made the last four years some of the best of my life.
Last semester was a tough one for me, as I was finishing my internship, taking a class, preparing for master's comps, and planning a wedding. Most days I could not wait to get out of Tuscaloosa. Now that the end has officially arrived, however, I would love nothing more than to relive portions of the last four years. Tuscaloosa gave me my husband, lifelong friendships, and a church home that showed me what it truly means to follow Christ. I am a better person for having spent four years in this town. As I look back, I can't help but to think of the people and events that made the last four years some of the best of my life.
We have had the privilege of watching so many of our dear friends tie the knot while
in Tuscaloosa. Here we are with Leslie and Anna-Kate Oglesby, two friends who said "I do"
three weeks before our own wedding.
I am so blessed to have so many close female friendships in Tuscaloosa. We have all grown so much together
over the last four years, and I know that these friendships will withstand distance. I am secretly
hoping that they all end up in the Madison area :).
After the tornado of April 27th, I was blessed beyond measure by the hearts of my sweet friends.
To be able to gut homes, deliver furniture, and clean-up debris for almost two months with these
people did so much for my faith and my friendships. Those few weeks in Tuscaloosa, while heartbreaking,
were among some of the most spiritually fulfilling of my life. This event was also affirmation that I want
to make myself more available to long-term mission opportunities in the future.
Pasadena!!!! Okay, well, this shot was actually taken in Laguna Beach. One of the highlights of my
college years was making the trip to Pasadena to watch the Crimson Tide play for the BCS National
Championship. I wish I could relive this once in a lifetime trip over and over again. Roll Tide!
Football Saturdays were hands-down the most fun days in the Fall. Most students complained
about having to arrive to the stadium three hours before kickoff, but I secretly loved it. Without
complete and total boredom, how would you ever get shots like these?
For me, gymnastics was basically the football of the Spring. I probably would not
have cared as much had my best friend/roommate not been one of the most
amazing gymnasts on the team. Regardless of why I went, it was always so much
fun to cheer on little Ricki!
Over the course of my time in the college ministry at Calvary, I was given the
opportunity to go on missions trips to Boston, Massachusetts and Cheyenne,Wyoming. These trips
provided me with a way to see a different part of the country, while also allowing me to put
my feet to my faith. I had the time of my life serving along other members of my church on both trips.
The picture above is the Cheyenne team on one of our off days.
I could literally import dozens of Facebook albums to my blog in an attempt to showcase all of the memories that I made while living in Tuscaloosa. If I did that, however, most people would probably not read my blog (not that many people do anyway :)), and it would still not do justice to my time spent at UA. As I look forward to my life as a wife and a teacher (hopefully), I can't help but to look back on my time spent in the place that provided me with both my husband and my career. While I will be returning for graduation in two weeks and a few football games this Fall, my drives Southward will be much less frequent than before. The University of Alabama is now in my rear view mirror, and while I can't help but to be a little sad, I am excited about what the future holds. Thanks for the memories Tuscaloosa!
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