Precious children

Last night we sat down for dinner and I asked Cassie if she would bless our food. She, surprisingly to me, said, "No." Plain and simple, I asked again and got the same answer. Then Sarah said, "Doot doo Lord, Amen." I was thrilled. Doot doo is what her "thank you" sounds like. So sweet. So precious. That was her first time saying the blessing for our food. She's 2 years, 2 months and 5 days.

On another cute note, though we haven't reached the potty training mode quite yet with her, whenever I open her diaper she says, "Surprise!" Hilarious! Regardless of the contents...it puts a smile on my face.

Sarah shows signs of potty training, like a mostly dry diaper after nap times, telling me after she's pee'd or poo'd, and wants her diaper changed right then. She also likes to flush it down (sometimes while her sis is still on the potty).

Today Sarah asked me about a mole I have on my belly that she asked me about yesterday. Yesterday I told her it was mole, she said why? I said just because God put it on me. Today she said, "God...put...dat...mole...on you right there?" Sometimes her questions end with a sliding pitch that goes up and down at the end...that question was one of those times.

I need to do some videos of her in particular because she's so small, but talks so big, much like her sister. Every day they are learning so much, asking about new things. They are true gifts to me.

"The house"

Well, a couple days ago I decided to look at the state mls website to see what's available in smaller homes mainly to check the prices. If we were to get a house that were much less, then we could save more money every month. So...I looked, and saw a house that looked like it was in good shape on the outside. It was built in 2005 and said it was 3 bed, 2 bath, 2 car garage on .92 acres. The outside picture was all their was. Usually I don't even look twice at them, because if people really want to sell a house, they should post as many pictures depicting the house as possible. I would anyway. But something caught me about this house. It is a tri-level home, and the bottom level is unfinished. So I was curious what exactly "unfinished" means, as there are varying degrees to being finished. I emailed the real estate agent, and he sent me tons of pictures! I was excited to see what it looked like. So unfinished means, in this case, exterior walls have insulation and vapor barrier, interior walls have studs. There is a bathroom and laundry area plumbed but not finished. I wasn't quite sure what else was down there. I didn't know from the pictures if it had a bedroom and a den/family room, or just an open area. After viewing the photos, I was excited. Aside from the unfinished downstairs, what I was was...the kitchen. The kitchen to me, is probably the most important area of a home. I was blessed growing up with a pretty big kitchen, and when we moved into our house in Chugiak, the kitchen was pretty dysfunctional. Everything worked, but only one person could be in at a time and there wasn't much storage. If anyone knows me, they know storage is a good thing. ;-D So after seeing the photos of this kitchen...I was definitely interested in seeing more. The kitchen has a tile floor with a pattern in the middle to look like an area rug, maple 42" cabinets (nice choice...it's what we have too...). It looked pretty big, and from the pictures, I tried counting the cabinets, just to get an idea of what's there. Then there was the living and dining area. I was liking the maple flooring and white trim on everything. It was hard to see the size of the master suite from a photo because there's no furniture. I liked the look of the master bath (with jacuzzi and double vanity). So there was a lot that I liked about it, but in order to see if I had reason to be excited, I wanted to see it for myself. Then I debated, should I wait to see if Mike wants to see it or just go as soon as I can. (Mike is out of town.) I decided I should see it sooner than later, so I know if it's worth being excited over.

So why did I title this "The house"...because while I was looking at houses, including the one above, I found out that "the house" was no longer on the market. I did check the tax information on the borough's page and found that it's still in the same name, so I think they just took it off the market again and will probably put it on in the spring.

So anyway, I set up an appointment to view the house. It is located about 2 miles or so, closer to Wasilla than the daycare that I worked at. The girls and I headed out. I didn't know what to expect for the road there...it wasn't too bad. The directions said 6th house on the right...well, I counted 2 or 3 houses (not counting just driveways that looked like they went to open logs) and came upon a house that looked about right...and saw the house number and that was the one. Well...it was down off the road a little bit...a little hill. I thought, holy cow...this isn't good. It looked like on an icy day you'd have to have your garage door opened already just in case you couldn't stop. So that part wasn't a great thing. But I was still eager to see what was inside. I was excited to find out before we left that it had radiant/in-floor heating, and it was a foreclosure. Apparently it'd been on the market nearly a year now, and had been recently listed for $60,000 more than it is listed for now. So the bank is really wanting to get rid of this house.

The inside of the house was as I imagined it from the pictures, though I was even more impressed with the kitchen (minus the counter tops). The counters were laminate with a not so appealing edge or wood trim, and the backer against the wall was like a 1x3 of plain wood. That's ok though it would be fine to replace. The appliances were taken with the owners (though they were originally listed with the house), so we'd get to pick out what we want.

It has a good size breakfast bar, where I think 3 or 4 stools could sit comfortably. It does have natural gas, so it would use a gas oven/range. The living/dining area is transposable, you could have either room on either side of the area, as there is no defined area for either. The upstairs, in the listing, said it had 2 finished rooms and 2 bathrooms upstairs.

The picture above is from the dining/living area. The far left is one of the cabinets in the kitchen, then to the right of that is the front entry, mirrored closet and small storage closet, the obvious stairs, and to the right, out of the picture is a door to the back.

So I went up the stairs and was not impressed with the size of the first room. It was quite small, though I figured it would be good for Sarah, since I knew the other room up there was the master bedroom. Then I discovered there is a room attached to the master suite like a baby room, and has not other door to the hallway. Kind of strange, but fine nonetheless. A second or independent door could be made, or after the construction downstairs is finished, the dividing wall could be knocked down to increase the size of the master bedroom. So there are actually 3 rooms upstairs finished right now. So we could have both girls in 1 room, so Alexa has a room, or Cassie in Alexa's room since Alexa doesn't stay with us very often. And when Alexa is there, Cassie could either stay with her or stay in Sarah's room.

Now for the downstairs. It does have an unfinished bathroom (meaning it has the pipes and that's it), the laundry area, I think intended to be in a closet, an open area like a den or family room, and another area I think is a room. So...there is another room down their, and the family room, that could, if needed have a wall built and made into another room. So with the upstairs as it is with 3 rooms, the house would be a 4 bedroom house, or easily a 5 bedroom...again if needed down the road. I'd rather have the family room for now, so the kids have a play area.

The garage looks quite similar in size to what we have, it has a workbench and storage closet as well. The lot...other than the interesting driveway (which I think we'd have to have my father-in-law see if there's another way somehow to construct it), most of the property is behind the house. To the right of the house is a little bit of land...maybe 20 or so feet...I didn't really measure, just guessing from memory. I'm not sure how much is on the left side. But the area behind the house is quite vast. All that's there is a slightly unlevel, weedy area. It has potential. When I mentioned the backyard and driveway, Mike seemed a little concern that this house might be where all the water would collect during spring. I didn't pay attention to the neighboring properties to know whether or not they were lower or higher.

What I had originally thought, is that if we sold this house and took on a smaller loan, paying what equity we'd earned in this house toward the other one, we'd have a very small mortgage to pay, and be able to save more money every month. After I ran it by Mike, he thought it would be a good idea to keep the house we're in now, and rent it out. It is in a pretty desirable area, since it's near Anchorage for Valley commuters who want to move closer, but has land and a good neighborhood. So I was curious to see if people would be interested if renting a house of this size. I'm not very familiar with the renting market, so I posted an ad on craigslist. The ad listed all the features and the approximate cost we'd charge if there were no utilities, some utilities or all utilities included. I posted the ad at noon, and by 8pm, I had 8 emails from people who all expressed a sincere interest in renting our house if we did move and rent it out. So that was reassuring to me, that there seems to be a market for this size house in our location. So the next morning, I had another email expressing interest, but as that woman was on assistance, she wanted the price to be lower, plus electricity...that would be a total of about $200 lower than others are willing to pay. So 9 responses...and as I am writing this blog, another email has come in expressing interest.

The way I would see everything transpiring was for us to move out there and work on the downstairs as time allows, and rent this house out as soon as possible, to allow for the income to start so we wouldn't be paying 2 mortgages without help from renters. Mike had a different idea...not wrong, just different. He said we'd have to finish the downstairs there first then move. I thought it would work fine if we just put a baby gate across it and taped up a plastic sheet. He reminded me of how life was when we re-did our kitchen. We pretty much cooked at ate upstairs using a microwave. I think that situation is a little different mainly because that was a main living quarters and we did have a kitchenette area up there. In the house, if we moved while we did the finishing, there are 3 rooms upstairs that are finished, as well as the living/dining area and the kitchen and 2 bathrooms are finished. That to me is worthy of living in while construction is confined to the downstairs. The only stumble is the laundry area. It's not finished yet, but...we would have a couple choices, either finish it first, go to a laundromat, or drive about 9 or 10 miles to Vickii's and use their machines. I don't think it would be a big inconvenience to live there while we worked on it. Especially if we had to make both payments at the same time...where if we moved in, we'd have our current mortgage's monthly payment paid for by renters.

Here are some interesting points of interest, other than "the house" now being off the market. God took that one out of the equation. There's a little bit more that I'll say is interesting...the house is on Angel Drive...totally love that! The road before Angel is Potter Place...that's great too! And another bit of interesting information, the real estate agents name is Israel. ;-) LOL...and he's a missionary for the prison ministry, I believe for Palmer, but headed today actually, to start the ministry in Kenai too. (And a side note, last weekend one of our pastors was to speak and he was sick and they received a call from 2 missionaries in the Eagle River Prison Ministry...) So...these things could be viewed as signs...persay, but until further evaluation, they are all definitely interesting!

I am thankful for what I have. I want to get rid of something, and I know that if we moved, I would have the opportunity to be very thorough about this. We'll see what happens. We'll see where God is leading us. Thank you Lord for all of your blessings on our family.

Not for me...right now anyway...

Alright, some of you already know how my preschool teacher job is going. Let's just say, it isn't. :) I started on October 1st, which was a Wednesday. I worked through Friday, then Monday through Thursday the two following weeks. There was one glitch...Sarah was only able to go there like 3 of those days. Vickii (my mother-in-law) had to watch her all the other days. Seems pretty silly that I, while working in a daycare, would have to find someone to watch one of my daughters. Why? Because the daycare had not yet been licensed to have over 12 kids (a max of 5 under 30 months), so unless one was sick or sent home, Sarah couldn't be there.

Initially I thought it would be fine because the owner told me she was supposed to hear back from the state on the 1st of October...which came...and went. So after my first 3 days, the next Monday, I told my boss I would only be able to work if Sarah could come in because Vickii was busy. It turned out that a little girl got sent home for biting, so I worked from 11-2:30 that day. Then the next week, I wasn't sure if she'd be able to watch Sarah, and I wasn't thrilled about asking either. I didn't want to burden Vickii with watching Sarah every day for an uncertain amount of time. It just wasn't right. Vickii agreed to watch Sarah for the week of the 13th. But I could not just let it go unnoticed that this was an inconvenience and couldn't continue much longer. I knew I was already on the schedule for the rest of October, but I knew Vickii couldn't watch Sarah this week (of Oct 20), and I don't have a regular babysitter, and wasn't about to find one. So I wrote a conditional letter to my boss. It basically said that I would finish the week of the 13th and 5 more days when Sarah was allowed to come in, and then that would be my last day. That way, if she didn't get state approval for more kids, that would be at least 2 weeks notice. If she did get her approval, I wanted to be able to make the decision before she made November's schedule whether or not I would continue working there. I left that letter on her desk on Monday the 13th, and on Tuesday morning when I came in, there was a letter in my file indicating that they would not be able to accommodate the 5 days or working with Sarah able to come in, and that my last day was October 17th. I wasn't scheduled for the 17th...but through the 16th. So last Thursday was my last day. It was bittersweet and I got choked up as I told the little girl that before I met her didn't know how to read any letters, and after just 2.5 weeks, she could write all of the letters of her name (granted not understanding that we write left to right). She didn't seem to realize that when I said it was my last day, I wouldn't be back.

I silently prayed for each of those kids in my last days there, as well as the workers. I pray for the best for them, whatever their home conditions are. I pray that if they don't know who Jesus is, that they will learn and accept Him as the Lord of their life, and savior of their souls, and grow to love Him as He loves us.

So do I regret working there? Absolutely not. Do I think I heard God wrong, that that door wasn't for me to go through? Absolutely not. I truly believe that God will let us do what we want to do. I believe that through our experiences we learn from them what we choose. From that experience, I learned that being a preschool teacher is not for me, at least in those circumstances. When talking to Mike about the situation, he said something about whether I still thought it was God. I said yes, because He uses our circumstances to teach us a lesson, especially when we thing we want something. His response was, "In two weeks?" I said yes. It doesn't take long to learn. At least for me in that situation, things began to pile up on the side for me not supposed to be there.

So for the time being, I will concentrate on getting our home in order, and on the sideline, see what else is available in the job world. I may decide to watch a kid or two...or infant on a part-time basis. I know how difficult it can be to have part-time infant care, so that may be something for me to look into. That way I'm not overwhelmed with 5 other kids, and under pressure to teach them, when two want to do whatever they want. It was a great experience to teach the little ones that were ready to learn. It was amazing to see them learn something that I taught them. I did have fun with them (even when they were grumpy and I had to put them in timeout).

Though that job was in a great location, to position us for "that house"...I believe it wasn't right. It's not meant to be, at least for the time being. I still believe God is moving in my life, and I'm eager to see where that is. I joined up with Love INC. (Love In the Name of Christ) of Eagle River. I went to my first function on Friday. I look forward to helping those who need it around the community. I am also pretty sure I'm going to be taking over the nursery at church. I will be in charge of making the schedule and overseeing the supplies, cleanliness and security of the nursery for services.

I am thankful for the opportunity I was granted. For the record, I think I would be ok doing before and after school care. I just can't handle so many kids all day. I can handle a few all day, in addition to mine...just not so many. It's hard to get 5 to 7 kids, all interested in going different directions, all in the same direction.

I am very thankful for my kids, and I appreciate them so much. Thank you Lord for the blessings you've given me.

Me, a preschool teacher?

Alright...I've got 1 official week down as a preschool teacher. And let me tell you, what a week it has been. I've had the range of emotions from excitement, to sadness, and frustration, and joy. I do a lot more than just teach. I help with the meals and clean ups, diapers, and whatever else needs doing. My first couple days were pretty good. I have, in addition to Cassie (4-1/2), a little boy (4-1/2), a little girl (5 in December), and occaisionally a couple others. The little boy let's just say, he's has an attitutde that surfaces quickly. He doesn't sleep much at night because he's afraid of the dark and his parents refuse to leave a light on. So...this week...after putting him in timeout multiple times, I was hit and kicked. Not cool. He is aware if he does it again, he'll be going home. He is there in the a.m. and goes to regular preschool at 12:30. The little girl comes anywhere from 10:30 to 12-ish, and is there for the rest of my day there (2:30pm). The first day, I realized that her speaking skills were zero indication to her comprehension. She could draw 2 letters of her name, but couldn't tell me what they were. Her parents wouldn't put her in Head Start because they supposedly didn't have time for that. That broke my heart. I guess they want their kid to learn, but don't want to help facilitate that. So I've had my challenges this last week. Enter in another little boy. This one is 3 and 3 months, and doesn't talk or understand directions for writing a letter, speaking, saying his name or anything. And to top it off...he's very quiet, sneaky, curious, and hard to manage. He's not there everyday, or all day, everyday, but when he's there, not much else gets done. Then there's another little girl that talks a little bit more than him, but doesn't do much else...especially if she doesn't want to do it. And there is another girl that will be there when her mom does paper work. She's pretty quiet, but pretty compliant. And lastly, there's another boy that is in preschool for part of the day, but his parents have rotating schedules, so he's not there very often.

Monday, I had Cassie, the first boy and girl, the rambunctious one, the independent little girl, the rambunctious one's brother because he had problems at school (1st grade), Sarah (because she was having separation issues, and me chasing the rambunctious one all over, she kept seeing me), and I think there was another one, but I can't remember. I thought I had 7. I was so close to saying..."This isn't for me."

In the center, there is one other person on shift to work with the babies/younger toddlers. I don't know much about daycare centers, or the adult/child ratio, but it seems to me that their needs to be another person. Some of the time, the owner is in their, but she only oversees, she doesn't really help with things. I'm not complaining at all about that. Bravo to her for opening and running a successful and growing daycare. More power to her. But, when 2 kids won't sit still long enough to learn, and distract all the other kids, but are too big for the baby/toddler side, there should be another person to interact with them. I can't chase them all day if I'm supposed to be teaching the kids who need it and are ready for it. Following directions, along with some other skills are key to being ready to learn.

So...I'm not sure if this is supposed to simply be a learning experience for me, and be a stepping stone to something else, or if I'm supposed to stick it out.

Oh yeah, I forgot...I've had a little stress in working there. I worked last Wed, Thurs, Fri, and then Mon, Tues, Wed. This week. Last week Sarah had to stay at Vickii's Wednesday through Friday. Cassie was with her on Thursday and Friday because she was sick. But why was Sarah there?? Because the owner has not received her license to have more kids in the center from the state yet. On Friday, I asked if she had any suggestions because my mother-in-law couldn't watch Sarah on Monday. She said well, I already made the schedule, can you get a babysitter? Uh...no. I am my children's provider. I was hired under the condition that I could bring my children with me to work. I did not say those things, but I told her that I wouldn't be able to come in on Monday, unless they found out one of the other little kids wouldn't be there. She told me to call in Monday a.m. I did. She called me back and said there was an opening. We already knew that Tuesday and Wednesday there was an opening, Thursday (today) I had my concert, so I wouldn't be there, and then I was only scheduled M-Th for October, so I have Friday off anyway. So, we went in. I was only there for 3.5 hours...and it was easily worse than the other days combined. Mainly because of the little guy that is supposed to be on my side (meaning in the class), according to the owner. I'm so thankful that my mother-in-law was able to watch the girls when she did, but I shouldn't have to rely on her when I'm a daycare employee. Is that an oxymoron or what?

Part of me wants to ask if I have a 2 week trial period with this job...meaning that after 2 weeks I can decide if I want to continue, or not. At this point...I'd say, I think I'll pass on the job. If I have even 1 day a week like this Monday was, I don't think I want to continue this job. I don't mind the drive. The pay is good considering I get to bring my kids...when I get to bring both of them that is.

Then as I'm walking out the door yesterday, the owner said to me, you do know there's a meeting on Sunday right? I said no, what time is it? She said at 11-1. I said I don't get out of church until 12:30 usually. She said "It's a SIDS/Shaken Baby class. Everyone has to have it, and I paid for everybody to take it." Very kind of her to do that, however, would it have been inappropriate to make sure they would be there first? She said it's mandatory for every worker to take it. Well clearly, no one else had taken it, and the daycare has been in business for over 3 years, so I think I'll be alright for now. I asked if there were community classes for it. She said few and far between. God, is this your way of telling me I should learn my lesson and move on?

The owner was supposed to have the state licensing on October 1st...my first day. She said she is to have a meeting with the state again on October 15th. We'll see what happens.

Oh yeah, another thing we'll see what comes of is my kids vaccinations records. The owner asked for my kids' shot records on Friday. I got them and gave them to her on Tuesday. I have no problem with their records, but the state might. They do not have all of their vaccines, as Mike and I do not believe we should bombard our little people with so many things at one time. Not to mention that I have to get Cassie another appointment with the immunologist to have her officially cleared of her egg allergy in order to get her next MMR shot.

On Wednesday, the shot records were still in the same place on her desk (over the keyboard), as I left them on Tuesday. I don't think she saw them. But I don't think she's going to accept the status of them. To which I will say, Thank you Lord for this opportunity, thank you for opening and closing this door, and for the next open door that will come.

Let's see...I think that's it for now. I am so thankful I wasn't scheduled for Fridays...so I have 3 more days off. And I've yet to decide if I will be skipping church for the meeting.

Ok, I remembered one more thing...on my way home from Choir last night I had an epiphany...well...maybe. Mike's boss's wife is prego and due on the 18th of this month. She is a hospitalist, he is, as I said, Mike's boss in the Aviation Department at UAA. They want one of them to stay home with their baby...but she makes more than he does. So he would probably be the one to leave the work force. So my epiphany is...maybe they would hire me as their nanny. We, the whole family, would drive Mike to work, pick up his boss's son, come back to our house, then all go back into Anchorage to drop off the boss's son and pick Mike up. We'll see if that door is opened or not.

God bless you all!

I'm super excited!

Alright, so I've flirted with the idea of getting a Sizzix cutter of some sort, but I didn't really know much about it. I saw the Sizzix BigKick and decided to look it up. I watched some videos and I was hooked on it! (Lindsay...kind of like the Big Bite Crop-a-dile...) Anyhow, I got one today at Joann's. They had 40% off coupons, and 30% off the other cutting accessories. So...I made a couple investments in the "dies", as they're called.

So, long story short, I'm adding Sizzix stuff to my "Hope List". So far what I bought today include:
* Sizzix Originals Flower Layers #3
* Sizzix Originals Hearts, Tipsy
* Sizzix Originals Puzzle Maker #2
* Sizzix Originals Stars #2
* Sizzix Originals Circles #2

I'm excited about this because I will be using it like crazy for my class (which, btw, starts tomorrow). Our first shape will be the circle, so I will be breakin' that one in first I think. Woohoo!!

Just thought I'd share a part of my day. I'll post tomorrow or soon after about my first day.

A loss of words...kind of...

Alright, so what do I say? Well, I'm disappointed, bummed, confused, let down, deceived...umm...I think that covers it.

What am I talking about? The house. Yes, "the house". About 5 months ago, Mike said if I made a couple thousand a month, then we could look more into that house. Well, I will be making over $1000, with 40 hours a week, plus saving $1000 from not having the expense of childcare. That would make over $2000/month, which is a "couple thousand" in my book. Which would mean we could start considering it, right? Wrong.

The criteria changed. It changed a couple months ago add on lower interest rates. At the time it was about 6.2-6.7% (depending on 15 & 30 year fixed), and he seemed to be ok with a 30-year loan, if it were a lower APR. Alright, so...yesterday I looked, and mortgage rates are 5.7% for a 30-year loan! That's a pretty good rate, especially considering the rates just months prior. So...that to me would mean conditions are right, right? Wrong...another condition.

Now, it HAS to be a 15-year loan, which yes, makes sense, because you pay off your house sooner and save tons of money, however, the payment would be about $500/month more. Well...this is all pending the price we would buy that house at. If we paid exactly what they're asking, it would be a steep payment. If we countered them, and they had that certain number of $385k...payments would be much more managable.

We saw a sermon over the weekend that talked about God not wanting us to be in debt. Well that may be true, but not very many people can afford to pay cash out of pocket for their home in their 20's and 30's. He wants to know what the urgency is with me wanting to move. The only way I can explain it is that I really think that house would be perfect for us...and who knows when someone's going to buy it. I know if it's for us, it will happen, but if you don't listen to God, you miss opportunities. So he says I'm trying to set our family up for financial disaster, failure, catastrophe. Please tell me what you think. By the way, our gas for vehicles would cost less, even though Mike would drive further in the car, I would drive less in the van, and we would pay off one of my student loans. We could pay off both with the sale of this house, but one is at 1.49%, and 1/3 of the payment of the other, so we're ok with that.

I'm bummed by the constant revision of criteria to meet. It's not fair. Yeah, I know, life's not fair. But imagine you're running a marathon and you're on the marked course and you can see the finish line when all of a sudden, they take it down and move it 10 blocks further. Ok, you get your motivation going again to make it to that finish line. You can do it! It happens...you finally make it you're so close...keep running you're going to finish! And they move it again. How disappointing is that?

Where do I go from here? All I can do is look up. Lord, if this is Your will, you will make a way. Help me to see your way. Thank you God for all you've given us. In Jesus' name, Amen. I am so thankful for my job, and so thankful that the APR's have dropped, and that we got extra money with our early dividends.

Sponsor a singer...yes...me

As you may or may not know, I am a member of the Anchorage Concert Chorus. This is my second semester. Every semester, we are responsible for raising funds to help keep the Chorus going. There's a lot involved in keeping an organization together and operating smoothly. Here are some of the expenses that our dues, and your donations pay for:
♪ Pay the conductor
♫ Pay the pianist
♪ Pay the orchestra
♫ Pay for weekly rehearsal time
♪ Pay for dress rehearsals in the Performing Arts Center
♫ Pay for concert in the PAC
♪ Pay for marketing
♫ Pay for licensing of music
♪ Pay for all scores (Orchestral, Piano, vocal parts)
♫ Our CD, recording fees, printing, etc. (I am posting one song from the CD...one of my all time favorite holiday songs, and Mike's boss solo's in it. O Holy Night right below my other media player on my main page.)

So with this, I ask for your support. Upon generous donation, it would be safe to say you will have an extra gift for Christmas. No...I'm not bribing you...I'm simply letting you know your donation will be appreciated and reciprocated. ;-)

What do you get for donating? You get the satisfaction of knowing that you helped put on the show for all of the Anchorage area to see. You get your name or business in the season's programs as a supporter (if you desire, or remain anonymous), and your name on a Supporter board in the lobby for the year at the PAC. AND....eh hmmm...you get a write off on your taxes, as ACC is a non-profit organization.

How can you help? There are two ways: you can either sponsor me as a singer, or place an ad in our programs. There are two programs this season, and you'll be in both (one for the October 11th concert, and one for the December 21st concert). You can donate any amount you'd like. Ad costs are as follows:

Full Page = $400 6 1/2" W X 8" H
1/2 page = $235 Horizontal (6 1/2" W X 3 7/8" H) or vertical (3 1/8" w X 8" H)
1/4 page = $135 (3 1/8" W X 3 7/8" H)
1/8 page = $70 (business card, horizontal only)

Just be thankful I'm not going on the Chorus tour to America del Sur (South America)...otherwise I might go door-to-door to solicit funds.

Seriously though, I have been singing in choirs since I was in 2nd grade, though ACC is much better than my 2nd grade choir, I assure you. Singing with a great choir is one of my favorite things to do. I would appreciate any donations you would give. If you would like to sponsor me, visit this link for the form. Please fill it out and send it back to me or just email me the info and I'll fill it out for you. You can even PayPal me the money instead of sending a check, or using a credit card. My email address is skeeter_alaska@hotmail.com for PayPal transactions. If you'd like to place an ad for your business, let me know on here or email and we'll arrange that.

If you would like to buy tickets to the concert, or read more about us...or buy our new holiday album, please visit us here.

Thank you for your support, and God bless you.

-Stephanie

Updates

I've decided that when I make an update to a blog, I will post a new blog such as this indicating where the update was made (because I don't know if it shows up in emails or on followers lists or what not).

So I've updated the Idioms post. Check it out...

Have a blessed day, and be a blessing to others.
Stephanie

Truly blessed!

Well...Yesterday was my meeting with my boss, turning in my letter of resignation for my last day of work to be on October 3rd. So I gave them 3 weeks notice. One of those weeks I will not be working because Mike and I will be at a retreat in Soldotna.

Today I met with Farrah, my new boss! Yes! I got the job! I am so stoked. Not only do I have a job that I can take my kids with me, but I obeyed God (in leaving GCI, before I could move on and up), and He has already blessed me. I trusted that God would provide for us. I had faith that what He was telling me, to let go of GCI, that if I did that He would provide. And indeed He did. Before I am even unemployed, I have my next job. Praise God for His faithfulness.

So here's what's amazing: It's 30 miles from my house, but it's fine because for the time being, I will be driving against traffic, for the most part. So it took me about 35 minutes to get there. When I worked at GCI in Anchorage, it was 24 miles or so and took almost an hour every day to get there, and if there was an accident, closer to 2 hours. Here's the kicker...it's 8 miles from my mother-in-law's house (in Big Lake), which yes, also means it's about 8 miles from "the house"!! I am so excited. God is aligning things, whether it is for us to be in that house or not, I don't know yet, but it seems that we are headed in that direction.

So what will I be doing?? I'm a preschool teacher!! I will be teaching 3-5 year olds basics like numbers, letters, colors, shapes, animals and more. I am so excited and blessed to have this opportunity. I have a couple weeks to build lesson plans and get my classroom set up. It doesn't offer any benefits at the time being, besides childcare being included. That's pretty darn tootin' cool if you ask me. That saves $1000/month right there. Which, for me working 4 days/week (Monday-Thursday), and from 7:30-2:30 (is the current expected time for me to work, but may change depending on how the scheduling for the kids works out), that right there, would add $7.81 to my wage. That is awesome! I am so excited for this and what God has ahead of us.

If I had a job that was 8 hour days (9 hours in daycare), 5 days a week, this is what it would be...$1000/20/9=$5.55. But based on the hours that I will be working, this is how it works out:
$1000 (daycare for 2 kiddos)/16(days/month working) /8 (hours/day in daycare)= $7.81/hour.
So I'm off to start my lesson plans!

God bless you. Be obedient.
-Stephanie

Closing in...

Alright, so here's a quick update. In 4 hours, I have an appointment with my boss to turn in my resignation. Tomorrow, I have a meeting with Farrah, my potential new boss! She had a dentist appointment yesterday, so that's why she didn't call me back.

Though her ad says she wants a preschool teacher with a teaching degree or CDA certification, she said another alternative is to have 12 credit hours of child development courses. I think I have 3 credits and since Mike works for the university, I can, at very little cost, take more courses to satisfy that requirement. She said she would be willing to work with me on that, in allowing me to work there while I get more courses under my belt.

God is so good!

I'm going to see what the university has available for child development courses. I think it's too late to get in on this semester, though I will check.

God bless, and stay tuned!


**** UPDATE ****
The meeting with my boss went well. He said he was kind of expecting it because of the lack of activity I've had. He said the only other thing I could do was come in and answer phones, but he didn't think I'd want to do that, and he is right. I wouldn't mind doing it from home, but when I'm on the phone, the kids usually seem to go wild so I know that would not be a smart decision on my part. So, October 3rd will be my last day with GCI/Westaff. It's a little bittersweet because I've worked for them for 5 years. But, bigger and brighter things ahead, this I know.

Praise God!

In hot pursuit...

Alright, so on Monday, I did my usual scanning of the Workplace Alaska job page (state jobs), and the AlexSys job bank (regular, state and local government job listing), checked on craigslist for childcare, nanny jobs, etc...I found one that I hadn't seen before. First, let me preface that with this: last Wednesday I emailed my boss and asked if he was available later in the week anytime for a meeting. He didn't get the message until Monday a.m. I now have an appointment with him for 2:30pm tomorrow. Friday, I also sent a couple emails to people that had posted ads on craigslist for child care positions. I still haven't heard back from the one childcare provider in Wasilla, but I'm not sweatin' it. I know if I am to be there...I will be there. They will call. If I'm not, then I won't get it, that will be fine, and I will move on. I love listening to God! It's kind of like a treasure hunt. When you listen, you don't always know exactly what you're looking for or when you've hit the target. But when you listen and obey, and you have the feeling that God is saying "Well done, good and faithful servant," it just makes you light up inside. I had a moment like that on Monday. I don't know if I've hit the target or not, but I'll find out soon. Sometimes you may think you're at the target, but it's really just a stepping stone to the actual target, kind of like a check point to get your next clue.

I found a listing on craigslist today for a preschool teacher. Now...I'm no teacher, in the professional sense of the matter, but I am a teacher in my everyday life, without specific college training, degree or certificate. But I teach my children every day about various things, from why it's important to do what God says, to why the moth dies after a month in a jar. If you know me, you know I'm a detail-oriented, journalistic, type of person. I like to tell stories, setting the scene an making sure everyone understands. I usually can't sum things up quickly, especially if I'm excited...I go through all the steps and elaborate as much as possible. Spider-webbing or rabbit trails as some say. So, anywho...this job position listed "Must be 21 or over with teaching degree or CDA certification." Well, I am over 21, but I do not have a teaching degree or certification. But I pretty much fit the bill on all the other desires of the daycare/learning center owner who posted the ad.

I put together my resume, emailed it to the owner and expected to wait. Well...11 minutes later, I got a response saying that she had no "luck" filling the preschool position and that she was excited I was interested. So I emailed her back asking how many kids she has there and a couple other things, such as whether or not employees get a discount or benefit for their children. Maybe it's too upfront, but I don't want to lead her on to think that maybe she's found someone if there isn't a benefit for my kids to be with me. The wage she listed is a bit more than other places, and it would be driving a bit further from here, but hopefully that would only be a temporary thing. ;-) I think we're going to head out to Big Lake today to help relieve grandma of her load of raspberries, so I emailed the owner of the daycare and asked if she would like me to stop by. We'll see what happens from here.

I feel like I'm definitely headed in the right direction. It's just amazing how the pieces fall together. So with that, I must add what happened to me on Sunday at church. Sunday was Sarah's first day in the 2 & 3 year old group, since her birthday was the Friday before. I brought Sarah down to her new room and had a brief chat with a lady, named Kim, that has worked in there since Cassie was there. She said she's been meaning to ask me if I would consider co-chairing an existing organization with her. It's called Love, INC (Love, In the Name of Christ). It is an organization that assists Christians that need help in some way. For example, if there's a fire and a family loses their home, an email would be sent out asking for prayers and household items, or even a place to stay depending on the circumstances. So Kim said since she's down with the kids most of the time, she doesn't get to share testimonies and needs from the happenings of Love, INC, so she needs someone to help her with that. I was quite shocked that she asked me, but thrilled about it. So I will be praying about that. I'll update this as well.

After that, I headed back upstairs to go to the sanctuary for worship and a woman named Linda stopped me and said she needed to talk to me. She is in charge of the nursery, and I have been working in there with her and some other ladies, so I thought she had a new schedule or something, or was wondering why Sarah wasn't there. After the service, I went and talked to her and she asked me if I would prayerfully consider taking over the nursery! I was shocked! I did let her know I was interested, and that just before the service Kim Shaw asked me to do co-chair with her, which would cause for me making announcements in church, which would mean I would be out of the nursery for a bit during that time. I'm sure it's all possible, if that's where God wants me. I just need to pray about what He wants me to do. Love, INC would be a great service to our community, as would being the lead in the nursery. I actually wanted to jump at the chance to head the nursery because that will give me more experience and credibility as far as a possible business goes. There aren't many kids in the nursery right now, so that would be a good time to get my feet wet in managing it. I felt like Linda's offer in itself indicates that I'm going in the right direction.

So, I have a lot to pray about. Please, if it's on your heart, pray for me too. I'm so excited to be on this adventure with God! I'm going to call the owner of the daycare and see if she'd like me to stop by on my way to Big Lake, since I'm not sure how often she checks her email.

Follow God's heart and you will be blessed!
-Stephanie

Idioms of motherhood (sounds like a good book title, huh?)

Below is a collection in progress of the commical wisdom of children. In this case, the name in parentheses will be the child responsible for the idiom or -ism.

Idiom - 1. A speech form or an expression of a given language that is peculiar to itself grammatically or cannot be understood from the individual meanings of its elements, as in keep tabs on or under the weather. 2. An expression whose meanings cannot be inferred from the meanings of the words that make it up. 3. An expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements, as kick the bucket or hang one's head, or from the general grammatical rules of a language, as the table round for the round table, and that is not a constituent of a larger expression of like characteristics.

If your 4-year-old child says "We should take out the trash." See what they threw away before you take the trash out. (Cassie)

Kids have 4 armpits. The ones under their arms and behind their knees. (Cassie)

Kids like toast sandwiches. Parents would think to put the buttered sides toward each other to keep the butter warm. Through a child's eyes, it's a toast sandwich. (Cassie)

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The newest addition to my list is priceless. While looking at a book, I asked Cassie what something was, she said "a mango". I had to laugh because it was so innocent. A mango, you know the tall, pink bird that eats shrimp...

One from probably the winter of '07-'08 is "Mom, I can see your brain!" Cassie exclaimed as she was brushing my hair. It was hilarious and priceless. I was reminded of it again today, 9/11/08 as I brushed my hair and she looked at my part to see my natural hair color and she said in a matter-of-factly, sing songy voice, "I see you brain."

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Another to add to the list: 9/12/08, I was explaining to Cassie that animals that eat only leaves are called herbivores. Then I said do you know what they call animals that eat only meat are called? She said, "Por favors?" ROFL!! How cute is that? I explained that it was actually a carnivore, and then those that eat both are omnivores. I can't get over her response. How funny?!

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"I'm in my shape." That is the response I got from Cassie when I said to her, "You better shape up." 9/19/08

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And Cassie talking about me teaching now, "You were just a mom...I wanna be a teacher just like you." 9/19/08
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For probably the past year or so, Cassie likes to call me Mommy-yommy-o...long for Mommy.
-11/20/08

___________________________
12/03/08
Ok, this one cracks me up...Cassie started this the Christmas of '07...maybe even '06, but I totally forgot about it until we heard a specific song. We have one of those little singing mice things from walmart...that are so darn cute when you get them, but once they're in your cart, you think..."Why did I let them get this??" As it drives you crazy before you get to the check out. So our mouse sings "We Wish you a Merry Christmas" and when it comes to "oh bring me some figgy pudding, oh bring me some figgy pudding..." Well, Cassie sings relentlessly, even after nearly thousands of times of correcting her..."oh bring me some cookie chedder, oh bring me some cookie chedder..." ROFL...sounds gross and doesn't make sense, but that's what she sings. I totally forgot about it until I heard that mouse again yesterday.

As parenting continues, this list will grow. Who knows...maybe even become a book. Keep your child's 'isms and idioms written down...comment them here even, and if I make a book, I'll add them too.
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From Jan-May 09
I remembered that Cassie used to say (about 2 years ago) Paul Onion...rather than Paul Bunion.

Sarah has a unique way of speaking. She sounds Brittish at times. It's hilarious. She says, "Come hey-uh." That's how she says "come here". There are other words she says that sound like she's grown up in another land. I'll add them as I remember them.

Sarah also says some words in such a cute way. Here is a sample sentence to include many of the affected words...not an actual sentence she said, but so you can see how she says each word. "Daddy rode the hoisey to woik and I'm wearing shoyts and I hoyt my knee." There's another work with the same oy sound...I can't remember it right now.

Every night before bed, we sing a couple songs and then say our prayers. One of Sarah's favorite songs is John Jacob Jingle Heimer Schmidt. I think I got a video of her singing this, but she says, "John Jacob Jingle Heimer Fit" it's just so funny. She's so enthusiastic about the song. Another favorite of Sarah's is Deep and Wide. The 2 verses we know are "Deep and wide, deep and wide there's a fountain flowing deep and wide" then it repeats and the second verse is "For you, for me, for you, for me, there's a fountain flowing deep and wide" and repeat. When Sarah sings the second verse it sounds like this, "For niew, for me, for niew for me," etc. She says "you" like a very formal/proper "new" item.

At the store the other day, Cassie reminded me of phrase that I think is funny. See...being around kids you know that what they mean, isn't always what they say...and sometimes no matter how many times you correct them, they still persist. Cassie said, "Mom, can we get some sweet bread?" Now by this she doesn't mean King's Hawaiian Sweet Bread, she means Sourdough bread. lol. Not sure how it ever came to that, but maybe she was trying to describe that the flavor was different than regular bread.

Ok, so onto a Sarah word, that you would think is a normal thing to say, but not what she means, like Cassie's "sweet bread". Sarah said to me the other day, "Momma, can we have donuts?" I said we don't have donuts, but we might go to the store and we can look for some. She became frustrated and said, "I wanna donut." I explained again that we didn't have any, but we can get some. It suddenly dawned on me that the past couple days the three of us (myself, Cassie and Sarah) had shared bagels. Light bulb! Bagels look like donuts! She wants a bagel! Jackpot. I said, "Do you want a bagel?" "Nyeah!" She says, "I wanna bagel with cheese." Cream cheese that is...but that part was easy.

Maybe the answer...?

Alright...so last night Mike and I talked about the house. It seems there is hope for it to be in our future. I am going to be a big part in that, and I'm willing to do what I can to find my place in it all.

I have 3 general options to go about making money:

1. Work from home
2. Work a job that is more than $2500/month
3. Work for a child care provider for less.

Upon analysis of jobs and monies, after childcare, gas and taxes, it seems the most realistic and feasible at this point is to work for a child care provider for less money.

So the pros of working from home would be:

1. I would probably have more flexibility with my hours and scheduling
2. I would be caring for my kids
3. I have the option of finding more work if needed
4. I would choose to do something I love and enjoy (B&A school care, photography, graphic design)

Cons of working from home would be:

1. Uncertain business...means uncertain paycheck
2. Getting started, established in whatever field. Finding customers would be the challenge.

Pros for working for more than $2500/month:

1. It's a definite paycheck.
2. Hopefully it would be something I enjoy

Cons for working for more than $2500/month:

1. My kids are with someone else.
2. Probably not very flexible
3. I could work some somewhere else, with my kids, and bring home the same amount (after the childcare, gas and taxes come out from the $2500)
4. I've applied for 3 so far, and got 2 rejection letters.

Pros for working for a child care provider:

1. Being with my kids, while making money
2. Discount or free child care
3. Building experience with other children (for possibly having the B&A later)
4. Making contacts (for possibly having the B&A later)

So here's what I did. I figured that the best option, most realistic, most rewarding, most secure option right now, is to work for a child care provider. So, I looked on the state job web site and found one in Wasilla. So, if I get it, the first hour of me being there, will pay for gas for the day. That would stay about the same if we moved too. So I applied for this job just a little bit ago. We'll see if this is where God wants me. Oh, I also emailed my boss at GCI to see if he has time this week for a meeting.

Blessings to you!

The house...

Ok, so what is it about this house that I love so much? Why is it that I can't stop thinking about it?? Why is it that I will do a muriad of things to be able to live in this house???

I'll list the things I want our home to have...like dream home...to have:

-Land (at least an acre, but the more the better)

-A view (mountains, lake, or something that would be calming on a hectic day)

-Nice yard (flat enough to have kid stuff away from the road)

-Green house

-Room to garden (meaning flat area that gets a lot of sun)

-Off the main flow of traffic

-Privacy

-Garage space (for toys, vehicles, tractor, tools)

-Near airstrip (for Mike) (Oh, near meaning that he could drive his plane home)

-Parking for visitors (and a plane for that matter)

-Home office space/craft room

-Place for all of our books

-Master suite (big walk-in, jetted tub, double vanity, walk in shower, enough room in the room to have a sitting area)

-Large living room with vaulted ceiling

-Toy room/playroom

-Rooms for the girls (and any future additions to the family)

-Room for exercise equipment (room for huge weight bench, treadmill)

-Good size deck for BBQ and sunning

-Entertainment room (TV, game consoles, surround sound, pool table, etc)

-Big kitchen (so stuff can be stored where it belongs, not on the counter)

-Double ovens (so holidays would be easier)

-And island in the kitchen

-Bar stools (a raised level above the counter level for 3 or 4 stools)

-Room for an extra freezer or two (to hold some Alaska food like fish & moose)

-Large dining area for a table to seat at least 8 comfortably

-Arctic entry, or mud room (for a bench, shoes, coat rack, etc)

-Open space withing the main living area (so if I'm cooking I can enjoy those not in the kitchen)

-Pantry (good size for Costco type dry food sizes, large appliances like crock pot, juicer & bread machine if they don't fit in the kitchen)

-Laundry room (on same level as rooms, with a counter space for folding, cabinets for chemicals, hanging rack, sink for rinsing some items)

-Guest room (strictly set aside for visitors)

-Linen closets in bathrooms (for towels and necessary items)

-Rounded corners (I just like the look)

-More contemporary feel (not old, dark woods, paneling)

-Vinyl siding (so you don't have to paint it)

-Heated floors (I get cold feet)

-Natural gas (for cooking and heat)

-Sun room (for having some veggies growing during the winter)

-Skylights (for more light to come in)

Ok so on that list, things that are blue, this house in Big Lake, that I love, HAS. Stuff in Green it does not have. Then I will elaborate.

First I'll address what this house doesn't have. As you can see from the list, I have a lot of thinks that I want in a home. This "home" described above is where I want to raise our family and live for a long time. So on this list of about 40 things, it only does NOT have 6 things. How amazing is that? It doesn't have barstools, which is ok, but there is room. I'll explain when I talk about the kitchen in the "Does have" section. The rounded corners don't really matter, I just like the look of it, adding to the contemporary feel. The vinyl siding can be added. The heated floors would be nice, but again, could be added to tiled areas in particular, but I've lived 28 years without them. The sun room would be nice as well to grow things during the winter, and summer, and maybe even put our hot tub in, but I'd be ok with out it. The skylights could be put in as well. I think the main place I would want them would be in the kitchen and perhaps the library (aka upstairs office). It would be a further drive for Mike since he works at the closer edge of Anchorage. Right now he's about 20 minutes from work where we are. This area of Big Lake is about 45 minutes from us. So Mike's drive on a regular day would be about 65 minutes. With snow maybe about 90 minutes. With an accident on the road, probably closer to 2 hours. But the accidents that happen, usually happen between where we are and Anchorage, so he experiences those anyway, AND he wants to have his license and fly, so that would not only cut down on gas costs, but commute time too.

Ok, so now onto what it DOES have! Comments are added in purple to the list .

-Land (at least an acre, but the more the better) It has 5.1 acres!
-A view (mountains, lake, or something that would be calming on a hectic day) It has a creek that runs at the end of it, the creek is shallow (like maybe mid-calf or knee), very slow and Salmon run it!

-Nice yard (flat enough to have kid stuff away from the road) It has a huge back yard, that is flat with a few trees, a nice front and side yards as well.

-Green house. It has a large green house with the trays built in, a screen door and fan.

-Room to garden (meaning flat area that gets a lot of sun). I could pick my place, depending on what area got the most sun...which I believe would be most of the yard.
-Off the main flow of traffic. It is probably about 1 mile off Big Lake road.
-Privacy. There are 2 neighbors, one through quite a bit of trees, and I've heard doesn't live there much, and the other side is a house that is also for sale. It's belongs to the owners' parents of the house I like. The yard isn't very separate, but there really aren't a lot of windows on that side of "our house". I believe the sellers are also putting in a dividing tree line. (I would put in a row of raspberries!) Then across the creek, there is a land locked large parcel, not built on, and doesn't have a road to it.
-Garage space (for toys, vehicles, tractor, tools). Ok, it has a nice 2 car garage with built in cabinets and counters, AND it has a 1920 sf. shop!

-Near airstrip (for Mike) (Oh, near meaning that he could drive his plane home) Right across from this lot, the end you enter you driveway at, is a public, maintained air strip, and yes, within driving distance for the plane. It would literally exit the air strip and go down the driveway.
-Parking for visitors (and a plane for that matter) It has a HUGE circular driveway...plenty of vehicles could park there. Holiday parties would be a piece of cake!

-Home office space/craft room. Ok, this house has 2 "offices", the larger of the two is downstairs. It has a half wall high paneling job, which is fine. It has a built in cabinet with counter, and a stair case that goes to the master suite. This room would be my craft, activity room.

-Place for all of our books. This would be the second "office". It's upstairs and has beautiful built in cabinets and display cases. This would house all of our reference books and other reading material including all the magazine we have.

-Master suite (big walk-in, jetted tub, double vanity, walk-in shower, enough room in the room to have a sitting/reading area). Let me tell you about the master suite...I love it. It has a large picture window that looks out to the creek, and one that looks toward the green house and trees. It has a walk in closet that's amazing. The walk in has a huge built in dresser, 2 racks for clothes (one is a single rack the other is a double rack) a linen storage area, AND...a wall full of like a square storage area. It's hard to describe, but it's like a grid of square shelves for folded items. I love it!) Onto the bathroom...it has a corner jetted tub, a water closet (toilet in its own little room in the bathroom), a double vanity, a walk-in shower and a linen cabinet.


-Large living room with vaulted ceiling. It has a large livingroom with access to the back deck, vaulted ceiling. It's a very large room!

-Toy room/playroom. There is a playroom downstairs with 4 windows I think, so it's not dark at all. It's huge too and has an area that has linoleum flooring and a bathroom. This would be the perfect place for all the big toys and to play inside when it's not nice outside. There is currently a mini hair salon in the area with linoleum flooring, but it goes when the house sells. So a sink could be added there. This is also where I could have a business of before & after school care. I already thought of a name and everything!

-Rooms for the girls (and any future additions to the family) There is 1 room upstairs near the master suite it could be for Sarah now, and if another came along, then Sarah would be moved into Cassie's room. Cassie's room would be downstairs. Alexa & Monica would have a room downstairs also, and there would be one additional room (maybe a boys room? ...if we had a boy down the road)

-Room for exercise equipment (room for huge weight bench, treadmill) If we were to be in this house by ourselves (meaning my mom not living with us...which is a potential down the road), we'd probably put the exercise stuff in the MIL family room.

-Good size deck for BBQ and sunning. It has a nice size deck for a BBQ party or sun bathing.
-Entertainment room (TV, game consoles, surround sound, pool table, etc) The entertainment room could very easily be the living room. It is definitely large enough to fit all of the above. Or the playroom is another option. I'm not sure if the MIL family room would be big enough.
-Big kitchen (so stuff can be stored where it belongs, not on the counter) I love the kitchen in this house! It has double ovens, a huge island with lots of storage. We currently have 2 small upper cabinets, 2 lower corners, 2 upper corners, 1 cookie sheet cabinet, 2 long pan drawers, a utensil drawer above that, 3 regular sized upper cabinets above that, 2 regular upper cabinets above a stack of drawers and one corner, 1 narrow upper cabinet, and 1 regular upper cabinet and a floor to almost ceiling "pantry" cabinet. So counting the pantry cabinet as 4 doors...we have 13 doors, plus 4 corners, 2 smalls, 2 narrows, 3 shallow drawers and 2 deep drawers. The house I want has 4 small, 4 corner, 3 shallow drawers (that I can see) 14 regular doors, plus whatever else is on the 2 sides of the island you can't see. I seem to recall that there are 3 cabinets or 2 cabinets and row of drawers on the side closest to the sink, and 2 more on the fridge side, plus whatever is below the shallow drawer you can see on the other side of the ovens. I would be very tempted (depending on what table we put in the dining area) to put in a raised bar stool area on the flat side of the island that is just a panel.

-Double ovens (so holidays would be easier) This house has 2 stainless steel ovens, stacked next to the stainless fridge
-And island in the kitchen It obviously has an island with lots of storage. We don't use a microwave...haven't had one in our kitchen for almost 2 years I think, so that space would probably be for cookbooks maybe?
-Room for an extra freezer or two (to hold some Alaska food like fish & moose). There would definitely be room in the garage, for another freezer or two. The entrance door to the garagee is just beside the fridge in the kitchen. There's also another kitchen downstairs. I don't think it has an oven though.

-Large dining area for a table to seat at least 8 comfortably. I love this dining space. I love the window that views the creek and the back yard. It lets in a lot of light. I also like the variety of wood tones used in the floor. At the far left of the dining is a door, it has a water cooler/dispenser thing that is the entrance to the pantry.

-Arctic entry, or mud room (for a bench, shoes, coat rack, etc) If looking at the kitchen picture, you see the counter that has no wall, and cabinets above it...the door is back behind that...behind that door is an arctic entry and coat closet.
-Open space withing the main living area (so if I'm cooking I can enjoy those not in the kitchen) I like that the dining area and kitchen are right there, and that you can see into the living room from there as well.
-Pantry (good size for Costco type dry food sizes, large appliances like crock pot, juicer & bread machine if they don't fit in the kitchen) This pantry is amazing! It has tons of storage. It's the size of a normal walk in closet.

-Laundry room (on same level as rooms, with a counter space for folding, cabinets for chemicals, hanging rack, sink for rinsing some items) This laundry room is on the upper level, so is on the same floor as the master and 1 room. I like that because I have wheeling laundry carts and they would come in handy. Right now, we have 2 stairs down to the garage and 13 stairs to the upstairs...carts don't works so well. I know that I would get laundry done and put away faster if it all has a place to go.
-Guest room (strictly set aside for visitors) As I mentioned before, there would be 1 extra room downstairs.
-Linen closets in bathrooms (for towels and necessary items) Obviously the master bathroom is set, the MIL bathroom has a linen closet, as does the main upstairs bathroom. The bathroom in the playroom doesn't have storage other than the cabinet under the sink because it is just a toilet and sink.

-More contemporary feel (not old, dark woods, paneling) Most of this house has been remodelled in the last 2 years or so. The master bath was done the end of 2007, along with the other bathrooms in 2006 and 2007 I believe. It all looks good to me, except...the 4 bedrooms have panelling. Not all of them have all walls done, but that would have to at least be painted over. The wood floor in the kitchen and dining area is mostly dark, but I like it. So a Cherry table or Maple table would look just fine because all of the shades are in the floor. The play room also has the 1/2 wall height of panelling, but I think that's fine...actually a protective barrier for the walls, so I would probably leave it. Maybe paint it for a splash of brightness though.
-Natural gas (for cooking and heat) The house has natural gas for heat and stove. The shop is currently on heating fuel. I would think that putting a wood stove in there would be quite efficient for heating it, rather than using the heating fuel.

What else does it have? It has a sparsly treed lot near the airstrip that a small cabin could go on for extra income. It also has a privately owned airstrip that goes through the middle of the property (owned by the neighbors that aren't there much). The airstrip is not used much, because the man is getting older, and could use the public airstrip if he wanted to.

What is it missing? Us.

So...with this blog, I ask for prayers. I have my heart set of raising kids in this house, and having a business from it as well, where I will have the opportunity to share God's love with others who may not already know it. God says in Matthew 7:7-8 "7 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." I don't think wanting this house is ungodly. I don't want it to flaunt it. If you know me, you know my heart is not wicked. I believe that if we are supposed to have this house, we will have it. It's been on the market for almost 3 months this time. It was on the market last year for $100k more than it is now. Mike and I saw this house in February, by the owners (whom know my father-in-law). I really liked the space it offered then, and the outside was under snow still. It was just way too much for us then. I ruled it out then, even though I still liked it. I happened to be looking at what was out there, just to see...because this is also something I do, why, I don't know. But it was listed again! So the initial price last year was $499k. When I found it listed in June it was $399k! And upon some research, I found it had been listed in April for $440k. The family that owns it is quite well off. They owned Homesteaders Truss Plant in Big Lake, now owned by Spenard Builders' Supply. They have another home out of state. And the man of the house bought a full size road grader just to do their driveway! How amazing is that? That's not it though...he paid to have it shipped down to Colorado, rather than selling it up here and buying a new one.

A little background about how things would look if we lived there. Yes, the payments are slightly more...about $400 more per month than what they are now. However, from the profits from our house, we would have enough extra to pay off one of two student loans I have. We could pay both off, but the second's interest rate just went down to like 1.6%, so we're ok with that. The other one though is almost $400 a month, so...even steven. Plus, I have the intention of having my own business of before & after school care as mentioned in another blog. I don't think it's foolish, I think it's an investment. The asking price right now on the house is $59k more than what the borough has listed for the assessment and appraisal. My intention, when Mike is ready, is to offer $350k. I have a number in my head that I've had for over 2 months, that I believe we would be offered in return, and I would be ok with (but let's face it, I would buy it for $400k!). So that amount, for the record is $385k. That number has been in my head. I don't know if that will be the selling price, or the asking price when we make an offer. I believe it's a God thing though.

So anyway, thank you for your prayers in advance.

Letter of Rejection #2

Well, let's see...I got a rejection letter today. Initially I thought it was for the job that said not to rule out working from home, but I don't think it is. The letter is from the Publications Specialist II...and I think that is the one that I couldn't get ahold of the person to ask. So anyway, I'm not worried about not getting the job. I know God has a place for me. I'm trying to find that.

Vickii mentioned to me about a week ago, maybe I should think about Before & After School care. So, I started thinking and praying about it a couple days ago and yesterday it was like a fire was lit beneath me. I looked at some rates of a lady in Wasilla that provides the same service, along with full time day care from her home. I put together a spreadsheet with times, activities and guidelines I would have for my business. And then it hit me that I would need a name. First, the question was: would I be just a B&A care provider, or would I be a Christian based B&A care provider. I settled that I would do Christian based B&A care because God deserves the recognition for His work.

So with that I wanted a name that was clever and referred to or tied together children and my beliefs. I was searching online Christian dictionaries, hoping to find the word and definitions on one page so I wouldn't have to go through word by word. Well, I didn't find one, but I was about to hit the back button and I saw it! It hit me, the way a "God thing" hits me. The name of the site I was on, that listed quite a few dictionaries was Crosswalk. Brilliant!! My God is Brilliant! It's a perfect fit. Crosswalk...like how kids get to and from school...via the crosswalk. AND...the Cross Walk...like the Christian Walk. I love it! So today I spent a lot of time looking for graphics that have the tweaking potential to become a logo.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I brought this up to Mike last night and didn't get much support or enthusiasm. He first questioned the need for the service. It's a legitimate question to ask, I agree. Then at the rate of which I would charge, how much I'd make a month. (When you break it down, it's not that much per hour, but I'm ok with that, if I get to impart something to the younger generations, including my own kids.) And not to mention, that if I had 1 kid for less than 20 hours a week, that would equate to what I make a GCI in a month. But again the payoff is much greater because GCI could really give a hoot if I update fax contacts, where as parents will be greatful for my dedication to their children, AND the fact that they are able to go to work and not have to worry about their kid at home after school. I was really excited about this new passion I seemed to have acquired overnight. I was even looking at cool learning toys and things I would have for the kids to learn with. This is all of course under the assumption that we moved to the house in Big Lake that I've liked since January. Well, it's safe to say that I really love that house. I'll blog about that later or tomorrow...and why it is really the perfect house to turn into a home for us.

Ok, so after all that, if I were to get a "real" full time job, then I'd be the one paying about $1000/month for someone else to watch my kids, along with about $300/month for gas. That's $1300 out of whatever my total montly salary would be. $15/hour * 8 hours/day * 23 max days/month is $2760 before taxes. Take the $1300 off the top, so that leaves $1460, minus taxes...is I don't know how much...we'll say...I think a high estimate would be maybe $1000 left. So now the logistics of the B&A school care rates. The lady in Wasilla does $500/month for 20 or more hours a week or $300/month for less than 20 hours a week. So...if I had 2 kids after school, and 1 before and after school, I am ahead of the game, plus with my children as well.

I'm just praying that if this is the way we're to go, that God gives us confirmation through Mike, and Mike is humbled and sees it for what it is. I have so many ideas for bringing in an income that would enable us to live in the house in Big Lake. Another idea, I think would still be a good idea is to have a small cabin at the end of the property to rent out. Since it's right by an airstrip, I think it would be a HUGE hit during the summer.

We'll see where God leads us.

Still there...

Well, the first week of August, I got a letter from the RCA indicating that I was not the one for the job I had applied for. All is well, I was relieved actually and here's why. Friday, August 1st, I was looking at the other state jobs available and I found two other jobs I was much more interested in, and much more qualified for. One was called a Publications Technician I and the other was a Publications Specialist II. One was for the Department of Fish & Game (which interestingly enough is across the street from where I used to work at GCI), the other is for the Food Safety & Sanitation Department. The level II obviously made more, but they essentially had the same job description. One of them included some web design work, which I love. But bother of the jobs other duties include publication layout & design which is one of my passions. I love doing layout and graphic design.

I was in a pinch though. That Friday or Saturday we were supposed to be driving to Fairbanks for the week to assist my inlaws with displaying their helicopter in the Tanana Valley State Fair in Fairbanks. The job opening closed the following Monday. I was able to get both applications in on Friday. I also got a little additional information from the contact on one of the positions. I asked if there was a potential to transfer to Palmer, or work from home part of the time. She had to ask another department and the answer came back that she knew it was possible, though usually under rare circumstances, but that it was not ruled out.

So though the RCA job seemed to be "the one", I believe that it was definitely a cue from God for me to follow. I listened and obeyed. Where God will lead me, only He knows. Sometimes God tests us to see if we will listen. Me applying for that job may have been the doorbell to see if I was home to open the door.

I would love to do either of the publication positions and I was praying, after I found them, that I would not get the RCA job.

I will keep posting updates with what happens next.

Thank you for reading,
God bless on this first day of school,
Stephanie

P.S. Almost 2 hours after I've written this blog, I added the Daily Bible Verse Element, the scripture today is Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Amen!

What's on my heart?

For the last couple weeks, I have felt the urge to leave my job at Westaff/GCI. Not for the obvious reasons...like they cut my hours from 45-48 hours/week down to 5...or even that they didn't give me a raise until 6 months after I requested it the first time...and 5 or 6 times in between. But I feel that to move up and move on, I have to let go of it.
Finances have been constricting with my 5 hour/week paycheck, and paychecks from the website I designed (www.alaskagreatcommission.org) are running out. So I've looked at alternative means to bring in some income for our family. I've listed services for a potential company dealing with Photography, Graphic Design and photo restoration etc.

So back to the feeling I've had about leaving GCI. The typical person would say why leave it? It's money you wouldn't otherwise have. True. Very true. But God is telling me, you can't move on until you let go. It's a step of faith. I have to let go of my juvenille paycheck and walk in faith knowing that my Jehova Jireh...will infact provide for me and mine as he does for the birds. So I sat on that for a while, contemplating...what do I do? So, I emailed my boss asking again for more work, if he needed help with anything etc. I'm really not interested in doing the NCSR work that I had been doing. The guy that took over my job sent me an email asking me to do 3 NCSR's which was just plain strange for several reasons. #1, my boss was out of the office going on a fishing trip when I sent the email, #2, my co-worker very rarely asks me to help. So I did that work, and took it as maybe hang in a little longer. Mike said I could hold onto the 5 hours per week and do another job (perhaps part-time) for the added income.

Last week I found a job I thought I would like quite well. It was customer service for a waste management company. Doesn't sound glamorous, but I don't mind customer service, and I didn't think it would be overly busy, or rude people. Starting pay was $11.22-$16.86, DOE, which I had plenty of. The job was in Wasilla, which is near the home I'd love to have a future with. I even put together a resume suited for that job. I was certain I'd get the job. I did not apply for that job, but yesterday, Mike emailed me a link for a state job he said I qualified for.

I looked at the hourly rate in his email. I opened the link and thought...hmm...what does it entail? So I read on to find myself torn. I was slightly terrified by the job description, but flattered that my husband said I was qualified for it. It sounded quite stressful, reading and writing a lot, and lots of people seeing the work.

As the day went on yesterday, more and more, I seemed to have a rising determination that I would get this job. So here's the connection to the first part of this blog: this state job is working for the RCA (Regulatory Commission of Alaska), it is a part of the State government that oversees the utilities and regulates them by laws. I work for a utility (GCI, via the temp agency). I would have to quit GCI before I could start working for the RCA. I believe I will get this job (even though it's slightly terrifying), and I will resign from GCI once again.

So with a job, for me, comes child care. Cassie's 4.5 and Sarah will be 2 in September. We want to put Cassie into a Christian school for K-4, and me having a "real job"...or at least working more than 5 hours a week, will allow us to do that for her. But then what about before and after school...and Sarah...and the rest of the summer?!?! So I called a friend from church (as I would like to have them with someone I know will uphold our spiritual beliefs), and she told me she knew a girl that was looking for something like that. So I called her and gave her the rundown of what's going on and she is interested. :)

So...next step...job interview. (No, they haven't called yet, I just feel like it's going to happen.) If for some reason, it doesn't happen...then that isn't where God wanted me. I will update this when I hear from the good ol' State of AK.

In the meantime,
Health & Blessings,
Stephanie