Graduation/Send off Party

I can't believe its almost time for graduation and Ryan's mobilization and deployment. The good thing is at least we have an excuse to throw a party. Well, actually my parents have taken over I think:) It should be fun and if you don't get an invite in the next few days and feel like you should have let me know because my brain is full between wrapping things up at school and the internship and applying for jobs.

In lieu of gifts, we are asking that family and friends consider donating to a cause we are passionate about, supporting the troops. Wounded Warriors and Deployed Soldiers need to know we care and appreciate their service. You can make a financial donation online or bring any of the items in the list below to our party in May. Thank you and this list will be in a box on the left side of our blog for a while too because our church is always collecting these items for care packages and the wounded warrior project does such great things so we hope you will consider continuing to support them. Thanks and we look forward to seeing some of our loved ones at the party in May.

Cash gifts for the Wounded Warrior Project can be made through:

www.woundedwarriorproject.org

Other items being collected include:

Magazines (sports, cars, weight lifting, etc.)

DVDs (funny/upbeat- nothing about war or depressing)

Paperback books

Pop Tarts by the box

Hard candy

Granola bars

Power bars (20% protein)

Sudoku books

Pages of jokes from the internet (keep it clean)

Washcloths

Travel size toiletries

Ziploc bags

General notes of encouragement

Spring Break

It is so nice to have four days to get things done! I even have one extra day than expected because my Richmond class got postponed to next week. Last week was just insane and I am so thankful for a full nights sleep last night and I know the next few weeks are going to be pretty crazy so I am going to just enjoy the calm of the next few days.

The plan:
Today- catching up on e-mails and this blog (you may want to look back at pictures I added to the past two weeks of posts), I dropped Ry off at work this morning and we'll leave right after I pick him up for our second Caps game of the season (woohoo!!!), and hopefully I will get some bill and job ap stuff done today
Wednesday- A walk with Christie and her dog Bonnie since its her Spring Break too, catching up on case notes for the internship, a relaxing night with Ry
Thursday- Time with Christen, Tate, and Carter and helping with party prep. Maundy Thursday Service at church.
Friday- More time with Christen, Tate and Carter and final party prep. Holy Friday service at church.
Saturday- Carter's 1st Birthday Party and my parents 25th Anniversary. Hillary's coming to help me get ready for my first Easter lunch at my house on Sunday.
Sunday- Easter Lunch for 11. So excited!!!

Last week was my intro to both the Family Readiness Group (FRG) at the unit and to volunteering with the youth at our new church. It was great to finally start doing things with two groups I have been wanting to get involved in for a while. I really enjoyed meeting with my confirmation mentee this past weekend and look forward to building a relationship with her. Working with youth is so encouraging because they have fresh eyes and such raw passion for the Lord.

Working with the FRG is certainly different than I expected but it was fun shopping for the fundraiser on Thursday night and making flyers. I love activities like that. It was sooo nice to get to see the soldiers Thursday night and to talk to them about how they are doing with the deployment coming up. It is nice getting to know some of the wives better too through this group and I look forward to our first big even with all of the families in just a few weeks.

A special thanks to my friends Tawnya and Kelly who helped me with the invitations this weekend. It was so nice to catch up with you all and to my parents who helped me with getting them in the envelopes (I hate licking them so props to you Dad for doing that part). Not sure how I got my papers done with all the extra activities that got added into last week and with going to see Warren Brown of Cake Love Sunday night with Mom and Diana, but they got done and I think they turned out alright.

It was so good to have Ryan home after just this four day drill, not sure how we are going to do the two weeks in April, month of May and then the year after that. Well, I do know how, with the strength and grace of God and the hope of finally starting the next steps in our journey:)

Camera phone pictures

A friend recently cleared out his camera phone and I realized I have some great pictures on there that I forget to share so here are some of my recent favorites:
Sammy loves to play soccer at the Deems. He found the last pile of snow to cool off in after running for two hours while we washed and waxed our cars.
Tate is a puzzle making pro. He put this together all by himself.

Carter was so mad I wasn't giving him my phone to play with. I was getting told off in this one so I gave it to him after this.

Sammy's new hair cut. Starting fresh this spring and I think he is loving his new look.
Sammy bugging grammy while she was helping me make invitations. I think this was his attempt to make her stop working on ribbon and pay attention to him.

Stories: Just another week at the internship

Last week was supposed to be like any other at my internship but instead a lot of stuff came up about my students and I took on some new ones so its getting harder to think about leaving them in May. The nice thing was that on my toughest day, my mom was at her office which is on my way home and I was able to go decompress with she and her co-workers before getting on with my to do list for the evening. I share this because I don't think we know what some kids are dealing with when they go to school and we wonder how poverty, drugs, and violence are taking over schools...well here's why. I'd ask that you please read this with sensitivity and be mindful of the fact that this is shared for the purpose of educating my friends and family who may not be involved with this population.

1. One of my little girls is the little mother to her four younger siblings and has just been so exhausted in school she can't remember basic things. It looks like her Grandma may be getting custody of her so that should help but if this continues we may need to get CPS involved. It's just so sad to see someone so little burdened with so much responsibility and I wonder how this will impact the rest of her education. I pray for intervention and renewal for her.
2. Another one of my students was so difficult in class that I decided to pull her out of lunch for an intense one on one in my office. She kept it surface level for a little bit before her guard came down and she opened up about the violence at home and how it is affecting her at school. She said she comes to school so angry about her parents hitting and yelling at each other that anything can set her off. She said her mind just keeps thinking about that and she is not able to focus on her school work or anything else and she gets frustrated when she doesn't understand things because of that. She presents as being such a tough girl but she is just breaking inside and finally put out the cry for help. I pray that things do not get worse for her with CPS involved but she shared that she wanted to hurt herself to make it stop so I can only hope her parents will be receptive to home based services or other support services to help her and them. She seemed relieve to know people were trying to help her but I am all too aware that sometimes good intending help can make things worse and not better.
3. I asked my students to write a journal entry on what they have learned in Club Paws, what they liked, and what they didn't. Some wrote very basic things like "be respectful, be nice to others, treat others the way you want to be treated," while others wrote the obnoxious like "the girls get on my nerbes" (yes thats how he spelled it). One student who has really been reaching out for support throughout this year wrote a very meaningful entry that I asked him if I could share (but will take out names to keep it confidential). This is what he wrote: "The things that I learned in Club Paws is how to work with others and be a good sport and to have fun even if we lose in a game we still have fun. I like my classmates in Club Paws too. And the games help us to be good like Perfection it means no one is perfect. Club Paws is a safe and perfect place to learn. Plus Ms. Deem is a great teacher and I am not afraid to tell Ms. Deem my problems in class. That is why Club Paws is my favorite place to learn. Ms. Deem is the #1 best teacher." So maybe I am biased and maybe it is because that was one of the most detailed and enthusiastic of the journals, but that was such a blessing to be able to look at while on call waiting with CPS.
4. My student who recently married a soldier who is in boot camp now is having some difficulty after initially doing really well with it all. The good news is that she is talking about it and trying to stay focused so that she can graduate. She is so sweet and constantly expressing how thankful she is to have me to help her navigate the military system and to normalize her feelings. I don't really feel like its that big of a deal but for someone who is not used to having support I can see how it would be.
5. There were some very generous donations that helped pay for glasses for one of my clients since the county's referral system is so annoyingly backed up.
6. I made it through a Club Paws where I wanted so badly to send two kids to the office but held off and it was totally worth it in the end when we got the basic agenda accomplished and two of them owned up to their part in the chaos and made up for it by helping to clean up.
7. My selective mute is definitely not one and was talking up a storm this past week. I am so happy for her and that she is learning so quickly. Turns out it was most likely an ESL issue.
8. My one little girl is really aggressive about calling herself fat and talks about thinking she will have to be rolled out of the room soon. She really isn't and it breaks my heart that she feels this way and yet I am not sure she completely understands it. It appears that her parents and babysitters are telling her this and it just breaks my heart. I am hoping for inspiration to strike in terms of a way to help address this negative self talk.
9. The teachers are so worn out and I pray for their strength as the year rounds out and the kids seem to be getting more distracted and challenging.
10. My heart goes out to my kids who don't have much and it has definitely made me feel more fortunate and served as a reminder for me to be mindful of my finances and to give more to organizations who serve those in need.

Such a beautiful weekend, I don't want spring to end!

It's been too long since pictures of our gorgeous nephews have graced the blog, thank goodness for dinner Thursday night with the Scott's to make up for that:
Not even today's gross rainy weather could get me down. This weekend was just beautiful. Ryan and I made it up to our friends wedding in MD on Friday without any traffic. That was quite the unexpected surprise on a Friday evening. Alex and Chris had a beautiful day for their wedding and everything was just perfect. I can't believe what a nice party their families helped them put together to celebrate their special day. We especially enjoyed sitting by the fire pit and getting to know some of their family and friends better. I was soooo tired after what felt like the most intense week at my internship yet but it was definitely a blessing to be there for them. It was also interesting to get to know someone who used to be in their unit who gave us more of an idea of what Ryan is in for when he gets over there. I know God put him in this position for a reason but it does not sound like an easy one.

Saturday we had a gorgeous day for taking the smaller of the Deem's boats out on Pohick Bay. It was so nice just to relax in the sun and the breeze out on the water. At first Sammy wasn't feeling it and was especially clingy but he got into it and was almost too brave after a while, standing on the front taking it all in. He's a little too big for his life jacket now and I'm not sure if its all his hair or if he's just grown in the year since we've used it. We invited my parents to join us for the last two hours and I think they enjoyed the back water tour of Ft. Belvoir and looking at the gorgeous houses on the water.

Sunday my parents helped me with my resume some after church and lunch and then Diana and Jason came over for a walk in the woods. We took a different route that involved crossing streams on stepping stones because it was finally warm enough for Sammy to walk in the water and not freeze. It was so cool and hopefully taking that route will help Samson get used to the water since he is normally a wimp about bodies of water or pools. Diana saw a fish in the one stream and we saw tons of deer.

Blessings from the last week:
1. Extra time with my nephews Tuesday in between appointments and dinner with them and their parents at our place Thursday night. Tate did not want to leave and I am definitely going to have to make it a priority to bring him over more. Sammy loved it and it was unfortunate Ryan had to go on a conference call for a leaders meeting and miss out on some of the time, but I am glad he got some time with them too. The boys were so cute running around our deck and Carter was loving going up and down the stairs.
2. I finished my last card order for a while. Now its time to finish Ry and my party invitations and then to just focus on school work and the job search for a while.
3. Sammy's ears are doing much better and it looks like his elimination diet and new food is working.
4. My internship was intense but really powerful this week. I hope to write a post about it later because I don't want to forget the significant things that transpired at both schools or the clients I have been working with.
5. We both were able to put aside feeling tired this week and weekend and we really made the most of it. I can't believe we only have 5 weekends left together before he goes but I can say that I am so thankful we are in such a good place and that we are sharing responsibilities nicely so that we can stay sane through this intense school/side jobs/job search time for me and pre-deployment prep for him.
6. I am going to be serving as a communion mentor for one of the youth and church and have now signed up to help count the offering one Sunday a quarter. I love how being at a big church means I can serve in a variety of ways without a huge time commitment.
7. We finally adopted our first Compassion kid. She's a little girl from Rwanda and I can't wait to share more when our introduction packet comes in the mail.
8. We got our ASPCA Guardian packet in the mail this week and it felt so nice to look feel like we are doing something to help animals find homes.
9. I finished my For Children's Sake Orientation and am hopeful I will get my first client in the next few weeks. My supervisor was so encouraging of me that I will find a job soon after graduation and I am doing my best to keep that in God's hands and not waste time worrying about it.

Here is a picture of our Compassion child:

Quick check in

Its been a bit crazy lately between invitation making galore (see the final version of the twins invitation above) and job applications. My two day spring break flew by with lots of appointments but I am very thankful I had time for them and didn't have to cram them in with classes. I am officially done with my new part time gigs application/orientation process and just waiting for the first client. It may still be a few weeks but that may be for the best anyway because for now babysitting and invitation jobs are keeping me plenty busy.

I can't believe I only have 7 weeks left at school and my internship and that Easter is just around the corner. I hope to upload some pictures of some of my recent card projects soon but for now I feel like I am just in survival mode with my head spinning from everything thats going on. Most of it is good stuff but it is definitely going to be a busy spring trying to fit in fun family time before Ryan goes and trying to cram in my school/work stuff while he is in training. On the docket of celebrations for this spring are Carter's first birthday party, Easter, my parents 25th anniversary weekend, Ryan and my big party for my graduations and his send off, my trip to Spain, my two graduations, and then some more intimate family time with Ry when he is home before leaving in June. I should be breathing again come July but I am feeling very blessed to have so many things to celebrate and as much as it will be nice to have a regular pace of a full time job with some volunteer and part time gigs on the side, I am all too aware that I may actually miss this insanity and I am trying to enjoy every minute of it.

A lot of excitement lately

Congrats to the new Mr & Mrs Williams! What a beautiful party for a fantastic couple!
Love that the Burke is sitting so well, hoping to get something good.
Loved the colors:)

So the last few days have been pretty packed but pretty great. Lots of wonderful things and my brain is seriously exhausted so forgive me for going bullet point style:

1. Applications in for 6 jobs so far and at least I am officially in the system and most of the work is done for future Fairfax County, Prince William county, and Virginia state jobs.
2. Two more jobs to work on applying for this weekend with the guidance of my parents. My Dad is apparently going all out to get me prepped for that Army job.
3. Spain plane tickets ordered and getting ready to make reservations for the hotels/hostels next week. We finally decided we are going to do Madrid with a day trip to Toledo and will spend two days in Barcelona before flying out of there. We got a great deal and both our loves were making fun of us with how excited we were actually really for real committing to this trip last night (yeah, I meant to write it that way).
4. Our friends Alex and Chris (I usually call him Williams) are getting married next Friday. They just got engaged and I am so glad they decided to go with the justice of the peace option for now and to do the big wedding and reception when the guys come back from their deployment. I am so unbelievably excited to be at their wedding party next Friday and I cannot remember the last time I have cancelled a babysitting job, but this will be so worth it. I love weddings but I really think they are a great couple and I hope that their day is special. I am also so happy I will have a wedding to help plan and distract me while Ry is gone.
5. Sammy is doing so well with not getting people food. I seriously expected mad whining and revolting but he seems content with his new dog food as we mix it in gradually (you have transition in new food) and we can give him an occassional fruit or vegetable so thats a nice treat for him.
6. I am finally done with my research interviews!!!! My group member Nikki and I could not contain our smiles about that one as we walked away from the last one yesterday. They've been fun but each one takes a good chunk of time that I am glad to have back to my week. I am trying not to think about having to process it all yet but we definitely got some good data.
7. I have off for spring break Monday and Tuesday and while they are already full with interviews for papers and meetings with groups, it is nice to be able to do that stuff during the day and to get to spend a Monday and Tuesday night with Ry since school usually takes those from us.
8. My small group may actually be starting soon. I talked to you the Youth Pastor after our interview with him for school and he thought I just wanted to host it and has been worried about trying to find a leader for it. He was so thankful when he realized I wanted to do both and it should start to come together soon. I am really glad I got to know more about the youth yesterday as part of my research interview and it was nice to hear more about his heart for them. I think this is going to be a great partnership.
9. It was just so nice yesterday to walk on my church campus during the week and to feel like I am already building relationships with the staff. For a fairly big church, they make a point to get to know you and through small volunteer stuff I have done there already it has really helped with that.
10. Tonight Ryan and I are going to take down the plastic weathering stuff that we put up on the front windows. It felt good to be green and save energy and may be slightly too soon considering the current gross weather, but I want my shades to be able to go up higher and to let some more light in when the sun decides to return.
11. Ryan and I have a relaxing night together tonight. Grocery shopping, a family walk if we can suck it up in the rain, and a game night are in order since we hardly got to see each other this week.

Please pray that something happens with at least one of those jobs. I know God has a plan, but it would be nice to see at least one bite and to practice my interviewing skills if nothing else. I am going to hope for more than that for the other two jobs I will be working on this weekend, but that would be enough for these jobs since two were kind of a stretch and I am not incredibly passionate about some of them, though I know I could be happy with them and that at least it would be something in this economy.