Labor Day Weekend

For our date night on Friday night we went to a science museum in St. Paul. It was SO cool!!!!

I feel like a little kid there because EVERYTHING fascinates me.  Martin and I were

in our own little worlds exploring the things they had there.

It was a very hands-on learning science museum - right up my alley.  I felt like a kid on Christmas!

The best part is that we only got through about half of the museum that night so we are definitely going back!

I was taking mental notes all through the night on teaching techniques because hands-on learning is so effective.  Even though I don't get to teach (I majored in Health Education and am licensed to teach 6th-12th grade) while we are moving about with Martin's job I still love thinking of things I could do in the classroom.  Ah, I just love seeing kids discover things on their own!

Here is the one picture from the night...I thought I took way more.

Saturday was a productive day of cleaning and going to a church BBQ.  Sunday was a relaxing day and a fantastic day at church.  On the 1st Sunday of every month the pulpit is opened up to the congregation and people can go up and share their feelings about Christ and scriptures and the gospel in general.  So many people shared inspiring stories, and several youth got up and shared their thoughts.  I never cease to be amazed by the young people of today, they are STRONG.

Sunday night was a blast.  We went over to a friend's house for dinner and we had a sleepover with them and another young couple!  Yes, I recognize that that may be weird to some of you, but Marty and I used to do sleepovers with our BFF's in Provo quite a bit...so it felt normal!

The next day we woke up and went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast then swam in our pool at our complex, did a little bit of shopping, made a Sonic run, and the day was over!  Our friends are so awesome!  It's cool because we are all in the same stages of life and can just chat and chat about things.  We've been doing a lot with these couples and I'm so grateful! 

Becky, Martin, and Cami waiting in the rocking chairs at Cracker Barrel

Jesus and James playing checkers while waiting

To top off the weekend I have good news!  I got a job!!!  I'm working part-time as a nanny for a family close by.  They have two darling little boys ages 2 and 5 who I get to spend 3 days a week with.  It's such an answer to prayer and the perfect fit for me right now.

I have applied to 20+ jobs, gotten 7 or 8 job offers, and yet none of the job offers felt good to accept.  And it's so hard to feel accomplished after spending 4 years studying and becoming a teacher then not even being in that profession.  At times I really questioned my "success" but I was always promptly reminded that success isn't measured by the money you make, the title you hold, or what company you're with.  I get to determine my success and I measure success by the joy I feel in what I am doing and how I have helped others along the way.  When I'm doing those things, I feel genuine joy.

 

 Still, It's been a frustrating couple of months because I don't do well with idle time - I start to waste my days away and go stir crazy.  So I NEEDED something to be doing but I felt so torn because the job offers I got just didn't feel right for some reason.  Things started making sense though and I began to see the bigger picture and why none of them felt right.  Now I have this job and it is going really well.  It feels great to have something to do, to be bringing in some money, and to also have time to take care of me, the house, etc.

My first day at my job!