Potter Rock

I had a previous post about my search for a job. I mentioned the Cyzner Institute and how their program is exactly what I want to do. At the end of February I was at my day care job and thought how I really wanted to work with children with disabilities. It is my true passion. I love children and I love those who overcome hardships that have been given to them in their lives. Again rooting for the underdog. I had given them my resume but heard nothing from them. So I decided to follow up. They asked me to send them my resume again and I said I would love to interview. They took me up on the offer and I got an interview for the next week. As I walked into the building I got this feeling that I was in the right place. It was such a good feeling. I interviewed, and I'm not going to lie...I was nervous. At the end they said they'd let me know by the middle of the next week.

IT WENT BY SO SLOW! 

Then low and behold...I received an email. "Arica: We would like to offer you a Teacher Assistant position." I immediately called my mom and excitedly told her the news. I shadowed the current teacher assistant for a couple days and then I started. I've been working there for two weeks now and I love it. LOVE IT! There are great employees to work with and I'm doing what I always wanted to do. 

I work with a child one on one. I teach him all of the subjects and sometimes he groups with another class but I teach him for a majority of the day by myself. It's been a blast. First of all he's a HUGE Harry Potter fan so we have a lot to talk about, and I see the things I teach him really stick. The sad part is I have to let him go into a classroom next week. I will get another child but I will miss my first little boy. 

Tribute to him...this is his favorite song (he likes the original Party Rock too)

This job is only part time, I work from 9:30-3, so after that I go over to Tutor Time and work for a couple hours each evening. They were really cool about letting me go part time and let me know I was valuable. 

WHAT a blessing. Honestly, I see the Lord's hand in my life over and over. I don't know how many blessings that go UNnoticed. I just know that He loves me....that is FOR SURE!

Skip

Let's face it

straight to the point, square on, dead center

we don't know we're healthy until we're sick

we don't realize we're happy until we're sad

we don't see what we have until it's gone

skip the hurt

bypass the ache

let the sun shine like the rain

let the beams pour down on me

music and dancing are a must

if only you could see what I see

today is about being free

Curtain or Wall

Blowing easily in the breeze

shifting and moving 

vulnerable

Standing strong and solid

not an inch will it move

alone

a leap of faith

a steady fate

I won't say I've given up...

I'm just taking a brief pause from caring.

Thinking makes things harder

and time makes it shorter.

Caring....that makes patience impossible. 

Brief pause now...

...patience tomorrow.

Gangsta Parrots Forever!

I love mission friendships because I realized I can just pick up where we left off and go with it. I also love that no matter how long it's been since I've talked to one of my mission friends they are willing to catch up with out it being awkward. With that in mind, Liz Harwood came into town this past weekend and stayed with me. It was like we had been companions yesterday. While we did talk about our mission, I'm SO thankful we are able to become friends outside of that. We talked about everything and it was never a dull moment. She pulled up right as I pulled in from work, and I received a hug from one of the best huggers!

We hung out that night and stayed up late. On the mission I knew Liz to be very tired by the end of the day so I assumed she'd want her sleep. We stayed up past 1am! Then the next day she went to Greensboro for some graduate school stuff and I went to work. It was good that we were both busy the whole day or one of us would have been bored. She came back to my house and we went to Fudruckers per her request. Then we went to the cheap theater and saw "Sherlock Holmes" the new one. It was good to see...at the cheap theater. We had decided to go to bed early that night but our movie got out at 11:30 and then we came home and talked again until...12:30 am. It was worth it though.

We had a full schedule for the next day but decided to take it easy and cut some things out. We did go to the temple though! It was so good! I am trying to go the temple once a month at the LEAST, so I got my February trip just in time.

We got back to Charlotte and I had stake conference. Liz had done a lot of driving the past 48 hours, so she was tired. I didn't blame her when she decided to stay home while I went to my meetings. Then we didn't stay up as late this night but we were still very tired.

The next day we went to church, fed her some yummy roast, and she went back home. She has a big decision to make about graduate school but I think no matter where she goes we'll always be friends and I'll always have a reason to visit. :)