Way too Long...

So it has been a really long time… WAY TOO LONG… since I have written a blog post. I have started many, but haven’t followed through with posting. But today I decided it was the day, and it is time to start blogging again!

Question you may ask? What in the world is going on in my life? Well, a lot!

Mostly it really has to do with work. Work and moving.

Work has been good, ended last year with a sweet group of kids, a lot of work, but I felt like overall they made great progress, and are ready to start a great year in Middle School this year.

At the end of May, toward the end of the school year, I found out the condo I was living in was sold, and that I had to move. I was able to find another condo closer to work. I am still getting settled, but overall I am enjoying the new place, learning new routes around the area, and the closer drive to work. I so loved living in the other place, and I will miss it, but I am so thankful for the time that I was able to be there, experience the quiet (yes quiet!) view of Atlanta, the business of the holidays and activities, and the independence and growing of myself personally.

Over the summer, I stayed extremely busy. When I say busy I mean busy. I think there was only 2 weeks in the whole summer that I didn’t have things to do.

In May I found out that I was accepted into a program that is offered to families of special needs in Georgia. It is called the GA PINES program. The PINES stands for Parent Infant Network for Educational Services. The purpose of this program is to provide early intervention services to infants and parents in their natural environment, like their home, to give the infants and parents as much support in living their lives as normally as possible. There isn’t anything normal about special needs persons, their lives are a challenge every day. I love that this program, starts early in the lives of these infants and their families to give them as much support as possible! To work with this program, I completed 2 weeks of trainings over the summer, with homework and home visits involved. It was a lot of work, but now that I have completed this, I am excited to be contracted through them as a Parent Advisor. Now I am still working at the same school in my teaching position, this is just on the side. A little over a month ago, I was given my first referral family. I have made one visit, and it went well. I will say that this new thing is going to be growing me a very personally way. I can’t imagine what these families go through on a daily basis. I only hope that I can be an encouragement to this family, and whatever families my come along my path.

I was also given the opportunity to speak to at a conference for the school system that I work with. The subject matter was on Specially Designed Instruction in special education setting. I really enjoyed the experience. I learned a lot, a whole lot. I was given some good feedback on the break out session that I did. I gave my presentation several times, and each time was with a new set of teachers, so it really kept me on my toes. I do hope that this is something I will have the opportunity to do again. It was my first time doing anything like that, and I will forever be thankful for the opportunity, no matter if it really does ever happen again.

Are you still reading? I know this is getting lengthy, so I will wrap it up soon.

Many of you have seen pictures and such on facebook or instagram of a certain guy and me together. Yes, that is my boyfriend, and his name is Kojo. He is someone that I am very proud of, and could not say enough amazing things about him. I am proud to stand by his side, as we have walked through some difficult things already together over the past year or more. Overall I am thankful for his mother. I wish I was able to meet her before her passing, but from what I know about her, Kojo is just like her. She raised him to be a respectable man, with an incredible heart. One day I will be able to thank her for her hard work all these years, and I greatly look forward to that day!

The start of another school year, and it has already been a rough one. I have some challenges that I am facing this year…. Ok… a lot of challenges. I really am trying to just take one day at a time. At this point that is all I can do. One day at a time… I think we all have those times in our lives when we have to do this, and well, this is one of those times.

I have lots of personally growing moments in my life right now, and I am thankful for them. Some days I am not as thankfully as others, but I am working really hard to be thankful, just for the simple fact that I know they are growing me more and more into the person that I was made to be.

I will leave with saying, more blogs to come… you will want to stay tuned… there is lots more to talk about in the very near future that you will not want to miss! J

Always Going,
Never Giving Up,
Trusting,
Loving,
Believing