New Adventures

***So with the first week of school currently happening, I thought I would share this post that I have been mulling over all summer. I couldn't figure out exactly what I wanted to say or how I wanted to say it, so bare with me.***

The Hazzard family has an exciting announcement and change coming to our life.  This fall I will not be returning to Clear Falls, but instead will be at home with the girls!  There are so many emotions swarming around our house that it is hard to put into words:  Excitement, Sadness, Joy, Fear, Anxiety, Glee, Relief.

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.  Philippians 1:6.

Teaching over the last 7 years has been such a joy and honor.  I was truly blessed to work with the very best co-workers, administration and most of all students.  I learned so many life lessons along the way and had so many life changes. As a teacher, my students watched me get engaged, married, join a wonderful church, buy a house, adopt a puppy, and bring 2 babies into the world.  I was able to start and build something great in the ASL department.  I was able to share and spread my love and respect for the Deaf community.  I was able to see students in all aspects embrace something I loved dearly and celebrate little and big victories.  Teenagers are very powerful people!  They can do big and great things. My students, all of them, hold a very dear and special place in my heart.  You really fall in love (school appropriate love 😉)  with people when you spend an entire year together.  You laugh (alot) together, cry together, grow together.  There are so many things I love about my students and not enough time to write them all.

Before becoming a Mom, I think teaching was the hardest and most rewarding thing I had ever done.  Teaching helped to prepare me to be a mom.  I have already seen where the skill of stepping back, analyzing AND nurturing the situation all at once is so important in motherhood.  I am not sure I could do it the same without the last 7 years.

I am grateful to the other Mama's out there that shared their 9th-12th graders with me over the last 7 years.

Goodbye room 5429.  You were good to me.  I pray for the students walking through your door this week.  I pray for the sweet teacher (and friend) that is taking my beloved classroom and continuing to do great things inside it's walls EVERYDAY!

I think I have always wanted "to be a mom."  (Please hear my heart... any mom that works is still a KICK BUTT AWESOME MOM!!)  When Abigail joined us, I knew that God had called me to return to school and that He had Abigail exactly where He wanted.  But as she has grown and Annalee joined us, we felt God putting a different calling on our family.  Bryan and I felt that I could either be a little bit of Jesus to a whole bunch of teenagers or a whole lot of Jesus to our 2 people.  After much prayer and discussion, we decided to take the leap of faith and trust that God has our family in His hands.  I tell Abigail that He has the whole world in His hands after all!

I would appreciate your prayers for me and my family this fall.  Will you pray that we find our new normal in a way that is healthy, fun and meaningful?  Will you pray that Bryan and I make smart financial decisions that will empower our family to do the things God has called us to in the future?  Will you pray for the girls relationships as they grow?