Has it already been a year?

Well, it's been quite the hiatus, but I've decided to revitalize this ol' blog!


Can you believe a year has already passed since I started my "new" job?!! I'm still there and still enjoying it, too. Every now and then I get the urge to look for something new, something a little more challenging. I've prayed about it (and will continue to do so) and I know, with God's perfect timing, the opportunity that He intends for me will open up.


Speaking of God, have I told everyone lately how awesome God is and how fully dependent I am (trying to be) on Him? Well, He is and I am trying! (I say trying because my pesky human nature takes over all too often and I try to do things myself!) When I was looking for a new job a little more than a year ago, a verse that was given to me at a previous Women's Retreat became my focus verse. The verse is Proverbs 3:5-6 and it says "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight" (NIV). Oh how true those words rang for me then...and honestly still do now.


As Leo and I embark on another year, our financial future looks a little cloudy. Most of you know Leo became a 6th grade English/Communications teacher within Tippecanoe School Corporation earlier this year. He is currently working at the same school where he did his student teaching during his last semester of college and was so excited to take the job at the beginning of this school year. He already had a relationship with most of the teachers and felt that would help him "learn the ropes" his first year of teaching. He has really enjoyed teaching there so far and is currently an assistant wrestling coach and will soon be an (assistant?) track coach. He was really looking forward to investing his time and energy as a teacher to this school (and school corporation) which he highly respected and admired. Unfortunately, that vision is beginning to dim. Due to the trickle down effect of the budget cuts being implemented by our Governor, it is highly likely that he will be bumped from his job due to a lack of seniority as TSC cuts positions like Media Specialists, Art, Music, and PE teachers, etc. My opinions of this whole scenario are many and not very uplifting so I will not go into them on this blog. BUT.....


I know that God is in control. I know that God loves me and will protect me (and my family). I know that I do not understand this whole situation and like Proverbs tells me, I am trusting in the Lord that my family's path will be set straight, regardless of how foggy the future may appear.


So, for all of those who have traveled down a similar road of job loss or uncertainty, I apologize if I ever dismissed or minimized your fears or troubles. I am truly sorry that I did not understand just how stressful and scary the situation happens to be and for ever being insensitive to that. I'm not sure what the future may hold for you or me, but we can rest assured that God is in control and through Him, we will prevail.

New Job Update

Well, it's been a week and a half in my new job and ..... I LOVE IT!

It's going very well. I am learning so many new things and have great coworkers. The atmoshpere in the office is so refreshing. We have hectic times, but over-all the pace is very favorable. There are three other ladies and one guy in my office and they have all been very nice and helpful to me. I really feel like I fit in and am respected. I've been told on several occasions that I'm doing great and that is very uplifting for me. I have a tendency to be too hard on myself and expect things of myself that are impossible to obtain. I want to be an expert at my job the day after I start, even though I know it's not possible. So far, I have done very well at cutting myself some slack in that department.

The most difficult adjustment I am finding with my new job would be the hours. Previously I worked 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. My new hours are 7:50 a.m to 4:50 p.m. Most days I walk into the house, after work, and get started right away on cooking dinner and other little chores that need to be done. It seems like I don't even sit down to relax until 8 p.m. I know that is life for many people and if that is the worst thing I have to complain about than I am doing really well.

To help cut down on the stress of the nightly routine, I have decided to pre-plan dinner meals. My wonderful friend, Jamie, even let me borrow a couple of recipe books that are for slow-cooker and freezer meals. I made a list of all the meals that my family frequently eats (surprisingly, I was able to come up with over 20 meals!) and have made a monthly schedule of meals. This will help me cut down on the time it takes to just think about what is for dinner. I don't know about you guys, but the whole process of deciding what will be for dinner can be quite the production in our house! I was also able to make a "default" shopping list and I know that every time I go grocery shopping I will need x amount of ground beef, chicken, etc. to make the meals I have scheduled. The other benefit to scheduling the meals is that Leo can help me with prep and cooking of meals before I get home to get a jump on meals that may take a little while. I feel more organized than ever and it is so awesome.

I want to leave you with a recipe that I recently found on the back of a stuffing mix box that is sooo good, easy to make, and pretty healthy. The recipe is for "Bruschetta Chicken Bake" and serves 6, with a side of vegetables. Here it is:

1 lb Chicken Breast, cut into bite size pieces
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes with garlic and basil
1 box Chicken flavored stuffing
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Italian Seasoning

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Layer cut up chicken in bottom of 9x13 inch baking dish.
Sprinkle with Italian Seasoning and mozzarella cheese.
Mix the box of stuffing mix, 3/4 cup hot water, and can of tomatoes in seperate bowl.
Layer that mix on top of the chicken and cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes.

That's it! Simple, huh?! And it is very tasty. Hope you all enjoy it, if you decide to make it.

Happy Anniversary, Leo!

Four years ago today, I married the best man that I have ever met. It was a crazy, exciting day that started with us not even knowing we would be married by the end of that day! Yes, you read that right. We made the decision mid-morning and were married at about 2 in the afternoon at the Chatham County Courthouse in Savannah, GA. Our parents didn't know we were married until we called them that evening to let them know! That was a funny phone call to make! It went kind of like this:

Mari: Hey Mom, I have some news for you!
Mom: Okay....
Mari: Leo and I got married today!!
Mom: <>
Mom: Oh, really!! Wow!

Oh yeah, and my Mom was out of town at the time, so it was a long-distance call to boot!! Leo's call to his Mom probably went similarly, but I don't remember now! Leo proposed to me on Christmas Day and five days later we were married. Sounds crazy, I know, but that fits our personality so well and I couldn't imagine it happening any other way!

So, to the love of my life- I am so honored and blessed to be married to such a fun, loving man. I appreciate all you do for me, us and our family. I am so proud of you! Happy Anniversary, honey! Here's to many more great years ahead.

Exciting News!!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! Thank you for the well wishes after my last post about my dog. I still have my days when I wonder if I made the right decision. Sometimes the "what if's" get the better of me. I know in my heart, though, that I made the right decision. She is no longer suffering and in a much better place.

Well, this post was intended to share my exciting news so I'll just get to it:

I interviewed for a new job and was given an offer that I have accepted. I submitted my resignation this past Monday at my current job and my last day there will be January 5th. I begin my new job on Wednesday, January 7th. I am soo excited about this opportunity. It is a step of faith as this job will be a significant pay cut. I know it is God's will and I am completely at peace with this decision. I look forward to the opportunity to "start new" with my attitude and ideals. Thank you to all of you that have prayed for me to get to this day. I greatly appreciate it. Words can't express how greatful I am. Thank you again!

Difficult Day

I had to put my dog to sleep today. She was about 11 years old and was previously my family’s dog. Leo and I brought her to our home about a year ago. Several weeks ago, I noticed that she was not eating as much as she usually does. I didn’t think anything of it because that was about the same time we found a new home for the dog that Leo’s Dad gave us several months ago. (It was too much to take care of both dogs and the little dachsund was having some difficulty with house-breaking) Anyway, a short time after I noticed Sadie was not eating as much, I started finding more and more throw-up accidents. Then I started to notice how thin she was getting and that her food bowl would stay full overnight. I decided to take her to the vet to see what could be wrong. I was told she had pancreatitis and she would have to stay at the vet’s office for a couple of days. She ended up staying there for three days with little improvement. The bill was becoming pretty hefty and I decided to bring Sadie home. I was taught at the vet’s office how to give her subcutaneous fluid injections and was instructed to do that at least twice a day, an entire 1000ml bag each time. We were also given antibiotics to give her and told she couldn’t have food for another couple of days either. Well, after several days of the fluid treatments and the antibiotics, there was still very little change in her condition. She ate one day and was able to hold it down but then began throwing up again the next day. Because we were pushing so many fluids into her, she could not contain herself and was continually having accidents in the house. Thankfully, she went on some puppy-pads we put down, but it was still very stressful for us, and I’m sure for her as well. She had always been kind of a modest dog (if that’s the right word). She was never one to have accidents in the house and didn’t like it if you were in the vicinity while she was doing her business. I had been told by the vet that pancreatitis can be very painful for the dog (as I can imagine would be the case) and I was beginning to notice that she was in discomfort. For days I have been wondering if I should give up and end Sadie’s suffering but I kept holding on to the hope that she would be better the next day. This morning it became very evident to me that I was being selfish in making her continue to suffer. While I was at work, I called Leo to see how his morning was going and he was very frustrated. Sadie had just thrown up what little bit she had eaten from the night before. I had already cleaned up two accidents that morning and Leo was in the process of cleaning up another accident too. So the decision was made and I called the vet to schedule a time to take her. Let me tell you, that was one of the hardest decisions I have had to make this far in my life. I never pictured taking a dog that could walk on her own into a vet’s office and leaving without her like that. I wasn’t sure if I could stay with her while they did the procedure, but I felt it was right to stay and comfort her while she passed. I still wonder if I made the right decision. Right up until this this morning, she would wag her tail when she saw me. Leo and I did give her some treats before we took her to the vet’s office today since she loved those so much. She seemed very pleased while she ate them. I hope that little gesture gave her a glimmer of happiness to offset the pain and discomfort she has been feeling for too long. I loved that dog and I will truly miss her. She always seemed to know when I needed comfort and she would snuggle to me. I hope it was comforting to her that I was there to snuggle with her at the end.

Warning- This post is very long!

I’m not sure why I feel the need to share this story with you all, but these memories have been playing over and over in my mind for a couple of days. Many of you may or may not know that I was in the Coast Guard for several years. While I was in, I experienced a variety of things. Truthfully, there were very few experiences that were really scary or thrilling. The majority of my Coast Guard career was spent training for tasks that I never completed. In this story that I am writing about, I was actually still in training to become a Boat Crewmember.

The minimum crew that was required to operate and respond to any cases on the boat that I was working on consisted of three people, a coxswain (the person that physically drives the boat), the engineer, and the crewmember (who is responsible for line handling, navigating, and fire fighting). If I remember correctly, it was pretty early in my training experience. The day had been pretty gloomy and it was getting late in the evening. The radio watchstander received a call from a shrimp boat that was in distress. If you have never seen a shrimp boat before, they literally look just like the shrimp boat in Forrest Gump. And if you haven’t seen that movie, you should watch it and then continue reading this story! They have these things called outriggers about midboard on either side of the boat. They are metal, about 25 to 30 feet in length, are in an upright position when the nets that are attached to them are not in the water, and straight out from the boat when the nets are in the water.

As you can imagine, these outriggers are pretty heavy and make a dramatic difference in the way the boat rides depending on what position they are in. The shrimp boat’s distress was that one outrigger was upright and the other was stuck out to the side of the boat. The weather and seas were getting really rough. The crew of the shrimp boat was in a panic that the boat was going to capsize because the weight of the outrigger that was down was already causing the boat to lean to one side and the waves were pushing the boat further over. The decision was made that the crew from our Coast Guard station was going to go get the people off of the boat. Just to add a little more intensity to this story, the shrimp boat was about 20 miles from our Station. I don’t know if any of you have been 20 miles (one-way) in a boat, but let me tell you, it is a loooong ride! Factor in bad weather and conditions and it gets a lot longer!

Because we knew we were going to be fighting the bad weather and seas, it was decided to take several people in addition to the standard boatcrew. The crew that went out on this case consisted of Joe as the coxswain, Chris as the engineer, another Chris as the crewman, and Josh and I as crewman "break-ins". I was comfortable with the boatcrew. I had a lot of respect for the coxswain and viewed him as the second best boat driver that the facility had. The first best was the Chief that was in charge of the station and he wasn’t there that night.

We got underway and things were going as well as could be expected. The seas were fierce. Raging. Angry. I would suspect that ride was similar to what clothes go through in a washing machine. Waves were crashing in front of us, behind us, and on both sides of us. The water was churning and their was no pattern, rhythm, or consistency to them whatsoever. The seas were steadily building. We started with about 6 foot seas. Then it was 8. 10. Pretty soon the seas were easily becoming 12 foot from trough to crest. There was nearly constant communications happening on the radio between our station watchstander, out boat crew, and the crew on the boat in distress. There was constant clatter of the radio and the lapping of the waves against our boat.

I will never forget the sound of an aluminum boat slamming through a wave and onto the next. I will never forget the feeling of floating in air, hoping that we would land on the next wave without tipping over. I will forever feel the ache in my legs and knees as I struggled to stand and absorbed the shock of one wave after another. I have literally seen a wall of water crash onto the windshield that I am peering through with so much force, I’m not sure how I wasn’t wearing shards of glass and soaked to the bone.

The Coast Guard has pre-established weather standards that a boat that size can withstand. The limitation of seas for that size boat is 10 feet. Some mathematical formula says that anything larger than that dramatically increases the risk of capsizing the boat, ending in possible injury or even loss of life. Did I mention that the seas were approaching and even surpassing 12 foot?

The most difficult part about this entire scenario is that once our boat reached the limitations, it’s not like the seas would just give up and we would have a smooth ride home. No, we were going back the exact same way we came. There was no safe haven to hide in until calmer weather came around. We had nowhere to go to escape the intensity of the seas and weather. Unfortunately, we were instructed to return to base without being able to assist the vessel in distress. The seas had become too rough and the chances could not continue to be taken. The most frustrating and gut-wrenching part about the recall is that we had made it to within one mile of the boat. If the day were calm and still, we would have been able to see the boat from our position at the point we had to turn around.

I can still remember the feeling of terror and fear that overcame me when the guy I admired so much became so physically exhausted from trying to maneuver the boat that he had to take a break and let the engineer, Chris take over for awhile. See, it didn’t even really occur to me the exact severity of what we were dealing with until that point. I knew it was bad. I knew it was not ideal, but I honestly never thought about the fact that this could have had a negative outcome.

I am ashamed to admit that I never once prayed to God for His hand of protection. I put my faith into a flawed and imperfect human and never gave thought to the One who really protected us and allowed us to return home safely. It has taken me years to realize the protection that was covering us that night was completely God. I cannot express my thankfulness for the God who provides even when I don’t deserve it or acknowledge it. I don’t know that I will ever understand why people are put into the situations they are or why the outcomes turn out the way they do, but I know from this day forward I will give all of the glory to God for His power and grace.

2 months!! WOW!

I cannot believe it has been two months since I last posted anything. I know it has been awhile, but I didn't think it had been that long! I wish I could say I have all kinds of things to report, but I do not.
Ummm, let's see....We are in potty training mode. With Holly of course! I've been trained for a few years!! It's not going very smoothly! Her potty training, that is. Mine's okay....Alright, enough of that subject!!
I will be finishing up two of the three classes I am taking right now by Halloween. Oh, I can't wait! I will never, ever, ever, ever take three classes at the same time again, as long as I can help it. That is, as long as I am working full time also. And the day can't come too soon that I don't have to work full time, at least at the same establishment that I am currently employed. Ugh, I dread going there. Every. Single. Day.
Leo, Holly and I are going to Georgia for Thanksgiving! I am so thrilled about that trip! I know my Mom will be so excited to see Holly and vice versa! We don't have anything too excited planned. We just plan on hanging out. I think it will be really good for me.
Well that's about all I can think of! I'm sorry my first post in a very long time is as dull as this one. I promise I will try to drum up something much more interesting and witty!