Making Progress....

Thank goodness that my hard work (at teaching Reed to work hard:) is paying off.  It is almost midterm and he has straight As.  He has worked hard, done everything we asked of him and more.  He is helping out around here without me having to ask him and he hasn't tried to get out of his sentence one time.  He is such a good boy and I hope that he is learning a lot about responsibility and work ethic.  It's only been a few weeks, but we are in this for the long haul!

Brittney has come so far also.  She has always struggled so much academically.  But it is understandable with her history.  She is such a hard worker though.  She really cares and wants to do well.  Her math has improved and she is starting to get the hang of multiplication and her reading is really coming along.  She has discovered Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew books and loves them.  We have been purchasing them on the Nook and she really enjoys them.  I love to see her enjoy school and love to learn.  I'm so proud of her!

I'm so grateful for both of my babies!  It's a love like no other!

When Things Are HARD

I never thought that my child would bring home a report card like this!!  My sweet son who is a freshman in high school had me in tears last night.  Yesterday was report card day and has always been a day to be celebrated.  Well last night it was a time for tears!  As my husband carried his TV and X-Box out of his room I cried and reminded him that since the day he was born I have made sure that he had everything he needed to be successful.  I told him of all I did during his crucial beginning years of development to help him learn and grown.  I pointed out how hard his dad and I work to make sure that he has all he needs and most of what he wants.   As the words came out of my mouth....I had a moment of clarity.

I HAVE CREATED A CHILD WHO HASN'T LEARNED HOW TO WORK HARD!!  How did this happen?  I just want him to be happy and have a good childhood.  But he has never really had to struggle.  He is such a good soul--so kind and well-behaved, he's very bright and in GRC and always just "gotten it"....friends have always come easy, grades have come easy.  And, we love him sooo much that we love to give him things he wants.  We don't lavish him with material things year-round, but when Christmas and birthdays come, he's set.  He's had a very easy road in his near 15 years.   I've taken such good "care" of my child that he hasn't learned what to do when things are "hard."

As we talked about why he got the grades he received, he kept saying...it's hard.  There is a lot to remember.  However, I hardly see him study--and we've pointed this out numerous times.

Well, the season of struggle has begun.  This will definitely be a character building time for my sweet boy.  He will learn how to work hard, how to persevere and how to "shoot" for excellence and not just do enough to get by.  

I guess I'm glad this happened.   It's not fun to ground your child from all of the fun I love to see him have, but I don't want him leaving our home sheltered and not knowing how to work hard and survive times of struggle.  Because if one thing is certain, he will face adult challenges soon enough and life can be so HARD.  

Being a parent is HARD.

Reflections on 2011-Hopes for 2012

2011 was a GREAT year for my family.  Countless blessings for sure!  We finalized Brittney's adoption, were chosen to be a part of CBS's "A Home for the Holidays," took our annual beach trip with our extended family and had an amazing trip to LA to tape the show.  I was also chosen by my peers as teacher of the year at my school.  This honor means a lot to me because I am fortunate to do what I love to do and to teach along side some awesome teachers and for them to choose me for this honor means so much.   Besides all of these awesome events, our days are filled with love and laughter with our crazy family and our dear friends.   They are the ones that make life fun.   

We are also blessed with a loving church family.  It is so awesome to be a part of this body of Christ and to do God's work with them and to worship the Lord with them.  I have grown so much in my faith in the last several years.  I still have far to go on my journey, but it is because of my faith that I can have joy in the hard parts and appreciate the struggles.  No, my life is not perfect and there are hard times.  But there is joy in the Lord.  With the new year, comes change.  Change is a constant in this world.  However, I find joy in the fact that the one thing that never changes are God's promises and God's love.  He is who he says He is....today, tomorrow, forever.  

I hope for us all--a year of gratefulness for all the good, that faith and hope are abound during the struggles and that I can be the hands and feet of God in all of the ways He plans.   

Happy New Year!