Welcome to my world...

So, here I am at work, after running around most of the day, starting my blog to my family and friends about my life at the present. Oh, where do I start? I guess I will just give a beginning blurb on our family and where we are at/where we are going. Bruce and I have been happily and blessed to be married for over 2 years now. My oldest stepson, Nathan is just finishing his freshman year in college, majoring in Criminal Justice to be a police officer. He lives with his mom, about 10 minutes away but is a frequent visitor in our home! He is applying for an internship at Disney World for the fall soon and hopes to get it. He always has a few jobs he is working and is very busy with activities with his friends. My younger stepson, Patrick is finishing his junior year in high school. It is hard to believe that next year at this time, we will almost have BOTH boys out of high school! I have only known them almost 4 years but they have grown up too fast! (Also, they are 17 and almost 20!! Yikes!) Pat has a girlfriend at the present so he is quite busy with her during the week, as well with some other friends. He is interested in the computer field for college so he will be looking soon at where he wants to pursue that training. Bruce is busy as ever at work for Client First Financial, a brokerage firm that uses many companies for life insurance, money markets, and annuities but mainly ING. He is with a great group of people who really care about clients and each other. The Managing Partner of the company, John has really helped us out when we have needed it as well as helped others. Bruce is currently the Sales Development Manager; He trains the agents, supervises 5-6 agents who report to him, as well as sells his own business. Each month, God seems to give him a new option to tap and he is loving it. I am currently working for Southern Illinois University @ Edwardsville in their Head Start program as a Second Step Curriculum Teacher. This is my 2nd year in the program and though there has been quite a few challenges with staff, I enjoy the flexibility that I have during the week. I collaborate with 14 preschool classes in the public schools of East St Louis, teaching social-emotional skills (ie. how to handle emotions, how to identify them, how to calm down, etc..). I also have 2 home visits to do on each child every school year- this is the challenge because parents in this area do not like to be available! I have a total of 320 visits each year and that is the majority of my job. I also help out in the the regular Head Start classrooms from time to time at the location where I have my office. Right now, I am awaiting word from the college on if I am accepted into the Masters of Education department! Being an employee of SIUE, I can go to school tuition free so I am biting the bullet and trying for a Masters of Education in Curriculum & Instruction: Early Childhood. We will see what happens! The last bit of news (I know I am going on and on....) is we are feverishly in the process of trying to buy a house!! We looked at one last week and have been sending forms in to our lender all day, it seems with more to come. Everything is in God's hands...we will do our part and then wait on Him. We are currently in a tiny apartment and a house is needed for not just our current family's needs BUT when God gives us more children. So, it is a step that will happen sooner or later and maybe it will be now, if it all goes through. Both the masters program and the house have possibilities of not working out so I am not making it solid in my mind yet. Pray for us as we seek these new challenges. LOVE TO YOU ALL!!!