I am writing this post today with a very sad and heavy heart. Some of my dear friends from high school had a sweet baby girl this morning. Gracen Faith Saltzgaber was born today (9-29-11) around 8:50 AM weighing 3 lbs. and 5 oz. Sweet little Gracen passed away about an hour later and has gone to be with our Lord and Savior. Ryan and Dayna found out they were pregnant in late March. Come to find out, she was actually pregnant at a baby shower for another high school friend in February...we just didn't know it. This was a complete surprise, but they were so excited that God was blessing them with the miracle of having a baby. They had decided to not find out the sex of the baby until it was born, but their plans changed in June. When they went in for their appointment (which would have been the appointment where they could tell what the sex of the baby was), the sonogram technician could tell that something was wrong. She sent Ryan and Dayna to a specialist and they were told that their baby had some sort of genetic de-formality and wouldn't be able to sustain life. I know that this has a name, but I'm not exactly sure what it is or what even causes something like this to happen. They were told that the baby could live for several days, or maybe even weeks, but that it also might not make it for even a few hours. When they found all of this out, they decided to find out what the sex of the baby was. It was a girl, and her name would be Gracen Faith Saltzgaber. For the rest of the pregnancy they were both faithful and knew that God had a plan for them and for Gracen. They sang to her, read to her, and fell more in love with her each and every day. Dayna would play praise music and Gracen would wiggle around in her tummy...she already loved the Lord so much. Even though the news they had received was heartbreaking, they knew their little Gracen girl was special and that she is a child of God. Their faith and strength in God throughout all of this has amazed me. He has a plan for everything He does, and Gracen is a special part in His desires for us. I can't imagine what they are going through, but I know my heart is desperately breaking for them. Please keep this sweet family in your prayers as they deal with the loss of their baby.
You can read their story and learn all about sweet Gracen on their blog:
http://rydaysalt.blogspot.com/
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Jansen Hadley Jordan
IT'S A GIRL!!! We found out last week that some of our besties are having a precious baby girl! This sweet little gift from God has been prayed for and prayed over for a very long time. Brent and Bria have been trying to have a baby for almost three years, and have had some heartbreak along the way. One day back in 2008, we got a phone call from them that they were pregnant. It was exciting news, they were the first couple out of our group of friends that were going to be expecting a baby. About 3 weeks later, we got another phone call from them. This one was not fun or exciting, it was devastating. They had lost the baby, and we were all heartbroken. None of us really knew what they were going through, but we could see the loss and pain they were going through. They had already fallen in love with this little baby in Bria's tummy. Some other things started unfolding in their lives around this time, and they decided the best thing for them was to move to California. For the year they were there, their marriage strengthened, their relationship with God strengthened, and they began to realize the plan that God wanted for them in their lives. When they moved back, they lived with us for about 2 months until they found a house here in Abilene. Brent was going to school so that he could become a fireman and Bria started working at Hendrick, things were going well and they were becoming established in Abilene. We were so thrilled to, not just have them back in Texas, but to have them in Abilene just seconds down the road from us. Before they moved to Cali, they lived in Hurst, so we didn't get to see them very often. Now, we get to see them several times throughout the week...and it is wonderful! They moved out of our house in July of 2010. In between July and March, Brent and Bria got pregnant three times, but they had complications with the pregnancies. We were so blessed to be a part of a Life Group that believes that God can heal and perform miracles. And so we prayed for Him to do just that for Brent and Bria. For Him not to just heal her body so that she could have a baby and be the sweet, loving, and caring mommy that God has called her to be and so that Brent can be the provider, protector, and daddy that he will be, but to heal their hearts as well. This sweet, loving, Christian couple have kept their faith and realized that God's plan for them would unfold in His time.
God was definitely at work throughout this entire time. Through the sadness, devastation, sorrow, joy, happiness, triumph, and healing. Now, Jansen Hadley Jordan is going to be born in February and we are so thrilled to meet this precious little girl! I saw a sign yesterday as I was driving through town and it said, "A baby is God's greatest miracle." I don't think that could be any further from the truth. Jansen is not just a gift, but also a miracle. She is going to have the best parents that are going to be loving, caring, supportive, and stern. They will her up in a Christian household so that she will always know the love of God. When we found out last week that Brent and Bria were having a girl, they invited us and some of our other besties over for dinner to celebrate. Us girls were already talking about all the pink, bows, tutus, ruffles, ribbons, lace, rhinestones, and any other frilly thing that comes to mind when you think about a girl. Brent has already stated that she will not be wearing any bows when she's with him...yeah right! We'll see how that goes! She is going to be such a daddy's girl...wrapped around every single one of his fingers. There is something so special about a relationship between a daddy and his daughter. And Jansen definitely knows her momma. Bria said she can already feel her wiggling and moving around inside of her. I can't wait until we can all feel it too...it really is one of the neatest things! We had so much fun celebrating with Brent, Bria, Dallas, and Britian the other night. We are so blessed to have such amazing friends in our lives that we consider family. They help us make it through life and we get to celebrate, laugh, cry, and just hang out with some pretty awesome people. Our little group is growing with these sweet babies that are coming into the world, but it is so much fun to see them grow. Soon, they will all be friends with each other too! Jansen, we love you so, so much and we can't wait to meet you and see your beautiful face!!!
God was definitely at work throughout this entire time. Through the sadness, devastation, sorrow, joy, happiness, triumph, and healing. Now, Jansen Hadley Jordan is going to be born in February and we are so thrilled to meet this precious little girl! I saw a sign yesterday as I was driving through town and it said, "A baby is God's greatest miracle." I don't think that could be any further from the truth. Jansen is not just a gift, but also a miracle. She is going to have the best parents that are going to be loving, caring, supportive, and stern. They will her up in a Christian household so that she will always know the love of God. When we found out last week that Brent and Bria were having a girl, they invited us and some of our other besties over for dinner to celebrate. Us girls were already talking about all the pink, bows, tutus, ruffles, ribbons, lace, rhinestones, and any other frilly thing that comes to mind when you think about a girl. Brent has already stated that she will not be wearing any bows when she's with him...yeah right! We'll see how that goes! She is going to be such a daddy's girl...wrapped around every single one of his fingers. There is something so special about a relationship between a daddy and his daughter. And Jansen definitely knows her momma. Bria said she can already feel her wiggling and moving around inside of her. I can't wait until we can all feel it too...it really is one of the neatest things! We had so much fun celebrating with Brent, Bria, Dallas, and Britian the other night. We are so blessed to have such amazing friends in our lives that we consider family. They help us make it through life and we get to celebrate, laugh, cry, and just hang out with some pretty awesome people. Our little group is growing with these sweet babies that are coming into the world, but it is so much fun to see them grow. Soon, they will all be friends with each other too! Jansen, we love you so, so much and we can't wait to meet you and see your beautiful face!!!
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| It's a girl!!! Pink, pink, and more pink!!! Jansen's precious name on some very delicious cupcakes! |
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| Brent and Bria with the cupcakes! They are so very happy!!! |
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| Sweet couple! Look at her precious little baby bump!!! Love these two so much!!! |
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Work and Play!
Well, as many of you know hunting season is upon us. This is exciting news in our little family and we have been anticipating the days until bow season arrives and shortly after that, rifle season! Dove season has already begun when September 1st rolled around, but we haven't had too much luck with that so far this year. Plus, deer are more fun to hunt and look WAY better mounted on the wall than a bird! But, luckily for this family of hunters, we have Axis deer on our place which can be hunted all year round. It's absolutely wonderful to be able to hunt all year around, plus you get the opportunity to shoot them in the velvet if the opportunity arises. The only person in our family that has actually shot an Axis buck in the velvet has been Michael (my little brother), and that's been several years ago. It was a trophy though...and he was just a little guy when he shot it! He was actually featured in the Texas Trophy Hunters book for shooting such a monster Axis buck in the velvet for his age. It's a beautiful deer, and the shoulder mount looks amazing in his room. He's shot a few others, those were also monsters! They were definitely mountable and are also shoulder mounts hanging on the wall in his room. My dad has shot one really big one that he's got mounted on the wall in his office in my parent's house. He shot that one when Michael and I were little, it was actually the first one that was taken on our place. The horns are so tall on it that the deer's nose is actually nose to nose with you when you stand and look at it. And the ceiling in his office is either 8 or 10 feet high...so that sucker is BIG!!!
Ever since Cody and I started dating, he's been hunting on our place and has dreamed of shooting a monster Axis buck. He shot one not too long ago, but it wasn't quite big enough and so we just had it European mounted. A European mount is when the taxidermist treats the skull and the horns and then they are mounted onto a really thick piece of wood. It's very pretty and it allows you to have something mounted that wasn't just quite big enough to pay the extra money to have a deer shoulder mounted. He's also attempted to shoot one with his bow, but the opportunity has never been just right for him to get a good shot. There have also been many times that he's almost gotten one with his rifle, but something has always seemed to spook the deer off before he gets a good shot on them. These deer aren't like whitetail deer. They are imported over here from India, so they are exotic. Axis deer are extremely smart, incredibly huge, and much more territorial than whitetail deer. Just to give you an example, and Axis doe is typically the size of a Texas Hill Country whitetail buck. That means that an Axis buck is twice, sometimes three times the size of a whitetail buck. This is all based on the Texas Hill Country deer. You can go all over the country (and especially find them in Canada) and find some whitetail bucks, and doe's for that matter, that are just as big or bigger than an Axis. Anyways, the weekend of September 10th and 11th, Cody had to go down to Kerrville for work. One of his buddies had asked him if one of his roofing crews could put a roof on for some family friends, and so Cody jumped at the opportunity because he knew that he could stay down at the ranch and maybe get some hunting in.
And hunting he did! He actually got to spend a little more time out on the place than he originally planned. Most of the morning and early afternoon were spent in town making sure the job was going right and that the crew was taking care of the the homeowners. But, he spent the afternoon at the ranch doing some work and hunting. He moved several blinds, filled feeders, and trimmed some brush. When he was finished with that, he spent the rest of the time hunting (and praying) that maybe that trophy Axis buck would come his way. And that's exactly what happened. I got a phone call around 5:30 that Saturday (which was the 10th) from him. He was out of breath, and I immediately assumed that something was wrong. That was not the case! All of a sudden he says, "Babe, I just shot a monster Axis buck." I was in shock, but soon started screaming and jumping up and down. I had just walked through the door of my parent's house to have dinner and so they got to hear the good news too. He said it was huge and that he hit him with a perfect shot. Soon, I got pictures, and he was right. That Axis buck was a monster. Cody said he probably weighed 275 pounds, and the base of his horns were thicker than his pointer finger and thumb when he touched them together. It is a beautiful deer. I am SO happy for him that he finally got to shoot one of these beautiful animals. We are going to get him shoulder mounted and put him above the fireplace mantle...it's just too amazing not to have it displayed for all to see when they come to our house! After four long years of hunting an Axis buck, he finally got the perfect opportunity to get his trophy! Good job babe...I am so proud of you!!!
Ever since Cody and I started dating, he's been hunting on our place and has dreamed of shooting a monster Axis buck. He shot one not too long ago, but it wasn't quite big enough and so we just had it European mounted. A European mount is when the taxidermist treats the skull and the horns and then they are mounted onto a really thick piece of wood. It's very pretty and it allows you to have something mounted that wasn't just quite big enough to pay the extra money to have a deer shoulder mounted. He's also attempted to shoot one with his bow, but the opportunity has never been just right for him to get a good shot. There have also been many times that he's almost gotten one with his rifle, but something has always seemed to spook the deer off before he gets a good shot on them. These deer aren't like whitetail deer. They are imported over here from India, so they are exotic. Axis deer are extremely smart, incredibly huge, and much more territorial than whitetail deer. Just to give you an example, and Axis doe is typically the size of a Texas Hill Country whitetail buck. That means that an Axis buck is twice, sometimes three times the size of a whitetail buck. This is all based on the Texas Hill Country deer. You can go all over the country (and especially find them in Canada) and find some whitetail bucks, and doe's for that matter, that are just as big or bigger than an Axis. Anyways, the weekend of September 10th and 11th, Cody had to go down to Kerrville for work. One of his buddies had asked him if one of his roofing crews could put a roof on for some family friends, and so Cody jumped at the opportunity because he knew that he could stay down at the ranch and maybe get some hunting in.
And hunting he did! He actually got to spend a little more time out on the place than he originally planned. Most of the morning and early afternoon were spent in town making sure the job was going right and that the crew was taking care of the the homeowners. But, he spent the afternoon at the ranch doing some work and hunting. He moved several blinds, filled feeders, and trimmed some brush. When he was finished with that, he spent the rest of the time hunting (and praying) that maybe that trophy Axis buck would come his way. And that's exactly what happened. I got a phone call around 5:30 that Saturday (which was the 10th) from him. He was out of breath, and I immediately assumed that something was wrong. That was not the case! All of a sudden he says, "Babe, I just shot a monster Axis buck." I was in shock, but soon started screaming and jumping up and down. I had just walked through the door of my parent's house to have dinner and so they got to hear the good news too. He said it was huge and that he hit him with a perfect shot. Soon, I got pictures, and he was right. That Axis buck was a monster. Cody said he probably weighed 275 pounds, and the base of his horns were thicker than his pointer finger and thumb when he touched them together. It is a beautiful deer. I am SO happy for him that he finally got to shoot one of these beautiful animals. We are going to get him shoulder mounted and put him above the fireplace mantle...it's just too amazing not to have it displayed for all to see when they come to our house! After four long years of hunting an Axis buck, he finally got the perfect opportunity to get his trophy! Good job babe...I am so proud of you!!!
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| This was the picture that was taken right after Cody shot this amazing deer. It is so beautiful...and HUGE!!! I can't wait to see what it looks like above our fireplace mantle! |
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| My handsome love and his trophy Axis buck! |
Saturday, September 17, 2011
12 Hours Left!!!
On August 29th I started another class in my Master's degree program. The difference in this class is that it is one of the last four classes that I have left...which means that I'm only 12 hours away from having my Master's degree in education!!! Woo hoo!!! I will then be able to become a principal someday, if I ever decide that's what I want to do. Oh...and I have to take and pass the principals certification exit test at some point in time. Those are never fun to study for, or pay for, for that matter. Certification exit tests are $120 a pop...so you only want to have to take them once for more than one reason. One is obviously the cost. And the other is the fact that they are terribly hard and grueling to study for. I think the second reason is more motivating to pass the first time than the cost. Don't get me wrong, I don't enjoy paying $120 for a test, but I despise studying for them and then having to take them at that. There is one really nice thing about this Master's program and that's that ACU provides principal certification test prep-courses. I have gone to the ones that have been offered, which are hard to attend. They are offered about 5 times throughout the duration of the program and are always on Saturday's from 8:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the afternoon. The first half of the day is spent taking a practice test and the second half of the day is spent going to over the questions and answers to the test so you know what answer is the best choice and why. It's really good preparation and allows you to get a good feel for what is going to be asked on this specific test. I will probably start applying to take the real test after I graduate in May. It's just a little overwhelming right now to try and get all the reading, homework, papers, and other assignments done for my classes without adding the many hours of studying for the certification test to it all.
I do have to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed this degree program. I am so thankful that I chose to go through ACU's online program. Getting my bachelor's from ACU was wonderful. I not only got to meet lifelong friends, learn from Christian professors, and learn how to become a Christian leader and example in the world. But, I got to grow in my faith and incorporate Christ into my learning and maturing. This Master's degree program has been no different even though it is all online. Every single class, our curriculum includes some sort of faith read. These books are to help us to make connections with what we are learning and how to apply Christian morals and ethics into our school systems as we grow and develop leadership skills. We are also required to make journal entries over every chapter so that we can express our thoughts and feelings about how we can become better leaders and Christian examples. It's been amazing and I have loved all of my professors as well as the people that I have gotten to interact with. There are people from all over the country that are in this program, and one that is even in the Cayman Islands. It's really cool to get to hear their perspectives and learn how their state and schools do things differently than we do in Texas. We are all ready to be finished with the program though! I suppose that even though you're in your Master's, you can still get senioritis...and I definitely have it! Don't get me wrong, I still love my classes and all the things I'm learning. But, I'm ready to not have 5-10 assignments, papers, and other homework due every week. I'm also ready to not have to do all the reading, posting to class forums, and group projects and assignments to work on. In the midst of all of that, I'm also shadowing my principal, who is my mentor throughout this program. I have to do 24 experience sets where I do various things in my campus so that I have a better understanding of what a principal does day in and day out. These 24 experiences are all very different and when I am finished with one experience, I have to right a reflection on the things I have learned and what I might do differently if I were the principal. It's really great to be able to get to do all of this, but it definitely adds a lot more time and energy to the already overwhelming course load. I have actually completed 16 of those experiences, so I only have 8 more to go! I have to have them all done by April, and I plan on being done long before them so I can "relax" a little bit during my last class. I really can't believe that I'm on the downhill slope and that I will be walking across the stage in May. These past two years of being in school have flown by! 8 more months and 12 hours to go...I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!!!
I do have to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed this degree program. I am so thankful that I chose to go through ACU's online program. Getting my bachelor's from ACU was wonderful. I not only got to meet lifelong friends, learn from Christian professors, and learn how to become a Christian leader and example in the world. But, I got to grow in my faith and incorporate Christ into my learning and maturing. This Master's degree program has been no different even though it is all online. Every single class, our curriculum includes some sort of faith read. These books are to help us to make connections with what we are learning and how to apply Christian morals and ethics into our school systems as we grow and develop leadership skills. We are also required to make journal entries over every chapter so that we can express our thoughts and feelings about how we can become better leaders and Christian examples. It's been amazing and I have loved all of my professors as well as the people that I have gotten to interact with. There are people from all over the country that are in this program, and one that is even in the Cayman Islands. It's really cool to get to hear their perspectives and learn how their state and schools do things differently than we do in Texas. We are all ready to be finished with the program though! I suppose that even though you're in your Master's, you can still get senioritis...and I definitely have it! Don't get me wrong, I still love my classes and all the things I'm learning. But, I'm ready to not have 5-10 assignments, papers, and other homework due every week. I'm also ready to not have to do all the reading, posting to class forums, and group projects and assignments to work on. In the midst of all of that, I'm also shadowing my principal, who is my mentor throughout this program. I have to do 24 experience sets where I do various things in my campus so that I have a better understanding of what a principal does day in and day out. These 24 experiences are all very different and when I am finished with one experience, I have to right a reflection on the things I have learned and what I might do differently if I were the principal. It's really great to be able to get to do all of this, but it definitely adds a lot more time and energy to the already overwhelming course load. I have actually completed 16 of those experiences, so I only have 8 more to go! I have to have them all done by April, and I plan on being done long before them so I can "relax" a little bit during my last class. I really can't believe that I'm on the downhill slope and that I will be walking across the stage in May. These past two years of being in school have flown by! 8 more months and 12 hours to go...I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!!!
Monday, September 12, 2011
We Will Never Forget
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident." Psalm 27: 1-3
Monday, September 5, 2011
Back to School...
Well, today is Labor Day day, so that means that I'm off work and school is officially back in session! I can't believe that summer is really over and we will be starting the third week of school this week. Where does the time go?!?!? Before we know it, we'll be putting up our Christmas tree! I am so thankful that it is finally starting to cool off and the fall weather is moving in. It has been so dreadfully hot all summer long, and we desperately need some cooler weather and rain!
Even though summer is over, I am so happy to be back in school and see all my kiddos and my co-workers. I feel so blessed that God has placed me at Blackwell and I get to work with the people I work with and teach the students that walk through my classroom door each and everyday. I honestly wake up every single morning looking forward to going to work, even with the 45 minute commute. It is an amazing feeling to not only love what you do, but love the environment that you work in. One of the coolest things about teaching in Blackwell is the relationships that I build with my students. I have the seventh grade class that I am teaching technology applications too this year. Most people don't even know who will be walking through their door on the first day of school, especially a seventh grade class because they typically come to junior high/middle school from a completely different campus. However, because our school is so small, I have known these seventh graders since I started at Blackwell four years ago. So, I have known these kids since they were in third grade! I have gotten to watch them grow up and have looked forward to them being in my class. I also have the entire ninth grade class. They are in my BCIS 1 class and I have had them in my classroom for three years now. The rest of my business/technology classes are electives. But, all the kids that take those have been in my classroom before. They know my style of teaching and I know and understand them. I know how they learn and also how to help them so that they understand the goals and objectives of what I'm teaching. But, it's not just about teaching them a subject. Many of my students come in my room each and every day just to say hi and sit down and talk. I have truly built a relationship with each and everyone of my kids. I truly feel that God has given me and opportunity to be a good example to them and also be there for them if they ever need anything. I love being a teacher, and so going back to school for me is fun and exciting! I get to be around my kiddos again and see all the wonderful people that I work with. We are truly like a little family at Blackwell!
With school starting back, it also means that football season is upon us! This is one of the highlights of any West Texan and I am certainly no different! Those Friday night lights have been shining bright, the bands are playing the school songs, and the fans are filling the bleachers! Oh...and it smells like football outside...one of my most favorite things! With football season upon us, that means that the cheerleaders are preparing pep rallies and dress-up days. This week for us is also Homecoming week. So, that means that every day is a dress-up day and all the Homecoming festivities are going to be in full swing. Our theme this year is "Dream Big." Homecoming is a big deal for any high school, and it is no different for us in Blackwell. We actually have the Homecoming game on Saturday so all the alumni that live out of town can come in and enjoy seeing everyone. I love football and I always look forward to this time of year. The weather is changing and the spirit and tradition of high schools shine bright. I have a feeling it's going to be a GREAT year!!!
Even though summer is over, I am so happy to be back in school and see all my kiddos and my co-workers. I feel so blessed that God has placed me at Blackwell and I get to work with the people I work with and teach the students that walk through my classroom door each and everyday. I honestly wake up every single morning looking forward to going to work, even with the 45 minute commute. It is an amazing feeling to not only love what you do, but love the environment that you work in. One of the coolest things about teaching in Blackwell is the relationships that I build with my students. I have the seventh grade class that I am teaching technology applications too this year. Most people don't even know who will be walking through their door on the first day of school, especially a seventh grade class because they typically come to junior high/middle school from a completely different campus. However, because our school is so small, I have known these seventh graders since I started at Blackwell four years ago. So, I have known these kids since they were in third grade! I have gotten to watch them grow up and have looked forward to them being in my class. I also have the entire ninth grade class. They are in my BCIS 1 class and I have had them in my classroom for three years now. The rest of my business/technology classes are electives. But, all the kids that take those have been in my classroom before. They know my style of teaching and I know and understand them. I know how they learn and also how to help them so that they understand the goals and objectives of what I'm teaching. But, it's not just about teaching them a subject. Many of my students come in my room each and every day just to say hi and sit down and talk. I have truly built a relationship with each and everyone of my kids. I truly feel that God has given me and opportunity to be a good example to them and also be there for them if they ever need anything. I love being a teacher, and so going back to school for me is fun and exciting! I get to be around my kiddos again and see all the wonderful people that I work with. We are truly like a little family at Blackwell!
With school starting back, it also means that football season is upon us! This is one of the highlights of any West Texan and I am certainly no different! Those Friday night lights have been shining bright, the bands are playing the school songs, and the fans are filling the bleachers! Oh...and it smells like football outside...one of my most favorite things! With football season upon us, that means that the cheerleaders are preparing pep rallies and dress-up days. This week for us is also Homecoming week. So, that means that every day is a dress-up day and all the Homecoming festivities are going to be in full swing. Our theme this year is "Dream Big." Homecoming is a big deal for any high school, and it is no different for us in Blackwell. We actually have the Homecoming game on Saturday so all the alumni that live out of town can come in and enjoy seeing everyone. I love football and I always look forward to this time of year. The weather is changing and the spirit and tradition of high schools shine bright. I have a feeling it's going to be a GREAT year!!!
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