Wednesday, February 9, 2011

God Even Uses Toasters to Do His Will, and He'll Do it in His Timing

Several months ago I posted, on my previously private blog, about how my toaster got involved in my life. Here is that story:

A few weeks ago I did what I do every morning ... I popped Eli's frozen waffle into the toaster. It popped up only seconds later. I adjusted the toasting knob and put it back in. It ran through the full two minute cycle and then popped up. But, the waffle wasn't toasted. I tried the other set (it's a four-slot toaster). Still same, general problem.

That night Rick was going to get his hair cut at the little salon inside Walmart. He called and asked if I needed anything. I told him about the toaster and asked him to just pick up the cheapest one he could find, just in case ours was on the outs.

And this is what happened.

He put his name on the list at the hair salon. He was three or four down on the list so the girl told him he could go ahead and do his shopping. He went and bought a $7.00 toaster and picked up a couple of other things and paid.

When he got back to the hair salon his name was already crossed off. They had called his name while he was gone. She told him it would only be a couple of minutes, so he hung around and got his hair cut. When he was done he paid and walked out the door.

While walking out he ran into a guy who we used to go to church with. I actually never met him. But, Rick knew him from men's Bible study. He asked him how he was doing and how work was going. The guy told Rick how busy they had been. Through the course of the conversation Rick mentioned that I had a law degree. The guy's face lit up. And this is why.

This guy works for a consulting firm that outsources professionals to write curriculum and teach online courses at Christian universities, Bible colleges and small colleges (like University of Phoenix). He told Rick how much he needs professionals with legal degrees to teach law-related courses. He took down my name and e-mail address. And Rick called me and told me what happened. I was intrigued, but honestly never thought anything would come out of it.

The very next morning I had an e-mail from this guy. I sent him my resume. And the process began.

Although there are not any classes available at this time, I was told even as early as yesterday that my credentials are great and I will be added to the "faculty ranks" of these universities. As soon as a class opens up that I can teach, I'll get the job.
 
You see, had my toaster not been pooping out, Rick would have been standing there when his name was called at the hair salon. He would have gotten his haircut sooner than he did. And he would have left Walmart sooner than he did. He would never have run into this guy. And we don't go to our old church anymore, so we would have never known about this opportunity.

Why is my post titled "God Even Uses Toasters To Do His Will?" Because ... the next morning my existing toaster worked fine and it's never had a problem since.

This post was written last February 10th. Then I was confused because I never heard back from the company about any viable positions. I wondered what it all meant.

I realized that it must not be God's timing because with homeschooling Dawson, and then bringing Brynne home, I didn't have any extra time to work anyway. And I was almost relieved he hadn't contacted me.

This week I started thinking, again, about how I should possibly work toward getting my teaching degree so that I could work in the future to relieve some financial stress off Rick. Minutes later I went out to my computer to check my e-mail and I had been contacted by the consulting firm about a possible position.

I received the contract by e-mail yesterday.

I have a job to write the curriculum for a business law and regulatory course for MBA students at a Christian university.

I have a job.

I have a job doing exactly what I have always wanted to do (and frankly do every day with Dawson and Brynne.)

I have a job that I can do from home.

I have a job that is going to pay me a real contract fee.

I have a job that scares me half to death because it's really important and I've never really done it before and I want to do a good job so I get hired again and it's my dream job.

Whew!

I can do this.

I just need to take a deep breath and remind myself that I am capable.

The timing is perfect. The curriculum has to be completed by March 15th, just in time for our spring break trip to Pensacola.

** insert big, deep breath **

Here I go ...

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Nicole's Daybook

Outside my window... The smell of more snow! We are supposed to get around a foot of snow again tonight.

I am thinking... about my friend Vee and how she will be delivering her precious Carter tomorrow, without her husband. Please be praying for her.

I am thankful ... that Kyndal is spending the day serving pb&j's to the homeless.

I am wearing... a "love" t-shirt with a black long-sleeved shirt under it, a black military jacket, scarf, skinny jeans and black boots.

I am planning... our Spring Break trip to Pensacola.

I am creating... Eli and Brynne's valentines. Hoping they will have school by Monday so they can hand them out!

I am going... absolutely nowhere.

I am reading... Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner (I have to admit, I just haven't been in the mood to start reading any classics), Stepping Heavenward by Mrs. E. Prentiss and the Book of Psalms (daily devotional), A Room for Cathy by Catherine Woolley (my favorite book as a child, published in 1950),  Meet Josefina by Valerie Tripp (Brynne's read-aloud) and The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli (Dawson's read-aloud).

I am hoping... that the snow doesn't keep Rick and Dawson from their Tahoe trip.

Scripture I'm memorizing ... "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me ... Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me." ~ Psalm 51:10-11

From the learning rooms... We have been out of school because of snow since last Tuesday. We are out the rest of this week, too, so we have just decided to call school off until next Monday.

Noticing that ... the birds know a snow storm is coming. They've been pretty quiet for the past couple of days. But first thing this morning they were everywhere, eating up all of our birdseed.

From the kitchen... kid foods and snacks.

Around the house... snow clothes, boots and sleds.

One of my favorite things... is sleeping in on winter days, and I've been doing that a lot lately! Reality is going to hit hard at some point in the near future!

A few plans for the rest of the week... watching lots of movies, laying around in our pj's, sleeping in, staying up late, drinking hot cocoa, eating snow cream, snacking, playing in the snow.

From my picture journal.

The snowman Brynne and I made.

Lots of women Daybook. See what they have to say at The Simple Woman's Daybook.



Monday, February 7, 2011

Menu Plan Monday


This will be another snow week. The roads were still just too bad for buses to get through today so we are out of school again. And we are getting another big dumping of snow starting tomorrow. Thankfully Rick and I were able to get out on Saturday and do some grocery shopping. I bought groceries for the next two weeks. (And, yes, we have plenty of milk this time!)

Remember that Rick asked me not to "worry about him" for dinner in the evenings anymore. So, my menu is planned more for kid-friendly eating.

Monday ~ Sub sandwiches and mandarin oranges

Tuesday ~ Homemade calzones and snow cream

Wednesday ~ FFY

Thursday ~ Cheese and crackers and fruit

Friday ~ Hot dogs and chips

Saturday ~ Pancakes and turkey bacon

Sunday ~ Homemade chicken noodle soup and crackers

Rick and Dawson are supposed to go to Tahoe this week to go snowboarding. But, with the snow storm we are supposed to get right when they are supposed to leave, it's doubtful they will be able to go. These meals were planned with them being gone most of those days. I hope these meals are manly enough for them.

Have a great, snowy week!

Paradise awaits!


See this little beach?? The house my parents just bought in Pensacola, Florida, is walking distance from it!

My mom called this morning and said that their offer was accepted and they will be closing by March 1st. She told us to get ready for a Spring Break trip! Oh, we are ready!

My kids are so excited! The little ones have never been to the beach, and have wanted to go for so long! That little beach will be perfect for us! The kids can play in the sand, we can sit and get some sun and then sit in the shade to relax, and have a yummy lunch. Paradise!

This is such an amazing opportunity for our family! We now have a place to go on vacation, for a fraction of the cost! A beach vacation would be a pricey vacation for us. But now, with just the cost of gas and groceries, we can afford to do it. Now I am off to research the fun things we can do in Pensacola!

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Preparations for more snow. Yes, she is a comin'!

Another storm system is headed our way on Tuesday/Wednesday and we are supposed to get another 5-10" of snow (although we heard, unofficially, that it's really more like 20" but they aren't really saying that so they don't scare us half to death!)

Since we ran out of milk and t.p. last week, we went out yesterday and prepared for this upcoming storm ...

6 gallons of milk. Check.

An overloaded pantry and freezer. Check.

My nails done. Check.

Now we're ready.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow (again)

{written Friday afternoon}

I sit in my favorite chair, with my favorite quilt and laptop on my lap. Rick, Kyndal and I are watching Secretariat .. the first of seven movies we rented today. Outside my window are birds, hundreds of birds, taking their turn at the many bird feeders we have set up in our backyard. The red cardinals are the most beautiful things I have ever seen against a backdrop of white.


And there is more white.


And more white to come.

We had a record-breaking 21" of snow in Owasso on Tuesday. And today, we are supposed to get 4-6" more. We can't hardly believe it.

Our shoveled driveway is now covered again. On our way home from getting the boys' haircut, we couldn't see the road. We missed four days of school this week. My early prediction is that we will not have school all next week either. We stopped by the grocery store. Still no milk.

It's astonishing.

And I love it.

** Update: It's Saturday morning and the sun is shining brightly. It's not supposed to get above freezing today (I don't think), but maybe the sun will cause a slight melt so we can at least get our driveway cleared again. All total we think we got about 2-3" of snow last night. And another system is coming in tomorrow and another on Wednesday. The record was set in 1958 of 25.8" FOR THE YEAR! We will certainly beat that this year, if we haven't already.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

I Won and You Can Too!

My friend Alicia at Murry Mayhem had a giveaway for a $35 giftcode to CSN. And I won! I got a complimentary $35 to spend at any of the 200+ CSN online stores! I am going to use it toward a portable classroom greenhouse that I have really been wanting!

My friend H-Mama at Family Team is giving away a $45 giftcode, but it ends tonight at 11:59 p.m. If you would like an opportunity to win this giftcode, hop over there quickly and leave her a comment!

But hurry!

And I have to laugh ...


It always cracks me up how people freak out at the mere mention of a heavy snow. When we are going to get some weather, I typically do head out to the grocery store to get enough groceries to get us through a few extra days just so I don't have to get out. However, I'm not afraid to get out and I don't go nutso buying nuclear war supplies.

I am always amazed at the looks of sheer terror and determination at the grocery store and how every egg, gallon of milk, bottle of water and roll of toilet paper are cleared off the shelves.

Last week I did buy some bottled water, just in case we had frozen pipes or something and needed some water. Besides, we sometimes like to drink bottled water. But we had three gallons of milk already, several rolls of toilet paper and, why do you need to stock up on eggs in a snow storm????

But today I did send my husband to the store because, guess what we are out of ... milk and toilet paper! Who would have imagined???

Rick just called and said he can't find a gallon (or half gallon) of milk anywhere! Ooooops ...

So, I have to laugh that me, who thinks the hysteria is ridiculous, is out of milk and probably won't be able to get any for several days. There's no word on the toilet paper yet.

Let the rations begin!!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Digging Out

Doesn't look too bad in this picture ...

 ... until you look closer and see that our tree swing is buried and the snow is up half over the headwalls and bushes.

Rick was able to dig us out today .. by literally .. DIGGING!


21" to dig through.

We won't be going anywhere for a while, though. The snow is 2 feet deep .. our official snow total was 21". Rick completely shoveled about 1/3 of the driveway to the concrete, and was able to shovel down a bit more the rest of the way so he could, at least, get his car out. He drove to the front of our subdivision and back.

The kids went out and played, even though the high was only 10 degrees today. And I was impressed that they stayed out for the hour-and-a-half they did. Getting around was pretty difficult, since the snow came up to their mid-thighs.




They did get in a little sledding with daddy ...


and Eli found a yummy icicle ...


I think Rick might attempt to go to work by the end of the week. But the kids and I won't be leaving any time soon. I actually enjoy being housebound.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

We are officially SNOWED IN!

Think we're getting some snow?


In case you're not sure, um, yeah!

So far we have gotten 19" of reported snow, with 6 ft. snow drifts. And, it's not supposed to stop snowing until sometime in the middle of the night. In all the snow storms I have been in through the years, I have never been snowed in. Until now.

Rick and I braved the blizzard to add a couple more homemade bird feeders and spread the remainder of our bird seed.



It's now all gone.




See that bird bath? It's really 3 feet tall.

Rick and Kyndal decided that they would "run to town" to get some more bird seed and rent some movies. They didn't get very far.



We don't know when we'll be able to get out of our driveway. It will literally be days!

The puppies gladly go out to potty, but it's only a few seconds before they say, "Let us in! It's cold!"


So, instead, we'll be doing a whole lot of game playing in the next few days and trying not to kill each other. Hopefully tomorrow we will be able to get outside and play.