Please, just one bite!

Day8
I love and am so thankful for my job! Yesterday I was at a training, so I wasn't able to be with my students. Today I was so excited to see them, and I had missed them so much! Each of my students has a way to make my heart smile in ways that I can't even begin to explain. Here was a sweet moment with one of them today: one of my students is a very picky eater, and doesn't eat very much. Everyday I make this student choose a fruit or a veggie, and the student has to have at least one bite before we can leave. It's a battle everyday, but my student is a good sport and tries the one bite (with milk in one hand to quickly wash the undesired food down!). Today at lunch my student told me that they had eaten one bite of orange yesterday. I asked who had told my sub about our one bite rule, and the answer surprised me-it was my student! My sweet little anti-anything healthy had actually taken the initiative to tell a visiting adult about a rule which said adult would have otherwise not even known about. So sweet! I was so proud that I just had to reward my student-with a chocolate eyeball! Haha i seriously love my job, and I am thankful for the little moments that make each day amazing in a new way!

It's a Bird! It's a plane! It's Super...wait, it's my DAD!

Day 7
Today I am sooooo very thankful for my Daddy! Just in case you don't know, I have the BEST Dad in the ENTIRE world. Hands down. No contest. My Dad is my hero, one of my very best friends, the best listener in the entire world, a great cook, a Veteran, a merry-maid, source of calm when life is cray, car-man, horse-man, everything-man. There isn't anything that my Dad can't do! Honestly, I'm pretty sure that he is Superman. Don't ya'll wish that he was your Daddy too! My Dad does a lot that goes unnoticed, but not unappreciated by this little girl! I love that he makes dinner 5/7 nights, and that it's delicious to boot! I am so thankful for my Dad and everything that he does for me. I love my Daddy!

"Talked to God like he was talkin' to a Friend..."

Day 6
Today I am so grateful for my brother-in-law, Nic. He and I don't always see eye to eye and we have our differences, but even when we're acting like a couple of old billy goats I know that he is an amazing man deep down. One thing that I particularly love about him is his ability to pray and actually talk to God. I love the opportunities that I have to share prayers in the Jenkins household for this reason. Nic has a way of making a blessing on the food sound real, personal, and so sincere. Hearing him pray always makes me evaluate and change the way that I pray.
My newest nephew (if you don't count Ruger) was given a name and a blessing today. I was really looking forward to this as I had missed Sam's blessing while I was on my mission. I love my nephew, Mark Emmitt Clay to pieces, and knowing that my awesome bro-in-law with his amazing gift to pray and speak to Father made it even more better. Unfortunately, due to some technical issues only the people on the first couple of rows of the chapel got to hear the blessing. I laughed as I realized that I have not heard either of my nephew's blessings (but hey, it keeps it fair!) but it's ok because the important part is that Mark Emmitt Clay was given a blessing, and I know that it was great because it came from Nic. I am so grateful that Nic is a part of our family!

Majesty

Day 5- I love to see the temple, and I am so thankful for it! On my mission we watched a lot of Church movies-they are the best! One of my favorites is "Mountain of the Lord." It wasn't until I was in Clanton, AL and watching that movie that I came to appreciate the majesty and beauty of the Salt Lake City temple. So much time, sacrifice, blood, sweat, and many tears went into the building of this beautiful temple, and I am so grateful for it all! As I walked around Temple Square and over to the temple (I like to take the scenic route!) I could feel the cold air all around me, and as I breathed it in I got a thrill and felt like a giddy schoolgirl! I was about to walk into the temple, and there is no greater feeling in the world than knowing that you are walking into a house of the Lord, that you are worthy to do so, and that He wants you there. I love the spirit of the temple. I am so thankful to all who worked so hard to build it, and for all who keep it running today. I got a picture while I was there, so I'll post it tomorrow!

Days 3 & 4

Day 3- I am so thankful for the institute program that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Days Saints offers its young adults. Institute is a safe-haven where I get a chance to delve deeper into the gospel and hear other thoughts besides my own! Some of my best memories come from institute buildings!

Day 4- I am thankful for perfect timing. Tonight as I got in my car to leave a friend's house I discovered that it was snowing. Big, beautiful, sticky flakes were coming down and had already coated my car. I was a little upset by this arrival, but when I got in my car my attitude changed. I flipped the station to FM 106.5 to see what Christmas music they had going, and right at that moment "Winter Wonderland" started to play. It's one of my all-time favorite Christmas songs, and it so perfectly fit the moment! Although there weren't any sleigh bells ringing as I drove I still got to enjoy my own winter wonderland! So thankful for that timing!

THANKSgiving

'Tis the season...to be thankful. That's right, THANKSgiving is right around the corner, and on fb I have noticed that a lot of people are doing a countdown to the big day by listing things that they are thankful for. Thus, you are getting a new post. I am going to make a goal to give you one thankful post everyday for the rest of the month! Won't that be a change!
Since I'm behind one day I have to play catchup, so...
Day 1-I am thankful for warm coats. I woke up to snow flurries, and as the morning progressed it started to stick. Since my mission I don't deal with the cold as well, so I was especially thankful to have a nice warm coat to protect me from the elements! Actually, I am thankful for all protective clothing!

Day 2-There are so many things to choose from today...but I want to say a BIG thank you to my cohort groupies, Teresa and Vivian. They are such a good sounding board when I need ideas, they help me with things that I don't understand, and they listen when I just need to talk. It's so nice to talk to people in your same field of work because they really understand what you're saying. They know exactly where I'm coming from, and they don't mind the tears I shed as I come to realize how hard it is to love what you do so much. So THANK YOU to them!

Stay tuned for more THANKSgiving!

Leap of Faith

As I was looking at my blog the other day I noticed two things: 1)I'm not very good at keeping up with things, and 2) I haven't written about some of my "Only in Amanda's world" kind of experiences. Oops! So here's to working on that!
First, let's get cozy and catch up with one another! I am officially pursuing my degree in Special Education through Utah State University-Tooele Campus. We are in our third semester of classes, and I am loving it! I've learned so much about what it takes to be a teacher, and I'm more and more sure everyday that this is absolutely that path that I am supposed to be on. I love working with children who have special needs-it is so rewarding for me! Over the summer I was required to complete a practicum, which means that I "volunteered" my time for 6 weeks and kept teacher hours. This meant that I had to quit my job. Ouch, right? Actually, no! It was a huge leap of faith, but I knew that I was doing what the Lord wanted me to do, and thus He would take care of me and provide the means for me to get through. And so I went forward with faith, quite my job, spent time pretending to be a teacher, and even squeezed in an extra trip to Alabama in the middle of it all! Guess what-it all worked out!
My practicum taught me so much! I spent the first three weeks in a 1st grade class and had the time of my life! My cooperating teacher was so amazing and helped me start "files" of activities and work for my future students. She taught me how to love students and always see the best in them. She believes in her students so much, and they can feel that. It is vital to believe in your students and their ability not only to learn, but also to make good behavioral choices, and to succeed in all things. I will never forget the lessons I learned from her! The next three weeks I spent in the 3rd grade-another amazing experience, and for completely different reasons. I didn't love my cooperating teacher's classroom management, but I still learned so much. She taught me what it's really like to be a teacher. She was great to let me teach the class-from planning the lesson, teaching, and following up. There were times that I had no idea what I was doing, or I could tell that the kids weren't getting it, and even a time or two when I had no idea what to do. She never let me fall, and was always there to help in those moments. We shed many tears together, and I grew so much as a teacher. Being a teacher isn't easy-something that I've always known, but now I understand. Such great experiences-I wouldn't trade this summer for any thing in the world-even an income. :)
Remember how I said that things worked out? Well they did, and it was one of those "Only in Amanda's World" moments. I was unemployed, but not too worried (yet) because it gave me time to stay with my sister who was expecting her second baby. During this stage of unemployment the ladies in my group from school told me that there were openings for paras in the school district and that I should apply. This was something that I had wanted to do, but figured that because of timing it would be next year before it would work out. I applied, used my group as my references, and waited. As I was chillin with the Turkey (nephew 1) waiting for little Arliss (nephew 2) to be born (literally-my sister was in labor at the hospital and Turkey and I were anxiously waiting at the house) I got a call asking if I could come in for an interview the next day. It was a little crazy and required a parking lot switch-off of the Turkey with Felicia (my new sis in law!) but I made the interview. They told me that they would let me know by Friday if I had a job, and this was Wednesday. Friday came and went with no word. On Monday morning I got a call asking if I was interested in a job starting the next day. Wow! I took it, and I now work as a paraeducator at an elementary school 20 minutes from my house. Life is good. I start work at 9 am (wonderful!) instead of 6 am with my last job, the commute is 20 minutes vs. 40 with the other job, and I get to hang out with kids all day and do what I love and what I'm meant to do.
Through all of this I can really see the hand of the Lord in my life. None of this could have worked out without him. It has all worked out even better than I could have imagined, and that it thanks to the Man who knows what I need so much better than I do. He is molding me into the person He wants me to be, and I am grateful to bend, shape, and sometimes even break to become what I know will be the best me.
Proverbs 3:5-6

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Oh, and that new nephew of mine-he is wonderful. Truly a miracle, but that is a story for another day. For now here's a picture.