One year

One year can make a real difference. One year ago today, President GW Bush left office. I never fully agreed with each and everything thing he did, but he DID keep my family safe. His love for our country cannot be disputed. His resolve was unbending. I want to thank him for never giving in, never giving up and never forgetting why. As he and Laura flew over Washington one last time, a feeling of dread fell over me. I felt less safe. I could feel the "change" in the air.

One year later my fellow citizens have said enough is enough. The federal government has tried to take over our country. The people who we sent to represent us have forgotten who they work for. Power hungry men and women have abandoned the very foundational principles of our country. Last night, the people of Massachusetts said no more as they elected Scott Brown. In my lifetime there has never been a republican senator from the blue state of Massachusetts. The super majority is over. That's the hope I can believe in.

I Am Mommy

Change in life is hard. Sometimes scary. Sometimes exciting. I feel the change that is coming is more exciting than anything. I've made the decision that my retail career is over. Pages may be moving on, but I'm not going with it. My role as Mommy is the most important thing in the world! When my 10 year old is begging me to stay home and not leave to go to work, I have to listen. When my 7 year old is telling me how much she loves spending more time with me because I'm not at work, I have to listen. Even if a teaching position doesn't come available, I am doing the thing I was born to do. I am Mommy.

Hello 2010

Welcome to 2010! I've been waiting for this for a long time. I love new beginnings! I say bring on the new decade and let's see what happens! We give each year a theme. 2009 was the "Year of Mercy." I do not recommend this theme if you are a parent because the kids will use this to get out of trouble. 2010 will be known in the Wierenga household as "The Year of Peace and Tranquility" My plan is to have this work when they are arguing or in the case of general disobedience. I'll pull the "this year's theme" card and see if it works. They used it last year so I'm just following suit.

I used to not make New Year's Resolutions but I got thinking a few years ago that if I never have any goals I have nothing to work towards. I now make a New Year Goal List.

1. Be more organized
2. Better time management
3. Read the Bible more
4. Get more sleep
5. Drink water
6. Cut down on Diet Coke (this one might kill me)
7. Be a better friend
8. Be timely with Thank You's
9. Save $ at the grocery
10. Blog more regularly

So there you have it. Keep me accountable (but be nice).

Random Thoughts

Here are my random thoughts for my first day of unemployment:

Should I get dressed?
Is it okay to eat cake for breakfast?
Wonder what Uncle Harry is doing and does he know I drank my noni juice today?
I should go back to school, call Alice about this one.
I need to get my concealed weapon permit and then learn how to handle and shoot a handgun.
Probably should get dressed.
Diet Coke for breakfast instead of cake.
How can I unseat Pat Bauer?
Thank the Lord for all my blessings. I will bless Your name in the desert.
Wonder what preschool I'll end up at? Looking forward to it!
Is it too early to put up Christmas decorations?
Okay, I'll get dressed. maybe even eat something healthy with my Diet Coke, like chocolate.

New Chapter

I really cannot believe that as of tomorrow at 1:00pm I will be unemployed. I am not only losing the job I love, but I am losing my second family. We are a band of sisters who have been through births, deaths, marriages that struggled to hold on and ones that couldn't. We've carried each other when we couldn't go on. We've fought, laughed and cried together. I love them.

This has been a very hard 6 weeks. But I am looking forward to the next phase of my life. I can't wait to taste the grapes as my manna is disappearing. The silver lining is that I hope to have the opportunity to do the thing I was created to do. I love teaching. I love seeing those little eyes light up when they've done something they thought they couldn't. Being a teacher comes as easy to me as breathing. I'm praying that the right teaching job will come at the perfect time.

Tomorrow afternoon I step out into the unknown, the uncomfortable, the uncertain. As we lock the doors for the last time, I will look back with unimaginable sadness but with a knowing that God has something amazing in store for me. I believe that. I revel in my unshakable faith that something great is about to happen in my life. It's been brewing for a year in my soul. Can't wait!

Bravery Defined

My dearest friend Alice saved my life from a baby tarantula tonight. I know, I'm as shocked as you are to find out that Northwest Indiana is full of trantulas, but it had to be. It was the BIGGEST spider I have ever seen! As we were leaving work she threw herself between me and the frightful beast so I wouldn't be attacked. She shielded me from its venomous bite by spraying it with deadly poisonous carpet cleaner. Not only did it not die, it walked away leaving a trail of poison behind. It slowed down and she was sure it was dead so, being the brave friend that she is, she poked it with a stick. She flipped it on its back but it wasn't dead and it flipped back over and started to walk away again! She decided not to play any more games and grabbed the Windex. Everyone knows that Windex to a spider is like sunshine to a vampire (which in fact spiders and vampires are very much alike because they both want to kill people). I ran for my car and locked the doors. I have never seen a truer display of bravery in all my life. I love Alice Merrill.

Senate Fail

While our great Republic is imploding, the US Senate has decided to create a committee to discuss the dangers NFL players take when they plow into each other's heads. Mind you that these aforementioned, willing adults, are well compensated for the deliberate agreed upon head butting behavior. Our nation is in a financial crisis, the president wants to socialize anything he can get his hands on, our free speech is being stripped away on a daily basis and these "leaders" (I use that term loosely) of the US decide to spend their time and waste my money drilling NFL players, coaches and the commissioner about head traumas. Wonder how many of the senators played in college?