"Go Fish, not Gold Fish"

If I haven't told you much about my class this year, they are a complete handful and a complete blast all at the same moment.  I know they tell you that you will never forget your first class and that is totally true...they totally have my heart :)  Now that it's getting to the end of a semester, I have loved how they are starting to become more independent (praise the Lord) and starting to discover their wonderful personalities.  I am starting to be able to be myself around them now, and have more fun in the classroom without loosing control! I am also starting to learn how to balance my time and how to use my time in a productive manner!

While teaching my tutoring kids yesterday we starting playing "GO FISH: MAKING TEN."  You play it the regular way, except instead of trying to make a match, you are trying to make ten.  So if I have a 9, I would say so and so do you have a 1.  Their response was "Gold Fish!"  After correcting them time and time again, we decided to just call it gold fish instead of go fish...I'm pretty sure the language barrier didn't help at all either for this particular child :)

Little show of our precious Christmas tree!

Also if you don't know about one little special boy in my class, let me tell you about him!  In a nutshell, the second day of school he was throwing chairs and tables because of his anger, he has battled this anger all year long in how to control it, he has a not so ideal home life, and truly desires to be loved.  The biggest lesson I learned so far this year, after feeling VERY overwhelmed by him in the beginning, was my kids need relationships.  I may not have the "smartest" class, but I know my kids, they know I love them, they know I'm here for them.  That is especially true with my "loco" boy. I have such a deep relationship with him, I truly believe he finally feels peace when he comes in the room. THIS is the gospel and how it is lived out.  Not me, but God taking heart of what's his, his children and wrapping them in love.  I have seen his heart soften and know that he is experiences God's loved through relationships he has built in our class.  My prayer is that he would continue to learn about the characteristics of Christ and that he would begin to love Jesus.

Here's a few of the "Favorite December Tree" that they were asked to decorate at home and bring to school. They could decorate them with anything around the house such as beans, macaroni, etc. :)

Oh little pumpkins :) (yes those are half eaten skittles and gumdrops)

Well Sean and I spent the better have of the night (yes the night before his OSCE) looking up places to live when we go to residency.  We looked up places in Dallas, Fort Worth, Temple, Houston, and his personal favorite Denver.  Lets just say we soon became ok with spending $2000 a month to get a sweet luxury apartment....well maybe one of us was ok with it :)  We keep discussing all the possible avenues that our lives could take over the next few years, and like I said I'm so glad we're not having to plan it out.  We know God is in control and already has a place prepared...what unbelievable peace!

Change

Change

This year has been a year of change to say the least.  A surprising move to Amarillo, Sean and I having "big people" jobs, new community, new desires, new friends, new challenges, new praises. Jeremiah 29:11 started to become something that I truly didn't have faith in. Plans of a future and a hope? Really? In a time and place where I feel lonely and stagnant?  I saw different reasons for God's divine purpose of us being in Amarillo, but selfishly didn't like the transition.  I saw that an amazing church plant was happening, but selfishly missed Redeemer.  I saw why Sean was placed with the individuals he was placed with for his rotation group, but felt jealous of there time. I saw why I was blessed with a job, but felt exhausted and warn out by lunch time.

This past semester has been one of change....yes to say the least....but of unbelievable growth.  God is a God who is purposeful and efficient. In Lubbock he blessed us with a community of believers that challenged us as individuals and in our marriage.  He taught us in a very short time how much Sean and I needed that in order to be more like Christ.  Because he prepared us and taught us about how beautiful he is, this whole Amarillo move  should have allowed us to know him deeper and make him known.  Instead we have failed miserably.  

I realized the other day, so much of my feelings this semester have been emotionally driven, or flesh driven.  Instead of living out the gospel and allowing Christ to redeem me, I decided how the day went with how I felt.  Those are common words for a girl...."how I felt."  However, what I realized was that of course earthly things will pass and let me down.  Christ, however, is eternal joy that I can praise everyday.  How I felt is from my flesh.  Yes, how you feel is how you feel, but why? and what will you do with it? is the next step.  

Praise the Lord for a merciful God who loves and desires us to love him. "...be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."  Be transformed by the renewal of your mind.  Allow Christ to make new my mind, my thinking, my perception, that it may be aligned with his perfect will.

Ps here's a little snip it of what Sean was doing during this word vomit :)  Hullabaloo for 5 more days until surgery rotation is over! 

Can you tell I like playing with my new snazzy iphone4s camera!  More pictures to come :)

Bloggaholic

Even though I may be the world's worst blogger, I am defiantly not absent from the blogging world.  Thanks to Pinterst, being a teacher, being a wife, and having the itch to nest in our house, blogs have become quite an obsession.  Therefore my early New Year's resolution is to blog more!


I started this blog because after Sean and I got married, we wanted a way to keep in touch with all of our close friends and family.  Lord knows I have dropped the ball on that, but I still desire to update everybody with our oh so exciting and changing lives out here in Amarillo.


Even though I wouldn't say we live in the more booming and hip city every, there are LOTS of exciting things that are happening in the Townsend world.

1. Sean is in his 3rd year of medical school with residency right around the corner.  There is so much to consider and so many options that will lay the foundation of our future.  Every time we start talking about it, I know God is saying, "I already have it planned out for you."  Such overwhelming peace to know that!

2. I have my first teaching job, teaching 2nd grade and I am "loving" it.  Yes, ok I really do love it.  People keep telling me, "It gets easier after your first year!"  I just have to trust that :)  I have 16 precious little babies that I adore.  They have taught me SO very much about life and keep me laughing (yes sometimes crying to) all the time.  More stories/projects/ideas/pictures to come!


My favorite quote so far came from a very witty little boy.  We were learning how to write letters and he decided to write one to favorite teacher....me :)  He said, "Mrs. Townsend, can you tell me how to spell taught.  Not tater tot, like you taught me something."  How precious is he!

3.  We are apart of the first Acts 29 church plan in Amarillo!  Our good friends David and Kate (who should be having their first little baby any second) followed God's calling in starting a gospel centered church in a "church on every corner" type of city.  Already we have been challenged and seen the gospel being shared.  God was amazing in how he worked everything out!  Again, more to come!

Those are some big ones.  I do promise, more to come! 

Dr. Sean Townsend....almost

This is BASICALLY what I got to wake up to this morning...yes I'm going to brag all about my awesome husband :)  Sean has officially started 3rd year which means he gets to be in the hospital and clinic a majority of the time.  For his first round he is the in nursery...awwwww!  Yesterday was his first day and he said he loved it, not enough to do that for a career, but loved it.  He's teaching me all about the lingo and different positions....totally Grey's Anatomy (without all the cheating, sex, etc). This morning he had to be there at 6:30 am!  When he woke me up to tell me bye he had his precious little scrubs on, white coat, and his stethoscope around his neck!  He's pretty much the best looking guy I know :)

Be praying he does his work for the kingdom and is protected from temptation to be successful by the world's standards.  Pray that he has energy and that his passion only increases!

Anniversary Celebrations & My Little/BIG Projects

Anniversary Celebrations


I THINK I already blogged about this but I can't remember :)  Here are some pictures from our wonderful ONE year anniversary....happiest year of my life!

The "top" of our wedding cake...kinda :)  We forgot to order one
so our fabulous Mom & Dad got us a look alike!  They are so sweet and it's DELICIOUS!

Yes ladies and gentlemen we had rack of lamb for our anniversary!
It was incredible and Sean cooked it perfectly.
I did however decide I just can't eat lamb...they are so helpless!

Our wonderful anniversary dinner...we were very excited about the wine!

And Sean got me beautiful flowers :)

Don't judge our no decorations...hey we just moved in!

My Little Projects

I'm not only addicted to Pinterest, I'm actually trying to do some of the things instead of just wishing my home looked like it.  Ok, so I just started my crafts today but that is something!  Also, since we have no money (haha) I've become quite thrifty along with some other fabulous young friends.  I'm a thrifty chick/french farmhouse/modern rustic blog wanna be :)

Before...ugly vase with a roach in it!

After...chic and lovely!

Memories jar

What's for dinner dry erase marker board!...super easy to make and I think pretty cute!

Garage sale....$2

After...cute entry way table decor

with the "We do" sayings 

The Big One......

Before...Sean's dresser from childhood

After...cottage white with a sea kelp green top

hopefully antique looking

For our first project it's not too bad!  Still collecting knobs at

Hobby Lobby on sale :)

Things about Amarillo

Here are some things we have learned about Amarillo since we have been here :)

• Everywhere....I mean EVERYWHERE is closed on Sundays!
• There are way more cute little boutiques than I thought.
• It's dry as a bone out here....although it has stormed twice since we've been here.
• Our neighborhood is apparently full of cats.....which we know how I feel about that!
• The historic district (about a block from our house) is gorgeous with the most delightful old houses, huge trees, and perfect lawns.
• There are lots of bikers in this town.
• There is no DSW, Chipotle, or Fuzzy's which is just sad!
• There IS the largest Hobby Lobby I've ever been in, a very cool downtown area, and lots of parks!
• There is a ZOO!
• It's full of cowboys...real cowboys.
• It smells like cow poop a majority of the time....yes worse than Lubbock haha

More adventures of West Texas coming soon :)

Sean and I's ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY was the other day, and I can't believe it still.  We are a wonderful day looking at wedding pictures, notes from friends and family, and just reflecting on how this past year went.  We both decided that we had the best first year ever and are incredibly bless to have each other.  Sean is defiantly one of a kind that balances me out and brings me so much joy.  One year in and I can't imagine my life without him :)

We did get some good laughs about how we have changed in our relationship and individually!  He told me that he thinks he knows exactly how I would act in any situation, which is probably true.  I also learned that Sean loved Spice Girls when he was younger....guess that's what they mean when they say you learn new things about your spouse everyday!  He truly is my other half and I'm so blessed to have him as my husband :)

I'm dying to post pictures of our little cottage home up in Amarillo, but I have to wait for my interior decorator, Jennifer Lipman, to come and help!  She has ALWAYS decorated my living spaces for me whether it's half a dorm room, a tiny tiled room in a house, our first apartment, and now she's coming for our cottage home.  I truly couldn't do it without her, and I have a feeling we will be on pinterest all day getting ideas for diy projects and different ideas.  I still think she should open up her own store and decorate for a living!

Speaking of DIY projects....I am taking on my first HUGE furniture project!  Sean and I are redoing his old dresser for our bedroom.  I tend to get pretty ambitious in my projects, so hopefully this one turns on ok!  I'll post pictures hopefully tomorrow with the finished product!

Here are so pictures I've been meaning to post:

Dessert date with mom and dad

Crackle Barrel dessert.... delicious!

dream door knobs from our hotel in Galveston

Our last meal in our first apartment :(

Sean insist I put this on our blog :)  One of the most hilarious pictures of all time!