Back to School!

Wow...talk about a busy day! I got to school this morning before 7 am and children started arriving shortly after. I thought the first day was hectic at RGS but that was easy compared to Encino Park where they have a thousand students pre-K through fifth grade! Actually, it went very smoothly for as many people as there were...I was directing children and parents to their classrooms (difficult when I haven't figured out the layout myself!), but by 7:45 everyone was in their places. They had something called "Kleenex and Koffee" set up in the library for parents who had difficulty with the separation on the first day...I was very impressed! My schedule started at 8:30 and other than lunch, I went non-stop all day. I spent 30 minutes in eight different classrooms they have set up on a three week rotation. At the end of six weeks, I will have been in each classroom twice a week. I took in my favorite grade level book to each classroom along with a game to get to know the children...it was very successful and we had lots of fun! Being with the older kids was interesting...I described my Reading Fairy costume to them and they begged me to wear it sometime. I guess there are some things we never outgrow!

Teaching Sunday School

This morning was my second day teaching kindergarten at Oak Hills Church and I enjoyed being with the kids so much! There were about twenty kindergarteners in my class this morning, and they were so excited because tomorrow is the first day of school in San Antonio. They seem like such babies right now, but by springtime they'll be used to the routine and then they'll seem like big kids!

Tomorrow is my first day teaching at Encino Park Elementary School. This last week was my district orientation, and then three days at the school where we had so many meetings I had trouble getting everything ready for the first day of school. I'm going to be called the "Enrichment Teacher" and I'll take my lessons to each classroom twice a week. I'll be seeing kinder (that's what they call kindergarten!) through fifth grade. I start my routine the very first morning and then have five minutes beween classes. This school is huge with a thousand students, so pray that I don't get lost! The very first day I'm going into Kinder and First as "The Reading Fairy", so I had a fun time explaining that to the teachers! (They actually loved the idea though...Thanks Terri!) I'm excited about being in a new school, although I'm really going to miss RGS!

My house!

Well, this is what I've been waiting for to publish my next post! For the last month, we've been remodeling our entire house. When we bought it, there were several things we wanted to change and now we're almost finished. The first major change was the kitchen. We put in new countertops, new lighting, a new sink and new appliances.














On the left side of the laundry room is a huge pantry. I'm standing in the kitchen to take the picture here.





There weren't many changes in the entry other that lighting and of course furnishings. I'm really liking the way it looks! The master bath is due to be finished soon, so those pictures will be coming next week!

New Job!

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted any news, but we're in the process of remodeling and there really hasn't been any new news for a while. Well...today there is! Although I filled out applications a couple of weeks ago, I hadn't heard a word from anything that looked promising. I was beginning to wonder what I would do with myself when we finished with the house...I mean, you can only do so much shopping! This morning the calls started coming in. I guess this is the first week back for most administrators in the Northeast School District. My first appointment was at the school only one mile from our house, and I loved both the school and the Principal and Vice Principal. I enjoyed interviewing with them but it sounded as if the only openings were for Special Ed and although I wouldn't mind working with a special needs student, I think I would get bored after a short time (plus they told me all their aides had to do lunch duty). I was honest and told them what I was really looking for was an opportunity to work with a variety of students and teachers, much as I was doing at RGS. I left feeling like it wasn't going to work out. On my way to my next interview, they called on my cell phone and said they loved me and wanted to work something out...not to take another position without talking to them. I had other interviews, one in which when I started to leave offered me a perfect sounding position and wanted me to take it on the spot...I told her I had to pray about it. Anyway, when I got home, there were several messages from the first school so I called her back and they had created a perfect position for me...and I don't even have to do lunch duty! I'll be seeing kindergarten through 5th grade students and I get to come up with activities to support their classroom needs. I couldn't have planned it better myself...that is truly answered prayer!

Lost???

When we moved to Texas, we had to change EVERYTHING, including our e-mail! I still haven't been able to locate my address file amoung other things, but I'm aware that not everyone got our new address and phone. So I thought I would let you know that my new e-mail address is mrschips78@gmail.com so that at least you could get a hold of me that way. I've tried to send numerous messages to old friends and they come back returned for some reason. Oh well...in this computer age we live in, it's hard to keep up with the technology!

Looking Ahead

Well, it's been another great Sunday...my favorite day of the week! Our life group tonight was wonderful and I'm starting to feel like part of the family. One thing was hard though...everyone was talking about things they had done this week with their grandchildren (we're the youngest by at least a few years), and it made me REALLY miss my kids and Lydia. At least I had brought my Bible and stuff in the new bag Shannon and Josh gave me for my birthday, so I got to share the picture of Lydia and me that's on the front...that was fun! Anyway, today I also went ahead and made the flight arrangements for my trip back to visit Illinois. I will arrive on Friday, September 28, in the afternoon and get to spend ten days visiting my family and friends back home. I'm looking forward to enjoying the fall season while I'm there since it will still be hot here, I think. We also are planning on both of us coming back over Christmas, so I've also got those dates to look forward to. I'm still not sure what I'm going to be doing "job wise", so I hope I can work around those dates. Oh well, it's in God's Hands now!

Wow...it has been an AWESOME week. I had been struggling with not being able to be at Hope's Vacation Bible School for some time and last week I spent time praying each day for everyone involved in Illinois, but it wasn't until I called my new church to ask about ways to volunteer that God began showing me that He can use my gifts wherever I am! I've only been at Oak Hills Church for three weeks so I wasn't sure just how I would feel about serving there. I told them I would work wherever they needed me and I ended up leading my own group of kids first through fifth grade...I loved it! Bibletime Marketplace took place each evening 5:45 to 9:15 with prayer and set-up on Monday and the concluding program the last night, so we really only had our kids on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I had 12 kids in my group, but there were over 600 kids in all. Because they have it in the evening, they have just as many men as women, so there are plenty of volunteers! The decor was unbelievable and every person there was in a Bibletime costume, even the babies! (Volunteers were sewing costumes at the church for the previous two weeks). In fact they lock the doors and don't allow anyone who isn't in costume in the building from six to nine o'clock. The rabbi was wonderful and even spoke in Hebrew during Synagogue. It made you really feel like you were living in Galilee during the time of Jesus!

Old Friends

Even though we've been in San Antonio less than a month, we've REALLY been missing our Illinois friends. Imagine my surprise when I found out a week ago that Marshall and Julie Newhouse were coming to Texas along with their daughter, Bethany! I was thrilled that they could stay with us for a few days before continuing on their Texas vacation. Even though I was busy preparing for VBS at my new church, we still managed to do some fun things together. Julie helped me plan my set up for my "home in Galilee"...it was nice to have her expert advise! We also went to Central Market where we met Larry for lunch one afternoon and I took them by to see my tent for "Bibletime Marketplace". Since Marshall and Julie are almost always involved in the teaching aspect of Hope's VBS, they were very interested in how Oak Hills presented theirs. We had a nice visit in spite of the rain and I'm wondering if I should go into the Bed and Breakfast business... maybe I could convince more people to visit us down here in Texas!

Joan's visit

This has been a fabulous week, begining when my sister, Joan arrived late Wednesday night! I took time off from setting up house and we spent the last four days exploring San Antonio. In spite of the rainy days, which people tell me is very unusual for this time of year, we were able to see most of what I had hoped. We all went to dinner Thursday night down on the Riverwalk, and then Friday went to Central Market, which is owned by HEB (Larry's new company). It's a huge market that reminds me of a outdoor street fair offering all kinds of fresh prepared foods, along with a grocery store. They have people preparing delicious recipes and handing out samples. Saturday we went to several of the malls during the day and then went to church on Saturday night. Today was my birthday and the sun seemed to come out for the occasion. We started the day at "The Guenther House" restaurant for brunch and then spent the day exploring the downtown areas...it was wonderful! Then tonight we went to the best Mexican restaurant I've ever been to. It was a great birthday!!!

Home Improvements

Sorry I haven't written much in the last couple weeks, but Larry and I have been setting up house and getting ready for company...LOTS to do. We are getting ready to remodel our Master Bath and put in new kitchen counters and a new sink. It should all be finished the third week in August if all goes well.

Update on Colin

I just spoke with my friend Anne, who was very thankful for all the prayers. She said that Colin's tank had been hit and Colin and one other guy had to be pulled from the vehicle during the attack. She felt that God had protected him in what very well could have been a fatality. She had spoken to both Colin and his surgeon and other than some further cosmetic surgeries, he was going to be OK. She also is hoping God becomes more real to him after this horrific experience. It's ashame that it often takes something like this to make us aware that we are not in charge...God is at the control panel!

Prayer for Colin

I just got home from a meeting at church for our Bibletimes Marketplace which takes place next week and there was a message about my good friend Anne Pearcy, saying her son who is a soldier in Iraq, was hit by an IED and wounded. Please pray for Colin Pearcy as he faces surgery on his shoulder, arm and knee. I'll update you when I know more.