Snow Day!

So far Jefferson County has had five snow days!! We are now down to finishing the school year on June 3rd. In all honesty though, I LOVE snow days and I'll take as many as we can get :D I'll teach until the middle of June if needed! Here are some fun photos I captured of our day. [We went over to Asa's parents house for blueberry pancakes and coffee, and enjoyed time with most of the siblings!] Here are some fantastic photos of Arie Rikku, our 3 year old niece!  

Here is the other Glass's new pup: A goldendoodle named Eliot! He is 11 weeks old and absolutely WONDERFUL! 

3 Day Weekend

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day which allowed for yet another day off school and teaching! So I did the usual: drank coffee, stayed in pajamas literally all day, and ran my dogs at the park to wear them out all the while to attempt to get more photos. It was a great day. Three days off of work and selfishly, I would love to have more, but I am ready to get back to the fourth graders tomorrow and to hammer out this four day work week! :) To God be the Glory!! 

A Brand New Year. Welcome, 2011!

A brand new year! I am so excited! We are part of a new church, the Avenue, where God has enriched our souls greatly! This summer we are going to try to do a mission to either Haiti or Romania (I would DIE to go to Romania....EUROPE has always been a goal of mine to see and experience, and it would be SO fantastic if I could be there doing missions while I experience it!!!) 
Some other recent updates are:  I'll be finishing 15 hours of my grad school in a couple of months, Asa has a teaching job with a teaching salary, I'm substitute teaching full time for 8 weeks at Dixie Elementary, teaching 4th grade for a teacher on maternity leave--and from there I go to Peace Academy, a state Psych school where my wonderful sis-in-law also teaches, and I'll be finishing up my year teaching middle school English. I pray that it will possibly lead to me getting HIRED as a teacher there at Peace, as I love the school, the kids, the principle, everything! And I would LOVE to work with Jana. I submitted some of my dog photos to TF Publishing, who e-mailed me saying they would love to use them for their 2012 Dog-A-Day calendar and 2012 desktop calendars as well. I won't get reimbursement for them, but it WILL count as a publication and I am thrilled about that. One of my biggest goals for 2011 was "to get published," and 6 days in to the new year, that happened! I hope to get better at my pet photography, get more subjects to shoot, and to also be published in Brown Trout calendars, as they are another huge publishing company. Below are some photos of my Golden, Elsa, who always sits so patiently as I take her picture! I love my Golden Girl! Happy 2011, Everyone! May this be a blessed and eventful year! 

November?

So basically I just should no longer have a blog... I am terrible at keeping up with it and I'm starting to think it's just pretty lame anyway. It's almost Thanksgiving, and Christmas as well as my 2 year wedding anniversary is quickly approaching! How is that even possible? That we've been married TWO years??? Wow! I thought weeks and months flew by! So does YEARS! 

I can't wait to go home to Michigan December 18th and be with my FAMILY for an entire WEEK! It has been FOREVER!! I hope there is tons and tons and tons of snow! A blizzard every single day! I would be in Heaven. I'm also excited because Sean and Beth will be there too at that exact time so the Rogers family of 5 will finally ALL BE TOGETHER! Woo hoo!!!!!!!! :) 

Asa and I are staying the night in the bed and breakfast where we enjoyed our honeymoon and are even staying in the same suite! I am so so so excited! Jacuzzi baths, a DELICIOUS breakfast brought to us by Pat, the innkeeper, and strolling the streets of downtown Holland, MI. LOVE this! 

I am quitting my job here at Kosair and my last day is December 10th. At that point I will have worked here just shy of 9 months.... again, time flies! I will lose my benefits and our health insurance, but we are going to try really hard to buy our own private insurance which shouldn't be a problem. I will be the long term sub at Dixie Elementary for a teacher who will be out on maternity leave; this is where Asa is the preferred sub and where he teaches every day. It will be SO FUN to go to work with him 5 days a week for 6+ weeks! I LOVE that school, I love the kids, the teachers, and I LOVE working with Ace. 

I am so ready to be done forever with 12 hour shifts and the business that the hospital environment brings. I am SO SO grateful to God for his grace and mercy for showing me that nursing was NOT the field I desired after all! I can't fathom if I had enrolled in nursing school at this point... 

By mid December I will have completed 9 hours of grad school in my MAT in Special Education :) I am enjoying it so far and I can't wait to have my own classroom. We are still seeking God's will as we both wait for contracts. . . 

We have started attending a brand new church, called the Avenue. It is such a gift from God! I mean... every single service it's like I FEEL Jesus in the room with us. I can feel his warmth and love just spreading all around us! Ben Hardman is the pastor; he is a husband to Sarah and a father to three adorable kids! He is one of the best speaker's I have ever listened to. There are a LOT of young married couples in the church and we have become friends with so many! The church is just now 7 weeks old and it is incredible... One of my newest and closest friend's, Allyson Harper, is amazing :) She is such a blessing in my life!! And it's been AMAZING to grow closer to Susannah Gilbert, an old Glass family friend who is 23, and one of the most incredible, Godly, loving woman I know! 

This summer Asa and I are going to try to go on a mission trip with Allyson and her family to Romania on a vision clinic mission trip for 14 days. We will have to raise ~$8,000 though, so we need to send out fundraising letters ASAP. I am dying to leave the country with Ace, especially before we have children (which God willing, may never happen but who knows what He has in store so I won't say "never....") My heart is soooo outside of America and soooo is interested in any other country.... I know that may sound terrible because America has our own poverty, despair, sadness and an abundance of non-believers... but my heart longs to travel and see the world! So I am praying God's will through this hope of mine...

Those are pretty much the biggest updates for now. I am excited for December 10th and to substitute teach the next 5 days after that and then after THAT, to hit the road home to Michigan with our PUPS! WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!! 

I am forever grateful to my Savior for the plentiful blessings he keeps providing us with! 

Hello October!

October has arrived and it is finally fall. I cannot believe tomorrow will be October 3, 2010 and my Elsa will be 3 years old. It is her "Golden" birthday and she is a GOLDEN. So very sweet. To be honest, Asa and I completely forgot and it was he who remembered tonight after a very busy, long afternoon at our friends' wedding. I felt so terrible that I had forgotten. My pet's birthdays are very important to me and we always have celebrated with animal friendly cakes or cupcakes and of course gifts--and my mom in  Michigan always sends care packages! A little late now, but we are hoping to celebrate some tomorrow evening and maybe Monday get her a special tasty treat at Three Dog Bakery.
September was a difficult month. I had several severe illnesses right off the bat: first, strep throat, second, a severe sinus infection and lastly, I was sick for 7 days straight with a 102 fever, body aches, chills, sore throat, cough and breathing issues. The last illness turned out to be severe tonsillitis that pretty much spread to my lungs, resulting in significant respiratory problems! I don't ever remember a time that I was as sick as that and I pray to God I never am again!

I still am at Kosair and really not enjoying it... the 12 hour days are getting harder and harder on me and my body and I hate how raggedly run I am at that job. I also have been substitute teaching one or two days in between Kosair and for the most part have really enjoyed it (except when I get stuck at a terrible school with completely disrespectful kids! The 30+ classrooms are SO hard for me, as I really do not enjoy having and teaching that many kids! Hence why I am going into special ed!)

Currently, Asa and I are on a four day break together which hasn't happened in a LONG time, and it has been wonderful! September 30 we had Arie stay the night which was pure joy, the next day we had a marvelous brunch that we hosted to kick off the St. James Art Fair and all our family and a couple other friends joined us. Today we went to a wedding and Arie is over spending the night again. It's been the first time in my life that I was able to say to Asa, "I want an Arie." Having her in our household is one of the biggest blessings I could ever ask or hope for. I am so blessed to be her aunt and I know Asa adores being her uncle. Today at the wedding she was asked, "Who is your favorite person?" And she SCREAMED, "ASHLEY!!!!!!!!" It touched my heart beyond belief. She loves coming over and she always laughs constantly when she is here. We take baths together (she and I), eat yummy food, watch funny shows such as "D-d-d-d-ORA" (as Arie likes to sing,) and just giggle and talk together. I realize that in order to "have an Arie" we would have to have an infant first... which I am not really looking forward to someday, but when I know the end result is something as great and perfect as she... it has been the first time probably in my LIFE that I have been able to say, "I want one SOMEDAY." So that's a HUGE step for me and very new. I know that when she leaves and my busy hectic life starts back up, I will NOT admit to wanting my own child, so I'll just enjoy it while it lasts, ha ha. Noah and Jana are also such amazing, wonderful parents.. that I know without them, she would not be the little girl that she is; which makes me even more grateful for them and who they are.

Asa's birthday is approaching, October16, Sean's (my brother) is October 13 and Asa's mom, my mama in law, is October 27th. October should be a wonderful month!
Lots of birthdays, events, and fun planned that will of course be documented :D

August Keeps Gaining Memories!

August 25, 2010 at 10:20pm, Keats Asa Glass was born to Noah and Jana. He was 22 inches long and 8 pounds, 15 ounces! HUGE BABY! Jana did such an incredible job... she too, is one of my biggest heros! She is so beautiful and takes giving birth like a champion! I cannot believe they are now a family of FIVE (that's how big MY family--the Rogers--is!)

The sweet boy had such a bruised face and the umbilical cord was tangled around his neck! He is such a blessing and I cannot wait to hug and squeeze him! It will be so fun that he and Ryvers are only 2 weeks apart! I now have six nieces and nephews and feel so honored to be an Aunt to so many! Do I have baby fever yet? HECK NO! :)
Every day I am grateful to God that I come home to only my husband and our animals... I still can't ever fathom being a Mom! To God be the glory though, forever and ever and I am so thankful for all of his blessings!

"Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs up from the ground, and righteousness looks down from the sky. Yes, the Lord will give what is good." PSALM 85:10,11

August Updates

The days just fly by don't they? 

Asa's sister Sarah had her baby boy August 10 at 8:56 in the evening. He was 8.4lbs and 22 inches long. Ryvers Calloway West is officially here! He is BEAUTIFUL. And Sarah did incredible. I'm not kidding... she was pretty much my hero. She moaned and groaned as any woman would in their contractions, but there was a peace about them that was so abnormal... Caleb soothed her so well in the delivery room and she held him tight as she felt each contraction. Soon it was time for Ryvers to enter the world and leave his mama's womb so Jana and I left and the Mother's stayed. She pushed a while and finally I couldn't take it any longer so at the very end, a nurse snuck me in behind the curtain and I was blessed to watch Ryvers make his grand entrance! I wanted to scream! Dark blonde (or maybe brown...) curly hair and a big ol' healthy body! Ten fingers, ten toes, one big bundle of beautiful-ness! It is so fun watching Sarah as a mommy now and will be such a blessing to watch them all as a family! 

Secondly, Jana will be induced August 31 if she doesn't go into labor before then. She is not DUE until September 5. So very soon, I will have to add Keats Asa Glass' photo into this "August Updates" blog! She is doing very well! And I will get the privilege and honor of being in the delivery room for his birth as well! [After I finish the GRE exam that day....DREADING that part of August 31!!!!] 

Asa and I are still begging God for contract teaching salary jobs in special education... we are waiting patiently but anxiously for Him to lead us. 

I will be substitute teaching again WHILE working at the hospital as well whenever I can get subbing jobs, in hopes to meet a principal who needs an ECE teacher! We shall see! 

More to come in August I'm sure, though I can't believe it's already almost over! ! !