Dear March & April

Dear March,

You have been the month from the Devil and I will be glad to see you go. You have brought about much stress and tension, including...

...a sister-in-law in the hospital

...loss of an in-law

...death of a loved one and a loved pet

...water leakage in my house

...plenty of missed trains...some due to cows being run over...causing my husband to be home late

...a plethora of research papers to grade

...almost being in a horrible car accident...causing a scratch on my beloved car

...a scary situation with a student in my classroom

Glad to see you go,

Jocelyn

Dear April,

You are my birthday month; therefore, you are always my favorite month of the year! I am so happy that you will wash the bad taste of March from my mouth with...

...my 30th birthday

...a weekend in SF with some of my favorite people...my bro & sis-in-law

...a limo wine tasting bday party with my girls

...a week in Bodega Bay...with an amazing friend and later some amazing family

...a trip to Portland

...packing my house to move

With much love and anticipation,

Jocelyn

In Loving Memory...

Layton's grandma went home to be with the Lord tonight after a 10 year struggle. She was a beautiful woman and will greatly be missed. Her Christ-like example will live on in her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

In loving memory of Martha Ann Wedgeworth...

...mother

...grandmother

...great grandmother

...grandmother-in-law

...author

...cook

...friend

...godly example

Love you Ann!

Almost 30!!

In 2 weeks from today I turn the B-I-G 3-0!!! In the past few weeks I have had quite a few confidence boosters at work that are making it not so bad to be turning 30. I've been told twice that I dress like a teenager. I was mistaken for a student twice in the hallways. And then the other day a cafeteria worker asked me if I was supposed to have my cell phone out at school becasue he thought I was a senior. I'm sure when I'm 60 I'll enjoy looking 12 years younger than I am :)

About 5 years back a created a list of 30 things that I wanted to do before I turned 30. After awhile I realized that completing my list in 5 short years woudl require me to be a multi-millionaire, so I changed it to a Bucket List. I chip away at about 1 item per year...looks like I'll be working on it until I'm 60!!

Here's my Bucket List. I'll be able to cross off #30 on April 1st!



1. Get back on a bike - Completed
2. Learn how to play Monopoly without the help of Layton - Completed
3. Learn how to crochet - Completed
4. Finish my scrapbook
5. Acquire a taste for tomatoes - Completed
6. Take a cooking class
7. Read "Great Expectations"
8. Read "Les Miserable"
9. Read the entire Bible
10. Take a photograph I can proudly hang on the wall - Completed
11. Volunteer
12. Play Blackjack in a casino
13. Take ballroom dancing lessons
14. Take a painting class and paint something good
15. Learn another language and actually use it
16. Visit Alcatraz
17. Hang-glide in San Fransisco
18. Start an herb garden and keep it alive
19. Go sailing
20. Start writing my book
21. Fly first class
22. Experience the beauty of the Grand Canyon - Completed
23. Live in Chicago (Completed), Boston (Completed), Italy, and Ireland
24. Scuba dive
25. Own a brand new red Lexus is250
26. Go back to Ireland and kiss the Blarney Stone
27. Start taking flying lessons
28. Overcome my fear of moths
29. Start my own organizing company, photography business and interior design business
30. Turn 30 gracefully - Will be completed on April 1st

Healer...

As I sit here trying to grade research papers...I can't focus. I can't focus because my sweet sister-in-law is in a hospital bed in ICU fighting for her life! We sang a song in chapel today that was so perfect and as I sang I replaced the words "my" and "I" with Magen's name.

Dear Lord,

I believe You're Magen's healer. I believe that you're more than enough for her. You will heal all of the disease that is in Magen's body because double pneumonia, sepsis and a collapsed lung are NOTHING to You. Touch her and take away her pain tonight. Help her to rest in your arms.

"Healer" by Hillsong

"You hold my every moment
You calm my raging seas
You walk with me through fire
And heal all my disease

I trust in You
I trust in You

I believe You're my HealerI believe You are all I need
I believe You're my Portion
I believe You're more than enough for me
Jesus You're all I need

Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible for YouYou hold my world in Your hands"

Life...

Once again this week I have been reminded just how short and fleeting life can be. It seems like I have been confronted with this thought quite a few times in the last year. My dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer, something which could have taken his life. My brother-in-law was in a serious motorcylce accident, something which could have taken his life. And now my sister-in-law is in a hospital bed in the ICU fighting against an illness that could take her life.

Life is so short. We do not know when our last day will be on this earth. We need to live life to its fullest and passionately love those around us for we do not know if we will see them again.

I love you Magen and I am trusting in the Lord for complete health and restoration to your body.

Psalm 121:7-8 says, "The Lord will keep you from all harm - He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."

Our new home in the East Bay...

Well...we did it! We found a house yesterday and signed a year lease. It's a tri-level house with 3 bedrooms and 3 1/2 baths. We'll be moving to Hercules, CA, which is in the East Bay. We'll get the keys and start moving stuff in on May 1st. We will officially be living there on June 1st. Here's a photo of the outside and the garage. I'll save photos of the inside until later when I get it decorated. I can't believe this is actually happening!!!

Why worry? It only wastes time!

God taught me a good lesson today...

A few weeks back I wrote a blog about how I was so worried about losing my health insurance at the end of this school year when I was done with my job. I had worried myself sick about having to switch doctors when I had just recently found a great surgeon that got me through a semi-successful surgery a few months back.

Rewind to last week...the company Layton works for was acquired by another company and he informed me that he would be getting new health insurance. I would no longer by switching to Kaiser, but I would be switching to this PPO. Human resources came to his job today to inform them about all of their new health insurance.

Guess what...it just so happens to be a PPO that isn't grouped with any medical group so I can still stay with my surgeon!!

Why did I worry about something that was totally out of my control? Why did I make myself almost sick for a few days trying to figure this situation out before I even knew what it was going to be for sure. All of that worrying was just a massive waste of time.

"There is only one way to happiness, and that is to cease worrying things which are beyond the power of our will." ~ Seneca

Perfection...

Wine+Chocolate+Food & Wine Magazine+Crying My Eyes Out While Watching "Brothers & Sisters"=A Perfect Night At Home

Emotions...

Overwhelmed. EXCITED. Worried. CHALLENGED. Confused. OPTIMISTIC. Nervous. EAGER. Impatient. EXPECTANT. Crazed. HOPEFUL. Emotional. STRETCHED. Anxious. ANTICIPATIVE. Scattered. INSPIRED. Scared. PLEASED. Over-Committed.

All of these emotions are going on inside of me right now as I look towards the future.