Beachy

I'm here in beautiful SanDestin, FL with my family o' the moment, the Bullocks. Michele is one of my dear friends who just happens to have 5 kids who just happen to be a ton of fun. So, I'm at the beach with them again (I came with them last year too) and it's been a blast.

Manny (3) finally got over his fear of the water and is now almost terrifying, because he's so gungho about being underwater...he loves it and he requires constant supervision. He's having such a fun time though, so it's great to watch. Ella (2)is still sticking to the shallow end but is adorable in her little bikinis with her round, Guatemalan tummy sticking out....LOVE it! The big girls Mary (11), Laura (9), and Sarah (7) have been a hoot to hang out with. M and I squared off with Gin and War (I won one, we tied the other) and S is my fearless beach babe. L is my right hand girl...my helper and friend, making me laugh all the time.

While I'm here though...my thoughts are of home. I got an email from Colt (my liason at the school in SK) and they want me IN SK by July 22....yikes! That's early! I was anticipating the 27th or so...I don't mind it being earlier, but I'm just worried about my gig with the aforementioned Michele. She's going to Ireland for missions and her husband works, which leaves me with the kids for awhile. She gets back the 21...I dont know that I can do this...MAYBE the 23rd or 24th. And that's even saying that my papers are all in...I'm starting to get a little freaked out. I have to have everything moved out my house and into my mom's house by Tuesday...how am I going to do this? I can do most of it alone (yikes) but I really need one, if not two, really strong guys to help me move stuff....pray for me please!!!!

It also marks the end of a chapter of living with my dear roomie/flatmate, Caroline. I've lived with her almost a year and we've had our ups and downs, but the ups are what I will always remember. Pillow talks, Pride and Prejudice several time, sharing books, dinners with Dad, her texting me when Lean Cuisines are on sale at Target....beers on the porch on warm Saturday mornings....good times! I love my C and I will miss her when I leave....may she and Chris find every happiness together in that home....

Ok, so prayer prequests:
- that nobody will drown
- no sunburn
- grace and mercy for me on the kids
- safe travel back to bham
- me letting go of my to-do list while I'm here, because I can't do anything about it!
- all my papers coming in ASAP!!!!!!

A little overwhelming, it is...

As some of you may know, I have ADD. I am HORRIBLE when it comes to getting things done on time and I tend to procrastinate. Well, I can't really procrastinate on this little project. Today is one of those "get things done"days, and I am...overwhelmed.

- mow parents lawn
- deposit money at bank
- mail off transcript request form to Montevallo
- head to Columbiana to get fingerprinted
- send off form for FBI criminal background check
- pack for the beach (leaving tomorrow, back on Sunday)
- go to Sears and return Land's End bathing suits I'm not keeping (Galleria)
- go to Gap to get bathing suit bottoms that will stay up while playing with 5 kids at the beach (Summit)
- continue moving things out of my house and over to my parents house
- go to dr's office to get kit to find out if I have a parasite in my gut (Hoover/Bessemer)
- stop by WineStyles for computer
- go by CVS and get visa pics taken
- get script for meds from aforementioned Dr.

I'm just trying to figure out how to do all this before tomorrow! Yikes! I need a double dose of Adderall today! The only thing that's keeping me going is knowing that I will go to bed tonight thinking "man, I did it" and then heading to the beach tomorrow (with 5 kids, but it'll still be a sorta vacay).

I'm also trying to get a garage sale together...what can I get rid of? I'm trying to use this experience as a way to purge my life of those things that are truly unnecessary. Do I really need 100 DVD's? 4 different kinds of shampoo? 3 brushes? I'm calling this The Great Purge and I'm hoping to get rid of a bunch of stuff. This is to be a refining experience and I'm hoping God uses it to show me how little I really need to follow him.

Prayer requests:
- clarity of mind and focus today
- patience in the coming week with all the kids
- wisdom in dealing with finances

Getting started

Let's just go ahead and state the obvious: I have no idea what I'm doing.

I'm moving to South Korea for a year to teach English as a second language (ESL). I will (finally) be using my graduate degree and hopefully having the experience of a lifetime. I'm absolutely terrified but completely excited about this "foray into the unknown". I'm truly hoping that this helps shape me into a more mature person in many ways, and I'm looking forward to seeing how God will use this as a refining experience in my life.

That said, I'm trying to figure out how the heck to move to another country! What do I pack? What do I sell? What do I leave in storage at my oh-so-gracious parent's house? How do I do this?! Will I even be able to buy shoes there (I am a size 10, which I don't think even exists in Korea)? Will I be able to cook? Will I suck as a teacher? Will I make friends? All these things are running full speed through my head and all I can come back to is "God is in control, He will never leave me or forsake me". But, any and all suggestion from those who have done this are welcome and appreciated :)

Hopefully, this blog will allow my loved one (and there are so many of you, dear friends) to come with me on my journey. I hope I am able to be faithful to update!!!